Adrenaline (Speed #2) (19 page)

“A dress for tonight, huh?”

Sophie gave me the sweetest look as she laughed. “Oh Uncle Malcolm, you’re so funny. Did you forget about the ball?”

I chuckled. I had most certainly not forgotten about the ball. It’s not every year a princess turns six. Autumn had been riding my ass for the last week because I promised Sophie a princess ball. How was I to know it would have taken so much effort? It’s not every year a princess turns six.

“I have not forgotten the ball. I even have
my
outfit picked out.”

Sophie beamed. “Mommy said you and granddaddy were wearing lexeo’s.”

Huh?

“What?”

“Lexeo’s. I heard Mommy tell Clarisse that Paislie was going to shit her pants when she saw you in your lexeo.” Sophie crinkled her nose and shook her head. “I hope not! She seems too old to go potty in her pants.”

I pressed my lips together firmly to keep from laughing. I was going to have to let Autumn know her daughter was now in the stage where she repeated everything she heard.

“Oh! A
tuxedo
. It’s called a tuxedo, Sophie.”

Sophie looked at me like I had just said the stupidest thing in the world. “That’s what I said!”

I rolled my eyes and silently moaned.

Women. They’re all the same no matter what age.

“A BALL?” I ASKED AUTUMN
as I stood there stunned. “Like a real ball?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Scaled down for a bunch of five and six year olds.”

“Um . . . I didn’t bring any formal dresses.”

Autumn’s eyes lit up. “That’s okay! I have plenty and we’re the same size.”

Sophie came running into the kitchen full throttle.
It must be in this families genes to want to do everything fast.
“Uncle Malcolm is coming too! He’s super slow now that he hurt his leg. But I couldn’t wait ‘cause I’m so excited!”

Autumn and I both laughed. How could you not? Sophie’s excitement rubbed off on you almost instantly.

“Why are you so excited, princess?” I asked.

She covered her mouth and giggled. “I can’t tell you! It’s a secret between me and Uncle Malcolm.”

The air in the room changed and I placed my hand over my stomach when it dropped at the sight of him.

He was dressed in jeans, boots and a light-grey T-shirt that showed every single muscle he had. His messy, dark hair looked like he had just gotten out of the shower and ruffled it with his hand. Oh lord . . . then there was the scruff he had started wearing. Even with the added walking cane, he was hot as hell and made my panties wet.

God broke the hotter-than-hell mold when he made Malcolm. My eyes drifted over his body. The tattoos that stretched over his arm made me think of the Christina Aguilera song, ‘Candy Man’. And man oh man would I love to taste that candy.

“I don’t think you could eye fuck my brother any harder if you tried,” Autumn whispered in my ear as I felt my cheeks heat. Tearing my eyes from him, I looked at her as she laughed and I gave her a light push.

“Shut up,” I said while placing my hands over my cheeks to cool my face down. When I looked back at Malcolm, he was watching me. He slowly smiled and his damn dimple showed up just in time to push me damn near over the ledge.

I swear the sexual tension between us was going to blow and when it did, I didn’t picture sweet and romantic. No . . . it was going to be more like fast, hard, and sweaty.

“Oh lord,” I mumbled under my breath as I turned away from him.

Sophie took my hand in hers and pulled me. “We need to go buy you a pretty dress, Paislie, for the ball.”

Peeking through my eyelashes at Malcolm, he shrugged and shook his head.

“Well ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go see what I can do to help with the . . . ball.”

He shot Autumn a smirk as she gave him the finger without Sophie seeing. When Malcolm walked by, he stopped and looked at Autumn. “By the way, your child repeats everything you say.”

A horrified look washed over Autumn’s face as I giggled. “What did she say?”

“That Paislie was going to shit her pants when she saw me in my tux.”

My breath stalled. “Tux?”
Holy shit. Malcolm in a tux. I can’t even right now. I’m in hotness overload.

Malcolm’s blue eyes pinned me in place. “Yep,” he said like it was nothing. Malcolm laughed as he headed to the living room and outside where they were setting everything up.

“Honestly, the party is more for the parents than the kids. That’s sad to say, but there it is,” Autumn said as she took me by the arm and led me to her room upstairs.

“Paislie is going to wear one of Mommy’s gowns, Soph.”

Sophie clapped and took off upstairs.

“Wow. I was happy if I just got a happy birthday!” I said as we headed upstairs.

Autumn sighed. “I know. It’s terrible how spoiled she is, but damn it’s fun!”

Three hours later I was putting the last bobby pin in my brown hair. I decided to put it up in a French twist with a few curls hanging down to frame my face. Leaning in closer to the mirror, I took in my features. My green eyes were filled with something I’d never seen before.

Hope.

At almost twenty-six years old, I never paid attention to what my eyes said. Elizabeth always said your eyes were the window to your soul. For so many years I saw nothing in my eyes, so eventually I stopped looking.

The knock on my bedroom door caused me to jump before making my way over to it. When I opened it, I glanced down to see bright blue eyes staring up at me with a gaped open mouth.

“You’re so pretty,” Sophie whispered in awe.

I bent down and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Not as pretty as you, though.” My finger curled around her black curl. Every time I looked at Sophie I imagined what Malcolm’s little girl would look like. Would it be too much of a dream to imagine children together?

Tears threatened as I pushed the thought away.

“Thank you, Paislie. I’m in charge of bringing you your party dress for the ball!”

