Wilde One (8 page)

A finger touched her chin, tilting her head upward. She looked into clear green eyes filled with promise.

“No, I’m not going to ditch you.”

“If the others fly, they could get ahead of us.”

He took a step closer. “We know Parnell Jones hasn’t figured out the New York clue yet. The bartender at Fast Times said a blond man had been in the night before looking for the correct bar. If he figured it out, he can’t have much of a lead, and my guess is he didn’t. We wouldn’t have found the right place without Grandpa’s letters. Searching every bar on Mulberry Street for the bottles holding the clues would take a while.”

“So there’s only one other person who could be ahead of us at this point.”

“Exactly. I’m not in such a giant rush I’ll dump you at this stage of the game.” Another step brought him right up against her. The hand on her chin held her in place. “Anyway, I like hanging out with you.” He dipped his head and dropped a light kiss on her upturned lips.

Ainslee drew in a breath when he returned for a second, this one no simple peck. She opened her mouth a little, and his tongue stroked inside. When he finally pulled away, she grabbed his arm to steady herself.

The smile he gave her shook a little. “Wow.”

“Yeah, wow.” Flutters danced in her stomach. Taking a step back, she pressed a hand against her middle. “Is this going to complicate things between us?”

“Doesn’t have to. We’re still in the getting to know each other stage of our relationship. That kiss was just part of the process. Anyway, I don’t do complicated. I like to keep things simple.”

“If you say so.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Since he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of the kiss, neither would she. “I guess we should hit the road. We have a long drive ahead.”

“No doubt. We’ll check the map and plan our route then figure out where we want to stay tonight.”

She walked toward the SUV at his side, their shoulders brushing. Griff’s easy-going good cheer was contagious. The anxiety stirred up by the kiss they’d shared eased. Sure it had rocked her world, but she wouldn’t let a kiss ruin what was turning into a promising friendship. In her experience, admittedly not vast, friends with benefits always ended in someone getting hurt. Best to back off and simply ignore the fact that Griff had the ability to heat her southern regions with a single glance.

Sure, Ainslee. That’s going to happen.

She chose the passenger side, content to let him drive. Before long, they cruised down the freeway, radio blasting a classic Rolling Stones tune, windows wide open with the breeze blowing her hair into tangles and cooling her libido. Pulling out the road atlas, she anchored it on her lap. “Too bad we can’t take our time and do a little exploring. I’d intended to visit a few historic landmarks this summer. As it is, we’ll be rushing past them all.”

“We don’t have to. No reason we can’t take a break for an hour or two now and then to do what? Tromp through old battlefields?”

She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Then we’ll stop and tromp. I have at least a month before I need to think about my next salvage job. Since I’m still a total skeptic about the value of Victor’s treasure, at least to us in the long run, it’s no skin off my nose if one of the others beats us to it.”

“With that attitude, why are you even bothering to compete?”

“Because I like a challenge. I’m having fun hanging out with you, and there’s the slight possibility I’m wrong about Victor. All good reasons to continue with the quest—but at our own pace.”

“In that case…” She stabbed a finger at the map. “Have you ever been to Manassas?”

“Can’t say I have. What’s in Manassas?”

“The Battle of Bull Run. It’s not much of a detour off the interstate.”

He glanced over. “Uh, refresh my memory. Which state are we talking about?”

“Virginia. What did you do in your high school American history class?

“Napped. I think it was first period.”

She rolled her eyes. “You sound like the majority of my students. It’s hard for teachers to stay motivated when the kids don’t care.”

“In that case, we’ll renew your enthusiasm by getting up close and personal with the past.”

She leaned back against the seat and eyed him as he tapped the steering wheel and sang the chorus to “Satisfaction.” If she wasn’t careful, she’d get very attached to Griff’s company. As even-tempered as he was, she had a hard time believing he wasn’t married—or at least claimed by a woman somewhere.

“You ever been married?”

He shot her a quick glance before focusing on the big rig he was passing. “Nope. You?”

She shook her head. “No. Why not? You’re easy to get along with and not exactly hard on the eyes.”

