“Oh my god, that’s diabolical and ingenious. Remind me to never get on your sister’s bad side, but also, I want to meet her. She and Fred would be frightening if they teamed up.” Her green eyes glittered like emeralds under the sun when she was happy.
“Oh, we’ve all said she would be a dictator if given half the chance. Samson still hasn’t gotten his precious back to the way it was.” He laughed, remembering the horror on his older brother’s face when he’d discovered what their little sister had done.
Chapter Six
Jinx looked at the big man sitting across from her. He seemed so different from the night before. When she’d seen him pushing around the mountain of food, looking as if his world had crumbled, she’d felt like they were somehow the same.
“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” she asked Viking.
He looked at the watch on his wrist and grimaced. “My family plans to exchange a few presents this evening, actually.”
She gave a slight nod, hating the pain in her heart at the knowledge that she had nobody to celebrate with. Sure, Fred invited her to spend it with him and his family, but she didn’t want to intrude on them. “That sounds lovely,” she said, the words sounding hollow to her own ears.
“You said you didn’t have to go into work until this evening, right?” he asked.
Jinx narrowed her eyes and nodded.
“I don’t want to go back to my parents’ house and sit around listening to them discuss local gossip or my siblings argue. Would you like to gosnowmobiling with me?” he asked, placing one of his hands on the table with the palm up.
She opened her mouth to refuse, then closed it before the words could escape. She’d always wanted to go out riding when she’d seen others on the little machines. Fred didn’t like anything that had to do with sports, and nobody else had asked her to go riding or whatever they did when they cruised around town. Of course, she’d bought one since she lived outside of town, telling herself it was a wise investment. She didn’t let the fact that she’d never ridden for anything other than necessity deter her, though.
“That sounds like fun,” she agreed.
“How about you ride with me, and I bring you back here when we’re done?” Viking asked, sliding out of his side of the booth.
He stood beside her, looking like a giant. Shit, she forgot he was so damn big. She let her eyes travel up the length of his large frame, pausing at the expanse of his chest. He hadn’t put his coat on yet, so she could admire his well-defined chest through his shirt. It should be illegal for men to walk around in black denim jeans and Henley shirts, with flannelshirts over them. Seriously, it’s literally a recipe for making a woman pant.
“Are you okay?” Viking’s hand reached for hers.
She jerked, realizing she’d been staring. Pulling her gaze away from him, knowing her face had to resemble a tomato. “Yeah, I’m good. Sounds good. I mean, I’ll ride with you.”
Shut up now, Jinx.She scooted out of the booth, bumping into Viking, who hadn’t moved back. Her breath froze in her throat as she stared up at him.
“You’ll be safe with me, Jinx,” he promised.
Jinx licked her lips, biting her bottom lip to keep from telling him she wasn’t so sure if she wanted to be safe with him. Before she could make the stupidest statement in the world, she forced her lips into a smile.
“It’s the snowmobile I’m worried about,” she lied.
He tilted his head to the side. “Have you ever ridden one?”
“I have one at my place, but I’ve only ridden for practical purposes.” Shh shrugged, not wanting to lie again.
“We’ll go on some of the easier trails. Come on.” He said, stepping back to give her room.
She took in a shaky breath, shrugging into her coat. The weather outside had warmed up enough they wouldn’t freeze their asses off, making it a perfect day for riding.
“Oh, I have proper winter gear back at my place,” she blurted, looking down at herself.
“If you don’t mind wearing someone else’s, you can borrow either my mom’s or my sister’s gear. They’re both about your size, and neither will be using them today. Hell, I don’t think my sister has gone riding in years, but she’s got a great set.” He kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked, making her feel cherished.
Jinx took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Sounds great if you’re sure she won’t mind.”
His truck’s lock clicked, and then he opened the door. She prepared to climb inside, but he shocked Jinx by gripping her hips and lifting, placing her inside as if she weighed next to nothing. Good lord almighty, Jinx wasn’t sure she could handle all his chivalry without throwing him down and begginghim to fuck her senseless. God damn, she was a hussy. A sexless hussy in need, obviously.
“Thank you,” she said.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he leaned over her, making Jinx suck in the little bit of air she’d been able to get, and buckled her in. Yep, she was so going to do something stupid with this giant of a man. And from what she’d seen as she’d looked him up and down, he was big all over.Get your mind out of the gutter. He might not want you like that, whore.
