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“I already told you, I need you for keeps,” I replied gruffly. “There’s no expiration date between us.”

“Whoa.” Shannon released a shaky breath and beamed at me. “You say the best things, Johnny Kavanagh.”

I grinned back at her. “Want to hear something else?”

She nodded eagerly.

“I have an idea.”

Shannon tilted her head to one side, studying me with wary eyes. “What kind of idea?”

I laughed. “Come on—” Setting her down, I passed her T-shirt back to her before reaching for my own. “I’m going to show you.”

“What the hell.” Slipping her shirt over her head, she stood up and smiled at me. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”

I did.

Her.

* * *

“This is not a good idea,” Shannon announced half an hour later as she sat in the driver’s seat of my car in the yard, staring at the steering wheel in front of her like it was a poisonous snake about to strike. “This is really, reallynot good, Johnny.”

I stifled a laugh and fastened my seat belt. God only knew what notion had struck me to make this seem like a good idea, but we were here now, and I was going with it. Besides, I knew she could do this. She just needed some confidence. “You can do this.”

“No.” Throwing her hands up, she flailed helplessly. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” I encouraged. “I’ve talked you through it. You know the gears, baby, and we’re in a big empty yard with nobody around. You’ve got this.”

“No. No. Honestly, I don’t! I don’t have this!” Her eyes widened when she turned to gape at me. “I don’t even have a license. Not even a tractor license. I’m sixteen, Johnny, and this is an expensive car. Oh god, I’m going to kill us both!”

“No, you’re not,” I coaxed. “You’re going to smash this.”

“Yeah,” Shannon choked out. “Into atree, Johnny!”

Smirking, I leaned over the console, slipped the car out of gear, and then turned the key in the ignition. “Let’s go.”

“Oh my god, help me!” Shannon screamed, whimpering when the engine roared to life beneath us. “This is so bad.” She grabbed the wheel, looking all wide-eyed and panicked. “What if I crash?”

“Don’t crash,” I shot back. “Now put your foot on the clutch and I’ll change the gears for you.”

“Don’t let me die,” she begged, as I slipped the car into first.

“I won’t,” I promised. “Don’t close your eyes, baby.” Reaching over, I pulled her hand away from her face. “Look straight ahead.”

“I am, Johnny,” she wailed. “Iamgoing to die!”

“No, Shan, you’re going tolive.” I laughed. “Now slowly release the clutch and tap down nice and gently on the accelerator—”

“I broke it!” she wailed when the car stalled. “I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t break anything,” I replied, slipping the car out of gear and leaning over to turn the key in the ignition. “We’ll start over.” The engine roared to life once more and I repeated the same instructions, shifting the gears for her. “Good job!” I praised when she didn’t stall and the car started to crawl. “That’s it, Shan. You’re doing it, baby.”

“I’m not sure about this, Johnny,” she muttered, sitting so close to the wheel that her nose was kissing the windscreen as the car chugged along. “This is nothing like GTA.”

* * *

An hour later, I knew I had awoken the beast I’d met in my bedroom a few months ago. “I’m doing it!” Shannon exclaimed, eyes bright with excitement as she whizzed around the back of the house, using my driveway like it was her own personal racetrack.

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