AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I need to go before he reaches us. I don’t want to think more about this. “I don’t know, Audrey.”
“Megan wants Rafe. And Rafe... Well, we don’t know, but Zane is trying to get them to meet.”
I shake my head. It all sounds too easy, too convenient. “I saw the way she was looking at Zane.”
“No, Dakota. Wait…”
She curses as I turn and start running again. How did she look at him? Fondly, my mind supplies, but I wonder about it now as I hang a right and run down another street. Random streets, random thoughts. I didn’t even see his face, his expression. Could they be just friends, he and Megan? Thinking back, I recover vague memories of them talking and laughing together in parties. Are they really just friends?
Audrey would have no reason to lie about this. She hasn’t exactly encouraged my interest in Zane. I remember once we visited him at his apartment, the time I first met him. Asher had been staying with him, and Audrey wanted to talk to him. I remember taking off my blouse to show Zane my ink—and to shock him a little, because he had a mask of steel I wanted to peek behind—and Audrey had gone all scarlet. Afterward, she pretended she didn’t know me. It was so funny.
Not so funny anymore.
I turn into another street and slow down again, trying to get my bearings. Problem is, I don’t know this area well, and I didn’t pay much attention when Tessa drove me to the bar, because I figured we’d return to her apartment together.
What I should do is give Tessa a call, and I reach for my bag—only to realize I don’t have it with me. I must have left it at the bar.
Brilliant, Dakota. Just brilliant. Absolutely fantastic.
I puff out a long breath and bury my hands in my hair, tugging a little, hoping to jumpstart my brain. No reason to panic. I’ll just keep walking until I find a familiar landmark, or else another bar where I can borrow a phone and call Tessa.
Right. No panic. I resume walking, kicking at the trash in my way—a can, a broken plastic up, a shoe. I shouldn’t have run away. I’m not a quitter. If I was, I wouldn’t be standing here today.
I wouldn’t be standing at all.
A car honk sounds from behind me, and I walk faster. The street is deserted, and I don’t have my pepper spray.
The honk sounds again, and a pick-up truck appears next to me, the window rolling down. I see a familiar Mohawk and a pair of exotic dark eyes.
“Dakota?” Zane stares at me hard, his truck idling. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. “What are you doing here?”
“I came looking for you.” His gaze is earnest. Holy crap, he actually came after me.
I can’t help a smile. “Thanks.”
“Hop in. I got your purse, too.”
He leans over and opens the door for me. I climb up and settle into the seat. His truck smells of exhaust, ink and faintly of cigarettes. I slam the door shut, and Zane gazes at me sideways, his big hands on the wheel.
“So where to? Back to the bar or home sweet home?”
“Home.” I swallow and look away. “I think I’m done for tonight.”
He gives a soft snort that I don’t know how to interpret and pulls off the curb. “You’re staying at Tessa’s, right?”
“Yeah.”
His scent overlays the scent of the truck—something dark and sharp. Delicious. I steal a glance at him as he drives, at his clean profile, the square cut of his jaw, his beautiful mouth. His inked arms flex as he turns into an avenue, the colorful designs shifting. I see black waves, clouds and blossoms.
My bag is on the seat between us. I grab my phone and send a text to Tessa, to let her know I’m okay and heading home.
“Did something happen?” He changes gears, and I’m entranced by the way his hands move, strong and graceful. “I mean, you ran out of the bar. We were worried.”
“I just needed air. Were you really worried?” Ah yeah, my mouth tends to spew out my thoughts without a filter when I’m around Zane. Crap.
He doesn’t answer my question and doesn’t take his eyes off the road, but he gives me a quick, crooked smile that makes my heart flip over. “I like your skirt. You have beautiful legs.”
