Jay laughed, and the sound seemed to startle him as much as it did me. “Shit.” He ran a hand over his face tiredly, andjust that fast,I felt the first tiny crack appear in my giant unbreakable, insurmountable wall.
Fuck. They didn’t build walls like they used to anymore, huh?
This did not bode well for me.
“We’re wasting time, and your committee’s gonna come after us. Can you stop pretending I’m plotting a murder-kidnap spree and just get in my damn car?”
Since I couldn’t think of a good reason not to, I did… and regretted it almost immediately, because the honey scent of him became more concentrated and harder to ignore the second he’d climbed in, too.
You hate him, I reminded myself.He abandoned you when he got famous. He abandoned Aimee, too, for years. You cannot trust him.
But when Jay rubbed his palms against the thighs of his jeans, my eyes followed the motion, noting just how thick his muscles there were, and just how nervous he looked, and—
Shit.I was such an idiot. Such a horny, sex-deprived, perpetually lovesick idiot.
Note to self: no more riding in cars with Jay Rollins. Ever.
Fortunately, I expected this would be the last time I ever had the chance.
“I’m sorry for hitting you.”
“What?” I blinked over at him because Jay was not one to apologize, ever, and this was the last thing I’d expected to hear from him.
Jay sat hunched over the steering wheel with his fingertips pressed to his eyes, but he sat up straight when he sensed me looking at him.
“You heard me.” His green eyes were intent, determined. “I said, I’m sorry for hitting you. Unlikesomepeople, I’m not violent unless provoked.”
“Well, neither am I.” I scowled, thinking about how I’d hit him in Tampa. “Unlessseriouslyprovoked.”
Jay rolled his eyes and put the car in drive… then slammed it back into park. “Wait. Where am I going?”
“My house,” I said immediately.
“Your house? Heck no.” Jay shook his head. “You realize that’s literally the first place everyone is gonna turn up, telling us they just happened to be in the neighborhood, right? Taffy’s gonna bring her turtle pie, and Lety will havechuchitos, and Littlejohn will whip up that casserole he makes out of canned spaghetti and spray cheese, and the Stallions are gonna get beer, and the next thing you know, Ms. McKetcham’s naked on your front lawn doing keg stands. Not exactly conducive to you answering my questions.”
I gritted my teeth. It irked me that Jay had thought of that. That he knew this island and the people on it. That he fit here.
This was not his home. It never was. I once thought it could have been, but he’d made his choices.
“Well, I don’t know where else—” I shifted in my seat and heard a distinctive crinkle. I pulled the bright pink appetizer coupon from my pocket. “Actually, I do. Turn around. Head back over to Cooter Key.”
Jay nodded once and pulled out in a wide arc, nearly clipping Lorenna’s ancient Buick parked across the street. His face flushed, and he shot me a look before I could say anything. “Shut up. I’m a perfectly competent driver. I’m just not used to driving this particular car, that’s all.”
“Sure.” I tucked my tongue firmly into my cheek before I spoke. “You’re used to driving a tank where you justrolloverall the other cars on the road, is that it?”
“Fuck you.No.” He pressed his lips together like he was either trying not to smile or trying not to haul off and hit me again. Either way, it was sexier than it had any right to be.
I was angry, damn it.
“It’s been a while since I owned a car. Not much use for one in the city, and I haven’t been to Alabama in years.” He smirked a little. “Probably won’t be invited back anytime soon either, now that Belinda’s church lady friends have seen the headlines.”
The pang of sympathy I felt was instinctive and annoying. Jay’s family was all about appearances, and even though I’d always thought his dad was an ass, the idea of not being welcome couldn’t be pleasant.
I opened my mouth to say something half-decent but what popped out was, “Isit true?”
The second I spoke the words, I wanted to take them back. I had no right to ask anyone that question, even if we were the very best of friends… and Jay and I weren’t even close to being that anymore.
Jay’s jaw tightened, and his hands clenched around the steering wheel. I waited for him to deny it, but instead, he said, “Shut up. We’re here so you can answermyquestions. For example—”
