I crank the car, giving her a sidelong stare. “You being funny?”
“No, I mean it. Reminds me of those times when your daddy made you work the ranch. You were great at it and looked so damn hot.”
My heart thumps faster. I’m usually more of a trucker hat kinda guy, but I like that she likes it.
“I was good at cowboying, but my heart wasn’t in it. I’m better at fixing cars.”
“And you’re even better at singin’,” Tally quips. “No offense to your skills as a cowboy or as a mechanic. But I doubt you’re one of this generation’s best mechanics. Your voice on theother hand…”
“All them white lies are gonna go to my head and make it explode,” I joke.
“They ain’t lies! And I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. You got talent. Deal with it.”
We pull out onto the road and Tally digs the stolen pack of bubblegum from her purse. I don’t know how she finds anything in it cause that thing seems bottomless. At one point earlier today, I’m sure I heard a tambourine in there.
She turns the packet of gum like it’s made from solid gold, not blue raspberry flavor. Wiggling happily, she takes out a piece and puts it in her mouth. Her eyes close, a little moan escaping her.
Fuck, and here I thought I was the only one who makes her sound like that. Damn it. I’m jealous of gum now. That’s how far this love has gone.
She blows a bubble and giggles when it pops. “I didn’t pay for the gum.” When I don’t respond, she frowns. “I stole it,” she clarifies proudly.
I smirk. She doesn’t even know she almost got caught. It’s adorable as hell. I’m surprised she didn’t confess to Deputy George when he stopped her with the corpse in her trunk. Bet she hadguiltywritten all over her face.
I tsk. “Next time you wanna play the criminal, steal something worth more than two bucks, Bubblegum Outlaw.”
“I didn’t actually want to hurt the guy’s business. It was for the thrill and the good of country music. Make fun of me all you want but bein’ a criminal inspires me. I’m just startin’ small.”
“You mean vehicular manslaughter was starting small and stealing gum is a step up?”
Her elbow hits my ribs. “The drifter was an accident.Stealing this gum was the firstconsciousact of crime I’ve committed,” she says and blows an even bigger bubble.
“You picked up some naughty habits. Drinking, smoking, stealing,” I scold teasingly.
Tally pops the bubble and licks her lips, her tongue stained bright blue from the artificial coloring. My jeans grow too tight. Fuck, I wanna feel her lips around my cock, watch that blue tongue lick drops of my cum from the corners of her mouth after I finish down her throat.
“Aw, is this where I get a lecture about right ‘n wrong?” She clutches invisible pearls. “What did you expect from a woman who only knows her runaway daddy from a mugshot? There was bound to be a little outlaw in my blood. But the real question is…”
She scoots closer, blowing another bubble and popping it right next to my face. “Am I too much of a bad girl for good guy Rust?” Her voice is husky, sending shivers of heat down my spine.
“You ain’t getting lectures from me, Trouble. I like you wild. But you only think I’m a good guy cause you haven’t seen me being bad yet. You couldn’t handle my dark side.”
She chuckles, raspberry scent on her breath. “Then by all means, show me. Don’t hold back on my account. I’m well prepared to wear the hatandride the cowboy.” She flicks the brim of my new hat.
“Are you daring me to commit crimes to get your pussy wet?”
“What if I am?”
I turn my head, my lips brushing hers and it feels like lightning sparks between us. One hand on the wheel, my other finds her thigh and I squeeze hard enough to put a sting in my touch. Tally inhales sharply, eyes shimmering withbrazen lust.
“Lucky for you,” I whisper against her lips, “I know exactly how to punish a bad girl.”
21
RUST
I pullover onto a patch of gravel by a small cornfield and kill the engine.
“You forgot one tiny detail, Big Guy.” Tally grabs her denim jacket from the seat, shrugging it on. “To punish me, you gotta catch me first.”
