Page 47 of Not the Plan

“Hey, uh, no harm, no foul?” The man backed up, tripping over his own feet.

“No harm? You called her a ‘nice piece of ass.’ ” Karim didn’t open his door. Isadora walked around the back of the car to the passenger side. “An apology is in order.”

“Look, I didn’t mean anything by that.” He turned to Isadora. “You understand?”

She paused, opening her door.

“Didn’t mean anything by it when you thought I was alone, but another man calls you on it and suddenly it’s an inappropriate thing to say?”

The man peered at Karim, who’d raised his eyebrows.

“I…I don’t…”

“Have anything useful to add,” Karim finished for him, opening his door. “Good day to you. And yourboy.” He nodded at Isadora, and they got into the car. About to drive away, the man delivered a parting shot.

“Fucking towel head! You can keep your little black bitch!” He gunned his engine and sped off. Karim’s jaw visibly clenched as he turned on the engine and headed toward the freeway.

“And here I thought moving to California meant I didn’t have to deal with that anymore,” he said.

Isadora shook her head, looking out her window. “Nah, it’s here too. Doesn’t make it to the travel brochures, but it’s here.”

“I’m sorry,” he said after a mile or two.

“Why are you sorry?” she asked. “You came to my rescue.”And I liked it when you called me “baby.”

His jaw relaxed. “You think?”

“Yes. It felt good. Especially because there were two of them.”

“I didn’t like that either,” he said. His face got tight again. Stopped at the light before the on-ramp, he focused straight ahead, lips pressed together.

“Look at me, please,” she said. “I think you handled it splendidly.” She stroked his cheek. The light changed, and she noticedfirst, flitting her gaze toward it. He followed the van in front of them, onto the on-ramp.

“You do?” he asked.

“I do. You made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Protected. I liked it.”

“Yeah?” His blush through the sexy scruff made her heart skip a beat.

“I did. Now let’s forget about them. We have the whole day together. How about some music?” She settled into her seat as the car sped up.

He relaxed, flicking the radio on as he merged onto the wide stretch of road. Cruising along at a good speed, he picked up her hand and swept his delicious lips across the back.

Another urge to stroke his cheek in response renewed her concerns. She returned to her goal, angling herself toward him in the seat and tucking her hands into her elbows to keep them off him.

“You were in Pennsylvania before you moved here. Is that where you’re originally from?” she asked.

“No.” He glanced at her with a cute bend to his lips. “I’m from Michigan. Grosse Pointe. Near Detroit.”

“Oh,” she said. “Never been. I…um…I guess it gets cold there?”

He chuckled. “You could say that. Growing up there, then living in Virginia and Pennsylvania, made California even more attractive.”

“I bet.” She nodded. “Pennsylvania to California. That’s really far. Not too drastic of a change?” Her gaze slid to his arm, trickling over the ridge of his deltoid, down to the cuff of his T-shirt, taut over a golden biceps.

“Uh, no,” he said. “What about you? California native?” He glanced at her before she anticipated it and caught her ogling him again.

Heat flashed into her cheeks and she hid her face in her hands as he chuckled.

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