I was getting too old for this shit.
Scarlett’s bed groaned, and she padded up next to me seconds later, eyes curious on tourist pamphlets stacked on the desk.
And still no fucking pants.
“You have twenty-nine minutes now. I suggest you get dressed.”
Her lips curled in disgust as she fingered her way through the pamphlets advertising camping, hiking, and entertainment around us.
“You sound like my dad. I suggest you stop it.”
Jesus fuck.Awake for sixty seconds and already a huge pain in my ass.
“We’re leaving by 10 o’clock whether you’re ready or not.” My voice was a clipped order, and there should have been no room for argument.
“How about, instead… you take that giant stick out of your ass...” She plucked a pamphlet free from the stack and slapped it against my chest. “And start making up for yesterday.”
“Excuse me?”
“I wanna go here.”
I felt my expression pull flat, and I snatched the thing out of her hand.
Cedar Ridge Preserve
9 miles of hiking, trails, and more over 600 acres of hill country habitat!
My heavy stare rose back to hers. “Do you think we’re on vacation?”
She cocked an eyebrow up at me and popped her nearly naked hip out. “No, but I do think that you fucked up majorly yesterday and that you owe me. Big.”
“So let me buy you a t-shirt from the motel. We’re not going on a hike.”
She put her pointer finger on her chin, tapping it with a purse to her lips and a mockery in her eyes. “You know, a t-shirt that says ‘Shit-Stain Motel’ on it really could make up for the two panic attacks and the whole drugging me thing.”
Irritation scratched my throat as I held down a growl. I knew I fucked up. I didn’t need her to keep reminding me.
“We’re not hiking.”
I turned over my shoulder, packing away the leftover quart of whiskey I’d ordered with our pizza last night. The bottle wasn’t even halfway polished off, but it put the recurring nightmare to sleep for long enough to help me to get some.
Scarlett appeared in front of me, eyes wide and a brighter shade of green than I’d seen them yet. They looked like springtime, and she was a bed of roses blooming around them.
“It’s only twenty-five minutes away. We go for a couple hours, and then we’re back on the road. I think you can swing a few hours of a breezy apology through nature.”
I eyed her, dropping one quick glance down her slight body. “Somehow you just don’t strike me as the outdoorsy type.”
She rolled her eyes at me dramatically. “Well that just shows what a shit agent you are.” Scarlett righted her posture back, pushing out her chest with confidence. “I love nature. Love everything about it.”
I crossed my arms, tilting my head to the side. “What’s your favorite thing?”
She smirked in waggish ease, shrugging just one shoulder and batting her eyes in a teasing flurry.
“The trees.”
“There are trees outside the motel.”
“You’re not gonna sway me on this.” She mirrored my stance, folding her arms over her chest and perked an eyebrow. “You did a bad thing, and now you’re going to make up for it by taking me here.”