Chapter 10 #2
Goddamn it. I adjust myself in my jeans, looking for more room as they get too tight. Her dirty talk is brazen, like some curse-laden version of a weird love spell, but fuck, does it work for me. Or maybe it’s not the words. It’s just her.
Having won this round, she licks her finger and makes a tally mark in the air. “Oh, by the way, no fucking on school property. That’s probably a felony, don’t ya think? And wrong and gross even if it’s not.”
“Is a felony a deal breaker for you?” I tease back, an oh-shit look on my face.
“Seriously?” she hisses.
“Nah.” I laugh. “Got a misdemeanor charge for fighting once, spent a couple of nights sobering up in the drunk tank when I was younger, and definitely had some black eyes, but nothing felonious.” I don’t tell her that Dad was the primary giver of those black eyes.
It’s not like it sounds, anyway. He was just raging.
Hell, we all were raging. He took out his shit on me.
I took out my shit on him. And now it’s done. “You?”
She knocks on her head like it’s a piece of wood. “Nope, not planning on getting caught, either.”
She doesn’t say she’s not planning on committing any felonies, I think with a smirk, wondering just where she’s thinking about fucking.
She’s right, the school’s probably a bad idea, but there are some old dirt roads on the mountain, federal reserve land that no one goes on except the occasional ranger.
We could definitely get up to something there . . . and most likely, not get caught.
I put a pin in that idea as she starts walking again. We look at some newer model cars, ones I can mostly identify. Mustang, Camaro, and a few Corvettes.
A mullet-haired blond kid in baggy jeans, probably no more than twenty, judging by his smooth jawline, waves at Erica, and she gives him a friendly smile.
I’m already directing her that way, knowing she’ll want to talk to the guy, but she puts a hand on my chest. “Hey, would you mind grabbing me a Coke?” She points at a vendor on the far side of the line of cars.
“I’ll meet you right here, by Todd’s Challenger.
That’s the purple one.” She winks as she says it, teasing me.
I look from her to Todd, trying to get a read. “Yeah, sure . . . be right back.”
I use the full breadth of my strides to get to the drink vendor, not shortening them for Lil Bit’s stride the way I’ve been doing the rest of the day, and get back with a cold can of Coke in record time.
Not that there’s a record for that, but if there were, I’d have just beaten it because I was damn fast.
Erica and Todd are deep in conversation. I try to judge if it’s personal. Hell, I don’t know, maybe she dated him too? Or he’s Reed’s little brother? I don’t know, but I’m standing here like a chump with her drink, feeling a little too much like Reed, I reckon.
But when Erica points Todd to the driver seat and dips under the hood, I can see there’s something more professional going on. Or at least I hope there is. She leans over the engine and he revs it loudly. Erica doesn’t even flinch, listening closely.
She’s like the Engine Whisperer, I think proudly. I have no reason to be proud of that. It’s definitely not my doing, but I like that she’s someone other people seek out for her brain. That she’s got this whole thing going on that she’s in control of.
I had that once with the farm. Ran it and myself to the ground, but she’s thriving with it. That much is obvious from today.
Todd gets out from behind the wheel, feet spread wide and hands crossed over his chest, a stance I know well.
He’s pissed. He frowns as he says something I can’t hear, and Erica shakes her head.
Todd kicks the tire of his fancy car, saying something again.
Erica shrugs and shakes her head. I can see the no on her lips as I approach with her Coke.
“Here you go, Erica.”
Todd’s brows jump together. “Who’s Erica?”
She elbows me in the gut, not hard, but I wince anyway. “Me. You don’t get to call me that,” she tells the kid.
“Whatever, Rix. You sure you can’t do it? Just a little more.” He’s needling her, though I haven’t the foggiest idea what about.
“Nah, I’ll do a little research to confirm. But I think you’re maxed.” She takes my hand this time, pulling me away. “’Bye, Todd.”
The kid looks even more pissed as we walk away.
“What’s that about?” I ask, curious and not the least bit jealous. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And really, the kid wasn’t even looking at Erica that way. Dumbass doesn’t see what’s right in front of him, but I do.
“Nothing. Just car shit.” I hear the ‘drop it.’ “I think I’m good. You ready to head to the other side of the mountain?”
I nod. “Yeah, take me home, Lil Bit. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll feed you dinner too. Fair warning, though. All I can make are pancakes, so I hope you want them again.” She laughs, shoving at my chest.
I think she’s feeling me up again, so I flex a little for her. She grabs my nipple again, twisting and laughing. “Come on, Cowboy.”
At the same time, she’s nearly brought me to my knees. “Shit . . . stop. You want me to do that to you? And I don’t mean in sexy way.” The threat holds no heat since I’m rubbing my chest soothingly.
“Go ahead,” she dares, pushing her tits up at me. I know she doesn’t have a bra on because I watched her get dressed earlier. But when she does that, I don’t want to give her a purple nurple. I want to cup and suck those nipples until she begs me to give her more.
And with that evil thought, I promise her, “Later.”