Page 54 of Wrecked With You

Or, rather, he did know. He was acting like a confused teenager, too scared to go talk to the pretty girl because she might slam the door in his face.

Odds were good that’s exactly what would happen. Hell, she’d done that much in spirit if not in action when she’d kissed Winston goodbye, stared right at Tony, and then gone back inside without so much as a wave.

And here he was, still sitting behind the wheel, debating whether he should stay or go, like he’d been transported into a damn song by The Clash.

Fuck. Tomorrow would have been better. He knew her flight had gotten in late last night. He should give her a day to chill.

He’d taken the late flight, arriving in LA just a few hours ago. He’d come straight here from the airport. Honestly, he’d probably fare a lot better if he showered before trying to talk to her.

Not that he’d decided what to say. Maybe he’d fucked up. But it had been a fucked up situation, and she’d bolted. Hard-as-nails Emma Tucker with her killer marksmanship and license to kill had turned and run and hadn’t looked back.

His fingers ached, and he realized he was clenching the steering wheel so hard he’d probably leave an impression. Apparently, he was still pissed, repeatedly telling himself he needed to be calm when he talked to her.

So, yeah. Better to go home, shower, and try again tomorrow.

He was about to put the vehicle in drive when, somebody rapped on his window.

He turned his head and found himself staring at a skinny torso in a yellow jersey. The kid bent down, revealing sun-streaked blond hair and just a smattering of acne.

He rolled down the window, and the teen gave him an awkward smile. “Um, you’re Tony, right?”

“That depends on who’s asking.”

“I—um—Greg,” the kid said, pointing to the name stitched on the Jersey. “I don’t get many deliveries to cars. Here you go.” And he held up a white bag with the logo of a popular local hamburger joint printed on the side. “So, enjoy your burger and fries. Oh, and—” He bent over and pulled a large cup up from below Tony’s line of sight. Presumably an ice chest. “Almost forgot the shake.”

“Do I pay?” Tony tried to keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Nah. Done online. The tip, too. Nice. So thanks.”

“Wasn’t me. But you’re welcome.”

The kid shrugged. “Guess someone’s looking out for you.”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “You could say that.”

He leaned back in the seat, leaving the window down as he opened the bag and pulled out a fry. It was like a bite of crispy heaven, and he followed it up with a swallow of frozen nirvana. “So today it is,” he said to his reflection in the rearview mirror.

He grabbed the shake and the bag, rolled up the window, then killed the engine. He got out of the Land Rover and walked across the street, clicking the remote to lock the car as he went.

When he reached Emma’s door, he rang the bell. He’d done this before, under slightly similar circumstances. Only then she’d been more annoyed at Damien than at him.

He was prepared for her to ignore the bell. Or to speak through the intercom and tell him to get lost.

He wasn’t prepared for the shock to his system when she opened the door. She’d pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. Her T-shirt had a ripped collar and had been washed so many times the band logo looked like little more than a shadow. As for the sweatpants, they looked to be at least two sizes too large, and were tied low on her hips. She looked like someone settling in for a day of heavy cleaning.

Mostly, though, she looked absolutely stunning.

He started to speak, realized his mouth and throat were completely dry, and had to start all over again. As he struggled, she just stood there, her arms crossed over her chest, saying nothing.

“Can we talk?”

“No.” She took a step back and started to close the door. He toed his way into the space, determined not to cringe under her wrath of God stare.

“Thanks for the burger. I would have liked cheese, but the fries and the shake made up for that oversight.”

“It wasn’t an oversight.” Her arms stayed crossed, but she tilted her head. She did that a lot when she was amused.

“No?”