"No, you certainly are not that either."He states flatly, agreeing to be agreeing.
Annoyed, I turn to study his profile."Don't agree just for the sake of agreeing.It's akin to lying in my book.Shits do that."I cross my arms under my breasts.
He looks over, and I can feel his eyes devouring me, making my nipples grow again.I turn away to look out the window, and the reflection confirms both.
"I need to clear the air right now."He states, and the edge is back in his voice.The truck stops, and he turns in the seat to face me, but I don't look at him.Instead, I continue to watch his reflection."Siri, you don't know me either.But I'm not a liar.As a matter of fact, I'm too honest."
I almost laugh at that and look back at him."Too honest?Can someone be too honest?I don't think so."
"Well, it's true.That's why I'm an asshole."I raise one doubting eyebrow, and he chuckles at my exaggerated, skeptical look."You see, I place a high value on honesty.I don't sugarcoat shit for anyone.I tell it like it is.It's who I am."
"An honest asshole," I smirk and nod."I can see that."
He smirks too."My bros call me Hardcore."
I grin, liking that name."Hardcore, huh?"
"Yeah.I give it straight line.Not curved."
"Why are you telling me this?"
He smiles that sexy smile."I don't want you staring out the window annoyed that I don't say what you expect to hear and won't change my tune when you confront me with it."
"Hmm."I purse my lips, then say softly."There's nothing wrong with over-the-top honesty."
"No, there's not, and I want you to understand from the very beginning that's the way I am.I'm not mean.I'm direct.Always.I want you to get to know me well enough that you decide rationally, not emotionally, about who I really am.I want you to give me … us, a real chance."
The words 'us' and 'a real chance' wash over me.
"So be warned, you might not like what you hear from me, but you can always believe it to be true, and I hope you value that."
I twist to face him in the seat, then slowly lift my leg to lay on it.His eyes drop to watch my dress ride up, and I see lust fill his eyes.I purse my lips together and tease him in my best imitation of a secretary reading back boring dictation."So let me clarify what you just said.Asshole, as a noun describing you as a man, is defined as answering a question with such brutal honesty that it will cause me to freak the fuck out therefore wanting to flee, but that I shouldn't, because I should value this unique delivery method called straight line, not curved.Is that right, Hardcore?"I squint my eyes together and purse my lips even more.
He chuckles."Yeah, that's it."
I nod."Ok.Thanks for warning me."I smirk at him."Now heed my warning on myself, Aurelius Moore.This is how I roll.I don't take shit from anybody.You can be an asshole as long as you're an honest asshole.I value honesty too.I'm not a liar, and I don't tolerate liars in my life.So don't agree just to appease me.Honesty, even brutal honesty, is better than any flowery, fluffy lie.Always!"
First, he smirks, then he grins, then his big beautiful smile baths me in the darkness."Perfect."Then he turns his attention back to the road and starts the truck creeping forward again.The silence sounds comfortable.But he breaks it."Siri, from the first time I laid eyes on you, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind."
"I like that straight line delivery.The first time I laid eyes on you?Ditto."
He cuts his eyes at me and flashes that beautiful smile.My heart starts to sing, and its song is sweet.
He starts to say something, but I beat him to it."So, back to the original issue."I rewind and begin again."I said, 'I'm not that kind of girl,' to which you replied,' No, you certainly are not that either.'So the question I want answered with brutal straight-line truth is, how could you possibly know I'm not that kind of girl?How do you think you know me well enough to know that about me?Don't you realize you are assuming too much about me?"
He shakes his head."That's three questions."
I laugh."Well, ok.The three questions I want answered are those."
"I'll answer the last one first.I'm not assuming anything; the second answer is, I know you better than you think I do; and the answer to the first one is long, so be patient and hear me all the way out.I'll explain."
"Please do."
"I have a buddy coming in for some additional flight training.He asked for my help renting a place.I stopped by Dogwood Court to check it out.I saw you coming out of Building A.I watched you walk across the parking lot.I couldn't believe it.There you were."
"So, the first time you saw me, wasn't Sunday morning?"
"No, it wasn't."He glances over at me.
