Page 24 of Wrecked

Suzanne gasps. “That’s amazing.”

“How did Adam know about the house?” Luke chimes in.

Kimberly answers, “Apparently, the name of the guy I mentioned is some well-known drug pusher.”

A flashback of Adam barging through the doors of the police station with a criminal in a cuffed grasp before him flies through my mind.

“Nico Martinez,” I whisper.

“You know him?” Kimberly asks, placing a hand over her heart. “Sounds like they made a second bust today. He said a girl was found unresponsive. They never would have gotten to her if it wasn’t for Nico’s arrest.”

I blink out of my memory of being cornered by the felon—his hands on me, the smell of stale cigarettes on his breath, and his knee spreading my thighs apart as he inched closer.

I look to Suzanne, who knows everything about my Saturday night.

She gives me an understanding frown. “Looks like you’re not the only one Adam saved that night.”

chapter SIX

It’s Tuesday, and Adam is on my front stoop at nine in the morning on the dot. I open the door just enough, hoping we can leave without my parents asking him to stay. Since my dad has summers off from teaching, he’s already elbow deep in sugar and dough.

“I can drive myself,” I hiss at him.

“With what car?”

“Adam, is that you?” my mom’s voice calls out from the kitchen.

“Sorry, Pam. We’re late. See you later,” I shout over my shoulder and head out the door.

Running down the front stoop, I walk my ass straight to the car and try to get out before my mom attempts to lure him in with dad’s orange loaf.

I’m at the sidewalk when I realize Adam isn’t walking with me. He’s standing on one of the front steps.

I lean forward with my arms stretched out and ask, “What? Did you want to spend another morning playing pretend boyfriend with my parents?”

He’s standing there like he’s confused about why I don’t want him to go in the house. Not a smile or a frown. Not even a hint of an expression on his face. Just a bewildered blankness.

I make a hand motion, urging him to come down the walkway and get in the truck. After a beat, he gets the hint and walks toward me. Each booted step is heavy and thick as he strides down the walkway, heading straight for me. For a second, I think he’s going to open the passenger door. Instead, he walks right up to me.

Close.

Super close.

His movement slows down to a painfully unhurried motion. His hard body is just inches from mine. I change my mind and think that maybe he’s going to collide right into me.

It’s already warm outside, but his skin emits a heat that’s far warmer than the morning sun. My body shoots ramrod straight and bursts with electricity. I feel a pulsing from my head down to my toes as his mouth closes in, just centimeters away.

His mouth. Damn, that mouth. It’s pinched and serious, and if it tastes as mean as it looks, then, by God, I want to be evil as well.

His head dips to the side, and his body sways, coming closer. An arm wraps around my body, and he leans over and makes a clicking sound. With his other hand, he moves me to the side and then opens the passenger door.

Yep, he was just opening the door for me.

I make a deep sound from my throat and smooth out my hair. It wasn’t like I actually wanted him to kiss me. I just thought he was going to. I mean, in my baby-blue yoga pants, my ass looks incredible.

I scratch my temple, wondering what in the hell that was all about.

“If they think I’m your boyfriend, then I’d hate for them to think I wouldn’t open your door.” He turns around and waves toward the front window.