of his response. It made his words
sound entirely genuine.
“Now it’s my turn to ask
a question.” I waited to gather my nerves. “What’s the deal with you and Kill?”
“What do you mean?” He
continued to stare through the windshield. His teeth were clenched, his jaw working
beneath his chiseled cheekbones.
“Things seem tense
between you. He has a definite attitude problem and a chip on his shoulder for
reasons I don’t understand. Did you have a fight? Is that just his
personality?”
“It’s complicated.”
“That’s a copout answer.
Everything is complicated.”
His head swiveled in my
direction, a hint of surprise in his expression, and then turned back to the
road ahead. He inhaled and exhaled deeply and slowly.
“I’ve known Kill a long
time. He helped me out of a jam once, years ago. I owe him.”
“Well, you gave him a job
at the magazine. He owes you too, doesn’t he? So, you’re even.”
There was silence except
for the rumbling purr of the car engine and the swish of tires over the
asphalt.
“Maybe.” His jaw shifted
again. His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead.
“Is Kill a subject like
the tattoos? You’ll tell me about it when you know me better?”
“Maybe.” This time, he
peeked at me from the corner of his eye and lifted his lip in an enticing
sideways smirk.
“Fair enough.”
To my disappointment, we
pulled up to the curb at 118 th Street. I very much wanted to
continue this conversation. There was something about Trent’s presence that
kept me intriguingly off balance and uncertain. I got the feeling that I had
only scratched the surface of his personality. I desperately wanted to dig
deeper. Of course, his physical nearness also had the power to send my
heartbeat into a sprint, my nerves into crackling bursts of electricity, and my
brain into a hazy trance of desire.
“Thanks for the ride.” I
suddenly had the feeling of an awkward teenager coming home from a school
dance. Where do I look? What do I do with my hands? Is he going to kiss me? Then the more rational part of my brain took over and told me that I was in a
car with my boss who was definitely not going to kiss me anytime soon.
I experienced a moment of
embarrassed panic when I could not locate the handle on the passenger door.
Then I heard a click, and the door swung open on its own.
“I control the doors with
this button.” He pointed to a blinking green light on the console. “I could
have kept you as a prisoner.” I expected a wink and a smirk, but his gorgeous
blue eyes were serious.
I swung my legs out onto
the pavement and realized with dismay the difficulty of elegantly exiting this
low-slung vehicle in a dress that barely covered my crotch and a set of
four-inch stiletto heels. I gripped the window frame and rocked backwards and
forwards, hoping perhaps I could launch myself from the car without toppling
over into utter humiliation and giving Trent an unexpected glimpse of my pink
lace panties.
Before I even had time to
gasp in shock, I felt two large and sturdy hands grasp my rear end and propel
me from the vehicle with a mighty shove. I wobbled and steadied myself on the sidewalk,
blinking in the glare of the street light and wondering if I had completely imagined
the sensation of Trent’s hands on my behind.
“Atta girl.” His
uproarious laughter told me that I had not imagined it. “These seats can be a
real pain in the…well…ass.” He pressed the green-lit button. “Goodnight, Kitty
Kat.” The door swung shut with a whoosh of air and a click.
“Goodnight, Trent
Montaine,” I whispered to myself, watching from the lonely corner as his car
tore away into the night.
Chapter 6
I checked my watch. 9:45.
Friday night and I was still at the KTFO office, bent over the ladies’
room sink. I wiped smears of liner and mascara from beneath my tired eyes. The
mirror revealed sprigs of hair that had escaped from my high ponytail and left
me with a wispy, disheveled crown
sound entirely genuine.
“Now it’s my turn to ask
a question.” I waited to gather my nerves. “What’s the deal with you and Kill?”
“What do you mean?” He
continued to stare through the windshield. His teeth were clenched, his jaw working
beneath his chiseled cheekbones.
“Things seem tense
between you. He has a definite attitude problem and a chip on his shoulder for
reasons I don’t understand. Did you have a fight? Is that just his
personality?”
“It’s complicated.”
“That’s a copout answer.
Everything is complicated.”
His head swiveled in my
direction, a hint of surprise in his expression, and then turned back to the
road ahead. He inhaled and exhaled deeply and slowly.
“I’ve known Kill a long
time. He helped me out of a jam once, years ago. I owe him.”
“Well, you gave him a job
at the magazine. He owes you too, doesn’t he? So, you’re even.”
There was silence except
for the rumbling purr of the car engine and the swish of tires over the
asphalt.
“Maybe.” His jaw shifted
again. His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead.
“Is Kill a subject like
the tattoos? You’ll tell me about it when you know me better?”
“Maybe.” This time, he
peeked at me from the corner of his eye and lifted his lip in an enticing
sideways smirk.
“Fair enough.”
To my disappointment, we
pulled up to the curb at 118 th Street. I very much wanted to
continue this conversation. There was something about Trent’s presence that
kept me intriguingly off balance and uncertain. I got the feeling that I had
only scratched the surface of his personality. I desperately wanted to dig
deeper. Of course, his physical nearness also had the power to send my
heartbeat into a sprint, my nerves into crackling bursts of electricity, and my
brain into a hazy trance of desire.
“Thanks for the ride.” I
suddenly had the feeling of an awkward teenager coming home from a school
dance. Where do I look? What do I do with my hands? Is he going to kiss me? Then the more rational part of my brain took over and told me that I was in a
car with my boss who was definitely not going to kiss me anytime soon.
I experienced a moment of
embarrassed panic when I could not locate the handle on the passenger door.
Then I heard a click, and the door swung open on its own.
“I control the doors with
this button.” He pointed to a blinking green light on the console. “I could
have kept you as a prisoner.” I expected a wink and a smirk, but his gorgeous
blue eyes were serious.
I swung my legs out onto
the pavement and realized with dismay the difficulty of elegantly exiting this
low-slung vehicle in a dress that barely covered my crotch and a set of
four-inch stiletto heels. I gripped the window frame and rocked backwards and
forwards, hoping perhaps I could launch myself from the car without toppling
over into utter humiliation and giving Trent an unexpected glimpse of my pink
lace panties.
Before I even had time to
gasp in shock, I felt two large and sturdy hands grasp my rear end and propel
me from the vehicle with a mighty shove. I wobbled and steadied myself on the sidewalk,
blinking in the glare of the street light and wondering if I had completely imagined
the sensation of Trent’s hands on my behind.
“Atta girl.” His
uproarious laughter told me that I had not imagined it. “These seats can be a
real pain in the…well…ass.” He pressed the green-lit button. “Goodnight, Kitty
Kat.” The door swung shut with a whoosh of air and a click.
“Goodnight, Trent
Montaine,” I whispered to myself, watching from the lonely corner as his car
tore away into the night.
Chapter 6
I checked my watch. 9:45.
Friday night and I was still at the KTFO office, bent over the ladies’
room sink. I wiped smears of liner and mascara from beneath my tired eyes. The
mirror revealed sprigs of hair that had escaped from my high ponytail and left
me with a wispy, disheveled crown
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