Oops. Dad is not a good topic of conversation.
I continue the small talk, attempting to dig myself out of this hole. “Where are you from?”
Raven quirks a brow in my direction. “What is this? Twenty questions?”
I chuckle and turn toward her, resting my hip on the open tailgate of my truck. “Just trying to get to know you, Sunshine.”
Her nose wrinkles in a way that can only be described as adorable, and she refuses to look at me. “That’s not necessary.”
“Come on,” I implore. “How about this, a question for a question.”
I want to know more about this woman with the long legs, round hips, and a smile that would melt hearts all around the country. I’m playing with fire, but I can’t help myself.
Raven tilts her head slightly as she studies me. I see the moment she decides that she’s just as curious as I am. “Okay, but I get five passes.” She mirrors my stance and crosses her arms right under her round tits, unknowingly emphasizing them.
“One.”
She narrows her eyes. “Two.”
“Done,” I accept. Before she can take it back, I reach my hand out to seal the deal. But when she places her hand in mine, I feel the calluses on her palm, and something primal beats in my chest.
Acting on instinct, I grip her hand and pull her close. Our bodies are perfectly aligned, not an inch of space between us. No doubt she can feel the effect she has on me. Her eyes widen, and her chest rises and falls with shocked breaths, but she doesn’t pull away.
Pushing my luck further, I raise my free hand and tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Where did you live before New York?”
“Pass.”
An amused smirk turns my lips upward. “That was an easy one. Are you sure you want to waste a pass?”
“Yep.” Her face is confident in her decision.
Tracing her plump lips with my finger, I push again. “Tell me a secret, Sunshine. Tell me something no one else knows about you.”
She bites her lip again, and I can’t help but be jealous that it’s not my mouth nibbling on her plump, rosy lip.
“I named Noah after my brother,” she admits in a whisper.
“I don’t understand how that’s a secret. Wouldn’t your brother…” I trail off, feeling like I’ve dug myself into another hole.
Raven’s eyes grow sad, but she’s brave as she keeps her gaze locked with mine. “He’s dead,” she reveals.
Shit.
My brows scrunch together in confusion. “But your parents?—”
A muscle in Raven’s jaw ticks, and she interrupts me, “They’re dead too.”
Throughout the entireprocess of getting Raven’s car hitched to my truck, she continues to insist on being an active participant. Once the SUV is loaded up, Raven and I get into the cab and find Noah content in the back seat.
“Address, Sunshine.”
My request seems to snap her out of the daze our discussion put her in. “What? Why?” she asks incredulously.
“I need your address so I can take you home,” I explain slowly and point to the GPS screen.
Noah chimes in, rambling off their address, and I smile to myself, realizing how Knox and Noah met. Raven moves to enter it in, but I cover her hand with mine. “No need. I know where we’re going.”
Understanding dawns on her face. “Oh. Right. Small town.”
