“Gave me somethin’ last night and I’m keepin’ it. You’re not takin’ that.”
Again, she nodded.
“Quit fightin’ me,” I growled, putting pressure on her back.
Tori closed her eyes. Her hands fell between us, pressing against my chest as her throat worked with a noisy swallow. Then she blinked up at me. Her eyes were pale blue.
“I didn’t just come here to beg,” she admitted, keeping her voice soft and maybe a little scared.
My mouth twitched. Fuck me, this woman. I could’ve gloated but I didn’t. I didn’t want anything tainting this moment she was giving me.
Tori might not give it up again.
“You gotta work today?” I asked her, leaning away but keeping my hands on her. I held her hips.
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“I gotta be there by nine,” she said. “I told Nate I’d help him with the schedule.”
“Got time to eat then.”
I directed Tori with a hand to her back toward the kitchen. She went without resistance.
“You want coffee?” I asked.
“I don’t drink coffee.”
“Juice? Water?”
“Juice would be good.”
I moved past her and opened the cabinet to get a glass, then I went to the fridge and poured some orange juice.
“Did you get in the ocean this morning?” she asked from behind me.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You smell like it.”
I turned my head and caught Tori staring at me, leaning her hip against the counter and pressing her fingers to her bottom lip.
“But I guess you always smell like it.” She dropped her hand and shrugged. “Like you were born out there or something.”
“Been surfing since I was four.”
“Really?”
I nodded, looking away to put the bottle of orange juice back on the shelf. Then I opened the cabinet where I kept food and grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts.
“Soon as I could walk, my parents took me out. My mom surfed,” I replied, going to Tori and handing her the glass. “Started out on body boards. Loved it, so I learned fast. I was out there every day.”
She took a sip of her juice, watching me over the rim.
I opened up the pack of Pop-Tarts and held one out. Tori took it, brow furrowing.
“What?” I asked, biting off a corner.
She sat her glass down on the counter next to my empty cup, then she turned her hand over, examining the breakfast I was offering. “I don’t think I’ve eaten one of these since I was a little kid,” she said on a laugh.
“I eat them all the time. They’re good in a pinch.”
Her eyes came up. She was smiling. “They’re pure sugar, Jamie. Especially this kind with the icing. I’m surprised you still have teeth.”
I stared at the curve in her lips, stained red from the color she always wore on them. My chest grew tight. I had no fucking idea what she’d just said. Didn’t matter, though. I had something I needed to share.
“You told me last night you wanted to stop feelin’ him,” I reminded her, lifting my eyes and watching hers flicker wider.
Tori gazed at me for a beat, then she slowly brought the Pop-Tart to her mouth and took a bite.
“I don’t got time to take care of that this mornin’,” I said. “I gotta get to work.”
“Me, too,” she answered, sounding anxious around her mouthful, her hand coming up in front of her lips. “I need to go home and shower, so—”
“What time you get off?”
Her eyes went round.
“From work,” I added, smirking.
Jesus.
“Oh.” She swallowed, lowered her hand and licked her lips. “Ten tonight. I’m working a double.”
“Right.” I jerked my chin. “Be at your house by ten fifteen then.”
Tori blinked.
“You won’t be feelin’ him tomorrow,” I promised.
She blinked again. Her cheeks flushed red and she coughed a little.
I smiled, liking her reaction. “Eat, Legs. We don’t got all mornin’.”
Without hesitation, Tori went back to eating. She kept her eyes on me the entire time.
Her face never paled.
* * *
Back pressed against the window of a 2017 Dodge Charger, jaw set tight, arms crossed and muscles tense, I scanned the lot at Asher Automotives while Dash stood beside me.
He was scanning, too, but doing it looking less inclined to beat someone’s ass.
I called as soon as the dealership opened and found out Wes was coming in at ten. Hearing that, I pushed my lessons back and took an early lunch.
It was nine fifty-five.
“There.” Dash pointed at the cherry red Corvette pulling into the lot.
My gaze hardened.
