See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(5)

“I didn’t have you keeping me up all night,” he said with a sly smile.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it. Now stop stalling. Paper, rock, scissors time!”

“Best out of three?” he asked with a sparkle in his eye.

“Fine,” I grumbled. It looked like he might have caught on after all. I could only do one prediction at a time. There was no way I would be able to tell what he was going to get on all three.

“Alright on three. One, two, three.” I got paper and he got rock. “I win the first round.” Just like I knew I would.

“Ready?” he asked. “One, two, three.” He got rock and I put out scissors. “I win,” he preened.

“Alright, last time determines the winner,” I said, trying to work up my Seer mojo. It seemed to be on hiatus though and refused to give me anything other than a vague fog. “One, two, three.” I landed paper and Kennan had stupid scissors.

“I knew you were a cheater! See, you only ever win when we go one round. You are such a cheater face,” Kennan said as he poked me in the ribs.

I looked at him and stuck out my tongue. I refused to verbally acknowledge his accusations. Suddenly, the sound of oldies filled the car. It was going to be a long ride.

“Really, babe? Can’t you at least switch it to country? That I can handle, this is just plain mean,” I griped.

“Suck it up, Buttercup. You lost. I will torture you in any way I please,” he laughed.

I thought up some seriously delicious ways in which he could torture me. They did not seem feasible in our current mobile circumstances. Well, maybe feasible, but highly illegal. I sighed and rubbed my hand down my face. That was the second time today I had let my libido override my brain. I needed to get a handle on it or I would be in the middle of some sort of serious situation with my mind on what Kennan kept under his clothes.

“How far are we from Nashville?” I asked with a heated look.

“Entirely too far, but we need to make it there. So stop distracting me with your wily ways. I shall not succumb to your seduction.”

“That sounded like a challenge to me. It is ever so far, I think that I have the time to make you change your mind.”

“Seriously, Izzy. I will pull this car over on the side of this road and have my wicked way with you. Then Isadora will be all mad that we missed our deadline. Molly will send out the National Guard in search of you. Ian will get all upset that his Seer is upset. It will be a disaster. So stop distracting me. If you had won radio rights would you be doing this?” Kennan asked suspiciously.

“Maybe,” I said with a snicker.

“Woman, you drive me insane.”

“The feeling is mutual, K.O.” I leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek. I couldn’t wait until we got to Nashville. The Parthenon be durned, I wanted to get me a piece of that man.

The next few hours passed with very little excitement. The country roads passed by and we made it to the interstate. Montgomery and Huntsville were both rather hectic. I was glad that Kennan was driving and not me. I hated driving in cities. I never drove when I lived in Chicago. I always used transit or my bike to get around. I supposed I had never really had to do much driving. According to Kennan, I would not be doing much of it now either. Stupid Guardian with his stupid Guardian rules. Oh well, it saved me from having to drive through city traffic.

We crossed the Tennessee border and I was taken aback at its beauty. It had been dark the last time we drove through, and I had not gotten to see anything but the inky outline of trees. The rolling hills and farms were so picturesque; I was wondering why I had not chosen to move here instead. We made our way up I-65 with my constant narration of things that piqued my interest outside of the windows.

The trees were beginning to change colors into brilliant reds and oranges. Down where we lived the leaves just said “I quit,” and fell off of the trees. It was so hot, they never really changed colors. I sat silently in awe of it all as the sun began to set. We arrived in Nashville early in the evening and Kennan drove us straight downtown. I was surprised by how small it was compared to other cities I had seen. Seattle and Chicago made Nashville seem downright homey. I looked up at the tall buildings and wondered where Kennan was taking me.

We pulled up outside some swanky hotel and got out. I didn’t bother looking at the name. I had more important things on my mind, like climbing my future husband. We made our way into the lobby and he got our keys from the front desk. I wondered when he’d had time to book the room. I thought back to the morning and realized he’d probably done it as soon as I called Isadora. The sneak. I just rolled my eyes and followed him to the elevator.

Once inside he pushed me against the wall and ravaged my mouth with his own. I was breathing heavily by the time we surfaced on our floor.

“That was an awesome distraction. Could you do that for all future elevator rides?” I asked as it dawned on me that I had not panicked at all while in the elevator. My fear of closed spaces was not getting any better.

“I didn’t do it for that, but any excuse to kiss you is fine by me,” he said as he brushed my hair behind my ear. He slid the keycard into the slot and rushed me inside.

Before the door had fully closed I was wrapped around him. I kissed him deeply as if it were the last time I would ever feel his lips on mine again. Ever since his almost demise I found I could not merely kiss him. Every time it was like it might be the last.