Chapter 37

I opened my mouth to tell them I was quite capable of taking care of myself, but Mark gave me a look and closed his hand over my arm.

“C’mon, tough guy. I’ll drive you home.”

I would have protested, but I had no ride. “Fine,” I muttered. I refused to be embarrassed by my ill-tempered tone. “Goodbye, Mother.”

“Make sure you get some rest, sweetheart.”

I sighed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry. I will.”

I followed Mark out to the car and let him open the passenger door for me, but when he would have buckled my seatbelt, I slapped his hands away and glared at him. “I’m not a child, Vincent!”

“That’s a damn good thing, baby. What I have in mind for you would get me arrested if you were.”

“Ha ha.”

He leaned down and kissed me, then straightened and shut the door. Once he was behind the wheel, I opened my mouth to take him to task for kissing me in front of my mother’s house, where any of her neighbors could have seen.