Page 60 of Reckless
“Why? I’m not going to lie to you about it. I have nothing to hide. I assumed you knew you didn’t take my virginity that night.”
She snorts and stares out the window, chewing at her nails.
“Why does that bug you, Winter?”
“Because you can’t have women traipsing in and out of your house willy-nilly if you’re going to have Vivi around!”
“Well, they aren’t exactly coming down one hundred strong.”
“They fucking better not. You’re a dad now. Have your one-night stands somewhere else.”
“Like the Rosewood Inn?” I snipe, still unable to keep myself from firing her up. Still getting off on watching her go from cool and unaffected tothis.
“Rude.”
“I seem to remember you enjoying how rude I was to you once.”
Her head snaps in my direction, eyes flaring. “Stop. There’s a child in the vehicle.”
I hum thoughtfully, playing up that I’m mulling over her point when I’m not. “So this is about Vivi?”
She nods, blowing a heavy breath out as she does. “Obviously. Who else would it be about?”
“Do you meanwhatelse would it be about?”
Her pouty lips thin and silence descends between us until she finds something else to pick at. “And you live next door. You didn’t need to drive over to pick us up.”
It’s a struggle not to laugh. I shouldn’t find this side of her endearing, but I do. “I thought swapping the car seat into my vehicle would be easier that way.”
She huffs out a quick breath, shoulders rising and falling as she does. “You’re annoyingly gentlemanlike.”
“Wow. It sounds like the only constant where I’m concerned is that I’m annoying and rude.”
When I peek over, her face softens. The cool veneer slips and her tightly held posture relaxes a little. “Sorry. I’m freaking out.”
“I know.” I smile as we pass by the gas station where I first laid eyes on her.
“I’m being a bitch.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re just using the coping skills you’ve got.”
“Is this some Tony Robbins shit? Because I hate that guy. Only a man could be that big of a douchebag and still make millions of dollars peddling the most elementary advice.”
I bark out a laugh. “He really is a douchebag, isn’t he?”
Her lips twitch and she glances out the window to cover. “Yes.”
“Okay. I’m no Tony Robbins, but do you know how I deal with freaking out?”
Her blue eyes widen as she turns back my way, elbow resting on the center console like I might give her some profoundly helpful answer. She’s mocking me, but that’s fine.
I prop my elbow next to hers, basking in the fact that she doesn’t move away.
Fuck. I want to touch her so badly. More than just this chaste elbow touch or whatever the fuck I’m doing right now.
I want to grip her hair. Bend her over. Spread her—
I shake my head to clear it. My cock is thickening in my jeans, and it isn’t the time or the place.
