Chapter 7
Marcus wanted to pull over and drag her across the center console into his lap.
She was a contradiction that shouldn’t have worked.
Innocent and sweet, reckless and wild, yet honest and magnetic.
She wasn’t boring. She wasn’t conventional.
He was starting to wonder if she could actually be perfect for him.
There was no question he was physically attracted to her.
Pinning her beneath him, naked, sounded like an excellent step two, but he knew he couldn’t do that unless he could spend time with her around his family to see if she could hack it.
It was a test. A huge one. He couldn’t deny that.
His family had no idea she was coming. He hadn’t told them anything.
He wanted their unschooled reactions to her.
It wasn’t like he was throwing her to the wolves.
They wouldn’t eat her alive or tear her up.
But they would definitely be honest. Sometimes to a fault.
As Marcus pulled into the driveway of the old white house, he turned to Flynn.
“Dad’s going to give you shit about your shirt.
Don’t be surprised if he calls it a rice burner.
He’s all about American muscle. It isn’t personal.
He still gives me shit about my car. Other than Ma and us kids, I’m pretty sure his first love was a Chevy big block. ”
Her face paled a few shades. “You should’ve told me to change.”
“Never. It’ll be fun. Just be yourself. You’re going to be fine.”
“But—”
Two kids ran out in the driveway, and Marcus shifted into neutral to rev the engine of his Porsche.
“Come on. Let’s do this.”
He put it in park, shut the car off and pulled the door release. “I’ll get your door. They’re all gonna flip when they see me bringing a woman up the driveway.”
“I can open the door. I know how,” she said, reaching for the belt.
“Not in my car. Not with me driving.” He shut his door and walked around, waving at his nephews.
“Cool car!”
“Who’s the girl?”
He opened Flynn’s door and offered his hand. When she grasped it, he helped her out of the deep bucket seat.
“This is part of that bossy Latin thing you mentioned, isn’t it?” Flynn asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think I mind,” she replied with a smile.
He didn’t have time to respond before his nephews came charging toward them.
“Cool shirt!”
“I like her already.”
His dad stepped to the edge of the deck, overlooking the driveway. “Who do we have here?”
“Hey, Pop. This is Flynn. You might remember her from that time we helped Scarlett rescue her. Flynn, this is my dad, Big Mike, and these two little guys are my sister Carrie’s kids, Ange and Cesar.”
“I’m not little,” Ange said.
“She’s pretty.”
“Hi,” Flynn said with a smile to the boys.
“I agree with Cesar,” his dad said. “It’s nice to see you again, Flynn. Marcus didn’t mention he was bringing a friend.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Quinterro, I hope this isn’t an inconvenience. It was a rather short-notice decision.”
“Pop doesn’t mind. There’s always room at our table. Right, Pop?” Marcus said as he shut Flynn’s door and put his hand behind her back to lead her around the kids.
He knew his dad didn’t miss his movement.
“Always room for a pretty girl. And it’s Big Mike. Just wait until your Ma—”
“Marcus! Who is that?” Ma came out on the deck with a dish towel in hand.
“This is Flynn,” Pop answered. “Marcus’s friend he didn’t mention he was bringing. You’re Scarlett’s stepsister, right?”
His mom beamed, either thrilled by the idea of him dating again or the mention of Scarlett, who she loved.
“Flynn. What a treat! And you’re so pretty. Carrie! Dani! Come out here. Marcus brought a friend.”
His two oldest sisters burst out of the house.
“A girlfriend?”
“No way!”
“Someone go buy a lottery ticket!”
“Girls, meet Flynn.”
“Oh, she’s cute too.”
Flynn waved. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me crash Sunday dinner.”
“Trust me, if we had known Marcus was considering inviting you, you would’ve gotten an invitation,” Ma told her.
Marcus pressed his hand into the small of her back. “Come on. My brothers-in-law will be inside. And Melanie, Dani’s daughter.”
They all stared at him and Flynn as he led her to the steps of the deck.
“She likes cars. I like this one for him already,” Dani whispered, but they all heard.
His dad saw her shirt. “She likes rice burners. What you got against American muscle, girl? Can’t beat that Chevy big block. And that’s coming from a man who worked on a lot of them.”
“Pop, she races cars.”
“What? Her? Pretty girl like this? Straight line or oval?” His dad looked at Flynn with a new appreciation in his eyes.
“Quarter mile,” Flynn said.
“Drag racing! How cool!” said Ange.
Dani and Carrie both glanced from him to Flynn.
“Oh, I like her,” Dani said. “Where’d you meet my brother?”
“Wait, I know who you are,” Carrie said. “You’re Scarlett’s stepsister. Aren’t you?”
“Former stepsister. Our parents were only married for a minute or two, and that was years ago.”
“Thank God he didn’t meet her at the club,” Ma said as she crossed herself.
“Well, technically, we did meet at the club. But not like that,” Flynn said quickly. “It was because of Scarlett. I wasn’t even old enough to get in when we met actually.”
Ma tilted her head and studied Flynn. “Just how old are you?”
