Page 42 of Best Man
“What about you?”
“Would you mind dropping me off at my place?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Perfect. Then I’ll walk with you to the truck.”
He opened the umbrella. “Okay then. Get in here.”
“You’re not going to prank me, are you? Push me out in the rain or something like that? ’Cause I’m serious, Niko, if you get me wet—”
Oh, I’m going to get you wet, alright,his inner sleaze started to say, but he wisely ignored that voice. That voice only wanted to get him into trouble.
“I won’t, Paulina. I promise.”
“Okay, then.” She stepped under the umbrella and pasted herself to his side, clinging to his torso. “I trust you.”
“Ready?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
“Ready!” she yelled over the rushing rain.
They stepped out together, moving as one under the protection of the umbrella. The rain angrily thumped the fabric over their heads. Paulina shrieked and laughed as they hurried to the truck, cool pellets of rain stinging their exposed legs.
He pulled the driver side door open. “Quick! Get in!”
He shielded her with the umbrella so she could climb in without getting wet. He jumped in behind her, and they shared a laugh.
“Whew. Made it,” he said, pulling the door shut. There was plenty of room on the truck’s bench seat, but Paulina didn’t move over. She sat right next to him, her shoulder cramped against his bicep. He liked it.
“Mission success,” she said. She swiped at the wet spots on his shoulders. “And you only got a tiny bit wet this time. Not nearly as bad as when you arrived.”
Niko groaned, loathing the memory.“You know, I felt like such a nerd,” he said as he fired the truck’s engine.
She giggled. “A nerd? Why?”
He flicked the headlights on, put the truck in gear and slowly rolled away. “Because I wassoakingwet, Paulina. You saw me.”
“Aw. Poor guy.” She laughed and hooked her arm through his, just like earlier when they’d walked down the aisle together. “Nerd was definitely not the word I had in mind.”
“No?”
“No.” She stared up at him, her bright eyes glowing even in the dark cabin. “Actually, I thought you looked … pretty hot.”
Taking his eye off the road for a second, he glanced at her to see if she was joking.
She wasn’t. She smiled at him, and her eyes told him exactly what she wanted before he forced himself to look away.
No no no.Please, Paulina. Don’t tempt me.
It was a short drive to Paulina’s yurt, but she kept her arm hooked around his the whole drive. They prowled down the gravel road about a hundred meters or so before Niko turned into the opening.
“It’s that one,” she said, pointing at the smaller of the two yurts.
He pulled up just outside the entrance and put the truck in park.
“Thanks again for everything,” she said.
“My pleasure.”
