"Is this the historic monument?"
"What's that?"
"And what's happening over there?"
Zain kept firing questions, one after another, clearly on a mission to get on her nerves.
Lara, headphones on, eyes forward, drove straight ahead like he didn't exist.
Annoyed at being ignored, Zain leaned over and lifted one side of her headphone.
"HEY!"
Lara startled and slammed the brakes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped.
"Relax," Zain said, smirking. "Just for fun."
"Get down," she said flatly. "You walk your way. I'll walk mine."
"Nope," he replied, crossing his arms like a stubborn kid.
Lara reached over, unbuckled his seatbelt, and leaned forward to open his door.
Zain immediately raised his voice.
"HEY! I'm not that kind of guy! Stop assaulting me in public!"
Lara froze. Eyes wide. People outside glanced over.
She slammed the door shut and clamped her hand over his mouth.
"You—are—impossible," she hissed.
Zain chuckled under her palm, eyes gleaming.
"You like being this close, don't you?"
She shoved him back. "You wish."
Then she started the car and drove off.
For ten blessed minutes, there was silence.
Then—
"AMUSEMENT PARK!" Zain pointed. "Stop the car."
"Nope. We're not kids," Lara said coolly. "I can drop you here and be done with this."
"So this is how you treat your guest?" he teased. "Should I call Uncle Ben and tell him his daughter abandoned me alone in this scary big city?"
Lara tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"Fine," she muttered. "One stop."
"That's my girl," Zain grinned. "Knew you couldn't resist me for long."
"In your dreams," she shot back, though her lips twitched.
"Then maybe stop showing up in them," he said, leaning closer, smug as hell.
"Keep talking," she warned, side-eyeing him, "and I will throw you out of the car."
"Go ahead," Zain said softly. "But you'd have to touch me first."
Her jaw clenched. She hated how easily he turned everything into a flirt.
"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered.
"Too late," he chuckled. "You're already doing it for me."
Lara groaned under her breath. "Unbelievable."
Zain leaned back, grinning like he'd already won their little war.