by Ivy Smoak
His good mood was contagious, but it didn't really take away from the fact that I had woken up with this awful feeling in my gut. I needed to focus on getting to Pasadena, despite how appealing stopping at the four corners monument and jumping Tyler's bones sounded. The longer I was away from my dad, the more guilty I felt. My mission was to get the money, not explore the Grand Canyon and Tyler's body. So why did I so badly want to do both? I glanced at Tyler out of the corner of my eye. He turned toward me at the same time and smiled. I immediately turned back to the road.
"Truth or dare?" he said.
I laughed. "I'm not playing truth or dare with you."
"Why not?"
"Because it's a game for kids."
"Sounds like you're chicken."
I laughed again. "I'm not chicken. Fine. Truth."
He put his left elbow on the center console and leaned closer to me. "On a scale of one to ten, how attracted are you to me?"
God, I should have picked dare. I kept my eyes glued to the road and tried to play it cool. "You're awfully conceited. Who says I'm attracted to you at all?"
"You seemed attracted to me when you kissed me the other night."
"Yeah, well, I wasn't thinking clearly. It just so happened that I hadn't had tequila in quite some time."
"Fair enough. You still have to answer the question, though."
"Fine. You're an attractive guy, sure. Like a seven."
Tyler laughed. "I'll take what I can get. Your turn."
"Truth or dare?"
"Definitely dare."
I pressed my lips together. I had wanted to ask him the same question. But I had lied. He was a ten. He probably would have just lied to me too. I said the first dare that popped into my head. "I dare you to moon the next car that passes us."
He laughed. "Fine." He started to unbutton his shorts.
"Oh my God, you're not seriously going to do that?" I put my hand out to block the view of him. Not that I really wanted to. It was just a reflex.
"You think I'd back down from a dare? Never." He pushed his shorts down his legs but kept his boxers on. "You're going to have to slow down if you want someone to pass us."
I took my foot off the gas. "You don't actually have to do this. Let me think of something else."
"No, this is perfect. Here comes someone now."
I watched him unbuckle his seatbelt and stand up in the moving car. He winked at me as he pulled down the back of his boxers, keeping the front of himself covered.
I stared past him at the van that was driving by. The couple in the front didn't seem to notice, but a little girl in the back looked like her jaw had hit the floor.
"Oh my God!" I pointed to the kid.
Tyler ducked down, peered through the front windshield, and started laughing hysterically.
Which made me start laughing hysterically. But I didn't miss the side view of his ass before he pulled his pants back up. His firm, perfectly squeezable ass. I gripped the wheel tighter than necessary and tried to push the image of his ass out of my mind.
"That was epic," he said and playfully shoved my shoulder.
And there was that spark again. That little indescribable burst of electricity that made my whole body feel alive.
He slowly let his hand fall from my shoulder. My heart was beating so loudly, I swore I thought he could hear it.
"Your turn," I quickly said.
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What's your greatest fear?"
I hadn't expected such a serious question after he had just mooned a ten year old girl. I bit the inside of my cheek. Losing my dad. That fear seemed to be seeping into my system. The farther I drove away from my hometown, the guiltier I felt. "Can I pass?" I could feel him staring at me.
"I'm just trying to get to know you."
Why was I trying to hide from him? Didn't I want him to know me? Didn't I want this to be more than whatever it was right now? "I'm terrified of being alone. Not in the physical sense. I'm fine being home alone and reading a book or whatever. That's fine. But I'm scared of not having anyone to count on." I swallowed hard.
"It seems like you and your dad are really close."
"We are."
"What happened to your mom?"
I wish he was still mooning strangers.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that. I just..."
"No, it's fine. I don't have a mom. It's just my dad and me." I knew how weird that sounded. Everyone had a mother. Humans didn't just get dropped off by a stork. "I mean, of course I had a mom. I just...don't anymore."
"I'm sorry."
I knew what he probably thought that meant. And I didn't feel like correcting him. "No, it's fine. Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"On a scale of one to ten, how attracted are you to me?" I smiled at him and then looked back at the road.
"You really can't tell?"
I shook my head. "Honestly, half the time I think you like me and the other half of the time it seems like you wish I had never gotten in your car."
"I'm really glad you climbed into my car."
"Yeah?" I tried to hide my smile. "Why is that?"
A big, fat raindrop fell against the windshield with a splat.
"I find you incredibly refreshing."
"Why, thank you, Tyler. But you didn't answer my question."
"You're a fucking ten, Hails."
I didn't dare turn my head toward him. I didn't want to see whether or not he was smiling and joking around with me. I wanted to believe he really did think I was attractive. And the way he had said it affected me in an embarrassing way. I pressed my thighs together.
"Not that it matters," he said. "Since you only think I'm a seven."
I didn't need to look at him to know that he was smiling now. It was strange how quickly you could feel like you really knew someone even after only a few days. I wanted to tell him that I was lying. Because Tyler Stevens was a fucking twelve.
