Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)(46)

The bedsheets were soft on my tired body. Sudden exhaustion hit as I took a deep breath and let it out. I didn’t want to think about Kaidan working. I said a silent prayer, staring up at the ceiling.

Kaidan had to wake me the next morning. Neither of us spoke as we got ready and grabbed our bags. We went down to take advantage of the hotel’s continental breakfast.

It was strange to watch Kaidan Rowe do something as ordinary as drop a bagel in a toaster. Everything seemed more significant around him. He caught me staring.

I took my plate to a table, wishing he weren’t so perceptive all the time. Two girls our age whispered and nudged each other toward Kaidan at the bread station. They wore tank tops and microshorts over bathing suits.

I picked at a cheese Danish and stretched my hearing out the teensiest bit. From the corner of my eye I saw one of the girls glance toward me, then shove the other girl with her hip, causing her to bump into Kaidan.

“Oops, sorry,” she said. The pushy one giggled.

“Not a problem.” His voice was alluring, but he didn’t break out the bedroom eyes. He focused on the cream cheese.

“Is that your girlfriend over there?”

Uh-oh, I thought. I could feel them looking toward me, and I paid close attention to the honeydew melon on my fork.

“Ah, just a friend, actually.”

Hmph.

“Are you staying here at the hotel tonight?” she asked.

How very bold of her.

“No, we’re leaving straightaway.”

“My cousin thinks you’re hot—”

“Oh, my gawd, shut up! So do you—”

Okay, back to normal hearing for me, thanks.

After a few minutes, Kaidan sat down across from me. He stared at my chest and raised his eyebrows in disapproval. Drats! I forgot about my colors. Keeping emotion hidden was hard, constant work.

“Never a dull moment,” I said, after getting control. The twist in my stomach made my words sound petty. His mouth lifted as he tore off a big bite of the bagel, which was burned.

“You’re cute when you’re jealous.” He popped the bite in his mouth.

My eyes widened and then narrowed.

“Besides,” he said, “just a pair of ninnies.”

I looked over at the girls now sitting with a large gathering of their family members, young and old, in complete contentment. They’d been so brazen with a complete stranger, seizing the day.

“Anna...” Kaidan hesitated, and I looked up at him. “Er, I’m not very good at the whole apology thing.” He flicked bits of burned bread around his plate.

“Oh,” I said. “Well. It’s okay. Just an accident.”

“No.” He shook his head, dragging out the end of the word. “People don’t accidentally lose their tempers and break things. It was a conscious decision.”

“Well, I’m over it. Let’s just forget about it.”

He blinked at me, seeming surprised by my easy forgiveness. I gave him a small smile and took a sip of my juice. He leaned back in his chair and observed me.

“How’s your orange juice, Ann? Does it have a touch of lime?”

The glass paused at my lips as I processed his innuendo, and I took a second to make sure my embarrassment stayed hidden inside. I let the drink swish over my tongue a moment before swallowing and answering.

“Actually it’s a little sour,” I said, and he laughed.

“That’s a shame.” He picked up a green pear from his plate and bit into it, licking juice that dripped down his thumb. My cheeks warmed as I set down my glass.

“Okay, now you’re just being crude,” I said.

He grinned with lazy satisfaction.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m just enjoying my breakfast.” He took another bite and I shook my head. The boy had a major effect on me, but some of the shock factor was beginning to wear off, and I found myself being less offended by his incorrigible nature.

We finished eating and Kaidan pulled up a map on his phone.

“We’ll be on the road about ten hours today. The Federal Correctional Institution is just outside of L.A. Patti said visiting hours are from ten to one tomorrow.”

A wave of nausea made me lean forward and rest my forehead on the table.

“No worries, luv.”

His words brought me comfort, and I lifted my head.

“Do you think maybe I can drive some today?” I asked. “It might take my mind off it.”

He dug the keys from his pocket and held them in front of me.

“You can have first shift.”

We passed a lot of Native American reservations in New Mexico. Many of them were lit up with neon lights of casinos. As we dipped into one shallow valley, a tight-knit circular reservation came into sight. The most touristy thing about it was a brightly colored tepee in front of a little store.

“Do you mind if we stop?” I asked.

Kaidan looked up from the game he was playing on his phone. “Not at all.”

I pulled into the dusty parking lot. The sun glared bright and hot as I climbed out of the car. I cupped my hand above my eyes to shield them. Dry heat made my skin feel shriveled and thirsty, like the parched, cracked earth we walked on. The outside of the store was a genuine piece of adobe architecture, pinkish brown, with rounded corners and edges. A woman with a soft yellow aura sat by the entrance, weaving on a traditional loom.