Free Sidewalk Flower by Carlene Love Flores Page A

magical protective
cloak from everything bad in the world as it tightened around her.   “Listen darlin’, all the things we’ve been
talking about...I meant it when I said I respect you.   I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.   You know that right?”
    “You don’t, Lucky.   If anything, you make me—happy—and very
unladylike in my thoughts.”
    He smiled and pulled her into him even
more.   His torso was strong, his skin
soft but taut.   When her chest touched
against his stomach and her hips rested at his groin, she knew it would be mere
seconds until he’d step back, realizing how close they’d become.   While it didn’t come from her heart, she went
ahead and started to pull away first.   This had to be uncomfortable for him and she owed him some gratitude for
the kindness he’d already gushed onto her.   But in the next moment, his lips slowly came down onto hers, deepening with each step he took toward the bed.   Surely Lucky wouldn’t want a kiss this
amazing to end either.   When the backs of
her weak knees met up with the mattress, she knew he would decide one way or
the other.   She ran her tongue along his
lower lip, hoping she tasted as irresistible to him as he did to her.  
     
    * * * *
     
    It took Lucky a minute to recover from
the inferno Trista’s tongue had started in his blood.   He pulled down the fancy maroon comforter
along with a red wool blanket and a crisp white sheet so he could help Trista
into bed like he’d planned before he’d lost it and kissed her just now.
    Lord help him
because she was something special.   He
knew it already.   How many hours driving
through pitch dark Arkansas had he spent being both thankful and sorry for the
way she made him feel?   Asking for enough strength to keep his will solid.   To do right by her.   Finding the perfect timber for his specialty
hand carved pieces of furniture took longer than three days.   Yet he’d found this woman over the weekend
and she’d already driven him half crazy and completely enamored all at
once.   He had to find a way to slow their
pace though.   Trista had said more than
once that she appreciated his goodness.   He understood she meant the way he hadn’t taken advantage of her like
most other guys.  
    He swept a hand over the area where he
intended to lay her down and decided it felt too much like an ice pack to be
soothing.   He moved the sheet and blanket
back into place, feeling her body weight deepen into his hold.   Her face scrunched into the cutest frown so
he explained, “It hasn’t had the heat of any bodies in it yet to knock off the
chill.”  
    Trista’s mouth settled in an “oh”.   She must be thinking the same as him after
what he’d just said.   Best I hold you while we lay down and warm it up .   Her tiring eyes
were on him as he stood there with her at the edge of the cold bed; through all
the past few days’ bravado, she looked weary now.   Keeping his priorities straight with such sad
and deep eyes touching his heart was going to require a strength he prayed he
had.   Promises to Jaxon, focus needed for
his upcoming business negotiations, promises he’d made to himself, not to
mention God and Gramma Grace—none of them felt as important as helping this
hurt young woman right now.   She reached
for his hand and he realized he’d do whatever he could then answer to everyone
else later.   He watched her watch him, as
he slid down onto the mattress, making like a shield to the ice for her.
     
    * * * *
     
    Lucky’s dark jeans held tenderly low to
those narrow hips of his she’d dreamed of tasting earlier as he lay down.  
    Was he okay?  
    She was exhausted but didn’t feel faint
or hallucinatory.   It took a ton of will
to pull her eyes from the captivating way his belly button peeked out from the
comforter pulled up to just below his waist.  
    For a split second she considered the
couch.   Then the spot
beside him.   Then
the couch.