Page 8 of Crash
Griffin let out a frustrated sigh. He stood poised with his door open, but before she said anything else, he stomped back to her car. She watched him as he opened Shelly’s driver’s side door and grabbed her purse from the passenger seat. He also grabbed her car keys, which she’d left in the ignition. She flushed in embarrassment at her oversight. He even locked her car up for her before stalking back to the truck.
The overhead light illuminated his thunderous expression as he climbed into the truck and handed her purse to her. She accepted it graciously and murmured a soft thanks under her breath. She stayed quiet as he started up the truck and set off down the road leading to Willowbrook.
The silence in the truck was taut with tension. Neither one of them spoke as the miles passed. The only sounds in the truck were Pickles’s soft snores. As far as emotionalsupport animals go, Pickles was not the best at his job at the moment. If not for the extra catnip, he’d likely be yowling and howling at the injustice. He hated car rides with a passion. She couldn’t blame him. The only few times she’d taken him on a car ride were to go to the vet for his annual vaccines. After the first time she brought Pickles to the vet, she’d been instructed to give him sedatives before his next appointment. Apparently, he got extra feisty with the vet when they tried to give him his shots.
“I’m Quynh, by the way. Thank you for helping me.” Her voice echoed loudly in the truck. He merely grunted in response.
A minute of silence passed before his gravelly voice broke the quiet. “Where ya headed?”
“Um, I’m not sure. I was going to see if there was a hotel with availability tonight.”
His hands gripped the steering wheel in an unforgiving grip. Knuckles white, he turned to glare at her.
“There are no hotels in Willowbrook,” he said through gritted teeth.
No hotels? There are hotels everywhere.
“Willowbrook Inn is undergoing renovations. The nearest hotel is about twenty-five miles past town.”
“Oh.” Well, that put a damper on her plan. “Can you just drop me off somewhere, and I can get an Uber to the hotel?”
She swore she saw steam coming out of his ears as he took in a fortifying breath.
“There are no Uber drivers in Willowbrook.”
Despite knowing Willowbrook was a small town, she would have thought it would have the basic amenities by now. Silence filled the truck bed as she tried to figure out her options. She didn’t really have much of a plan other than getting here as quickly as she could. She still needed to visit her father, but she got little information from the single text message Ruth sent her. So, she’d still have to track Ruth down later and figure out the next step.
Griffin let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his dark curls that were longer on top. The sides of his head was cropped short giving him a dangerous appeal. One she shouldn’t be noticing.
“I can set you up in the extra bedroom above my garage. You’ll have your own space and a bathroom. The kitchen is small, though.”
Taken aback by his kind offer, she was quiet for a moment. When he dared to look at her, she gave him a shy smile and nodded.
“If you don’t mind, that would be great. Thank you. I can pay you for the room.”
“No bother. I’ll send Ricky to get your car in the morning.”
Well, looks like she had a place to stay, after all.
four
QUYNH
The rest of the drive was quiet as Griffin drove them into Willowbrook. Pressed against the car door, she watched as the streetlights turned on in the sleepy town while the sky darkened behind them. The sunset was nearly complete, though the last rays of light still stretched longingly across the sky. She’d have to admire the magnificent colors another day when she had the time to appreciate them. It would also be nice if her world weren’t collapsing so quickly around her. Hopefully, someday soon.
The streets were mostly empty except for a few cars and pedestrians. When she was last in Willowbrook, she was just a child. This place held fond memories before it was ripped away from her.
Quynh pushed thoughts of her past back into the corners of her mind. There was enough on her plate as it was. There was no use dredging up the past. Besides, she was only here for one thing, and once the task wascompleted, she would be gone. The quicker she could wrap up loose ends from her past, the sooner she could move on and figure out her future.
At least, she wished it were that easy, but given her recent luck, she was bound to hit a few speed bumps along the way.
Griffin glanced at her from his corner of the truck bed when she let out a melodramatic sigh, but remained quiet. The car ride was thick with tension as he made his way into town. The air in the cabin crackled and pulsed with a strange energy, a tangible hum vibrated through the floorboards and up into her feet. Though it was difficult with Griffin’s larger-than-life presence in the small space, she tried to ignore the sensation.
She risked a small peek at Griffin, who didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest. Quynh resisted the urge to fidget in her seat. She definitely ignored the slow warmth spreading through her center at the proximity of such an obvious alpha male.
The cabin smelled like him, a warm, rich, and woodsy scent with hints of leather and sandalwood. He didn’t smell like he wore cologne, though she could smell traces of motor oil. Quynh pressed her thighs together to relieve the small ache.
What the hell is wrong with me? How am I even aroused right now? I must be seriously fucked up in the head.
