AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t remember Chad sanctioning you to take this car off-road.” Her voice vibrated as the wheels hit a particularly rough patch.
“You sound worried.” His cunning grin dared her to argue.
“I’m not worried,” she lied rather than explain how rocks scuffing the paint could cost him.
“Good. You and I are officially on the clock. We’re going to break your first rule today.”
She snapped her head around to challenge him, but he appeared deadly serious, even with a big grin on his face. She was about to ask him which rule he was referring to when he pulled over, threw the car into Park and climbed out. By the time he opened her door for her, she was shaking her head.
“Oh, no. I am not driving this car.”
He offered his hand. “Yes. You are.”
“Did you happen to notice the price sticker in the window behind me?”
As if he hadn’t, he squinted at the sticker now. “So?”
“So. What if I bonk into something? Like a tree. Or...a ten-point buck?”
“You’re funny.” He laughed and her stomach fluttered. There weren’t many men whose laugh registered in her stomach. That was Gavin’s superpower. “Give me your hand. I mean it, Hals. We’re not going back until you drive this baby.”
What was it about the cute, shortened version of her name she liked so much? She’d always been Hallie growing up—unless someone was calling her Hannah—and hadn’t thought much of having her own nickname. Gavin had given her one, and it felt special. Especially rolling off his amazing lips.
She slapped her palm into his, noting the firm warmth of his hand as he helped her from the car. Then he sat in the seat she’d been in, giving her no choice but to climb into the driver’s seat.
Behind the wheel of the car, her heart pounded.
“You heard Chad go over the basics. Do you have any questions?”
“I don’t think so.” She flexed her fingers as she studied the fancy lights glowing from the dashboard. It was a gorgeous piece of machinery. And the most expensive car she’d ever sat in. She favored a more conservative ride...one that didn’t cost as much as, say, a house.
“I want you to drive up this hill, take a right onto Magnolia Lane and then push the gas pedal down as hard as you dare.” He pointed at the speedometer. “She goes up to one hundred and eighty.”
As he talked, her eyes grew wider and wider. “I’m not going to speed in a car no one owns.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The dealership owns it.”
“You’re not funny.”
“You were the one who wanted to break rules. This is a baby step.” His thick eyebrows lifted. “Don’t back out on me now.”
He was right. She had asked him to help her break her rules. Speeding down a country road was fairly tame. The idea made her uncomfortable, but wasn’t that the point of this entire experiment?
“Do you know how to drive a stick?” he asked.
“Don’t you think I would’ve admitted if I didn’t?” She threw the car into gear and eased off the clutch, anticipation thrumming through her veins. “Gram taught me how to drive a stick.”
“Eleanor Banks. A legend.” He buckled his seat belt. “Let’s go, then. I’m in your capable hands.”
