Page 14 of Bound By Them
“Do you still want to come with me?” I ask her.
She gives me a short, tight-lipped nod before walking with me to my truck. I hold the door open and she glares at me as she gets in.
I’ve never seen anyone angrier while accepting a favor from someone else. Every second in her presence, I like this girl more and more.
I get in, start the truck, and get the heater blasting. Once we’re turning right off of Caro back toward the Salding district, I reach behind my seat and find an old hoodie. “It’s not as clean as I’d like, but probably better than nothing.”
“Thanks.” She slips out of her seatbelt to put it on, then quickly buckles up again.
I take us along Washburne. It’s hard to focus on the road when I want to soak in the sight of Dani wearing my sweatshirt.
She tucks her hands into the sleeves. “Where’s Edmund?”
“At our place.” Edmund had Jon take us home from the restaurant before sending me out again. He doesn’t want Jon snitching any more than he already has. As soon as we pulled into the parking garage of our apartment building, I went straight to my truck.
“You live together?” Dani asks.
I nod.
“I thought Edmund lived alone.”
It’s a unique situation. “Technically I’m paid to live there and guard him.”
Dani snickers. “So he has to pay you to be his friend?”
“If that’s how you want to look at it.” The idea is rather amusing, I must admit.
“Are we going to your place?”
“Do you want to go there?”
“Argh!” She pounds on the edge of her seat. “Why are you so…so accommodating?”
“I’m accommodating?”
“There you go again.” She jabs a finger in my direction.
I lean back. “Don’t point at me.”
“Oh.” Her hand drops. “Sorry.”
“Guess I’m not as accommodating as you thought.”
“No, pointing is rude. I’ll stop doing it.” Her gray eyes are serious. I could easily get lost in them, but I have to focus on the road.
We stop at a red light. I steal another glance at her. My heart clenches at the sight of her in my hoodie. She looks so small and cute. “So? Where am I taking you? Edmund expects you at our place. But I’ll drop you at home or anywhere else you want to go.”
“Your place.” She shivers.
“You’re still cold?”
“Yeah.”
I push up the center console that hides the bench seat of my truck. “Scoot over and buckle in.”
She does as I ask and I tuck her close against me, wrapping my arm around her. I gave her my hoodie and have the heater blasting, but if her dress is soaked through, these measures aren’t going to do much for her shivering.
Her shaking subsides as I rub her arm and shoulder. She feels so fucking right in my arms. I wonder if she has any clue how I feel about her. She couldn’t possibly—and that’s a good thing. I’ll never give another woman that kind of power over me again.
