Hooking Him (How to Catch an Alpha #3)(3)

“Calvin, how’s your mom?” Pearl asks sweetly from the back seat, and he turns his head just slightly to look at her while I keep my eyes on him. Calvin—that name fits him. It makes me think of those old Calvin Klein ads with Marky Mark that my friends and I used to drool over.

“She’s good.”

“Tell her I say hello.”

“Will do.” He dips his chin before shifting his attention back to Edie. “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

“I have no idea,” Edie says. Then she asks, “Was I speeding?”

“You weren’t speeding. But I followed you onto the highway and off, and I’m a little concerned with your lack of turn signals and the way you tend to test the boundaries of your brakes when driving behind someone.”

“My car has great brakes,” she informs him with a smile.

“That might be, but I doubt you’d feel that way if the person you followed so closely had to hit their brakes and you, in turn, hit them.”

“You’re absolutely right.” She places her hand on her chest, looking surprised. “I never thought of that.”

“I’m sure.” His jaw tics, making my fingers, still on the handle, clench. “If I see you driving like that again, Edie, I’ll give you a ticket. And you and I both know you can’t have any more points on your license.”

Points? She already has points on her license?

“How many tickets have you gotten?” I blurt, and all eyes rest on me, including a pair covered with a silver tint.

“I still have my license,” Edie tells me.

“One more ticket and you won’t,” Calvin adds.

“One more ticket” meaning she’s gotten a few? “I knew I should have ignored my need to respect my elders and demanded to drive. First, Pearl and Dixie smoking a—”

“Pardon?” Calvin rumbles, cutting off the word joint, and my eyes widen. Oh crap. My mouth goes dry. I wave my hand in his direction and shake my head once more. “They were smoking a cigarette. Even at their age, they should know those things kill.” I can’t see his eyes, but I still feel them bore into mine. I shift in my seat but try to keep my expression neutral. “I’ll make sure Edie’s more careful when she’s behind the wheel.”

He acknowledges my statement with a grunt and comes out of his bent position, which forces me to tip my head back. “This is your last warning.” He taps Edie’s door before he walks back toward his car. I turn to watch him, thinking even from behind, his broad shoulders and slim waist are attractive.

“I can’t believe you were going to tell him that we were smoking a joint,” Pearl hisses.

“She didn’t and she covered for us,” Dixie mutters. “I don’t blame her for getting weird. He’s handsome, and that happens when you’re talking to a handsome man.”

“Do you think he’s handsome?” Edie asks me, and I look over at her, noting a calculating look in her eyes.

Damn.

“Of course she thinks he’s attractive. She’s female,” Pearl says from the back seat.

“Well?” Edie asks.

“Um . . .” I shift under her stare. “He’s okay.”

“Okay?” Dixie snorts. “That man is not just okay, darling, and if you think that, you need to be checked by a doctor to confirm you actually have a pulse.”

“Whatever. Shouldn’t we go? Aren’t you the one who didn’t want to be late to bingo?”

“Fine, you win this one,” Edie says after a long moment, and then she puts the shifter in drive, flips on her turn signal, and checks her mirror. The moment she starts to pull away from the side of the road and into traffic, the car is jolted to the right, and the sounds of metal crunching and scraping fill the air.

With wide eyes and my heart pounding, I turn and meet a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes belonging to Calvin. Holy cow, we just sideswiped a cop! I drag my eyes off his and focus on Edie. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Are you?” Her eyes scan me from head to toe.

“I’m good.” I look over my shoulder and see Calvin backing up behind us, then look at the two wide-eyed women in the back seat. “Are you two all right?”

“I’m okay,” Pearl says shakily.

“Just a little shook up, but I’m okay,” Dixie replies.

“I’m going to make sure Calvin is all right.” I unhook my belt and open my door.

With my legs shaking, I walk around the back of the car, but I stop short when I see Calvin bent over and looking in the open trunk of his cruiser. Without even a glance in my direction, he booms, “Get back into the vehicle.”

“But—”

“Back in the vehicle.” He doesn’t move except to turn his head, and his eyes come to me. “It’s not safe for you to be out here.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I tell him, and he comes out of his bent position and walks toward me slowly.

I should back away. I want to back away, but I hold my ground until he reaches out and wraps his hand around my upper arm.

“What are you doing?” I look at where he’s holding me and automatically try to tug free, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he starts walking, forcing me to go with him. When we reach the passenger side of the car, he opens the door and urges me to sit.