Page 19 of Long Time Coming

“A great ass,” I reply with a smirk. “Unoriginal, I suppose. But you know what really attracts me to a woman?”

Her lips part as her chest fills with the deep breath she’s taking. With a slow blink, she whispers, “What?”

“A woman who knows who she is, what she wants, and has her own goals and ambitions.” I run my palm down the thigh of my pants. That was heavier than even I expected. It’s not how I want to end my night with her. “That, and a great ass.” I chuckle.

Her laughter trails through the window she’s cracked open. “Gotcha. Great ass, and a woman who can hold her own.” Leaning her head back against the headrest, she asks, “Is that what made you fall for Beckett’s mom?”

Anna.Not my choice of topics.

“Um.” I scrape my hand over my head. “That was different.”

“How so?”

The wind from my sails dies down, and with a rub of my temple, I sigh. “A lot of things led to our relationship.” I can see the curiosity in her eyes, but why drag down a good night? “If you don’t mind, that’s not something I want to talk about tonight.”

“I’m sorry.” The sincerity in her voice has me reaching over and rubbing her shoulder. I don’t know why I fucking do it, but now that I’m touching her—my palm against the soft fabric, the tips of my fingers against her soft skin—I don’t want to stop. “I didn’t mean to bring up?—”

“No, it’s fine.” I return my hand to the steering wheel despite not wanting to. “I’m just enjoying my time with you too much to ruin it.”

She reaches over and nudges me with her hand. “Careful, Grange, or I’m going to get the wrong impression.”

“There could be worse things.” I drive over the cattle guard and onto the ranch. Time seems to have sped up on the way back, making me wish I’d driven a little slower.

“Is this flirting?” Her pretty smile returns. “I’m so out of practice I might not recognize the signs.”

“Trust me, babe, you’ll know when I’m flirting.”Okay, that was fucking flirting. I just flirted with Pris Greene.

Baylor’s little sister . . .

Who’s all grown up . . .

And looking at me like kissing might not be so out of the question . . .

Fuck.

Am I about to kiss her good night?

Do I want to kiss her?I kind of do . . .

“Oh my God!” she says, dropping her head behind a hand visoring her view.

“What is it?”

“My dad. I’m so embarrassed.” She sighs heavily, staring through the window as I pull up to the house. “He waited up.”

There goes that option.

CHAPTER 7

Christine

“Well, that was utterly mortifying!”I stomp right past my dad, tugging the screen door open like it personally offended me. I shoulder the wooden door open, only daring to look back in time to catch the taillights escaping into the night from this distance.

I don’t blame Tag for taking off so fast. Who wants to deal with someone’s dad at thirty? But I hate that I panicked and rushed our goodbye, jumping from the truck before he had time to shift into park. I caught a “good night” before I slammed the door closed.

But it wasn’t the goodbye still playing on my mind. He called me babe, and I will never forget it as long as I live. Lauralee will never hear the end of it until my dying day. It’s like Tag and I have come full circle, and he finally noticed I’m not a kid.

I smile, floating on air from my fantasy coming true. Though my fantasies go a lot deeper than babe, and his mouth always goes lower . . .If I were being truthful with myself.

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