Page 13 of Darlin'

"No," he says flatly. "Gotta hit a B&E first. You stay here. If you hear gunshots...run."

"What?" My face pales. "Oh, come on..."

"Jesus," he mutters, pulling up in front of the garage before stopping the truck. "I'm fucking kidding. Of course, it's my house. You think I'd take some chick Ijustmet on a ride-along? Cute."

"Well, I don't know that," I mutter, getting out of the car. "Could very well be within the realm of possibility, given your profession."

"My profession?" Jesse slams my suitcase on the ground as he shuts the car door. "And what might that be?"

"You know..." I swallow, following him toward the front entrance. He fishes a set of keys from his pocket and unlocks the door. "Illegal things." I pause, hesitant to take a step into the Devil's lair. "Bad things."

"Bad things?" Jesse flicks on the lights and I scan the ‌modern and clean decor. I purse my lips, attempting to piece together howthisishishouse. "What kind of bad things? Hmm?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I say, tiptoeing behind Jesse as he leads us into the living room. He sets my luggage by the taupe velvet sectional before plopping down onto an armchair. He grabs the remote. Animal Planet pops up on the screen, and he pulls a tightly rolled joint out of his breast pocket. I cringe. "You smoke inside?"

"My house, my rules," he says, lighting up, the dank scent of weed wafting up my nose. "Want some?"

I shift my weight between my hips. "I don't do drugs.”

"This ain't drugs, babe…” He sucks in a deep puff, holding it for several seconds before blowing out a vile stench. Oh, he’s an animal. "You sure you don't want a hit? Might help you relax a little." He grins at me, kicking his shoes up on the coffee table. "If you're even capable of relaxing."

"I relax just fine," I state, suppressing a yawn. This day needs to end. “Where am I...where am I sleeping?"

"My room's down the hall." He smirks. "Don't worry, I got a California king."

My jaw drops. "That better be another one of your little jokes. I amnotsleeping with you."

"Yet." He tosses me a knowing wink, chuckling as he notices the vein popping out of my forehead. "Fuck, man, relax. I've got a spare room." He nods down the hall. "Third door on the left. Towels are in the closet." He wiggles his brows. "'Case you wanna shower and shit."

I wrap my arms protectively around my body. "I think I'll pass tonight."

"Whatever you want, babe," he says, turning up the volume on the TV. "But you're gonna have to shower at some point."

"Dickhead," I grunt to myself as I gather my bags. "Well...goodnight,Jesse. Thanks for uh—letting me stay here. It's very"—I battle the words out of my mouth—"kind of you."

"It's only for one night," he states. "Tomorrow, you get yourself a motel."

"Right." I bat my scheming lashes at him. "Only a night."

His features harden. "I'm serious, Savannah. One night."

"Mhm," I hum, backing away slowly as I smile at him. "Whatever you say."

"Savannah."

"Goodnight," I sing-song, heading toward my new living quarters for the next week. "Sweet dreams, Jesse Paxton."

I told him I was like a weed. He should've never let me grow back.

CHAPTER 5

Jane Air-Head

Ping.Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping.

"My God!" I whine, my heart thumping in my chest as an endless stream of text notifications continues to assault my dreams. My livid eyes spring open, and I glance at the nightstand, yanking the phone off the cord and flipping on the silent feature. "Shut up already!"

Clenching my fists, I take several stabilizing breaths as I scan my surroundings. Dread sets in. Right...this isn't my room. I amnotat home. I'm in California. In a stranger's bed. I look down, sighing. Fully clothed. What... Did I fall asleep? I wince, breathing into my palm and smelling my breath. Oh...gross.

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