Distraction
Page 9

“I know they’re covered, but please, for my sanity, wear the shirt.”
Rolling my eyes, I take off the shirt and toss it into the trunk along with my heels.
“You’re such a pain in the ass,” he gripes.
“Yeah, and you’re Mr. Perfect,” I mutter as I head across the parking lot to his SUV, before coming to a halt when he grabs my hand and leads me toward the street. “Are we walking to your friend’s?” I ask, taking my hand from his.
“No, my driver is taking us.”
“You have a driver?”
“Yep,” he says, distracted by his phone dinging in his hand. Grabbing the stupid thing, I shove it in my back pocket and then walk backward away from him.
“Mags, give me my phone.”
“I’ll give it back to you when you stop being rude and look at me when you’re talking to me,” I tell him, jumping away from him when he lunges for me.
“Maggie, stop fucking around.”
“Promise you’ll stop being rude, and I’ll give you your phone.” I dodge him once more.
“Seems you’ve got your hands full, boy’o,” an older gentleman, who is standing next to the open backdoor of a Town Car, says as I duck Sven again.
“Tell me about it, Ken,” Sven says as he glares at me.
“I told you I’d give you your phone back when you promise to look at me when you’re speaking to me.” I shrug.
“Fine.” He holds out his hand.
Taking his phone out of my pocket, I hold it above his hand then move it before he has a chance to wrap his fingers around it.
“Mags,” he sighs, fighting a smile.
Giving in, I hand him his phone, but then squeal when he lunges, wraps his arms around me, and lifts me off the ground. “Put me down!” I yell as he spins me in circles.
“Are you going to behave?” He laughs.
“Probably not,” I tell him honestly just as my feet find purchase on the sidewalk.
“You’re lucky I like you just the way you are,” he whispers against my ear, causing heat to flood my body before he takes a step back and embraces Ken with a one-armed hug.
How’s Ann?” Sven inquires as he takes a step back toward me.
“She’s sent her love and an invite to dinner.”
“I’ll send her a message this week. I need a good home-cooked meal,” Sven replies with a grin.
“She’d like that,” Ken remarks with a warm smile that reminds me of my grandfather, and then his eyes move to me and he asks, “And who’s this?”
“Maggie, I’d like you to meet Ken. He’s been putting up with me ever since I moved to Vegas.”
“Nice to meet you, Ken.” I smile as he wraps his hand around mine and uses his free one to cover both our hands.
“You too, dear, and don’t let this boy get away with too much.” He winks.
“I won’t,” I promise, looking at Sven and smiling, and then I stick out my tongue.
Shaking his head at me, he mutters, “We need to get on the road if we’re going to make it in time.”
“It shouldn’t take long once we get to the highway,” Ken assures him with a shake of his head as he drops my hand.
“Why aren’t you driving?” I ask curiously as Ken steps away from the open backdoor.
“I need to work, and I can’t do that if I’m driving,” Sven replies as he motions for me to get into the car.
“Where are we going?”
“I think it’s best I don’t tell you,” he mumbles, sounding distracted as I crawl across the wide backseat. Looking over my shoulder, I expect to find his eyes on his phone. Instead, I find them locked firmly on my upturned rear. Feeling my cheeks heat, I fall to my bottom and scoot close to the opposite door so he can get in next to me.
“I don’t like surprises, so I’d rather you tell me where we’re going,” I grouch as the door is closed and the interior of the town car goes dark.
“Do you trust me?”
“No,” I answer immediately, but then feel bad when his jaw jerks. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust anyone, not even my family,” I add quietly.
“Trust me this once. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Studying his expression, I try to figure out what the look in his eyes means and why this moment seems so important. I have been let down by my sister and the people who raised me more times than I would like to admit, and they have made me wary of trusting anyone. “Promise,” he quietly states, and I nod before turning to look out the window, feeling my throat grow tight.
Feeling a light touch down my cheek, I hear Sven’s voice break through my unconsciousness, stating, “We’re here.”
I groan and ask, “Where’s here?” without lifting my head or opening my eyes.
Chuckling, he mutters, “Open your eyes and see.”
Opening one eye then the other, I pull my face away from the door, where I rested it and apparently fell asleep, and then feel my heart lodge itself in my throat as I look out the window. I see the words Kip’s Skydiving proudly written in bold letters from nose to tail on a small plane.
“Um…why are we here?” I ask, though I’m not sure the words are loud enough to be heard over the pounding of my heart.
“We’re going skydiving.”
“You mean you’re going skydiving,” I reply, pulling my eyes from the window to look at him and glare.
So much for the whole trusting thing.
“No, we’re going skydiving.” He grins as Ken opens the back door, allowing light to fill the car.
“I think I’ll just wait here,” I tell him, scooting as far away from the open door as I can possibly get while wishing I were a chameleon so I could blend in with the leather of the car.
“You told me you would trust me.”
“That was before I knew you wanted to strap a piece of fabric to my back and hurl me from a moving plane at hundreds of miles per hour toward the Earth, where I’m likely to splatter into a bazillion pieces,” I breathe out in a rush.
“You’re going to be strapped to me.” He smiles like that makes it all okay.
“That’s not making me feel any better,” I cry then try to tug my arm free from his hold as he pulls me across the seat. Getting away, I grab onto the door handle and hold on for dear life as he grabs both my feet and pulls. “Sven, let me go!” I yell, and then my body stiffens as an all too familiar deep baritone voice calls, “Maggie?”
“No,” I whisper, letting go of the door to look over my shoulder.
“How do you know Mags?” Sven growls, letting my feet go so he can stand to his full height, which only slightly towers over Ace, a man I dated on and off for a few months. A man who makes Sven’s womanizing ways look like child’s play.
“We dated.” He frowns then looks between Sven and me before asking, “How do you know Maggie?”
“I work for him,” I state as I get out of the car and adjust my clothes.
“Oh.” Ace grins, showing off his perfect teeth and dimple, which is made even more adorable by his dark skin.
Jerk.
“You dated him?” Sven asks from my side, and I turn to look at him.