The business trip was arranged so suddenly that Elodie waspletely baffled. She was just a junior in the PR department; what kind of work could possibly connect her to Jarrod?
Her suspicion grew when she stood in front of the car. "We''re driving?"
All that way, by car?
Jarrod, dressed in a casual dark outfit instead of his usual suit, ced their luggage in the trunk. His expression was perfectly calm. "Yes. We''ll be scouting some locations along the way."
Elodie felt something was off, but the big boss had spoken. What right did she have to question him?
She got into the car, still doubtful.
Jarrod handed her a pair of sunsses. "Put these on if the sun gets in your eyes."
Elodie nced at them and noticed they were the same model as the ones hanging from his shirt cor.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Did you buy these specially?"
"They were a bulk purchase."
II II
So much for that. She fell silent.
But the idea of a road trip to their destination still bothered her. After hesitating, she finally asked, "Are you sure you have the stamina for this?"
Jarrod nced at her, a strange look in his eyes. "What exactly are you questioning?"
"..." Elodie realized her words could be misinterpreted and quickly stammered, "No, no, that''s not what I meant. I just got my license a month before graduation, so my probationary period isn''t even over. If you get tired from the long drive, I can''t take over for you."
Jarrod saw the tips of her ears turn red. She was so easy to tease; he hadn''t even really started.
He turned the steering wheel, a slight smile ying on his lips as he checked the rearview mirror. "If I start driving drowsy, we''ll just end up in a ditch together. We''ll leave it up to fate."
Elodie swallowed. "..."
How was she supposed to close her eyes now? She''d have to stay on guard even if she was dead tired.
And sure enough, for the next eight hours, Jarrod noticed Elodie wasza bundle of nerves. Her eyes were. wide open, fixed on the road ahead, her hands clutching the seatbelt as if her life depended on it.
When he asked for water, she handed him a bottle with a straw. When he said he was hungry, she fed him small cookies. When he mentioned he was feeling a little tired, she was on high alext, her Voiceced with pame as she frantically tried to make S conversation. "If you''re really tired, we can find a rest stop. There''s no rush, really."
Jarrod nced at the navigation. "The nearest rest stop is still over half an hour away," he said slowly. "Can you think of any other solutions?"
Elodie was genuinely afraid he was going to drive them both to an early grave,
especially now that it was dark and the risks were higher.
She rummaged through her bag. "Do you want something to help you stay awake? I have some coffee-vored candy."
"No, I want to be able to sleep when we get there."
"What about a soda?"
"No, I''m watching my sugar."
"..." He was so difficult.
"Then what will help?" Elodie was out of ideas. Her life was literally in his hands.
She should have bought a car and practiced driving sooner.
Jarrod stared ahead nonchntly. "A kiss from you might do the trick."
Elodie thought she had misheard him. Was that something he would say?
Jarrod nced at herzily. "Or you could drive."
He was, of course, just teasing her. He wasn''t tired or sleepy at all. He just found her array of expressions amusing.
He was about to smile when a shadow fell over him. A fresh scent filled the air as a pair of soft lips unexpectedlynded on the corner of his mouth.
His pupils dted slightly. Before he could savor the taste, Elodie had already pulled back. Itsted only a second.
Jarrod''s grip on the steering wheel tightened. His Adam''s apple bobbed as he calmly turned to look at her.
Elodie sat bolt upright, the tips of her ears burning red, her expression deadly serious. "Drive safely, Mr. Silverstein."
Her survival instinct had
momentarily overridden her embarrassment Whatever he thought of her, getting him to focus on driving was all that mattered. She valued her life very much.