Page 93 of As Thick As Thieves

“Okay, take this and put it in the ignition. Make sure the gear shift is in neutral first.” I blinked at him with confusion, and I could tell he was frustrated, but he did well to remain calm. “Put your hand on this. See that pedal? It’s called the clutch. Push down on it with your foot, then you can move the gear.”

I did as I was told, and for the next ten minutes, he made me repeat it without the car even being on. I switched between gears, struggling with a few that were at weird angles.

“Why is this so hard?” I huffed, making him roll his eyes as he rested his hand on top of mine.

“Release your death grip. It’ll shift easier with less force. That’s better, now feel how much pressure I’m using.” He easily moved through the gears with a light push of his hand, encouraging me to do it myself again and smiling when I managed it. “See? Now, put it back in neutral and push the clutch in so we can start the car.”

“Won’t it start moving?”

“The emergency brake is on and it won’t do shit in neutral, so it’s fine.”

I followed his instructions, panicking when he asked me to take the brake off and put it into first gear. Somehow I managed to do it without a problem, but once he asked me to gently use the accelerator as I slowly took my foot off the clutch, the car jerked forward and turned off, panic filling me.

“Did I break it?!”

“No, it just stalled. How about we work on finding the right spot with the clutch first? Start again and put it in gear, but instead of using any gas, just slowly lift your foot off the clutch until the car starts creeping forward, then hold it there.”

The first two times I stalled again, but the third time I managed to get the car rolling forward, my face lighting up as we slowly crept along the driveway. “Oh my God, I’m driving. How do I stop, though? The emergency brake?”

“When you want to stop, just push the clutch in again. We’ll just focus on this today so you can figure out the clutch and steering. We’ll add gears and speed another time,” he smiled, my heart hammering as we got closer to the end of the driveway by the gate. “You have lots of room to move here, so just turn the wheel without moving your foot. The car will turn and won’t go faster. Go back the way you came from.”

“I’m driving,” I kept repeating as I turned the wheel, my heart hammering as I got close to some shrubs, but Stone leaned over lazily and helped turn the wheel a little more without saying anything.

We spent an hour doing that, and I felt really comfortable steering by the end of it.

“Who knew the princess could drive?” Stone teased as he locked the car once we’d climbed out, an unusual carefree look on his face. “You already drive better than half my team. We’ll make a getaway driver out of you for sure.”

“Why did you want to teach me to drive?” I asked as he opened the front door to let me inside, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“I know it’s something you’ve been wanting to do, and I’ve been thinking about what would happen if you’re out with one of the guys and they get hurt. If they can’t drive, you’re stranded and could end up taken. At least if you know how to drive, you can get away. Also, then you can come and see me whenever you want,” he smirked, leading me towards his bedroom where we’d spent most of the week. One of the days I just sketched at his desk while he napped, then two days ago we watched a movie and ate a bunch of snacks. Each time he let me check his injuries, which were thankfully healing.

I had to leave, I’d been here for almost two hours today, but I quickly tended to Stone’s wounds like I always did, freezing when he stepped into me once I was finished.

“Penn—”

“What are you doing?” I squeaked out, flinching when he raised his hand. His face fell a fraction, and I eyed him warily as he slowly reached out to cup my cheek, the affectionate touch taking me by surprise.

“I’d tear this world apart with my bare hands to keep you safe,” he whispered, flicking his eyes between mine. “You might think I’m still a monster, but the difference is, this time you’re the one holding my leash.” My heart hammered as he kept staring at me, my hand absently resting on his stomach as if to push him away, but I didn’t. He leaned closer, dropping his head until his lips almost touched mine. “I’ll do anything to make you realize how much I want you, Penn.”

“No, you don’t. You’re just feeling guilty,” I said breathlessly as I continued to hold his gaze, my heart melting as he replied.

“No, I’d do it because I’m falling in love with you, even though I’m trying really hard to fucking fight it.” When I didn’t move, he leaned a little closer until his lips brushed mine, and I closed my eyes without a second thought. I kissed him back hesitantly at first, but once he knew I was okay with it, he deepened the kiss and walked me backwards until my legs met the mattress. I fell back, but he leaned down to keep kissing me, my hands running over his bare back as if I hadn’t been touching him all week thanks to his injuries.

“Fuck, we have to stop,” he growled as he tried to pull away, but I wrapped my arms around him with a frown.

“Says who? Do I not look willing enough?”

He chuckled, but it sounded hollow. “I already hurt the guys by hurting you. I can’t fuck you behind their backs too.”

My eyes widened and I groaned, letting him climb off me to drop beside me. “Shit.”

“I know, babe,” he mumbled, raking a hand over his short hair. “What the fuck are we doing?”

“I need to go,” I blurted out as I got to my feet, but he snagged my hand to stop me escaping.

“I’ll take you home. If the guys haven’t noticed Leah stealing you all week, they won’t know I took you home. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you,” he apologized, but I shook my head.

“You can’t take me home, and I kissed you back, so it’s my fault, too.”

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