“I don’t know,” she said slowly.
“If you’re worried I’m going to hit on you, I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman,” he told her in an earnest tone. “I’ll even spring for two motel rooms when we stop for the night.”
The sleeping arrangements hadn’t even occurred to her, but now that he’d brought it up, an image of sharing a bed with this sexy man flashed into her head and damned if her pulse didn’t speed up. The two-room offer brought a strange pang of disappointment, but she realized that if she were to agree to this, separate rooms was probably a good thing.
Truth was, her free-spirit nature didn’t extend to her love life. She didn’t do casual flings. Never had, never wanted to. As a result, she’d had only two serious boyfriends in her life—a three-year relationship in high school, and a two-year one with an artist in Chicago, which had ended more than a year ago.
“I’m serious, Mari, I don’t want anything from you but friendship.”
Ouch.
She frowned at him. “Are you saying you’re not attracted to me?”
Much to her annoyance, his lips twitched as if he was fighting back laughter.
“For real?” she demanded.
Austin finally let out a chuckle. “That is not at all what I’m saying. I find you unbelievably attractive.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
She hesitated. “I find you attractive too.”
He looked pleased.
“But,” she added, “I don’t do flings, and I’m not into casual sex. So if I say yes, I think the two-room arrangement is a good idea.”
“I’m not into casual flings either,” he said gruffly. “And even if I was, I’m not sure now is the right time for me to get involved with anyone. As you can probably tell, I’m a fucking mess.”
Her heart did a silly little somersault, but she couldn’t help it. It was so rare to meet a man who was willing to show any vulnerability.
“Are you sure you really want me around then?” she asked him. “Wouldn’t you rather be alone?”
“Trust me, that’s the last thing I want.”
Mari heaved out a breath. “I’m worried that you don’t know what you’re getting into. I can be a handful.”
The amusement returned to his face. “Yeah, how so?”
She pursed her lips, then recited a list. “Well, I talk a lot. I’m annoyingly cheerful in the morning. I have a small bladder, which means I need to pee a lot. Oh, and I’m a million feet shorter than you so if we walk anywhere together like we did today, you’ll have to go extra slow to meet my strides.”
She could tell he was trying not to laugh again. “I’m pretty confident I can handle a few extra bathroom breaks and walking in a slower gait.”
Indecision coursed through her, even though she knew the only word that should be leaving her mouth was no. Except…she didn’t want to say no. She wanted to hang out with Austin for a few days. Or weeks. Or at least until one or both of them got sick of the other.
But saying yes would be…crazy. It would be super freaking crazy.
On the other hand, sometimes crazy was fun.
And didn’t she deserve some fun before she moved back to boring old Des Moines?
“So?” Austin said, cocking his head.
She bit her lip again. “If I decide I don’t want to go all the way to Colorado, would you still be willing to drop me at a bus terminal?”
“Of course.”
“And you’re not going to murder me in my sleep?”
“Probably not.”
She glared at him. “Ha-ha.”
When Austin grinned, Mari’s breath caught. Because wow, he looked so sexy when he smiled. His jaw became looser, his green eyes donning a playful flicker that made him appear younger and far more approachable. She suddenly decided she wanted to see him smile more often. She wanted to make him smile. She suspected he hadn’t done much of that over the past year, and the thought of his family turmoil cemented her decision.
“All right, I’ll tag along,” she announced.
Austin’s grin widened. “You will? That’s awesome.”
“I’m not sure you’ll be saying that once I bust out my driving playlist. I’m warning you—Ace of Base is on it.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “Do you mind if I go and call my folks? I need to give them a heads-up that I won’t be home today.”
“Take your time,” he said easily.
Mari took her phone and slid out of the car. She already knew exactly how her parents would react, but she still forced herself to dial their number, then waited until her father’s voice boomed over the line.
“Sweetheart, where are you?” Jerry Smith demanded after she’d greeted him. “You said you’d be here by three. It’s nearly five! Your mother and I were getting worried.”
“I’m sorry, I lost track of time, Dad. My friend and I ended up stopping for ice cream.”