Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Oh, no. We were taking a conversational turn in the wrong direction. I had to find some way to salvage it.
“Who’s the guy that’s been all over the news? They’ve been all over him for the last couple of days. They want to kneecap him,” Beau said. I felt his eyes continue to stay on me. “Their words, not mine.”
How did I answer? I wanted to use anything to help my cause, but I liked my kneecaps.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” he asked at my pause. “Nah, that doesn’t make sense. He’s a lifeguard and saved a kid from drowning. From what my nana says, the media keeps covering it, making him out to be a hero to Sea Springs or something like that.”
I barked out a laugh.
“It is you,” he accused.
“I think so,” I admitted. “But I didn’t save anyone. It was by chance that my picture was taken while your grandparents’ group was picketing. It’s the first positive thing said about the resort. My dad’s publicity team got a hold of it and blew it up.”
Seconds passed as Beau continued to stare at me. I couldn’t read his expression.
“What?” I asked when nothing more was said.
“You have a Ferrari and your parents own the resort. Your dad’s like a trillionaire...”
“Yeah, I guess. Not a trillionaire.”
I exited the highway and took the turn to go the other direction.
“The truth is my dad didn’t set out to put anyone out of business. This area has had a surge in vacationers over the last ten years. Many of those years, the growth doubled. If it wasn’t my dad, it’d be someone else, maybe far worse.” Beau nodded and settled back into the seat.
What did that mean?
“Are you quiet or are you angry?”
“I’m not anything.” He shrugged. “Mobile’s grown crazy like that too. This whole deal between the resort and the locals has gotten way too mean and there’s no going back from here. They should’ve found a way to work with your dad. Her group was never gonna win. And now they’re out of money.”
“I agree with what you’re saying. My dad’s lost his mind too, and I’m not sure he’ll ever recoup all the money he’s had to spend.”
And here we were again. Beau silent, his focus turned to the road in front of us, staring out into the dark night.
“Is today really your birthday?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Did you get presents?”
He grinned; his body visibly relaxing. He dropped his arms from his chest. All good signs we’d turned the conversation around. “Yeah, that bike I was on that I wrecked in front of you.”
“Oh no.” Seriously on the no. I kept landing us in bad dialog after bad dialog. “Did it get messed up?”
“It’s fine. I get roughed up more in a game,” he said and turned toward me again. “But I did a badass somersault over the handlebars. The brushes stopped my fall. I nailed it. Makes me think I should have a career in stunt work.” Beau was clearly making fun of himself, yet he said it with hints of pride. For me, if I had received a single scratch, I’d have to be checked out in the emergency room. “I also got a cell phone.”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a new Nokia. “My dad always thought I was too young for a phone. Apparently, my mom doesn’t. That’s the cool thing about divorce, I guess.”
“Well, happy birthday.” It gave me a chance to look at him again, if only for a few seconds. I sensed we may have had a breakthrough and moved on from the awkwardness.
“Thanks. Take the next exit. There’ll be all residential roads from here.”
I did as instructed, feeling far better about the trip as I left the highway. The speed limit shifted to thirty miles an hour once we were back on the frontage road. Now all I had to do was find a way to keep Beau in the car for as long as I could.
Something about the dark, quiet night, mixed with the soft feel of luxurious leather, and this guy with his sexy cologne sitting next to me lulled my senses into a place I hadn’t been in a long time, —comfortable.
Since I rode with the enemy, I risked a lot. Images of my grandmother with a shotgun played through my head. There was about a fifty/fifty chance on whether she’d shoot me, but Dash definitely had zero percent chance of coming out unscathed.
I threw a joke when I should have been anxious. All Dash’s doing.
I managed to keep my humor on the inside as my cock strained, pulsing against my jeans every time he opened his mouth to speak. His smooth tenor sounded so intimate. Alluring, mixed with lots of fairy dust.
Dash was friendly, easy to talk to. Even though he did most of the heavy conversational lifting.