Pulse (Collide, #2)(27)
“That’s pretty f*cking hot.” He grazed his lips against her ear. “You can drive every stick I own whenever you want.”
Excitement bubbled in Emily’s stomach as she turned on her heel and headed for the driver’s side. Opening the door, she slipped in and adjusted her seatbelt. When Gavin sank into his seat, Emily looked over at him, a smirk on her face. “Now it’s my turn to tell you to get your seatbelt on.”
“A dominant woman. I love it.” Gavin reached for the seatbelt. “Just don’t get us killed.”
Emily playfully smacked his arm. Keys in hand, she frowned when she couldn’t find the ignition. “How do I start it?”
Gavin couldn’t hold back his smile. “Miss Indie 500, the car’s already on, and it’s a push button.”
Emily rolled her eyes, stepped on the clutch, and eased out of the parking lot. “Don’t make fun of me, wiseass.”
Her cute, sassy words made Gavin chuckle.
“This Indie 500 woman’s not used to driving expensive cars like this. The ones I’ve owned usually yell at me when I start them up.”
Gavin mocked shock, his blue eyes wide. “They literally yell at you? Bastards.”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Emily smiled and nodded. “Actually, they curse me out.” Gavin barked out a laugh, and Emily stopped before turning onto the highway. She looked at him. “How did you get the window fixed so quickly?”
“Money has its advantages, sweets.” He grinned, curling his fingers around the nape of her neck. “Now turn your landlord on and show him what you got, speed demon.”
Emily smiled like the Cheshire cat and pulled onto the highway.
Gavin watched soberly as her shapely legs, belonging to him, moved under her silk sundress each time she pressed down on the clutch. Her delicate fingers curled around the shift as she glided through the gears. Her auburn hair falling in loose curls had him shifting in his seat. Fuck. He was getting turned on. Heat sliced through his stomach. But hell if she wasn’t driving like his grandmother.
He cleared his throat and hit a few buttons on the touchscreen panel to turn on the satellite radio. “You can drive a little faster.”
Emily sent him a questioning stare. “I’m doing the speed limit.”
“I thought you liked to drive fast?” Gavin lifted a confused brow.
“I said that so you’d let me drive, considering how fast you drove yesterday.” She shrugged. “I never speed.”
A wicked grin twisted Gavin’s mouth. He leaned over, rested his hand on her right thigh, and pushed down. To add a little fuel to the fire, he caressed her flesh in a slow, circular motion. He had her now. The car sped up, jolting forward and passing other vehicles. “I feel like I’m in Driving Miss Daisy. You’re supposed to be showing this landlord what you’ve got, and so far, you’ve fallen flat on your ass.”
“Gavin,” Emily gasped, her eyes wide as she tried to ignore just how enticing his hand felt. “You just told me not to get us killed, and now you want me to speed?” Emily pressed harder against the gas, feeling as though she had to prove herself to him. “Fine. To our deaths we go.”
With the Lumineers ho’ing and hey’ing from the speakers, an unmistakable air of satisfaction crossed Gavin’s features as he watched the odometer climb. Hand still on her thigh, he propped his feet on the dashboard and pressed the button to roll down the window. A rush of warm air flew into the car. He pumped the radio louder. Tapping his other hand on his knee, he looked at Emily, his full tooth, sexy smile wider than she’d ever seen.
Emily giggled and started tapping the steering wheel in unison with him.
“Wait! Pull over here.” Gavin dropped his legs to the floor. He put his hand over Emily’s and threw the gear into neutral. Reaching for the steering wheel, he yanked it to the right, and the car rolled onto the side of the road. Gravel crunched as the car screeched to a stop.
Confusion peppered Emily’s face. “What are we doing?”
Staring into her eyes, expression serious, Gavin didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned over the console and gently brushed his lips against hers. Emily closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Voice low and lips on hers, he cupped her face. “Get out of the car.”
Eyes still closed, Emily sighed when she felt his hand and lips leave her face. With Etta James streaming out of the speakers now, she watched breathlessly as Gavin ducked out of his seat. She tried to regain her sudden spiked composure as she followed suit and slipped from the car. One foot in front of the other, she moved around to where he stood. Capturing her gaze, Gavin stepped closer, reached for her hand, and slowly swept her against his body. In the heat of the late afternoon sun, Emily nearly froze. Gavin slid his arm around her waist, took her hand, and cradled it to his chest.
“What are we doing?” she asked again, nearly breathless.
Gavin leaned down and touched his lips to hers. Skimming lightly, they tantalized but didn’t quite fulfill her need. Emily’s nerves lit up, wild and electric.
He looked into her eyes. “A do-over,” he softly replied, rocking them back and forth. He nibbled on her lip, his free hand gripping her waist. “This is where we argued yesterday. I want a do-over so when you think of this road, this is what you’ll remember. Me holding you… you staring into my eyes… and us kissing.” Maddeningly, he played with her lips again, giving her just a little bit more. He rolled his tongue in slow and deep. Emily moaned into his mouth, her senses engulfed in the feel of Gavin’s hand floating down her hip. “Do you know what song this is?” he asked, his eyes pinned to hers as they slowly swayed to the music. “Better yet, do you know who sings it?”