Gosh.
Could I be a bigger idiot?I never should have brought up his shooting.Nobody wanted to be reminded of almost dying.
I took a slow, deep inhale.It had been so long since I’d been surrounded by Stefan's scent.There was an extra edge to it now.A delicious cedary musk.But also, that same hypnotizing smell that was all uniquely Stefan.
I expected a barrage of questions from him.So far, he'd been concentrating more on the road.Part of me wondered why he’d saved me just now.Why he didn't just take off and leave me to the vultures.
Stefan owed me nothing.
I was the one who left him.
I never thought I'd see him again.
“Are you cold?”Stefan asked as he turned up the heat.“You have to be cold wearing—” his eyes flitted to my white stocking covered legs, “that.”
I was cold.
And still in more than a bit of shock if I was honest.
Every single day for weeks—I worried I might have to actually do what Aldo wanted.And sleep with some stranger—and give him my virginity.
Even though our plan was pretty foolproof, I knew there was always a chance that something could go wrong.And Felicia and I might get found out.
I hoped it wouldn't happen.I hoped that my sister could fill in for me and perform this one disgusting task.And that nobody would be any the wiser.
Of course, that isn't what happened.Because I have the worst luck of any human being on the planet.
We were so freaking close.
So.
Freaking.
Close.
If that makeup girl hadn't spilled the beans, Felicia would be on a date right now with a really gross old guy.And I'd be off the hook completely.
“Are you hungry?”Stefan asked.He glanced at me quickly before looking back at the dark road.
I shook my head.“No, I'm fine,” I lied.I'd been so nervous today that I hadn't eaten a thing.Not that there was much to eat in the house, anyway.I didn't want Stefan going out of his way to get me food now.I'd be okay.
“I'm guessing Evie and Giselle will have an entire buffet ready for you by the time we get there.I don't want to stop if I can help it.But if you're really hungry—” he continued on like he had some virulent case of verbal diarrhea.And he needed my help to stop.
“I'm fine, Stefan.Thank you,” I cut in, making him quit talking.
Being near him and smelling him were bad enough.But hearing his voice?
Yeah.
That was too much.
I still heard Stefan's voice clearly in my head.It had been one of my favorite things about him.His deep, sexy timbre and tone wrapped around me like a cozy, warm blanket.
He cleared his throat and nodded.But thankfully, he stopped talking.
A moment later, I realized that the awkward silence might be even worse than his verbal diarrhea.I just couldn't win.
So, I gave up and sat back in the seat and closed my eyes.From what I gathered, it would be another half hour to forty-five-minute drive for sure to Carlo and Giselle’s house.Maybe I could pretend that I was sleeping, and he’d leave me alone.
