Page 53 of Property of Fox

“How?”

“For starters, lunch, and then after…we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

“Awfully presumptuous of you to think I’ll just agree to a meal.”

Fox closes the remaining distance between us. Looking down at me with a devilish grin plastered on his face. “You would have never come outside if you weren’t willing to give me a chance.”

“Maybe I just wanted to see if you were really out here like my own personal stalker.”

“Stalker?” he smiles again. “Stalkers have nothing on me, firefly. Watching you will never be enough.”

FOX

I can't helpbut constantly look over at Brea sitting next to me in the passenger seat. It feels like if I take my eyes off of her for just a second, she'll disappear again. It may seem irrational given everything that has happened, but her being here next to me has brought a smile to my face that I can't seem to shake off.

After a quick lunch at a local barbecue spot that the front desk at the hotel had suggested to me last night, we head off toward my little surprise. I have a lot of ground to cover in order to regain her trust again, but I’m more than willing to put thework in so long as she still wants me too. Judging by the glare she gave our server at the restaurant for flirting for a higher tip, she’s still with me.

“Where are you taking me?” Brea asks. Her eyes watching every road sign we pass on the interstate. “You’re not taking me to your murder park again, are you?”

“You’ll be fine,” I smile back.

“That’s probably what all serial killers say to their victims. You’ve already checked off a few boxes from the ‘might be crazy’ checklist.”

“Like what?”

Brea looks over at me. “For starters, you were waiting outside of my house this morning. Add in using an alias, adopting a different identity, being too charming for your own good…it establishes a pattern.”

Her tone makes my heart race. “Charming? Maybe not. But it's a solid start to my ruthless murderer persona.”

Brea rolls her eyes dramatically, but I catch the corner of her mouth lifting into a subtle grin. I can tell her guard is slipping just a little around me.

“What else do you like about me? Besides, my handsome face.”

“With that statement, I can check off the self-centered box now,” she fires back.

The turn for our destination comes up on the right. Brea watches quietly, not uttering a single word again until I pull into the parking lot. Her face is unreadable when she sees the sign on the front of the building. “You brought me to a car rental lot?”

“Close,” I mutter. “You’ll see.” Slipping from my side, I round to her side and open her door, helping her out of the truck. “Let’s go inside.”

Brea follows me closely inside the building towards the front counter, where a man sits behind the desk, typing away on hiscomputer. He looks up just as we step to the desk and smiles. “Can I help you?”

“I have an online reservation for Sutton.”

“Let me get that pulled up.” He types for a few seconds before looking back over at me. “I have you down for a motorcycle rental, is that correct?”

Brea’s gaze snaps to me at the mention of a motorcycle.

“It is.” Pulling out my wallet, I hand over my credit card and Indiana driver’s license. The man takes it, inputting the information into his computer before handing it back to me.

“Are you an experienced rider?”

“You can say that,” I chuckle.

“We’ve got you set up with a Touring Edition. Does that work for you?”

“That’s perfect. I’ll need to get two helmets.”

“We can do that. We’ve got several different styles to choose from over on the wall behind you. Feel free to grab what you need while I finish up here.”

---