Page 24 of Slide

Chapter Six

Adam cranked up the music and planted his foot on the gas. Tension seeped from his muscles with every mile that took him farther from LA—and the white-hot temptation there.

Thankfully, Lucy had been out when he stopped at the garage to give the Superbird a once-over before leaving. Seeing her face-to-face after what happened… he couldn’t do it. Not yet. Not with the way he was still feeling.

An image of her dancing swam through his head unbidden. Christ. The sundress she’d worn, yellow, as the brightest sun, had made her natural olive skin fucking glow. The soft fabric swaying, lapping at her upper thighs, making his goddamn mouth dry. Her dark hair had been down, swaying across her back, so thick. How would it feel to sink his fingers into all that warm dark hair—fisting it, using it to control her movements, to bring that tempting, sexy, smart mouth down on his?

He shifted in his seat.

Dammit.

Not helping.

This road trip, taking time to get his head straight, wouldn’t do jack if he couldn’t stop thinking about her, fantasizing about her…stroking his cock to thoughts of those goddamn pouty lips parting for his tongue.

The sun was starting to rise on the horizon. He’d driven all night and put seven hours between him and his best friends’ little sister…and it still wasn’t anywhere near enough. You can do this. You can put her back in that safe place and then you can lock it tight. You can let her go. Adam dragged a hand over his face, feeling weary as hell. He glanced out the side window.

Something moved in the backseat.

He jerked around, twisting his body to get a better look, and at the same time veered onto the wrong side of the road. A leg. There was a leg poking out from under his sleeping bag. What the fuck? Adam swerved to the right and quickly pulled over. There was either someone in his car or the fuckers that stole it got off on dismembering people and leaving body parts lying around. He jumped out and shoved his seat forward. The leg didn’t move. It was smooth and tanned, the toenails painted blue.

No fucking way.

If the nail polish wasn’t enough of a giveaway, she’d been wearing the same color at Abella’s. He only had to look at that shapely leg to know who he’d find attached to it. Adam fisted the sleeping bag and dragged it away. Lucy lay on her back, hair in a tangle around her face, mouth open, eyes closed—sleeping like a baby.

He actually looked around him like this was some kind of bad joke or a dream. No, a goddamn nightmare. What the fuck was going on? All he could do was stare at her, mind scrambling, trying to work out what in the hell she was doing in the backseat of his cousin’s car. He wasn’t having much luck. How could he think past those tiny fucking cut-off shorts? Lucy wasn’t tall—she barely reached his shoulder—but her legs seemed to go for fucking miles. His dirty mind instantly imagined them wrapped around his waist, supple thighs warm and smooth against his hips while he powered into her.

He grabbed her ankle, gave it a tug.

Her eyes popped open and she blinked once, twice. Finally, her gaze slid to him, and instead of looking guilty, she lifted a hand and gave him a finger wave. “Hey.”

Hey? He growled. “That’s what you’re going to say to me? Really?”

She sat up, cheeks flushed, a crease down one side from the upholstery—which for some reason seemed fucking adorable—and shoved her hair back from her face. “You know, it’s surprisingly comfortable back here. I haven’t slept that good in ages.”

Adam was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and that was what came out of her mouth? The woman was acting like there was nothing unusual about this situation whatsoever. He crossed his arms so he didn’t reach out and strangle her. “That’s awesome. Really. I’m thrilled that you’re rested. Now you wanna tell me what in the fuck you’re doing in my car?”

She yawned and rubbed a hand over her face blinking those big green eyes up at him. “Yours? I thought we were dropping it off to someone?”

We? Excellent. Of all the times to pop wood. There was something mentally wrong with him. “It’s my cousin’s car. I’m taking it back. It was stolen.” He shook his head like a cartoon character after being brained by an anvil. “Answer the damn question, Lucy.”

“What am I doing here?” She slid forward and climbed out beside him. “How far out of LA are we?”

He ground his teeth. “Seven hours.”

“Awesome.”

“Lucy,” he growled.

She smiled. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Enlighten me.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Then she grinned wider, from ear to motherfucking ear. “You’re what? What are you doing?” he choked out.

“I needed to get out of town for a bit, so thought I’d tag along.”