Fabrice shoved at his chest. “Oui. I love you too. Get lost.”
With a loud laugh, Clay skipped from the kitchen like a kid and headed through the back halls to his bedroom. He would be on the beach by the end of the day. Clay couldn’t fucking wait.
There were no good radio stations in this area. Scout hadn’t wanted to pair his phone with a car that didn’t belong to him. There was no fucking way he would make the thirty-minute drive without tunes. He tapped the screen on the dash to get started. Clay came through the door into the garage, fighting with two suitcases.
Scout honked.
Clay jumped as if a dog bit his ass.
Scout couldn’t fight his smile as Clay’s glare swung his way.
Scout chuckled as he waved for Clay to join him. When Clay took a step in his direction without his luggage, Scout rolled down the window. “I’m your chariot.”
As Clay lugged his bags to the car, he looked torn between confused and nervous. They made half a second’s worth of eye contact before Clay skittered past to get away. This time, when Scout chuckled, the laugh sounded as dangerous as he was. Just three nights prior, they had kissed. Scout was pretty certain hehad made his intentions known. But the way Clay had kissed him—like one good fuck from him would ruin Scout for everyone—did not match the bending-over-backwards-to-avoid-him Clay had done since. Scout was about to ruin all that for Clay. There was no escaping him now.
Clay slipped into the passenger seat. A loud metal song Scout loved blared through the radio before Clay closed the door.
Scout’s gaze shot toward the dash. Clay’s phone had connected automatically. It seemed they had the same taste in music. That was good. Now Scout knew exactly which playlist he would use when he let Clay bend him over the first solid piece of furniture they found.
“Sorry about that.” Clay turned the radio down. He met Scout’s stare. His eyes slid away, as if he couldn’t look at Scout directly. Scout knew what he saw. All the hunger he felt when he was with Clay had to show on his face. “I forgot what I’d been listening to when I got home yesterday.”
If Clay wanted to talk about mundane things, they would. “It’s cool. I couldn’t find a good station.”
Clay nodded. “You won’t out here. We’re kind of in a dead area.”
Scout tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for Clay to put on his seatbelt. “So, is this the car you drive when you go out?”
Clay laughed. “Yeah, dude. It’s my car.”
The realization embarrassed him a little, and Scout wasn’t one to feel flustered. He brazened it out. “Oops. Henry threw me the keys.” Scout tapped his fingers again, hoping Clay took the hint.
Clay still made no move to buckle up.
He couldn’t take it. “Seatbelt.”
“I don’t wear seatbelts.”
Scout’s eyebrows rose. “You do when I drive.”
They held each other’s stare, trying to wait each other out.
Scout tapped his fingers again.
Clay sighed heavily, but he buckled his seatbelt.
“Good boy.” Scout put the car in reverse. His attention moved to driving while he looked for any reason to talk to Clay. “Why don’t you like seatbelts? In this day and age, with all the knowledge we have, it’s kind of a dumbass move. Not that I’m calling you dumb. We both know you’re not, so why make that choice?”
“I’m not trying to be bullheaded. When I drive, I wear it.” Heavy laughter laced Clay’s words. “I was in a bad car accident two years ago. Another guard and I were on an errand. A huge truck steered into our lane and hit us head-on. He was driving and uninjured. The seatbelt broke my collarbone. Now, when Iwear one, it puts too much pressure on a spot that already hurts ninety percent of the time.”
“Is the seatbelt hurting right now?” Scout automatically glanced Clay’s way to check if he told the truth.
A small smile touched Clay’s lips. “Always.”
Scout pulled to the shoulder of the road and put the car in park. He didn’t hang around for any questions. Scout removed his shirt as he circled the car. The moment he opened Clay’s door, he expected to get the third degree. Instead, Clay sat quietly, looking like he trusted Scout completely.
Scout wrapped his shirt around the seatbelt, padding it right where it fell across Clay’s collarbone. “I’ll get it back from you when we get to the airstrip.” He purposely avoided Clay’s gaze, but he felt the man’s gorgeous hazel eyes eating him alive. The moment Scout focused on Clay, the air froze in his lungs.
Clay’s gaze moved over Scout’s chest. His expression screamed he would do bad things to Scout and do them very well. When he met Scout’s stare, he didn’t look embarrassed to get caught ogling him. “Love the ink.”
