The Billionaire's Practice Kiss - Tamie Dearen Page 0,7

long.”

Ellery pressed her lips together, saying random numbers in her head. He changed lanes, zipping into a faster moving lane, but soon traffic slowed to a crawl. As they crept around another curve, swirling red emergency lights assaulted her. A crumpled sedan. An ambulance! She clutched the leather seat, squeezing her eyes shut. The air was thick.

Breathe in two, three. Breathe out two, three, four, five.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she lied through gritted teeth. Lights were flashing ahead

“That wreck is causing this traffic jam, but we’re almost to the mall exit.” His voice sounded like a distant radio. The blinker clicked, and the car veered to the right. Her stomach lurched with each shift in velocity, and she tightened her grip on the seat. A warm hand covered her left one. “Hang on. We’re almost off the interstate.”

The car jerked to a stop, sending her body plunging against the shoulder strap, and she cried out.

“Sorry!” His voice was anguished. “The car ahead of me slammed on their brakes.”

Hyperventilating, she shrank into her seat, the inside of her head fogged up like the bathroom mirror after a shower. His hand left hers, presumably to clench the steering wheel. She didn’t dare open her eyes to see.

I hate this. I thought I had it under control.

Time blurred, but at last the car came to a stop, the blinker clicking in a regular rhythm.

“We’re off the highway, if that helps. It’s only a few blocks to the mall.”

Heartrate slowing, she pried one eye open far enough to see the traffic light as it turned green. By the time the car came to a stop in the mall parking lot, her pulse was only twice its normal rate.

“I’m sorry.” Her face burned with embarrassment.

“It’s totally my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed when you said you didn’t want to come. Your roommate said she was on board as long as I didn’t leave you alone at the wedding. I didn’t realize—”

“You couldn’t have known,” Ellery cut him off. “I’m fine now. Let’s not talk about it.”

Chapter 4

Logan was so busy beating himself up, he jumped when someone knocked on his window.

“Are you Logan West?” The smiling young man gave him a broad grin, most likely expecting gratuity in proportion to the size of the delivery. “I’m Jack. Everything’s in my trunk, right over there.”

Once all Ellery’s purchases were accounted for and loaded into the back of the SUV, Logan signed off on the Bring-It-To-Me app, leaving an ample tip.

Back inside the SUV, he stared out the windshield.

“Why are we sitting here?” Ellery asked.

He started the engine, but left it in park.

“Listen, Ellery. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to go to the wedding. I can take you home.”

“It’s kind of late to say that.”

“I took advantage of you, coercing you into coming with me just because I’m freaking out about going to this wedding.” The guilt was heavy.

“I could’ve turned you down.” She studied her fingers in her lap. “I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t thought I could handle it. If you’d insisted on driving that little sports car, I’d still be in Austin.”

From his vantage point, only the left side of her face was visible, all physical evidence of whatever horrific accident she’d experienced hidden from his view.

“But I sprang this on you, and you didn’t have time to prepare. And tomorrow…the people at this wedding…some of them might not be nice.”

“I assume you mean they might stare at me…at my scars.” Her hands twisted together. “I’m not looking forward to it, but my counselor told me I need to stop avoiding events like this. And to be honest, I don’t think I could handle being in the car that much longer if you turned around and drove me home.”

I tortured her the entire drive. I’m a jerk.

“I can take you home in the morning. And this is my stomping ground, so I can get us out of Houston without ever getting on an Interstate, if that would help.”

Her eyes, deep blue in the dim lights of the parking lot, locked with his.

“Logan, I’m going to confess something that’ll make you feel better.” Her chest expanded with a deep breath. “I was a little flattered that you invited me, and that’s the real reason I accepted.”

As the cryptic meaning of her words became clear, disappointment settled in the pit of his belly.

“I get it. Kara told you about my money.” He tried not to sound bitter. After all, he’d used