True Love Waits

Chapter 1146 Trouble on the Road

As Matthew kept going on her, Erica wasn't sure if his feelings toward her had changed, or if he was just drunk. Either way, his advances weren't welcome. Between his kisses, she tried to remember and to name all the women who were close to him. "Matthew, stop! Don't forget about the girl you really love! It's Paige, right?" The man didn't seem to hear her.

Erica remembered another name. "Phoebe Su?"

That did the trick.

Matthew slowly drew back, and his scent went with him. The desire in his eyes faded away, and his look turned cold. Clearing his throat, he hastily said, "Phoebe is Nathan's love. Don't talk nonsense about me and her!"

"Oh, I see. I guess I was mistaken," Erica replied. In her own thoughts, however, she thought she had little reason to believe his words.

After he let go of her, Erica quickly got off the sofa and put a few paces between Matthew and herself. "Can you walk?"

"Of course I can. Let's go." With that, Matthew practically sprang to his feet, and they headed for the door.

As they neared the black Emperor, Matthew hovered by the door to the passenger seat with his hands in his pockets. Signaling to her with his eyes, he said, "Why don't you open the door?" "Okay!" Erica obediently opened the door for him, then closed it after him.

Just then she paused, glanced at the car keys in her hand, and suddenly realized something serious. "Are we going to drive home?" she asked awkwardly.

"Of course!" Matthew didn't look up. He was still fumbling with his seat belt.

"Then shouldn't we switch seats? You drive the car and I'll take the passenger seat."

Matthew rubbed his eyes as if nursing a headache. "I can't drive after that wine I drank," he answered. "It's dangerous and against the law. Don't you know that?"

Looking somewhat baffled, Erica began, "Of course I know! But....."

"But nothing! Stop wasting time and get in the car!"

"Fine, then!" Erica's heart thundered as she took the driver's seat. 'This is your order,' she thought gloomily. 'I hope you won't regret it.'

the first step on her own; she started the engine. A moment passed as it idled in a low, constant grumble, and sweat began to roll down Erica's forehead. Sounding as casual as possible, she said, "Matthew, which pedal is the accelerator and which is the

than before, Matthew nevertheless answered her questions patiently. When Erica began to show confidence and asked nothing else, he leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes. Three minutes later the black Emperor

while he kept his eyes shut. Around him he could feel the vehicle crawling along; there was no way Erica was anywhere near the speed limit. Yet every few minutes, somehow she kept needing to slam on the brakes or lurch from one lane to another, and Matthew would hear another car or

incident repeated itself at least twenty times. By then Matthew was fully awake, though no happier for it. Taking a deep breath and trying not to sound angry, he commented, "I wonder how

stared straight ahead, her white-knuckled hands practically strangling the steering wheel. "I don't have a

through a driving course in her past life, before running away

person. But this time, he was truly mortified. "Are you kidding me? What are you doing, driving without a

off the road to give him a scathing look. "Because you ordered me to drive! Am I

take control of the situation, they would get in a wreck for sure. He said, "Look, at the next intersection turn right. Then pull over to the

his phone and

instructions; she was too embarrassed to admit that she hadn't completely understood him. As they drew near to the intersection, she began to turn the steering wheel to right. Holding the phone up to his ear, Matthew

nodded, but did nothing. She wanted to

could get ticketed for turning without a

to pull over. She felt wronged, but

in front of Erica and flicked a lever near the steering wheel, and the turn signal came

Matthew was back in his own

came a very unpleasant sound. It began as a sort of metallic bang which morphed into

twenty miles per hour, and the black Emperor was a sturdy vehicle. Whatever had hit

his driver's panic even though she didn't make a sound, Matthew commanded, "Stay calm! Just whatever you

exactly what he was hoping to prevent and slammed on

seat belts. Then there was a bang, and the car

wits came back to him, he guessed that they had been

his assistant answered the

into the passenger seat, Matthew rubbed the spot between his brows and said in a helpless tone, "I'm on Sunny Road. There's been an accident; scratching and a rear-end collision. Arrange a driver to come and pick me

up the phone. Beside him, Erica seemed frozen in fear and dismay. As she gazed out the windshield, she held the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. Matthew sighed quietly. "Let's

seat belt when someone tapped on the window. From farther back, behind the black Emperor, someone shouted, "Who the

Erica opened the door,

that had rear-ended them was a Volkswagen Phaeton-luxurious vehicles, and this one was the