Page 41
"Chace—Dusty!"
"I've got it." I don't touch the brake. You never touch the brake with a trailer pushing you. I feel it shove against the truck, feel the back end start to wander, but I keep us straight and let the rig slow on its own as I guide us toward the shoulder. Gravel pops beneath the tires. I've got the hazards on before we've even stopped rolling.
"You okay?" It's out of my mouth the instant we stop, my hand already reaching across the seat to grab her arm.
"I'm fine." But she's not looking at me. "Dusty? Chace, is he okay?" She’s out the door before I can respond.
I catch up to her at the trailer. Dusty's stomping and banging the divider, letting us know exactly what he thinks of the situation, but he's standing solid on all four legs. No panic, just attitude. Addie's already got a hand through the slats, talking to him in that soft voice she only uses with him. Whatever she's saying works. His ears tip toward her, his head lowers, and he lets out a long breath.
“You’re okay, boy.” She whispers to him, “Chace just doesn't know how to drive.”
"Pretty sure the tire made the decision to blow on its own," I mutter, heading back up the shoulder to check the damage.
It's worse than I thought. The rear passenger tire isn’t just flat; it’s completely gone. Shredded down to the cords, strips of rubber hanging from the wheel well. I crouch beside it and blow out a slow breath. "Well, shit."
"How bad?" Addie comes up beside me, one hand on her hip.
The rim took the hit too. It's bent just enough that there's no way a spare is going to sit against it. So much for changing a tire and getting back on the road. "Bad enough you should start calling for a tow." I dig my phone out of my back pocket and hand it over. “One bar. Good luck.”
She wanders off up the shoulder, holding my phone toward the sky like an offering. I sink down against the side of the truck, stretching my legs out in front of me, one hand hanging lazily over my knee.
Twenty minutes later and she’s back. Slumping down beside me, defeated. “I got through, but they can’t come get us for a few hours, at the earliest.”
It's ninety-five degrees, and sitting on this blacktop feels like sitting on a damn griddle. Sweat runs down my back, and my shirt is plastered to my skin. I stand, stripping it off without a second thought, dragging the cotton across my forehead before tossing it through the open truck window.
"We can't be out here for hours. Hopefully someone comes along soon." I glance down at Addie just in time to catch her raking her eyes up and down my body. A slow grin spreads across my face. "My eyes are up here, Sunshine." I tap two fingers against my temple.
She rolls her eyes as she pushes herself to her feet. "I know where your face is." She dusts off the back of her shorts, refusing to look at me.
"Do you?" I stretch my arms over my head, taking my sweet time before letting them fall back to my sides. Right on cue, her eyes drift south again, and I laugh.
"Oh, my God. Your ego is insufferable." She shakes her head and stalks toward the back of the trailer, muttering something under her breath as she goes.
She's been pushing my buttons since she kicked those boots off, making no effort whatsoever to hide those long legs from me. If she thinks she's the only one who can get under somebody's skin, she's got another thing coming.
Then I hear the cap twist off the water jug behind me. I turn just in time to catch her taking a slow drink, her eyes locked on mine over the rim the entire time. She lowers it slowly, a tiny, satisfied smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, but doesn't cap it. "Hot out," she says.
Then she pours.
She tips her head back just enough that the trail of water runs down her throat, disappearing beneath her tank top. Then she sweeps her hair off her neck and stretches, causing the bottom of her shirt to lift just enough for me to catch a strip of damp, tanned skin. She sighs, long and slow, way too satisfied with the cool water trailing over her skin.
My dick gets hard so fast it hurts. Fuck me.
My grip tightens on the edge of the truck until my knuckles ache. It's either hold on to that... or hold on to her. If she makes one more move, or one more inch of her shirt rides up, every ounce of restraint I've had since this trip started is going straight to hell.
"You okay over there?" she asks innocently, capping the jug. "You look a little distracted, Cowboy." Her finger drifts across the top of her breast, collecting a stray drop of water. She watches me the whole time as she brings it to her lips and licks it away.
Damn fucking right I’m distracted.
What she doesn't seem to understand, though, is that I’ve spent the last couple of weeks holding the line I drew in the sand when it comes to her. I drew the damn thing for good reason. But fuck if that reason isn't becoming blurry out here on the road alone with her.
It's not like before. I used to tease her because it was funny watching her get worked up. But there are two of us playing now, and the truth is, I've wanted her to play back a hell of a lot longer than I'll ever admit.
To hell with this. I move toward her, and something flickers across her face. A crack forms in that triumphant glimmer in her eyes. Her chin stays raised and defiant, but her breath hitches as I close the distance between us. She takes one step back. Then another. Before long, her back is against the truck, and there's nowhere left for her to go.
“Chace,” she warns.
"You started this one, Sunshine," I say. "Just so we're both clear." I'm close enough to smell coconut on her skin, and something underneath it that's just Addie. Her chest is rising fast, and that wet shirt isn't doing either of us any favors.