The rain started to fall faster. I turned on the windshield wipers. The storm had come out of nowhere. It had been sunny five minutes ago.
"Do you want to switch with me? I don't mind driving."
"No, I got this." I leaned forward slightly. It was like someone was throwing buckets of water on our windshield.
"Really, I can..."
"I got this, Tyler. Don't you trust me?"
He laughed. "Not really."
I hit his arm and made sure not to wrap my fingers around his perfect biceps. "I just opened up to you about my biggest fears. Don't be an ass."
"My biggest fear currently is that you're going to drive us off the side of the road."
"I'm a good driver!" I leaned forward in my seat even more. It was almost impossible to see. But I refused to back down. All I could hear was the rain splattering against the car, making the whole thing shudder.
"Seriously, Hails, pull over. We can just wait out the storm. This is crazy." He put his hands on the dashboard and leaned forward to get a better look out the windshield.
And of course I stared at him. Because it was impossible for me to not stare. My eyes just loved gravitating toward him when he wasn't looking, when I couldn't be caught.
That's when the car slid. I slammed my foot on the break but nothing happened. Oh my God.
"Hit the break!" he yelled.
"I'm trying!" I tried to pump the breaks with my foot, but the car continued to swerve.
Tyler reached down and pulled the emergency break and the car started to slow just in time for it to collide with something.
My body jolted forward, pressed hard against the seatbelt, and then jolted back. It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. I had almost killed us.
"Are you okay?"
Crap. Fuck. Shit. God, what had I just done?
"Hails, are you okay?" He touched my cheek and turned my face toward his.
The concern in his eyes was almost palpable. And just for a second, I didn't feel like I
had just royally fucked up. I felt safe. With his hand on me, I felt so content.
"I'm okay," I whispered.
He immediately dropped his hand from my cheek and opened up the door, stepping out into the torrential downpour.
"Tyler!" I yelled but he had already slammed the door.
I saw him run his hands through his wet hair as he looked at whatever damage I had caused to his car. He kept them on the top of his head like he had never seen something as horrible in his life.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out into the rain too. It was pouring so hard that the rain almost hurt my skin.
"Get back in the car, Hails!" he yelled over the sound of the splashing water.
"Let me help!" I stepped around the car and saw the huge dent in the front bender. The tire had a large gash in it and was already completely deflated. We had run straight into a small boulder. If Tyler hadn't pulled the emergency break, the car probably would have been totaled. And we'd both be... I tried to ignore the thoughts floating around my head.
I looked over at Tyler. His t-shirt was completely soaked. It clung to his strong chest and biceps. I suddenly had no desire to help him put on a spare tire. All I wanted to do was touch him.
"You've already helped enough!" he said.
I had no idea how I could want to rip someone's clothes off at the same time I wanted to rip their throat. I stormed over to him. "You can't fix anything when it's pouring. You need to wait for the rain to let up."
"I can fix it. Would you just get back in the car?"
"No." I wasn't really angry. I was just completely focused on his baby blue eyes and I never wanted him to stop looking at me. I always wanted them on me.
Chapter 16
Tyler
Monday
I glared at her. But I wasn't actually angry. At first I had just been relieved that she wasn't hurt. And now? Now I was looking at the way her wet shirt clung to her body. The rain was cold and her nipples were starting to show through the thin fabric. I wanted to touch her. I wanted to run my fingers over every inch of her wet skin. But something was holding me back. Probably the fact that she looked like she wanted to take a swing at me.
"Are you always this stubborn?" I asked.
"Me?" She took another step toward me. "What about you?" She poked me in the middle of the chest. "Take a look in the mirror, Tyler. You're the most stubborn person I've ever met."
The only problem with what she was saying was the fact that her hand hadn't left my chest when she poked me. She spread her fingers out, laying her palm flat against my chest, right over my heart. When I left New York, I felt broken. But staring down into her eyes, I didn't feel that way anymore. I didn't care about anyone I used to like. I didn't care about the fucking car. All I cared about was the fact that she was standing in front of me, wanting me as badly as I wanted her.
I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her face to mine. She didn't pull away, she simply melted into me. It was nothing like when she had kissed me before. This wasn't some drunk kiss that she wasn't going to remember in the morning. This kiss was everything.
A part of me had wanted her from the moment I saw her. But I was still holding on to something that didn't exist. For the first time in a long time, I didn't need to hold on anymore. I was all in. I was done living in the past. I just wanted to experience this moment. I stepped forward, pushing her backwards against the wet car.
She moaned into my mouth. If I wasn't already hard, that would have done it. This time I was the one pushing her forward, parting her lips, making her give into me. I fisted her hair in my hand, drawing her head back so that she could give herself completely to me. Hailey Shaw was finally going to be mine.
She grabbed my shirt in her hands, clinging to me like I was her fucking life preserver. I knew she was hurting. I knew she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Drinking wasn't the way to fix that. But getting lost in each other? That was an idea I could get behind.
The sound of a car speeding by made me reluctantly pull away from her far too soon.
