Katherine took it, her expression calm but her words cutting.
âShawn, weâre like this carâjust not built for the same road.â
Shawn chuckled.
âWhat do you mean?â
âItâs outdated, breaks down at the worst times, and never gets me where I need to go without trouble. Do you think thatâs a good match for someone like me? Iâm a woman who values efficiency and speed. Being with you feels like riding in this carânothing but delays and detours.â
Shawn blinked, realizing the weight of her metaphor.
Shawn wasnât upset. He rummaged through his car, which heâd owned for what must have been seven or eight years, and pulled out a heat patch.
âThink hanging out with me is a waste? Iâd say those boyfriends you had before were the real waste of your time.â
Katherine, feeling the familiar discomfort from her period, blinked in surprise when he handed her the patch. Her heart skipped a beat.
Did Shawn really know her that well?
âWho said that? They were all great. Talented. Promising, even!â she shot back.
Since she was a child, Katherine had admired people more capable than herself. Her ex-boyfriends had always been impressive in some wayâwhether it was their ambition or their ability to support her.
Shawn, however, was painfully ordinary in most aspects. Sure, he was good-looking and easygoing, but he didnât have that spark, that thing that made her heart race.
Yet, somehow, this man had been weighing on her lately, making her feel like she was constantly sneaking around. She steeled herself. Enough was enoughâtime to lay it all out there!
Fixing her gaze on him, Katherine took a breath.
âShawn, Iâm practical, okay? Whoever Iâm with needs to either take care of me or help push me forward in my career. You canât do either of those things. You know what they say, right? Once someoneâs experienced the best, they canât settle for less. Once youâve loved a rose, how can you be content with a daisy? Soââ
But before she could finish, Shawn leaned in, his face suddenly much closer, his features magnified.
His eyelashes fluttered slightly as he pulled back and met her gaze lazily.
âGo on, keep spouting that nonsense, and Iâll kiss you again!â
Katherine covered her mouth, staring at him in stunned silence for a solid four or five seconds before she exploded.
âShawn Watson! Do you really think I wonât do something to you?â
She swung at him a couple of times, but Shawn effortlessly caught her wrists, holding them firmly in place. If there was one way to describe Katherine at that moment, it was all bark, no bite.
Truthfully, she was scared.
.
.
.