Chapter 4
Oliver
Iwas so pissed off that I couldn’t even think straight.
I shifted from drive to reverse and stomped on the gas each time.
The truck moved a few inches here or a few inches there, but it seemed like we were just digging ourselves deeper.
I didn’t know how long we’d been stuck. I was lost in my own thoughts, mentally cursing and having a fit because it’s the only thing I could do.
When I heard the door open, I turned to find Crash climbing out.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I called out.
She had just stepped out of the truck, but she stopped whatever she was planning to look at me. Her big, blue fucking eyes sent a sharp jolt through my chest.
Fucking hell, this woman…
“The ride was a little rough, and we haven’t heard a peep from that goat since. I want to make sure it’s OK. You could have slung it out of the truck, or if it was tied up, you could have broken its neck. I’m worried.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I gaped at her in amazement. “We’re stuck in some mud with bald ass tires in a stolen truck, and you’re worried about the damn goat who put us here?”
She waved me on. “He matters too. Just get us out of here. Don’t worry about what I’m doing.”
She slammed the door, and only a moment later, was sticking her head through the open back window the way the goat did.
“He’s still here! He’s fine!”
“Goodie,” I muttered sarcastically as I went back to trying to get the truck out of the ditch.
Over the revving of the engine, I heard the goat and her laughter.
It only pissed me off more. My life had been nothing but bad luck since she crashed into it.
I was sure that God sent her into my life as some kind of payback for living a life of crime.
I may have been too good for the police to catch, but there was no escaping Karma, and based on the gorgeous blonde in the back of the truck that was rolling around with the fucking goat that made me run into the ditch, Karma was the biggest bitch of all.
I stomped on the gas, and we went shooting forward. The truck jumped and bounced over bumps in the grass, and then the tires squealed when they found pavement. I didn’t let off or slow down as I let out a cheer of excitement.
She pounded on the window. “Slow down before you wreck again!”
“I don’t wreck anything when you’re not involved!
In fact, you can stay back there. Maybe we’ll actually get to a motel in one piece.
” I reached behind me, and my fingers found the frame of the window.
I slid it over and closed it. I knew it wasn’t fucking broken.
She just didn’t know how to work the damn thing.
She banged on the window a few times, and I just laughed as I kept my foot on the gas, driving as quickly as I could to the next town that was a good twenty minutes away.
It was a peaceful ride, and I glanced in the back to see her lying with the damn good cuddled up beside her. I shook my head. The woman was odd…but endearing.
On the edge of town stood a gas station, closed for the night.
Deeper, we passed a bar, a grocery store, a post office, and a hardware store.
On the opposite end, there was a rundown motel, restaurant, a few offices, and another gas station.
I pulled the truck into an empty parking lot down the street from the motel and climbed out.
When I looked into the bed of the truck, I found her and the goat still cuddled up together.
“I’m going to go check into this motel. You coming or do you want me to leave the two of you alone?”
“Don’t be rude. He might be an animal, but you belong in the barn more than he does,” she said, standing and moving toward the tailgate with the goat’s rope in her hand.
“So, it is a he. Way to go, buddy. I hope she brings you better luck than she brought me.” I petted its head.
It tried to fucking bite me. I cursed softly and jerked my hand away.
She jumped over the back and stuck her tongue out at me before lowering the tailgate. “Come on, hop down, Kevin.”
“Whoa, what are you doing?”
“We can’t leave him tied up in there all night.”
“We sure the fuck can,” I argued. “Also, did you name it Kevin?”
She put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. “No, we can’t. It’s cold, and it’s probably going to rain some more. That’s animal cruelty.” She pointed to its collar.
I leaned in to see a tag that clearly read “Kevin.”
Wow. What the ever-loving fuck…
“I’m not sharing a bed with a fucking goat, crash.” I backed away, shaking my head.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad. He kept me warm.”
“Tie him up or set him free. He’s not staying in that room with us.”
“Fine. I’ll get my own room, and he can stay with me.” Keeping his rope in her hand, she started toward the motel.
“Have it your way.” I started following her over.
Outside, she tied his rope around one of the posts that held up the awning over the front door, and we walked inside together.
“Hello,” the man said from behind the counter.
