Tempting Rowan(16)

The cashier announced the total, and I reached for my wallet, but Trent was already pulling out a credit card.

“Nope, no way, put that thing away,” I warned. I was not letting Trent buy my groceries. I didn’t need his charity.

“Row, don’t be difficult,” he went to swipe his card.

“Don’t even think about swiping that card, Trenton.” My voice was icy cold. I was pissed.

“You mean like this?” He blinked his eyes innocently and swiped the card.

“Cancel that!” I pointed at the cashier. She looked at me like I had lost my mind…maybe I had.

“Uh…” She looked from me to Trent and back again.

“Don’t listen to her,” Trent waved a hand dismissively. “My girlfriend likes to assert her independence by buying the groceries. But I’m a man, and that’s my job. She really needs to stop getting her panties in such a bunch.”

My mouth fell open as the cashier handed him the receipt.

“I’m not your girlfriend.” I don’t know why those were the first words to leave my mouth.

“Oh honey, you always say such hurtful things when you’re on your period. I should’ve gotten you a brownie,” he smirked, throwing a smile over his shoulder at the cashier. We sure were giving her an entertaining evening.

Trent pushed me aside and rolled the cart out into the night. He headed straight to where my car was parked and I wasn’t surprised to see his shiny black car beside it.

“Open the trunk,” he demanded, already grabbing up bags.

“I don’t need your help.”

He looked at me peculiarly. “I never said you did need my help, but I want to help you, and there’s a big difference. Besides, Row, accepting help doesn’t make you any less of an independent person. I know you’re all for girl power and doing things by yourself, but it’s okay to let someone else step in and take care of you.”

I swallowed thickly, looking down at the ground so he couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. I opened the trunk and stepped back, hoping he didn’t see how upset I was.

No one had ever taken care of me. I was raising Ivy, Tristan, and myself. Nobody cared about me, and if I let Trent in I’d get spoiled to having him, then he’d leave and I’d be even more shattered than I was now.

He got all the groceries in the trunk and reached up to close it.

My breath fogged the chilly air as I forced myself to thank him. “Thank you,” I finally squeaked after an awkward silence.

He laughed—and oh my God how I loved his laugh, it was husky and masculine, and perfect like him. “It really killed you to say that, didn’t it?”

I shrugged. “No one ever helps me, so I’m not used to thanking people.”

“That’s really sad,” he frowned.

“It’s the truth,” I pushed my hair out of my eyes, heading for the driver’s door. “I’ll see you…sometime.”

“Row?”

“Yeah?” I turned back around and he was right there.

He reached out, caging me between his arms, his hands resting on the rusted hood of my car.

“Goodnight,” he whispered huskily, and then he kissed me. It wasn’t really a kiss, more a brush of his lips, but it was enough to ignite a fire in my body. I found myself leaning in, wanting more, but he was already gone.

I opened my eyes, which I hadn’t realized I closed, and saw him getting into his car wearing a proud smirk.

He drove away and I still stood there in the cold. I was in a daze, shocked by his brazenness and how much I’d enjoyed the barely there touch of our lips. My heart raced against my ribcage and I reached up to place shaking fingers against my lips. I was so screwed.





chapter three



My car wouldn’t start. It was completely dead. No lights. No clicking. Zilch.

I had stopped at the drugstore close to school before heading to class to pick up a few things and now I was stranded in the parking lot. If I had to I could walk to campus from here, but it was a particularly windy day and my backpack probably weighed fifty pounds. I tried to comfort myself with the fact that today was a review day, but I still hated to miss a class. I prided myself on perfect attendance and grades.

I grabbed my phone, calling the insurance company so they could send for a tow truck. I was told to wait with my car and that a tow truck would arrive within thirty minutes to an hour. Great.

It was too cold for me to stay in my car, so I grabbed my backpack and headed inside Walgreens. I spoke to the cashier, explaining the situation, and asked if she minded if I worked on some homework while I waited. It wasn’t an issue, so I picked a spot close to the door so I’d see the truck when it came, but far enough away that I wouldn’t freeze every time it opened.