Page 46 of On Merit Alone
Because I could be laid back most of the time, but if I had to see that broken up, torn expression on Merit’s face again, I swear to God I would rage.
I slid into the passenger seat of the black SUV before the driver returned to the car. They were around back putting a few things in the trunk, and I’m pretty sure I spotted big headphones covering their ears. I waited patiently to leave, and when the driver’s side door swung open, I didn’t even look up from the screen I was reading.
A huge sigh followed them inside as they sat down. A shoulder bumped against mine; the car’s engine hummed to life; our seatbelts clicked as we locked them into place.
Silence.
When the compartment below the sunroof opened, and a pair of sunglasses emerged, I couldn't help it—I cracked.
Laughing, I asked, “Do you really take this long to drive off every time?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to tell me why you’re in my car,” she said, turning to me and shaking her head as if she couldn’t fathom a reason herself.
I couldn’t help but run my eyes along her appearance. I felt like I was constantly seeing her in stages. The first being novelty, the next curiosity, and this current one being a stage of discovery.
This had to be my favorite. I couldn’t help thinking so as I smiled over at her.
“What’s with the sunnies, Six? It’s gonna rain in about thirty seconds, tops,” I chuckled.
She ducked her head into her shoulders and turned to look out of her window, giving me her back. Mumbling, she said something I couldn't quite make out.
“What was that?” I asked.
Another mumble.
“Mm-kay,” I said easily as I rolled down my window. Leaning an arm out of it, I ducked my head under the rim and started calling. “Merit Jones sleeps with a night light!”
A guffaw of disbelief sounded beside me, and I bit down on my grin before continuing, “Merit Jones hates puppies!”
“Oh my God, Ira!” she said. Fingers gripping onto my shirt, I felt her tugging at the material, trying to pull me back in. “Get back in here. Are you nuts?”
Chuckling, I kept it up, “Merit Jones is undressing me right now!”
“What?” She yanked her hands away from me. When I looked back, I could see they were tucked close to her chest like she was contemplating if she truly was trying to undress me. Then she shook her head, apparently thinking that was crazy, and reached for me again. But not before a sudden snort of laughter broke through her astonishment.
This time, I let her pull me back in. Slowly, though. All while pretending to put up a fight because I sort of liked her hands on me, especially as she leaned over the center console, giggling and using her strength to reel me back in.
When she finally got me inside, she had leaned all the way across me to roll up the window herself. After, she plopped her elbows down on the console and let out a huge breath, staring at me in shock and disbelief. Another snort broke free despite her trying to look serious. “What iswrongwith you?”
My smirk was beyond my control, because she was smiling at me. And I don’t think she noticed it yet, but one of her hands still had a hold on my shirt as I now sat facing her with my shoulders.
I wouldn’t be the one to let her in on it.
“I asked you a simple question and you got embarrassed,” I started. “If you’re gonna hang with me, you gotta have a little less shame.”
“Who said I was going to hang with you?”
“I did.”
“Oh, and you’re the boss, huh?”
I chanced leaning in further, causing her hand to flatten out against my ribs and grab her attention. I stole it back as I used a finger to slide her sunglasses a notch down her nose, revealing her eyes to me.
“Damn straight,” I said. This close, I could see all the questions and emotions sparking in her eyes as she watched me back. I liked it. Gesturing with my chin, I repeated my question from before. “Now, what’s with the glasses, Merit?”
She continued to look down, as if it was truly some terrible reason, but when she looked up again, I could see that she was bashful—maybe even pouty—as she leaned in and whispered, “I can’t see without them.”
Whoever gave this girl permission to be so cute at the most random of times, I was going to need to have a talk with. Because at that moment, in her car, I did not expect to want to close the short distance between us and find out what her lips tasted like when she was shy.
