Page 70 of Truck You

She waves her hands up and down her body like she’s Vanna White. Nowthatwould have been a costume. A sexy formal gown with a slit up one leg, high-heeled shoes, and her hair smoothed in long wavy locks over one shoulder. Not very practical for where I’m taking her tonight, but it definitely would have been hot.

“Hey.” She shoves my shoulder, snapping me out of my vision. When I meet her gaze, I can’t help but chuckle. She’s got the cutest little wrinkle in her brow. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“How am I looking at you?”

“Like we’re never leaving this house.” She shoves the jacket at me. “And weareleaving. So don’t go getting ideas in your head.”

I step closer to her, resting my hands on her hips. “Red, it doesn’t matter where we are. I will always have ideas about what I want to do with you.”

I lean down to kiss her, but she blocks me by putting her hand over my mouth. I drop my head back and growl. “Woman, you’re killing me.”

She chuckles and the growl inside me vibrates my entire chest. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not going to die because I make you wait.”

My nostrils flare, and my glare intensifies. “What’s ridiculous is this costume you’re making me wear.”

She rolls her eyes at me and shoves the jacket at me again. “Take this. You’re wearing it.”

“Fine.” I snatch it from her and shove my arms in it like a petulant child. “Happy now?”

She beams at me and bounces on her toes. All my frustration over this costume and being denied that kiss melts away. Seeing her this happy is worth looking like an idiot for one night.

“Yes! We’re going to look so good together. Let me grab my keys, and then we can go.”

She runs into the house, and I hear her moving some things around. Since she doesn’t immediately come back, I step inside and shut out the cold. It’s supposed to drop to the thirties tonight, and it’s already chilly.

Leaning against the door, I call out, “Did Clara already leave?”

“Yeah, Ash picked her up a little bit ago.” Sophia answers from the kitchen. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Clara’s house, but I remember the layout. When she rushes back, she’s a little breathless, and it makes me want to flip her around and kiss her senseless against the door.

Instead, I nod and open the door. “Then let’s go.”

After she locks up, she follows me to my truck, and I open the door to help her in. Once she’s settled, I shut her door and run around the back and hop in behind the wheel.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” She rotates in her seat to face me.

“Nope. It’s a surprise. But we have to stop at Koch’s first and pick up a few things.”

She narrows her eyes. “You shop at Koch’s? Isn’t that against the feud’s rules or something?”

I chuckle. “There are no rules to a multi-generational feud, Red. Koch’s is the only gas station within fifteen miles where we can buy beer.”

Koch’s Pit Stop is a gas station and convenience store just off Highway 32. Tanner bought it a few years ago and changed its name. I swear he chose the name Pit Stop just to piss us off. His family doesn’t race, and the name is a dig at the Mutter’s business.

“Huh,” she says as I start the trunk up and pull out onto the road. “I assumed you’d refuse to give him your business.”

I shrug. “I can see why you’d think that. But it pisses Tanner off more that we still shop there.”

Sophia just shakes her head and turns back to face the windshield. I reach for her hand and lace our fingers together. I relax when she sighs and squeezes my hand with hers. We may have gotten off to a rocky start but being here with her like this feels good. It feels right.

I never saw myself as boyfriend material. Knowing me, I’ll probably screw this up five hundred different ways. But there’s something about her that makes me want to try. She makes me want to be a better man, and no one has ever made me feel like that before.

I park along the side of Koch’s and turn off the engine. I lift Sophia’s hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Let’s go see if Tanner is working so we can piss him off.”

She rolls her eyes and laughs as we step outside. Once I reach her, I immediately take her hand and pull her close. She’s mine, and I want everyone in this town to know it. Especially Tanner Fucking Koch.

* * *

Sophia hasn’t saidanything since we left Koch’s Pit Stop, but I sense her confusion. I’m driving into the middle of nowhere and still haven’t told her where we’re going. Since it’s already dark out, she can’t see our surroundings either. She’ll find out soon enough.

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