Rebel (Renegades 2)
ct.
When he was gone, she returned her attention to Lexi and Jax. Here they were, the perfect foursome again. This whole pairing-off habit they’d adopted over the past several weeks might be why Wes had tripped that line and asked her out. She had to admit, seeing Lexi and Jax together, so happy, so in love, so…connected, had tweaked Rubi’s mind toward the idea of finding that perfect someone. But she only had to look into her past to know she wasn’t Lexi. They might mirror each other in many ways but were completely opposite in just as many. Desiring and maintaining a romantic relationship was one of those opposites.
Yes, she wanted Wes. She was human. She was female. And he was…a freaking demigod. But talk about messing up perfect friendships—breaking Wes’s heart would cause rift upon rift upon rift within this new and expanding circle of Rubi’s and Wes’s friends.
To buffer the whole double-dating scenario, Rubi turned to Rachel. “Take a break from that computer, Rach. Come with us. ”
Rachel groan, pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. “A break from this risk assessment sounds heavenly. ”
Wes returned with his muscles stretching the T-shirt’s Hurley logo across his chest and his feet slung into worn, leather flip-flops. Rubi grinned at his surfer-boy look. But his head was still bent toward the phone in his hand, his handsome face pulled into that rare frown.
In an attempt to find equilibrium again, she teased, “Girl problems?”
He looked up with a lopsided grin and slid his phone into his pocket. “You’re the only girl giving me problems, Russo. ”
He slid his hand under her hair and squeezed her neck. Tingles spread over her skin, down her spine. The touch surprised her. Unsettled her. “Let’s go. I’m starving. ”
Rachel stood and grabbed her purse.
Jax pulled Lexi by the hand toward the door. “My truck’s right out—”
“I’ll meet you there,” Rubi said. “I’m going to head straight home from lunch. I’ve got a lot of work waiting for me. ”
She stepped into the Los Angeles sunshine and slid her sunglasses on. At the bottom of the steps, Rachel turned to follow Jax and Lexi.
But Wes waited with a hauntingly sexy grin. “Can I drive the Ferrari?”
“Actually, no. ”
“No?”
She always let him drive when they went anywhere together; it gave him such a thrill. And she’d been brimming with anticipation of this moment when she’d introduce him to her new—even faster—toy. But if she was going to keep things platonic between them, cutting back on these intimate habits would probably be a good start.
“No,” she repeated. “I traded it in today. ”
“You what?” He reached out and placed the back of his hand to her forehead. “Are you sick?”
“No,” she laughed, batting his away. “I don’t need two cars. ”
“What did you trade it for?”
She heaved a sigh. There was no way she would be able to keep him out of this car without being downright mean. And that would be as detrimental to their friendship as fucking him.
She pointed her key fob toward the parking lot. The Aston’s sidelights flashed with a corresponding chirp.
Wes’s gaze held on the sleek machine for a long, disbelieving moment, before he uttered, “Is that…? No…fucking…way. ” His voice overflowed with awe and appreciation, then he yelled, “Suh-weet. ”
He jogged toward the Aston, and Rubi couldn’t stop the soft grin that turned her mouth and lightened her heart. Jax followed, the two of them all smiles, as they opened the doors to peer inside, chattering like two-year-olds with a new Hot Wheels set.
“You haven’t mentioned wanting a new car,” Lexi said, coming up beside her with Rachel.
“You know I can’t pass up a smokin’ deal. ”
“It’s…” Lexi crossed her arms and returned her gaze to the car, brow drawn. “Pretty. ”
“Pretty?” Rachel said. “It’s so gorgeous we might have to leave the boys behind. Don’t know how you’ll get them out of there now. ”
She smiled at Rachel’s comment, but it was the confused concern in Lexi’s voice that touched an uncomfortable spot inside Rubi. Sometimes it was great to have someone know you better than you knew yourself. Sometimes it was as uncomfortable as taking a cold shower.