Page 74 of Dangerous Mission
I’d like to get a lot more throaty sounds and raspy words out of her.
She laughs in disbelief. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
I set her foot on the floorboard. Drop the used hand wipes into the small trash receptacle that hangs from the back of the seat and buckle her seatbelt. My hand gets dangerously close to places I want to touch.
The tension in my groin grows. Goddamnit. I need to get away from Aria Kane.
Voice rough, I say, “When I need answers I know how to get them.”
Her eyes flare for a second, then she folds her hands nervously. “It just sort of popped out of me—calling you my boyfriend. I’m sorry. I know that puts you in a tough spot. I hoped it would make Adam leave me alone.”
“It doesn’t put me in a tough spot. You’re brother’s already convinced I’m fucking—I mean I’m fooling around with you.”
Griff’s foul attitude makes me hot around the neck. Yes he should be worried about me being around his sister, but give me a fucking break. I’m trying to keep her safe in the middle of what’s clearly turning into a shitshow.
Feeling grumpy, I say, “I’ll deal with him, don’t worry. Let me get out of this wetsuit and we’ll get on the road.”
She stiffens in her seat, her browsshooting up. “But what about the others? Rory and Justice need a ride back, too.”
“They’re grown men.”
She blinks at my response. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere but here.”
I know where I’m going. Straight to hell.
Chapter Thirty-Six
I swear, I need a Scout decoder ring. Anywhere but here?
When he climbs into the truck after changing, I immediately try to find out. “What does that mean?”
Scout tears out of the gathered vehicles and out to the main road. He accelerates and takes a turn too fast, making me bump against the door of the truck. “Hey, speed demon.”
“It means I want you away from everyone.”
I wish that was for romantic reasons, but given the aura around the man, that’s highly unlikely.
Given that I want to get as far away from Keith, Adam, and Brundage, I should be pressing my foot on top of his boot to make him go faster. But instead I sit and watch him driving as fear slithers down my spine.
When Scout was tenderly cleaning the mud off my feet,I was lulled into a momentary reprieve. But my fear is back and his weird vibe isn’t helping.
It’s like a switch flipped and gone in the thoughtful man that was just taking care of me, back is the SEAL that’s built out of boulders and hard glares.
My fingers tingle and turn cold. I wish the lump in my throat didn’t feel like icy gravel. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Because I am.”
I look at him more closely, trying to decide if the tic below his eye is a tell of some kind. “That’s a non-answer.”
He glances at the side mirror and back at the road with his jaw tight, the trim scruff of his beard moving from the pulsing muscle below it.
“Who is Adam?”
Oh, Christ.
I am not ready for that conversation.Keep it light, Aria.“He’s my brother’s competition. I worked for him for a short time.”