Her lips lifted in a mischievous grin. “I’ll be quick.”
I watched her saunter away. Concerns that perhaps I was turning into an ass guy passed through my head, and then…
All.
Thoughts.
Were.
Gone.
Liv paused just outside her bedroom door and peeled her sweater over her head. Calling over her shoulder, she said, “I guess this would only be mean if I didn’t have plans to show you the front tonight.”
Son of a bitch!
But…score for tonight!
I fought the urge to throw my hands in the air in victory.
I failed.
OPEN MIND.
No guilt.
It’s not a competition.
Of course I can trust him.
We can do this.
That was my mantra as I walked out of our apartment on Quarry’s arm.
I had replaced the jeans with a modern, red dress with half sleeves and a notched hem. It hugged my every curve like a glove, but the high, rounded neckline kept it classy for whatever five-star restaurant Quarry was planning to take me to. My long hair had been pinned into a loose side-bun? and diamond stud earrings kept the whole look simple yet dazzling.
Open mind.
No guilt.
It’s not a competition.
Of course I can trust him.
We can do this.
“You look incredible,” Quarry told me.
I felt like an imposter.
My clothes. My skin. My heart. Walking out on his arm.
That all fit perfectly.
On a date with him? After having slept with him? After having admitted that I had been in love with him for my entire life? Wrong. So fucking wrong.
I swallowed hard and willed my heart to slow. “Thanks.” I peeked up and found him watching me with every step. My cheeks heated when his smile turned to his signature smolder.
“You excited for the best date of your life?”
“I’m on pins and needles,” I teased.
He barked a laugh and then stopped in front of…Till’s beat-up truck?
“Your brother’s here?” I asked looking around the parking lot.
“Nope,” he answered, running his hand over the rusted-out hood.
Till’s truck was a hunk of shit junkyards probably wouldn’t even allow on the premises. He had other cars and more than enough money to restore it to all of its budget luxury of its heyday, but with the exception of keeping it running, Till hadn’t fixed anything on it. I suspected that it had sentimental value to him. What I didn’t understand was why it was parked in front of our apartment.
Quarry answered my unspoken question when he pulled open the passenger’s side door for me. “Hop in.” He smiled.
“What’s wrong with your cars?” I asked, thoroughly perplexed.
Quarry was a car whore. He paid thousands of dollars each month to rent out four of the small garages our apartment complex offered to store his collection of sports cars. I never knew what was hiding behind those garage doors because it seemed the cars were always different. He rotated through them, trading them in whenever a newer or a nicer one came out.
“Nothing. I borrowed this from Till special for tonight.”
I scrunched my nose in displeasure, which only made him laugh.
“Get in, Rocky. We can’t be late.”
“Valet is going to love this,” I smarted, sliding into the open door.
Quarry twirled the keys around his finger as he circled the front of the truck. With an unbelievably loud creak, the driver’s side door opened, and he slid behind the wheel.
“Here. Put this on.” He lifted a blindfold my way.
I stared at it dangling from the tip of his finger. “Where’d you get a blindfold?”
“Flint said Ash likes to get crazy in bed sometimes,” he said nonchalantly.
Curling my lip, I slapped it out of his hand. “Ew!”
He laughed and scooped it off the floor. “I’m kidding. I bought it today.” He stretched the strap over my head. “Come on. I want to surprise you.”
I glared at him until he finally understood.
“Oh, right.” He cranked the noisy truck and flipped the radio on. Then his hand anchored to my exposed thigh. “I’m right here. Nothing to worry about.”
He was wrong. That was exactly why I was worried in the first place.
Open mind.
No guilt.
It’s not a competition.
Of course I can trust him.
We can do this.
I sighed then pulled the mask over my eyes.
Minutes later, with a blanket thrown over my lap since the heater didn’t work, we were roaring down the highway.
“Don’t take it off until I tell you,” Quarry ordered as the truck slowed to a stop. He put the car in park but didn’t cut the engine.
“Okay,” I agreed, shedding the blanket and straightening my dress in preparations to exit the vehicle.
Only that didn’t happen at all.
“Um…yes, I’d like two chili dogs. No onions. Two large fries…”
“Are you kidding me?” I snapped as he continued to rattle off a mountain of fast food.
I went for my blindfold, but he caught my wrists in one hand and locked them together in my lap.
His voice was filled with humor as he finished ordering. “What’s wrong, Liv?” he asked when he was done.