Page 35 of Spies without a Face
Damn it, the last thing I wanted to do was stop talking. I was getting somewhere with her. Lucas had told me how she was so private, but she’d started to confide in me. But I also didn’t want to crash the car on the highway, leading to a pile-up. We’d never go out on a date if we ended up in the morgue.
I focused on the drive and turned up the music a notch to avoid awkward silence. We noted small observations during the rest of the drive. It wasn’t until we exited the highway and reached Salem that I wished I could prolong the journey home. Maybe we could take a trip together, getting to know each other.
Ha, if I didn’t crash the car first.
It wasn’t like we hadn’t already ended up in a fender bender once. And now, we had a near miss tonight. No, a road trip wasn’t the best idea. But I still wanted to spend more time with Pandora. How?
“Is it safe to talk to you now?” she asked with amusement.
“It is.” I smiled at her. “There aren’t as many cars on the road here.”
“You appeared to be deep in thought.”
“I was thinking about where we could go on our date.”
“So, it’s definitely going to happen?”
“If I have anything to say about it, yes.”
“Same here.”
A smile lingered on my face, and I had to force it away as we approached our neighborhood. Otherwise, she’d change her mind to avoid going out with a loon.
I pulled into the driveway that ran adjacent to hers. “Home sweet home.”
“Indeed. Thanks for driving me home.”
“Anytime.”
We climbed out of the car, and I walked over to her side.
She slanted her head and gave me a coy gaze. “Are you walking me home?”
I chuckled. “Yes. I told Cassandra I’d get you home safely, and that includes making sure you get inside.”
“Ah, okay.” She looped her arm through mine for the short walk up her front path.
At the door, she turned to me. “Thanks for walking me home.”
A gleam of amusement captured her beautiful eyes—and something else. Was it—? Could it be—desire?
Yes, I’d swear it was. The darkness of her pupils encapsulated more of her irises, and her lids lowered. And I detected a slight change in her enticing fragrance. Heat throbbed through me, and my heart rate sped up.
My bear electrified with excitement.Kiss her.
Stop. You’ve already gotten me into trouble once tonight. In fact, you almost killed us.
“You’re welcome.” My voice came out strangled, and I cleared my throat. “Anytime you need a ride, just let me know.”
Ah hell, why did I have to put it that way. It sounded way too dirty.
Her lips twitched with amusement. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer one day, Austin.” She leaned closer and put her hand on my cheek.
My bear turned to putty. It took all my self-control not to reach my arm around her and pull her against me into a heated kiss.
“Until then, good night.” She leaned up onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips against mine.
Stunned frozen at first, I then surged with heat as my entire body electrified. Hot bolts of lava rumbled through my veins. My bear turned manic with glee.
