“Well, it’s not really your decision,” I say, continuing forward.
“You’ve proven your point—youcanwalk. But you’re not going to tonight.”
I stop walking, and relief flashes across his face. He probably thinks I’m giving in. He’s wrong.
I glance down at my watch.
“It’s eight thirty. The workday ended at four thirty. Pretty sure I’m off the clock, and you can’t tell me what to do.”
As I’m about to take another step, Harrison gently grips my arm.
“One of three things is going to happen,” he says, his voice low and calm. It does something to me, and I feel a warmth between my legs. “You’re going to insist on walking home, and I’m going to walk with you the entire way and then walkbackby myself on a dark country road. Or,” he pauses, his tone darkening slightly, “I’m going to throw you over my shoulder, smack your gorgeous ass, and carry you back to my house, put you in my car, and take you home.”
My stomach flips. His words shouldn’t turn me on, but they do. Maybe it’s the timbre, or the way he’s looking at me—predatory but in a sexy, controlled way, if that’s even a thing.
“The final option,” he says, a smirk tugging at his lips, “which Ihighlyrecommend, is that you turn around, walk back with me to the house, and let me give you a ride home. We’ll sort your car out in the morning.”
I cross my arms and glare at him. He’s right, of course, but I hate admitting it.
We have a silent standoff for about thirty seconds. Neither of us moves or speaks.
Finally—because I’m tired, andonlybecause I’m tired—I sigh and turn back toward the house.
“Fine. You can drive me home.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thankyou,” I mutter.
I really didn’t want to walk all that way in the dark anyway. Not that I’d ever admit that.
Chapter Thirty-One
Harrison
We’ve only been in the car for a few minutes, but the silence is deafening. There’s a nervous energy coming off Delaney. We’re about one-and three-quarter miles from my house, so I know we must be getting close since she’s told me prior that she lived about a two-mile walk from work.
I’m wracking my brain trying to think of where she could possibly live on the remaining stretch of road. As far as I know, it’s all pretty deeply wooded land with just a few houses tucked in here and there.
“Would you please pull over here?” Delaney’s soft voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
“Are you okay?” I slow the vehicle down to prepare to move off the road.
“Yes. Please just stop, though.”
“Okay, I’m stopping. There’s a turn-off in about a hundred feet. That’ll be safer.”
A minute later, I pull into the turn-off and put the car in park. I turn to her, confused as to what’s going on.
“Bets? You okay?” She’s staring straight ahead. “Talk to me.”
“I’m fine. I’m gonna walk from here. It’s right up the road.” She turns her head toward me, but her eyes don’t meet mine. She wears a forced smile on her face, and she quickly looks away.
Delaney reaches to unbuckle her seatbelt as though she really believes I’m going to let her get out of the car in the dark on a deserted road. I cover her hand with mine to stop her, and she turns her head to me, her lips pinched together, with one of her eyebrows raised in question.
“I didn’t pull over to let you out. I did it to figure out what’s happening right now. You’re almost… jumpy. Is it something I did?”
“I’m not jumpy,” she answers too fast. “I need to stretch my legs a little bit. I want to walk the rest of the way. That’s all.”
