Chasing Aubrey Read online

  I jumped, surprised at his nearness. His voice made goose bumps rise up on my arms and shivers race down my spine. He was in my personal space, but I somehow didn’t mind. There was something to be said for the power of his masculine aura. He exuded sexuality and confidence and it only drew me to him more.

  “Um… No, we haven’t,” I stammered, embarrassed. I was sure that he knew I wasn’t supposed to be here. Surely, he picked me out of the crowd for a reason.

  “I’m Tanner,” he offered his hand to me in an introduction.

  “E… Aubrey,” I corrected myself. I knew Rex was here somewhere; I wasn’t fond of the idea of my personal life and my family life overlapping. I had to be Aubrey today.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aubrey.” How could such an innocent sentence make me feel giddy? I felt ridiculous. I was being ridiculous.

  “That was a very nice speech you gave, Tanner,” I answered, trying to deflect the attention from myself.

  His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink and I could tell that he wasn’t accustomed to accepting compliments. His smile was wide and easy though. I could see the creases in his face that formed over years and years of copious smiles.

  “Thanks, I was a little bit more nervous about it than I should have been, I guess,” he laughed and I found myself even more attracted to him.

  Was this just a case of wanting what I couldn’t have? Now that I knew I was off of the market I wanted the first attractive man to cross my path? I didn’t think that was me, but it was hard to know for sure. Regardless of how hard I tried to analyze my feelings, I couldn’t deny that there was something pulling me to this man. His easy charm and devilishly good looks didn’t hurt, either.

  “Really? I couldn’t tell at all,” I teased.

  The pink in his cheeks darkened and he tried to look away from me to hide it. I didn’t know why it was so entertaining to see him flustered. I didn’t even know him, but flirting felt natural. His gaze traveled to the newlyweds as they twirled on the dance floor.

  Then he turned back to me. All signs of anxiety gone. He was a man on a mission now and I felt like I was caught in his crosshairs.

  “Would you like to dance, Aubrey?”

  His question caught me off-guard. All thoughts of Rex and our rivalry slipped from my mind as I placed my hand into his. Sensual warmth spread from his hand to mine and made me acutely aware of how much I wanted him, even though I knew nothing about him. That thought alone was unsettling. I hardly believed myself when I gave him a flirtatious smile and answered.

  “I’d love to.”

  Before I had time to reconsider my hasty decision, he was whisking me away to the dance floor. With his arms around my waist, I forgot all about Rex, Chester, my parents, and everything and anything that wasn’t Tanner.

  Chapter 5

  I couldn’t believe that I had this beautiful woman in my arms. She was intelligent, witty, charming and for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to dance with me. When I first saw her, all I had in mind was a quick fuck, a curt-yet-polite goodbye and a hope that I would never have to see her again. Once we began really talking about things, I realized there was much more to her than a pretty face.

  She was fiery. There was nothing demure or timid about Aubrey. She spoke her mind and didn’t mind having a laugh at my expense. Something about that attitude was entrancing, bewitching and utterly novel to me. Typically the women I went after were pretty, but completely hollow inside. Aubrey was anything but hollow. She laughed at my jokes — genuinely laughed, not the false pandering laughter that I was used to from vapid models.

  The connection we had was instantaneous. It was unexpected, especially for a confirmed bachelor like me. I never entertained the ideas of actually dating someone, but Aubrey made me reconsider everything. I couldn’t help my fascination with her. She was such a rarity, such a breath of fresh air that I wanted to take big gulps and never run out of breath again.

  I still wanted to take her to my bed. Oh yes, I was going to get her in my bed. But there was something else. Something more. I couldn’t place my finger on it, so I decided to ignore it. For the time being, I just wanted to enjoy her company. I felt privileged to be the one she chose to spend time with and I wasn’t about to fuck that up. Knowing me, I would eventually fuck it up, but not at that moment.

  “So, where are you from, Aubrey?”

  She shrugged; her tiny feet followed mine perfectly. I wasn’t an expert dancer, by any means, but she seemed like she had more than just a passing familiarity with the art.

  “Oh, around. My year is normally split between the coasts. I’m much more fond of this half of the country though.”

  “What is it that you do?” I thought it may be a little forward of me to ask; I just threw caution to the wind anyway.

  She laughed; the musical sound rang in my ears like a symphony. Yeah, I was definitely going to need some more of that.

  “If my parents have their way, I won’t be doing anything. I’m afforded one hobby and I make the most of it.”

  “Oh, what’s that?” I could tell from the way that she talked about them that she wasn’t overly fond of her parents. I couldn’t blame her there. I never understood the innate attachment that people seemed to have with their genetic donors. Mine certainly weren’t anything special and I never cared to learn more about them or spend any time with them. The feeling was mutual, at least. I was grateful that I didn’t have to rely on my parents for support. I couldn’t imagine being roped into a certain lifestyle against my will.

