off. I’ll give you money to take a cab back to get your car when you’re
feeling better, or to get to work on Monday morning
if it’s not before then.”
“No. I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s fine. I can’t just let you drive home with your feet like that. I’m
pretty sure that wouldn’t just be irresponsible. It’s probably illegal.” Kiera
turned to Romi, and when Romi shrank back and glanced out the passenger
window quickly, Kiera softened. She stole a peek in the rearview mirror.
Her dust and dirt streaked face was severe. Her eyes wide and intense.
Okay, so she’d look away too if she had to face that.
Romi rattled off an address as she arranged her hands in her lap. Kiera’s
attention was momentarily distracted as she stared at Romi’s long, tapered
fingers. The nails were also painted pink and somehow, only the index
finger had a small chip out of the polish, even though they’d done a shitload
of heavy, hard work back there in the barn.
She imagined what those fingers would feel like against her skin. The
finer tips smooth as satin. Not hot and not cold, just pleasantly warm. Her
touch was probably gentle. Delicate. A whisper of air.
Kiera gave her head a shake, pulled to the side of the gravel road, and
programmed the address into the GPS. Almost as soon as she’d done it and
was back driving again, her phone went off. It rang through the truck,
jarring her. Romi almost jumped out of her seat too.
“Sorry,” Kiera mumbled as she noticed Shane’s number. She groaned
inwardly, but hit the answer button on the truck’s screen. “Hey, baby,” she
crooned. That was their code. They only used terms of endearment if
someone else was in hearing distance. Shane would be immediately alert to
the fact that she wasn’t alone.
“My love,” Shane crooned right back, his tone dripping honey.
Kiera shuddered. Shane was a nice guy, but he really could overdo it. She
wasn’t sure what women actually saw in him. There was a reason he didn’t