“Ma—”
“Almost twenty-five.”
Ma’s head went back. “Marcus, she’s young.”
“Ma, she’s standing right in front of you.”
“I married you at eighteen, Joanie,” his dad interrupted. “By twenty-five, we had three kids. Now tell me she’s too young for our boy again. You never want him married? If he picked someone his own age, you might be out of luck when it comes to the rest of those grandbabies you want.”
Marcus squeezed Flynn’s hand. “And if I’m lucky, she won’t run for the hills after this conversation.”
“It’s okay. I’ve always been thirty inside,” Flynn quipped.
Ma’s hands wrung the towel in her grip. “I just want to make sure you kids have something in common. It’s important.”
“They do,” Dani said. “They both like cars. You know how much you hate it when Marcus takes that Porsche to the track.”
“You track your Porsche?” Flynn’s question carried surprise in every word.
“You didn’t know?” Carrie said.
“Carrie …” he said, hoping she caught the warning in his tone.
“This is pretty new,” Flynn said.
“Well, at least you have Gabriel and his wife in common. That’s more than most,” his dad said, and Marcus wanted to thank him. “Joanie, you good with me throwing the burgers on now, or are you still waiting for Zoe to get here? ’Cause I’m starving, and we all know she’s probably still sleeping.”
“How new?” Dani asked with a grin.
“Like yesterday?” Flynn said with her shoulders lifting toward her ears.
Marcus pulled her against his side with his arm around her hip.
“Seriously, Marcus? You threw her into the fire that fast?” Carrie asked.
He shrugged. “She’s gotta be able to handle all of you. I figured if she could survive your inquisition, we’d be in the clear.”
Ma snapped the towel at him. “And here I thought, I’d raised a gentleman.”
“It’s okay,” Flynn said. “I’d rather know up front too. I’ve never really had a family, so it sounded like a good idea to me.”
“No family?” Pop said. “The tooth fairy drop you off?”
“I mean, I’ve got parents. But they got divorced when I was little, and I haven’t seen my dad since. I was their only kid.”
“God bless you, child. At least you have Scarlett. She’s a class act,” Ma said.
“We all love that girl. And Gabe and Bump too,” Pop added. “You’ll fit right in. Come on. Join me at the grill so we can talk quarter-mile times.”
Pop put his arm around Flynn’s shoulders and pulled her away from Marcus.
Flynn looked up at his dad and grinned. “In which car?”
“Marcus, join me in the kitchen, would you? I have some questions,” Ma said.
“Yes, Ma.” With a glance at Flynn and his already-laughing father, he followed Ma’s head jerk into the kitchen with two of his three older sisters close behind.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Dani spoke. “Does Gabriel know?”
“Of course. Marcus would never sneak around,” Carrie replied.
“He knows.”
“And Scarlett?” Dani asked.
“Gave her blessing.”
“How long have you had your eye on this one, Marcus? I don’t buy this yesterday business,” Ma said.
“You need help with anything in here?” he asked.
“Answer the question, boy. I wasn’t born five minutes ago.”
“Look, Ma. I’ve known her a while. Almost five years. Like you said, she was young. I kept my distance.”
“Is she a good girl?”
“She’s a wild child, from what I’ve heard from Zoe,” Carrie said. “Beautiful, rich, and a street racer.”
“Is that true?” Ma asked.
“How rich?” Dani asked.
“Trust-fund kid, right?” Carrie replied.
“That doesn’t matter. Did you hear what she said about not having a family? Never seeing her dad? Nearly broke my heart. But, Marcus,” Ma said, looking at him with concern in her gaze, “she’s awfully young.”
“How young?” Melanie’s voice came from the living room.
“Twenty-four,” said Carrie. “But like Pop said, if you want babies, that’s not a bad thing.”
“She’s only five years older than me,” his niece yelled back.
“Mel, the window’s open,” her mother, Dani, said.
“It’s the truth,” Carrie shot back.
“And you think she could be the kind of girl who could make you a good wife? A good mother to your children?” Ma asked.
“She gets my vote over the last one. Cheating whore,” his sister whispered.
“Dani!” Ma snapped.
Marcus figured they’d gone on long enough when he held up a hand. “Look, I brought her here for a reason, okay? I wouldn’t have unless I thought there was a chance this could be something real.”
“She seems like a nice girl,” Ma started.
“But?” He knew there was a but with the tone she was using.
“A street racer?”
“She just hasn’t had a reason to settle down yet.”
“And you’re going to give her one?” Ma asked.
“Knock her up, bro.”
This time, he snapped at his sister, “Dani!”
She held up both hands in the air. “It worked for me.”
Carrie laughed. “She’s not lying.”
“I just want you to be happy, Marcus,” Ma said.
“Me too, Ma.”
“But she doesn’t know anything about having a family or being part of one,” Ma finished.
“Then why don’t we show her?” Carrie said. “Might as well learn from the best. Right, Ma?”
He reached over and tugged his sister into a side hug. “Love you, girl.”
“Love you too, little brother.”