Page 19 of Fractured

He was dressed in the same outfit, except this time, his vest was draped over his shoulder. Surprisingly, he seemed larger in the light of day. Broader with a tapered waist. Messing with his phone, he was almost on top of me when he glanced up.

“Whoa. Oh, hey.” He grinned slowly as he stopped short. His beautiful green eyes sparkled, drawing me in like a moth to a flame. Something about this man was so carefree, I just wanted to bask in his presence. “Fancy seeing you here. You weren’t by chance on your way to see me, were you?”

Feeling bold and reckless, I took a step closer and grinned just a little. “Maybe.”

Pocketing his phone, he reached out and grabbed my hand, his palm warm and dry as it slid against mine. “Then you’re in luck. I just clocked out for the night.”

“Now?” I blinked. “It’s only four. Isn’t happy hour for your place about to start?” Not that I was complaining. I didn’t want to be alone and he was offering, so…

He shrugged. “I’m the boss, so I can leave when I want to.”

“No plans tonight then? It is Friday.” Why was I even talking? I should just let him lead me wherever he wanted to take me.

“Well, I do have plans, but nothing where I can’t bring a friend.” He smirked and stroked my pulse with his thumb. My heart jumped with the contact.

“And where’s that?” I turned my hand to lace my fingers through his.

“Somewhere fun. Exactly what I promised you, if I remember right.” His voice dipped as he curled our linked hands behind my back, pulling me closer into his side.

“I don’t know,” I joked. “I’m the kind of person that likes to know what I’m getting into.”

“My Jeep’s this way. I want it to be a surprise, but I promise it’s nothing too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous?” I let my feet drag as he started to pull me to the parking garage.

“Relax. I promise, nothing will happen to you. It’s going to be fun, and then you’re going to kick yourself for being scared.” He raised his brows as if daring me to go with him.

Fuck it. I was going. I didn’t want to be alone, and short of taking him home and sexing him up, I’d take a good time. And who knew, maybe there’d still be a different kind of fun at the end of the night.

“Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” A beautiful smile took over his entire face, and my core tightened.

“Hell, yeah.” I gulped before I could change my mind. I wasn’t a coward at heart, but I wasn’t a spontaneous person either.

“All right. Come on.” He kept hold of my hand the entire time, glancing back every few steps to make sure I was still there. I laughed at how ridiculous the notion was. Of course I hadn’t gone anywhere.

True to his word, he drove an old, beat-up Jeep, with a surfboard strapped to the top.

“Uh, Kenzo. We’re not going surfing, right?” I’d lived within twenty miles of the ocean my entire life, and spending time there had never appealed to me.

With this man who radiated an addictive free spirit, I might just let him teach me.

He glanced up at it, but shook his head. “Nah. That was the plan, but I have something else in mind.” The twinkle in his eyes worried me, but it was too late to back out. I was also too intrigued by what he had planned.

I climbed in the passenger seat and glanced around the inside while I waited for him to make it around the Jeep. Mostly clean, just a little dust here or there, and about five packs of gum. Nothing alarming to say Brett’s friend was a serial killer.

“So, I never caught your name,” he stated.

“Was that a question?” I retorted, a budding excitement starting under the soles of my feet.

He shot me a scowl. “Yeah. Didn’t you hear the question mark?” He made sure to raise his voice at the end of this particular question.

I cackled, actually feeling the endorphins crackling through my bloodstream. Taking a deep breath, I tipped my head back and reveled in the moment. This was what I had been missing—the freedom of not caring about what I was going to do or how life was going to fuck me next.

“Lilith.” I had to shout because he’d rolled the windows down and the wind roared and ripped through the cab as he sped out of the small town.

“Nice to meet you, Lilith. I’m Kenzo.” He rolled his hands over the steering wheel and the tattoos on both forearms moved as the muscles flexed. One arm had red and blue flames racing up to his elbow, and the other was a puzzle of caricatures I couldn’t quite place. I did recognize the Joker, and Alice fromAlice in Wonderland, but that was about it. I’d have to examine them in greater detail later.

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