Unexpected Sting by Viola Grace (free reads .TXT) 📕

He grabbed his coat and headedout. He heard, “And I still want a great-grandbaby. It’s on thelist!”

Chapter Six

He groaned and got into his car. Heheaded up the drive and onto the country road with the thickeninglayer of snow. He travelled for five minutes before he sawStinger’s vehicle. It looked like a muddy mouth had bitten the backtire and tailgate.

He pulled up and got out,setting his coat aside and rolling up his sleeves. She opened thewindow and glared at him. “Nana Baker is a jerk.”

He grinned that she knew who hadcaused it. “I can get you out.”

“It’s no use. She isn’t going tolet it go. My car will get out tonight and come find me.” Shelooked at him directly. “Will you give me a ride to the city? Iwill check into a hotel and wait the storm out.”

He smiled. “You can stay withme.”

“I am trying really hard not totake advantage of your good nature.”

“My nature is surprisinglyself-serving. A few more hours and the city will be locked up.Being trapped with you for a few uninterrupted hours is exactlywhen I need.” He smiled. “I promise to make it worth yourwhile?”

“Is that a bribe?”

He raised his brows. “I stoledessert from my grandma’s fridge.”

She scrambled out of her car,grabbed her duffel bag, and gestured for him to precede her.

“Aren’t you taking thekeys?”

She laughed and got into his caras he stowed her bag. “He doesn’t have keys. He is a member of thehunt that likes my way of doing things.”

“So...”

“As soon as the coast is clear,he is turning into an occasionally visible horse, and he willfollow to downtown where he will find a legal parking spot in thewee hours and settle in. I will know where he is.”

He closed his hatch, got in, andput his coat on before settling behind the wheel. He buckled up anddrove his vehicle up the hill past her buddy. She pressed her handto the window, and she let him know where they would be via herlink.

“How long have you had thesteed?”

She chuckled. “Since I was ten.That was when we had to find our own place. Nana Baker got mad athim when she saw him. Knowing what I know now, I think she wasworried that I would prefer him to you when I finally met you.”

“Do you?”

“I have never had sex with mytransportation if that is what you are asking.”

He glanced at her. “I was. Is hea humanoid shifter?”

She shrugged. “Never in front ofme. He is either horse or car or SUV depending on where I am goingand how I need to appear.”

“I hear that you graduated fromhigh school when you were a teenager. What did you do then?”

“Business school. Mygrandparents gave me some seed money, and I bought a food truck andworked it for a spring through fall season. I switched to a truckwhere I could heat the interior a bit and opened a shop with arestricted menu of pizza-related items. I worked it when I didn’thave classes and put myself through school with fried breadtacos.”

He paused. “You were in thetruck by the economics building?”

“I was. Why?”

He winced. “When I had to seeone of my professors for a project he was working on, I ate therethree times a day.”

She grinned. “They were good. Isold it when I graduated and then rolled my money into the gym. Ifocused on the weight sets and mats then created a separateentrance for classes and hired instructors for self-defense, and itmorphed into a boxing studio.”

“You believe that women shoulddefend themselves.” He stated it as an absolute.

“No. I believe women have theright to learn if they choose to. When I was young, I wasvolunteering with my mom at the shelters. I saw what happens whenautonomy is denied. Women who are told all their life that beingcute is enough, adorable is enough, and trust me. When a guy saystrust me or to tell you the truth, it means that lies have beenpelted at your previously.” She sighed. “When someone tells you youdon’t need to know something, you fucking well need to knowit.”

“I can’t fault that.”

“A woman who knows how her ownbody works, how it moves, and how strong it can be just isn’t asappealing of a target for those who are looking for prey. So,education in any way they want is what I try and help themfind.”

He nodded. He was completelyunprepared when she asked him, “So, prior to this point, what havethe women in your life been like?”

He paused, and then, he wentwith honesty. “Predatory. Women who wanted to climb me for braggingrights.”

She paused and then snickered.“If they were climbing you, they were doing it wrong. You are a loteasier to get to if you are on your back.”

He grinned. It was a betterresponse than he had hoped for.

* * * *

Stinger watched the lights of the cityapproach and the other cars swerving on the road. Arthur was a calmdriver, and he simply adjusted for oncoming vehicles too close totheir lane. They were in the country, and in under two minutes,they were in the city. He drove them to the hotel and pulled intothe valet area. A bellhop approached and was dismayed to see theduffle bag.

She laughed and grabbed for it,swivelling it easily. “I have it.”

He looked at it and winced.“Miss, I can bring it up.”

Arthur was watching inamusement, and she closed the hatch. “Come on, Stinger. We’ll getyou in a shower and see if we can’t scrape off a few layers.”

She made a face and took his armas they entered the lobby and walked toward the elevator. Thecounter staff stared at her, and one of them felt brave and rushedforward. “Miss Rosos, we didn’t know you were coming. Your suite isready and available.”

She smiled. “Does my key stillwork?”

“Here is one with the currentcodes. Did you need the bellboy to help you with your bag?”

Stinger shook her head and heldup the key. “No, but thank you for this. I just want a propershower and the largest dinner you can manage sent up.”

“Yes, Miss. Right away.”

She looked at