Page 38 of Point of Contact

“Patience isn’t my strong suit.” The words were breathless as he continued tracing a path up her arm with frustrating slowness. “I would think you’d have noticed that.”

Reed’s lips shifted to a smile as his eyes lifted to hers. “I guess it’s time to learn then, Princess.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

REED

THE SOFT SOUND of sheets rustling carried in from the back portion of the RV where Courtney was still tucked into bed. Reed glanced down the minuscule hallway just as she sat up, dark hair rumpled, the side of her face pink and lined from where it pressed into the pillowcase.

His gaze lingered longer than it should, but eventually he pulled his eyes back to the cooler he was sifting through. "Good morning."

Courtney made a grumbling noise. "It's not morning. This is still night. Why are you awake?"

That was a good question. One that had a number of answers, but only one he was willing to offer to her. "It's hard to sleep with you snoring in my ear."

Courtney's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "I have a deviated septum, you ass. I can't help it."

He couldn't resist looking her way again. "They can fix that, you know."

Courtney's hand flew to cover her nose. "They have to break it. You know what it sounds like when a nose is broken?"

"I do, actually." He snagged one of the glass bottles of premixed coffee from the melting ice before dropping the cooler’s lid into place, shaking the drink as he walked her way. "Mine’s been broken more than once."

Courtney's eyes zeroed in on his nose. "That explains why it looks the way it does."

Reed yanked the coffee drink back just as she reached for it. "I thought we were trying to turn over a new leaf here, Princess."

Courtney's lips hinted at a smile before she pressed them flat. "You said I needed to learn to be patient. You didn't say anything about being sweet." She snatched the drink away, popping the seal on the lid before taking a drink. Her tongue skimmed across her lower lip, wiping away the bit of liquid clinging there in a move that pulled all his attention to her mouth. "And we both know I was just giving you shit." She lifted her free hand and motioned at his face. "You obviously have a perfect nose."

He crossed his arms as she continued to drink. "Obviously."

Courtney downed half the bottle before raking one hand through her messy hair, obliterating what was left of the braid it started in last night. "I'm assuming you're awake because we're leaving?"

"That's the plan. You said you wanted to get to Alaska. We need to meet Rico at an airport in northern Kentucky. And considering what we’re driving, I'm not sure how long that will actually take."

He'd asked Heidi for a new vehicle. Begged, actually.

She shot him down. Explaining no one would be looking for the daughter of a wealthy drug dealer in a piece of shit RV.

He'd reminded her it wasn't simply a piece of shit RV, but astolen, piece of shit RV. And it stood out like a sore thumb, making it significantly more likely they would get pulled over. Or just break down again, possibly attracting even more unwanted attention.

But again, Heidi was two steps ahead of him and everyone else.

"I can't believe that guy didn't ask any questions when someone showed up to buy his missing RV." Courtney glanced around the tiny bedroom. "I know it's not much, but he definitely was not the kind of guy who liked to get rid of things."

"Everyone has a price, Princess. You know that."

When her expression hardened, he knew he'd said the wrong thing.

"That's not how I meant it." He was still adjusting to this new place he was with Courtney, and it left him flailing a bit. "You know anyone would have sold you out for the right price. That's just the way the world works."

Courtney's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. "I know." She bobbed her head from side to side, rolling her eyes upward. "Obviously, since someone blew my house up."

"At any rate, we are now the proud owners of a decrepit RV that probably won't make it to our destination." He resisted the urge to reach out and smooth down her hair. To touch her. It was the same urge he resisted last night, and it was only getting harder to accomplish.

He thought their moment at the rest stop was simply driven by adrenaline. A collision created by stress and frustration. But last night there was no adrenaline. No stress. No frustration. And his desire to put his hands on her was still just as strong.

Maybe stronger.

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