other."
He glanced over at her then muttered when the car behind him blew on the horn. Mat eased his foot off the brake and moved forward, driving as slow as he dared. The bus stop was coming up but he didn't want to reach it, didn't want Nicole to leave just yet. If she did, he had no idea when he might see her again. If he could convince her to let him drive her to work, maybe he could get her number. Maybe he could even get the chance to ask her out.
But she still didn't answer. In fact, she looked uncomfortable, more than she had when he first picked her up. And she wouldn't look at him. That bothered him for some reason.
And maybe he should just drop her off and let it go. He was probably worrying her, probably coming on too strong. Yeah, knowing his luck, she probably thought he was being too pushy, too aggressive.
He blew out a quick breath and pulled his shoulders up to his ears, trying to ease the knots, the tension, that suddenly gripped his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push. I'll drop—"
"No." Nicole said the word so fast, louder than he expected, that he almost jumped in surprise. She looked over at him, just a quick glance, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip. Mat tried not to focus on her mouth, tried not to remember what her mouth felt like on him.
All of him.
She turned away and Mat bit back a sigh, wondering if maybe he had been too obvious, if he had stared too hard. Wondering if she could read his mind and knew exactly what he was thinking.
The bus stop was coming up, two car-lengths away, but traffic was still moving slow. He figured he only had a few more minutes left, if that. He glanced over at her but she was still facing front, still chewing on her lower lip.
"Did you, uh, want me to drop you off here? Or take you to work? It's not a problem, really."
Silence. The bus stop was closer now, just in front of them. Mat tried to hide his disappointment as he maneuvered the car closer to the curb, out of the way of the traffic behind him.
Just a few more feet and Nicole would be getting out of the car, disappearing. He should ask for her number, should say something—
"Work." The word came out in a rush, like she was afraid it wouldn't come out at all if she said it any other way. Like she was afraid to accept his offer—which didn't make sense to Mat. It was just a ride to work, not a big deal.
Except it was, because it meant he could spend more time with her.
"You can take me to work." Nicole repeated the words, still looking uncomfortable. "If it's not a problem, I mean."
"No. No problem. I, uh, I'd like that." And why did he have to sound like such a moron around her? It was like every last conversational skill he possessed completely disappeared in her presence.
Mat smiled, trying to reassure her, then eased away from the curb and back into the slow-moving traffic. He stopped at the light then looked back at Nicole, wishing she would at least look over at him. Maybe smile. Or at the least, not look quite so uncomfortable.
"So where do you work?"
There it was again, the slight shifting and the nibbling on her lower lip, like she was already regretting her decision. Mat tightened his grip on the steering wheel, wishing he could say something to put her at ease.
"Um, Pulaski Highway."
Mat frowned. That wasn't exactly an answer, not really. And it was further away than he thought, especially if she had planned on taking a bus. But he didn't say anything, just moved into the left lane so he could change directions to get on the highway.
"Where on Pulaski Highway?" His mind was mentally travelling the long highway, trying to imagine where she might be working. It ran from the city to the county, a long stretch of questionable neighborhoods, industry, trucking companies, and clubs. He wasn't completely familiar with the area, though, so he was having a difficult time trying to figure out where she might be working.
"Um, I'll let you know when we get closer."
Was it his
He glanced over at her then muttered when the car behind him blew on the horn. Mat eased his foot off the brake and moved forward, driving as slow as he dared. The bus stop was coming up but he didn't want to reach it, didn't want Nicole to leave just yet. If she did, he had no idea when he might see her again. If he could convince her to let him drive her to work, maybe he could get her number. Maybe he could even get the chance to ask her out.
But she still didn't answer. In fact, she looked uncomfortable, more than she had when he first picked her up. And she wouldn't look at him. That bothered him for some reason.
And maybe he should just drop her off and let it go. He was probably worrying her, probably coming on too strong. Yeah, knowing his luck, she probably thought he was being too pushy, too aggressive.
He blew out a quick breath and pulled his shoulders up to his ears, trying to ease the knots, the tension, that suddenly gripped his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push. I'll drop—"
"No." Nicole said the word so fast, louder than he expected, that he almost jumped in surprise. She looked over at him, just a quick glance, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip. Mat tried not to focus on her mouth, tried not to remember what her mouth felt like on him.
All of him.
She turned away and Mat bit back a sigh, wondering if maybe he had been too obvious, if he had stared too hard. Wondering if she could read his mind and knew exactly what he was thinking.
The bus stop was coming up, two car-lengths away, but traffic was still moving slow. He figured he only had a few more minutes left, if that. He glanced over at her but she was still facing front, still chewing on her lower lip.
"Did you, uh, want me to drop you off here? Or take you to work? It's not a problem, really."
Silence. The bus stop was closer now, just in front of them. Mat tried to hide his disappointment as he maneuvered the car closer to the curb, out of the way of the traffic behind him.
Just a few more feet and Nicole would be getting out of the car, disappearing. He should ask for her number, should say something—
"Work." The word came out in a rush, like she was afraid it wouldn't come out at all if she said it any other way. Like she was afraid to accept his offer—which didn't make sense to Mat. It was just a ride to work, not a big deal.
Except it was, because it meant he could spend more time with her.
"You can take me to work." Nicole repeated the words, still looking uncomfortable. "If it's not a problem, I mean."
"No. No problem. I, uh, I'd like that." And why did he have to sound like such a moron around her? It was like every last conversational skill he possessed completely disappeared in her presence.
Mat smiled, trying to reassure her, then eased away from the curb and back into the slow-moving traffic. He stopped at the light then looked back at Nicole, wishing she would at least look over at him. Maybe smile. Or at the least, not look quite so uncomfortable.
"So where do you work?"
There it was again, the slight shifting and the nibbling on her lower lip, like she was already regretting her decision. Mat tightened his grip on the steering wheel, wishing he could say something to put her at ease.
"Um, Pulaski Highway."
Mat frowned. That wasn't exactly an answer, not really. And it was further away than he thought, especially if she had planned on taking a bus. But he didn't say anything, just moved into the left lane so he could change directions to get on the highway.
"Where on Pulaski Highway?" His mind was mentally travelling the long highway, trying to imagine where she might be working. It ran from the city to the county, a long stretch of questionable neighborhoods, industry, trucking companies, and clubs. He wasn't completely familiar with the area, though, so he was having a difficult time trying to figure out where she might be working.
"Um, I'll let you know when we get closer."
Was it his
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