Pale skin. Pot belly. Ugly shirt. Greasy hair. Well, what was left of his hair since he was sporting a pretty robust combover.
“Hey, we need two rooms,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but we only have one.”
I snorted.
“Yeah, right.” I chuckled. “No, I’m serious. We need two rooms.”
“No, I’m serious. We only have one. We have some remodeling taking place.”
“That’s fine. I don’t care if my walls aren’t painted,” Amelia told him with wide eyes.
He chuckled and smiled at her. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s a little more drastic than that. There is no furniture in the rooms being remodeled. No running water, no electricity. They’re being totally redone.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“I’m not fucking kidding you,” the man replied.
He definitely had an attitude toward me. Must be her big fucking blue eyes. They got me too, bud.
“Does the one room at least have two beds?” Amelia asked.
“No, sweetie, I’m sorry. It only has one queen-size bed.”
Another car pulled into the parking lot, its headlights flashing through the room.
“I’ll take it,” I said immediately.
“Great,” the man said, starting to get things together.
“Hey!” Amelia argued, rounding on me, clearly thinking I was stealing the room out from under her.
Two guys walked into the lobby. “We need a room for the night,” one of them said.
“Sorry, no rooms available,” the man behind the counter replied.
“But the sign outside said you had a vacancy.” He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb.
The older man behind the counter flipped a switch on the wall. “There. No vacancy.” The word no was suddenly lit up before vacancy.
The guys grumbled but turned to leave.
We finished up the paperwork, and Amelia and I walked back out. She started to untie the goat.
“What are you doing? I was serious. I’m not sleeping in a room with a fucking goat. Go put it back.”
“I’m putting him in the truck to sleep with me,” she shot back. “Since you took my room.”
I sighed. “You’re sharing a room with me. Leave the damn goat.”
“I can’t tie him up and leave him in the back of a truck all night.” She jutted her bottom lip out at me and blinked those too-blue eyes.
“Then let him go. That isn’t animal cruelty, is it?”
She shrugged. “I guess not. At least then he’ll be able to find food and shelter for the night. Someone will probably catch him tomorrow and get him back home, right?” She looked around nervously before looking back at me.
“Yes, exactly. Let him go.”
She pressed her lips into a tight line, and she kneeled. Wrapping her arms around the goat, she hugged its neck. “I’m going to miss you, Kevin.”
I snorted. “Ah, fucking Kevin.”
She ignored me and untied him. “Go on, Kevin. Be free.”
He immediately ran off without a look back. She, however, stood and watched him go, as if her heart were breaking.
I grabbed her wrist.
“Let’s go.” I yanked her toward our room. She hesitated for a moment before allowing me to steer her on.
Using the key, I let us into our room. I flipped on the light and moved to close the curtains. When I turned around, I found her staring at the single bed.
“So, how are we going to do this?” She looked over at me, twisting her hands in front of her.
“Do what?” I asked, pulling off my wet hoodie and t-shirt.
I draped both over a chair to dry, and when I looked back at her, I found her blue eyes raking up and down my bare chest and stomach.
I didn’t interrupt her. I liked seeing her check me out.
I could tell she liked what she saw, and I hoped it made her want to take off some clothes, too.
I cleared my throat after a moment, and she blinked and pulled her eyes away.
“H-How are we going to do this sleeping arrangement? There’s one bed and two of us.”
“So? We’re not children. The bed is big enough for both of us.”
“Are you implying that we sleep together?”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m telling you that I’ve had a hard day and I’m sleeping in this bed tonight. You are more than welcome to join me, or you can sleep on the floor. Up to you.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “I guess nobody ever taught you how to be a gentleman? You’re supposed to offer to take the floor and give me the bed.”
I chuckled.
“Not happening.” I unbuckled my belt and kicked off my shoes. “I earned this bed tonight.”
She shook her head and unzipped her jacket.
I watched as she moved across the room to hang it to dry.
She had only a white T-shirt beneath that red sleeping-bag jacket.
The shirt soaked up all the rainwater, becoming transparent and letting me see her white bra beneath.
It clung to her skin, revealing every curve like she wasn’t wearing anything at all.
Amelia was definitely beautiful. Tiny waist. Perfect breasts.
That hip flare that could drive a man wild.