Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 44

Jo wanted to wait until they were out of Charlotte traffic before she told Ryker about what happened the night she discovered her powers, so he could concentrate on driving. Charlotte traffic was a beast. But she fell asleep as they were heading out and didn't wake up again until they stopped for gas.

"You should have woken me up," Jo muttered, getting out to stretch her legs.

"I promised you that you could sleep if you needed to," Ryker said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and kissing her forehead.

"I want to be a good passenger," Jo muttered sleepily, wrapping her arms around him and leaning against his warm and solid chest while they waited for the truck to fill. Good passengers talked to their drivers to help them stay awake. Ryker chuckled as he circled one arm around her back to hold her close to him, his other hand stroking her hair.

"Someone gets cuddly when they're sleepy."

"Mhmm." Jo nuzzled her face into his chest. "But you already know that."

"Why do you think I like sleeping over so much?"

Jo laughed and punched him half-heartedly in the chest. Ryker simply caught her fist, holding it there. "We're almost home, maybe 45 minutes."

"Awesome." She yawned. "We're gonna suck in music appreciation class tomorrow."

"We could just skip."

Jo looked up at him, amused. "If we were going to skip, we should have just done it earlier today."

"Ahh, but then your parents would have known."

Jo rolled her eyes. "Don't be a bad influence." The gas pump clicked, signaling that the car was full, and Ryker went to remove the handle and close the gas cap, letting Jo go momentarily.

"Yup, that's me, the terrible influence," Ryker said dryly.

Jo batted her eyelashes at him teasingly. "Every girl dreams of a bad boy boyfriend."

Ryker laughed and gave her a gentle shove toward the front of the truck. "Get in the truck, you shameless woman."

Jo climbed up while Ryker got in on his side. Just as Ryker was about to shut his own door, he froze.

"What?" Jo asked, studying him closely, then looking out at the woods.

"I thought I saw..." he frowned and shook his head. "I don't know."

"Saw what?"

He hesitated. "I thought I saw a car pass by that was behind us earlier on the road. But it's hard to tell. So many cars look similar."

"Well if it passed by we're okay, right? It didn't stop here?"

"Mhmm." Ryker rubbed his jaw, thoughtful. "Well, we're on less-traveled roads now, so I should notice if it pops up again." He started the car. "Just tell me if you notice any black SUVs that seem to be keeping pace with us."

"Got it." Jo clicked her seatbelt, then looked up at him as he pulled out of the gas station. "That reminds me, remember in my bedroom earlier..."

"When I was naked?" Ryker said, giving her a quick mischievous look before returning his attention to the road.

"Ryker!" she growled, although her cheeks warmed at the reminder.

"You shouldn't do that while I'm driving," Ryker returned, his voice deeper and more gravely. He reached over and squeezed her thigh lightly, his thumb brushing against her skin. "You know how distracting I find it when you start growling at me."