Joker said nothing but the air in the cab was far from light.

I swallowed, thinking I read his thoughts, and looked back to the windshield. “It’s lame. I know. I should want to be a graphic designer or bank president or something.”

“Most important job in the world.”

I looked back at him.

“Not one fuckin’ thing lame about that,” he stated firmly, his hand still holding mine tight. I watched as he lifted it to his lips and brushed them against my knuckles. I was breathing strange again when he dropped our hands back to his thigh. “Not one fuckin’ thing.”

“Well, now, I kinda wanna be a stylist,” I shared.

“Then do it,” he said. “We’ll get you there. You want part-time and the rest of the time family, that’ll happen. You want full-time, whatever. Days where you didn’t get what you want are done, Carrie.”

“I can’t take night classes with my work schedule,” I told him.

He glanced at me again then back to the road before replying, “Day at a time. Week at a time. We’ll deal with your ex. We’ll be together and make the solid we got unshakable. Then we’ll sort it out.”

“It’s easy with you,” I said straight out, got another glance and kept going. “I didn’t realize how hard it was with him until you gave the easy of you.”

“Butterfly, I think we’ve both had enough hard. We could use some easy.”

I wished I was driving. If I was driving, right that second, I’d pull over and kiss him.

Since I couldn’t do that, I again faced forward, muttering, “Totally wish I could bronze that tire.”

Joker started chuckling.

Then he turned into the alley that ran behind Tyra’s house and let my hand go to lift his to the garage door opener I’d given him.

He parked beside the red wreck and shut down.

We walked to the back of the house with our arms around each other.

He let me go to unlock the door (obviously, I’d also given him keys to the house).

Joker waited for me to precede him, which I did. I tossed my purse aside and didn’t turn on the light since the switch was right by the door and I didn’t want to make him wait even a moment to make his way in. He’d turn on the light.

Except he didn’t.

I heard the door close, then with a quiet cry, I was tugged back and found myself pressed to it, face first, my hands up in front of me.

Then my skirt was yanked up and I felt Joker’s chest pressed to my back.

My breath caught.

His hand slid over my bottom.

“Saw these panties on the couch. Knowin’ they were on you, fucked with me all night.”

Okay, maybe he’d noticed my usual underwear, but since it came in a five pack and wasn’t exciting by any stretch of the imagination, like the pink, lacy, semi-thong I was currently wearing, he just hadn’t said anything.