11. Rowan

11

ROWAN

W hy, oh why, had she ever thought it was a good idea to trap herself in a car for hours with Leith? She shifted in her seat, adjusted her grip on the steering wheel, and snuck another peek at her passenger.

He was too close, taking up too much space, and pretty much all the oxygen. And it was a decent-sized SUV, too. Big enough to haul her larger canvases around and bring home her stock-up shops at Costco. But it didn't feel like enough space for the two of them, what with his arm brushing up against hers on the armrest and his scent overwhelming the remains of the forgotten air freshener she'd stuck on a vent months ago.

Despite the growing sexual tension, the drive itself had been smooth, filled with easy conversation that lasted all the way to the edge of Charlotte. They'd covered topics ranging from childhood foolishness to bucket list items to favorite shows and the travesty of too many new series being canceled after a season due to poor decision-making by the streaming services. They'd even managed a heated debate over the legitimacy of selling one's soul for physical goods or heightened talents before subsiding into silence, both of them satisfied they'd effectively made their points.

It was only as they made their way deeper into the city, an alternative rock song from the 90s played softly in the background, that comfortable silence grew charged. With each shift of his body, her awareness of him and his proximity to her expanded. Butterflies fluttered madly in her stomach, and her grip on the steering wheel grew damp. She felt like a hormonal teenager in her first real relationship, unsure of how to respond to what her body and brain were experiencing.

Despite that, their rocky start, and his wily machinations, being here, in this moment with Leith felt right. She was surprised how much she liked that they both complemented and challenged each other. It felt like fate played a hand in their meeting. After all, she'd gone to the crossroads looking for a spirit and a simple answer but wound up with a demon and a complication she couldn't quite wrap her head around.

Okay, so maybe she shouldn't have accessed a power like the crossroads in the first place. It wasn't her brightest idea, but she'd been both pissed and desperate to help Granny after that threatening letter.

Then again, if she hadn't gone to the crossroads, she wouldn't be sitting here in this car with Leith, thinking about how much she liked him and how she wanted to spend an insane amount of time with him.

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when he said, "Just after that fast food place, you're going to want to merge."

"I hate driving into Charlotte," she muttered, slipping into a gap between two cars. "In fact, I'm not a fan of the city. Too big, too crowded, and far too much damn traffic and people who don't know how to drive. Just get out of my way already," she growled at the vehicles surrounding her and clogging up the road.

He snickered. "You know, I offered to drive, but you rejected me. Now, you have to deal with the consequences."

"I like driving. I don't like traffic. Besides," she said, flashing him a grin, "you make an excellent passenger princess."

He cocked his head. "And what did I do to earn that title?"

"Well, the snacks you procured include salty and sweet treats plus crunchy and chewy options." She popped a few jelly candies into her mouth. "And you even made a playlist for our trip." She gestured towards his phone, connected to her car radio. "Without which, we would have been scrolling through static, talk radio, and religious stations in hopes of stumbling upon some decent music as we drove through the sticks. So thank you for that."

"And that makes me a passenger princess in your mind? The fact that I made sure we had a comfortable, snack-filled trip? That's just common sense," he said with a faux sniff of disdain.

"I mean, you also fulfill the role of sitting there and looking pretty while I do the hard work of avoiding all these terrible drivers and keeping us safe. So, in this case, I'm the road warrior, and you're the passenger princess. As it should be."

He huffed out a laugh and directed her towards a pay-by-the-hour parking garage. "I have to admit, I enjoyed the opportunity to admire the scenery rather than focus on the road. The view from my seat is pretty damn beautiful," he said, waggling his brows at her.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a ticket from the machine. "Flatterer."

"What? I was talking about the rolling hills and all the trees."

"Okay," she said, parking the SUV and climbing out. "And I'm sure the countryside thanks you for your complements."

They walked into the bright sunshine, a clear blue sky overhead, and headed towards Duke Energy Plaza and DownHome's corporate offices.

"So, what's the plan when we go in?" she asked, trying to ignore the spark that zinged up her spine when she looked at him. He was dressed in one of his tailored suits, this one a deep navy, with no tie. Her gaze darted to the exposed hollow of his throat, a slow curl of heat warming her.

He glanced at her, a furrow between his brows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you going to ask for a meeting? Should we go in on the down low and snoop around, see what we find? Ooh, are we going in undercover?" She gave a little bounce, excitement filling her. She could handle some role play. It'd be fun. "I could be a grieving widow looking to sell my family home to pay funeral costs, and you're my supportive bestie."

"This is your adventure," he said. "I'm just along for the ride."

She pulled him to a stop, ignoring the grumbles of a sharp-dressed woman in killer boots forced to skirt around them. "What do you mean? Okay, yes, I suggested this trip, but that's because you said you needed information on them so we could get them off Granny's back, and I thought what better way to get it than to hit up their corporate offices, maybe get a peek at their actual plans for Stonyburn, rather than the pie-in-the-sky bullshit they're peddling at the town meetings."

His lips curled up into a rueful smile. "That's not really how it's done."

"So every lawyer show where they're poking around, doing their own investigating, is wrong?" She was sad to learn how wrong her wonky legal education via Movie of the Week reruns and cozy murder mysteries was.

"Pretty much," he said with a shrug. "Usually, if we need that kind of work done, we hire a licensed investigator."

Well, that was irritating on multiple levels. "So there was no reason for us to come all the way here, then. Is that what you're saying?" She heaved a frustrated sigh. "Why didn't you say anything before we left town and drove all this way?"

He took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. "I wanted to spend time with you," he said simply.

Her heart cracked open. "Really?" That single word felt small and vulnerable.

"Really." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, his lips searing her skin.

She put a hand on his chest and stepped closer, tilting her head back to look into his eyes. Out here in the bright sunlight, they looked like an endlessly deep pool of the most gorgeous blue. "I wanted to spend time with you, too," she said in a quiet voice. Then she poked him with a finger. "But you still should've said something before we got here. Because what are we supposed to do now? Turn around and go home? Wasteful," she grumbled.

"What about this: we go to DownHome. You can poke around some under the guise of looking for the bathroom. I'll set up a meeting. It's unorthodox to do that in person, but I'll say I was in the area." He wrapped one of her curls around his finger. "Afterwards, I'll take you to dinner. What do you think?"

"Fine. But only if I get to pick the restaurant." It was a decent compromise, she had to admit. And she still got a chance to pretend like she was a fancy investigator helping with the case. Plus, yummy food and the chance to spend more time with Leith. A win in her books.

"Deal." He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "You should be wary about making deals with a crossroads demon, love. I hear they're tricky and underhanded."

She snickered. "That's certainly been my experience. But I'll take the chance. After all, I know this demon, and he's a bit of a marshmallow."

He reared back, appalled. "I'll have you know, I'm no marshmallow, madam. I'm a badass demon lawyer who doesn't take kindly to that type of sass."

"Oh, no," she said, tracing a finger over the tempting hollow of his throat, "what ever will you do about it? Spank me?"

As a wicked grin spread across his face, the area darkened, shadows puddling around them. "So very tempting," he growled. He leaned closer, his glamour flickering to reveal his blood-red skin, horns curling in his dark hair, and his sharper-than-human teeth.

"Get a room," someone shouted as they drove past in their delivery truck.

Leith's glamour snapped into place and the shadows retreated, leaving them once again in sunshine.

"Maybe later," Rowan said with a grin. She enjoyed seeing his roguish side come out to play, but the driver was right. This wasn't the time or place for more. Her fingers still entwined with his, she tugged him towards their destination. "Let's check out DownHome before you lose control right here on the street, you naughty demon."