Page 33 of Slow Ride

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By the time Wren’s cell proclaimed it was eleven o’clock, she’d had enough time to convince herself that the conversation she’d been waiting the entire day to have would last three seconds.Max.She’d say hi, blurt out that she’d fooled around with Jordan, and Kason would hang up.

Game over.

She couldn’t pace properly in her tiny home, so she went outside where she could at least rock herself in the porch swing as she counted the stars.

When her phone vibrated in her pocket, she nearly launched herself into the middle of Orion’s Belt.Wren jumped up and jammed her hand in her pants to retrieve the device before it set her off.

Despite her earlier run in with Jordan, she was incredibly aroused.Because of the anticipation of talking to Kason or because she got off on living on the edge, she wasn’t sure.It felt exhilarating and kind of fucked up to be caught in the middle of two men again.

Wren darted inside and shut the door.She wasn’t ready for the rest of the Hot Rides to know precisely how depraved she was if Jordan hadn’t already spilled the beans.She’d been surprised that he’d gone over to Devra, Trevon, and Quinn’s place after leaving her, but it wasn’t her business to wonder about what he was up to.

Her phone buzzed again, startling her from her chaotic thoughts.She stabbed the icon to connect the call, then said, “Did you break a leg?”

Kason laughed.“Fortunately not.I have fallen off the stage once or twice but…uh…that’s a story for another time.Or you could just look it up on the internet if you want to read about my fuck ups before we go any further.”

Huh.Wren wanted to ask him more about that and why he’d hesitated, only…not now.Especially not when she had to disclose some sordid shit of her own.“I’ll wait until you feel comfortable enough to tell me about it yourself, thanks.”

He chuckled then said, “I’ve never met a woman like you before.”

“I’m weird.I know.”In fact, she’d been told she was unusual so often in her life it might have bothered her except… “The worst thing someone could ever call me is ordinary.Normal.I’m not and I’m mostly okay with that now, though I wasn’t always.”

“I respect that, and I’m sort of jealous.”He sighed.“When you’re in the public eye, you have to live up to other people’s expectations of what you should be, even if that’s not who you really are.It’s my least favorite thing about my career.”

“I know it’s not the same exactly, but I went through that crap with my parents.”

“They didn’t dream of a beautiful rebel for a daughter?No offense, but I think they might not be the smartest people around.If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like you—able to take care of herself and passionate about the things that are important in her life.”

Wren wasn’t sure if it was the stuff he was saying or the way the rasp in his voice lent it more conviction, but she half fell in love with him right then.“Damn, Kason.You sound so good.Has anyone ever told you that before?”

He outright laughed, lifting her spirits too.

She hadn’t meant to flirt before getting the hard stuff out of the way, it just came naturally with him.And now she didn’t know how to bridge the gap from the warm, affectionate place they were at to the difficult discussion he didn’t even know they had to have.

Fortunately, he was empathetic and kind.Sensitive.And he gave her the perfect opening.

“So, how’d your day go?”he asked, completely changing the topic.Sadly, not to one that was any less treacherous for either of them.

“Unexpectedly.”Wren tapped her fingers on the phone furiously.She might have ruined her chances with Kason before they’d even gotten started.

“How so?”

“Well, first we got to text this morning and you weren’t put off by my…complications.”She took a deep breath and then laid it out honestly and directly.“Then Jordan came by to apologize.And he did a really good job of it.”

“You forgave him for more than just last night?”Kason understood immediately.

“Yeah.And we fooled around some.Kissing and…stuff.Notsexsex, but we both enjoyed ourselves.I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not exactly.I understand if you change your mind about getting to know me better because of it.I’ll be disappointed but I’d get it.”

Kason blew out a ragged breath.Was he pissed?

Wren could hardly breathe as she anticipated his reaction.

“Hey, don’t stress, okay?You’ve known the guy for more than five years and had a meaningful relationship with him.I’m just some schmuck you’ve talked to a few times and kissed once.Do what you think is right, Wren.I won’t hold it against you.If things work out between us and we get more serious we can draw some boundaries then, but we certainly didn’t have any this morning.”

Could Kason be any more perfect, really?

She was quick to reassure him.“It was a one-time thing, I swear.He made it clear he’s not planning on coming back again.And even if he did, I think I gained some closure today.Without Johnny, we don’t work right.Neither of us are gentle or especially tactful.I think we needed Johnny’s emotional glue.He understood us both and sort of…interpreted.He helped each of us understand what the other needed and how to coexist peacefully.”

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