Page 44 of Obligation
Carissa deserved to be with a guy who would treat her right, who would dote on her and make her feel special every second of every day for the rest of her life. Danny was not that guy.
But Bradley was.
And he could prove that to her. Doing so meant going against what he believed in, though. He’d told her he wouldn’t steal another man’s girl, but a guy like Danny needed to be taught a lesson. And losing a girl as amazing as Carissa would certainly teach a hard lesson.
Bradley picked up his speed. Regardless of how long they stayed at the penthouse, he was going to take advantage of every moment and prove to Carissa that he was the better man for her.
Chapter Seventeen
Carissa sat up and groaned. Her muscles were stiff, and her head throbbed. She put the seat upright, yawned, and glanced out the window. “Where are we?” she asked.
“About ten minutes from the penthouse,” Bradley said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. “Feeling better?”
“Yes and no.” She laughed. “Your car is not very comfortable to sleep in.”
“Are you hungry? There’s a twenty-four hour diner not too far from the penthouse. We can grab something, if you want.”
She stretched her arms and twisted her neck to ease the ache. “Yeah, I’m actually starving. I haven’t eaten anything since I made that S’mores.” A quick glance at the clock on the dashboard indicated that had been almost five hours ago. Her stomach rumbled.
Bradley switched on his blinker and turned into a mostly desolate parking lot. A small mom-and-pop diner, complete with a fading sign and a patched roof came into view. He parked in an open spot near the front door, killed the engine, then hopped out.
Still groggy and slightly disoriented, she fumbled with her seat belt. A second later, Bradley opened her door an extended his hand. She stared at him in disbelief, but then she took his proffered hand and let him help her out of the car. Danny hadn’t done anything like that for her since their first date. Usually, she was scrambling out of his SUV and jogging to catch up with him because he’d take off without waiting for her.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice hoarse with sleepiness.
Bradley shut the door behind her, and together, they walked inside. The scent of fried foods, grease, and freshly baked bread greeted her, and her stomach grumbled again. She pressed her hand against her belly in an effort to make the rumbling stop, but the only thing that would help was food.
“Sit wherever ya like,” said a waitress from behind the counter. She poured a customer a cup of coffee, then disappeared into the back.
Resting his hand on the small of Carissa’s back, Bradley guided her toward a booth near the windows. She slid into the seat, and he did the same on the opposite side. Menus were tucked behind the napkin dispenser, so she grabbed one and flipped it open.
Hunger pangs aside, she had no idea what she was doing here with Bradley. Why on earth had she agreed to go to Phoenix with him? Was her need to not be alone stronger than her good sense?Apparently. She huffed and shook her head.
“Something wrong?” Bradley asked.
She peeked at him over the top of her menu. “No. Why?”
“You’re making angry noises at your menu.” His smile was teasing. “Did it do something to upset you?”
She rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile. No way this wasn’t going to blow up in her face. She was already crazy attracted to Bradley, and the spark that constantly flickered between them was undeniable. And now she was going tohispenthouse where she’d be completely alone with him. With her current feelings toward Danny being what they were… What the hell had she been thinking?
“What can I get for ya?” The waitress stood at their booth, order pad and pen in her hand.
Carissa hadn’t been paying attention to the menu, so she quickly glanced at the selections and chose the first thing she saw that she liked. “I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger. Deluxe, please, with fries and a soda.” She closed the menu and tucked it back where she’d found it.
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” Bradley said, smiling at the waitress.
“You betcha.” The waitress smiled, then sauntered off.
Carissa blew out a breath, stared out the window, and drummed her nails on the table. What was she supposed to say to Bradley? Better yet, how was she supposed to act around him now? She was totally out of her depth here.
“If you want, we can go to the mall tomorrow and see about getting your phone fixed,” he said, arms folded on the table.
The waitress returned. She set their drinks, straws, and wrapped silverware on the table, and then walked away again.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to.” She busied herself with peeling the wrapper off her straw and sticking it into her glass. “When we get to the penthouse, I might need to use your phone to check in with Tiffany. I don’t want her to worry.”
“Sure.” He leaned back, the picture of ease. “You can call whoever you want.”
