Page 33 of Dare You to Run
“I love you too, Dagen Rayne.” I can hear the smile in his voice and it causes a lump to form in my throat.
I press end and see Kinsley watching me, her spilled wine and tears now dry.
“How did you manage to keep a straight face when you told your daddy Hendrix has been a gentleman?”
“Hush your face.” I tuck my phone in my pocket, then take a seat at the edge of the pool and dip my feet in. “Technically he is a gentleman in the original sense of the word. He aided a woman in her time of need. That is most definitely gentlemanly.”
With an arch of her brow she asks, “Oh yeah? Was it gentlemanly when he wanted you to ride his pogo pony?”
“You know, you should really meet my Aunt Vivian. You two would really get along.” Every euphemism, every off-collar comment makes me think the two of them are long lost siblings.
“If she’s anything like me then I assume she is fabulous.” She purses her lips and flips her sunglasses down over her eyes.
I may not be home with my family and friends, but Kinsley has definitely made me feel like a piece of them are here with me.
I’m sitting on the bed, clicking through page after page of my online textbook not really seeing anything, when a knock comes at the door. I assume that since Kinsley is at a family dinner –which she invited me to but I told her I had homework– that it is Hendrix standing on the other side.
I pad over to the door, my bare feet cushioned by the plush rugs, and slowly open the door. Hendrix stands on the other side, his arm braced on the door frame, and it’s an instant kryptonite.
“Hey,” he says, giving off all kinds of smolder.
I don’t think it’s intentional, it’s just him. Most men have to work at exuding sexiness, but I think it was programmed into Hendrix at birth.
“Hello,” I respond, somewhat curt and robotic.
Hold strong Dagen. Don’t let him break you with those ocean blue eyes.
“I was wondering if you’d be interested in going to dinner with me?” I watch him with consternation, just waiting for him to add something crass.
When he doesn’t, I quickly try to think of an excuse as to why I can’t.
“Oh, thanks for the offer but I just ate,” I lie, but my stomach betrays me like a little bitch and growls ungodly loud.
Hendrix’s eyes fall to my stomach and he smirks.
“Well apparently it wasn’t enough if that sound is any indication.” My face burns red with embarrassment. “C’mon. It’s just dinner and I owe you an apology after my behavior last night.”
I narrow my eyes, skeptical of his words. “Why are you being nice to me? This seems like some type of ruse to get me to do…things. Like, oh I bought you dinner now you owe me dessert.”
He chuckles and I freaking want to melt. Why did the Lord make him so beautiful? And why did the devil practically drop me at his front door? Did I somewhere, somehow, make a wish to be put through an emotional wringer only to be tortured by the sexiest man I have ever seen?
“There’s no ruse, Dagen. I know that Kinsley is out for the evening and you don’t have a vehicle. I may be a jerk, but I certainly do not want to see you starving to death.”
I inhale a deep breath and it was the goddamn wrong thing to do because now my lungs are filled with his scent. Cedar and Bergamot and a hint of motor oil mix to form the perfect aphrodisiac. A man like him knows what the smell of woodsy and hard working man does to women. It’s like a call for horny women everywhere that a man is on the hunt.
I think for a moment knowing he’s right because I am starving and I should’ve planned more efficiently and conserved some lunch or at least asked Kinsley to take me to the store to grab some chips and bananas to get me through the night.
Don’t judge. It’s called girl dinner.
“Fine. I guess I could use more than a piece of gum to settle my stomach.”
“Why didn’t you just go down to the kitchen and get yourself something? I told you to please help yourself.” The look of concern is quite unexpected.
“I didn’t want to interrupt you if you happened to be entertaining this evening.” His face grows hard and I see a sort of wall go up, but it quickly crumbles.
“That was horrible on my part. I’m just used to being alone so I’ve never had to worry about privacy before. I was a little out of my mind last night, so I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Studying him, I decide he seems genuinely apologetic and just let it go. What’s the big deal, anyhow? I don’t know him from a hill of beans –thanks a lot, Kinsley– so it shouldn’t irk me so much that he had a woman here that he was definitely going to do the dirty with right in his living room.
