“Now you think you know me?”
“No.” He lifted his arms again. “Just an observation.”
“Well, since you are interrupting my vacation, I didn’t ask for your opinion. Also, that’s such an arrogant, man thing to say.”
“Man thing?”
“Men never have to worry about driving cross country by themselves. Never have to worry about being assaulted, drugged, or raped. You don’t even contemplate how every moment we have to be on guard. And the fact some guy sees me traveling by myself or I stop to have a drink in a bar? I’m a target.”
“Yeah.” He dipped his head. “You’re right. We don’t.”
I nodded, feeling like I won some debate. Should have known better.
“Even better you have me with you then, huh?” He reached for the handle, Goat’s head popping up over the dash.
“Oh, my dog is scared of—” I put out my hand, needing to warn Smith, but the door was already open, leaving him and Goat face to face. I waited for the growl, to see Goat shrink away from this huge man. Sadie’s boyfriend, Nathan, was tall and trim, but not at all as daunting as this beast, and Goat still hid from Nathan.
Goat tipped back, his body stiffening like he was going to faint, but stopped when Smith’s deep gravelly voice spoke.
“Hey, boy.” Smith held out his hand, letting Goat sniff him. Goat smelled him and leaned back, his weight shifting between his paws, but he didn’t growl or run. Goat timidly leaned forward again, sniffing and then bumping his head into Smith’s large hand, inviting him to pet him, nuzzling the huge man.
My mouth dropped open. What the fuck happened?
“Aren’t you a sweet dog.” His low voice cooed softly as he stroked Goat’s white fur, blue eyes meeting mine as I opened the driver’s side.
“That’s Goat.”
“Goat?” Smith snorted, rubbing his chest. “Should I ask?”
Goat leaned up, licking his face, causing my mouth to drop more.
“What?”
I shook my head. “He doesn’t usually like men.”
A sexy grin lifted Smith’s mouth, making something between my legs pulse. “Guess it makes me special.”
“Or not a real man.”
He sniggered, his eyes flashing, looking directly at me. “Would you like to check for yourself and find out?”
The ache between my legs made me scramble into the driver’s seat, infuriated at my betraying body. This made no sense. I hated this guy.
I unlatched Goat, and he moved to the back, jumping on the bed, which took up most of the rear.
“Are you ready to go, or what?” I buckled in, snarling as I turned on the car.
He chucked his stuff in back, then settled in the passenger seat.
“That depends, Baby K… Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“A real adventure?” He winked over at me.
Oh yeah, this was going to be lots of fun.
Chapter 4
Kinsley
“So… what have you been up to?” Smith leaned back in the seat, his legs wide, arm on the windowsill, looking very much at home and comfortable, while all the nerves in my body were tweaked and on alert to his every move and breath. The air conditioning tickled his dark locks, his heavy gaze shifting from the window to me. “How long has it been? Eight years or something?”
“Nine.” Almost exactly. I was thirteen when they all graduated, Smith immediately leaving town, never to be seen again, even on holidays. From little things my parents said and the bruises I’d see on Smith’s body, I knew his home life with his dad wasn’t great and why he was over at ours a lot. The two of them moved to our town after his mother died when I was eleven. I didn’t interact with Dan Blackburn more than seeing him come for Smith at our house, looking drunk and angry. Mom told me Dan died last year of liver failure, and Smith didn’t even come back for his funeral.
“Nine,” he repeated, staring over at me as if he was finally noticing I had grown up in those years. I stirred in my seat, my skin dotting with sweat, even though the chilly air blew straight on me. “Your brother said you just graduated from San Diego University. Congratulations.”
I lifted a shoulder in a shrug, feeling the emptiness that came with the congratulant sentiment. I worked so hard to come out the other side, but I felt even more lost than when I went in. Along the way I was supposed to find that thing that got me excited or at least put me on the path toward the thing I wanted to do. But walking across the stage, the dean handing me an empty diploma jacket, seemed very apropos.
Blank of purpose.
“Don’t tell me—the youngest Maxwell has no clue what she wants to do with her life.” He faked horror, his lips twitching with humor.
“Shut up,” I grumbled, annoyance coating my tone.
Smith burst out laughing, the sound deep and thick, sending heat and annoyance up my neck.
“You really haven’t changed, have you?”
“What do you mean?” He opened his arms, motioning to himself. “You don’t think I’ve changed since you last saw me?”
“More muscles, but fewer brain cells.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “Little premature to judge me so early on.”
“You forget I knew you. Was the only one who seemed to see through your bullshit.”
“You didn’t like me very much.”
“Still don’t.”
Instead of reacting like a normal person when insulted, he chuckled, his eyes igniting with life.
“All I was going to say was I think you’re perfectly normal, Baby K. Most people don’t have a clue what they’re going to do right out of college. Your brother and sister are the abnormal ones. Do you know how many people actually use the degree they went to school for? Not even thirty percent.” He rubbed a hand through his silky, dark hair, his attention going to the flat desert passing the window. “Why I didn’t bother. I always knew college wasn’t for me.”
I remembered he graduated because the football team didn’t want to lose him, which I found appalling. He never struck me as someone even remotely dumb. Actually, sometimes he would come out with a quote from a book when I’d ask if he knew what a book even was. He almost flunked out because he couldn’t give enough of a shit to attend classes.
“So, if not college, what have you been doing these past nine years.”
A slow, naughty smile curved his mouth, his attention still out the window. “Living.”
“Could you narrow it down?” I rolled my eyes. “What do you do for work?”
“Do you want to know what I do for money, or what I do that makes me happy?” He grinned at me, evading the question.
“So… prostitution then.”
A choked laugh snapped up his throat, his head tipping back. “Then I would be making money doing something I loved and am very good at.”
“Oh my god, will you just answer the question?” I exhaled, hitting the steering wheel.
“Will what I do tell you about me? Will you have me all figured out?”
“You know what? Forget it. Don’t answer. Actually, don’t talk unless it’s to tell me which airport to drop your ass off at.”