He considered the woman in his arms and decided that, in a way, he was.
14
“I CAN’T BREATHE,” Grace protested, pushing up from Justin’s lower back.
“Yikes, woman. Kidneys. A man has kidneys.”
“Well, put me down.”
“Nope.” He adjusted his hold, putting more pressure on her hips rather than the soft part of her belly. “I’d rather piss blood.”
“Pretty picture.” She watched his ass flex as he walked, trying not to think about the people gaping at them as they passed. A wicked thought crowded her mind. Letting herself down on her hips, she arched her back, curled her fingers and dug them into Justin’s sides. “Oomph!”
He jumped, knocking the wind out of her and twisting his torso wildly to get away from her hands. “Cut it out, Grace!” he shouted, laughing.
“Ovaries, Justin. A woman has ovaries.”
He carried her through the doors to the parking lot. Cool air heavy with mist settled around her, tracing invisible fingers around her waist where her shirt had lifted and exposed skin. She shivered.
“Cass’s car should be nearby. Look for a dark truck that says Preservations on the side.”
“All I can see is your butt. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a great view. But that leaves me pretty useless when it comes to helping you find the truck, unless you happen to be walking away from it.”
He snorted, pulling her forward and casually hooking one arm behind her knees and the other around her shoulders.
Something decidedly feminine in her fluttered at being handled so easily. Good Lord, she could be such a girl sometimes.
“There.” Justin shifted her just enough that he could beep the gleaming truck open. “She didn’t mention she’d bought a new truck.”
“Nice, though I’m more an Audi A8-S girl.”
“An import girl after my own heart.” He grinned, shifting her again, this time to open the door and carefully set her down so she was seated but facing out. He saw her settled before gently maneuvering his way in between her thighs.
Flustered, she glanced up into his face. “What are we doing out here?”
Work-roughened fingertips traced down her neck and settled over her erratic heartbeat. “Nothing.”
“Clearly our definitions of nothing are different.” She leaned against the passenger seat. “Awful lot of work to go through to collect on a kiss.”
“Not really.” He shrugged, broad shoulders briefly blocking the streetlight. “Besides, I’m saving the kiss.”
Her guard went up. “For what?”
“Such skepticism, Grace. Just saving it.”
“Then why the big to-do about carrying me out of the bar?”
“Did it bug you?”
“No.” The admission proved harder than it should have.