Page 65 of Primal God

“Thanks,” I call over my shoulder. “See you later.”

I rush away from his room as fast as I can. When I get to my room, I’m shocked to find my hands are shaking. What in the heck was that?

Adam

You still there?

Yeah. Sorry. My boss said it’s cool if you pick me up.

I text the address.

And I’m ready whenever you are.

I’ll be there in twenty.

See you then!

I send Cecely a text, letting her know I won’t be by until after my date. In response, I get a cute photo of Raquel and Harvey napping on the couch.

Twenty minutes later, I get another text from Adam.

I’m here!

Be right out.

When I reach the first floor, I almost trip over a pair of shoes. This time it’s Dimitri’s. Guess he doesn’t think he should use the shoe rack. I kick them aside and hurry outside to find Adam sitting in his car.

He makes no moves to get out, so I go to the passenger door and get in. I don’texpecta guy to open my door for me, but it’s a nice gesture…

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He points past me. “Damn. This is an impressive house. What does your boss do?”

“He’s an orthopedic surgeon.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to say he’s one of the best, but I don’t. I mean, I’m sure Adam doesn’t care what Dimitri does or if he’s the best.

I ask, “So, what do you want to do today?”

“I was hoping we could go hiking. Is that okay?”

Ugh. I literally hate hiking. My thick thighs are not made for being outdoors, especially in this summer heat.

“Uh, sure.” I smile. “It’s only fair since we did something geared toward me last time.”

“Right on.”

He starts the car and peels out of the driveway. When I look back, I spot black marks on the pavement. I’m sure I’ll hear about that later.

“Just remember, there are little kids around here.”

He flashes a smile at me. “Sorry, babe. Just ready to get out in nature and clear my head. Last night was rough.”

I feel bad for chiding him and even worse for not liking that he calls me ‘babe’. It’s just the way he says it. It’s in an almost demeaning way. And I don’t like it.

“Want to talk about it?”

He sighs, gripping the steering wheel. “My old man is just full of shit, ya know? It’s hard to deal with him when he gets something in his head. All he cares about is his legacy. He doesn’t care that I have my own goals in life.”

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