Page 27 of Diesel's Perseverance
“You didn’t ask to be in this situation. I want you safe.”
“I think we need to talk about the elephant in the room, you know?”
“What do you mean?”
Myla twisted her fingers in the grass and pulled a few blades loose. “That we’re attracted to each other.” She kept staring down at the ground. “I’ll admit I was blown away when I first saw you at the diner. I didn’t picture you looking like you do.”
“And how is that?”
“Handsome as all hell.” She chuckled softly.
A grin spread across Diesel’s face. “Did you think I’d look like an ogre or something?”
“Something like that. I mean, you were in prisonandan outlaw club. I thought you’d have an unkempt beard down to your chest and have some pounds around your waist or something. I don’t know.” She covered her face with her hands.
He laughed. “Maybe that’ll be me in forty years.”
“I doubt that,” she said softly.
Diesel watched the play of sunbeam and shadow on her dark hair.
“What did you think of me?” she asked, glancing up at him.
He averted his gaze to the river. He wanted to tell Myla she was beautiful and hot but didn’t dare. It wasn’t right; she might misunderstand and think he was interested.
“That you were classy.”
“Oh, is that all?” Disappointment laced Myla’s voice.
“You look fine. I’m going into town. Do you want to come? I figure you might want to get some things.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“Do you want to come or not?” He stood up.
Rolling her eyes, she replied, “Yes, I do. Can we go to the grocery store?”
“Sure. I’ll meet you by the SUV.”
“I’m ready now. I’ll walk with you.” Myla straightened out and fell into step with him. “You know it’s okay.”
“What is?”
“For us to be attracted to each other. It doesn’tmeananything.”
“It’s just biology.”
“Yes, exactly. I’m glad we cleared the air, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
In his opinion, nothing was resolved. All Myla did was bring their mutual attraction out into the open, which was the last thing he wanted. The sooner he found Freddy and cleaned up his mess, the quicker Myla could leave Pinewood Springs.
Chapter Seven
“You enter theitem sold here.”
Diesel’s muscular arm brushed against Myla as he showed her how to work the register’s software. Distracted by his closeness, she only nodded as he continued the tutorial. Instinctively, she leaned a bit into him and inhaled. He smelled like the outdoors after an early spring rain—clean and crisp with a hint of earthiness.
