The sun had set, but the nights in Montana could be cold despite it being summer. The street lights flickered on, illuminating his way. It really wasn’t his problem to take care of her, but still, he found himself striding
down her driveway. Christ, the car she drove was a piece of junk. He’d asked Yoga Barbie what her name was.
Sunny. It suited her. Even if it was a little unusual. Yoga Barbie thought she came from some sort of cult. Claimed she and her husband had broken up because she was a lesbian, because why else would she wear men’s clothes?
As soon as the information had dried up and the sexual innuendos started, he’d walked off from her mid-word.
Yep, he could be a rude prick.
No, he didn’t much care.
As he moved past her car, he glanced inside and stopped in shock. She was still in her car? He’d assumed she’d gone inside while he’d been in the shower.
Fuck. The car wasn’t running. It had to be damn hot in there. Worry filled him, as he tugged at the door. Locked. Shit. He knocked on the window and she startled.
All right. At least she was alive.
He waited for her to open the car door or roll down the window but she just sat there, staring up at him. What was she doing?
Finally, he realized that she might not be able to see who he was and he pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight app and shining it up into his face.
“Sunny! Open the door!” he barked at her. She didn’t move. “Come on, it’s got to be hot in there. Open the door.”
Still nothing. Shit. Should he leave her alone? He was certain he was the last person she wanted around right now.
Yet his instincts screamed that she needed help. And he didn’t have it in him to just leave her. There was something about the way she sat there, so still, it made him think that she was beyond making decisions herself.
So make them for her.
“I’m going to count to three and then I want you to unlock this door. One. Two.” He paused. Fuck. Shit. This is really working, asshole. “Three.”
No movement towards the door. In fact, she actually shied away from it.
He crouched down to make himself less intimidating. Not exactly easy, he’d been told many times how terrifying he could be. Worked well for him at the club, and his clients at the tattoo parlor he owned didn’t give a shit.
But for quiet little subbies it could definitely be too much.
Was she a sub? She’d been unable to meet his eyes for long the other day, but that could be because she was shy. Or she’d been scared. The fact that she might fear him didn’t sit right.
Time to find your softer side, man. Damn, if the guys could see him right now, they’d piss themselves laughing. While he wasn’t as scary as Spike or cold as Reyes or volatile as Ink, he could rule with an iron fist. He hadn’t reached the position of VP if he didn’t have a steel backbone.
“Sunny, it’s Duke,” he said.
She likely already knew his name. Or maybe she didn’t. He hadn’t known hers. Then again, they’d already established that he wasn’t a good neighbor.
“Listen to me, I need you to lower the window.” He made an unwinding gesture with his hand, feeling like an idiot.
So he was surprised when a few seconds later the window actually lowered.
“Hey there, baby girl.” The endearment surprised him. He’d never called anyone that before. But it suited her. She seemed so pure and innocent.
“What do you want?” Not the friendliest of greetings, but he knew he deserved that.
“I came over to check on you. Have you been sitting out here since you got home? Why the fuck didn’t you have the air on? Or a window open?”
Soothing and sweet wasn’t him. But he was irritated that she’d just been sitting here. Why wasn’t she taking better care of herself?
He reached his hand through the open window, freezing as she shied back.