Free To Know Her (Erotic Romance) by Renee Burke Page A

was as
good as any other name.  “Alright.”
    “I’m Derek Clayton.”
    “Nice to meet you, Derek.”
    A large house with a sprawling
lawn came into view.  He slowed and pulled into the drive.  They had
been driving only a short time, but she’d become relaxed in the seat.  The
realization that they weren’t going to a public place made her tense
again.  “Why are we here?”
    “It’s late.  We’re not
close to a town, and they’ll be little open to offer help for you by the time
we get there.”  He pulled into the garage and stopped the car. 
    She looked around, quickly taking
inventory of her surroundings.  Another space stood empty beside
her.  “You have a wife?”
    “No wife.”
    “Someone else lives here?”
    “At the moment, only you. 
We’ll get your cut cleaned up and put some ice on the knot you have
growing.  Does it hurt?”
    She nodded.  “A bit.”
    He opened his door and was
around to escort her from the car before she had time to consider her
options.  He leaned across her, reaching down to unbuckle her safety belt,
brushing against her thigh before taking her hand to pull her from the
seat.  He seemed entirely comfortable with the contact.  She admitted
to herself that she didn’t feel afraid.  Was this the way victims felt
before realizing they’d trusted a serial killer?  At ease, relieved for
the company? 
    He unlocked the door and
engaged the security alarm on a nearby keypad as they entered.  The lights
he flipped on illuminated a large room beyond the foyer.  Comfortable and
spacious.  Couches and chairs with fabric throws beckoned, but he held her
hand and pulled her toward the kitchen.
    Without speaking, he quickly
retrieved a first aid kit and cold compress before leading her to a
chair.  He sat opposite her and opened the kit to find what he
needed. 
    “I wonder how a woman gets to
this area, alone, at night, and loses her memory.”
    She stopped her investigation
of the surrounding room.  “I have no idea.” 
    “That’s what’s happened
then?  No memory?”
    “I guess.  I know some
things.  This…”  She gestured between them and then toward the night
beyond a large bay window.  “…is unsafe.”
    He doused a piece of gauze with
antiseptic from a brown bottle.  The smell made her nose wrinkle.
“Unsafe?”  His eyebrow lifted with his curious tone.
    “Of course.  Because I
don’t know you.  You could be a woman’s worst nightmare.”
    He winced at the words. 
“I suppose you’re right.  I promise you.  I won’t cause you
harm.”  He lifted the gauze to touch her injury.
    “Ouch!”  She lurched back,
her hand jerking up to clutch at his arm, creating distance.
    “Sorry, Sara.  The cut is
open and needs treatment before we bandage it.” 
    Sara.  Okay.  She
waited just a moment before releasing his arm.  He dabbed her again with
the cotton, causing the wound to burn.  She gritted her teeth against the
irritation.
    She watched as his lips moved
closer before parting so he could blow gently across the ache.  Maybe it
wasn’t the most sanitary move, but it brought him close enough to give her a
good view of his dark skin, stubble covering his jaw, and the strong neck that
dipped into a broad set of shoulders covered by an expensive dress shirt. 
She could smell his skin, masculine and sexy.
    “Oh.”  The sound was just
a breath but he heard.  His lips quirked.  He leaned back to search
her expression.
    “Better?”
    Her only response was a
nod. 
    He finished treating the cut
with ointment and a small bandage that kept her hair from touching it. 
Her hair.  She stroked the swash over her shoulder.  Dark blonde,
long, and thick.   
    “How about something to drink
before settling in?”  He was already moving around the kitchen before she
answered.  He returned with a glass of lemonade.
    She sipped a few drinks while
watching him put the first aid supplies away.  He returned with an
outstretched