“You don’t mind, do you?” Kenny asked as he tossed his now-empty beer through the open back window of the Honda. “You’re headed in that direction anyway.”
He’d known as soon as he’d pulled over that he wasn’t pulling away without Roxy. He tipped his head toward the bed of the truck. “Go on. Climb in. Not you,” he added when Roxy made a move to follow them. He leaned across and opened the passenger door. “In here. Two’s the maximum number of riders permitted in the bed of a pickup,” he added when she hesitated. Not true, but he doubted she’d look it up.
Still she held back, fingers twisting the knot in her T-shirt as she considered the passenger seat.
“I’m wet.”
His attention automatically dropped to the V between her legs. Holy shit, his head was going to explode—or some part of him—even as his last rational brain cell acknowledged she meant the comment innocently enough. She didn’t want to sit on his leather seat in her wet swimsuit.
“It’s fine.”
She undid the knot in her shirt and pulled it over her head, which had him dragging his gaze up her body. Her naval ring only snared him for a second, while a vision of those wings taking flight as she straddled his lap and rode him straight to heaven flashed through his mind. But the star-spangled triangles stretched over her tits stalled him longer. The damp fabric revealed every contour. A couple strings disappeared around her neck and a couple more around her back to tether the top in place, but her breasts swayed precariously as she arranged her shirt across the passenger seat. He sat, paralyzed, while she climbed into the truck and carelessly tortured him to death with cleavage—front cleavage, side cleavage, even a lung-hollowing glimpse of under-cleavage when she twisted her hair up in a topknot. Finally, she settled into the seat and tugged the bikini into place. His imagination subjected him to a ruthlessly graphic vision of hauling her onto his lap, pushing the bikini out of his way, and replacing it with his hands. In his fantasy, she sank her fingers into his hair and guided his mouth to one eager peak. He could almost hear the grateful sounds she’d make as he drew it deep into his mouth.
In reality, she folded her arms, crossed her legs, and expelled a long breath that was anything but grateful. “Let’s go.”
“Seat belt.”
He waited for her to buckle up and tried not to notice the way the air conditioning blew trailing strands of her hair away from her face. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Reckless. Of all the people in town to hook up with you found the two most likely to—”
“Hold up. Who’s Reckless?”
He turned in his seat and caught his reflection in the mirrored lenses of her sunglasses. Hair on end, jaw clenched. Perfect. He looked as unhinged as he felt. “That would be you. My point is—”
“I am not reckless, Officer Donovan.” Her chin came up. “Maybe I don’t live my life the way you think a person should, but I’m old enough to make my own choices. I take care of myself. I’m a responsible adult.”
“Really? I’d love for you to start acting like one. A responsible adult ought to know better than to trespass onto private property, have a swim, get stoned, and consider driving with an expired license.”
That stubborn little chin of hers dipped as she drew in a breath through her nose. “First off, there were no fences or signs. I didn’t know we were trespassing. Second, I didn’t get stoned. I don’t do drugs.” She ran her hands down her arms, where goose bumps rose, and God damn him, he zoomed in on her chest. Cold nipples poked against thin fabric.
Fighting the compulsion to warm them in half a dozen intimate ways, he punched the air conditioner down a few notches and then took her chin and turned her face to his. Next, he slid her sunglasses down. Clear, blue-green eyes shot I-told-you-so at him. “Fine. You went for a swim while Dumb and Dumber got wasted. Still not responsible. Neither is driving with an expired license.”
“I forgot about the license, but that’s a technicality. There’s nothing wrong with my driving record. I just need to renew the stupid thing.”
He revved the engine as a warning and glanced in his rearview mirror to make sure Dobie and Kenny wouldn’t go flying when he pulled out. They were secure, so he steered onto the road. “Until you do, any time you take the wheel you’re breaking the law.”
“It’s an infraction.”
“Roxy.”
“Come on, West.” She slouched in her seat and re-crossed her arms. “No harm, no foul.”
“What a great philosophy. Why don’t we all just pick and choose the laws we want to follow? Or maybe only follow them when it’s convenient?” He shook his head. “I gotta warn you, Reckless, that strategy will land you in hot water around here.”
“You don’t have any give in your world for extenuating circumstances?” He felt her gaze on him and sensed something more than momentary defensiveness behind the question.
“That’s just a long term for shitty excuses, and I’ve heard them all. People where I grew up had a million reasons why they couldn’t do right. The unfairness of life and all manner of unavoidable situations justified everything from stealing, to beating the crap out of someone, to selling drugs. I enlisted as soon as I could, got out, and you know what the Navy taught me pretty damn quick?”
She shook her head.
“There are no acceptable excuses. You respect rules and honor your commitments. Fall short, and somebody might go home in a body bag. Same deal
