“No. It’s fine. Leave it.” I took the camera, inspected the case, and opened the zipper to check inside.
“Is it waterproof?”
“Supposed to be. Never tested it. Don’t worry about it.”
The sky lit up, an incredible production of sight and sound. A window-rattlingboomreverberated in my chest. Rain pounded the windshield, blurring our view of the world. It was relentless.
“We should get going,” Ozrik said.
“You’re certifiable.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Most days. Come on.”
“Are you serious?”
“You said it’s waterproof, right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“I assume it’s expensive. You shouldn’t leave it behind. It might take ages before you get a tow truck out here. You don’t want someone breaking into the Jeep and stealing it.”
“Okay, but…” I studied the storm. “We’re going out there?”
“Are you afraid?”
“No.” The word came out sounding far too defensive, giving me away.
“Aw. Don’t worry, pup, the Ozman will keep you safe.”
“I don’t need you to keep me safe.”
He shrugged. “I’ll do it anyway. Like I said before. I don’t leave people behind.”
Ozrik winked and shuffled to his knees before I could find another protest. Before I knew what was happening, he braced one hand on the passenger headrest and leaned over me to wrap his fingers around the door handle. There, he paused, his face inches from mine, so close I couldn’t breathe. So close, my eyes widened at our proximity, and I sat perfectly still lest I accidentally touch him.
“W-what are you doing?” I had visions of him kissing me, but those were my obnoxious fantasies and not real life, and if I didn’t eject them from my brain, I would be very,verysorry. He would see it written all over my face… among other places.
“I can’t use my door. The wind is too strong. You saw what happened.” He grinned. “What’s wrong, Gale?” That roguish glint appeared in his eyes. “Do I frighten you?”
The answer was yes. One hundred and ten percent yes, but it wasn’t a confession I was willing to make. My entire body was on fire, and I didn’t trust my voice not to squeak. It took everything in my power not to look at his mouth. At his shapely lips.
A now familiar current of electricity ran through my veins again. If he touched me, I would burst into flames.
Ozrik didn’t wait for an answer—maybe it wasn’t a real question. Laughing, he popped the door. Assisted by gravityand the fierce wind, it tore from his hand, springing back and bouncing on its hinges.
“Oops.” He cringed. “Didn’t expect that.” Peering down into the flooded ditch, still leaning over me, still too close for comfort, he said, “Looks like we’re going to get wet. Hope I don’t melt.”
Ozrik climbed over me gracelessly, and I had to close my eyes and clench my jaw when his entire body brushed mine. He was wet and muddy and smelled like a rainstorm, but it was quite possibly the greatest scent of all time. I would drown in him if given half a chance.
At one point, he straddled my lap as he blindly sought the side step. His foot slipped, and he landed directly on top of me. His ass connected with myveryaroused crotch.
Time stopped. If lightning struck me down right then and there, I would not have been sad. In fact, I prayed for it, and God owed me.
Of course, it didn’t happen.
A hint of curiosity swam in the dark depths of Ozrik’s eyes. There was no way in the world he didn’t notice my erection. I was doomed. If he didn’t kill me, he would spend the rest of his life humiliating me. He would tell his friends. The whole town would know. I would have to move to Antarctica.
A long, torturous silence swelled between us. Nothing happened, then, instead of calling me on it, Ozrik cackled. At first, I thought he was laughing at me, but no. He was laughing at his clumsiness, like this was the greatest fun he’d ever had, like I wasn’t ten seconds from vomiting. Or crying.
