Fast Burn (Burned Duet 1)

I slowly backed away but didn’t take my gaze off her face. Her reaction to me walking away was clear as day, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she didn’t like it.

But she was wrong. I wasn’t walking away from her. I couldn’t even if I tried. I moved around the back of her car and around to the passenger side, then opened up the door and slid inside. I made myself comfortable, pushing down in the seat and crossing my arms over my chest, and all the while I could feel her gaze burning on me.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

I turned my head on the headrest so I was facing her, and shrugged. “You won’t come with me, so I’ll sleep here with you.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she flung back at me. “You can’t sleep in my car—”

“But you can?” I asked. “It’s okay for you to sleep here but not me?”

“I…” She blew out a breath and groaned. “Why are you doing this?”

Tilting my head to the side, I stared at her intently, not willing to let her gaze go. “Doing what?”

“This.” She waved her arm in the air, signaling me in her car. “I don’t want your help.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t need it.” I left that hanging in the air, and when she didn’t respond, I lowered my voice and told her, “Look, I get not wanting help. Trust me, I get it. But sometimes, you have to take it. Sometimes…” She turned away, so I reached my hand out and captured her chin with my thumb and forefinger. “Sometimes, Elodie, you can take the help you’re offered.”

“I hate it,” she croaked out. “I hate the situation I’m in.”

“Then let me help get you out of it.” I swallowed and moved my hand to the side of her face, feeling her soft skin against my palm. “I’m not asking for anything in return, sweetheart. I promise.”

Her hand moved to my arm and she grasped my wrist. I wasn’t sure whether she was pulling me away from her again, but when she gripped harder and a tear fell from her eye, I knew I’d gotten through to her.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll let you help me.” Her eyes closed as she paused. “But only for tonight.”

I didn’t like it, not one bit, but I’d take it. One night was better than nothing, and besides, there was no way I was going to let that be it. I had to have a plan in place, and already my mind was swirling. But first, I needed to get her out of this damn car in this alley.

“Let’s go, then,” I said, not giving her the chance to back out as I opened up the passenger door and got out of her car. I waited for her as she gathered up some of her things from the back. “I’ll carry it,” I told her, already taking the bag out of her hands. I didn’t wait for her as I started to walk out of the back alley behind the stores and toward the main street.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said from behind me, and I turned to her. Now we were on the main street, the lights flashed on her face and I could see the errant bruising from last week. I desperately wanted to ask her how she was doing, but I knew it would be too much right now. We were in unchartered territory, and I didn’t want to do anything to scare her away.

“Doing what?” I asked, waiting for her to get to my side. Once she was, I started walking toward my truck, which was parked ways down from my shop.

“Coming with you.”

I grinned. “What can I say? I’m stubborn.” She snorted in response but didn’t reply, not that I expected her to. I could feel the nerves coming off her in waves as I unlocked my truck and held the passenger door open for her. I was ready to give her a boost up, but she managed okay.

After handing Elodie her backpack, I sauntered around the front of the truck and got in next to her. The engine roared to life, and I turned to face her one last time, and asked, “You ready?”

She blew out a breath, nodded in reply, and that was all I needed to pull out on the road. I didn’t think twice about taking her back to my place. I could sleep on the sofa and she could sleep in my bed, and as she said, it was only for one night anyway. It was all above board, no matter how much I wanted to hold her in my arms and promise her she didn’t have to keep hiding. She was right, we didn’t really know each other, not in the grand scheme of things, but there was something drawing us together, and neither of us could deny that. Call it fate. Call it destiny. Call it whatever you wanted to. But we were meant to be in each other’s lives.

It didn’t take me long to drive to my house, and as I pulled into my driveway, I could see how nervous she was. Her hands clutched in her lap, her chest moving up and down at a fast pace. “Message someone and tell them you’re here.”

Her head spun around so fast I winced. “What? Why?”

I shrugged, acting easy, when I was anything but. “You look nervous. I figured if someone knew where you were, you’d be more at ease.”

“Oh.” She blinked several times. “I…okay then.” She pulled her cell out, tapped at the screen, and then took a big breath. “I’m ready.”

I nodded, not needing to say anything as I pushed out of my truck and walked around to her side. She was already halfway out by the time I got to her, and I took her backpack once again, then led her to my front door.

“You can sleep in my bed,” I murmured as we entered the house and locked the door behind us. I

switched on all of the lights and headed right for the stairs. It was nearly 1 a.m., so I had no doubt she’d be tired. I knew I was.

“What? Where will you sleep?”