Page 32 of Chasing Xander
The much too brief contact left him questioning his decision to give her food instead of something more intimate. He wanted to grab her and pin her against the building, to have her tongue in his mouth instead of on his neck… “Wait, what? You don’t have a car?” He followed her outside.
“Nope. Letting me drive is a bad idea, anyway. I’d give you one hell of a ride you’d never forget.”
“Told ya you’d come willingly.” He winked and walked with her toward his car, grateful her residence hall wasn’t too far from his frat house and even closer to the parking lot he used.
“My God.” She laughed. “You’re a certified pervert, aren’t you?”
“I prefer sexually charming.”
“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes, but he saw the smile she tried to hide from him. “Let me guess. You probably have some macho name for your junk, too.”
“My junk?”
“Yeah, you know…” Her gaze darted to his crotch, then back up to his face, her eyes wide. “Your junk.”
Xander let out a loud laugh. That was honestly the first time anyone had ever asked him that question. She’d shocked him more than once with the things she said, but she hadn’t been this snarky before. His smile didn’t fade as he thought about spending more time with her and hearing what else would come out of her mouth.
“What kind of car do you have? Probably something big, huh? Jacked up with chrome spinners. Tinted windows. Smoke stacks. Killer radio with obnoxiously large speakers.” She shifted the bowl in her arms. “You do know what a guy’s car says about him, don’t you?”
He shook his head, still smiling. “No, I don’t.”
“The bigger the car, the smaller the dick.”
“Is that so? Then that means the smaller the car, the bigger the dick?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Exactly,” she said with a firm nod.
“Hmm.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and pressed the unlock button. The headlights flashed to indicate the door locks on his Ferrari 458 Spider were unlocked. He walked to the passenger’s side door and opened it for her. She gave him an odd look as she slipped into the seat. He went around and got in the driver’s seat. “You look disappointed.”
“No,” she said slowly. “I guess I was expecting something bigger.”
Xander started the engine, letting the soft purr of the motor seep into his bones. He ran his hands over the steering wheel, the leather cool against his palms. This car was his baby, and he was excited to take her for a ride in it. He pulled out of the parking lot and glanced over at her. “I’ve got something big for you, but it’s not my car.”
“Oh my God.” She buried her face in her hands and giggled so hard that when she finally looked up, there were tears in her eyes. “Is that what you call sexually charming?” She broke into another fit of giggles, and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing right along with her.
There was something about her that knocked him off his game. Clearly he was going to have to try a hell of a lot harder to impress her. She had no problems calling him on his bullshit and lame lines. Then again, he was leaving the door wide open for her because he loved the sound of her laugh, and if he had to make a fool of himself to hear it, then that’s what he would do.
Blowing out a loud breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”
“Glad I could amuse you.” He signaled, then made the next right turn.
She reached over and put her hand on his thigh. His body tensed, on high alert, waiting and hoping she’d move her hand up farther. She didn’t move her hand so much as an inch, but she leaned closer. “Why suddenly so serious?” She was staring at him, and only then did he realize his expression was somber.
He barely turned his head half an inch, putting his mouth close enough to hers to be able to kiss her… If only he weren’t driving. “I’m the least serious person you will ever meet. Ask my father.” He frowned, hating how bitter his voice sounded.
She leaned back in her seat. “Glad to know I’m not the only one with daddy issues.”
And just like that, Xander was laughing again. He liked women—that was no secret to anyone who knew him—but he’d never liked any of them as much as he liked Kylie, which was crazy because he’d only met her a week ago. Yes, he wanted to get her alone and naked. No doubt about that. But he also wanted to hang out with her, to get to know her and hear her laugh.
He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and found an empty spot. Right now, at five after midnight, the place was quiet, but in a couple of hours when the bars let out, it would be standing room only.
“The Dive? Really?” Her gaze was trained on the large, neon letters that spelled out the restaurant name. “Glad you didn’t go all-out on my account.”
He stared at her, eyes wide. Was she being serious or was this another joke? He honestly couldn’t tell. He killed the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition, trying to decide how to respond.
“Wait, I know what this is.” She gave him a cocky smile. “This is your pre-date hot spot, isn’t it? This is where you bring girls first to see if they’re worth your time to take them someplace nicer.”
Yup, she was joking. He relaxed a little and shifted in his seat so he was facing her. “No. I normally take them to bed, then drive them home. I’ve never taken a girl to breakfast before.”
