Page 44 of Believe in Caloosa Springs

I got back in the car and buckled my seatbelt before turning to him.

“You look incredible tonight. It’s a sin against humanity for it to be so darn cold you’re forced to cover up your amazing body with all those clothes.”

Tian’s eyes went wide, and a deep blush bloomed across the apples of his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose.

“I practiced that all the way over here…”

Tian turned his head and laughed, breaking the tension. I found myself chuckling along with him at my severe cheesiness, despite the fact that I had meant every word.

“Why are you so charming?” Tian asked, bashfully turning his blushing face towards the window.

“You make it so easy to be good to you, Tian. And anyone who isn’t good to you, doesn’t deserve to be on this planet.”

I watched his breath hitch and his shoulders rise, and silently cursed myself.Too much! It’s too much! He literally just got into the car, and it sounds like you’re about to propose!

FIXITFIXITFIXITFIXIT

My brain was skipping like a scratched CD, and I was completely frozen.

“You keep saying things like that to me, and you mightneverget rid of me.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding and blinked several times as I processed what he’d said.

Then, I put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

“So…” I began as I righted the car and started down the street. “Are you hungry? Would you like to get something to eat, and then have sex? Go see a movie, and then have sex? Have sexatthe drive-in? Do you want to just go back to my place and have sex? I’m really open to anything…”

A throaty laugh came from his side of the car. “Pull over.”

I cleared my throat. “Right now?” I squinted and immediately started examining the shoulder for a solid place to pull off.

“There’s a dirt road just a little ways up on the left. I have no idea where it goes.”

I shrugged and took my foot off the accelerator to begin slowing the car down. The turn off he had mentioned came quickly in the dark, and I still had to hit the brakes pretty hard to get us around the sharp curve.

“Sorry,” I said sheepishly as Tian adjusted his seatbelt.

I drove down the dirt road slowly, silently praying I didn’t get something stuck in the tires and pop one of them—a horror movie waiting to happen.

Two young guys go off down a dirt road in the dark to get lucky, get a flat tire, and get eaten by wendigo…

“You’re not taking me out into the middle of nowhere to sacrifice me to the Old Gods or something, right?” I couldn’t help the anxiety in my voice.

Tian snickered. “We’ll see where the evening takes us.”

“As long as we get to finish first…”

Tian laughed again, and I pulled off the road into a small clearing. I could see recessed fence posts connected lazily with barbed wire. I assumed we were up against an old pasture. There wasn’t a light for miles, and I had enough clearance to pull completely off the road. Once I was parked, I cut the headlights.

“It’s kinda creepy out here,” I said, my voice barely audible above the hum of the overworked old heater.

“That’s kinda why I like it.”

“I figured.”

Tian opened his door and stepped out. He peeled out of his outer jacket and pullover, revealing a skimpy mesh crop top.

“Holyjeez,” I swore.

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