I folded my arms and pulled my hoodie tighter over my chest. “I—I shouldn't.”
His eyes swept down my bare legs for a brief second. “You're not dressed for this weather. You're going to freeze out here, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” I mumbled shamefully.
“So get in, and I'll drive you home.” He paused. “Or, don't. But only if you'resureyour boyfriend hasn't blown you off.”
He took a slow drag from his cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke out his window with a smugness that justoozed'over-confident dick-head.'
My nostrils flared. I hated that he was right—but who was I really mad at? This jerk, for basically implying that Todd didn't care enough to come pick me up? OrTodd,who might very wellnotcare enough to rescue me from this storm?
He leaned across the console, reached for the door handle, and popped the passenger door open as if he justexpectedme to climb in.
I peeked in, still unsure. His car straddled the line between sporty and luxurious, with aggressively-styled, caramel-colored leather seats. Seductive and hypnotic beats bumped softly from his speakers, luring me in.
I sighed and took one last survey of the area. No one else was around.No one had to know!And I had the excuse of ignorance, here—sort of. I quickly climbed in and shut my door.
“Thanks,” I said—and I made the mistake of locking eyes with my new co-worker, even as the cabin lights began to dim.
Those eyes of his took me by surprise. Bright and beautiful, with long, beating lashes. But there was a darkness, a brooding pain lingering behind his eyes. It wasn't a darkness that scared you away. Worse, it was one that sucked you in before it ruined you—like the coast that recedes into the sea before a devastating tsunami.
Oh. Wow.My throat clenched. I couldn't look away. I was thankful when the cabin lights finally went dark a second later.
“Don't mention it,” he answered.
I had to get the suspense over with.
“Hey, you're not an athlete, are you?” I asked.
“No,” he answered with a smile. “I'm an ice technician that drives a Maserati.”
“Oh,” I answered, relieved … but strangely disappointed.
It's better this way, though.
And I had to remind myself: he's an over-confident dick-headbecausehe's good-looking.
Don't fall for it.
Chapter 5:
Animal Urge
Rockwell
She wasn't the type of girl that Madison normally hired. She was on the shorter, petite side. Instead of looking like she'd just spent the week vacationing in Cancun? Her skin was like porcelain—milky with a perfectly smooth complexion.
But it wasn'tjustthose surface details that set her apart from the others. It was something deeper, something about the way she carried herself. I wasn't sure what it was, not yet, anyway. I knew she'd really stand out from the others on the ice, though.
'Course, right now, she stood out for another reason entirely. Freezing rain spilled from the sky, slicking the Denver streets with ice. Typical springtime weather that a Coloradoan would be prepared for—but her? Well, she wore a hoodie. And thanks to the way her hoodie completely covered her shorts, it looked like she wasn't even wearing any pants at all. Crazy girl had to be freezing cold.
I watched her nice, toned legs as she stepped into my car. The glow of the building's outside lights reflected off her silk-smooth legs as she lowered herself in.
She wore her strawberry-blonde hair down, except for the ring of braids that circled her head like a crown. Something about that detail struck me as really cute. Regal, almost, like she was royalty.
“So where to?” I asked.
“Northfield,” she answered. “And thank you for this.”
