Chapter 5
Marcus smiled when she stepped out of the elevator. Flynn’s hair was in a ponytail, she wore almost no makeup, and she was dressed casually in distressed jeans and a Japanese Nissan GT-R T-shirt.
He already knew his dad was going to be a fan—after he got done giving her a hard time about her shirt.
“You look beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand.
Flynn bit her lip as she met his eyes. “I do?”
“Yes. And perfect for a barbecue.”
“Thank you. I … took Scarlett’s advice,” she said as he led her to the door Morty, a daytime doorman, held wide.
“Thank you, sir. Appreciate you.”
“My pleasure, Mr. Quinterro. Have a wonderful time today, Ms. Elliott.”
“Thanks, Morty. See you later.”
“I’ll be waiting for you, Ms. Elliott.”
He led her to his Porsche parked at the curb. Flynn stopped dead. After a beat, she looked at him, shock emblazoned on her face.
“You drive a brand-new 911 GT3 RS?”
“GT2 RS. I like turbos.”
Her lower lip dropped open.
“You think you’re the only one who likes fast cars?”
“That’s like a half-million-dollar car.”
He opened the door for her. “I know.”
Flynn’s eyes were round as she slid into the seat. “With carbon buckets and a roll cage?”
“Surprised?”
She pulled out the yellow belt with the five-point harness from beneath her. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“You only need a seat belt for this drive. No harness necessary,” he said, enjoying her shock more than he’d expected.
He closed the door and rounded the carbon fiber hood.
He saluted the doorman with two fingers. “Thanks for watching her, Morty.”
“Anytime, Mr. Quinterro. That ride’s a beauty.”
“Thanks,” he replied before letting himself in the driver’s door.
Inside, Flynn was buckled in and smiling. “It smells amazing. Every time I get in my car, I feel like the luckiest girl alive. I love the smell. Mmm.”
Marcus slid the fob into the ignition. “I love the sound,” he said as he turned it, and the engine roared to life.
“I will not argue with you there.”
“You drive a red one of these, right?”
“Not a turbo. Mine is naturally aspirated. The linear acceleration is more predictable in a straight-line race. Well, at least before you punch the NOS.”
Marcus shook his head. “You really put NOS on a perfectly good Porsche?”
“Sometimes, you just need that little extra boost to get you over the line first.”
He pulled out into a gap in traffic. “I can’t believe you’re still living your life ten seconds at a time, like you’re a female Dominic Toretto.”
Flynn laughed, presumably at his Fast Ma was always in your corner.
She’s the rock, but she couldn’t do it without Pop.
They’re a solid unit. A team. Always got each other’s back.
They might get loud sometimes, but it’s always with love. ”
“They sound amazing.”
“They are. And my sisters … they love the shit out of me. Dani’s oldest is in college, which is wild. Carrie’s two boys came late. And you know Zoe. She’s always got my back, at home or work.”
“Do you realize how lucky you are?” Flynn asked.
Marcus glanced over at her as they merged into tunnel traffic. “Yeah, I do. That’s why we’re going.”
“Scarlett said she didn’t know if you’d brought a girl home to Sunday dinner since she’d been around. She said it was a big deal.”
Scarlett. Wise woman, he thought.
“It’s been a long time. A real long time.”
“Isn’t this a big step, like super fast?” Flynn asked, and Marcus noticed her fingers started to feel clammy.
“You nervous?”
“I am trying so hard not to be.”
He smiled and decided on unvarnished honesty. “Yeah, it is a big step. They’ll definitely be shocked. But here’s the truth, Flynn.” He made eye contact with her. “My family is a huge part of my life. The girl I marry won’t just be marrying me. She’ll be marrying my family too.”
Her eyebrows shot up at the mention of marriage, but he’d figured he might as well lay all the cards out. No games.
“If you aren’t into that, after today, no harm, no foul. We go our separate ways, no hard feelings.”
Flynn’s chest rose and fell. “Okay … that’s fair. But … what if I am … into that?”
Marcus felt his lips tug upward into a smile. “Then we move on to step two.”