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Chapter Eighteen
Sonya
“Let’s take a field trip.”
I was clearing my plate from lunch when he spoke from behind me. I continued with my task, pretending to ignore him.
Drew Carter wouldn’t get out of my mind. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I hated him. But that one percent had rooted itself in my heart, and I couldn’t help but be curious about who he was and why he was here.
“I can’t leave without permission,” I lied.
“Who said we’re leaving?”
He was the smuggest bastard I’d ever met. I wanted him at my mercy, wanted to see how cocky he was when I held all the marbles. “Generally, that’s what a field trip indicates. You leave the usual premises.”
“Okay, Webster’s Dictionary. Get your coat. I’ll wait here.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I told you, I can’t—”
“You don’t need a permission slip. This isn’t a prison, sugar.”
While that might be true, I was nervous about going out into the world. Here, I was safe. If Tamas found me—and I had no doubt he was looking—it spelled the kind of difficulty I wasn’t sure I could get out of.
“What about Sam?”
We both looked down at the dog sitting at my feet. Even if I wanted to go with Drew, I couldn’t leave Sam behind. Seemed as if we’d gotten attached to one another.
“The mutt can come too.” There was no malice behind the words, only mock annoyance. Drew offered him something from his pocket, which Sam immediately wolfed down.
“I’ll be back.”
The stunned look on his face was totally worth it. He’d expected more of a fight, but doing what he didn’t anticipate was effective.
“Where are we headed?”I asked as we slipped out the front door.
“You’ll see.” He was being serious, not one ounce of the playful, carefree asshole present.
“Everything okay?” I asked, hating that my concern had come forth without thought.
“Yes and no.”
“Hi, Mr. Drew.”
He showed a moment of panic before he turned to a young boy with honey-brown hair the exact shade of his approaching with a giant smile on his face.
“Hey, Gabriel.”
Drew flinched when they high-fived. Then he went straight for Sam.
“You’ve got a dog?” He crouched down, and Sam licked him in the face. A shrill giggle pierced the winter air.
“Not mine.” I barely recognized Drew’s gruff and awkward voice.
My attention was on the stunning woman with the little guy. I’d put my money on her in a fight against anybody. She was stiff, like Drew was the last person on earth she wanted to see. That look was incinerating. And I had the overwhelming urge to step between her and Drew to protect him. What was that about?
“Are you coming to story time too?” The boy cocked his head. I’d seen that exact same move from Drew. “Aunt Mulaney and Uncle Easton said they’d try to be there.”
“They told him he could call them that,” she explained, her gaze unwavering. Drew’s shoulders didn’t relax.
