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off. I’ll give you money to take a cab back to get your car when you’re

feeling better, or to get to work on Monday morning

if it’s not before then.”

“No. I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s fine. I can’t just let you drive home with your feet like that. I’m

pretty sure that wouldn’t just be irresponsible. It’s probably illegal.” Kiera

turned to Romi, and when Romi shrank back and glanced out the passenger

window quickly, Kiera softened. She stole a peek in the rearview mirror.

Her dust and dirt streaked face was severe. Her eyes wide and intense.

Okay, so she’d look away too if she had to face that.

Romi rattled off an address as she arranged her hands in her lap. Kiera’s

attention was momentarily distracted as she stared at Romi’s long, tapered

fingers. The nails were also painted pink and somehow, only the index

finger had a small chip out of the polish, even though they’d done a shitload

of heavy, hard work back there in the barn.

She imagined what those fingers would feel like against her skin. The

finer tips smooth as satin. Not hot and not cold, just pleasantly warm. Her

touch was probably gentle. Delicate. A whisper of air.

Kiera gave her head a shake, pulled to the side of the gravel road, and

programmed the address into the GPS. Almost as soon as she’d done it and

was back driving again, her phone went off. It rang through the truck,

jarring her. Romi almost jumped out of her seat too.

“Sorry,” Kiera mumbled as she noticed Shane’s number. She groaned

inwardly, but hit the answer button on the truck’s screen. “Hey, baby,” she

crooned. That was their code. They only used terms of endearment if

someone else was in hearing distance. Shane would be immediately alert to

the fact that she wasn’t alone.

“My love,” Shane crooned right back, his tone dripping honey.

Kiera shuddered. Shane was a nice guy, but he really could overdo it. She

wasn’t sure what women actually saw in him. There was a reason he didn’t