Chapter 4 #3
But as hard as he tried to focus on anything other than the sweet and lemony-smelling woman beside him, all he could think about was her sexy mouth. Her lips were soft, the bottom one plump enough to sink his teeth into… There was something unusually sensual about them.
What the fuck? Sensual?
What is wrong with you?
He dug around in his bag and found a hard-boiled egg, peeled off the wrapping, and popped it into his mouth.
“Gross.” She hit the button to lower her window. “Now, the entire car smells of rotten eggs.”
He finished chewing before responding. “It’s not rotten.” And then, he made a big show of lobbing the second one into his mouth.
“I don’t think you understand the concept of a road trip.”
“Mm.”
“You could’ve at least put salt on it.”
“Don’t have any, but it’s not a snack. It’s protein. And, also, salt makes me hold water. Not great when my ankle’s already the size of your purse.”
“Oh, now, we’re going after my choice in handbags? I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings about your sad food choices?”
“You can’t hurt my feelings. I don’t have any. I’m one hundred percent focused on my goals.”
“Hang on.” She pulled out her phone and swiped the screen. “Say it again. I’m going to record it so you can hear yourself. Trust me, it’ll change your life.”
He batted the phone away. “Are you telling me your life isn’t fully wrapped around your career?”
She went quiet, contemplative. Just when he wondered if he’d upset her, she said, “No, you’re right.
” She held the phone to her mouth. “You can’t hurt my feelings.
I don’t have any. I’m one hundred percent focused on my goals.
” Grinning, she stowed the phone in the cupholder.
“I’m going to listen to that tonight when I’m alone in my room. ”
“Yeah, but will it change you? Are you going to give up your career, marry a small-town boy, and run the family inn? Bang out two kids?”
“Why would you say that to me? Are you a monster?” She pretended to shudder.
“That is never gonna happen.” She glanced down at her phone again, and something stark and painful gripped her features.
It was gone in a flash. “So, back to the only girl you’ve ever loved.
I’m guessing she was the most popular girl in school. ”
“Wrong.”
“But she was a cheerleader? Come on. She was at least homecoming queen, right?”
“You’ve got it all wrong. She was shy and pretty. Quiet. I used to dream about going to her house after school. I wanted to get fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk.”
“That’s oddly specific.” Her tone held humor, but no judgment.
And he appreciated that, considering how lame it sounded once it left his mouth. “Anyhow, I wanted to go to her room and—”
“Do the nasty. Yeah, yeah. Let’s fast forward through the X-rated portion of the story.”
“I was eleven. I didn’t even know why my dick got hard and tingly.”
She pressed her lips together, like she was suppressing a laugh. But it didn’t work. It burst out of her with the grace of a slingshot.
“I never even talked to her. Not once. I joined the track team, and that was it for me. I’d found my path.”
“In track?”
He shrugged. “Well, sports in general.”
“Are you saying you never dated anyone after you found sports?” She reached behind her, digging through bags.
He lifted a few of them onto his lap and opened them so she could see the contents. “I’m saying that my priorities changed. I think you know, if you’re going to be great at something, you have to dedicate yourself. There’re no shortcuts.”
“I do, but I date. I’ve had relationships.” She didn’t sound too confident. In fact, she had that lost, helpless look again.
Something was definitely going on with her. “Have you ever had a serious boyfriend?” Well, there’re seven words I’ve never strung together before. As if he cared about shit like that. With her, though, he wanted to know.
She pointed to the apple pie, so he ripped it open and handed it to her. Vile. Maybe he’d send her one of his, show her what real food tastes like.
“Thanks.” She bit into it, closed her eyes, and moaned. “Yummy.” After chewing and swallowing, she said, “Sure, I have.”
“So, you loved him?”
She grinned. “Look at us. Road food and talk.” She handed the pie back to him and grew serious. “I really liked my high school boyfriend. Josh was a great guy. I had two boyfriends in college. And—”
“I didn’t ask about your dating history. I asked if you loved any of them.”
She sighed. “No, okay? I really liked Aaron. I did. And Darren and I had so much fun.”
“But?”
“But after we broke up, I wasn’t devastated. I missed our friendship. I missed… Well, let’s be honest, Darren was great in bed. A real champ.”
“A champ?” He laughed. “Does he know you called him a champ?”
“What? I’m just saying he loves women. Loves everything about them. He was…lusty.”
Yeah, okay. Too much information. “So why did you end things?”
“We graduated college. He went to grad school in Texas, and I went to law school. No big drama.” Her features pulled in. “I’m broken. That’s so sad.”
A raindrop hit the windshield, and he leaned forward. Overhead, the sky was cloudy with streaks of sunshine breaking through, but an ominous bank of dark clouds loomed in the distance.
A jagged bolt of lightning split the black clouds.
“Oh, no,” she breathed.
This is not happening.
He was not missing his brother’s rehearsal dinner.
He was not getting stuck in a car with this woman.