Snap out of it. You’re riding a high from seeing her in your t-shirt.
“Ask politely.” I wink, enjoying this new game with Hadley. Why did I wait so long to up the antics and actuallytryto make her mine?
“Please.” The word hisses through pressed lips.
“Not nice enough,” I say, bringing the cup to my mouth. I don’t want to drink it. Hadley likes her sugar and cream with a dash of coffee, whereas I drink it black. But I guess I’ll take one for the team. My lips fold around the rim as her eyes grow wide.
She sighs, dropping her arms by her side before muttering, “Please.”
I take my lips off, thankful I didn’t have to taste the Candy Land concoction.
“That’s better.” I smirk, handing her the coffee. Her eyes shift between the cup and me, and then she cements her stare on me while bringing the cup to her lips in the same place mine lingered moments ago.
Heat rushes up my neck and face as her full, pink mouth connects to the cup. I wish I was that cup of coffee.
She wins.
That is, until the coffee dribbles down her chin.
Laughter erupts from the pit of my stomach as she jumps backward holding the cup of hot liquid out in front of her like it’s now a grenade that she can’t let go of but desperately wants to. A curse slips through her lips.
I’ve got to say…she looks cute even with coffee dribbling down her chin.
“Language, Dawson,” I snicker. She glares at me, setting the cup down and wiping her hands clean of the liquid.
She says that four-letter word a little louder. For the people in the back, I guess.
“You’re trouble.” I laugh, picking up my truck keys off the counter and dangling them in front of her. “Let’s go.”
Now,shestarts laughing.
“You have a head full of stump water if you think we’re taking your truck,” Hadley says through exasperated laugher. She halts her laughs as if on command to take a careful sip of her coffee.
“There’s no way you’re driving us across the country,” I state as she sets her cup down on the counter.
“Why? Because I’m a woman?” she questions, throwing her fists on her hips, one blonde eyebrow raising.Really, Hadley?I match her glare.
“Because you’ll have us in the ditch before we even leave Mississippi.” I turn my back and start walking towards the front door.
“Says the man who monster-trucked over a smart car two years ago.” I stop, turn around, and walk back to her until we are chest to chest. More like her face to my chest the way I tower over her small frame. All I want to do is pick her up and wrap those short legs around my waist…
STOP IT.Back to mission: I Am Driving.
“Says the woman who has totaled three bicycles, two cars, and has killed countless innocent animals.” She huffs out a breath accompanied with a dramatic eye roll, maneuvers around me, and grabs her keys from the counter. She doesn’t hesitate to pull that corner of her lip up in a smirk as she dangles her keys in front of me, thrusting her hips behind her as she leans.
I love knowing what makes her tick. Peeved Hadley is just as attractive as, if not more than, Sweet Hadley. My body shudders just thinking about taking a few steps towards her, snatching those keys right out of her delicate hands, and showing her exactly what I think about “just friends”.
Hadley grabs her bags like a pack mule and heads out the door, completely ignoring the eggs prepared for her. What a shame… Three perfectly good eggs gone to waste.
“Let’s at least fight for it!” I holler after her, suggesting our game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
The door slams shut.
This is going to be alongten days.
Chapter Six
Hadley
