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I nodded noncommittally, because as I found Rocco in the crowd, I found his gaze burning back at me. I wasn’t sure I could completely keep that promise. Something about his arrogance got a rise out of me.
However, this was my second chance, and I wasn’t about to fuck it up over a guy.
Again.
As the night wore on, I drifted back to Jesse. He was still holding up the railing on the deck, but had been talking to different people during the night, beer in hand. Every time someone came up to us, though, he introduced me first.
However, how he introduced me varied. Sometimes it was, “This is Tally; she’s my business partner.” But other times, it was, “This is Tally; she was the youngest rookie to ever drive in Daytona.” Either way, I flushed every time.
There was something about Jesse that drew people in. It was the casual way he held himself, like he didn’t care that he was in a mansion, surrounded by people who had nothing to do with him. He belonged wherever he said he belonged.
I shivered lightly as the sun set, taking the last vestiges of warmth with it. Jesse wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer without even skipping a beat in the conversation he was having with one of the VANT marketing guys. They were discussing wine from southwest California, of all things, but Jesse somehow kept up with the conversation, even though I’d never seen him put a wine glass to his lips in the time I’d known him.
I rested my head against his chest, soaking in his warmth. He smelled so damn good, it should be against the law. Some kind of woodsy scent that one hundred percent came out of a bottle, but still made me want to lick him from head to toe.
Wait. No. Bad, Tally. Bad.
Warning signs were flashing in my brain, but my touch-starved soul hit the override button. Just for a moment, I could appreciate the warmth of holding another human being.
Where’s the harm?
It wasn’t like I was going to strip down on the back patio of my future employer’s house and ask him to take me. This was just a harmless hug between friends. That was it. If I couldn’t help but curl my fingers into the strong muscles of his back, that was on me, not Jesse.
His arm tightened around me a little more, his hand coming down to rub the top of my arm vigorously to warm it, as the topic moved on to burgeoning suburbs for real estate in San Francisco.
I breathed out deeply, feeling the steady thump of his heart against my cheek. This was getting a little desperate, but I’d take it. I closed my eyes for a moment. Man, this pregnancy thing was making me tired all the time. I really needed a cheeseburger and a nap.
Lips touched the top of my head. “You okay there, Tally? Want to head out?”
Sighing, I straightened. “Yes, please.”
His fingers trailed down my arm one last time. “Let’s go find Hayes.”
It didn’t take long to find Hayes, who was talking to what looked like a group of cowboys, judging by the hats and boots, as well as one of Vanessa’s other partners, Nathan. They were all laughing, and I felt almost bad dragging Hayes away.
Then the baby kicked me right in the bladder, and I wondered if there was a countdown of how many times it could do that before I peed myself.
Hayes reached out and grabbed my hand, dragging me close. “Tally, this is Tessa May. She was the first woman in professional bull riding. You might know her as T.M. Moore? She’s sponsored by VANT. And these are her partners, Branch and Frankie.” I looked at the two guys, who looked like they’d climbed straight out of Yellowstone and straight into any hot-blooded woman’s spank bank.
I blinked a little as shit suddenly came back to me. “Holy shit. T.M. Moore! I watched you ride in your debut season. You were amazing. You signed a rider number for my dad once in Texas. I still have it framed somewhere. Wow.” I shook her hand hard. She had to be in her early thirties now, not that you’d know it. I remembered watching her on the television, thinking if she could make it in bull riding, then I could definitely be a race car driver. “I got into NASCAR because I was inspired by you.”
Tessa May frowned. “Your dad was a cab driver?”
I nodded furiously. “Yes!”
She smiled widely. “I remember him. He said you wanted to be a driver. I’m so glad you got there! He really made an impression on me on that day. I was worried I was going to fuck everything up, and your dad was there, telling me about you, and how you looked up to me, and it made everything clear again. I owed him a lot more than an autograph. What a small world.” She shook her head like it was unbelievable, which it definitely was. “How is he?”
I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my smile on my face. “He died a couple of years ago.”
She gave me a look filled with empathy. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sure he’d be proud of you, though. He definitely was back then.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. Jesse stepped closer, touching my back with gentle reassurance. “We should get Tally home,” he said softly to Hayes, who looked at me, his face softening with sympathy.
“Yeah, of course.” He stuck out his hand and said his farewells, and I did too.
Jesse’s hand remained on the small of my back as we navigated our way out of the still-thick crowd. It had been a hell of a night, but I was looking forward to being back in our little bubble. I hadn’t realized how secure I’d become in the routine that Hayes, Jesse and I now had.
The valet brought Hayes’s car, and we climbed in. I let my head flop back onto the head rest. “Is it just me, or was there a disproportionate amount of group relationships at that party?” Jesse asked, and I snorted a laugh. I’d noticed the same thing.