The thrill of tonight’s adventures was heard in her sweet little voice. “Would you like to help me put it on?”

“Oh yes!” Sophie said skipping into my room and jumping up on the bed.

I hung up the red Versace gown and took a step back. The dress was gorgeous. I’d never worn anything so beautiful . . . or expensive. The dress hugged my figure with the tight bodice, but the flowing dress added a soft touch. The open back was just the right touch of sexy, but not too much. I thought it was too much, but Autumn reminded me the ball was more for the grownups so I went with it.

Opening my robe, I pushed it off my shoulders and heard Sophie gasp. Peeking over my shoulder, I winked. I totally forgot she was there.

Shit.

“Paislie! Where are your panties and what is that?”

Sophie pointed to the new garter belt I had bought the other day. Oh dear. It looked like I was about to give Sophie her first lesson in lingerie.

“Well, that is called a garter belt. It’s used to hold up my stockings.”

Her eyes roamed over my body and I felt slightly awkward. “Does your mommy not get dressed in front of you?”

The mesmerized face stared at me as she whispered a faint, “No, ma’am.”

“How come your panties are not all there?”

Shit. How did I explain that one?

“They are. They are more of a big girl’s panties.”

“I’m a big girl. When I can wear them?”

Hmm . . . what would Autumn say?

Chewing on my cheek, I said, “When you turn twenty-one.”

Sophie jumped. “Yay!!!”

Clearly she couldn’t understand how far off that was.

“What’s that called?”

She pointed to the black bra I was wearing. “It’s called a bra. It’s not a normal bra, it’s made special for dresses and shirts with no backs on them.”

Tilting her head in confusion, she let that one go
. Thank God.

I reached for the dress and slipped it over my head carefully. The way it felt against my skin was heavenly. I’d always loved dressing up, I just never had a reason to. Sophie helped me zip up the small zipper on the side. I slipped on the heels I bought on the same shopping trip that I bought the garter and twirled around for my curious little friend.

Sophie stood there with a huge smile on her face. “Do you like it, Sophie?”

She nodded her head. “Oh yes! You really do look like a princess.” I reached down and took her hand, spinning her and causing her dress to spin outward. “So, do you in your beautiful pink dress.”

Sophie blushed and then started jumping around. “We’re ready!”

She took my hand and started pulling me toward the door. “Oh wait!” I called out. Walking over to the dresser, I picked up my favorite bottle of perfume and gave a quick spray.

“Me next!”

Bending down, I gave Sophie a quick spray. “Now we’re ready!” I said with excitement. As Sophie pulled me down the hallway, she glanced over her shoulder and declared, “Uncle Malcolm is going to fall in love with you tonight!”

My smile dropped as my chest tightened. I struggled to get air in as she continued to pull me outside. The moment the fresh air hit me in the face, I took in a deep breath. Too bad it was hot and humid and offered no relief.

Ugh. Texas in June.

I sucked back a breath of air as I took in all the people. “Who are all these people?”

Sophie took off running over to a friend. So much for my party buddy.

“That is the million dollar question. I’d bet half of them don’t even have a kid here.”

I turned to my right and saw a handsome blond standing there with a smile on his face.

With a polite smile, I reached my hand out. “Paislie Pruitt.”

“Jeremy Rice.”

“Um . . . how do you know Autumn?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I know Malcolm. Anytime there’s a party thrown by Malcolm, I’m there. We’re old high school friends.”

I nodded my head. “Oh, I see. So no little ones running around?”

His face fell in horror as he said, “Bite your tongue. I like sex too much to have kids right now.”

Oh wow. Damn he’s blunt.

A waitress walked by carrying a tray of wine. I quickly reached for a red and took a sip. I could feel Jeremy’s eyes on me, instantly making me become uncomfortable. Five months ago I would have been flirting with this guy and probably would have ended up leaving with him.

“So what about you? Kids?”

With a chortle, I shook my head. “No. I’m married to my career.”

He lifted his eyebrows as if I just gave him an invite back to my room. “You are for sure not from Waco; I’d remember such a beautiful woman.”

Ugh. Cheesy line.

“Dallas. I’m a physical therapist.”

“Oh. Are you helping Malcolm after his accident?”

I brought the wine glass up to my lips and nodded. I was ready for Jeremy to move on.

My eyes scanned around as I searched for Malcolm.

My breath caught in my throat when I found him. He was standing with a group of people as he listened very intently to an older man talking. I couldn’t help but notice how the woman standing next to him kept touching his arm every time she laughed. She looked to be at least ten years older than me.

“Would you like to dance?” Jeremy asked.

I pulled my eyes off of Malcolm and focused back on him. “Oh, no thank you. Not right now, maybe in a bit.”

He looked disappointed but perked up when I said maybe later. “Well, I’ll hold you to it, Paislie.”

My eyes drifted back over to Malcolm and anger seethed through my body. He had his hand on the woman’s lower back as he threw his head back and laughed.

Jeremy was about to walk off when I reached for his arm. “I’m sorry I was distracted for a moment. So, tell me what you do.”

The crooked smile did nothing for me, but I continued to stand there and talk to him. He was an accountant . . . boring . . . lived for hunting . . . yuck . . . could reel in a bass the size of Texas . . . whatever that meant . . . and was single. That one he told me at least four times over our conversation.

When I took a chance to look back over to where Malcolm was standing, he was gone. The older lady was still there and this time she had her arm around the older gentleman. When they kissed lovingly, I shook my head. I needed to get my insecurities in check.