new Bug from the bottom of her purse and marched past Ray's Corvette.
While she fumbled with the unfamiliar lock, he put his car in park and climbed out. Coming up behind her, Ray reached around and snatched the keys from her hand.
She whirled on him, anger snapping in her veins. "Ray Lowery, you jerk, give me my keys!"
He stepped closer, and his arm snaked around her waist, trapping her between his body and the side of the Beetle. "Say please."
His friends' laughter cackled from his car, and as Ray leaned closer, leering, she smelled the alcohol on his breath.
"Give me my keys." She thrust her hand, palm up, between them to punctuate her demand. She kept a level, unwavering glare locked with his.
"Make me," Ray returned, his eyes dark and uncompromising.
Pushing down her irritation, she repeated her request, adding, "Now, Ray. I don't appreciate your childish, caveman tactics.
"Honey, I'm all man in every way that counts." He ground his hips against hers to prove his point, and bile rose in her throat. His beefy arms tightened around her, and he stroked the side of her face. "All I want is a little of that sugar you were giving Kevin earlier today. Come on, Claire. Give it up."
Ray's friends whistled and whooped, egging him on.
She tried to raise her knee to his groin, but he pressed himself too close for her to move her leg. She'd missed her window of opportunity for that move. Struggling against his grasp, she shoved against his chest. "Let go of me, Ray! You're not funny!"
The cold look in Ray's eyes sent a shiver chasing down her spine. "I'm not laughing. Now get in my car."
For the first time that evening, Claire knew real fear.
C HAPTER S IX
When Ray reached for Claire, Kevin bristled. Even without hearing what was said between them, Kevin read disgust, irritation and a bit of fear in Claire’s body language. He wanted to do something to help Claire make a get-away, but he remembered her vehement objection to his interference as recently as this afternoon with Bud Renfro.
Ray backed Claire against her car, and protective rage surged through Kevin's blood like liquid fire. He didn’t have time to debate the issue any longer. Without any particular plan in mind, he stalked silently across the blacktop with determined strides.
"Ray!" Kevin squared off, his mind working double time to devise a strategy to distract the teen. All Claire needed was a few seconds to escape, a moment where Ray's focus was diverted so she could lock herself in her car and drive away. Surely he could manage something that simple for her.
"Lowery, I want a word with you." Kevin’s tone was less than polite.
Ray glanced over his shoulder and regarded Kevin as he might a bug on his freshly washed windshield. "Go away, Fuller. I’m busy."
Kevin’s eyes met Claire’s, and the fright, the silent plea for help reflected in her gold eyes wrenched his heart. "Leave her alone."
Ray shook his head with a humorless laugh. "Buzz off, man. We're off the clock, and I don't answer to you."
"Leave her alone." Kevin enunciated each word emphatically, a slow burn building inside him.
Ray grunted his annoyance. "Take a hike, loser, before I kick your ass!"
"Hey, Ray, who is this clown?" Ray's friends had climbed out of the car and strolled up for a closer view of the confrontation. Kevin heard Ray's buddy crack his knuckles, and he winced internally. The apes were clearly itching for a brawl with Claire as the prize.
"Three against one? Now that’s sportsmanlike." Kevin stepped closer to Ray. "Let’s settle this like civilized adults instead of playground bullies, okay?"
"Not likely. He’s neither civilized nor an adult."
Kevin, like Ray, turned a startled glance to Claire. Her eyes flashed with defiance before appealing to Kevin. "He’s not worth it, Kevin. Don’t...—"
"Shut up!" Ray barked, fury and alcohol emanating from every pore.
Ray's anger and inebriation disturbed Kevin. Ray was volatile at best
While she fumbled with the unfamiliar lock, he put his car in park and climbed out. Coming up behind her, Ray reached around and snatched the keys from her hand.
She whirled on him, anger snapping in her veins. "Ray Lowery, you jerk, give me my keys!"
He stepped closer, and his arm snaked around her waist, trapping her between his body and the side of the Beetle. "Say please."
His friends' laughter cackled from his car, and as Ray leaned closer, leering, she smelled the alcohol on his breath.
"Give me my keys." She thrust her hand, palm up, between them to punctuate her demand. She kept a level, unwavering glare locked with his.
"Make me," Ray returned, his eyes dark and uncompromising.
Pushing down her irritation, she repeated her request, adding, "Now, Ray. I don't appreciate your childish, caveman tactics.
"Honey, I'm all man in every way that counts." He ground his hips against hers to prove his point, and bile rose in her throat. His beefy arms tightened around her, and he stroked the side of her face. "All I want is a little of that sugar you were giving Kevin earlier today. Come on, Claire. Give it up."
Ray's friends whistled and whooped, egging him on.
She tried to raise her knee to his groin, but he pressed himself too close for her to move her leg. She'd missed her window of opportunity for that move. Struggling against his grasp, she shoved against his chest. "Let go of me, Ray! You're not funny!"
The cold look in Ray's eyes sent a shiver chasing down her spine. "I'm not laughing. Now get in my car."
For the first time that evening, Claire knew real fear.
C HAPTER S IX
When Ray reached for Claire, Kevin bristled. Even without hearing what was said between them, Kevin read disgust, irritation and a bit of fear in Claire’s body language. He wanted to do something to help Claire make a get-away, but he remembered her vehement objection to his interference as recently as this afternoon with Bud Renfro.
Ray backed Claire against her car, and protective rage surged through Kevin's blood like liquid fire. He didn’t have time to debate the issue any longer. Without any particular plan in mind, he stalked silently across the blacktop with determined strides.
"Ray!" Kevin squared off, his mind working double time to devise a strategy to distract the teen. All Claire needed was a few seconds to escape, a moment where Ray's focus was diverted so she could lock herself in her car and drive away. Surely he could manage something that simple for her.
"Lowery, I want a word with you." Kevin’s tone was less than polite.
Ray glanced over his shoulder and regarded Kevin as he might a bug on his freshly washed windshield. "Go away, Fuller. I’m busy."
Kevin’s eyes met Claire’s, and the fright, the silent plea for help reflected in her gold eyes wrenched his heart. "Leave her alone."
Ray shook his head with a humorless laugh. "Buzz off, man. We're off the clock, and I don't answer to you."
"Leave her alone." Kevin enunciated each word emphatically, a slow burn building inside him.
Ray grunted his annoyance. "Take a hike, loser, before I kick your ass!"
"Hey, Ray, who is this clown?" Ray's friends had climbed out of the car and strolled up for a closer view of the confrontation. Kevin heard Ray's buddy crack his knuckles, and he winced internally. The apes were clearly itching for a brawl with Claire as the prize.
"Three against one? Now that’s sportsmanlike." Kevin stepped closer to Ray. "Let’s settle this like civilized adults instead of playground bullies, okay?"
"Not likely. He’s neither civilized nor an adult."
Kevin, like Ray, turned a startled glance to Claire. Her eyes flashed with defiance before appealing to Kevin. "He’s not worth it, Kevin. Don’t...—"
"Shut up!" Ray barked, fury and alcohol emanating from every pore.
Ray's anger and inebriation disturbed Kevin. Ray was volatile at best
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