He chuckles. “I have to drive us away from here. We’re too exposed.”
“Mm-hmm,” I half-agree. “Wait, what truck?”
I glance up just as he opens the door to a huge Dodge pickup that looks brand new. Even has the tags.
Apollo sets me down on the passenger seat and buckles my belt for me. “Your dad,” he snorts, then rolls his eyes like he’s embarrassed. “Thoughtweshould have one. I tried to tell him I could get something?—”
“But he insisted his little girl should have it?”
Apollo smirks, and it’s the most handsome thing I’ve seen. Dimples deep. Dark eyes sparkling. We gaze at one another for a long moment. I don’t know if his belly is flipping as fast as mine, but he knows how to make my entire body tingle.
“It’s almost as if you know him well.”
When he gets into the truck and starts it, the speakers blast out a loud song I instantly recognize. He scrambles to lower the volume, eyes glancing over at me sheepishly.
Apollo heads out of the lot, and I stare at the side of his face in shock.
“Is this what you were listening to?”
He continues to stare at the road, then flicks his gaze to the rear-view mirror, like he didn’t hear me.
“Hmm?”
I laugh. “Apollo?Stallion?”
“What?” His big hand slips across the cab and covers mine.
“Are you listening toTyla Silknow?”
He doesn’t respond for so long that I wonder if he’s notgoing to. Finally, he replies, “Her lyrics are deeper than people realize.”
I lose it. Laughter loud and unhurried bubbles from my chest.
“Is this because you know I love her, too?”
He shrugs one shoulder and gives a nefarious grin. “I started listening to her. It’s not a big deal. Just…pleasedon’t tell the guys.”
I tuck the nugget of new info away to use if necessary.
“I realized something last night, Scout.”
The way he says my name has me straightening in my seat like he just took roll call. “What’s that, Apollo?”
He turns onto an unfamiliar street down a block in a suburb. The houses are cute, simple ranch-style with brick faces. When I think of asking him if it’s one of his brothers’ places, he pulls into the drive of one with a Sold sign up front.
Reaching through the space, he gathers my hands in his and presses a kiss to each of my knuckles. I lose a breath. And get soaked. “What’s going on?”
“I realized that I can’t sleep without you. It’s impossible. Not only that, but Idon’t want to.” Shaking his head, some of his longer black locks fall across his forehead as he states plainly, “And I won’t.”
“I agree with you, but what— Where are we?”
He looks out the windshield as if he’s also surprised where we are. “Oh. This is our new place. The one the university doesn’t know about.”
A place the president can’t touch.
A place the rules can’t reach.
My jaw drops. Shock and confusion surround my brain. Before I can speak, he breaks in. “Oh, but not…” He clears his throat. “I know you want Johns Hopkins. This was just a house Leo bought and was going to turn into a rental. So, we can leave, but I’m going wherever you go. Just-just so you know.”
