Page 14 of Impulsive Saint
“Yep.” She gave him what must have been her sweetest smile and he fought the urge to grin right back at her.
He shouldn’t think of her as amusing or entertaining. He shouldn’t like her. He was doing a job, even if she didn’t know that. It would be far easier to do it, and to convince her she wanted to go home instead of traipsing halfway across the country if he resisted the urge to befriend the girl. It shouldn’t be that hard. Not really. Every time she opened her mouth, she irritated him with her high-handedness. She was a princess through and through, and when he showed her the harshness of the real world and refused to kiss her ass like all the other men in her life, she’d be begging him to take her home to Daddy.
He cleared his throat, “Let me ask you a question, princess.”
She pursed her lips and raised a sharp eyebrow. He wanted to smile again when she tapped her foot impatiently at him. He bit off the urge.
“How much did this new costume cost you?” He motioned up and down her body as dismissively as he could.
“Um…”
He snorted when she didn’t answer the question, “You spent all that cash, didn’t you?”
“Well, I had to.” She stomped her foot this time, “I had to get everything! All the way down to underwear and a bra because my wedding lingerie wasn’t going to cut it for a road trip. I got extras too, plus a couple changes of clothes and socks and shoes. That stuff isn’t as cheap in there as people say it is.”
Tyler scrubbed a hand over his jaw, “So you’re broke?”
“I mean, yeah, I guess.” She shrugged.
“So how exactly are you planning to get to Vegas? Am I supposed to be paying for this joyride?”
“No, of course not. Just…” She huffed out another breath, “We can go to the bank and I can get money.”
“So you have your bank card with you?” He pressed even though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
“Well…. no, but they’ll give me a new one.” She grinned as if she was proud to have come up with a solution but he was already shaking his head and she frowned at him. “What?”
“Do you have your ID stashed in your bra too then? Or do you think the bank will just recognize you from all the missing person alerts your father is going to send out?”
Her pretty face scrunched up and he found himself fighting another grin. He’d expected her to be some sort of ice queen. That was how politicians were, cold and aloof. But she was the complete opposite of what he’d expected.
“So you have no ID and no money but you want me to take you to Vegas? I’m assuming since you mentioned a bucket list you’re going to want to hit some bars when we get there? Do some gambling maybe? You’re going to need ID for that, princess.”
She rolled her eyes, “I hate to break it to you but girls that look like me don’t need ID to get a drink.”
He chuckled, “I suppose you don’t think you need money either with that philosophy.”
She shrugged.
“I hate to break it to you but bikes that look like this need gasoline to run and that does take money.”
Ashtyn frowned again and her brows drew together. She was thinking. He could practically see the wheels spinning. It didn’t even take her a whole minute to come up with a solution and her face lit up with another one of those wide, proud smiles.
“We need to find a pawn shop.”
His eyes widened, “We are not pawning my bike.”
“No!” She laughed, “Oh my God, no. Not your bike. We need that to get to Vegas.”
“So?”
She held her left hand up and it took everything in him not to gasp like a fucking little girl. She was talking about her engagement ring, the giant rock sitting on her hand must be worth a small fortune. It wouldn’t just pay for a trip to Vegas if they pawned it. It would pay for a trip to Venice, and not the one in Texas.
He frowned, “Aren’t you supposed to give the ring back when you don’t actually go through with the wedding?”
Ashtyn looked thoughtful, “Really?”
Tyler shrugged, “No idea. Never been engaged before personally.”
