A loud clap against his window caused Holt to jump.
"Uh-oh." Rogue leaned forward. "Company."
Holt turned to look. Standing outside his car door was a woman. And from the evil look on her face, he could tell she was pissed.
"You going to sit there all day or what?" Her voice loud enough to carry easily into the car.
"Oh boy. You want me to handle this one, old buddy?" Rogue tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm pretty good with the ladies, you know."
Holt didn't reply. He opened his door and got out. He closed the car door behind him and turned. Before he knew what hit him, he was slammed back against the car by a two-handed blow to the chest.
"What the hell were you trying to do, scare me to death?" The tiny woman's voice echoed off the trees.
Holt pushed himself off the car and before she could shove him again, he snared her wrists in his hands.
"Let go of me, you..."
Holt said one word. "Stop."
The woman became utterly still, looked up at him, head tilted. Her eyes bright, she studied him.
His heart stuttered for a second when he looked down at the most angelic face he had ever seen. Her eyes were intelligent, intense and the color of warm, melted chocolate with brows that arched daintily above them, accenting the way they tilted up at the corners. Her nose was small and pert. She had a bow of a mouth that only looked more delectable as he watched the tiny pink tip of her tongue peek out to wet her lips. Her skin was smooth and most assuredly creamy beneath a pale ivory makeup.
Holt swore he could see the hint of freckles sprinkled across her nose, which she evidently was trying to hide with the pale powder she wore. Her hair was raven black, likely dyed, but it set off her skin so expertly she looked made of alabaster. The effect of her angelic face, combined with her fiery attitude and wild dress only managed to make him wonder what it would be like to be in bed with her with that pretty little face with its pouty mouth hovering above him while she rode him like a wild horse.
Her effect on him shocked and excited him at the same time. He had to shake it off. He heard the electric sound of a car window lowering.
"Need some help there, Holt?" Colin asked from the back seat.
The woman's eyes shifted to Colin. "Does he ever need your help?"
Holt heard a laugh issue from inside the car. Rogue. "I don't need anything." Holt released her wrists.
"O ... kay." The window went back up.
The woman--really just past being a girl--rubbed her wrists. "I see you handle women like you do the road."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Like you own it." She tucked her hands into the back pockets of her ripped jeans.
Pretty defiant for someone who barely comes up to my chest. He forced himself not to smile at her impishness. "Seems to me you're the one who thinks she owns the road."
Her finger came up, swift as a drawn gun, and pointed at him. "You are the one racing down these back roads--"
"You are the one who pulled out in front of me." Holt suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to kiss that feisty mouth. He fought it.
She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her chin higher. "Are you going to help me get my car unstuck?"
"If you're nice."
She pursed her lips, hesitating. "Just how nice do I have to be?"
Holt thought for a moment before he spoke. It would be so easy to ... He cleared his throat. "You have to be civil."
)