“See he got new tires,” I observed, keeping my position as I watched Wes park near the door in one of the labeled employee parking spots. “Legs wanted to set his ride on fire that night. Kinda wishing I’d let her do it.”
Dash chuckled next to me.
“That was some funny shit,” he mumbled. “You remember what they were wearing?”
I nodded, thinking back to that night I saw Tori going to town on this motherfucker’s car, dressed like a fucking cartoon character and still making my balls ache.
Wes climbed out, closed the driver’s-side door and straightened fully. He was tall. Lean build. A little scrawny in the arms.
I wasn’t worried.
“Wasn’t him who sold me my car,” Dash said. “Good to know I didn’t make that asshole any money.”
The older guy I worked with a few months back, Dave, stepped out of the office and met Wes halfway up the ramp.
I spoke to him when I got here, letting him know who we were waiting for and shooting down the impression that I was looking to give a sale to someone other than him.
He seemed understanding of my issue with Wes. Apparently the shithead stole customers out from under people all the time. Being the owner’s grandson, he had job security, which sucked for everyone else. Dave also shared that the cameras pointed on the lot were on the fritz and set to get worked on next week.
I thanked him by offering up my business for life.
Wes looked across the lot after getting word on us waiting for him. The fucker grinned in our direction, most likely thinking he was getting a sale.
Dick.
“I’m gonna beat that fuckin’ smile off his face,” I bit out.
“Thought you were just here to talk?” Dash questioned, turning his head to look at me.
I met his eyes and then cut away.
Wes started walking over. He was still wearing that grin.
“Change of plans,” I said, cracking my neck from side to side.
“Fuck,” Dash mumbled. He exhaled a tense breath. “Do me a favor and try talking first. I get what you’re feeling but you got a lot to lose, Jamie. You might be able to settle this without risking what you’ve worked hard for.”
I was hearing Dash, I just wasn’t caring for what he had to say. Still, he was right.
“Fine,” I said, growing more annoyed.
“You’re gonna talk?”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
Wes stopped in front of us, smiling and giving it to us both. “Gentlemen, Dave says you were asking for me. What can I do you for?”
Again, she nodded.
“Quit fightin’ me,” I growled, putting pressure on her back.
Tori closed her eyes. Her hands fell between us, pressing against my chest as her throat worked with a noisy swallow. Then she blinked up at me. Her eyes were pale blue.
“I didn’t just come here to beg,” she admitted, keeping her voice soft and maybe a little scared.
My mouth twitched. Fuck me, this woman. I could’ve gloated but I didn’t. I didn’t want anything tainting this moment she was giving me.
Tori might not give it up again.
“You gotta work today?” I asked her, leaning away but keeping my hands on her. I held her hips.
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“I gotta be there by nine,” she said. “I told Nate I’d help him with the schedule.”
“Got time to eat then.”
I directed Tori with a hand to her back toward the kitchen. She went without resistance.
“You want coffee?” I asked.
“I don’t drink coffee.”
“Juice? Water?”
“Juice would be good.”
I moved past her and opened the cabinet to get a glass, then I went to the fridge and poured some orange juice.
“Did you get in the ocean this morning?” she asked from behind me.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You smell like it.”
I turned my head and caught Tori staring at me, leaning her hip against the counter and pressing her fingers to her bottom lip.
“But I guess you always smell like it.” She dropped her hand and shrugged. “Like you were born out there or something.”
“Been surfing since I was four.”
“Really?”
I nodded, looking away to put the bottle of orange juice back on the shelf. Then I opened the cabinet where I kept food and grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts.
“Soon as I could walk, my parents took me out. My mom surfed,” I replied, going to Tori and handing her the glass. “Started out on body boards. Loved it, so I learned fast. I was out there every day.”
She took a sip of her juice, watching me over the rim.
I opened up the pack of Pop-Tarts and held one out. Tori took it, brow furrowing.
“What?” I asked, biting off a corner.
She sat her glass down on the counter next to my empty cup, then she turned her hand over, examining the breakfast I was offering. “I don’t think I’ve eaten one of these since I was a little kid,” she said on a laugh.
