Chapter 4

As soon as they reached Gus' car, all possibility he was from her neighbourhood fled.

She didn't know much about vehicles, but she knew the shiny, silver Mercedes Benz symbol. No, he wasn't from her area. This kind of car was usually seen driving through her neighbourhood as fast as possible to leave, if one entered at all.

Suspicion twinged in Clarissa's mind. "So, what are you going down to Park Lane for?" She tried to make her voice ring with innocence.

"Oh, just a small errand for my father." Gus flashed her a smile as he opened her door for her. "Your chariot awaits, my lady." He held out a hand to help her inside.

She hesitated for just a moment. She could still make an excuse and run for the bus.

His warm breath, smelling of peppermint, tickled her face. Her stomach knotted in response.

Her breath caught for a moment when she placed her hand in his and his larger one enclosed hers.

She felt the callouses on his fingertips – guitar? – as he lightly gripped her hand to support her while she slid into the seat. She smiled shyly up at him. Was she supposed to thank him?

He held her hand a moment longer, his eyes lingering on hers.

If only she was more experienced and could read what he was thinking!

With a slight squeeze he released her and swung the door shut.

She was grateful for the few moments it took him to walk around the car. Her heart was jackhammering. Running a hand over the buttery leather, she breathed deeply to recompose herself. Under the scent of car polish, she could faintly smell his cologne, along with the scent that was just Gus.

They'd had a really good time talking tonight, but now he was acting enchanted by her.

Was it just coincidence he was going into her neighbourhood?

A hot lick of anger coursed through her at the possibility that maybe he thought she would be easy just because she lived in Park End. She'd had enough of that judgement during high school.

She beat down the feeling. She didn't want to believe that about him. Why couldn't a man be attracted to her for her and not just for sex?

Leaning her forehead on the cold glass of the window, she gazed up at the full moon hanging low in the sky and sighed.

When he slid into his seat and smiled warmly into her eyes, her skin hummed. He radiated sincerity, and, for the first time ever, she thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be seduced.

His hand hovered over the GPS. "What's your address?"

She told him. Riding in a car reminded her of Maxine's speeding. She added, "Please take your time getting there."

"Sure," he drawled, a gleam in his eye.

Her face flamed as the unintended meaning came to her. She stammered out, "Because it's snowy... and slippery... with black ice and all that ...winter stuff."

He worked his mouth but couldn't suppress his grin totally. "Winter stuff can really be a bummer."

"Yeah," she replied, mortified, and turned her face to the window, praying the car would hit a bump that bounced her right out.

Her fingers twisted into each other on her lap.

"Do you mind some music?" he asked.

She shook her head and from the corner of her eye watched his hand turn the dial to a local station.

The familiar DJ's voice soothed her and the punchy pop song lifted her mood.

His hand rested less than a foot to her left on the stick shift. It would be so easy to reach out and lay hers on top. The remembered warmth of his long fingers wrapped around hers when he helped her into the car made her shift restlessly.

"What do you plan to do with your horticulture degree?" Gus' question broke into her fantasy of having him happily twining his fingers with hers if she'd had the courage to put hers on top.

She caught his eye then dropped hers to stare at the glowing dashboard. "My dream job is at a botanical garden in England called Eden Project. It's the largest domed botanical garden in the world. They have a lot of exotic species. I'd really love to work there, or somewhere like that."

Gus pulled to a stop at a red light.

"Staying in this boring little place wouldn't be enough?" He said it lightly enough, but was there an undertone of disappointment, or fear even?

Having a stable full-time job would mean leaving her multiple part-time jobs behind, something Clarissa looked forward to. "There isn't a botanical garden here, or I probably would. I grew up in this city. I love it. But..."

"But you've got to go where the work is?" Gus finished for her.

Clarissa nodded.

"What about," Gus hesitated slightly, "What about using the city as your personal botanical garden by designing people's gardens? I know it's not as exciting as this Eden Project sounds, but you could introduce some really cool plants to the city."

"Yeah, I thought of that, but..." Clarissa's voice trailed off when she looked at him. Passion was smoldering in his eyes, which flicked down to her lips then back up. Thrills went up her backbone and her stomach flip-flopped. She swallowed nervously. Only a couple of feet between them ... her eyes widened slightly as Gus slowly began to lean towards her.

Maybe he's not so out of reach? Her heart whispered.

The honk of the car behind made them both jump. Gus waved a hand in apology and eased the car forward through the green light, crunching over the packed snow.

Tension filled the small interior of the car. Clarissa squirmed. She couldn't keep from looking over at him every few seconds, meeting his almost every time. Invisible strings were drawing her towards him.

The rest of the lights stayed unhelpfully green, and they came inexorably closer to her road.

Clarissa wished she could slow time to extend this car ride. If not that, at least have the courage to say something inviting or - her heart thumped so hard! - take his hand.

The tinny voice of the GPS announced, "Turn right 50 meters ahead. Your destination is on the right."

"Do you live with your parents?" Gus asked.

"My dad's dead." She'd been so focused on his hand she'd blurted out the truth!

The tension in the car from the almost-kiss abruptly popped, leaving a sense of deflated expectation behind.

She froze in shock at her admission, and her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. Gus didn't need to hear the sordid details of her life. She was sure he already pitied her enough considering where she lived.

The GPS told him to turn onto her road.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he replied evenly.

Before he could ask for more details, Clarissa grabbed the door handle and pointed. "My building is right there. The second on the right."

Two blocks further down the road was Java Joe's sign with the black coffee bean on a glowing yellow background.

He nodded towards the shop. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee?"

Clarissa regarded him carefully. Was he offering out of pity because of what she revealed? Maybe he was one of those sensitive people who didn't press for the gory details of someone's life, but instead drew them out slowly, like over coffee.

She wanted to get back to that delicious byplay where he caught her looking at him looking at her. Excitement coursed through her when she thought of the way he had looked at her at that red light. Had he really been leaning towards her – to kiss her?

She internally shook her head. No, she must have been imagining it. She was reading her own wishes into the situation. Like the passion in his eyes. It was probably just the streetlights.

Her shoulders slumped. Guys like him didn't go for girls like her.

She squashed down the excitement she felt when their eyes met again, but it was much harder to ignore that little voice deep in her heart, Maybe you're not imagining it ...

The car pulled to a stop. She wrenched open the door. "I'm sorry. My mother's been ill. I really need to go home."

Clarissa uttered a hurried thanks and jumped out of the car, forgetting to be careful of the icy spots in her need to escape up the path into her building.

She stopped just inside the dark entryway and turned to look back at Gus' car. He hadn't pulled away immediately, but sat staring after her, frowning.

She moved farther back into the shadows, just in case he could still see her. After a minute, he turned around and drove back up the street. She sighed, pretending it wasn't with regret.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top