“I’m being cruel to be kind,” she said in a sing-song voice, bopping her head to an imaginary beat.
“When we get to Treepoint, I’m getting first dibs on the bags. You won’t be getting any more Mr. Nice from me.”
Ginny made a psst sound. “Knox won’t have any candy to put in the bags.”
“How do you know?”
“You said Knox was getting the groceries from Diamond’s zombie stash. Candy wasn’t included in the supply list she updates every month. She showed me the list when we were at the church’s Christmas dinner.”
“Why the fuck didn’t she include candy?”
“She was afraid it would rot their teeth out, and her island doesn’t have a dentist.” Ginny shrugged as if it made perfect sense. “Her island is small. She placed a limit of twenty people that she would invite to go with them.”
“Just twenty?”
Ginny nodded. “I agree. That’s way too many people to me, also.”
“How many would you take?”
“To a deserted island? That’s a no-brainer,” Ginny scoffed.
“Okay … how many would you take?”
“Just two. You and me.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Room numbers 26 and 27.” Reaper shut off his phone after reading Knox’s text.
“At least it’s on the first floor,” Ginny said. “I’ve been sitting so long my feet are numb.”
“I told you to stretch out in the back seat,” he reminded her, putting the car back in Drive.
“What are you doing?” Ginny gripped the door handle as if she were about revolt if he didn’t let her get out of the car.
“Our rooms are on the other side of the hotel,” he explained. “This way, we can go directly into our rooms without running into anyone else.”
“Oh ….”
“You’re not the only who wants to get out.”
“Which one are you more tired of? The car or me?”
“Both.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel, sensing the hurt he had just delivered. The stark truth was he could have driven into oblivion and not given a fuck. What he needed was to get away from Ginny.
Each day he spent with her, Reaper could feel himself slacking the rein he kept on his emotions. She was a paradox—the more time spent with her, he discovered new aspects of her personality. Ginny was charming without being cloying. Her reactions were upfront—you could tell if she liked or disliked something or someone without her pretending the opposite. She was fucking funny and playful, getting excited about the simplest things that he had long ago lost his enchantment for. She acted as if her heart was broken just because she wasn’t able to buy taffy.
The most confounding part of her personality was her ability to relate to others, regardless of their way of life. Ginny treated Kaden Cross the same as she treated Kimmy and the other employees at the club. Initially, he thought that she gave remembrances of herself for that exact purpose, but there hadn’t been anything personal in the gifts she had given. Her main objective was to help, and in return, she received the joy of giving.
Discovering that part of her personality got to him, bringing out sexual instincts suppressed so long, and wanting to uncover the rest of her secrets. Each hour spent in the car brought the buried instincts out more until he hadn’t been able to hold back when she asked which one he was more tired of.
“Leave you suitcase in the car. After I check out your room, I’ll come back and bring it to you.”
Ginny cast him a worried glance. “We’re still being precautious? You think who’s been stalking me will be here?”
“I’d rather be safe than find out the hard way.”
“Me, too.”
“Wait here a second.” Reaper got out the car, checking several vehicles in the parking lot. Seeing no one around, he went to her door. Opening it, he looked inside, then closed and locked the doors.
Taking her arm, he started walking quickly toward the side of the hotel. As they drew closer, his hand tightened on her arm, bringing Ginny to a stop.
Ginny looked up at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone is hiding behind the stairwell.” If he hadn’t been on alert, Reaper would have missed the shadow standing behind the open stairs that led to the second floor. His finger went to the car fob in his hand, preparing to unlock the car and press the emergency button. “When I say go, run to the car and call Knox.”
“But ….”
He didn’t have time to argue with her before the shadow stepped out, coming into the light just as he was