Page 42 of Wicked Waters

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Whatever. We’re going for a drive, whether you like it or not. And I know you love any excuse to show off your wheels, so don’t pretend you don’t.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He glanced back down the long driveway. “Where are they? Did you text them with the change of plans?”

“I—” I began and then cut myself off as two figures came into view, skulking down the side of the driveway, keeping to the soft grass. A grin spread across my face as Quinn’s eyes met mine, her face slightly obscured by a hoodie—unfortunately, not my hoodie—but I could see the smile curving over her pretty mouth. The second she reached me, I kissed that smile right off her lips until she was breathless against me.

“Hi,” I said. “Ready to take a ride?”

“Hey—” From the other side of my car, Tristan’s words were abruptly cut off by Aria slapping her hand over his mouth.

“No, I do not want to do anything with you that involves riding, or shafts, or big sticks, or whatever line you were going to come out with.”

He tutted at her. “You have a dirty mind, little scorpion. Don’t worry, I wasn’t about to proposition you. I know you couldn’t handle me or my stick.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who can’t handle me. I’m here for one reason and one reason only. The same reason you’re here.”

“Oh, so we are gonna fuck?” When the three of us glared at him, he held up his hands. “Bloody hell, none of you have a sense of humour. It was a joke. Believe me, my dick sees enough action with girls who actually want it. I don’t need to go chasing after the one who doesn’t.” He paused and then added, “And I don’t want to fuck her, anyway.”

“Sure,” Quinn muttered sarcastically under her breath, and I bit back a laugh.

“Come on, baby. Check out my wheels, and act impressed, even if you’re not. Tris, see you at the viewpoint in an hour, yeah?” I tugged Quinn around to the passenger door of my F-Type and opened it for her. With a smile, she slid inside. After closing the door behind her, I saluted Tristan and Aria, unable to keep the smirk from my face, and my best mate mouthed, Fuck you, bastard, throwing up his middle finger.

When I was inside the car, I ripped off my hoodie, leaving me in my T-shirt. Placing one hand on the wheel, I turned to my girl. “What do you think?”

“Hmm.” She trailed her fingertips across the dashboard. “Very nice. I don’t know much about cars, but I like it. Really like it.” Ducking her head, she added, “Especially because you’re inside it.”

“Mmm. Having us inside it makes it a hundred times hotter,” I agreed as I started the engine. The smooth, rumbling purr of the car was like a shot of dopamine to my system, and I couldn’t help wondering whether I’d have been less destructive if I’d had it earlier. Too late to worry about it now, though.

I navigated onto the road, and as we left Hatherley Hall in the rear-view mirror, my entire body relaxed. Fuck, yeah, this was what I needed. My girl, my car, and an empty road. Keeping one hand on the wheel, I slid the other onto Quinn’s thigh. She exhaled sharply, and then her legs shifted, widening slightly. I stroked my palm higher up her thigh, fucking wishing she wasn’t wearing leggings. Her thigh was so smooth and warm, and the higher my fingers travelled, the more my dick reacted, lengthening inside my sweatpants.

“Fuck,” I muttered, stopping right at the top of her thigh, so close to the place I knew she wanted me to touch.

“Roman.”

“I know. I fucking know. I’ve got to—” I had to cut myself off, my hand lifting from her thigh to grip the wheel with both hands as the car drifted round a sharp bend. After what had happened to Knox’s dad and Elena…yeah, they’d been run off the road, but even so, I had a new respect for these sharp corners, and I wasn’t going to take any chances when I had the most precious cargo on board. When we hit the straight, open stretch of road, though…that was when I’d be able to showcase the true power of my car. There were no speed cameras and never any police at night in this part of the Cotswolds, and both Tristan and I were going to make the most of it.

I felt Quinn’s gaze on the side of my face. “Ro?”

“Yeah?” I spun the wheel to the right, throwing us into another corner. This one was an easy curve, and the car leaned into it, sending us closer to the open stretch where we could really let go.

“Do you think Freya took your hoodie?”

Good question, and one I didn’t have the answer for. Freya…she was bitchy at times, and yeah, she could be petty, but she was harmless for the most part. Status mattered to her, but I wasn’t the only single person available. There was Tristan, for a start, and even if none of the three so-called gods were interested, there were plenty of other guys who were single and also part of the elite. Guys she’d been with before.

Would she have taken my hoodie? I thought back through the interactions I’d witnessed between her and Quinn, and I shrugged.

“Honestly? I have no fucking clue. It’s not like she could wear it anywhere because people would know it was my hoodie, and it would get back to me.”

“It makes no sense.”

“Spiking my drink made no sense, either.”

Quinn sucked in a breath, her hand flying to her mouth. “Fuck, Roman, I didn’t even think of that. What if the two things are connected? What if you’re being targeted?”

An icy tendril of unease snaked its way down my spine.

“I don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t know what they hope to achieve, but if someone’s after me, they need to stop being so fucking cowardly and come after me in person. Whatever it is, whoever it is, whatever their reason…they won’t get the better of me. They’ll regret ever crossing Roman Cavendish.” I knew she could hear the dark promise in my voice.

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