UNEXPECTED compile Read Online Free Page B

reverberated through the humid air. “I don’t like to drink when I’m working. And I sure as hell wouldn’t eat anything cooked by Scotty.”
    “Working? I thought you worked at Felony. Did you quit or something?” She stopped in the middle of the street to remove a rock from her shoe, placing a hand on Randy’s broad forearm for balance. He waited patiently for her to replace her shoe then fell into step beside her when she moved on.
    “I still tend bar and bounce. But it’s not enough to live on, you know? So I moonlight here and there.” When a car turned the corner and headed up the street, he guided her to the sidewalk with a gentle nudge. The touch of his hand to her elbow, fingertips warm and calloused, made her eyes widen. The car whooshed past and turned at the next intersection, leaving them alone again.
    “Moonlight? Doing what? Testing the drinking water?” She bit her lower lip as he laughed again.
    A twig cracked in the underbrush beside her. She squeaked and dropped her purse. A mangy dog clambered out of the thicket, tail low and eyes haunted. A nervous giggle burst from her lips as the mutt trotted across the street. Randy bent to retrieve her purse and handed it to her before shoving his hands back into his pockets.
    “Are you always this tense?” he asked. “Or is it me? Do I make you uncomfortable?” A frown furrowed his brow. “I get that a lot.”
    They had reached the bus stop. Feeling stupid, she took a seat on the bench. “No. Sorry. It’s been a very long, very shitty day.”
    The broad shoulders relaxed, and his brow smoothed. “Right.” He took a quick look up and down the street. “I’m going to visit this bush over here. Too much water.” He laughed apologetically.
    Guys . She rolled her eyes as he disappeared into the shrubbery behind the bus stop and glanced at her cell. Twenty minutes until the next bus. She decided to thumb through her texts to pass the time. Two from Ally, one from Mitch, nothing from Emma. Concerned, she tapped out a quick message then groaned when the screen froze, and her phone went dark.
    Engrossed in the technology fiasco, she failed to notice the Chevy sedan gliding up the street until it stopped at the curb in front of her. It was an older model, covered in primer and rust, with gleaming chrome wheels that probably cost more than the car itself. The black-tinted passenger window slid down to reveal two guys and the thud of hip-hop bass.
    Their unwanted attention made her heart skip a beat. She kept her gaze on the phone and pretended not to notice them, hoping they would go away.
    “Hey, pretty girl. Look at you, sitting here all alone.” The driver smiled at her, the forced affability chilling her to the bone despite the muggy atmosphere. “Can we give you a ride home?”
    “Beat it, guys.” Randy’s raspy voice caught the men by surprise. The passenger twisted around to glare at the unwelcome arrival. Randy slid onto the bench beside her, pressing his rock-hard thigh against hers. One of his arms draped over the backrest as if claiming her, daring the men to challenge him. The tight coil of his muscles suggested he was ready for a fight. Randy jerked his chin in the direction of the next street when they didn’t move. “I said step off.”
    The passenger raised both hands in defeat while the driver put the car in gear. The tinted window slid shut. The car glided away from the curb and down the street.
    “Is it always that easy for you?” Karly asked.
    “Sometimes. Sometimes not,” he said with a sheepish shrug. “It doesn’t hurt to be six-foot-six.”
    “I suppose you’re not afraid of much,” she replied, returning his smile, liking him more than she’d expected.
    “Pregnant women,” he said. “And clowns. They freak me the fuck out.”
    She laughed, struck by the image of the towering man shrinking from a harmless clown carrying balloons at a circus.
    The press of his lean body against hers brought a sudden rush of