“And why is that?” I ask.
The man lets out a frustrated huff through his nostrils, works his jaw left to right a few times, and runs a hand through his black hair.
“I told you I couldn’t take your fare,” he replies, his tone clipped. “I’m…I have to stop for the night.”
“Why?” I ask, and smirk when I see annoyance flare into his eyes.
I like playing with him, I decide. He’s cute when he’s angry.
“You sound like a child,” he growls. “Always asking why.”
I bat my lashes innocently and hug the passenger seat tighter.
“Well, I suppose compared to you I am a child,” I reply. “Now come on, you grumpy old grandpa. Get a good girl to her hotel.”
The cabby chortles.
“Good girl?” he repeats, then leans back so he can rake his eyes down the short black corseted dress and high black heels I’m wearing. “Right.”
“You don’t know what type of girl I am,” I reply flirtatiously.
Oh, God! I’ve never talked like this before! Even flirting.
Still I notice the gleam of admiration in my handsome cabby’s eyes, and instead of backing down, I lean back and undulate seductively against the back of the seat, letting my body choose what it wanted to do.
“But you could find out,” I tease. “If you be a good little cabby and get me to my hotel.”
For a moment temptation flares into the man’s eyes as his jaw goes slack and his lips part. Then in the blink of an eye his features harden again and he shakes his head.
“Sorry,” he gruffly states, turning his eyes to the front windshield. “This is as far as you’re gonna go. Get out.”
Okay, flirtation didn’t work. Guess I’ll have to try a different tactic.
“No,” I simply reply, folding my arms across my chest as I flop into the back seat.
The cabby whirls around again, fury sparking in his bright eyes.
“What do you meanno?”he retorts.
I giggle. I can’t help it. Even if he’s angry, this is fun.
“Look who’s asking the questions now,” I mock.
The man opens his mouth as if he has a nasty retort, but then as if he’s having second thought, snaps his teeth together and lets out a growl.
Ooh. I like that sound. Sexy.
“Listen,” I sigh, leaning forward, “I am not getting out of this cab on this street, alright? I have no idea where I am. It’s two in the morning. And I’m a single woman. I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid.”
The cabby shuts his eyes together tightly as he rubs the bridge of his nose and takes a cooling breath.
“Look, beautiful, I get where you’re coming from. But I got my own priorities to worry about. Don’t be mad at me because your numbskull boyfriend was dumb enough to let someone like you go out alone.”
I feel my anger cool a little at his compliment as I look the man over again. He’s been a bit of a bastard so far, but maybe there were some redeeming qualities about to him.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I reply, my tone soft.
It isn’t exactly a lie. The man I’m promised to is certainly not my boyfriend. Hell, I’m not even allowed to see him until our wedding day. I will simply go from single to married in one short day, and what I do with myself until then is no one’s business but mine.
