“Uh…” He scratched his chin. “Not exactly the response I was hoping—”
“No,” she cut him off. “We have company.” She hitched her chin over his shoulder.
Casually, he turned and watched a sheriff’s cruiser pull into the gas station’s parking lot.
“I didn’t think they’d put out an APB on me so soon,” she whispered, her cheeks going pale. “The FBI usually likes to keep things like this in-house for as long as possible. Rogue agents aren’t something they enjoy advertising.”
“Put your helmet on.” He tossed his empty water bottle into the trash can before grabbing his own dome from where he’d hung it on Canteen Green’s handlebars. “Act natural. If they were here for us, they would’ve come in lights on and sirens wailing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Less than fifteen seconds later, they pulled onto the deserted road and headed north. As soon as it became clear the sheriff’s cruiser wasn’t following them, he felt Grace slump against his back.
The move rubbed her breasts down either side of his spine and he was reminded of the times he’d fantasized about those sweet breasts hanging down in his face as she straddled his raging cock and rode him to completion.
It was going to be a long ride to Traverse City.
13
Majestic Ridge Road,
Traverse City, Michigan
By the time Hunter pulled off the little country lane onto a narrow gravel drive, Grace was seconds away from admitting defeat and raising the white flag.
Who knew riding on the back of a motorcycle could be such a workout?
After six hours of stop and go that required her to tighten her arms around his waist whenever they took a curve and clenching her legs around his hips to keep from falling off the back of the bike when they went uphill, every muscle in her body ached.
She was also hot, dusty, thirsty, and in desperate need of sustenance. She regretted notsnapping into a Slim Jimwhen they’d stopped at the gas station.
To take her mind off her various maladies, she forced herself to focus on the conversation they’d had beside the gas pump. Or mayberefocus was a more accurate word since she’d thought about little else since.
“Because I meant every word. Every. Single. One.”
Despite the sweat that plastered the borrowed T-shirt to her spine and was surely giving her swamp-ass, she had to suppress a shiver. If he’d been telling the truth, it meant he reallydidthink she was beautiful and smart and funny. It meant he reallyhadwanted to kiss her the night of the fundraiser.
No accounting for taste, I guess.
As soon as she had the thought, she heard her little sister’s voice in her head.“You’ve got to get over your whole ugly duckling syndrome, Grace.”
Last 4thof July, she and Felicity had been sitting on the front steps of their parents’ house, watching the fireworks spark over the tops of the trees and passing a Cherry Bounce back and forth between them—the unofficial cocktail of North Carolina consisted of cherries, sugar, and whatever clear alcohol a person happened to have in their cupboard—when Grace had made some self-deprecating remark about her appearance.
Her kid sister had sent her a disparaging look.“You know I love you like family, right?”
“I’m your sister!”Grace had shot back.
Ignoring her, Felicity had pressed ahead.“But there are some hard truths I think you should hear. You ready?”
“No.”Grace had shaken her chin even though she’d known it wouldn’t stop her kid sister.
“Were you chubby as a child? Sure. Did you go through a phase where your ears and feet were too big for your body? Unfortunately. Were your teeth a horror show before Mom and Dad put you in braces? No doubt.”
“Need a good ego stroking? Just find yourself a baby sister,”Grace had countered sarcastically.
“But you grew up, Grace,”Felicity had insisted.“My friends say you’re what would happen if Christina Hendricks and Scarlett Johansson made a baby. And the fact that you can’t see that, the fact that you still look in the mirror and see the girl with the rolls and buck teeth and the Dumbo ears, is why you fell for that butthole Tim. Wake up!”
Felicity had whacked her on the back of the head, and Grace had been tempted to devolve into one of the slap fests they’d gotten into as kids. Instead, she’d simply sighed and assured Felicity,“I’ll try.”
