Chapter One #3
I couldn’t force her to walk closer to me. So we’d just do this with her hiding out in the woods.
I gestured to the car. “I can try to see if it’s something obvious, but if not, I’ll have to call my cousin, Adam. He’s a mechanic and can tow you in. Is the driver’s side unlocked so I can look under the hood?” I really hoped she’d come out if we had to tow her car.
She gave a curt nod.
I popped the hood and propped it up. “Are you in town long?” Keeping my eyes away from her was good. Maybe then I could control the raging hard-on that pushed at my jeans. I’d only caught a glimpse of her curvy body but that was all I needed to be instantly attracted to her.
“For a while.” I looked up at the sound of her keys jingling. She pointed them at me. “My boyfriend’s on his way. You know, in case you get any ideas.”
Well, fuck. Just the idea of her with some other guy made my gut tense. “Does he live nearby?” I asked through clenched teeth.
She pointed towards Ruby River. “In town.”
Damn. I probably knew him. Not only was Rhode Island a small state where everyone knew just about everyone else, but Ruby River was even smaller. Everyone really did know everyone. “What’s his name?”
For a second, she looked triumphant that I believed her, but then her expression dropped and it seemed like her face paled. “It’s uh … Drew.”
“Drew?” Weird. I glanced at her.
Why did her voice sound so familiar?
Her eyes darted away from me before settling on me again. “Yeah.”
That tingle of awareness, the part of my brain that activated when I knew I was on to something, pushed me to ask. “Does this Drew have a last name?”
She frowned at me. “Of course he does.”
I waited.
“It’s, uh.” She looked away then back at me. “It’s, uh, Drew … Drew Kingsley.”
I jerked my head to the side so fast I was surprised I didn’t pull a muscle. Was she fucking with me? Had my siblings or cousins put her up to this?
This time she kept my gaze, even as she shifted awkwardly. She was a terrible liar. I squinted, staring harder at her. If this wasn’t a prank, did we somehow know each other? I mentally scanned the previous ten to fifteen years, knowing full well if we’d met, I’d have remembered her.
I came out from behind the car and crossed my arms. “Oh, yeah? Been together for a long time?” I didn’t miss the way her eyes lingered on my biceps, and I resisted the urge to flex for her.
She cleared her throat. The humidity was unusually high today. If she’d been out here for a long time, she could be dehydrated. “Not long,” she answered cryptically.
I’d stashed a few bottles of water in the truck this morning. “Can I get you some water?”
A tiny, grateful smile played on her lips, and the subtle, but unmistakable beauty that radiated from her again captivated me.
I made my way to the truck and grabbed two bottles of water. She seemed fine, but I didn’t want to assume anything. Dehydration could cause a whole host of symptoms. What if she’d been struggling because she was injured? My chest tightened at the thought. “Are you hurt?”
“No, why would you ask?” Her voice had grown suspicious again. “Are you trying to determine whether I could get away from you?”
A laugh burst from my mouth. I should’ve known we’d be back to this. I ambled closer, pointed at the tall grasses with one of the waters. “Well, unless there’s a reason for being way over there in that mess, I’d recommend you come out before you get a tick bite.”
“Ticks?” she screeched. “Shit!” She ran, brushing frantically at her legs. “Fucking hate those things. This is why I don’t go out into the woods.”
I couldn’t hide my smile as she leapt forward, hopping and swiping at her clothes. An outdoors woman, she clearly was not. She was so concerned with the possibility of a tick she hadn’t realized she now stood a foot from me.
She froze the second she realized her mistake.
And so did I.
This beautiful stranger, her wide hips clad in denim, was only wearing a bra. A black lace one that barely covered her ample chest.
I was a sucker for lace. A pretty present for me to unwrap.
She dove back behind the unruly grass and the nearby bush. When she re-emerged, she wore a light colored t-shirt and carried a large tote bag on her shoulder.
I swallowed hard as I handed her the bottle of water, which she reluctantly took after sliding her keys into the pocket of her jeans. Jeans that showed off beautifully thick thighs. Shit. I averted my eyes and pulled out my phone. “I’m going to call my cousin.”
She gulped the water, wiped a hand across her mouth, then pointed at my phone. “Put it on speaker.”
I tapped the number out and complied with her request. The phone rang twice. “Ruby River Repair.” An unfamiliar voice answered. It must be the new guy, Levi.
“Hey. Is Adam around?” I asked.
“He’s working on a car. Who’s calling?” Damn. I hadn’t thought this through. I just assumed Adam would answer this late at night.
Shit.
This is not how I wanted to inform her that her “pretend” boyfriend was standing right in front of her.
“Dude. I need to tell him something. Otherwise he won’t answer,” Levi grumbled, interrupting my thoughts.
The stranger’s eyes narrowed, her earlier distrust shining through. With a subtle shift, she moved a foot away, her body tensing.
She was going to bolt.
I cleared my throat again, hating how tight it sounded and looked straight at my so-called girlfriend. “Tell him it’s his cousin, Drew.”
He chuckled in my ear as her eyes went wide. “Kingsley! Bruh, why didn’t you just say that? I’ll go get him.”
The water bottle fell from her hand as she stumbled back. Even in the dim light, I was pretty sure her face paled. “Well, shit,” she whispered.
I knew that voice. It’d been ruling my days and haunting my nights for the last three months.