Page 5 of No Rings Attached
“Fine,” she repeated. A fierce scowl crossed her face, only intriguing me further, and what looked like a streak of dirt on her cheek only endeared her to me more. “Just know I’m watching you.” If her hands hadn’t been full of her ‘weapons’ I had a feeling she’d be giving me theI’m watching youtwo-finger gesture.
I quieted my voice and moved closer to the hood of the car while she stayed half hidden by the brush. “What happened?”
A heavy sigh left her lips, and the surprising need to comfort her churned in my gut. “The check engine light came on a few miles back and then the car just stopped. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it.” She wiped at her forehead. “My windows wouldn’t even roll down.”
“Do you want to come out and show me?”
She grimaced. “Uh, no thanks. I’m good here.”
I couldn’t force her to walk closer to me. So we’d just do this with her hiding out in the woods.
I gestured to the car. “I can try to see if it’s something obvious, but if not, I’ll have to call my cousin, Adam. He’s a mechanic and can tow you in. Is the driver’s side unlocked so I can look under the hood?” I really hoped she’d come out if we had to tow her car.
She gave a curt nod.
I popped the hood and propped it up. “Are you in town long?” Keeping my eyes away from her was good. Maybe then I could control the raging hard-on that pushed at my jeans. I’d only caught a glimpse of her curvy body but that was all I needed to be instantly attracted to her.
“For a while.” I looked up at the sound of her keys jingling. She pointed them at me. “My boyfriend’s on his way. You know, in case you get any ideas.”
Well, fuck.Just the idea of her with some other guy made my gut tense. “Does he live nearby?” I asked through clenched teeth.
She pointed towards Ruby River. “In town.”
Damn.I probably knew him. Not only was Rhode Island a small state where everyone knew just about everyone else, but Ruby River was even smaller. Everyone reallydidknow everyone. “What’s his name?”
For a second, she looked triumphant that I believed her, but then her expression dropped and it seemed like her face paled. “It’s uh … Drew.”
“Drew?”Weird.I glanced at her.
Why did her voice sound so familiar?
Her eyes darted away from me before settling on me again. “Yeah.”
That tingle of awareness, the part of my brain that activated when I knew I was on to something, pushed me to ask. “Does this Drew have a last name?”
She frowned at me. “Of course he does.”
I waited.
“It’s, uh.” She looked away then back at me. “It’s, uh, Drew … Drew Kingsley.”
I jerked my head to the side so fast I was surprised I didn’t pull a muscle.Was she fucking with me?Had my siblings or cousins put her up to this?
This time she kept my gaze, even as she shifted awkwardly. She was a terrible liar. I squinted, staring harder at her. If this wasn’t a prank, did we somehow know each other? I mentally scanned the previous ten to fifteen years, knowing full well if we’d met, I’d have remembered her.
I came out from behind the car and crossed my arms. “Oh, yeah? Been together for a long time?” I didn’t miss the way her eyes lingered on my biceps, and I resisted the urge to flex for her.
She cleared her throat. The humidity was unusually high today. If she’d been out here for a long time, she could be dehydrated. “Not long,” she answered cryptically.
I’d stashed a few bottles of water in the truck this morning. “Can I get you some water?”
A tiny, grateful smile played on her lips, and the subtle, but unmistakable beauty that radiated from her again captivated me.
I made my way to the truck and grabbed two bottles of water. She seemed fine, but I didn’t want to assume anything. Dehydration could cause a whole host of symptoms. What if she’d been struggling because she was injured? My chest tightened at the thought. “Are you hurt?”
“No, why would you ask?” Her voice had grown suspicious again. “Are you trying to determine whether I could get away from you?”
A laugh burst from my mouth. I should’ve known we’d be back to this. I ambled closer, pointed at the tall grasses with one of the waters. “Well, unless there’s a reason for being way over there in that mess, I’d recommend you come out before you get a tick bite.”
