Coming Home(20)

“Tell me about it. It’s even worse in the middle of a snowstorm.”

He pulled in a breath between his teeth, shaking his head. “I forgot it snowed that night. What did you end up doing?”

“I called Triple A and waited over an hour for them to get there. I was starving. I was so tempted to eat the food I’d just bought for Christmas dinner. And I ended up peeing in a plastic bag.”

The second the words left her mouth, she dropped her fork and covered her face with both hands.

Danny’s eyes flashed up, his expression incredulous before he burst out laughing.

“What did you just say?”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. You did not need to know that.”

He tried to rein in his laugh, but it was useless, and Leah shook her head, her face still hidden behind her hands.

“Okay, now I’m blushing,” she mumbled. “Why do I have no filter when I’m talking to you?”

“It’s okay,” Danny said, and she spread her fingers, peeking at him from in between them. “If you want, I can tell you some pissing-in-public stories that will blow yours out of the water.”

“No thanks, I’m good,” she said with a laugh, dropping her hands from her face and picking up her fork.

“You really should learn how to change a tire, though,” Danny said before taking a bite of his spring roll.

She bristled. “I know how to change a flat.”

“Oh? Then why didn’t you?”

“Just because I can doesn’t mean I’d want to do it on the side of a snowy highway in the dark during rush hour.”

He looked her over, trying to imagine her changing a tire. Those delicate, feminine hands. Her narrow, girlish frame. Could he picture her under a car?

Yeah, he could. And it was hot as hell.

Leah narrowed her eyes at him before her expression straightened, and she nodded. “Ah, okay. I get it. It all makes sense now.”

“Get what?”

“You judge people,” she said casually, taking a bite of her salad. “You’re a judger.”

“What?” He laughed. “I don’t judge people.”

“Of course you do. You’ve done it to me twice now.”

“Bullshit! How have I judged you twice?”

“Well, first I was a stupid * because of where I parked my car. And now I’m incapable of changing a flat because…what? My nails are done? I’m wearing heels? Or is it simply because I have boobs and a vagina?”

He stared at her, trying to mask his amusement. “I thought we determined that you were an * because of where you parked your car.”

She smiled before regaining control of her expression, trying to look stern.

Danny laughed, taking another bite of his food. “All kidding aside, you have my number from when I called the other night. Program me into your phone. Don’t wait for Triple A to dick you around in a situation like that. Me or one of my guys could have been out there in under twenty minutes the other night.”

“Thanks, that’s nice of you.”

“Not a problem,” he said, licking the soy sauce off his thumb.

Her eyes dropped to his mouth and then darted back up, her cheeks flushing a light pink as she refocused on her salad.

He wanted to smile victoriously, to puff his chest out like the moronic, testosterone-driven male he was. But instead he focused his attention on his appetizer. Because as much as he did enjoy that blush, it was going to be his goddamn undoing.

He took another bite of his spring roll, making a conscious decision not to do anything that would bring it out again.