I watched her catch her breath. The only thing separating us was the pounding rain and steam rising off the pavement. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest was rising and falling as fast as I'm sure mine was. A gentleman was supposed to end it right there. Just a kiss. But I wasn't a fucking gentleman.
"Get back in the car, Hailey." This was her one chance to get out. All she had to do was get back into the passenger's seat and this would be over. Just a kiss. Please want more than just a kiss.
She stared back at me defiantly. "Make me."
Chapter 17
Hailey
Monday
His lips crashed back down onto mine. I ran my fingers through his wet hair as he pulled my thighs around his waist, lifting me off the car. All I could focus on was that kiss. Suddenly nothing mattered but him. This moment was all I needed. He was all I needed.
I knew what was about to happen. And I didn't care if it was on the hood of his car or on the side of the road. All that mattered was that in a few seconds I'd be full of him. I heard the click of the car door opening.
I laughed as I pulled back from the kiss. "I don't actually want to get in the car. I want you. How much more obvious do I need to be?" I tightened my legs around his waist. He looked even more handsome when he was soaked. His shaggy hair was stuck to his forehead, and droplets of water hung seductively to his eyelashes. God, I was in trouble.
"That's why I'm coming in with you." He ducked down and suddenly the rain wasn't falling on us anymore. He laid me gently in the backseat and closed the door behind us.
I could still hear the rain falling against the roof but everything seemed muted now that we weren't standing in it.
It looked like he wanted to say something, but I was way past talking. I needed him to touch me. I needed his fingers, his mouth, his cock, whatever he was willing to give me. I spread my thighs apart, not embarrassed at all. Because I could tell his desires matched my own.
He put his hand on the inside of my thigh and slowly slid it up, stopping right below the hem of my jeans shorts. "You're beautiful, Hailey. Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"
"I don't need flattery." I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him toward me. "I need you to fuck me."
His lips crashed back down on mine. The hand that was on my thigh moved to the button of my shorts. In a matter of seconds he was pulling them down my legs. Without any hesitancy he thrust a finger deep inside of me.
Oh God.
He slid another one inside of me, stretching me wide. His fingers were amazing, but I wanted more. I needed him. I wanted all of him.
I reached for the button on his shorts, but he stopped my hand.
"I don't have a condom."
Shit. "I still want to please you." I could see the fabric straining around his erection. The evidence that he wanted me was all over his face too. I tried to reach for him again, but he stopped me.
He lifted my hand above my head, leaned over me, and lightly bit my earlobe.
Fuck yes.
"It's okay, Hails," he whispered in my ear. "I just want to see you come." He moved his thumb to my clit and started massaging it while his fingers started to thrust even faster.
And I wanted to let go. But not like this. I hadn't been dreaming of his fingers. I was so horny that I couldn't even be embarrassed by anything that spilled out of my mouth. "I'm on birth control. I'm clean. Please, Tyler, I need you."
"Are you sure?"
"If I don't feel you inside of me I'm going to internally combust."
He let go of my hand. This time when I started to unbutton his shorts he didn't stop me. I let my fingers run down his happy trail and dip beneath the waistline of his boxers. I wrapped my hand around his erection. God, he was huge. He was going to feel so amazing inside of me. I started to pump up and down his length with my hand.
"Fuck. This isn't going to work," he groaned.
"W
hat?" For a second I thought I had done something wrong as he pulled away from me.
"The angle. Get on top of me, " he said as he shoved his boxers to the ground. His cock stood at attention, just waiting for me.
I had never had sex anywhere but a bed. I had never had sex with someone I had known less than a week. And I had never had sex without at condom. But no one had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me either. And I had never been this wet in my life. And I had never wanted something so badly before.
I sat up and lifted one of my thighs across his legs, straddling him in the backseat of a car on the side of a highway.
He pushed my wet tank top and bra up past my breasts and took one of my nipples in his mouth. It was like it had a direct line to my groin. I closed my eyes as I felt his hands grip my waist. He slowly lowered me onto him, sliding into me inch by inch.
"You're so fucking tight," he said against my breasts as his fingers tightened on my waist.
I had never felt this full. I let the sensation overcome me as I gripped his shoulders. God, I couldn't move. I couldn't even think. I let him guide my hips up and down, setting the pace. The wonderful, wonderful pace. Nothing had ever felt this amazing before. I dipped my fingers beneath the back of his wet shirt and down his muscular back. His skin was so smooth. We were a tangle of wet clothes and limbs. I had never experienced anything so sexy in my life.
His mouth moved to my other nipple. His tongue swirled around, teasing me, turning my nipples into hard peaks. I could feel myself tightening around him. Oh God, not yet. This couldn't end yet. "Stop, you're going to make me come." I felt him smile against my breast.
"I want you to come, Hailey. I want to make you come a thousand times."
Jesus Christ, where had his dirty mouth come from?
He guided my hips faster, fucking me the way I had demanded. Hard. Raw. Intense.
