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“Son of a bitch.”
Her whole body was on fire, and he left her.
Again.
She scraped her hair back and tied it into a high ponytail. Damn that man for keeping her so off balance.
TEN
Shane dughis wallet out of his pocket. He untucked his T-shirt to bunch around his zipper. He was a goddamned walking erection lately. All that pale corn silk followed him in dreams. He could feel it against his thighs, across his chest, and the scent of her scraped him raw. Fucking apples.
He’d woken in the night to find his chin buried in her neck, her scent invading his dreams. He’d been curled around her, holding on to her as if he couldn’t bear to let her go. He tipped his head back, scratching at the dense scruff that climbed down his neck.
He dragged in a deep breath of oil, gasoline, and the lingering overlay of cigarettes. Familiar scents. Enough to snap him back to the task at hand. Jasper’s bill. He had just enough on his credit card to cover it, but the fear of something far worse happening to them made him cautious to use the last of his credit. Everything about this trip was out of his control. Kendall included.
He forced his lips into a smile. “Jasper.”
“There’s my favorite twosome.” Jasper peeked around him. “Well, part of it. Where’s your pretty girl?”
“She’s coming.”
Jasper tucked a rag into his back pocket. “I did the best I could to keep the cost down.”
“I know you did. And I appreciate it. ”
“Hard times are everywhere.”
“Kendall and I know that all too well.” A new thing for him to deal with. Living an easy life within the family empire was the only thing he knew. Scraping his way across the states wasn’t the plan.
“Hell, the only reason we’re still going strong here is because of my son. He’s got an affinity for classic American cars and brings in a lot of traffic from the Richie Riches. They like their old muscle cars to show off. Of course they fuck them up by driving like assholes, but it keeps us in business.”
Shane’s belly loosened, and his hard-on eased. “I’m from Monterey, man. I see the assholes firsthand.”
Jasper dragged his hat off and smoothed his hand over his buzzed head. “That coastal road? Yeah…that’s one helluva road to hit with a good engine.”
Shane tipped back on his heels. “I had a Mustang when I was in my twenties. I scared the hell out of my dad with that car.”
Kendall stalked in, her mouth tight and murder in her eyes. Damn, she was gorgeous when she was angry. He knew he’d been pushing her buttons, but if the kid in the truck had been a puppy, the drool would have soaked her shirt. She had no idea just how appealing she was, which was part of the problem. A woman like her should be settled with a man who wouldn’t let her out of his sights. Just what kind of men did she have in her town who wouldn’t have snagged her with a ring?
His shoulders tensed again. Rings and marriage had never been in his periphery. His focus had been his furniture company for so long. The minute marriage had been mentioned, he’d been fucked-up about it. Each time another guy looked at her with anything close to interest, he was fucked-up about it. He couldn’t remember the last time he gave two shits about a woman enough to get bent. And it had to be this woman?
She held his future in her tiny hands. A future that had been manipulated by the one person he’d thought he could trust. He had to be out of his mind to think he could control any part of this situation. All he could do was drive through and hope to shit they got to New York with both of them intact. Kendall kept her distance, and their sham of a marriage was null and void here. His wallet dug into his palm. Son of a bitch.
Jasper shuffled off to a desk along the wall and came back with a work order. Shane traded it for cash and stuffed the receipt in his wallet. Kendall came forward and smiled at Jasper. “Thanks for finding us a place to stay last night. Delinda and her family were amazing.”
“They’re good people.”
“The best.”
Shane jammed his wallet back in his pocket. “Well, we better get on the road.”
Kendall jerked her thumb at him. “We’re behind this one’s schedule.”
Jasper held out his hand to Shane. “Good luck.” He turned to Kendall, but she stepped forward and wound her arms around the wiry older man.
“Thanks again.”
Jasper blushed and fussed with his cap. “Don’t mention it.”
