Corbin shook his head, his lips still in the straight line as he watched a few of Ridge’s men leave the building. “Not yet.”
I settled back in my chair, waiting for what would happen next, but Corbin stood abruptly. His chair squeaked against the tile as he pushed it back and held his hand out for me. I followed, letting him pick up the pink box of goodies he purchased earlier.
He walked to the door and held it open. Before stepping out, I turned back and waved to Anessa behind the counter serving people who had enough guts to walk into a bakery full of Ridge’s guys.
“Sorry about calling more trouble to the bakery,” I said, my voice sounding hollow.
She only laughed and waved her hand in front of her face as if it was no big deal. “Don’t worry. A little action is always great for business. People will be here all day to hear the gossip.” She sounded almost giddy about the prospect.
The color drained from my face, and my legs shook again.
As if she read my worried expression, Anessa winked. In exaggerated words, she obviously wanted to make sure I saw. “Don’t worry,” she emphasized “worry,” drawing the sound out until it became a five-syllable word. “Your secret is safe with me.”
I nodded once, looking a lot like Corbin and Ridge a few minutes earlier, and then followed Corbin outside and waited until he unlocked the Escalade before getting in as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to be out in the open for long.
Once we were both safely in Corbin’s Escalade, buckled, and halfway out of the parking spot, I asked the question I’d held in since the bakery. “What is Ridge’s offer?”
“What?” Corbin asked, stopping at the next stop sign before heading down Main Street to his office building.
It wasn’t any of my business, and I barely knew Corbin, but I couldn’t ignore the way he responded to Ridge.
“Back in the bakery. Ridge said if you settled his offer was still good.” Or something like that. I didn’t remember exactly how he worded it.
“Oh,” Corbin said, nodding. “He offered me a job. Developing software for his company, hacking computer systems, checking out the cameras. Consulting, but I’d have to live here all the time, and that’s not really my style.”
For some reason—one I most definitely would not give a name to—a pang of hurt hit me square in the chest at his words. I didn’t know why, considering I didn’t live in Pelican Bay and had no plans to stay if I survived my current situation. It’s not like I’d ever see Corbin again. But knowing that didn’t help me feel better about what he said.
“Oh. Well, thanks for staying long enough to save me,” I said because I lacked any other words that made sense.
Corbin parked in front of his office and then leaned over to pick up the box from the bakery. Except he didn’t pull back and instead stayed in the space between us in the Escalade. It was a large vehicle, so we had lots of room, but when he leaned into it like that, it felt as if we were sitting right on top of one another.
The car grew warm. “Don’t thank me. I’ve done a crap job with your safety so far. I never wanted to be a real hero. I see people and sometimes offer help. A fake ID here or cash for a new life, but I’ve never gotten to know anyone. I’ve never wanted to… Until you.”
I stared into his eyes. The deep color matched the warm summer ocean at the end of the street.
His mouth opened as if he had more to say, but he didn’t.
“What does that mean?” I asked, trying to run through each of his words, but it took my brain too long to catch up.
He lifted his head an inch or two, so his next words tickled against my ear. “I have no fucking clue.”
Those words whispered in a quiet SUV sounded like the truest thing Corbin ever said to anyone or himself in his life. I smiled at the brashness. My tongue traced my top lip, and he smacked his together, making a popping sound.
“When you figure it out, you’ll tell me?”
One of his eyes twitched and the somber, deep-in-thought expression he wore a moment earlier slipped. The cocky grin returned, and he lifted his hand to my face, cupping my chin in his palm.
“Babe,” was all he said before he leaned a little further over and pulled my face closer to his. I never saw it coming until his lips gently lay against mine.
I felt a spark, as if an invisible line in the world pulled together. I leaned into it further as his tongue slipped between my teeth, and I sucked on it, drawing a moan from his chest. It was a deep, guttural sound, which hinted at so much more. When I moved closer, the side of the bakery box pinched up against my hip, and I hissed, pulling away from Corbin’s grasp.
CHAPTER12
CORBIN
She pulled away from me and my first instinct was to draw her back to continue what we started, but if I didn’t stop now, who knew how far we’d go? And the front seat of an Escalade was not where I wanted my first memories of Hazel to happen.
The vehicle was too warm, and her peach shampoo invaded my senses. My brain was only working half as well anyway. If she continued to look at me like she did, I’d kiss her again, and once that happened, I’d never be able to leave.