Excerpt of Love Him or Leave Him by Sara Daniel

Connor made one final pass through the quiet downtown, then pulled in front of Becca's house. He resisted the urge to finish off the evening with a good–night kiss. They hadn't been on a date. "Thanks for keeping me company tonight."

"You bet. I had no idea so much excitement and adventure happened on a daily basis." She glanced at the dash clock. "Is Zelda really going to call you in four hours?"

"Are you really going to have ladies over at your house in four hours to exercise?" he tossed back.

Becca groaned. "Will she let you sleep in if I don't?"

He considered the possibility. "No, she'll be frantic, convinced something's wrong because no one showed up. And if she doesn't call, I'd have to check in to make sure nothing happened to her."

Becca laughed. "Looks like neither of us is getting much sleep tonight."

He guessed she found the prospect unusual, but if he got four hours of sleep any night, it would be a goddamn miracle. He considered the predictability of his small–town wake–up call a blessing. "Well, unless you want me to be the reason you don't get any sleep, I suggest you get out now and take the little shut eye you can get."

Her eyes widened. "Did you just suggest what I think you suggested?"

"No," he lied.

"You did," she insisted, her tone incredulous.

She didn't have to sound so surprised. She'd always known he'd wanted her beyond the acceptable limits. "Okay, fine, I did. Consider it an offer for mutual companionship—you know, if you start to feel the same desperation that made you give your virginity to some loser who didn't know how to make the experience good for you."

He expected her to lambast him. Instead, she leaned across the seat, ponytail swaying, the vented air in the vehicle blowing feather light strands against his cheek. Then she followed the same path with her lips, brushing them softly over his skin. "Good night, Connor."