Free Belle and Valentine by Tressie Lockwood Page B

dreamed of moving to the city, and I think you don’t like the thought of it now.”
    She gave him a push, and he stepped back to let her drop down from the washing machine. Unfortunately, he didn’t move enough for her body not to brush his on the descent. A shuffle toward the door brought her closer to her bags and farther from him, but the pain in her stomach said it was the wrong move.
    Fane moved up behind her and caressed her arms. “If it will help, I’ll take you to see Widow Wilkes. I think she has enough sense to tell you what really happened.”
    “It won’t help,” she said.
    She felt his disappointment and turned to face him.
    “Nothing will help how much I love you, Fane.”
    His eyes widened, and she smiled.
    “I’m going to stay…with you.”
    He jerked her off her feet and into his embrace to crush her mouth in a hungry, all-consuming kiss. Zuria wrapped her arms around his neck, parted her lips, and pushed her tongue into his mouth. At the same time, she opened her heart and let the fear, doubt, and foolish decisions melt away for good.

Chapter Seven
    “Ready?” Fane said, grinning at her across the cab of his truck.
    Zuria swallowed and curled her fingers around the steering wheel. “We’re going to get in to trouble for this, Fane.”
    “Who’s to see? Nobody’s around, and look miles of windy, muddy road to enjoy.”
    She peered through the windshield. “This is why you always came in to town after it rained with your truck covered from top to bottom with mud. It was no accident.”
    He winked.
    Excitement built in Zuria’s gut. She threw the truck into gear and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. They jerked forward, but soon she and Fane were tearing along the dirt road, splashing mud and water all over the place.
    “Wipers,” Fane called out, and she hit the switch to put the wipers into high gear.
    She took a bend in the road so sharp, it felt like they went airborne on one side. Zuria screamed in delight, and Fane encouraged her to drive faster when the road straightened. She did and whooped again.
    “That’s my girl!” His eyes shown with pride, and she laughed.
    “You’re a bad influence, Fane Valentine.”
    “That’s the goal.”
    The siren and flashing lights made them both curse, and Zuria pulled to stop. “Oh no!”
    “Calm down, little rabbit.” He unbuckled himself and her. “Come on. Switch with me. He won’t be able to see through that back window.”
    “Neither can we, or we would have seen him coming,” she worried. “I was driving. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”
    He raised her in her seat whether she liked it or not and slid beneath her. Zuria tumbled quickly to the passenger seat and buckled up, but doing so was ridiculous at this point. A knock on the window brought both their attentions to the officer standing there, and Fane hit the power button to lower the window.
    “Morning, officer,” he said, a cheerful tone to his voice. Zuria suppressed a moan and tugged on her shirt, one of Fane’s.
    Mirrored glasses lowered to reveal a gaze with no amusement whatsoever. “Don’t ‘morning, officer’ me, Fane Valentine. I got you again on reckless driving, and…” The man’s gaze lowered to first Fane’s jeans, which were unbuttoned, and then shifted to her. She wore no pants at all, and she tugged at the shirt to try to cover her bare legs. Anyone could figure out what they had been doing before the speeding. Zuria hid her face behind a hand and moaned, figuring the whole town would hear about their escapades before the end of the day.
    “Sorry, officer,” Fane said, still calm, and not sounding sorry in the least. “It won’t happen again.”
    “The next time I catch you out here, I’m hauling you in. Is that clear?” the officer asked Fane.
    “Yes, sir.” Fane saluted, and the policeman frowned.
    Zuria felt the angry gaze slide to her. “And Ms. Belle?”
    She started. Damn, he knew who she was. “Yes, officer?”