I agreed to leave the property because I’m highly skilled at protecting her. What I’m capable of inflicting without remorse is deeply concerning. Or should be. If someone dares to look at her wrong, I won’t hesitate to redirect their focus to my fist in their face.
Bianca would probably laugh. Her crazy streak is both terrifying and arousing. At any moment, she can decide to shut me out or agree to be mine. The waiting game is a sharpened blade ready to slice me in half.
At least my father is temporarily incapacitated. Brody texted an hour ago to tell me that Daddy Dearest was hospitalized after collapsing in public. Word spread quickly, which will require damage control in the underground circles. That takes the crew’s interest off me.
With the immediate danger suspended, it should be safe to wander the streets and ask if anyone lost their dog. Not that I’m convinced Spud was let loose on accident. Bianca won’t relax until we confirm that theory. But then the mutt will be officially ours and her good mood will belong to me.
Maybe I’ll earn another kiss. The last one still sizzles on my skin like a brand. I imagine her choosing me and warmth spreads across my chest like the shining sun.
“What’s got you smirking, Cowboy?” Bianca’s sugary tone almost startles me.
The fact she’s calling me out is another shock entirely. But my lips are indeed hitched upward. I pinch them together, refusing to appear weak. This woman already got me to fold multiple times today.
And she’s not done. “Oh, don’t stop. You’re sexy when you smirk.”
There’s a sudden fire in my cheeks. I widen my eyes at the foreign sensation, but it’s too late.
“No way! Nope, I’m not looking.” She slaps a palm over her eyes. “You cannot be bashful. That’s not fair.”
Her dramatic reaction makes my whole face burn hotter. Dammit, what’s wrong with me? I don’t blush. My father would beat me bloody for less.
Meanwhile, Bianca peeks at me through her fingers. “Are you embarrassed?”
I quickly avert my stare, demanding the shameful betrayal to recede. My jaw is clenched hard enough to crush my molars.
“We don’t have to talk about it.” She makes the motion of zipping her lips and throwing away the key.
We sit in silence. It’s instantly uncomfortable. I’d rather blush my ass off than sit and wonder what she’s thinking about. The steady thump from the tires hitting pavement mirrors my pulse. Only five more minutes until we reach the tiny town of Morgan.
Bianca begins to softly hum along with the music. I can practically hear the wheels in her brain spinning. The tension crackles and I’m about to demand she breaks it.
“Have you let anyone else drive Fern?”
The question is so random that laughter rumbles up my throat. “No.”
“Would you let me?”
“Yes.”
She giggles. “That was easy.”
“I’m a sucker.”
“Not really. You brought me here against my will.” Her nails tap on the door as if she’s tempted to tuck and roll.
Automatic locks would come in handy right about now. “That’s for your own good.”
“What about you not letting me have my way with you?”
“That’s for our future.”
Her sigh is pleased with my answer. “Hard to argue when you’re being romantic.”
“Just say the word,” I urge.
“Do ferns have a significant meaning? Other than matching the shade of my eyes.” There’s a wide smile in her voice when she bats her lashes at me.
I grunt at her antics. “Ferns symbolize new beginnings.”
