“Want to see it drive itself?”
He smiles again, and it’s lethal to my resolve to not let this ass of a man get to me. Make me weak. Make me toss my good sense aside and be reckless. Never again. My heart is still healing from the beating he gave it five years ago.
I know what he’s trying to do. Jordan always could charm the pants, or panties, off anyone. Once upon a time, that charm worked its spell on me.
When I look out the window at the scenery blurring past, my forehead crinkles as a frown forms. When I see Benneton Park up ahead, my confusion becomes angry understanding.
“This isn’t how to get to Natalie’s house.”
“I know. We’re taking the scenic route. It’ll give us time to talk.”
“I don’t want to—”
His fingers press something on the steering wheel and loud rock music starts blaring, cutting off my retort. I search for the radio controls and am clueless how to turn the screeching music off. There’s no knob or button to push.
“How do you turn the radio off?”
His thumb taps out the drumbeats on the steering wheel. “Why? This song is a classic.”
“It’s classically giving me a headache.”
He switches over to a finance podcast on NPR. It’s official. I’m in absolute hell. I groan loudly.
“What were you doing out in Hopper Springs?”
I shrug a shoulder and feign interest at the scenery flying past my window.
“If you applied for a job at Golden Peaks when you wouldn’t even consider working for me—”
My head whips around. “What?No!”
The side of his mouth twitches with amusement. “Hey, I’m not knocking the work. I know a few girls that work there.”
“I just bet you do.” My reply drips with sarcasm. And I bet he knows them all in a very biblical way. It’s just another hard reminder that I am a forgettable notch in his bedpost. “Jordan, please shut up now.”
“My offer of a job still stands.”
It takes effort to stop my eyes from cartwheeling to the back of my head. “So does my hard no.”
The car slows, and Jordan makes a right at a T-junction.
Any hopes that he’ll tire of trying to small talk me to death dies when he says, “Bennett said you didn’t go to CU, and I know you didn’t go to Rice.”
I’m speechless for a second as my mouth hangs open. “When did you speak to Bennett?”
“He called me this morning.”
Fabulous. He and Bennett are friends who call one another. After finding out Jordan was Harper’s brother last night, it shouldn’t shock me. It does make me wonder where I fit in anymore and how much more Jordan is going to take from me. My virginity. My self-worth. And now my friends.
He drives onto a back road littered with potholes, and I have no idea where we are. A lot has changed in Woodspire since I’ve been gone. New roads and new buildings I don’t recognize.
Jordan lowers the volume on the radio. “So what happened? I thought college was your dream.”
The urge to smack his gorgeous, stubbled face is overwhelmingly tempting.
You happened. Life happened. The repercussions of that night happened.
“If I answer your question, will you stop talking?” I rub at my temples, trying to stave off the headache I feel coming on.
