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“Ugh.” Carine rolled up the window, got out, and then locked up. “I was hoping she’d live long enough for me to get settled in Shora. I was going to use what I’m paying now for rent to my mother on the new car. I might have to change my plans a bit.”
Clay scoffed. “I would. No way I’d get on the road in that thing in its current state. You’re setting yourself up to stall out on the highway get plowed by an eighteen-wheeler that can’t slow down. Journalists wouldn’t be able to publish the accident pictures in the weekly newspaper because there wouldn’t be anything left of your car, much lessyou.”
“You’re a dick. I want my donations back.”
“Nope. No take-backs. I don’t guarantee satisfaction, just a chance at finding someone to casually fuck and maybe get spanked by.”
“And look how great that’s working out for me. Would it kill you to open this place up to fresh blood a little more often?”
“You’re too picky. I guarantee that if you put on a blindfold and lower your expectations, you’d have a damn good evening. Let me set something up for you for next time.”
“Nuh-uh.”
Clay dragged his gaze over to Valerie.
She put up her hands. “No way. Don’t get me mixed up in this. I’ve got no dogs in this fight.”
“You sure about that? I heard through a very reputable grapevine that you didn’t get dropped off at Shora until around midnight, and the person witnessing the delivery would have sworn on a Bible that the silver F-350 in question belonged to one Timothy Dowd.”
Shit.
She was going to set fire to that grapevine at her earliest convenience.
Carine narrowed her eyes at Valerie. “What were you and Tim doing until midnight?”
Valerie straightened up and smoothed down her hair, though it didn’t really need it. There was no gel stronger than Crystal Hold Formula Number 5, and Valerie owned stock in the brand. “I don’t like your tone, Carine.”
Clay’s chuckle was low and menacing. “Oh,shit. Well, well, well. Tim won’t kiss and tell, but I don’t think he’ll mind if you do, the cocky bastard.”
Valerie rubbed the back of her neck again and tried—and probably failed—to walk casually to her car.
The rabble followed.
“You’re assuming something happened,” she said with forced blitheness. “Maybe he blew out one of those excessively large truck tires and we had to wait for a wrecker.”
“Yeah, I don’t buy it.” Carine darted around Valerie and put her back to the driver’s door before Valerie could snatch it open. “If Timmy’s paying attention to you, you’d better be careful.”
“Why? Is he going to strap me to some unholy contraption and flay me until I bleed in Clay’s dungeon?”
Clay sputtered his lips behind Valerie and then laughed that deep, troublesome chuckle again. “Last I knew, that wasn’t one of his kinks, but it’s good to know you’re amenable.”
“I never said I was amenable.”
“Pity. I could think of a couple of folks who’d like to have a little fun with you if Tim’s not gonna.”
“He’s not gonna.”
“So, you’ll be back in two weeks for the next event, then? I can put you on the list of regulars.”
“No need.” Valerie turned to Carine. “What do you mean bybe careful?” Realizing how desperate she sounded, she cleared her throat and pretended to be very interested in the state of her cuticles. “Just out of curiosity, I mean.”
“Because you don’t care right? Sure.” Carine pushed her cat-eye sunglasses up her freckled nose and grinned. It wasn’t hertrustworthy local real estate professionalgrin, either. It was herbless your heart, aren’t you a sucker?grin. “Tim doesn’t give anyone a chance. Did he tell you he wants to see you again?”
“I’m going to give him a consultation about his house expansion.”
“His idea or yours?” Clay asked.
“I certainly didn’t volunteer, and I’d be in deep shit with my employer if they found out I was taking on freelance.”
