His chuckle is tired. “You’re not. Buckle up.”
This time, he waits for me to put the seatbelt on and then shifts into gear.
“Where are we going?”
“Home,” he repeats the same thing he said before. Giving me a side-eye, he asks, “Did you really plan on staying in the city?”
I sigh. “No.”
“What about your plans?” Is it me, or does his voice sound strained? “I mean, how did you plan to do, you know, the thing.”
“The thing?” I ask with a raised brow.
“You know, have,” he swallows loudly, “someone with you.”
I stare ahead and sigh. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
“What?” His head whips toward me, and his voice sounds at least two octaves higher. It’s hilarious really—I didn’t know Kenneth could produce such a high-pitched sound.
“What?” I blink at him while he slows down the car, trying to divert attention between me and the road.
“I know you mentioned you were shaking your ass for me when you saw me, but what about before that? You weren’t planning on finding someone today?”
“No, Kenneth,” I reply, feeling utterly disappointed because we both know that he was planning on it. “I came only because Alicia asked me to come.” I chuckle sadly. “I don’t even have my stuff with me. Mark had our purses. I don’t even have a credit card or a phone on me right now.” I spread my arms as wide as I can to demonstrate the lack of pockets or any other places I could stick a wallet or a phone into. “And they dumped me.” Ken’s face changes as he wants to fix that I misspoke, so I add, “Played matchmakers, if you will.”
His assessing eyes quickly take a sweep over me, and he quiets.
We drive like that for a few minutes, and the mood in the car is dark. Well, my mood makes it dark. I was playing brave and unfeeling when, in reality, his desire to get laid with someone else hit me harder than I anticipated. Meaning he got way deeper under my skin than I wanted him to, so probably it’s time to hurry the hell up with the repairs and move back to the big city.
I can’t say what Ken’s thinking because every time I send a quick glance his way, his face remains stoic.
The ride is slowly becoming super uncomfortable, and I wish I’d driven back with Alicia and the guys. I wasn’t lying when I said I wasn’t planning on finding anyone, and I don’t know where he got this idea from, but I’ve been horny since the moment we had sex—that’s true. Because of him. I just don’t think anyone would satisfy this hunger I’ve been having besides him. Apparently, he doesn’t feel the same.
Suddenly, a huge lump forms in my throat, and I can’t seem to swallow it. My eyes and nose begin itching, and I start vigorously rubbing on them.
At some point, I sniffle.
“Are you okay?” Kenneth’s gruff voice sounds concerned.
“Yeah,” I reply with a sniffle. “Just allergies.”
A moment of silence is followed by his quiet reply, “Okay.” And then his large hand covers mine, the very same one that is currently trying to wipe the snot away from my nose. He grips my hand firmly and brings our joint hands onto his thigh. “I knew you were in that club. Justin called me today and said you guys were going. I was there because I didn’t want you to leave that place with someone else.”
I watch his face, slowly blinking in confusion.
“I went there because I knew every fucker in the room would be all over you,” he explains grouchily.
“Why didn’t you come with us from the beginning?”
He sighs. “Because you needed a girls’ night out.”
I snicker, making him laugh. “See how that turned out.” I suddenly stop sniffling, and my nose itches less.
His thigh is firm, and so is his grip. My hand is totally swallowed in his. His skin is so much darker and rougher compared to mine, even though I’ve done a lot of repairs in my life with my own hands and definitely don’t lack calluses. You can’t be a good designer if you don’t get your hands dirty yourself from time to time.
He lets out a loud, defeated sigh and says, “I didn’t flirt with the bartender. She offered, but I refused. Politely.”
That’s all it takes for the itch to completely stop, and a wide smile spreads across my face. I don’t ask anything else because I don’t know if I’ll like the answer. The only thing I know is that Sheriff Benson is too good of a guy to lie, and if he says he knew I was there, I believe him.
