Page 99 of The Quiet Witness

She watched as Lucien sank deeper into his cream-colored seat, indeed grinning like a wolf who had just seen a lamb stroll by. “Oh yes, it is.”

Kate gripped the wheel even tighter, visualizing how she would wipe that smug smile off his face in their next training. Yes, at least that made breathing a tad easier.

Two could play his game.

She forced her voice down, mimicking his mocking tone. “Seeing as you’re the passenger, with no access.” She pointed to the pedals near her feet. “To these.” Kate leaned closer to him, holding his amused stare. “You have a mighty big mouth on you.” She smiled sweetly. “What if I crash your car?”

“Then you crashed the car.”

He stated it so matter-of-factly, she felt her eyebrows raise. “And I’m supposed to believe you wouldn’t care?”

“It’s a Volvo XC90, you’ll have a hard time getting so much as a scratch on this one. Besides.” He waved a hand to encompass the open fields. “Nothing much for you to hit around here.” He leaned back into her, whispering. “That’s kinda why I chose this spot.”

Her stomach twisted in on itself, nerves coursing through it. Add to that his deep rumble, and she was knee-deep in shit.

Gods, she was going to throw up.

She leaned against the car window with her temple, welcoming the cold against her flushed face as she asked. “So you wouldn’t mind a scratch on it? Dents? A bumper falling off?”

He gave a half shrug. “Nothing money can’t replace.”

So much for antagonizing him.

She frowned at him. “You never flaunt your money.”

“How do you figure?”

“No fancy watches, no expensive brand clothes as far as I can see. You’re not exactly living your paycheck.”

Lucien shifted, holding her gaze. “What, exactly, is my paycheck?”

Right. She could only guess. At least two houses, one car, from what she could see, depending on what his garage hid from sight.

“Guessing from the sanctuary being sponsored by one person only, it must be quite a lot.”

A slow nod. “Indeed, but that’s money well spent. You’re on point though, but.” He purposefully lowered his voice again, watching closely as it made her squirm in her seat. “You’re deflecting. So carry on.”

Fuck. Mission not accomplished.

A loud groan left her lips at the thought of turning on the ignition. “Why are you like this?”

Lucien smirked. “You know what, you’re right. Let’s instead talk about the cute vibes you’re giving off sitting behind the wheel of this black monster. Let’s.”

Cute?! Heat crept up her cheeks at the backhanded compliment. “Okay, okay, okay. Let us refocus on the task at hand.”

Slinking deeper into the depths of his black monster, Lucien muttered lowly. “That’s what I thought.”

***

The car rocked them forward again, for the tenth time, to be exact. Kate hadn’t gained an inch on the road yet, and it was driving her mad. “Okay,” she whispered to herself. “Press the clutch down, add the gas.” Mirroring her words with her feet. She made the engine roar. “Okay, definitely too much.”

She didn’t so much as dare a glance at the person next to her, her cheeks were red from shame. Kate was sure that if she fished out a dictionary and looked up the word patience, Lucien’s name would pop up next to it. He’d explained it to her without a hint of amusement or frustration. The same tone of voice, small encouragements.

Only her feet wouldn’t do what her mind told them to do.

And his patience made the whole thing that much worse.

This time, she wouldn’t be able to back up her big mouth. And it hurt like hell to admit it.