Page 98 of Burn Bag

He chuckled, taking my hand in his, which was super sexy, by the way. “Yeah, I’m not leaving you alone in a vehicle.”

“Why not? I’ve driven before, you know.”

He opened my door and picked me up around the waist, setting me on my seat. His thumbs brushed my thighs as he stared at me intently. “Because you seem to get in trouble no matter where you go.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. And you’ve left me alone before. Everything was fine.”

“You’ve been to the hospital twice, and you have a tendency to pass out when blood suddenly stops moving through your body, which I still don’t understand.”

“It’s not that complicated.”

“It really is,” he growled. “Now, I will be driving you to the store to ensure you get there in one piece. We’re on a roll here, not needing to go to the hospital, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

I rolled my eyes, spinning so my legs were inside. “How romantic.”

“Baby, it’ll be romantic as hell. Our first date.”

He slammed the door and walked around to his side, his whole body moving like it was meant to be lethal and commanding. Muscles moving under his shirt, his eyes darting in every direction as he took in every movement around the property, and those lips…twitching ever-so-slightly when he saw me staring at him. It just wasn’t right.

I cleared my throat as he climbed inside, determined to gain the upper hand. “Technically, I think our first date was when we transported the cats.”

“Actually, our first date would have been when you took me to the hospital. It was very romantic,” he grinned. “Well, what I remember of it.”

“I think we need to redefine the wordromanticin our relationship.”

“Well, when you consider how we got married, each day is like an adventure.”

It felt more like a five-car pileup, but sure, we’d go with an adventure if that made him feel better. “I’m not sure the grocery store is going to be quite as thrilling as you’re hoping for.”

“I don’t know,” he said, leaning across the seat, his finger snatched a tendril of my hair. He twirled it between his fingers, his eyes focused intently on it until finally flicking to meet my gaze. “It seems anywhere with you is interesting.”

I let out a long, dreamy sigh. Seriously, that had to be the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me before. But would he stillfeel that way in two weeks? Two months? A year? It seemed unlikely, but there was no denying the chemistry between us.

If only he would place his dick between my thighs and finish the job.

“So, grocery store?” he grinned, as if reading my thoughts.

I nodded and tried to pull myself together as we drove off the OPS property and into town. This was technically my first real trip anywhere. When we got litter and food the first time, I was still hungover and hadn’t paid attention to much. Now, I soaked in everything about the small town. A cute salon was on the main drag, a few bars started from the edge of town and the signs could be seen stretching the entire length of Main Street. And then there was the grocery store, straight out of any Midwest catalog. It was cute and exactly like the ones I used to shop at in my hometown. Of course, the shops in Kansas City were more upscale. Not that a grocery store could really be upscale, but there was definitely something about small towns that just changed the way you looked at things.

I could hear my phone buzzing in my purse, but I ignored it. The number of phone calls from my mother was growing exponentially. I listened to a few of the messages she left, and when none of them said anything about either of my parents dying, I decided I could wait a little longer to call her back.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to her. I loved my mom. But she had raised a fiercely independent woman, and she would hate that her little girl had settled into a life of domesticity. She wanted me to explore the world, and only get married if I found someone like my dad who would travel with me and share in my adventures. She would never understand why I had gotten married.

And looking back on it, I wasn’t entirely sure I understood either.

“So, what do you want for dinner tonight?” he asked, shutting off the engine.

“Oh, I was just thinking of making something simple.”

He shook his head, smirking at me. “Yeah, there will be no cooking for you. I doubt a second hospital trip for burns should be something we strive for. The last doctor already thought I was abusing you.”

“There is nothing wrong with me making dinner. I have to learn.”

“Preferably not with me,” he jested. “Besides, I don’t mind cooking.”

“Then you can teach me.”

He seemed to consider this before nodding. “But you only touch dangerous things like knives and hot dishes when I tell you it’s okay.”

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