Read Online Completely Consumed (Addicted To You, Book Eight) by Lucy Covington - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lucy Covington
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Sorry.”
He smiled slightly. His eyes focused on her, as if seeing her for the first time.
She was unnerved by how sharp and perceptive those dark eyes were. It was as if he knew everything in one instant of gazing at her. She looked away quickly.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. The thing is,” he continued, “I don’t feel right leaving you in the middle of nowhere with no car and no way home. Where are you headed, anyway? Can’t you just call someone to come and get you?”
She thought about lying and then, for some strange reason, opted to tell the truth.
“There’s no one I want to call.”
He nodded as if it made total sense. “Well where are you headed, then?”
“Florida.”
“Florida?”
“Yeah, Florida.” She glared at him, as if daring him to tell her she’d never make it.
He turned away, seemingly lost in thought. “I’m guessing you don’t have the money to fix that car we left back there.”
“No, I don’t.” She didn’t go any further than that—she didn’t tell him that she currently had about a hundred dollars in cash in her purse, a credit card that had maybe another hundred bucks before it was maxed out, and less than fifty dollars in her checking account.
Somehow, that money was supposed to last her all the way to Florida, and then continue to last while she found work and housing and fed herself.
As if Elijah knew all of these things, he suddenly put the car in gear and swung out of the McDonald’s parking lot, heading back the way they came on the main road.
“Where are you going?” she asked, her hand instinctively clutching her purse to her side.
“Back on the highway.”
“Why?”
He looked at her, just a glance, but she was again struck by how undeniably gorgeous he was. In other circumstances, a different time in her life, she would have been happy to be in this situation with a guy like Elijah. But right now, after the night she’d had, she only felt nervous and exhausted.
“Look, I can take you as far as New York City,” he told her. “I’m going that way anyhow. I happen to know for a fact that you can catch a bus from there that will take you to Orlando for eighty bucks.”
A thrill of excitement raced through Caelyn’s body. If he was telling the truth, then she could actually do it. Sure, Orlando wasn’t Sarasota, but it was damn close. Just a couple of hours away. For eighty bucks, she could do it. It would hurt her pocketbook, but she could make it.
She couldn’t help but smile for the first time all night.
Elijah grinned in return, although his eyes were back on the road now. “So, which is it—that shitty old McDonalds or New York City, kid?”
“My name is Caelyn and I’m pretty sure I’m about your age,” she replied.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
She pursed her lips. “You think there will be a bus to Florida before night time?”
“Probably.” Elijah moved the SUV into the middle lane, hitting the gas until they were cruising along at about 70 mph.
Caelyn sat back in her seat and tried to calm her racing pulse. She couldn’t quite understand it, because she was no longer afraid that he was going to try something on her.
But nonetheless, she was still riding an adrenaline rush.
A few times she glanced at him surreptitiously, pretending not to really be trying to look at him. Stealing glances, her entire body was creeping with warmth and her lower belly was tingling.
Slowly, it dawned on her that she was enamored of this strange boy. Maybe it was because he was mysterious, or perhaps because he was helping her in a time of need.
All Caelyn knew was that she wanted to look at him, she wanted to hear his voice.
But another part of her sensed that there was more to Elijah than he was letting on in his simple interactions and his casual demeanor. She knew that if she ever truly got to know him, she might wish she’d never laid eyes on him in the first place.
***
Somehow, she’d fallen asleep in the
He smiled slightly. His eyes focused on her, as if seeing her for the first time.
She was unnerved by how sharp and perceptive those dark eyes were. It was as if he knew everything in one instant of gazing at her. She looked away quickly.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. The thing is,” he continued, “I don’t feel right leaving you in the middle of nowhere with no car and no way home. Where are you headed, anyway? Can’t you just call someone to come and get you?”
She thought about lying and then, for some strange reason, opted to tell the truth.
“There’s no one I want to call.”
He nodded as if it made total sense. “Well where are you headed, then?”
“Florida.”
“Florida?”
“Yeah, Florida.” She glared at him, as if daring him to tell her she’d never make it.
He turned away, seemingly lost in thought. “I’m guessing you don’t have the money to fix that car we left back there.”
“No, I don’t.” She didn’t go any further than that—she didn’t tell him that she currently had about a hundred dollars in cash in her purse, a credit card that had maybe another hundred bucks before it was maxed out, and less than fifty dollars in her checking account.
Somehow, that money was supposed to last her all the way to Florida, and then continue to last while she found work and housing and fed herself.
As if Elijah knew all of these things, he suddenly put the car in gear and swung out of the McDonald’s parking lot, heading back the way they came on the main road.
“Where are you going?” she asked, her hand instinctively clutching her purse to her side.
“Back on the highway.”
“Why?”
He looked at her, just a glance, but she was again struck by how undeniably gorgeous he was. In other circumstances, a different time in her life, she would have been happy to be in this situation with a guy like Elijah. But right now, after the night she’d had, she only felt nervous and exhausted.
“Look, I can take you as far as New York City,” he told her. “I’m going that way anyhow. I happen to know for a fact that you can catch a bus from there that will take you to Orlando for eighty bucks.”
A thrill of excitement raced through Caelyn’s body. If he was telling the truth, then she could actually do it. Sure, Orlando wasn’t Sarasota, but it was damn close. Just a couple of hours away. For eighty bucks, she could do it. It would hurt her pocketbook, but she could make it.
She couldn’t help but smile for the first time all night.
Elijah grinned in return, although his eyes were back on the road now. “So, which is it—that shitty old McDonalds or New York City, kid?”
“My name is Caelyn and I’m pretty sure I’m about your age,” she replied.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
She pursed her lips. “You think there will be a bus to Florida before night time?”
“Probably.” Elijah moved the SUV into the middle lane, hitting the gas until they were cruising along at about 70 mph.
Caelyn sat back in her seat and tried to calm her racing pulse. She couldn’t quite understand it, because she was no longer afraid that he was going to try something on her.
But nonetheless, she was still riding an adrenaline rush.
A few times she glanced at him surreptitiously, pretending not to really be trying to look at him. Stealing glances, her entire body was creeping with warmth and her lower belly was tingling.
Slowly, it dawned on her that she was enamored of this strange boy. Maybe it was because he was mysterious, or perhaps because he was helping her in a time of need.
All Caelyn knew was that she wanted to look at him, she wanted to hear his voice.
But another part of her sensed that there was more to Elijah than he was letting on in his simple interactions and his casual demeanor. She knew that if she ever truly got to know him, she might wish she’d never laid eyes on him in the first place.
***
Somehow, she’d fallen asleep in the
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