the road ahead.
Emory didn’t seem to be
the only one with a lot on their mind. Christian hadn’t said much since they’d
left her place. Something was obviously troubling him. Did it have something to
do with the phone call he’d taken? Had it been Yasmin on the opposite end? If
so, did hearing her voice cause him guilt for being there with Emory?
Emory lowered the
volume and Mariah’s voice faded. “Are you okay, Christian? You seem
preoccupied.”
He nodded slowly. “I’m
good.”
The weak smile he
flashed wasn’t overly convincing, but who was she to dispute. If he said he was
good, he was good. “Okay.” Her focus shifted back out the window, but it didn’t
stay there long. “It’s just that you seem like something is troubling you.”
Christian flashed a
half-smile. “That’s cute.”
“What’s cute?”
“Your concern.”
Emory rolled her eyes
away. “Whatever. Just can’t be nice to some people without them taking it out
of context.” Facing him again, she said, “And for the record, I’m not
concerned. I just wanted to make sure you were focused on driving. I don’t want
you to run me into a telephone pole or something.”
He barked a laugh.
“Well, gee, thanks for your non concern. I’ll do my very best to keep you
alive. I wouldn’t want your death on my conscious.”
“Good.”
“Fine.”
She reached forward and
cranked the volume on the radio. “Fantastic.”
Coming to a red light,
he shut the radio off. “Do you always have to get the last word?”
She was about to say
something snarky and clever, but the way Christian’s eyes raked over her face
muted her. His eyes lowered to her parted lips—lingering way too long for
comfort, in her opinion. The temperature inside the SUV tripled. This man was
turning her into a fool for love.
Banishing the quiver in
her stomach, the pressure between her thighs, and the hum in her heart, she
said, “Light’s green,” in a low, yielding tone that she hadn’t meant to use.
“So it is,” he said,
the road ahead reclaiming his attention.
Christian pulled away
from the light and made a right onto Person Street, forcing Emory to bolt forward
in the seat. “Ah, where are we going? My shop—and car—are both in the opposite
direction.”
“Breakfast. I’m
starving.”
Was he serious? Hadn’t
they already established that dining together was not a good idea? Did he
believe that had changed? “I really need to have my car running this morning,
Christian. I have to pick my mother up from the hospital. You can’t continue to
chauffeur me around town. I’ve occupied too much of your time already.” And
you’ve consumed far too many of my thoughts .
“Did I not mention I
had your car towed first thing this morning? One of my boys owns an auto body
shop off of New Bern Avenue.”
Had my car towed
first thing this morning?
“He originally thought
it was the battery, but discovered acid had leaked and corroded some wires.
There were a few other issues, too. Major issues. When was the last time
you had that vehicle serviced?”
She hadn’t. Anything
other than the standard oil change required additional monies. Funds she didn’t
have. Had her car towed? A vision of an astronomical bill played in her head.
Lifting his phone from the center console, she pushed it toward him and said,
“You should call him before he gets started.”
Christian’s brow
furrowed. “Call him for what?”
“ Because —” She
closed her eyes briefly to steady her tone. Meeting his questioning gaze, she sighed
a sound of defeat. “Because I can’t afford it, Christian.” Her pride took a
hit, but she’d always been able to be honest with Christian without judgement.
“But I can. It’s
already taken care of, Emory. It won’t cost you anything. Other than a few more
hours with me. But if that’s so unbearable, I can rent you a car.”
“I don’t need you to
take care of it, Christian. I don’t need you to take care of me .
Emory didn’t seem to be
the only one with a lot on their mind. Christian hadn’t said much since they’d
left her place. Something was obviously troubling him. Did it have something to
do with the phone call he’d taken? Had it been Yasmin on the opposite end? If
so, did hearing her voice cause him guilt for being there with Emory?
Emory lowered the
volume and Mariah’s voice faded. “Are you okay, Christian? You seem
preoccupied.”
He nodded slowly. “I’m
good.”
The weak smile he
flashed wasn’t overly convincing, but who was she to dispute. If he said he was
good, he was good. “Okay.” Her focus shifted back out the window, but it didn’t
stay there long. “It’s just that you seem like something is troubling you.”
Christian flashed a
half-smile. “That’s cute.”
“What’s cute?”
“Your concern.”
Emory rolled her eyes
away. “Whatever. Just can’t be nice to some people without them taking it out
of context.” Facing him again, she said, “And for the record, I’m not
concerned. I just wanted to make sure you were focused on driving. I don’t want
you to run me into a telephone pole or something.”
He barked a laugh.
“Well, gee, thanks for your non concern. I’ll do my very best to keep you
alive. I wouldn’t want your death on my conscious.”
“Good.”
“Fine.”
She reached forward and
cranked the volume on the radio. “Fantastic.”
Coming to a red light,
he shut the radio off. “Do you always have to get the last word?”
She was about to say
something snarky and clever, but the way Christian’s eyes raked over her face
muted her. His eyes lowered to her parted lips—lingering way too long for
comfort, in her opinion. The temperature inside the SUV tripled. This man was
turning her into a fool for love.
Banishing the quiver in
her stomach, the pressure between her thighs, and the hum in her heart, she
said, “Light’s green,” in a low, yielding tone that she hadn’t meant to use.
“So it is,” he said,
the road ahead reclaiming his attention.
Christian pulled away
from the light and made a right onto Person Street, forcing Emory to bolt forward
in the seat. “Ah, where are we going? My shop—and car—are both in the opposite
direction.”
“Breakfast. I’m
starving.”
Was he serious? Hadn’t
they already established that dining together was not a good idea? Did he
believe that had changed? “I really need to have my car running this morning,
Christian. I have to pick my mother up from the hospital. You can’t continue to
chauffeur me around town. I’ve occupied too much of your time already.” And
you’ve consumed far too many of my thoughts .
“Did I not mention I
had your car towed first thing this morning? One of my boys owns an auto body
shop off of New Bern Avenue.”
Had my car towed
first thing this morning?
“He originally thought
it was the battery, but discovered acid had leaked and corroded some wires.
There were a few other issues, too. Major issues. When was the last time
you had that vehicle serviced?”
She hadn’t. Anything
other than the standard oil change required additional monies. Funds she didn’t
have. Had her car towed? A vision of an astronomical bill played in her head.
Lifting his phone from the center console, she pushed it toward him and said,
“You should call him before he gets started.”
Christian’s brow
furrowed. “Call him for what?”
“ Because —” She
closed her eyes briefly to steady her tone. Meeting his questioning gaze, she sighed
a sound of defeat. “Because I can’t afford it, Christian.” Her pride took a
hit, but she’d always been able to be honest with Christian without judgement.
“But I can. It’s
already taken care of, Emory. It won’t cost you anything. Other than a few more
hours with me. But if that’s so unbearable, I can rent you a car.”
“I don’t need you to
take care of it, Christian. I don’t need you to take care of me .
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