Page 28 of Sentinel's Kiss

Chapter 8

Of course they were running late. Harry, her cameraman, was having a hard time with the van and they were short an engineer. That figured. Josh pulled up in his Jeep, yawning, but at least he had coffee.

“Sorry, I overslept,” he said groggily. “Get in the car,” he told her and handed her a large cup. “She’s with me,” he said to Harry, who had the hood up and was staring into the engine.

“You’re lucky he has an audiobook habit,” Ashley told Josh as she climbed into the front seat. “And that I have no desire to listen to How to Become a Day Trader for four hours.”

Ashley couldn’t help but glance at the backseat. She felt her cheeks blush and a slight buzz of desire made her smile. Good times. Josh caught her looking and gave her a wicked grin. “We can start the trip off right for old times’ sake, if you’d like.”

“Nope.” She clasped her hands in front of her for fear she’d start touching him. “We’ve got to get to the hotel by one and then I want to get some shots of the hunting lodge before my interview.”

Nodding, Josh pulled onto the Long Island Expressway. “I’ve only got three rules for road trips.”

“Ass, gas, or grass?”

He laughed. “I’m getting the first tonight.”

“You might not have to wait until tonight,” Ashley said, giving in to the impulse. She stroked his thigh. The soft denim of his jeans over his muscles gave her tingles along her fingers.

“Don’t make me pull this car over and give your cameraman something to film.”

Heat flared through Ashley. “It wouldn’t be the first time we had sex in public.”

Josh applied pressure to the brake. “I’m serious.”

“All right. All right.” She grinned. “I’ll behave.” But she undid a button on her shirt anyway.

“I’ll believe that when I see it. As for the other two you mentioned, we have enough gas to get us off the Island, and since I forced my way on this trip, I’ll pay.”

“Don’t bother,” she said. “I have an expense account.”

“I like a girl with a corporate credit card. It makes me want to come up with some creative financing. Like handcuffs.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Something tells me you don’t have to tie women to your bedpost.”

“Have to? No.” Josh grinned. “Like to, that’s another story.”

Ashley fanned herself. “Keep talking like that and I’m going to have to roll the window down.”

“And I don’t do the third.”

“Really? Why not?” she asked.

“I hate the smell. Always have. And anything stronger is like slowly committing suicide, no matter how good the high. Of course, my liver thinks I’m a hypocrite because of all the alcohol it’s forced to detox from my system.”

“What’s your drink?” Ashley only knew that he liked oolong tea, pots of it, with his Chinese food, but surprisingly little else.

“Beer.”

“I don’t remember seeing a beer gut. Are you a gym rat?”

“I get my exercise in.” He gave her a smoldering sideways glance.

A little flustered, she reached for the radio to turn it on and blinked in surprise when he swatted her hand.

“That’s against the rules. You never let me finish. There are three rules of the road.”

“Only three?”