Page 9 of Driving Wild

After sitting down and pouring my glass of wine, I go to tell him thank you for cooking, when my stomach decides it’s then it needs to make the most unladylike noise. It makes both of us laugh, breaking the thick tension that had started to build since we sat down.

Dinner was amazing; the man can cook. I'll give him that. “So who taught you to cook?” I ask.

“My mom. All Southern moms think they need to teach everyone. So as early as I can remember, she had me and my brother in the kitchen, learning how to do everyday things. I think at one point, her words were, ‘No sons of mine won’t be able to cook, clean, and take care of themselves. It’s not up to the wife to do everything. You need to share the responsibility with your significant other, not have them be the only one to cook and do the daily chores. She will be your other half, not your housekeeper or your mamma’,” he says in an extra-thick Southern accent that makes me laugh because I can see the small yet fierce Southern lady, giving her sons a lesson and not taking any lip from them in return.

I love that. A lot of guys nowadays have no clue—it’s how they were brought up, or it’s just the circles that I’ve always been a part of. If every momma raised her sons with this attitude, men would be men and not stay boys.

“Remind me to thank your mom next time she’s at a race. She really deserves a medal for making you a decent human being, even if you are a fuckboy.”

“Was—past tense, Red. I was a fuckboy. Don’t forget that I’m a married man now,” he says, throwing his left hand in the air, and I notice he’s now wearing a ring too. How had I not noticed that in my office earlier? Oh, that’s right, because I was so wrapped up in my own shit, I didn’t even notice his hand.

Standing from the table, I grab my wine and head toward the Adirondack chairs near the fire where Matt was sitting when I came out onto the patio earlier, and I sit down. I can see the stars so clearly as it was a peaceful night, looking out over the lake. The stars are one thing that I love watching since I moved to North Carolina to attend school. Having grown up in the city, they were one thing that I could never see. I always loved it when we went on vacation outside the busy city life as kids because it meant I could just play out on a beach and look at the stars glowing in the night sky. Lost in my love of the stars, I didn’t notice Matt coming to sit beside me.

“What are you thinking, Red?” he asks, his voice so low.

“Just trying to figure you out, honestly,” I reply, feeling my walls coming down just a little bit. I don’t know if it was the wine or just that I’m finally becoming comfortable with him, but it’s making me want to open up, even just a little. I know that I can’t trust myself to be completely open and honest, but we could come to a point where we might be frenemies instead of enemies. Only time will tell, I guess.

“I’m an open book, honey. You ask, and I’ll answer. I’ve got nothing to hide, and I’m sure you’ve Googled me at some point. Hell, our best friends have been together for what seems like forever, so we might as well get used to being around one another. You can only hate me for so long before you’ll have to love me,” he says with a smile, making that dimple come out once again.

“Wow, you really think a lot of yourself, Mr. McCall, don’t you? That all women just want to throw themselves at you and never look back.”

“Haven’t had any complaints so far, darlin’, and I always give them more than a good time,” he says with a smirk.

Damn him and that smile. My mind is instantly taken back to when we were together all those months ago, and I’m trying my best not to let him see the effect he has on me when he mentions that wild night.

“Red, it's okay to think about me when you get yourself off tonight. I know I sure as hell will be thinking of you,” he says as he rises from his chair to clean up dinner.

Slamming my head back against the chair, I stare up at the stars once again. Only this time, I’m not relaxed like before, I’m turned on, and fuck if that doesn’t make me want him even more. But I will not give in. This little chess match just went into a new arena, and guess what? I’m about to up the ante.

Cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, I wait to see what Grace will do with the little statement I made before walking away from her, leaving her sitting in the chair. I knew that she had been turned on. I could tell by the way she looked at me. Those beautiful eyes grew wider, and her lips opened to say something, but it never came out.

The conversation at dinner was easy, but the second it turned into talking about my fuckboy past, I could tell I’d hit and triggered a reaction. She might play the hardass like I don’t matter to her, but her body tells me another story.

“Thank you for dinner. I think I’m going to head to bed,” I hear her say as she walks toward her room.

“Night, Red. Sleep well,” I say over my shoulder, cleaning the remaining dishes and putting them away.

“Night,” I hear her say as she quietly pads across the hallway toward her room.

Just as I put the final dish away, my phone pings from the counter.

Ryan:

How did the missus like dinner?

Looking down at the message, I can’t help but laugh. Who would have ever guessed a year ago we would be here?

Me:

Well, let's just say she was surprised I could cook. (Laughing emoji)

Ryan:

Maybe if you play your cards right, she’ll want a little dessert.

Me:

(eye roll emoji) She left me washing dishes and headed to bed.

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