Forged in Stone - Alyssa Rose Ivy Page 0,24
making sure I didn’t waste any.”
“Once again I’ll say, you are an interesting girl.”
“Trying not to waste makes me interesting?”
“Yes. In a good way of course.” I tossed my empty cup and headed for the door.
“Of course.”
I held open the door. “I hope you like fast.”
“I do. In cars at least.” She walked right over to my car and waited for me to unlock her door. She wrapped her arms around herself. Once again I was overcome with the desire to warm her.
I ignored the opening she had given me. Was there anything else she liked fast? I had accepted I was interested in the girl, and I had no plan to ruin my chances by rushing things. Charlotte and Liam had given me time and an excuse to be away. I refused to waste either. I waited for her to get in before closing her door and going around.
I got in and pulled out onto the street.
“Aren’t you going to buckle your seatbelt?” She eyed me warily.
“Oh, that.” I buckled. I had never liked the confines of a seatbelt, but I understood the purpose. I was not going to get into a debate over the issue.
“Once again I’m going to say it. You’re so weird.”
“As are you.”
“Why am I weird?” She crossed her arms.
“You asked me to take you for a drive out in the country.”
“That makes me weird?”
“It’s a Friday night. Don’t most girls have better things to do?”
“Please don’t. Don’t insult me again and make me regret spending time with you.”
“I wasn’t trying to insult you.”
“Then what do you call insinuating I have no life?”
“I wasn’t aiming for that. Let me rephrase that. Why would you prefer a drive over something else? Obviously you have plenty of male interest.”
“I don’t know if plenty is the right word.”
We had barely made it half a mile when we slowed to a creeping speed. We were stuck behind one of the many horse-drawn carriages tourists appeared to love. There was no room to go around it.
Ainsley laughed.
“You think this is funny?”
“What are the chances? I ask you to take me out for a fast ride, and we get stuck behind that.” She pointed to the carriage in front of us.
“I don’t mind the extra time with you.”
“But you’d still have time with me. Just time when we weren’t crawling.”
I laughed. “This gives me an excuse to keep you in my car longer.”
“You don’t need an excuse. I like this car.”
I smiled, but stayed silent. The carriage turned at the next intersection, and I continued toward the outskirts of the city. It would take a while, but I had filled the tank. I wanted some time to talk to her before I rolled down the windows and pushed the engine so hard we wouldn’t be able to hear each other talk. I assumed she knew what fast meant in an Aston Martin.
“You had two men vying for you this evening.”
“You’re including yourself in that?”
“Was there a third man I missed?”
She laughed. “No. I didn’t know you were vying for me.”
“You think I would take just any girl on a secluded evening drive?” I teased.
“When you put it that way, I feel stupid for asking.”
“Why?”
“Because you make it sound dangerous.”
“You are not in danger.”
“And you saying that changes anything?” She turned her body slightly to look at me.
“If I was going to hurt you, wouldn’t I have done it last night? You stood before me in nothing more than a towel, yet I didn’t lay a hand on you.”
“That’s true.”
“I did let my eyes enjoy the view, but there is no crime in that, is there?”
“Not in the way you were doing it.” She looked down at her lap.
“Are you embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Then why did you look down?”
“Out of habit.”
“It is your habit to look down when someone talks to you?”
She sighed. “No more talking. Let’s enjoy the drive.”
“This is not the fun part of the drive yet.”
“That doesn’t mean we need to annoy each other.”
“Talking doesn’t have to be annoying. It can be a pleasant way to pass the time.”
“Ok then, tell me about you.”
“Silence is nice.”
She laughed. “Exactly my point. No one enjoys having their every thought and action analyzed. Don’t dish it if you don’t want to take it.”
“Duly noted.” I wanted to know more, but I was not going to get it.
“James?”
“Yes?” I answered immediately. I was not the one who had wanted silence.
“Why did you stop talking the way you were talking?”
“I thought it made you uncomfortable.”
“It sounds like