Kiss and Don't Tell(14)

“So, you really didn’t go into detail about why you’re here. You said adventure, but a part of me doesn’t quite believe that.”

Feeling comfortable with Pacey, I say, “Yeah, I’ve never been too good at hiding my facial expressions.”

“I could tell this morning when you caught me in the kitchen with my shirt off.”

Oh, dear Jesus.

Yeah, I’m sure he understood exactly what I was thinking when I saw him with his shirt off.

Could he tell I wanted to motorboat his pecs? That I was tempted to run my fingers through his short-clipped chest hair? Could he see how enticing I found the idea of walking up to him, placing my palms on his chest, and then running the flat part of my tongue over his nipples?

Christ, I hope not.

My face heats up again and he smiles at me. The tease.

“You said you were shy,” I point out. “You’re a liar. No shy boy would ever say something like that to a girl.”

“Maybe I’m comfortable now. Comfortable with you. Doesn’t take that long for me to warm up to someone.”

“Good to know. I shall prepare myself for more bold statements.” We keep walking along together in the shade from the canopy of the tall trees. It blessedly blocks the sun, but the wind stirs the trees on occasion and sends light droplets of last night’s rain showering down on us.

“So . . . your adventure?” he prods.

“What about it?” I ask, trying to act casual.

“Care to elaborate?”

I shake my head with a smile. “Not really. I’m good. Thanks.”

“Uh-huh. I see. That’s fair, but tell me this—what are you going to do about lodging?”

“Well, I thought I’d focus on finding my car first. Without a car, there’s no adventure.”

“Makes sense, and once we locate your car, because we will, what are you going to do after that?”

“Oh, you know, the regular stuff—stroll into town, see if anyone wants to shelter a girl who’s on an adventure. Classic adventure-type behavior. Spontaneity is the key.”

“You think it’s going to be that easy?”

We ascend a small hill, taking one step at a time. I forgot how muddy these roads were when I was driving last night. No wonder I got stuck. “I mean, I can be pretty convincing,” I say.

“And when you don’t find a place to stay because everything is occupied?”

“Pitch a tent. Nothing says adventure like living in a tent.”

“Do you have a tent?” he asks.

“No, but I’ve been watching Naked and Afraid, so I’ve learned some basic survival skills from that show. Minus the whole ‘losing your car in the woods’ thing.”

He taps his chin. “I thought your friend didn’t want you to be abducted.”

Hands on my hips as we make our way up the hill, I say, “You know, I think we’re being too harsh on the human population. Not everyone is out to be a creep. Not everyone is looking to abduct humans. There are some good people out there.”

“Yeah, like me and the boys.” That’s very true. “But you got lucky last night. You never know who you’ll run into. And, yes, Canadians are well-known for their politeness and hospitality, but there are still creeps out there. Anything could happen, especially when you least expect it.”

“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”

He laughs. “Just trying to give you some perspective.”

We make it to the top of the hill and, lo and behold, there’s my car.

Oh, look at her, her poor little wheels all stuck.

“Please don’t tell me that’s your car,” Pacey says in disbelief.

“Yup, that’s my car. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“You thought driving a Mini Cooper through the Canadian Rocky Mountains was a smart idea? In a torrential downpour nonetheless?”

“I didn’t think it was going to rain,” I say as we walk up to Minnie. “Oh, Minnie, what happened to you?” I ask, patting her hood.

“Minnie? You named your Mini Cooper Minnie?”

I nod. “Minnie and Winnie, two girls on an adventure.”

Pacey drags his hand over his face. “Jesus. You’re lucky you didn’t get stuck anywhere else and that you made it this far.” He steps down into the small ditch to assess where my wheel is stuck. He shakes his head. “Not sure you’re getting out of this hole.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, walking over to where he’s standing. My feet slide down the ditch and right before I lose my balance, Pacey grabs my elbow and holds me up.

“Careful. It’s really muddy.”

“I see that now. Sorry you have to keep catching me. That must be annoying.”

His eyes meet mine, sincerity ringing true. “Nah, it’s good.”

Those eyes, they will be my undoing, I’m sure of it. I know I’m going to do something really stupid because of those eyes.

“Um, so, the hole?” I ask. Focus, Winnie, not on his eyes, but at the problem at hand.

“Yeah, look at your tire. It’s at least five inches deep into this hole and the back tire is just as bad.” Pacey points to the back so I crane my neck around him to take a look.