Chapter 27
PACE – LATE OCTOBER
Are You Sniffing Around My Daughter?
“Pace, you’re a big guy, a talented sportsman, wealthy, and so far as I can tell, a good honest man,” Sonny tells me as we stand on the porch of the ranch together, shaded from the late morning sun while we wait for Annie to bring out her weekend bag.
It feels like his words are a precursor to a big, hefty but, so I’m not surprised when he says, “But I am the man of this house. I’m still her daddy and that young boy’s granddaddy, and she’s had enough heartache in recent times.”
My palms literally start sweating. “So I’m going to ask you, son, are you sniffing around my daughter?”
I turn to face him, pushing my hands in my pockets and suddenly feeling like the class clown who got sent to the principal’s office.
I’ve no intention of playing the alpha male here, or having a showdown with Sonny Quinn, and, fuck, the guy is making me nervous as hell.
“I respect you, sir. Your whole family. So I’m going to be straight with you and tell you, I’m trying my very best to be nothing other than a friend to Annie.
I like her, Sonny, but I’m working on keeping it at bay.
” I shake my head. “I’m not the man for her and I’m acutely aware of that myself, even if you and Colton wouldn’t be up for killing me for daring. ”
He’s still staring at me, probably wishing his shotgun was to hand right about now, when Annie bursts onto the porch, luggage in hand, and tears in her eyes. “Can we go before I change my mind about leaving Nelson overnight, please?”
My eyes rake over her in faded jeans and scuffed boots, a check shirt tucked in behind her Lonestar belt buckle, trying really hard to shift my attention away from her and back to Sonny, asking for his permission one last time to take Annie away for a night.
“You have my word, sir,” I tell him quietly.
I swear the man hasn’t blinked for like ten minutes, minimum, but he gives me the most subtle nod before telling Annie, “Get on your way now, Annie, it’ll be good for the both of you. Nelson’s in safe hands with Betty and me.”
I’m not convinced that Sonny would be allowing this trip if he didn’t know Colton and Sas were coming along, too.
I highly doubt he’d be okay with Annie climbing into the driver seat of the Audi with me as her passenger and companion for the next forty-eight hours.
But since Colton and Sas are coming along for the trip, Sonny holds up a hand and Annie sets off driving us to my house.
Things feel back to normal between us. As if a week of dancing around each other has been put out of mind by this trip.
Annie’s focusing on the road, which I think is the only reason our conversation is stilted in places.
That, plus the fact I have to concentrate on not gripping onto the edges of my seat or hitting my imaginary foot brake every time Annie gets too close to another vehicle.
We talk about school, Annie’s project, Nelson, football, the ranch. About which color is our favorite Sour Patch as I feed them to Annie from the car care package Sas put together for us. Candy, soda, foot-long subs and chips – anyone would think we were driving out of state rather than Dallas.
I pretend I don’t think Annie’s body looks hot as hell in her shape-hugging jeans, as if I don’t notice the ripples in her shirt where it pulls across her chest. I attempt to ignore the flash of bright pink where her bra is exposed between the fastenings of her shirt and the way she strokes her neck every time we slow for traffic.
It’s driving nerves, I guess, but the flush of her skin makes me want to press my lips to her neck the way she did mine on Sunday night in the bathroom steam.
I wonder if the skin beneath her lobe tastes as good as it smells, like pina colada.
Are you sniffing around my daughter?
A short laugh escapes me as I replay her daddy’s words. That is precisely what I’m doing, even if I’m endeavoring not to. I’m only human.
The truth is, I’m starting to lose a battle of wills between my brain and my body whenever she’s near me.
Untimely, everything starts to feel too tight in my jeans and I stop listening to whatever it is that Annie’s telling me, but I am watching her full lips move, watching the way her tongue slips across them.
Wondering how I had the self-restraint to jump off the train on Sunday night.
“Tanner Pace, are you listening to me?”
I hear her southern drawl as she says my name, thinking I’d like the sound of it while I’m going down— “Huh? Yeah. What were you saying?”
She chuckles. “What’s going on in that head of yours, stud?”
“I don’t know what you— Whoa, Annie, lookout. Red light!”
“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
She goes to brake but I check the junction and make a split-second decision to shout, “Don’t stop now, put your foot down.”
She screams and closes her eyes as she floors the gas, grip fierce and arms rigid.
“Open your eyes, Annie, Christ!”
“I can’t!”
I reach across for the wheel. “Annie!”
She opens her eyes, slowing us down as I hit the indicator and she drives us into the parking lot of a coffee chain.
“Holy— I can’t breathe,” she says, hand to her chest. “I can’t—”
I exhale unsteadily and reach for her hair, then her cheek, coming to look into clouded eyes.
Well, that’s one way to kill a hard-on.
“Are you okay?” I ask gently.
“Did I almost kill us?” she asks, those damn beautiful brown eyes wide.
“Annie Quinn, you are going to be the death of me for more reasons than one.”
I hold her face in both hands and wonder if she can unravel every meaning in my words. I am falling for this crazy, mesmerizing, godawful driver.
She digs her teeth into her lip and mentally, I’m back in my bathroom, knowing I’m at a crossroads and there’s no best path.
I draw her lip free with my thumb. “Should I finish the drive?”
She shakes her head, gaze fixed on mine. “I’ve got it. I promise.”
I nod, lips curving up because this woman is so fucking strong and determined, it drives me wild. “Alright. Let’s go. We’ve got places to be.”
She beams. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?”
I tap the tip of her straight nose. “Nope.” Then sit back into my seat. “Hop to it, lady.”
It’s killing me not to tell her where we’re headed because I know how excited she’ll be when she finds out. But for now, we need to make it to my place in one piece, where we’ll switch into a much slicker ride for me to drive us out to Dallas.