Page 8 of The Runaway and the Rugged
“Ain’t nothin’ wannabe about me, sugar,” Beau added with a playful wink as the grin on his face widened.
Jesus.I was definitely stuck in the middle seat now because Clarke might actually hurt this man.
Her face was void of any emotion, but I knew deep down she was simmering.
Plotting.
“I’ll take the middle seat,” I announced, hoping that would settle some of the tension lingering in the air. However, Beau seemed completely unperturbed and unaffected. Like he was either blissfully unaware or refused to acknowledge it.
Moments later, I reached for the door but Beau’s sudden reflexes beat me to it as he leaned across the seats in the truck and swung the door open.
“Whoa there, I could have opened it.” I laughed, his body stretched out and contorted over the seats.
“Nah, that’s my job. When a lady is with me, I always open the door.”
He lifted himself up and settled back into the driver's seat. Once the middle spot was open, I carefully climbed into the truck with one hand on the dashboard to steady myself and the other holding the bottom of my dress down. Clarke followed in behind me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled to Beau, a slight blush creeping on my face as my thigh brushed against his.
Instead of him making some flirty comment, he offered a friendly smile in return.
Once both Clarke and I were settled in, Beau cranked the engine of his truck, sending a deep rumble beneath our feet.
“Atta girl,” Beau commended as he slapped his palm onto the dashboard.
The man had a strange fixation on praising his truck. I could only imagine the things he’d say to a woman.
“I swear to God if we get stranded on the side of the road…” Clarke grumbled under her breath, irritation lining her words as she reluctantly buckled herself in. With her arms now tightly wound across her chest and an irritable cloud hanging over her head, I lightly nudged her with my shoulder.
“Be nice,” I whispered, my eyes pleading with her to not create a disturbance in this already unusual day we were having. My stomach was in knots with apprehension and the last thing I needed was to mediate whatever sibling-like feud they had going on.
I could barely handle my current dilemma, let alone theirs.
“I am nice,” she grumbled, and moments later Beau informed us with a low laugh that he heard us.
Half expecting Clarke to respond with a clever retort, she surprised me by dropping her head against the passenger window with an exasperated huff. One that was filled with unspoken frustration and silent curses.
At least she was trying.
It didn’t take long before Beau had us out on some country back road.
“How long do you suppose this drive will be?” I questioned, desperate to eliminate the awkward silence lingering in the air.
If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was tense silence.
“About an hour,” he responded, then shifting his gaze over to me, I caught a glimpse of playful mischief in his eyes. “So, if you want to practice your assertiveness, I’m a great person to test your skills on, Ms. Quinn.”
Fuck, it was going to be a long hour.
3
EMELIA
Iwas beginning to feel a twinge of regret for getting into Beau’s truck. The feeling hadn’t fully consumed me yet, but the farther we drove into vast nothingness, the more unsettled I became.
Where in the hell was he taking us?
“Don’t worry, it’ll all make sense soon enough,” Beau spoke beside me as if he recognized my apprehension. I cast a sharp glance in his direction, catching a soft smile pulling on his lips. “What?” He chuckled lightly. “I’ve noticed you tense up at least a million times, and your breathing has been all over the place. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”
