Page 103 of Rastor

"No," she assured me. "It's nothing like that. It's just that I've got to get to my dad's for Thanksgiving, and I can't be late. I mean, Ireallycan't be late. It'ssomessed up. But if I don't make it on time, I'm worried that Josh will be in trouble."

I didn't get what she meant, but I wasn't going to waste time asking questions now. "I'll be right there," I said.

"I'm sorry to be pushy, but can you hurry?" Her voice grew more urgent. "It's probably already too late. It's just that I've got to try. I mean, seriously, if you could just grab the nearest car and leave right now, it would besucha huge help. My dad's place is like twenty minutes away, but I'vegotto be there in–" she paused as if checking the time "–fourteen minutes."

I glanced down. My clothes were greasy, and my jeans were ripped. I was out in the garage with only one set of keys – the keys to the car I was working on.

"I'm on the way," I said.

Chapter 52

When I squealed into Chloe's driveway a minute later, she was standing near the trunk of her own car, waiting for me. At the sight of her, my breath caught. She wore a formal-looking green dress that was sweet and sexy as hell, with long, lacy sleeves and a scooped neckline that only hinted at the cleavage it was hiding.

She was holding a giant bowl of something leafy, probably a salad. On the concrete near her feet were two white bakery boxes.

Without cutting the engine, I jumped out of the car and joined her in the driveway. I looked down at the boxes. "We taking those?"

When she nodded, I picked them up and strode toward the passenger's side of my car. I shifted the boxes to one arm and opened the car door with my free hand. I set the boxes on the floor behind the seat and stepped aside, holding the door open for Chloe.

Moving quickly, she got into the car and settled the big bowl of salad onto her lap. She crossed her ankles, and I felt myself swallow, catching the curve of her thigh as she shifted in the seat.

The sight of her was heaven. And hell. Because I still loved her, I still wanted her, and yeah, I was wishing like crazy that this wasn't just a one-time thing.

She looked up, meeting my gaze, and that was all it took. Her eyes grew warm, and I saw a flicker of something that gave me hope.

Wishing? Screw that. Wishing wouldn't do a damn bit of good. I wasn't going to wish. Sometime, before I dropped her back off, I was going to act. How, I didn't yet know. But I'd figure it out.

She gave me a nervous smile. "Boy, areyougonna be sorry."

I grinned down at her. "Not a chance." I shut her door and circled back to the driver's side. I was still smiling. I couldn't help it. She might try to hide it, but that look in her eyes told me all I needed to know. She still loved me, and before the end of the day, I was going to hear her say it.

My smile was still there when I climbed into the driver's seat and shifted into reverse. Backing out of the long driveway, I gave Chloe a sideways glance. Her smile was gone, and she was biting her lip.

When she saw me looking, she let out a long, shaky breath. "I wasn't kidding," she warned. "This is gonna suck." She gave my clothes the once-over and winced. "Especially for you."

I knew what she meant. Just seeing the wayshewas dressed told me this wasn't exactly a casual thing. The way it looked, her family was the kind that got dressed up for holiday dinners.

Isure as hell wasn't dressed up. My shirt was stained, and my jeans were ripped. I'd be outclassed and then some.

I didn't care. I was with Chloe, and nothing else mattered. I shrugged. "I think I can handle it."

She gave a weak laugh. "That's whatyouthink."

At the end of the driveway, I stopped and asked, "Which way?"

She gave me general directions to her dad's place, and I backed out onto the street. And then, remembering she was in a hurry, I floored it.

The car was fast, and I wasn't afraid to push it to the limit. I still didn't get why she was so nervous about the time, but for whatever reason, she was. And that was good enough for me.

Sitting there within arm's reach, I wanted to turn and give her a good, long look. I wanted to see if she'd smile in that special way that drove me crazy. And yeah, I wanted to see that flicker of interest grow into a spark. And then, who knows? Whatever happened, I wasn't going to mess this up.

But first, I had to get Chloe there safely, which meant I needed to keep my eyes on the road. The streets were nearly empty, which was a good thing, because I was going almost double the speed limit. If we got stopped by the cops, it wouldn’t be just a speeding ticket. It would be reckless driving.

Totally worth it.

On the next straightaway, I gave Chloe a sideways glance. She looked nervous as hell, and for some reason, I didn't think it was because of my driving.

Looking to lighten her mood, I said, "So, this wasn't exactly the beating I expected."