“I know, and I’m sorry I had to call you, more than likely ruining your Sunday, begging for a ride. And you, being the man you are, going all in with me and my problems. I still feel terrible about it.”
“Then you get this is where I want to be. Now, I’ll grabyour bags while you load up in my vehicle, and I’ll send a text. I’ve already got a tow truck coming to pick up your car. My friend Colt happened to already be at his garage. Even if we couldn’t get it fixed today, I’d let you take my car. My place is a ten-minute walk from my office, if that.” I see her balk at the idea, exactly like I expected.
“Oh my god, no way. I would never take your vehicle. Are you crazy?”
“Kitten, it’s just a car. Your job is important to you. I don’t have to drive around town, go from place to place.” I’m hoping to finally get through to her, but she shakes her head.
“Nope, I’d ask for a ride to Ophelia’s and borrow one of the vans before I’d ever take your car. Chemicals inside the pristine SUV that doesn’t have so much as a speck of dirt on the outside? Absolutely not. Anyway, this is probably a moot point. Hopefully, Colt can get my car back on the road, and this will be a distant memory.” I can tell she’s thinking of other things, too, probably the same thing I am. Why her car has so many fucking flat tires. I’ll bite my tongue, let Colt do some investigating, and go from there.
“You’re right. What year is your Honda? Colt needs to know for tires.” I haven’t taken my hands away from her hips, liking the way she feels in my grip. Letty tells me what I need, hops into my SUV that I’ve kept running, and I send out a quick text to Colt.
Me: 2020 Honda Accord. Three tires are sitting on rim. May as well do all four.
Colt: What did she do, drive through a bed of nails? Locke said to leave the keys in the rear wheel well. He’s on the way already.
Me: Beats the fuck out of me. I’ll let you figure it out all the same. Thanks, man.
Colt: No problem. I’ll give you a call when the car makes it here.
I exit out of my phone, grab her grocery bags, and place the keys where they need to be before joining Letty in my car. One day, she’ll open up to me about her past, or I’m going to have to let Jude do the digging he’s been dying to do all along. Whatever it is, if it leads to any kind of trouble, I already know I’ll do whatever I can to protect her.
11
LETTY
The whole way to my apartment, Matthew’s hand has been holding mine. The one time I needed both hands to respond to a text message, he slid his palm to my thigh, his long and thick fingers wrapping around the inside, holding a piece of me.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you up?” Matthew asks, sliding into a parking spot right in front of the apartment. Never before have I gotten this close at any time of day or night. Yet the parking gods are working in his favor, and today, with my heavy bags, I’ll take the luck. And with a day like today, even more so.
“I won’t be but a few minutes.” I know it’s bothering him that I won’t let him carry up my bags, but it will literally take me less than five minutes. I’ll be in and out, have the groceries put away fairly quickly, and then go into my room, where I keep my cash squirreled away. The cash I earn in tips from Twisted Oak, as well as the cleaning company,doesn’t go to the bank. It goes in a sealed bag, taped beneath a few drawers throughout my room. I even have one beneath the box spring. I learned my lesson after the last situation at my old place. And while Mischa and Liv have never given me a reason to question my trust in them, I’m not one to take chances.
“Alright, I’ll ask Colt if your car made it to his shop while you do your thing. Call me, and if you’re not back within fifteen minutes, I’m coming up.” Matthew isn’t handling my tires being flat very well and has been exceptionally quiet on the short ride to my apartment. I get it, my own stomach is doing a topsy turvy, going through every scenario possible at what it could mean.
“Okay, I probably won’t take that long. Do you by chance know about how much new tires are going to run me?” I’d much rather not walk around with more cash than necessary.
“Probably around five hundred or so. Colt will give you a deal on mounting and balancing them. The tires itself is what will cost the most.” I swallow down the lump in the back of my throat. There goes a class at the community college when I’m finally able to use my real credentials.
“Thanks. I might not have said that yet, or enough. To be honest, everything feels kind of jumbled right now, but I want you to know I’m really grateful.” My seatbelt is already off, and I’m facing him now with one leg crossed beneath the other.
“Kitten, you’ve thanked me, apologized to me. The only appreciation I ever need or want is the knowledge that you’ll call me when you’re in a situation like this. Now, you want toshow me even more, you can let me finally get a taste of your lips.” My spine tingles, and goose bumps cover every surface of my skin. The slight nod I give Matthew is the only answer he needs.
His hand cups my neck, and with some guidance, he pulls me in close, I willingly follow. The minute his soft lips land on mine, my eyes close. A soft moan escapes me, a spark igniting with each brush of his mouth whispering against mine. Matthew coaxes more out of me. For a second, I’m not sure what to do with my hands, until I feel his fingers gently massaging my flesh while the other one does something similar to my hip.
“Open for me, kitten. Slide your tongue along mine.” Matthew’s voice turns needy, much like my body is for him. I’m up on my knees, hovering above the center console, and my hands move to his shoulders as I do exactly as he says. The kiss turns from soft and sweet to dangerously hot in less than a minute. Suddenly, I’m aware of everything: our mingling breaths, our strokes matching one another, and our hands itching to do a heck of a lot more than holding on to the other.
Matthew pulls back, causing the spark he’d only just lit to slowly fade. It’s probably for the best, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“I knew you’d be addictive,” he admits, nostrils flaring and lips wet from our kiss. I’m tempted to dip my head and tuck my hair behind my ear, except I don’t want to miss the look that’s on his handsome face.
“Yeah.” Words aren’t easy to come by, but luckily, Matthew doesn’t hold it against me.
“You'd better get in your apartment, Letty. If not, I’m liable to do a whole fuck of a lot more where your neighbors can see everything I want to do to you.” His words have the opposite effect. My nipples pebble, my core aches, and my panties are drenched.
“Okay, I’ll be fast.” I take a leap of faith and press my lips against his for a moment before backing away. My butt meets the passenger seat, then my hand gathers the bags while the other opens the door. My eyes look at Matthew. There’s one thing about hearing what I do to this strong man, it’s another entirely getting to see it for myself with my own eyes. Which is why I’m glued to the package he has pressed beneath the dark denim wash of his jeans.
“Kitten.” His warning doesn’t do much. I lick my lips, toss a quick smile at him, and then move as fast as I can in order to get what I need done and come back to him.
I’m nearly at a run with how fast I’m walking, taking the steps just as quickly when I come up on them. I go through the paces of situating all the bags in one hand to wrestle the deadbolt and door handle. I’ve apparently decided to throw caution to the wind since Matthew met me at the grocery store. I shouldn’t let my guard all the way down yet, except the sensation of someone watching or following me has disappeared, making me think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do some research of my own. Maybe the threat is gone, and I can finally go back to living a normal life.
