Page 26 of Slide

Fuck. John had worked his ass off to build that business. If he lost it…shit. Not only had his wife fucked around on him, she’d taken him to the cleaners. Adam ran a hand over his face. “I’ll get it there in time.”

John let out a rough breath. “I owe you.”

“You have no idea.”

They said their goodbyes and he turned to the she-devil behind him. The fucking smile was back.

“Lucy…”

She threw her arms in the air. “Road trip.” Then she was around the car and in the passenger seat before he could say another damn word.

Jesus Christ. Taking a fortifying breath, he yanked the door open, and got in behind the wheel. He glanced her way. “We need a few ground rules.”

She sat back and propped her feet up on the dashboard. “Shoot.”

Fuck, she looked so damn happy; cheeks flushed again, eyes bright, mouth lush and pink like she’d been worrying her lower lip.

“Number one: feet stay off the dashboard.” He reached out and grabbed her calf, and instantly wished he hadn’t. He did not need to know that her skin was silky smooth and so damn soft he had to fight the urge not to lean in and lick his way up to the hem of those tiny shorts…fuck, bury his face against the heat between her thighs, inhale her sweet scent…find out if she waxed any other parts of her body. He yanked his hand back and cleared his throat. “Second: no screwing with the stereo, and third: we stop when I say we stop. We’re on a tight schedule and there’s no time for fucking around.”

Tucking her hair behind her ear, she looked over at him, eyes wide, almost innocent. “Surely there’ll time for a little fucking around?”

Her eyes were locked on his, and he didn’t miss the mischief behind her words—or the heat. Jesus, he felt them like silk dragging across his balls. Struck dumb, Adam just stared at her. She can’t mean…she wasn’t saying she wanted to…

“I have a condition of my own,” she added.

He actually jolted at the sound of her voice. “Yeah? And what’s that?” His voice had dropped lower, broadcasting the need pounding through him.

“Don’t tell my brothers I’m with you. I’ll text, tell them I’m fine and with a friend so they don’t worry. But I don’t want them to know where I am.”

“Why?”

“I told you, I need some space.”

“You’ve only been home a week.”

“Please, Adam. That’s all I ask.”

Goddamn it. He wanted to say no. He wanted to call Hugh or Joe right now and tell them he had Lucy and to come and fucking get her. At least if they knew where she was, the temptation wouldn’t be as bad—no, that was a lie—but it would give him serious motivation to resist her. They were family, but he knew damn well Hugh and Joe wouldn’t want their baby sister alone with him for four days—and nights.

He couldn’t say no, though. Not when she was looking at him like that. Not when he knew there was something going on with her. Something she’d chosen to keep from her family. And whatever it was, it was big enough to have irrevocably altered something fundamental inside her. He could see it. Knew firsthand what that looked like. Saw it every time he looked in a mirror. There was more to this, to Lucy’s erratic behavior the last week. But if she wasn’t opening up to her brothers, she sure as hell wouldn’t open up to him. And honestly, selfishly, he didn’t know if he wanted her to. If he got any deeper with her, there would be no going back. He was close to drowning as it was. Knowing her deepest and darkest would tip him over the edge. He could give her the space she needed from home, though. No matter how much it fucked him up, he could do that for her.

He started the car. “Fine. I won’t tell them.” Guilt assaulted him as he pulled out onto the road. He owed both men a lot. Lying to them, even by omission, didn’t sit well. But what could he do?

“I appreciate it.”

She sat back, getting comfortable, and he had to drag his eyes away from the flex of her thighs as she moved. The way her breasts lifted and lowered on a deep exhale. How the hell was he going to get through four days of this?

“So I’ll finally get to meet a member of your family, huh? Excellent.”

He glanced over at her. “Why am I suddenly worried?”

She lifted and dropped a shoulder. “I have no idea.”

Lucy shoved her hand into her pocket, pulled something out, then dragged the heavy mass of dark hair off her neck and tied it back. The action was mesmerizing. He had to remind himself to keep looking at the damn road.

When she was done, she turned back to him. “Right, I’m freaking starving. Let’s get breakfast.”

Christ.