Kenzie stared at the man as she shook his hand. How had she been so lucky? Not only was this guy willing to go to South Carolina with her, he was even hotter than her sister’s fiancé. Ha! Take that, Tessa.

She brushed her curls back, suddenly nervous. This was a little crazier than some of the things she’d done in the past. “Maybe we should write up some rules. You know, before we head out.”

“Sure.” He sat back down.

Kenzie pulled a small notebook from her purse. She always kept one in case an idea for a new jewelry design struck her. She flipped to a clean page and pulled out her favorite pen. “All right. Rule number one is no sleeping together.” She eyeballed the man sitting across from her. He didn’t look like a creep, but she didn’t know him, so she wanted to get that out in the open.

“Of course.” He didn’t seem phased. Good. She always carried pepper spray, but she didn’t want to have to use it.

“Rule number two is no kissing.”

He nodded. “That’s fine.”

She was glad he was cool with that. She didn’t need to be kissing anyone right now. She had to get her head on straight. After what Mason had done to her, she wasn’t interested in more heartache.

“Rule number three. You have to convince my sister you’re an awesome boyfriend. So hold the door for me, pull out chairs, and all that nice guy stuff.”

He chuckled, his smile showing his white teeth. How did he get them so white? He must have special toothpaste. And why did her stomach flip when he smiled? It was like she was a teenager or something. “Sure thing.”

“Can you think of any other rules?”

“Nope.”

“Great. We should probably get going then. It’s a five-hour drive. If we leave now, we’ll pull in around one in the morning.”

“Drive?” His eyebrows pulled together. “We’re not flying?”

He thought she was going to buy them plane tickets? Well, she might as well tell him now and let him back out of it. “I’m terrified of flying. Sorry, this girl is grounded.” She waited for him to make an excuse.

Camden scrubbed a hand over his face. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

She almost did a little victory dance right there in the bar. She was bringing a hunk-o-hotness to Tessa’s wedding. Finally, her mother wouldn’t look at her like the black sheep of the family. “Sweet.” She pulled her purse strap over her shoulder. “Let’s go get your stuff.”

“I live near Highland Park. You can follow me.”

“That’s a pricey neighborhood.”

He shrugged and pushed his chair in. “After you.”

She stepped outside and took in a deep breath; it had stopped raining while she’d been inside. She loved how the air smelled after a rain: earthy and fresh, like Mother Nature had taken a bath.

Kenzie hopped in her 1997 has-seen-better-days car and watched as he got into a sleek new truck. It had splatters of mud on it, much like his boots. She followed him to his apartment complex and waited while the attendant opened the gate.

She was amazed he could afford something so upscale. Maybe construction workers made more than she thought. They drove down into the parking garage. As she watched him disappear into the building, she wondered what she was doing. Inviting a stranger to come on a road trip with her to her sister’s wedding? Was she insane? He could be a murderer.

The more she thought about the man possibly grabbing knives or guns inside his apartment, the more nervous she became. Maybe going alone wouldn’t be so bad. She could say her boyfriend had to work. Yes, that would be good. Better than being stabbed by some psycho. She threw her car in reverse and started backing up. Yes, she should go alone. It really wasn’t smart to—

A knock on her window startled her, and she slammed on the brakes.

“You want to pop the trunk for me?” Camden lifted his suitcase and gave her a sexy grin.

Her heart stuttered. Handsome men weren’t serial killers, right? Better to be safe than sorry though. She pushed the trunk button and hopped out of the car, rushing to him with her hand up. “Wait. Open the suitcase.”

He gave her a funny look. “Why?”

“I have this rule . . . about my car. Nothing goes in the trunk unless I know what it is. Let me see inside.”

He laid it on the cement and crouched down. “Alright, but it’s just my clothes.”

She watched as he unzipped the case and opened it. Clothes. That was all. She dug a little to make sure he hadn’t buried a gun or something. Holding in a laugh, she peered up at him. “You wear boxers with kissy lips on them?”

His cheeks turned pink. “My mother bought those for me.”

The laugh she was trying to hold back burst from her and bounced off the cement walls of the parking garage. “Okay, you’re good. You can put it in the car.” She motioned to the duffle bag he still had in his hand. “What’s in there?”

“Snacks. Want to see them too?”

She wanted to say yes, but now he was looking at her like she was insane. “No. That’s fine.”

They both climbed into the car, and she pulled out her phone to text Tessa. It was best to let someone know she was coming, just in case. “I’m letting my sister know we’re heading out.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

She shoved the car into gear and peeled out of the parking garage. The setting sun made it hard to see. After they got on the interstate, she rummaged through the console between the seats and pulled out her favorite tunes. “Do you mind putting this in for me?”

He stared at it. “Your car still plays cassettes?”

“Of course. Why would I ask you to put it in if my car wouldn’t play it?”

He shook his head. “I’m shocked. I didn’t know anyone still had cassettes.” He put the tape in the slot and Duran Duran blared through her speakers.

She cranked the sound down. “Sorry. I like my music loud. And it still works, so I figured, why replace it, you know?”

“Sure. Makes sense.”

