She’d never thought of her family in that light. But there had been a hint of longing in Jared’s voice, which had made her very aware of the fact that not everyone had what she did.
Her father was recovering from his bypass surgery and would be attending the next race. She’d just gotten home from the airport and she wished…wished she’d gone to Atlanta with Jared.
She booted up her computer to download the pictures she’d taken at the race the weekend before. A feeling of sadness swamped her as she realized she was playing at having a relationship with Jared, she thought to herself. She was keeping him carefully in the NASCAR world and not letting him see the other sides of her life.
What bothered her the most was that he let her go. He wasn’t pushing to get into those corners she’d carefully kept him out of. It seemed to her that he had his own limitations on them, and her barriers just fit within his.
She put the memory stick from her computer into the flash drive and waited for the photos to download. They started to flash across the screen. She watched the familiar images of cars and tracks come up, and then the pictures she’d had no business taking appeared.
Images of Jared in the garage area watching Tucker’s crew work on his car. Even more images of Jared, standing outside Dave’s hauler talking to Vinnie. A close-up on Jared’s face, the sun and laugh lines apparent around his eyes.
She knew how his skin felt against hers. How his lips felt when he kissed her?when he was smiling, too. She’d traced his mouth as he’d smiled down at her this morning at the airport, saying goodbye.
Their relationship was marked with goodbyes. She knew he was a man with a lot of responsibilities, not just to the cars he sponsored in NASCAR. She’d caught a few glimpses of him in the society pages in the different cities they’d visited. He always had at least one social function outside of the race community that he attended.
Though her family had money, they didn’t socialize as much with the moneyed set. Jared had asked her to accompany him to the charity events, but she’d always declined because she was working.
Her phone rang and she ignored it. The last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with anyone right now.
The machine picked up and she listened to her voice telling the caller to leave a message at the tone.
“Annie, it’s me,” Jared said. “I guess I beat you home this week. I’m going to work out, but I’ll be home later if you want to talk.”
She reached for the phone. “I’m here.”
“Screening your calls? What would your mother say?” he asked, teasing her gently.
“She’d have a fit, as you well know.”
“I promise not to tell.”
“You make me a lot of promises,” she said.
He was quiet for a minute. “I do. And I intend to keep them.”
She knew he was referring to the other promise, the one about not hurting her. But she wondered if that was simply out of his control. “It might be hard. My parents are coming to Atlanta this weekend. My mom can crack even the toughest person.”
“I’ll do my best to withstand whatever pressure she puts on me.”
“I know you will,” she said. Because she’d seen him carry himself with panache and poise even when being grilled by Dave or Uncle Steve.
“Good. I want to be someone you can count on, Annie.”
“You are. Am I someone you can count on?”
“Yes.”
“Even though I make you stag it to those society dinners you always have?”
“If I say no, will you go with me this weekend?”
“I’m not sure. Why do you still attend them? You don’t seem to enjoy it.”
“It was important to my mom that we keep up the MacNeils’ position in society.”
She liked that about him. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. What will I need to wear? A formal dress, right?”
“Yes. The event is a Cancer Foundation dinner. I can book you a hotel room where the event if being held or…” “Or?”
“You can stay at my house with me.”
“I think I’d like to stay with you,” she said.
She heard his quick intake of breath and knew she’d surprised him.
ANNIE FELT MORE glamorous than she ever had before as she entered the ballroom at the hotel on Jared’s arm. He looked cool and sophisticated in his tuxedo. The dress he’d picked out for her was a slim-fitting, ankle-length sheath with a simple drop neckline. The dress had a slit on the left side that went to the top of her thigh.
He wrapped one arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer to his side as they entered the crowded room. There was a small jazz combo playing in the far corner, and three bar areas just inside the entrance.