“I could say the same for you, and now that I know you aren’t as young as I thought…”

When he didn’t continue, she let out a sigh. “I’ve had a couple of long-term relationships, but they fizzled before the engagement stage. We were talking about you. What’s your excuse for being single at the advanced age of…thirty-something?”

“Two. I’m thirty-two, which isn’t exactly ready for a retirement home.” He shrugged. “I’m not in the market for a serious relationship.” His eyes darkened. “Casual works better for me. Anyway, most women run in horror when I mention I live on a boat for months at a time.”

“Hmm, I guess I could understand that. You actually live
on
the boat?”

“Depends on how near to shore the wreck we’re working is located. If it’s close, we generally rent rooms. For anything further out, we bunk on the boat.”

“Must be fun” —she waved a hand— “going wherever the mood strikes to dive for gold doubloons and priceless artifacts.”

“There is the matter of extensive research to find a likely location and sometimes waiting days or even weeks for conditions to be right. Not to mention hours and hours of tedious dives searching for some sign we’re in the correct spot.”

“You make it sound so glamorous.”

He grinned. “
Then
we bring up the gold. That’s the fun part.”

“I bet.” She pushed her hair behind one shoulder as the wind whipped it in her face. “Other than the fact that I tend to burn rather than tan, hanging out on a boat doesn’t sound so bad.”

“I like it, but then I try to enjoy everything I do.”

They cruised along in silence for several minutes before she switched to a new topic. The desire to get to know him better kept the questions flowing. “Tell me about your family. You mentioned you have brothers?”

“Two, both younger, and one sister. Eden’s the baby at twenty-six. Sawyer’s second in line, only a year younger than me. He spends winters on the ranch carving these little gnomes.” Griff rolled his eyes. “For some reason, people pay a fortune for them. Then in the summer, he’s a rafting guide operating his own company.”

“A what?”

“Rafting guide. He organizes whitewater raft trips on some of the most challenging rivers in the west. The ones with class four and five rapids. No leisurely float down a river drinking beer when you sign on with Sawyer. His customers are looking for a thrill.”

“Insane.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Shooting through rapids is exhilarating.” A smile lit his face. “Then there’s Tripp. He’s twenty-nine like you. An extreme skier. If you’ve ever watched one of those movies where guys ski off cliffs in Alaska or Chile or some mountain in Europe—pretty much anywhere there’s snow and rocks that look like they could kill you—my little brother was probably one of the stars. They call him the Wilde Thing.”

“Unbelievable. Maybe you
aren’t
the wild one in your family.”

“Oh, I have my moments.”

Her heart stuttered before picking up its normal rhythm. “I bet you do.”

The glance he shot in her direction held a simmering heat. He cleared his throat. “Eden’s the only one who still lives full-time on the ranch in Wyoming with our parents and grandfather. She breaks horses—wild ones.”

“I’m suitably impressed. Geez, Griff, your whole family sounds a little crazy.”

“So people tell us. What about you? Let’s hear your life story.”

“It isn’t very exciting. I grew up on our family dairy farm. My older brother runs the business with my dad. My younger brother is a vet. I wanted to teach. A couple of years after college I threw caution to the wind and left Iowa for New York. Not a mistake, exactly, but not the experience I’d dreamed about. I wanted to make a difference. I’m not sure I succeeded.”

“I don’t know about that. Maybe your concern for those kids will catch up with them somewhere down the road. They may remember your advice, or simply that someone cared enough about them to try.” He lifted the fingers of one hand off the steering wheel and wiggled them. “It’s the ripple effect. If you throw a rock into a pond on one side, it may shake up a toad on his lily pad near the other bank.”

She snorted with laughter. “I hope I’m the rock and not the toad.”

“Of course you are.” His teasing glance sobered. “Though I’m beginning to think Victor is the rock in this game, and we’re all toads waiting to get dunked.”

“Then be glad you’re a good swimmer. With my skills, I’ll drown.”

“No you won’t.” His gaze slid over her like a caress. “Because I’ll be right there to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

Her toes curled in her sandals as she put her head back and looked over at him. “My hero.”

