Valerie sat in the passenger seat of the luxury sedan, watching the passing scenery, the silence between them comfortable and natural and punctuated by an occasional comment about the area. She’d showered and changed into formfitting jeans and a casual blouse, and she left her hair down so it fell in soft, loose curls over her shoulders—just how he liked it best. Sitting on her lap was a pink bakery box filled with an assortment of freshly made cookies that she’d insisted they pick up for Stanley. She looked refreshed, rested, and a helluva lot better than she had after their trip to Alcatraz yesterday. Hell, that brazen kiss she’d laid on him earlier that morning proved she was feeling more than fine, while he still wasn’t sure what to make of her bold advance. All he cared about was that she’d kissed him of her own free will, no pressure or cornering from him, and he’d liked all that feminine confidence she’d exuded. A whole lot. It marked a huge change in her, one that promised all sorts of sensual surprises, and he was game for whatever she had in mind.