She gave him sideways glances as she drove, trying to convince herself he was just a regular guy doing her a favor, and that he didn’t bring along a duffle bag full of weapons. “We have a long drive ahead of us. I think we should get to know each other.”

He relaxed against the back of his seat. “Good idea.”

“Have you ever been arrested?” She bit her lip. Was that too obvious?

“Nope.” He looked at her. “Have you?”

“Technically . . . no.”

He sat up straight, eyeing her skeptically. “What does that mean? What did you do?”

It was a long story, and she really didn’t feel like telling it. “Well, apparently a person can’t climb a bridge, even if they don’t mean to fling themselves off it.”

He chuckled and visibly relaxed. “Really?”

“Yes. The police get very testy about it.” She checked her mirrors and switched lanes. “They don’t wait for you to explain, either.”

“Did you get a ticket?”

How did they end up talking about her? She wanted to find out if hottie over there was a serial killer. “Two, actually. But that’s a longer story. How about you? Have you ever gotten a ticket?”

“Sure. A couple of speeding tickets. Nothing out of the ordinary.” He looked out the window.

She shot him a quick glance. “Have you ever gotten away with something illegal?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, suspicion lacing his gaze. “Why?”

“No reason.”

He continued to scrutinize her. “We’re not going to get involved in anything shady, are we? This is just a wedding, right?”

How did he turn everything back on her? She tugged at the collar of her shirt. “No, nothing shady going on here. We’re fine.”

“Okay.” He sounded hesitant, like he wasn’t sure he believed her.

Great. Now she’d made him think she was up to something, which wasn’t her intention at all. She wanted to know if he was going to slice her up into a million pieces. Now he didn’t trust her. She sighed and stared at the car in front of her.

“Have you lived in Virginia a long time?” Camden asked.

“A little while. I’m kind of nomadic. Can’t stand to live in one place for long.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Where all have you lived?”

That was hard to say. “I’ve lived in forty-five of the fifty states.”

“Whoa, are you serious?”

She nodded. “My father’s job had us moving around a lot when I was a kid. I guess it grew on me. Now I can’t stand to put down too many roots. I spent the last eighteen months with my car and a tent. It was fascinating, waking up to a new sunrise each day.”

Camden stared at her. “How old are you? You don’t look old enough to have traveled that much.”

“Twenty-five.”

“What funds your travels?” He was back to looking at her with suspicious eyes.

She huffed. “Nothing illegal, if that’s what you’re implying.” Dusk was settling in and she turned the heater up to combat the spring chill in the air.

“No, I’m just curious. That’s all. What is it you do?”

Kenzie hesitated. Most people didn’t understand her passion. Her sister thought she was crazy. She was used to others making light of what she did, so she didn’t usually tell anyone. But this was the second time he’d asked, and if she side-stepped the question again he’d probably assume she was a drug dealer or something. “I make jewelry.”

He slowly nodded. “That’s cool.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that’s cool. What do you think I mean?” He looked at her like she confessed to eating baby rats.

Now she felt like a nitwit. “Sorry. People don’t generally think what I do is that great. They either think it’s just a cute hobby, or they don’t get it at all.”

“Hey, if you enjoy it, and it’s able to bring in money, there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re making a living doing what you love.”

She glanced at him. He seemed sincere. “Yeah. That’s how I see it, too.”

He unzipped his duffle bag and she tensed, watching as he reached inside. He pulled out a water bottle and she let out a breath she was holding. “You thirsty?” he asked.

Why was he offering her water? Did he put something in it? “No, thank you.”

“Okay.” He unscrewed the lid and took a long drink. Of course, that made her thirsty. She swallowed and tried to concentrate on the road.

After they drove for an hour, she pulled off the interstate and stopped at a gas station. “I’d better fuel up. If you want anything, let me know.”

He nodded and got out of her car. She filled the tank and then parked near the door. She glanced around but didn’t see Camden as she went into the convenience store. She grabbed a cold water bottle and a package of shelled pistachio nuts. There was no sign of Camden, so she bought her food and went back to the car.

Gravel crunched and fear ripped through her; Camden stepped out of the shadows. This was it. He was going to grab her and drag her off. She turned and did a ninja move, her hand up and her water bottle pointed at him. He blinked at her as she stood there wielding her cold drink. “You okay?”

He looked totally harmless. And hot. And his lips were twitching like he was trying not to smile. She lowered her bottle, her heart thumping in her chest. “Yes. You scared me.”

“I was waiting for you out here. The air smells nice after rain.”

She smiled, feeling stupid. “I love that smell too.”

He glanced down at the water bottle in her hand. “What exactly were you going to do with that?”

“I don’t know. My pepper spray wasn’t handy.”

His eyes grew wide. “I’m glad.”

She laughed, letting the tension roll off her back. She didn’t know why she was so worried. Camden was harmless. And cute. But she couldn’t think about him in any romantic kind of way. She’d been down that road too many times; it had never worked out. “Don’t worry. I won’t spray you unless you try to slice me up or something.”

He climbed into the car. “You don’t have to worry about that. I hate blood.”

She buckled her seat. “Good, because I kind of like you, and it would be a shame if you turned out to be a murderer.”