Page 45 of Rope Me In

“Because your tire is flat.”

My eyes widen. “You’re lying.”

“Not lying. I was going to offer you a ride.”

This time, he lets me step around him as I walk outside to where I have my car parked. Sure enough, I have a flat tire.

“Really?” I stare up at the sky and groan. I feel like the universe or some cosmic being is trying to screw with me.

“You need new tires.”

I turn to face Kade and glare at him. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

He shrugs, whistling a country song I don’t recognize. “Come on, Lemon. My truck is comfy and has tires that aren’t flat.”

I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut and asking whoever upstairs is playing a cruel joke on me to at least grant me strength. Because I guess I’m riding to work with Kade Montgomery.

Chapter 15

Kade

Having Presley in mytruck feels oddly nice, natural even. There’s been several times where I’ve almost laid my hand on her thigh because of how natural it feels. But while tempting—very tempting—Presley would probably deck me, maybe even curse me out.

Though now that I think about it, maybe she wouldn’t curse. I haven’t heard a bad word out of her mouth yet. Makes me wonder if she’s one of those proper city girls or used to be a pastor’s kid who rebelled by looking different. The corners of my lips tug up as I think of the wordfuckleaving her lips while I parted those pretty thighs currently filling out my passenger seat—

Ping!

I blink at the sound of the phone and return my full attention to the road. In my peripheral vision, I see Presley shift to take her cell from her back pocket and glance down at the screen. She tries to hide whatever reaction she has to the message, but she doesn’t do a very good job. Her body goes tense as her hands clench around the device.

I wonder if it’s Derek. I shouldn’t care who Derek is or if she’s upset. I shouldn’t care about her at all. Yet for the last twenty-four hours, Presley’s been all I can think about, taking up every nook and cranny of my mind.

I gave her space after she passed out since I wasn’t in the best mental place after my most recent argument with Gavin.I ended up spending the night at Jake’s, then this morning, I didn’t see Presley during chores. Blake must’ve told her to take the morning off after yesterday or had her doing something far away from me.

Yet while Presley wasn’t physically in front of me, I felt as if she was. Her blue eyes were stalking me from behind my eyelids.

I turn my head a bit to see her better as she puts her phone back in her pocket. Her lips move, and I swear I hear her listing off groceries or something under her breath. When I go to ask her about it, she turns her hardened gaze to me.

“Watch the road.”

I grin at her bossy tone but do as she said, even if I could drive to Night Hawk with my eyes closed. “I should’ve known you were a passenger-seat driver.”

“I’m not. But I don’t want to die.”

I chuckle. “I’m not going to kill you, Lemon. I wouldn’t be able to annoy you.”

I think she’s going to scold me for saying that, but instead, I spot the ghost of a smile on her lips. It’s not a full one, but it’s nice. That’s another thing I have yet to see her do: really smile or laugh. She hasn’t even done it with a customer.

I haven’t thought much about it until now.

“What would you do with your life if you couldn’t be annoying?” she asks.

A belly laugh erupts from my lips, and she jumps a bit at the sound. “You’re always surprising me.”

She screws up her face. “Why do you say that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“We don’t know each other. In theory, wouldn’t I always surprise you?”

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