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I eye him critically. “Is this how you’re driving?”
Again with the board shorts, and this time a slate-gray T-shirt that makes his blue eyes bluer, if that’s even possible. Surfer all the way.Gnarly, dude.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Don’t you have a uniform or suit or something more acceptable? What kind of company do you work for?” I drop my purse and carry-on onto the back seat. “Or more to the point, if I were to complain to your boss, would you get in trouble for not following the dress code?”
His clear eyes widen, the smirk nowhere in sight, and I can’t help but smugly enjoy how I’ve got him. There’s no way he’s allowed to dress carefree and beach-like. No matter how fiendishly good this relaxed, cabana-boy look works for him, not to mention what it does to my heart rate, I won’t stand for it.
“Um, my bad.” Despite his words, his tone and the faint flicker of a smile in his eyes say he isn’t in the least bit apologetic. “It’s a long ride. I wanted to be comfortable, but since you’re uncomfortable, I’ll change.”
Why does his response make me feel unreasonable when I’m not? I straighten my spine, and he unzips the garment bag draped over the seat.
With a lopsided grin, he lifts an arm over his head. A sliver of golden toned skin peeks out from just above the waistband of his shorts as he curls his fingers around the collar at the back of his shirt.
What? No. There’s no way he’s taking off his shirt in front of the Chateau Marmont.
Dazed and tongue-tied, I don’t react when, in one fell swoop, he does exactly that. Tom yanks his shirt up and over his head.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my now dry mouth, and even though it’s inappropriate, my gaze fixes on his sculpted chest. He chuckles at my blatant gawking, and instantly, my cheeks flare.
“What are you doing?” I lower my voice as every muscle in my neck tenses and strains. “Put it back on.”
“I thought you wanted me to change.” He pulls at one side of the black nylon bag. “I’ve got a suit.”
Heart pounding and palms sweaty, I shake my head vigorously just in case my speech isn’t clear. “Forget about changing. Stay like that.”
Still shirtless, he quickly zips up the bag, shuts the car door, and pivots to face me. His cotton T-shirt is balled in his hand, and my stomach somersaults. It’s a death-defying feat to tear my gaze away from all his tanned, muscled flesh.
Then it hits me.
An exhilarating shiver skitters down my spine. He thinks I mean stay bare-chested.Mother of God.
I swallow hard, once then twice, trying to string the words together in my head let alone speak. “I mean, put your shirt back on. Don’t bother with the suit.”
A naughty grin tugs at his full lips. “All right, Ms. Price. You’re the boss.”
5
TOM
We cross the California-Nevada border in good time, and for most of the drive, Leighton ignores me in favor of her phone. Silence isn’t my strong suit, but for now it’s for the best.
Since I took off my shirt, she can barely look me in the eye, and I can’t deny I got a kick out of unnerving her. Although, I did catch her stealing a glance my way once or twice. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she liked what she saw. Weirdly, I don’t know why, but I like her eyes on me.
I also liked giving her a quick peck on her lips last night. Lips like candy. I didn’t anticipate how sweet she tasted. A mixture of her sugary lip gloss and a hint of alcohol and something utterly alluring and yet undefinable.
She could’ve decked me, and I did cross a line. But that guy… Hard to believe it was the same guy millions around the world adore. Talk about a predator. He was up to no good. I did what I had to and I’d do it again.
Now I only wish I could stop thinking about her soft mouth and candy tang.
Movement in the back seat pulls me from my inappropriate thoughts. The dark crown of her head is all I see in the rearview mirror. “You hungry?”
She shrugs, but doesn’t look up. “Sure.”
“There’s a place close by that has good reviews.” I exit the highway.
This time she offers nothing to indicate she’s heard me. This quickly changes when I park in front of a hot dog restaurant.
