Part 13 (1/2)

I'm surprised he didn't hoot and holler like a mad man.

”You should probably call Preston at some point,” I grinned, ”You owe him.”

”Trust me,” he planted his feet on the ground and stopped the stool from spinning, ”I will.”

We finished up our drinks and he gave me his address, just in case I lost him on the bike, and we headed out.

It took a whole three minutes before he darted between two cars and took off like a shot.

I pulled up at the address he gave me and shook my head.

”You've gotta be kidding me,” I muttered to the steering wheel.

My phone started ringing from its cradle on the dashboard. I hit the green telephone b.u.t.ton on my steering wheel and answered with, ”Really, Porter? The Ritz-Carlton? Don't you think that's a little over the top?”

The sound of his laughter came through my speakers and filled my car. Porter Hale in stereo was a whole new level of torture for my hormones.

”When you can have anything you want,” I could hear the smile in his voice, ”why settle for less than the best?”

The line went dead and a split second later, there was a knock on my window. A shrill squeak jumped out of my throat and I turned my head to face the offending knuckles.

I rolled down the window and let loose barrages of swear words that would've made my father proud.

Porter just laughed at me and shook his head. ”A pretty lady like you shouldn't know words like that,” he said when I had finished, ”Are we taking your car?”

”Get your a.s.s in here, you idiot.”

He jogged around the front of my car, running an appreciative finger over the hood, and let himself in the pa.s.senger side.

”Where, are we going, Miss Daisy?”

He made a show of primping an imaginary bob cut and clutched a string of invisible pearls at his throat. ”Well,” the thick southern drawl he used was surprisingly accurate and forced a laugh out of me, ”I do believe there are some lovely tide pools down at Dana Point if that's the kind of thing that interests you. There's a Wayland Gallery in Laguna that carries some amazing pieces, and, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, there's also a paddle board rental shop on the beach next door.”

I could see the challenge in his eyes as he spoke the last sentence and something inside of me rose to the occasion. There was no way in h.e.l.l I'd let him win this game.

I put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, slamming on the gas and darting into traffic like a crazy person. I watched him in my peripheral, hoping to see him flinch or grab for the ”oh s.h.i.+t” handle above his door.

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d didn't move a single muscle. He remained completely relaxed and his giant goofy smile never faltered once.

I maneuvered through the city traffic and onto the freeway like a precision driver and let the horses beneath the hood carry us away.

The great thing about traffic in Los Angeles is the fact that there can be a million cars on the road and, unless some idiot causes an accident, you never come to a stop. b.u.mper-to-b.u.mper traffic in California just means that everyone drives really close together at freeway speeds. Everywhere else I'd ever driven, n.o.body rushes anywhere during rush hour. It's just gridlock for as far as the eye can see.

”What made you pick Audi?” Porter asked as he poked at the b.u.t.tons on my stereo.

”They're the best,” I said simply and swatted at his hand, ”I could've spent more money and gone for something a with a little more luxury, but at the price point I paid for this thing, there isn't a better car on the road.”

He laughed and went back to messing around with the b.u.t.tons, ”I'll accept that answer. It seems we have more in common than we initially thought.”

I quirked an eyebrow and glanced over at him, ”What do you mean?”

”Well, we both own what we consider to be the best, we both drive like maniacs, we both know Preston, we both work in the film industry,” his smile grew even bigger, ”and we both think I'm gorgeous.”

”Ha!” I almost swerved into the next lane as I laughed, ”Conceited much? Someone needs to poke a hole in that ego of yours before it explodes.”

”Are you denying that you want to climb me like a tree?”

No.

”You bet your a.s.s I am!” I lied, ”I'm not going to sleep with you, Porter. Two of my best friends have been trying to talk me into it since before I even met you. If they can't do it, neither can you. And now you're a client. Conflict of interest much?”

”Hmm...” he hummed thoughtfully, ”I see.”

I really didn't like the sound of that.

I already knew Porter Hale well enough to know he'd never give in that easily. He was up to something. Whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be good for me.

”Save us both the trouble and put it out of your head. Give it up. I don't want to have to bury a body this week.”

The laugh that burst out of him was sudden and loud, causing me to jump and jerk the wheel to the left. The car went with it, jolting perilously close to the car next to us before I could guide it back into my lane.

”What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?” I asked accusingly, ”Are you trying to get us killed? You almost gave me a d.a.m.n heart attack!”

”I'm sorry,” he said between breaths, ”but that was the funniest thing I've heard all day!”

”I don't remember telling any jokes,” I glared at him with one eye, keeping the other on the b.u.mper of the car in front of us, ”You must be really easily amused.”

”There were two jokes in there, Holly. The first one being that you think you could do enough damage to have a reason to bury me,” he chuckled to himself quietly. ”The second being that you think I could put you out of my mind for even a second.”

I think my ovaries blushed.

I could feel the heat travelling through my stomach and radiating out into my body like a miniature sun had taken up residence inside my v.a.g.i.n.a. It was a sensation I had almost grown accustomed to since Porter Hale had trampled his way into my life.

I fought the urge to press my thighs together and hoped that he wouldn't see the flush I could feel creeping up my neck. I didn't want him to know the kind of effect he had on my body. He would absolutely use that knowledge to his advantage and make it a point to reduce me to a babbling, blus.h.i.+ng schoolgirl at every opportunity.

”Porter,” I sighed, giving him time to interrupt my protest.

”I'm not saying you have to marry me.” I scoffed but he ignored it and continued, ”h.e.l.l, I'm not even saying I want you to stay the night. The only thing I'm saying is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met. I need to get you out of my system so we can go on with this business relations.h.i.+p you're so intent on having. I can see it in your eyes, Holly. You want me just as bad as I want you. There's nothing that says we can't burn bright for a night and scratch whatever itch it is that we've both got for each other.”

”That's the difference between you and I, Porter,” I tried to keep my voice calm and level, ”Just because I want something, doesn't mean I have to have it. You're the cake to my diet. I might crave whatever you've got to give, but I know d.a.m.n well that it won't be good for me and I'll just hate myself for it in the morning.”

”Are you always this cold, Holly? Or is it just with me?”

”You're the only one who has ignored the No Trespa.s.sing signs and forced your way into my bubble in a while. So I guess it's just with you.”

I could feel my defenses going up and if he didn't drop it, I was going to start saying things I'd probably regret even more than sleeping with him. He was a nice enough guy and didn't deserve that. I had to find a way to distract him and get him to change the topic of conversation for his own sake.

”I know Preston well enough to understand your relations.h.i.+p with him, but I don't know anything about Parker. Preston doesn't really say anything about him and, from what I gather, you guys aren't very close either.”

He let out a huff of air telling me I had struck a nerve.