“Fine, and when I win, you leave me alone.”
“Deal.” He grins at me when I crank up an Ozzy song on the radio. “You’re going to be mine, Evie.”
“Shut up and drive.” The man is delusional.
The rest of our trip is pleasant enough, our discussions centering around music and T.V. shows. We have the same taste in entertainment. Mason sends a quick text when we get stuck at a red light.
“It’s illegal to text and drive.”
He regards me with a raised brow. “You going to turn me in?”
“Nah, then I’d have to drive home.”
His phone beeps and he glances at the screen before tucking it in his pocket. “Looks like we have an hour to kill.”
“What? Why?” I demand.
“Samuel won’t be back at his store until one.”
“Didn’t he know we were coming?”
“He got called away. Relax, Evie. We’ll find something to do,” he says, smirking at me.
Fantastic. A few moments later, he pulls into a parking lot beside a small park. “I thought we could stretch our legs,” he suggests, pointing to the narrow path winding away from the playground.
“Have you been here before?”
“A few years ago. The path leads back to a small stream. I’m going to grab a Coke.” He gestures to the sub shop next door. “Want one?”
“Sure, thanks.”
“I’ll catch up with you.” Christ, he looks good jogging away.
The air is filled with the laughter of children, the creak and clink of swings, backed by the dull roar of lunchtime traffic on the highway. A delicious mixture of scents from nearby restaurants makes my stomach growl. I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast, but I didn’t think I’d be running to BFE today.
The dirt path meanders along the perimeter of the park before leading me behind the tree line to a group of scarred picnic tables, shaded by a large oak tree. The sound of running water keeps me moving until I reach the stream. Clear water tumbles over a pile of smooth rocks and flows rapidly past the park, disappearing under a concrete slab of road in the distance. It’s hot and humid today, and I’m really tempted to kick off my shoes and wade in. Yeah, right, and end up with an impetigo rash on my feet. Who knows what kind of runoff it’s polluted with.
“Evie.” His silky voice calls me. Why does he keep calling me that? Why the hell do I like it? The sun beams through the trees, spotlighting him like the damn Adonis he is as he wiggles a paper cup at me. “Hope you like Pepsi. All they had.”
“Apparently not,” I reply, glancing at the clear bag that houses two sub sandwiches and two bags of chips.
“Ah, well.” For the first time, he seems a little unsure of himself. “I’m starving, and I didn’t want to eat in front of you, so I got an extra sandwich. You don’t have to eat it.”
He’s trying to be nice, and I can’t be a bitch to him. “No, it’s fine…I’m hungry. Thank you, but you have to let me pay you.”
“Forget it. I’ll just toss it in the creek.” With an amused expression, he lays his food on the table and starts toward the creek with mine.
“What? No! Give it here!” He laughs as I try to snatch it from his hand.
“Say please,” he teases, holding it above his head.
“Are you twelve?” Trying not to laugh, I return to the picnictable and unwrap his sandwich. His lips twitch up when I take a huge bite, chewing deliberately. Sitting across from me, he unwraps the second sandwich and opens a bag of potato chips, offering it to me.
“Thanks. I’ll trade sandwiches if you want this one. I don’t have cooties.”
“Cooties? I thought I was the twelve year old, here?”
“Well, I suppose chasing you down for a sandwich wasn’t exactly mature.” I catch myself watching his lips as they wrap around the tip of his straw. They’re so full and sexy. Am I seriously drooling over a man’s lips?
