Page 48 of Mr. Dangerous

17

Naomi

"Sorry about Mitch,"Rob said, putting the seat back alltheway.

"You going to nap on the drive back?" I asked. "And you don't have to apologize for Mitch. Hewasfine."

Rob half-shrugged. I didn't want for him to feel self-conscious about his father; if anything had made me uncomfortable, it had been the evident tension between Rob and Mitch. But family was tough. I had a warm, close-knit family, and even so, I knew well that family could betough.

"I could make it up to you," he said. "You want to go to amovie?"

"No,thanks."

"You don't go to themovies?"

If it were anyone else, I would have waxed poetic about the ridiculous expenses of a movie theater: ticket prices these days! Popcorn! A second mortgage if you want a Coke too! But since it was Rob, who wouldn't understand, I said, "I don't go on a lot ofdates."

Rob quirked an eyebrow, and I felt my heart sink. I was sure girls threw themselves at him constantly. Just look at him. Even with his eyebrow raised at me, which kind of made me want to punch him, he was also so goddamngorgeous.

"Why not?" heasked.

"I don't know," I said. "I'mbusy."

"But you don't have cable," he said. "And you never go to themovies?"

"I guess I don't get bored likeyoudo."

“I know how to have fun. You could have fun with me... if you'd letyourself."

I hesitated, debating how honest to be. I paired honesty with a flippant tone. "I'm sure Icould."

"So what's theproblem?"

"Thanks for the Kindle," I said. "I'm looking forward to readingtonight."

"Reading tonight? Byyourself?"

"Well." I squinted ahead at the line of traffic, wondering if I'd already missed the on-ramp for the highway. Rob was sodistracting.

"Oh, right, you'll havethecats."

"Yep." I said. "I'd rather hang out withthecats."

"Burn," Rob said, mildly, which reminded me for some reason of the lanky, self-possessed boy he'd been, the boy who got along witheveryone.

The memory of the first time he sat next to me on the bus rose up like a specter. Rob’s handsome face splitting into a grin as he slid onto the black vinyl bench. I’d grabbed my bag out of his way, pulling it onto my lap, but my stomach had twisted because I thought it was a joke. Then I'd given into his smile and felt a surge of joy, breathing in the scent of his aftershave as his shoulderbrushedmine.

Good lord. I couldn't get overthe bus.From high school. What was wrongwithme?

"I'd still like to make this whole weird trip up to you," Rob said. "What about Nantucket? What if we went for aweekend?"

"You want me to go away with you for aweekend?"

"Whynot?"

"That’s not a reason," I said, letting my frustration show. The worst part was that of course I liked the idea: some whirlwind, impulsive trip to Nantucket, letting Rob charm me. I could kiss that unbelievably sweet mouth and run my hands over his powerful, muscled body, drinking in my fill of him. We could pretend for a weekend that anything couldhappen.

Butanythingcouldn’t happen. I’d already had reckless, wild sex with him. I had to blush remembering how I’d betrayed all my feelings as I straddled him, desperate for his mouth and hands and cock. Soon, Rob would be gone, and I'd be left aching, wanting, regretting. I couldn’t let myself get addictedtohim.

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