Page 28 of Her Filthy Grump

Chapter Seventeen

Layla

When the fluid motion of the vehicle jerks to a stop, I lurch forward, and my eyes snap open.

Where am I?I repeatedly blink until my focus returns.Home? How did I get here?

I twist to survey the driver’s seat, and everything collides in my brain at once.Kameron. George. The bar. Outside the bar. The police.I shudder forcefully and take a deep breath.

Kameron shuts off the engine and studies me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was disoriented for a second. Thank you again for bringing me home. My cousins would have been all up in my business, and I don’t want to rehash the whole thing again tonight.”

“I understand.”

I glance at his dashboard, but the clock display went off when he turned off the vehicle. “What time is it?”

Kameron lifts his arm to scrutinize his wristwatch. “Five minutes after two.”

“No wonder I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack Truck.” I rub my forehead. “I don’t usually drink or fall out of windows.”

He smiles briefly and then glances down at the console between us. “I’m sorry I left. If I had stuck around, this wouldn’t have happened.”

I place my hand on his forearm, and the coarse hairs brush against my fingertips. “That has nothing to do with it. George is a sick man. If it wasn’t tonight, it would have been another night. At least this time, you were there. Another time, I might have been alone.” I shut down all thoughts of what could have happened.

Nothing happened. I’m fine. And now, he’s in jail. Where he belongs.

“I still need to say, ‘I’m sorry.’”

“I accept your apology. Now, don’t bring it up again.” My fingers burn against his heat. I want to throw myself in his arms and forget everything, but I’ve already had a craptastic night. I don’t want to add his second rejection to the list. I remove my hand from him and place it in my lap.

“Thank you.”

“I’m going in and passing out. I’m so exhausted.” I yawn and grab the door handle.

“Do you need help getting inside?” The deep rumble of his voice skates down my spine, causing my heart to beat erratically.

His eyes are shadowed, but I catch the sharp intake of his breath.Fuck.My mouth is so dry. I lick my lips. Neither of us move as the muscles in his jaw twitch. The urge to invite him in is so strong, I can barely deny it, but he’s leaving town soon, and I’m going to fall harder for him than I already have.

I’ve been saving myself for the man I want to marry, and Kameron doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. “I should be okay.” The words hurt to say, but I’ve got to protect myself from getting hurt.

He leans back and nods. A flash of something that could be confused with hurt moves across his face before his emotions disappear.

I yank the door open and hop down to the ground.Ouch.“Shit.” Pain shoots from my ankle and up to my thigh.

“What is it?” His voice is full of panic as he snaps open the door and exits the vehicle.

“My ankle.” Tears spring to my eyes, but I hold them at bay. I can’t afford another waterworks display. He’s going to think all I do is cry.

He rounds the front of the pickup and lifts me into his arms the same way he did at the station. “I’ll get you inside and take a look. You must have re-injured it falling out of the window.”

“It hurt on impact, but it didn’t on the way to the pickup when we left.” I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder.

I’m so fucking tired.

I bounce lightly against him as he carries me up the front steps. “It must have swollen while you were sleeping.”

I stiffen. “Did I snore?”

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