“I eat them all the time. They’re good in a pinch.”
Her eyes came up. She was smiling. “They’re pure sugar, Jamie. Especially this kind with the icing. I’m surprised you still have teeth.”
I stared at the curve in her lips, stained red from the color she always wore on them. My chest grew tight. I had no fucking idea what she’d just said. Didn’t matter, though. I had something I needed to share.
“You told me last night you wanted to stop feelin’ him,” I reminded her, lifting my eyes and watching hers flicker wider.
Tori gazed at me for a beat, then she slowly brought the Pop-Tart to her mouth and took a bite.
“I don’t got time to take care of that this mornin’,” I said. “I gotta get to work.”
“Me, too,” she answered, sounding anxious around her mouthful, her hand coming up in front of her lips. “I need to go home and shower, so—”
“What time you get off?”
Her eyes went round.
“From work,” I added, smirking.
Jesus.
“Oh.” She swallowed, lowered her hand and licked her lips. “Ten tonight. I’m working a double.”
“Right.” I jerked my chin. “Be at your house by ten fifteen then.”
Tori blinked.
“You won’t be feelin’ him tomorrow,” I promised.
She blinked again. Her cheeks flushed red and she coughed a little.
I smiled, liking her reaction. “Eat, Legs. We don’t got all mornin’.”
Without hesitation, Tori went back to eating. She kept her eyes on me the entire time.
Her face never paled.
* * *
Back pressed against the window of a 2017 Dodge Charger, jaw set tight, arms crossed and muscles tense, I scanned the lot at Asher Automotives while Dash stood beside me.
He was scanning, too, but doing it looking less inclined to beat someone’s ass.
I called as soon as the dealership opened and found out Wes was coming in at ten. Hearing that, I pushed my lessons back and took an early lunch.
It was nine fifty-five.
“There.” Dash pointed at the cherry red Corvette pulling into the lot.
My gaze hardened.
“See he got new tires,” I observed, keeping my position as I watched Wes park near the door in one of the labeled employee parking spots. “Legs wanted to set his ride on fire that night. Kinda wishing I’d let her do it.”
Dash chuckled next to me.
“That was some funny shit,” he mumbled. “You remember what they were wearing?”
I nodded, thinking back to that night I saw Tori going to town on this motherfucker’s car, dressed like a fucking cartoon character and still making my balls ache.
Wes climbed out, closed the driver’s-side door and straightened fully. He was tall. Lean build. A little scrawny in the arms.
I wasn’t worried.
“Wasn’t him who sold me my car,” Dash said. “Good to know I didn’t make that asshole any money.”
The older guy I worked with a few months back, Dave, stepped out of the office and met Wes halfway up the ramp.
I spoke to him when I got here, letting him know who we were waiting for and shooting down the impression that I was looking to give a sale to someone other than him.
He seemed understanding of my issue with Wes. Apparently the shithead stole customers out from under people all the time. Being the owner’s grandson, he had job security, which sucked for everyone else. Dave also shared that the cameras pointed on the lot were on the fritz and set to get worked on next week.
I thanked him by offering up my business for life.
Wes looked across the lot after getting word on us waiting for him. The fucker grinned in our direction, most likely thinking he was getting a sale.
Dick.
“I’m gonna beat that fuckin’ smile off his face,” I bit out.
“Thought you were just here to talk?” Dash questioned, turning his head to look at me.
I met his eyes and then cut away.
Wes started walking over. He was still wearing that grin.
“Change of plans,” I said, cracking my neck from side to side.
“Fuck,” Dash mumbled. He exhaled a tense breath. “Do me a favor and try talking first. I get what you’re feeling but you got a lot to lose, Jamie. You might be able to settle this without risking what you’ve worked hard for.”
I was hearing Dash, I just wasn’t caring for what he had to say. Still, he was right.
“Fine,” I said, growing more annoyed.
“You’re gonna talk?”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
Wes stopped in front of us, smiling and giving it to us both. “Gentlemen, Dave says you were asking for me. What can I do you for?”
