Page 61 of Brazen Mistakes

“Makes sense.”

The SUV Jansen chose is close to the garage doors, and I hold my breath when he hits the button. With a grumble, the door behind us lifts, so slowly I can measure the inches by my heartbeats as I crane over my shoulder, hands clenched around the seat belt.

“Are you ready for this? If the garage door didn’t send an alert to the owner and the security company, the front gate opening will for sure send one.”

A grin steals across my face as fear flutters behind my ribs like a trapped bird. I flick a glance at Jansen. “Ready for a police chase? Hell no. Ready for a joy ride? Hell yeah.”

His muted laugh fills the small space as he reverses out, closing the garage door as he does a sliding about-face, skipping the circle drive and aiming straight at the gate, punching buttons on the visor. Nothing happens, and my panic has me ready to jump out and sprint down the road if we need to.

The gate gets closer and closer, and still, it’s not opening.

Shit shit shit. Not good.

Chapter 22

Clara

My panic nearly drowns me. What happens if we’re stuck? What happens if we both go to jail?

Luckily, a glint of moonlight catches something shiny tucked into the console, and I dive for it, finding another button. Pushing it, I don’t dare breathe until the gate rolls in, opening toward us.

Thank God.

“Nice. Head down,” Jansen says with a grateful glance as he squeezes the car between the plain metal grates, barely clearing it. We fly onto the street before the gate is fully open.

We’re two blocks away before a strangled yelp explodes from me, no longer able to keep my silence. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I repeat, glancing from mirror to window to back end, straining to see any flashing lights. Or any lights at all. Itisthe middle of the night.

Jansen lets out a whoop, and I can’t do anything but laugh, all my nerve endings alive, almost like I just came. Not exactly the same, but I get it. I get why Jansen loves this so much.

“Oh my God,” I say again, my brain short-circuiting and blocking any other words.

“You like, beautiful?” he asks, his grin wide, his eyes wild.

“I fucking like, Trouble.”

We share a maniac’s party, yelping and screaming, everything in me too big to stay in, all of it exploding in this small space, shared with equal vigor between us.

I’m more alive right now than I’ve been, well, probably ever.

Cackling, I dive at him, licking his cheek like some weirdo, and his grin gets bigger, if that’s even possible. “If we didn’t have to keep moving for a while, the things I’d do to you, beautiful. God. I wish you could see yourself right now.”

“I take it you like?”

“I fucking like, Clara.”

Alight with unspent energy and bravery, I unbuckle and crawl across the console.

“What are you planning?”

“Nothing you won’t like. You’re a good driver, right?”

“How good?”

“Good enough for you to take me up on that free upgrade offer from a while ago?”

I watch him through my eyelashes, tossing my hat, mittens, and scarf into the back seat, waiting for him to remember that hand job months ago, the offer I made for a blow job that he decided to save for later.

He slams his head back into the headrest when he realizes what I’m saying. “Wait. Really? Now?”

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