Free Keep Breathing by alexia purdy Page B

seem bothered and even started bobbing her head to the beat ever so slightly. This was good, anything to relax her was even more soothing to me.
    “ You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Her voice broke the chorus of the song, and I furrowed my brow as I concentrated on backing out of the parking spot.
    “ Tell you what?”
    “What the surprise is.”
    “Nope.” I flashed her my teeth in a naughty, teasing grin.
    She si ghed, frowning and shaking her head before she leaned on the window, staring glumly through it. She may have hated surprises, but I knew she would love this one, she just didn’t know it yet.
    “Okay, how about this…when I hit that signal up there, you close your eyes.”
    She whipped her head around to face me, her eyes wide like I had a horn growing out my forehead. “No way. Why?”
    “Close your eyes, we’re just about there.”
    “I’m not closing my eyes. ”
    My breath came out in a low growl. “Penny,” I pleaded, and eyed her in my periphery. She always liked to try my patience. “Please? Just once. I promise I won’t do any more surprises this week.”
    “This week? What does that mean? Absolutely no more at all!”
    “Please?” Her head shaking made me press my lips taut. “Come on, be a sport. Okay no more surprises.”
    My pleading w ore her out, and she complied, crossing her arms to make it obvious she wasn’t at all happy about it. “Fine. This better be worth it.” I felt her incessant stare as it drilled into my cheek.
    “Oh, it ’s very worth it.” I licked my lips, almost laughing out loud at her stubbornness. She grumbled as she closed her eyes right before I turned the car into a busy parking lot. I found a spot right away and switched the engine off. The place was flooded with vehicles and hordes of people were weaving in and out of the rows of cars. The place was as alive on the outside in the parking lot as it was sure to be inside the building.
    Jumping out, I jo gged over to her side of the car and pulled the door open. “Ready? Keep them eyelids closed one more minute! Just be careful stepping down, it’s a huge step to the ground.”
    “I’m going to break an ankle.”
    “We really don’t want that happening, Penny. Especially here.”
    Her hands fumbled as she let her legs dangle down over the side of the truck. My arms were there to catch her when she slid further down. Her hips were thin and felt good encircled by my hands. Once she had found her balance, she pulled away ever so slightly.
    The distan t thumping of bass music vibrated the ground, even out here in the parking lot. It felt like a rumbling earthquake as it traveled up through our legs. Penny tilted her head to listen to the sounds, and I could see her visibly start breathing faster, an apparent frown forming on her lips. I had to salvage the situation quickly, before I lost her into her little nerve wrecked world.
    “Okay, o pen your eyes.”
    Her lids slowly slip ped open, and the look of awe—along with a touch of fear—flashed across her eyes. “A dance club?”
    “ You still dance?”
    She gulped , and stared hard at the crowd of people filtering in and out through the doors, all in nightclub attire. “No…No…I—I didn’t dress for a nightclub. I can’t go in there.”
    “You’re kidding , right? You look fantastic!” Her tight black jean shorts and figure-hugging tank showed off her slim curves in all the right places. She glanced down, nervously smoothing her shirt down. She had nothing to fear, it hugged her deliciously and the shorts showed off her long, tanned legs. It was work enough to not reach over and run my fingers up her thighs and inhale her addictive scent.
    “I don’t really dance that much anymore.” Her eyes hit the floor, looking flustered and ashamed.
    “Really? You used to love it! Remember that time you dragged me—took me—line dancing? I was so clueless, I think I stepped on more people than anyone else that night. But it turned