Page 64 of Out of Bounds
“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.
28
ANNIE – LATE OCTOBER
Darcy Pace
“Holy guacamole! We’re going to the rodeo! We’re going to see Darcy ride!”
This is insane.The kind of thing that only happens in a romcom series.
