Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World), стр. 35

That’s it. No other instruction, no hint as to what we could be doing. Nothing.

“So…” Bailey says, staring into my closet.

“I’ve no idea. I’m sure whatever we choose will be wrong.”

“Choosing something that will make you look like sex on legs could never be wrong.”

“This is a date, not a hook-up.”

“They can be the same thing. You want to be prepared for the best outcome, always.”

“Just grab me a denim skirt and top.”

“Har—”

“No,” I say, holding my hand up to halt her. “You can do the hair and makeup. I choose the clothes.”

“Fine, fine,” she concedes, pulling my favorite skirt from the closet closely followed by a couple of tanks.

“Black and this,” I say, grabbing a light floral cardigan.

“Okay, yeah. That’s cute.”

“Thank you.”

I allow her to curl my hair, and to my delight she doesn’t go too heavy-handed with the make-up.

I sip away at an overly strong rum and Coke Bailey made to help settle my nerves, but when my head starts to swim before he’s even here, I regret it.

I want to keep a clear head so I can make decisions I won’t regret in the morning.

The beeping of a horn has us both jumping up. Bailey runs to the window like someone set her ass on fire.

“Oh my God,” she gasps.

I take a step toward her, but she pulls the curtains closed so I can’t see anything.

“No, go and meet him and find out for yourself.”

“But—”

“Nope. No buts. Just go and enjoy yourself.”

I blow out a breath in the hope it’ll calm my racing heart. It does nothing.

“Okay. I’ve got this.”

I’m almost at the stairs when I hear her again.

“Have you got condoms?”

I don’t answer, although my cheeks do heat as I think about sliding a box into my purse earlier today. Like the man said himself: always be prepared.

My legs feel like jelly as I make my way to the front door, my heart hammering in my chest.

Pulling my purse up higher on my shoulder, I open the door and close my eyes for a beat in an attempt to prepare myself for what’s waiting for me.

“Oh my God,” I breathe, repeating Bailey’s reaction. I can honestly say that this was the last thing I was expecting to see.

I step from the house as Corey drops down from the driver’s seat of the vintage Volkswagen camper. But the second he emerges, the vehicle vanishes into the background. All I can see is him. He’s wearing a skintight white t-shirt that stretches across his wide shoulders and shows off his pecs and abs to perfection. My mouth is watering long before I drop my eyes to take in his denim-clad thighs.

When I find my way back up to his eyes, he seems to be looking at me with a familiar heat in his blue depths.

“Hey,” I say, dragging his attention back to my face.

“Hey yourself. You look stunning.”

My cheeks heat at his compliment. “T-thank you. So, what are we doing?”

“Fancy a little drive?”

Excitement races though me. I’ve always wanted to have a camper vacation but never had the chance. The trips we had when I was a kid were usually abroad in fancy hotels. I’ve never done anything like this—well, aside from passing out somewhere random in my former years that I’d rather not think about.

“Yes,” I squeal, moving for the passenger door.

“Let me,” Corey says, reaching for the handle and opening it for me like a gentleman.

“Thank you.”

I strap myself in as he jogs around to the other side. Movement in my bedroom window catches my eye, and when I look up, I find Bailey still watching us. She makes a heart gesture with her hand before blowing me a kiss.

He backs out the drive, turning the music down a little so we can talk.

“Does she interfere with every part of your life?” he asks with a laugh.

“She just wants me to be happy. Have you had a good week?” I ask, not wanting to talk about Bailey and her best intentions right now. Wanting to know why it took him until Thursday night to message is much more pressing.

“Yeah, really busy.” He chats away about some of his clients. The passion and enthusiasm for his job is infectious. “I had dinner with Austin and his parents last night. Seemed he knew all about us.”

My heart thuds in my chest. Does he think there is an us?

“I’m not surprised. I’m sure we were the hot topic of conversation in The House.”

“Fantastic,” he mutters lightheartedly. “What about you? Any epic fundraisers on the horizon?”

“Yes, actually. I’ve got a gala coming up. Black ties, ball gowns, silent auction, the whole shebang.”

“Sounds impressive.”

“It’s my first big event. I’ve only done a few fun runs and some work with the local schools so far. I’m kind of terrified.”

“It’ll be amazing.”

“I sure hope so. It should raise a lot of money for the project if it goes to plan.” I tell him about the number of tables we’ve sold and the entertainment for the night as he drives to wherever it is we’re going. I don’t bother asking, I’m confident in his plan.

We approach the ocean at roughly the same time we did on Sunday night. The sun is beginning to set, casting a gorgeous orange glow across the bay.

The beach is almost empty, just a couple walking along the water’s edge and the odd surfer attempting to catch the last of the sunlight.

Corey drives the length of the parking lot before continuing onto the sand.

“Are we allowed to drive out here?”

“Do you always follow all the rules?”

“Uh… yeah, actually.”

“Well, maybe it’s time to reconsider. Things can be much more fun when you break them.”

“You’d better show me, then.”

He glances over, mischief dancing in his eyes, and a wave of desire hits me.

He pulls the camper to a stop on a secluded bit of the beach. The few people we could see when we first arrived are no longer visible, making it seem like we’re the