Explosive Attraction - By Lena Diaz Page 0,28
your PhD. I’ve dealt with it in court dozens of times. For the record, I don’t put much stock in that piece of paper.”
She reminded herself she was trying to help, and that now wasn’t the time to respond with anger. She shouldn’t take any of this personally. It took about ten times of her repeating that to herself before she could speak again without gritting her teeth.
“Have you and Jake tried to talk out this animosity between you? I’d be happy to sit with both of you. An independent third party can help defuse—”
Rafe sharply turned the wheel.
Darby grabbed the armrest with both hands as he turned into a driveway and slammed the brakes.
The truck rocked on its springs. Rafe unclicked his seat belt and turned to face her. “Are your parents still alive?”
She stiffened, not at all pleased by the change of subject. “Excuse me?”
“Are they still alive—your mother, your father? Unless you were raised in an orphanage, I assume you have parents.”
“No, I wasn’t raised in an orphanage,” she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “I have parents.”
“Still living?”
She clenched her hands in her lap. “Yes. What’s this got to do—”
“Sisters? Brothers? One of each, two?”
“Why are you asking about my family?” She glanced at the house in front of them. “I thought we were going to borrow a car, trade your truck with someone. Shouldn’t we—”
“Do they live around here? You said you grew up here. Are you sure you don’t want my phone so you can give them a call?” He cocked his head to the side. “Oh, wait. Maybe you don’t have their number memorized. It’s programmed into your cell phone, and you don’t have your phone with you. No problem. I can call information, get the number.” He slid his phone out of his pocket. “What’s your dad’s first name? Oh, wait. What about his last name? Is it Steele, or have you been married before, changed your name?”
She sputtered, her mouth opening and closing, but she couldn’t seem to put a single coherent thought together.
“I’m waiting.” His finger was poised over the phone, a banal smile on his face.
She crossed her arms. “My father’s last name is Steele, but I’m not telling you his first name. I’m not discussing my family with you. My family is none of your business.”
He arched a brow and lowered his phone. “Really? Why?”
She threw her hands in the air. “Because...it’s personal. You and I barely know each other, certainly not well enough to discuss...”
The smug smile on his face made everything click together.
“Is this your way of telling me to mind my own business about you and Jake?” she asked.
“What do you think?”
She rolled her eyes and dropped her arms. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop asking about Jake...for now.” The man was absolutely infuriating, and she hated that he’d just outmaneuvered her.
“And I’ll stop asking about your family. For now.” He threw his door open.
“Wait, aren’t we supposed to go trade your truck for a different car?”
“Yep. That’s why we’re here.” He winked and hopped out of the truck. Darby blinked in shock as Rafe strode around the hood of the truck to the passenger side. Had he really just winked at her? She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Rafe opened her door, lifted her out of the impossibly high-up truck and set her on her feet. He didn’t wait for a thank-you. Instead, he hurried up to the house where the front door had just opened to reveal a disheveled blond man.
Darby gritted her teeth in frustration. Hopefully Rafe would trade the truck for a low-to-the-ground car that would better accommodate her height. It was really getting old being picked up all the time as if she were a child.
She hurried to join Rafe. The man in the doorway turned bloodshot eyes on her. His lack of a shirt, along with jeans that were practically falling off his narrow hips because he hadn’t bothered to button them, indicated he’d just woken up even though it was well past two in the afternoon.
He didn’t look too thrilled to see Rafe, but when he noticed Darby, his mouth curved into a roguish grin. “Well, hello, beautiful. Come on in. I’m Nick. And who might you be?”
“D...Darby. Darby Steele,” she stammered, a bit stunned at having a gorgeous, half-naked man flirt with her. Before she could protest, he’d grabbed her hand and hauled her