He stood frozen, peering at her from over the roof of the car with his mouth hung open.
She climbed into the driver’s seat. “Are you coming?”
A deep chuckle escaped his throat. “Yes, ma’am.”
The car started with a low rumble and deep thunderous vibration when she turned the key. Pulling out of the driveway, she reached over Reed and tugged on his seatbelt. “You might want to buckle up. Darlin’.”
Reed’s Camaro flew from 0mph to 60mph in a matter of seconds, leaving him hanging on for dear life. “Don’t wrap my car around a pole,” he warned fretfully. “How the hell did you learn how to drive like this in that sardine can of yours?”
“I dated a race car driver.” She shot him a sideways timorous grin.
“What happened?” he asked in a condescending tone.
JC tossed her hair to the side and flashed Reed a sexy smile. “He wasn’t near as much fun as his cars.”
This provoked a laugh from him.
“Something else you should know about me, Reed, if you don’t already. I’ve dated…a lot.” Her voice cracked exposing a hint of insecurity. “It’s not something I’m proud of nor am I embarrassed of, but seeing how you’re such a gentleman, I think you should know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Resting his hand on her headrest, he twirled a lock of her hair between his fingers. “Let me get this straight. From what I can see, you can shoot whiskey, you like to swear a bit, you know how to drive, and you can be very feisty. Am I right so far?”
Her heart thundered right along with the motor. “Yep.” She nodded.
He tucked her wind-whipped hair behind her ear, tenderly tracing her lobe. “JC darlin’, if you tell me you like to chase women, I might just cry.”
JC gasped, her nose curled into a snarl. She slammed on the brakes, sending his Camaro into a controlled fishtail slide, ending with an abrupt stop and Reed’s fingers clinging to the dashboard.
“Reed Rider!” she growled. “I was not kissing that woman. She totally tricked me right in front of the paparazzi. If you want to know something about me, then ask! And if you’re going to Google me, do it sitting next to me so I can at least explain the photos. Most of them are complete bullshit!”
The car sat sideways in the middle of the empty street. Reed blinked repeatedly, opening his mouth to say something then closing it. JC clenched the steering wheel forcefully to keep her hands steady.
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. I didn’t Google you. I was only making a joke. You know the old saying, drink, drive, chase women.” A long pause filled the space between them followed by a devilish chuckle, “But I will now. Let’s turn around. That sounds much better than shopping.”
“Oh…my…God.” She buried her face in her hands, mumbling, “Never so embarrassed…I am not turning around. We’re going shopping.” She put the car in gear and headed down the street.
“I’m waiting. This I gotta hear!” he probed sardonically. “What were you on? Inquiring Minds Want To Know?”
“And a few others,” she admitted hesitantly.
His brows arched in absolute shock. “Really?”
She scowled, recalling the months of hell that followed. “A year or so after my mom and Tom married, I spent a significant amount of time here in California. I dropped out of college after the first year. Tom opened a few doors for me and I started doing quite a bit of modeling.”
She paused briefly, allowing him the opportunity to acknowledge the fact he already knew who she was. His silence confirmed her suspicion he knew nothing of her or her past. He wasn’t the type of man to flip through a tabloid magazine at the check-out counter.
“I was having a great time, working, meeting people, partying. Not that I partied much, I’m not that big on drinking and drugs of any kind are out of the question. However, if there’s dancing involved, you can always count me in. Nonetheless, I started hanging out with a couple of girls who were always on the scene, both came from wealthy mogul families. They seemed nice at first. I was green, you know, wet behind the ears. These girls got into every club, knew all the right people, one big funfest.” She shook her head in antipathy. “I was so naïve. The paparazzi started following me relentlessly, instantly turning our friendship into a media frenzy. The other girls thrive on attention. I do not. I went into modeling as a legitimate career, not notoriety. After two months of friendship, I was over it.”
Reed’s humor faded to understanding when she cringed, humiliated with her own behavior. “What made you walk away?”