Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World), стр. 31

“I’ve no idea. I’ve not been here long enough to test out all the competition, but it’s pretty bloody fantastic.”

He jogs around the car to meet me and, to my surprise, he laces his fingers through mine.

Was Bailey right? Is he in this for more than just a good time?

After opening the door, he gestures for me to enter and we’re greeted by a woman who proves just how much time he spends here.

“Corey! I was beginning to think you’d abandoned us,” she says with a friendly smile on her face.

“Just been busy, you know how it is.”

“Sure do. Things still going well down there?”

“Yeah, it’s doing good. Harlow, this is Rachel. Her dad owns this place.”

“Hey,” Harlow says politely.

“Table for two?”

“Please.”

“Right, this way then.”

We follow her out onto the patio area and she seats us at a secluded table in the corner.

“I’m assuming you’d like a beer and…” She looks to me.

“A rum and Coke, please.”

“Perfect. Here are the menus, not that he needs one. I’ll be back in a few moments.”

“Thank you,” we say in unison as she disappears around the corner.

“This place is nice. How’d you find it?”

“One of my first clients recommended it. I’ve been addicted ever since.”

“I can see why.”

We fall into a comfortable silence with only the chatter of the other patrons and the crash of the waves below filling our ears.

“So, how come you left the army?” I ask, needing to know more about him and how he came to be here.

“Medical discharge.”

“Oh?”

“We ended up somewhere we shouldn’t have been. Things didn’t go too well. Only a few of us made it out.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It is what it is,” he says, using my line from earlier. “I lost some great friends that day. But it got me back to civi life.”

“You didn’t want to be in the army?”

He looks out to the ocean, getting lost in his memories. “I didn’t have a lot of choice. The day I was born a boy, my dad decided I’d follow in his footsteps and enroll the second I left school. He had dreams of me becoming an officer, making a difference to my country and all that.”

“You weren’t interested?”

“It was more that I didn’t want to do what I was told,” he says with a laugh. “I can’t say I never would have signed up of my own accord—it was in my blood, after all. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all military men. But I didn’t take well to being told.”

“I can understand that.”

“So what about you? Have you always wanted to give back, support those less fortunate?”

“I really want to lie and say yes,” I admit, “but I never really had a clue what I wanted to do. My life kind of spiraled out of control after I lost my family. My future wasn’t my first concern.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”

I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it when we should be enjoying ourselves. Thankfully, Rachel chooses that moment to reappear with our drinks and to take our orders. I’ve not even glanced at the menu, so when Corey immediately places his order, I ask for the same, trusting that he knows what’s good.

“So, why LA?” I ask once we’re alone again, hoping to turn the conversation away from my past. Nothing good can come from that.

“Why not?” he says, gesturing to the sparkling blue ocean beyond.

“Fair enough.” I can’t really argue, we do live in a beautiful place.

The meal is incredible, just like Corey promised. The conversation between us after touching on our pasts was light, and just being with him made me feel so comfortable. As we make our way out, I can’t help butterflies erupting in my belly. What’s next?

His fingers lace with mine, but no words are said between us. Knowing that he’s also lost people he loved helps me understand why we might have the connection we do. Unlike most people I meet, I think he actually understands. I know it’s not unusual for people to have lost their parents young, but the way it happened isn’t all that common, or for them to all be wiped out at the same time. Everyone is sympathetic, but they don’t get it, not really. Even Bailey, who lived through the aftermath with me, can’t possibly understand.

We climb into the car and Corey heads back out onto the highway. Silence fills the space but it’s not uncomfortable—totally the opposite, in fact. If anything, his presence is soothing.

“I… uh… don’t know where I’m going,” he says after a few minutes.

“Hang on.” I wake up the GPS and hit the home button so he can follow it before sitting back in my seat and looking to where the sun is setting into the ocean.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

I sigh and turn back to look at him. The concern on his face makes my breath catch. His brows are pulled together, and there are creases in his forehead.

“I was just thinking about what you said about it being a great place to live,” I lie.

He’s silent for a beat, and I worry he’s about to tell me I’m talking shit. Thankfully, after he turns back to the road, all he does is agree.

“Thank you for today. I never would have thought it, but it was exactly what I needed.”

“Oh yeah?” His familiar cocky smirk appears, making his dimple pop up.

“I’m sorry I left like I did this morning,” I say, addressing the elephant in the room.

“I’m sure you had your reasons, although I do hope they weren’t due to my performance.”

His grip on the wheel tightens until his knuckles turn white, and heat floods my core knowing that he’s reminiscing about our time together.

“I don’t think your ego needs me to tell you that wasn’t the reason.”

“It always likes being stroked, Vix.”

“Oh my God,” I laugh. “I’m sure it does.”

He reaches over and places his large, burning hot hand against my thigh, and I tense.

“Relax,” he mutters