Page 20 of Austin
Kristen let out a soft snort. “You have no mercy, do you?”
“Not much.”
She turned her gaze toward him and calmly replied, “I got fired from the casino because I shirked my duty with your table because I was afraid to come backandbecause I didn’t smile.”
He shot her a frowning look. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I was polite, but apparently too distant with the customers.” Kristen pushed her hair back from her face with both hands. “Ice princess, remember?” Austin lifted his eyebrows, surprised at the reference, but before he could speak, she said, “It’s hard to break a lifelong habit.”
“You’re trying?”
She nodded. “In college, I discovered that people avoided me because they thought I was judging them. I’m trying to be friendlier.”
“How’s that working out for you?” Because in his view, she had a ways to go, although being aware of the problem was a big step forward.
“I got fired from the casino. Remember?” She gave him a look. “Maybe we can talk about you for a while.”
“I’m an open book.” He slowed as he spotted a highway patrol vehicle parked in the median, then sped up once he was around the corner. “Nothing about me that you can’t find on a fan site or Wikipedia.”
“Does that mean we’re done with small talk? I can just silently research you on my phone?”
“We’re talking to ease the tension.” Halfway true. Kristen was still tense, but in a different way than before.
“What tension?”
He met her wide green eyes. “Tell me you didn’t just say that.”
“I said it.”
He reached out and lightly touched her hand, which was resting on the console. She jerked it into her lap. “Thattension. It’s not healthy to be that wound up all the time.”
Her eyes flashed. “I appreciate the ride, but enough, okay?”
She was serious and he felt a twinge of regret for pushing to get a reaction from her. “All right.”
“You make me jumpy, Austin.”
It always surprised him when she was candid. “Because you’re shy?”
“Because you’reyou.”
He didn’t know how to take that and the closed-off expression on her face wasn’t giving him any clues. “I apologize for touching you.”
She let out a breath and once again stopped her fingers from working the edge of her flowy shirt. “Don’t.”
“Why not?” he asked on a note of surprise.
Her jaw set before she said, “Because I don’t hate it. I just…don’t know how to handle it.”
Austin gave his head a small, bemused shake. “I’ll watch myself.”
“Thank you.” With that she turned to stare at the passing scenery, shutting him out once and for all.
Austin let her be.
*
Kristen had fullyintended to control the situation—and her mouth—as they drove to Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, Austin had a way of short-circuiting her strategies. How was it that she’d said things to him that she’d never said to anyone else? Not even her sister?
