Page 61 of Hot Summer Nights

She scowls at me as she sits up straighter in her seat and faces forward. She crosses her arms over her chest but not before I see her hard nipples poking through the thin material of her dress. I wonder if she’s wet between her thighs. I would give anything to lift her dress just a little higher and find out. My eyes scan down her body and I smile as I see her clench her thighs together.

“Well?” She says, pointing towards the road.

“What’s your name, Princess?” I ask.

“Princess,” she says back sarcastically.

“I don’t have a problem calling you that.”

She sighs, shooting me another side-eyed glare. She shifts in her seat before she finally rolls her eyes and gives me what I want.

“Stella,” she mumbles under her breath.

“You got a last name, Stella?” I ask, rolling her name off of my tongue. I like the way it feels in my mouth.

She just glares at me again and I smile, putting the truck into reverse.

“That’s okay, Princess. It doesn’t matter what your last name is. It will be King soon enough.”

I see her gape at me out of the corner of my eye and I smile as I hit my blinker, turning out onto the street and heading towards my house.

THREE

Stella

Didthis guy seriously just say that? He just met me. He can’t seriously be talking about marriage already.

It must be the boobs. Although he didn’t comment on my boobs. He commented on my eyes. No guy has ever mentioned my eyes before and I wonder what Kit King’s deal is.

I’ve had guys come on a little strong to me before but usually my snarky attitude is enough to get them to back off. Not this guy though. If anything, Kit seems to be amused by my behavior. Every time I sneer at him or take a swipe at him, he just smiles at me like I’m adorable and moves closer to me. Normally, showing guys my claws is enough to get them to back off. Normally, I’m happy when they leave me alone.

Something about the way that Kit has been treating me though, draws me in. Maybe it’s because he saved me from that mugger, I don’t know, but there’s something about Kit that makes me feel safe. I just have a gut feeling that he would never hurt me.

I replay the night's events and wonder how I ended up riding in this guy's truck at two am. I’m lucky that he had seen me and I know that he was right when he yelled at me for walking down that alley late at night. It stings to admit that to myself and there’s no way in hell that I would ever tell him that. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t come along. I remember how he punched my attacker and knocked him down with one swing. My nipples tighten and I clench my legs together as I feel moisture pool between my legs.

I remember the building he had been parked in front of. I had heard of Kings Gym when it first opened. Some famous boxer, a local boy, had moved back here to Pittsburgh and opened it once he retired. It was big news that he was coming back but I never paid much attention to it. I didn’t know the guy, didn’t follow boxing, and I had no use for a gym when I could barely afford the essentials.

I look around, suddenly realizing that I never gave him my address. I was lost in my head and as I look around, I realize that we’re on the other side of town, in a newer neighborhood.

“Where are we? You were supposed to take me home!” I say, anger once again taking over.

“I am taking you home. My home,” he says calmly, like he can’t feel my anger pulsing off of me in waves.

“Hey, Asshole, I never said I wanted to go home with you and if you think that I am going to sleep with you, then you’re out of your mind!”

Kit just smiles over at me before he hits a button on his visor and turns into a driveway. I look out the window to see a nice two-story Victorian-style house, but that’s all I see before he pulls his truck into the garage. It was too dark to make out the color of the house or much of anything else and I realize that his house is in the middle of nowhere. We have to be at least five miles outside of town and the houses here are spread out more.

Kit hops out of the truck and comes around to my side, opening the door for me and offering me his hand to help me out.

“I want to go home,” I say firmly, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Princess. It’s late and I know that you’re tired. You can spend the night here. I’ll take you anywhere that you want to go in the morning. Scouts honor,” he says, holding up three fingers that I’m pretty sure are not part of the Scouts salute.

I don’t move. I know that I should probably be afraid, I mean, I’m alone in the middle of nowhere with this big guy that I don’t know. Despite the alley stunt earlier, I’m not stupid and I have pretty strong self-preservation instincts. Growing up on the streets and working in seedy bars and strip clubs has given me a tough streak and I know how to take care of myself. I know not to trust anyone.

There’s something about Kit though that feels different to me. He’s not like any other guy that I’ve ever met. He feels… safe. I think it’s more than just him saving me. There’s a weird energy between the two of us. If I was into all that sappy, romance bullshit, I would almost say that we were meant to be. Instead, I’m just going to blame it on my lack of sleep. I’ve had a long day, a long week, and I’m sure that’s why I’ve let my guard down with Kit.

If I’m being honest with myself, I know that it’s more than that. If it were anyone else, I never would have even gotten in the truck. I would have turned and ran when his back was turned in the alley.

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