On the floor of Cade's truck were three cans of Reddi Wip, two chocolate and one plain. There was also a pile of Taco Bell trash and an empty fifth of Jack. A lavender thong hung from the truck's shifter, his t-shirt was twisted around his left fore...
Cade checked out where she was pointing, a no name convenience store on a corner. He scanned the lot, checking under the eave and at the sides of the building to make sure there were no Martin sorts waiting for her. Or waiting for him. Or waiting and wanting something she had. Or something he had.
He looked at her, watched her hands. "Thought you wanted pizza."
"I do. But I need something here, too."
"What?"
She slanted an eyebrow and gave him a look that made his thigh muscles twitch. "Six pack."
Beer. Made sense.
Lifting one shoulder, she added, "Or a twelve. Depends on whether we're going to share with Marin or not."
Cade wasn't feeling generous, but giving the little man a couple cans might keep him busy. Or at least shut him up. He parked in the center of the lot, pulled a twenty from his pocket. "Get a twelve."
She shook her head. "I got this. You can buy the pizza."
"Fair enough."
He watched her strut into the store, that fine ass tight but fluid, an impossible mixture of come get me and you don't stand a chance. From the high vantage of the truck seat, he noticed, for the first time, the solid roundness of her shoulders and the powerful curve of her spine. She moved intentionally, each stride planned and executed with precision. Like that row of quarters, nothing up to chance, everything in its place.
The fine hairs on the back of Cade's neck started to lift. Then the hairs on his arms. He shivered and leaned back against the seat. What was it he ought to know?
He rubbed the chill away, watched as some dried up palm fronds slid across the parking lot. Then he listened to the racket of the gulls, picking at a pile of trash that had fallen from the overfull can beside the entrance.
This is just a stop for beer. Nothing more.
Inside the store, the top of her head glided along, the rest of her body hidden by a shelf of chips. Moving fast, she appeared at the far end of the row then turned sharply. With intent. Because she'd been to that store before, buying the exact same thing, she knew exactly what she wanted and exactly what was going to happen next.
Him?
What did he know?
Nothing. Except he wanted to grab her ass. And that he was up for anything. Everything.
As long as Martin wasn't involved.
He shifted on the seat, forcing himself to stop watching her and double check that he wasn't entering a party already in progress. All the other parking spots were still empty. Sides of the building clear.
Cade checked his phone, nothing.
He tossed it onto the dash, flipped on the radio, rolled through a couple stations before settling on a favorite Stones song. Just as he was leaning back, the hinges of the passenger door squeaked.
A twelve of Bud and a brown paper bag appeared on the floor. She set one foot on each side of the bag as she settled in the seat then turned to him with a smile as she clicked on the belt.
The expression was the closest she'd come to flirting all night.
He motioned to the bag. "That a good thing?" he asked.
"A fifth of Jack."
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