Excerpt
“I’ve got an idea,” she said. “Why not tie me to a tree and leave me here? It’d be tomorrow before anyone found me.”
He cupped her elbow to angle her into the seat. “That’s not gonna happen.”
She spun which again planted her body tight to his. He stifled a growl and none-too-gently pushed her into the car.
“But why not? You’d be days gone and I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone where you went. You could ditch my car and steal another one. It’s the perfect plan. You don’t have to hassle with me and I don’t have to be kidnapped.”
He re-tied her hands. “It’s not the perfect plan.”
“Really?” Her mocking tone shredded his nerves. “Give me one reason why you can’t leave me here.”
He leaned an arm on the top of her car. “I won’t give you one reason, I’ll give you two. One, I don’t make a habit out of stealing cars.” His jaw clenched harder at her unladylike snort.
“And two, I know this area. I used to hunt chucker round here. No one would find you for days. And with all the fires, you’d be a sitting duck for a hungry, displaced bear or bobcat.” He clicked her seatbelt into place then firmly closed the door in her face. He got behind the wheel and turned the key.
She twisted to face him. “Let me get this straight, you won’t leave me here because you’re thinking of my safety?”
He backed down the road. “Something like that.”
“Dude, your logic is seriously warped.”
“Maybe, but I’m sticking with it.” He steered the car onto the paved road and headed toward the expressway onramp. “And stop calling me dude.”
“What’s the matter, dude?” she sneered in an exaggerated California accent. “Don’t you like the name?”
“No. So knock it off, lady.”
“Don’t call me lady. I’m twenty-four not eighty-four. Might as well call me ma’am.”
“All right, lady. Tell me your name.”
“You first, dude.”
Ben chuckled. He couldn’t help it. This lady was spunky and tenacious and not at all afraid to challenge him—even in this situation. He wondered how things would have progressed between them had they met in a social setting rather than in this trying situation. “Ben. My name is Ben.”
“Ben what?”
He took his eyes off the road to stare at her. She shrugged. “I took a shot.”
“So what’s your name?”
She stared out the passenger window. “Darcy.”
“Okay, Darcy, this is how it’s gonna work. I’ll let you go just as soon as I can, but I can’t have you going to the police or reporting your car stolen. Just think of this as an unexpected road trip.”
“Don’t suppose you’ll tell me where this little road trip ends?” Bitter sarcasm coated her words.
He accelerated her sub-compact onto the six-lane highway. “Nope.”
“And there’s no way I can convince you to let me go.”
“Nope again.”
“In other words, I don’t have a choice.”
“In other words, you don’t have a choice.”
