Driving Her Crazy by Kira Archer Page B

mouth. Her stomach flipped while the rest of her body tightened as if waiting for him to drag that finger along her skin.
    What the hell was she thinking? She ripped her gaze from him and focused on her food, though her appetite had taken a nose dive. She decided it was the result of inhaling greasy fries smothered in ice cream and had nothing at all to do with the massive guilt trip she was riding for lusting after the finger-licking married man sitting next to her.
    They tossed their trash and got back on the road. It didn’t last long, though.
    “The West Virginia Welcome Center is a few miles up the road. Picture time,” he said, grinning.
    Cherice groaned, but inwardly she still thought it was pretty cute that he was taking the pictures for his son. She would have preferred they had a little nicer weather for it, but she really couldn’t complain too much since he was the one running out to stand in the rain under the signs. She hoped the signs for Maryland and Pennsylvania were the ones that hung over the freeway or they’d be stopping every ten minutes. They didn’t have much of Maryland to go through.
    Nathaniel pulled into the Welcome Center lot and parked the car. Thankfully, the rain had let up for a few minutes. Of course, that meant the humidity was off-the-charts stifling. But she’d at least be able to take his picture without both of them getting soaked.
    Looked like they’d need to wait their turn for the sign, though. An elderly couple was attempting to take a selfie of the two of them in front of it. Cherice smiled and stepped forward.
    “Would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?” she asked, holding out her hand for their camera.
    “Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you,” the woman said. “Would you mind taking a few?”
    “Not at all.” She smiled at them and glanced at Nathaniel. He smiled at her, but it was more of a thoughtful expression than amused.
    Cherice snapped several pictures of the couple. They were just downright freaking adorable. Married forty-five years and still looked as in love as they must have the day they married.
    “Your turn!” the woman said after Cherice handed her back her camera.
    “Oh, no that’s all right,” Cherice said. “We were just going to take his picture.”
    “Oh that’s silly. Come on, both of you.”
    The woman herded Nathaniel and Cherice together in front of the sign, deftly plucking Nathaniel’s phone out of his hand.
    “Now, put your arm around her, young man. Don’t be shy!”
    Nathaniel just laughed and did as he was told. Cherice bit back another argument. The woman didn’t seem like she’d take no for an answer, so it was probably just easier to go along with it and get it over with. Though standing there with Nathaniel’s arms wrapped around her was making her react in ways she really shouldn’t be reacting to a married man. She shouldn’t be thinking about how warm his hand felt against the small of her back. Or of how strong his arms felt around her. Or wondering if his lips felt as soft and full as they looked. Or if that faint musk scent was cologne or soap or just him . Nope. Shouldn’t be thinking any of those things.
    The woman snapped several pictures and then handed the phone back to Nathaniel with a smile.
    “You two make a lovely couple. I hope you have as many years together as my Frank and I have had.”
    Cherice shook her head, her stomach bottoming out. “No, we’re—”
    Nathaniel wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, cutting off her attempt to set the woman straight.
    “Thank you, ma’am, that’s very kind of you. You two travel safe now.”
    Cherice stayed stiffly in his arms while they walked back to the car and he opened her door for her. But the second he got in the car, Nathaniel cut her off before she could get the words out.
    “It was a whole lot easier to go along with it than waste a bunch of time explaining that we’re just strangers on a road trip