* * * *

Griff strolled behind Ainslee, hands pushed into the pockets of his shorts, enjoying the evening breeze blowing across the grassy field. On his own, it would never have occurred to him to wander around an old battlefield, but the process was actually cathartic after long hours cooped up in a car. Birds chirped as evening shadows lengthened over an area where men had once fought and died.

According to Ainslee, soldiers from the North did most of the dying. Apparently the South had kicked northern ass here. Twice. The first time a bunch of dimwits from the nation’s capital had driven their buggies out to watch the battle then gotten caught up in the retreat when the inexperienced ranks broke and ran. Who knew history was filled with fun facts?

He grinned. Or maybe it was just Ainslee who made them fun. She had a way with a story that left him hanging on her every word. Possibly it was a combination of her bright smile and the enthusiastic sparkle in her eyes as she talked. Or the mind-numbing way the spandex workout pants she’d changed into at the campsite they’d been lucky enough to find stretched across her superior ass when she bent to read a tombstone in the cemetery. Whatever the reason, he was having a terrific time wandering through fields and woodlands in a place filled with hints of lingering pain and suffering.

Ainslee rose to her feet from a crouching position in front of an age-stained headstone. “This boy was only seventeen.”

“War sucks. A wasted life.”

“True, but both sides fiercely believed in the values they fought for.” She glanced around. “I guess we should head back to the campground. It’s getting pretty dark.”

He took her arm when she stumbled on the uneven terrain, then clasped her hand in his. “Thanks, Ainslee.”

Her gaze shot up to meet his. “For what?”

“Broadening my horizons and showing me a slice of the past I wouldn’t have known existed. I bet you’re an excellent teacher.”

“I try to make learning fun.”

“Well, you did for me.” He squeezed her hand. “Now what? Dinner then bed?” He grimaced. “Sorry, that sounded…I didn’t mean…”

“I know what you meant.” Her eyes held a hint of sparkle mixed with confusion. “Despite the fact we grabbed sandwiches a few hours ago, I could eat.”

He was so busy trying to figure out what she was thinking, he almost missed her reply. “Wait? What? You actually want food?”

The shadows in her eyes morphed into a smile. “I do like to eat on occasion. What sounds good to you?”

You. Sound good. Look good.
He shifted uncomfortably as his shorts tightened and was grateful for the encroaching darkness as they left the field to approach the SUV. “How about pasta?”

“Perfect. I could definitely go for Italian.”

An image of Ainslee wrapped in a few strategically placed spaghetti noodles and nothing else flashed through his mind. He grabbed the door handle as his knees threatened to buckle then took a long breath.
Down, boy.
“I saw an Italian restaurant when we drove through town earlier. Let’s hope the food’s good.”

Keeping his relationship with this woman strictly platonic was getting harder by the hour. The more time he spent with her, the greater his need to take things to the next level physically. He was nearly positive she felt the attraction between them but had no idea if she wanted to do anything about it. Since he didn’t want to make her nervous in any way, until she gave him a clear sign she was interested, he’d simply grit his teeth and keep his hands to himself. Even if it killed him.

The drive from the battlefield into town wasn’t a long one, and they were soon seated at a table for two in the corner of the restaurant. A red-checked tablecloth along with a candle stuck in a wine bottle set at its center added a touch of rustic charm.

“Comfortable rather than fancy. I like this place.” Ainslee opened the menu. “Ooh, pesto. I’m going to have pesto bowtie pasta with chicken.”

“I’m old school when it comes to my stomach. Spaghetti with meatballs.” He shut the menu, and when the waitress stopped beside their table, ordered two glasses of Chianti to go with their meal. He glanced across the table. “Is that okay with you?”

Ainslee nodded. “Sounds lovely. Maybe it’ll help me sleep on the hard ground.”

“That reminds me…I should pick up some gear. Sleeping bag, pad, tent, maybe a stove so we can cook breakfast.”

“We can stop at the sporting goods store we passed, then go get a few groceries and some ice. I have a cooler in the car.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Aren’t we organized? Speaking of which, I checked the map while you were chatting up the park ranger at the visitor’s center. Should take us two days to reach New Orleans if we don’t want to spend more than eight to ten hours in the car each day.”