Staked by Sandra Edwards Read Free Book Online

from
South Jersey, you should know that. Right?”
    “Well, it’s not like I’ve been there lately.”
She shrugged. “So I can’t really judge travel time because I don’t
know what the traffic’s like.”
    “Makes sense.” He gave a concurring nod and
then went silent. They passed a sign signifying a rest stop one
mile ahead .
    “Hey,” Ava said. “Can we make a pit stop up
ahead?”
    “Seriously?” He rolled his eyes. “You want to
stop now? Do you realize how much time we’ll waste by
stopping?”
    “Five minutes,” she said. “Five minutes isn’t
going to make or break us.” She wasn’t sure if he’d stop or not.
Stone didn’t exactly strike her as the accommodating type.
    He didn’t say whether or not he’d stop, he
simply turned his attention back to the road ahead and handled the
steering wheel with one hand.
    Ava tried willing him to stop. Aside
from needing to pee, she wanted to splash a little water on her
face. Maybe it’d shock this detrimental fascination with Stone out
of her system. It’d slammed her back at Louie’s, even before he’d
crossed the threshold. She hadn’t wanted it then and she was no
closer to accepting it now. The sooner she acquired Cole and
reimbursed Stone, the quicker she could escape the spell Stone held
over her. That was one thing she could look forward to if Stone
bypassed the rest stop exit—getting away from him that much
faster.
    Stone barely slowed down prior to veering off
the freeway at the precise moment he was about to bypass the exit.
Knowing now that they’d be making the stop left her with mixed
feelings. She needed to use the bathroom, but there was something
to be said for getting away from Stone as quickly as possible.
    The parking lot was nearly deserted and
cloaked in the nighttime’s darkness. Most of the street lights were
out, right along with the outside lights on the building. It was
hard to see whatever might be lurking in the shadows.
    Ava scanned the area as she opened the car
door but couldn’t decide if the eeriness swallowing her up was from
real trouble or just her nerves. Well, she had to pee; plus she was
sure that she and Stone could handle any mortal trouble hiding in
the darkness.
    She closed the car door with an easy push and
surveyed the area. The night’s warm air held the faintest hint of a
breeze. She just wasn’t sure if it was enough to fuel the goose
bumps that’d begun to pebble her skin. To be on the safe side, she
and Stone had better stick together.
    Ava glanced over her shoulder at Stone
strolling up the sidewalk about two paces behind her. “You think
you could come inside with me?” she asked. He threw her suggestive
look. She didn’t have the patience for his antics right now.
“Look...I can’t say that sexing it up in a neglected john at some
rest stop along the highway really turns me on.” She tried to
project her impatience onto him with a glare. It must have worked
because he rolled his eyes, drew a heavy breath and moved toward
her. “Can you just go in there with me? These kinds of places give
me the creeps.” It was best to let him think she needed a hero. But
the truth was, if they were going to get backed into a corner,
better to do it together.
    Stone moved in front of her, shaking his
head. “No matter how long I live,” he said. “I’ll never understand
women.”
    “Right back at you,” she said with a bite to
her tone.
    Stone stopped at the door, cracked it open
about a foot and scanned the interior before entering. After a
second or two he pushed the door open and beckoned her to
follow.
    “You’re safe, my lady.” He fanned a grand
gesture about the outer area of the ladies’ room. Clearly making
fun of her.
    Ava didn’t know why, but that wounded her
ego. She headed straight for the sink and turned on the cold water.
Luckily, it was instantly cold. She cupped her hands, filled them
with the chilled water and splashed her face. Then she did it again
for good measure.