“Is this your personal vehicle?” I ask as I settle into the seat.
“Yes.”
“Sweet.” He buckles me in and then comes around the front of the vehicle. He climbs inside, filling the cabin like a big brute. Damn, he’s so much larger than me; no wonder he needs such a massive ride like this.
As he turns on the engine, I ask, “So tell me about you, Whit. How old are you? Why are you still single? How many lovers have you had?” He turns his head toward me and arches his brow, shifting the gear on the dash.
“Wow. That’s a lot of questions. I’m thirty-two. I was single, but I’m no longer single.” He winks at me before pulling out of the driveway back down the path. “I don’t date because I’ve been focused on my career. As for the lovers…that’s a bit more complicated.”
“What’s so complicated? How many women have you fucked? Unless you’ve lost count.” It stings to know he’s a manwhore, but his past isn’t something I can change, and he’s sure as fuck a lot older than me so I can’t expect him to be innocent like me.
“I’ve never had sex.” He says it with no hesitation in his voice, making me think he’s playing games. I’m not in the mood for this shit. I’m an eighteen-year-old virgin with dreams of happily ever after in my head and don’t take lies well.
“Bullshit. I expect you to tell me some number under ten, but none is unbelievable.” I scowl at him, ready to call my sister and have Bennett pick me back up.
He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “From the time I was fifteen through twenty, I was in and out of the hospital.”
I freeze, taking in what he just said before I can even get the words out of my mouth. “What? Why? Oh my God!” I look him over, wondering how he could have been in the hospital. Immediately childhood cancer comes to mind, and my heart breaks. I take my other hand and place it over ours.
“I’d been in a hostage situation and was shot during it. It took years of physical therapy and surgery to get back to normal,” he answers my questions so matter-of-factly.
“Oh my goodness.” My heart catches in my throat at that revelation.
“Yeah.”
“Your parents must have lost their minds.” As much as my parents don’t seem to care anymore, they actually do but they’re sick and it’s draining them physically and financially. They would have been devastated if something like that happened to us.
“Yeah. You could say that,” he huffs.
“I’m glad you’re alright, but that was a long time ago. So why the wait? I’m not trying to sound unappreciative or insensitive. It’s just that…well…you’re gorgeous, and women would be throwing themselves at you.”
“Because I wanted to find the one woman I wanted to be with for more than a fuck.”
“So am I more than a fuck, or are we just going to talk?” I arch my brow at him, challenging him, and also a bit curious.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get to know you, Lydia. From the first sound of your voice, I felt a shift in me. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but then you walked up to me, and I knew we had something special. It’s too soon and wildly insane to even say, but I know you’re the one for me.”
I nod, but I’m too overwhelmed to answer him because I feel the same way. I understand I’m young, but my soul feels like it belongs to him. I told Georgie that I’m just in it to lose my v-card, but that’s my way of doing my best to deny the urge to have his babies. I want him to pump his load in me and fill me with babies.
“What’s wrong? Am I scaring you away?” he asks, squeezing my hands that are sitting in my lap with his large one.
“Honestly, it’s the exact opposite. I believe you, and that makes me naïve as hell.”
“Then I’m naïve with you, Lydia.” He reaches up, stroking my cheek. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. I just want you with me.”
“I’d like that. I hope you’re not disappointed,” I confess, looking into his eyes.
“No. I felt like a fucking animal earlier, and as much as I want to be balls deep inside of you, it’s for the best that we get to know each other a little better. I’ll never forgive myself if we ruin what we have.”
“Thank you, Whit.”
“Don’t thank me for being a gentleman. You deserve that at the very least.” Two minutes later, we pull into a long driveway and then he presses his garage door opener. Once we’re inside, he turns off the engine and we climb out. It’s a massive and finished garage. From the exterior of the house, it’s hard to believe that it’s the sheriff’s property. It’s so large.