Page 50 of Sunrise Arrows

“You know I won’t need this in L.A., right?”

“Then use it here,” I say, taking the keys to my truck out of my pocket. I tuck them into the front pocket of her shorts, tugging her close to me by their stitching. “You’ll be able to drive yourself anywhere you want, whenever you want. No waitin’ on me or Briar to come get you.”

“You trust me with your truck?”

“Baby, I’m trusting you with my heart; my truck is nothing.”

She steps up on her toes, fingers lacing behind my neck to both pull herself up and me down, and she kisses me. It’s short and sweet and over too soon for my liking but it’s the perfect response.

We head out back where my truck has been waiting since her road test. The DMV is beginning to open for their regular hours, and the employees who came in early are nice enough to further accommodate us by letting us slip out the back before anyone sees Tinsley.

She checks with me one more time, as if she hasn’t been practicing in the red pickup for the last two weeks, and fed up with it, I pick her up making her squeal. Plopping her in the driver’s seat that she already adjusted for the road test, I grumble, “Woman, just drive my damn truck,” before shutting her and her ridiculous protests in.

I come around the front and hop into the passenger seat, adjusting it back to make room for my legs. Then hooking up my phone to the truck, I put in the address of our next stop.

“Where are we goin’?” she asks, her sugared drawl peeking out and making my heart stutter.

“It’s a surprise, Shortcake. You’ll see when we get there.” I reach under the seat and pull a bag out. Handing it over I say, “But this you can have now.”

“Archer!”

She refuses to take the bag, those puffy lips tight with defiance as she crosses her arms.

“Come on, you know you want to,” I tempt, letting the small pink and white polka dot gift bag dangle from my fingers.

“You don’t have to buy me things.” She glances back at me and earnestly says, “You never have.”

I lean across the console and kiss her forehead, dropping the bag in her lap. “Consider it a gift for me, Shortcake. If you’re gonna be drivin’, you’re gonna need it. Otherwise, my heart may give out thinkin’ about you on the roads without a life line.”

Her brow furrows and I know I’ve won. She’s too curious now to not open the bag.

She plucks out the glittery tissue paper and I take it from her as she reaches inside.

The little wrinkle in her brow smooths out and her mouth goes into a firm line that has me chuckling as she glares at me.

“You didn’t.”

“Oh I did,” I laugh. Sobering up as she pulls out the phone I got her, complete with a little strawberry case, I tell her, “I’m serious, Tinsley. You stress me the fuck out having no license and no phone. Ever since you told me that, it gnaws at me when I’m not with you. Regardless of who you are, it’s not safe, baby. Even if the only number you put in and call is mine, Ineedyou to have this and take it with you.”

Her grip is tight on the phone as she studies an inconsequential spot on the dashboard. After a minute she looks up at me—eyes blinking to clear away whatever haze of thoughts her mind drifted to. “Okay,” she agrees, making my chest instantly feel lighter. “But only because sending you nudes while you’re at work from Briar’s phone would be awkward and grounds for a sexual harassment lawsuit.”

I burst out laughing, the sound deep and full as it fills the truck.

“I’ll take what I can get.” Then I quickly add on, “But Shortcake, I swear to God, you send me nudes and I’m gonna be pissed. Technology is too easily hacked, and I don’t need my girl’s body splashed across the internet for everyone to see.” Grabbing the back of her neck, I pull her into me and murmur, “Besides, why have a picture when I have the real thing to look at and touch right here?”

“Fair point.” Her breathy reply is hot and electrifying on my skin.

It’s so easy to get lost in Tinsley. One look, a raspy sigh of words, or a touch of her hand on my thigh and I’m gone. The world and reason fade away, reckless desire and a need to consume taking over.

I teeter on the edge only for her to bring me back and have me laughing once again, our foreheads together as I do.

“So does that mean you won’t send me dick pics either?”

“Drive,” I order, still laughing. I adjust my half hard cock and repeat, “Just drive,” starting the directions, silently plotting how best to get her to accept the other surprise I have.

A phone is one thing, but a car is a whole other story and I know she’s gonna put up a fight.

CHAPTER17

---