  “Cars,” she answered without elaboration.

  My eyebrows rose in surprise and she laughed again.

  “Don’t look so shocked! Girls can play with the boy toys, too.”

  I chuckled, nodding.

  “Oh, it’s not that. I know they can, I just wasn’t expecting that from you… you seem too…”

  “Refined? Stuck-up? Civilized?” She offered.

  I frowned.

  “No, I was going to say sophisticated, but I guess that works, too.”

  She awarded me another one of those cheeky grins.

  “Well, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Tanner. I’m sure there are a lot of things about me that would surprise you.”

  I nodded my agreement.

  “And I assure you, I’m looking forward to discovering each and every one of them.” My voice was laced with sensual promise and my efforts were rewarded with a faint pink blush that crept onto her face. She was going to be far too much fun, I could already tell.

  “So, what is it that you do with cars?”

  Her delicate unmarred hands on my shoulders told me that she couldn’t possibly be a mechanic. Maybe she was just a collector. I had to remind myself who’s wedding I was at. All of the people here were probably multi-millionaires, Aubrey included.

  “Um… I race,” she mumbled, barely audible over the band’s instruments.

  “Seriously? Well fuck me, that’s pretty hot.”

  I couldn’t believe I’d just said that out loud. Of course I meant it, but I didn’t mean to actually say it. Her laughter reassured me that I hadn’t completely ruined my chances with her.

  “Are you any good?”

  The defiant sparkle in her honey colored eyes told me everything I needed to know. It was pride, hubris and a fierce competitive streak all rolled into one.

  “Well, I don’t like to brag…”

  “Liar. Go right ahead and brag I want to hear it.”

  My heart swelled with the answering grin from her. What was wrong with me? This was beyond pure seduction. I didn’t know what I was trying to do. I knew I wanted her desperately, but I was far more interested in her.

  “Well then… Yes, I’m pretty good. Out of a hundred races or so, I’ve only lost two. I don’t handle losing well.”

  I nodded, twirling her around in my arms to the music.

  “Yeah, I could see that. You seem like a woman that doesn’t let anyone keep her from her
aspirations.”

  Her eyes grew wide, almost concerned. Had I said something wrong?

  “That’s very… astute.”

  I sensed that I touched a nerve, though I wasn’t sure how.

  “Well, I just got a new car that I haven’t even looked at yet; wanna come check it out with me?”

  “How have you not looked at it yet?”

  I laughed.

  “Well, it was my best man gift from the happy couple over there. And yes, they do have far too much money for their own good.”

  She stifled a giggle.

  “I’d love to take a look at it with you.”

  “Oh good.”

  We wandered off of the dance floor and through the vineyards to the front of the house. I resisted the urge to reach for her hand or to place a hand on her back. I was not the kind of guy to do those things. I didn’t know what had come over me but I wanted to get her out of my system. I wasn’t comfortable with feeling this strongly for someone I’d just met. It just seemed so natural and undeniable.

  The front of the house was cluttered with a number of different vehicles and I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for. I clicked the key remote a few times to get the general direction of the car’s location.

  Our jaws dropped in unison when I found the car that was now mine: a sleek black Jag gleaming in the sunshine.

  “Wow, you must be one hell of a friend to get a hundred thousand dollar car as a gift,” she said, her eyes glued to the car in admiration.

  “Believe me, it’s as much of a shock to me as it is to you. Like I said, they have too much money for their own good. He probably thinks this is totally reasonable.”

  “Meanwhile, I got a hard time for sinking money into a Mustang…”

  I laughed and couldn’t take my eyes off of Aubrey. The car was gorgeous, but it was nothing in comparison to her radiance.

  “You wanna go for a ride?” I asked, hoping that didn’t sound as suggestive to her as it sounded to me.

  The slight color in her cheeks told me it did, but she didn’t respond to it.

  “Hell yeah, I do. Under one condition, though.”

  I smirked; of course she would be making demands after just meeting me.

  “Okay, what’s that?”

  “You let me drive.”

  I thought it over for a moment, but there was really no question. Maybe it was insane of me to trust a stranger with my brand new expensive car. Maybe I really should have put more thought into it. The thought of her behind the wheel of this powerful piece of machinery was so sexy that I couldn’t think past it. I handed her the keys without another word.

  Chapter 6

  I never thought it would actually work! I couldn’t believe Tanner was going to trust me with a hundred thousand dollar car and he didn’t even really know me. And he thought his friend had too much money. You didn’t just hand a Jag over to a stranger if you weren’t ridiculously wealthy. Not that it made a difference to me. I already liked him for his sharp sense of humor and his effortless flirting.

  We climbed into the car and I was immediately overwhelmed with the new car smell. Leather and expensive wood veneers dressed the interior. This was a car meant to be driven. I inserted the key and the car purred to life. A wave of anxious nervousness bubbled up in my chest. This was a really expensive car. My family could pay for it, obviously, but I would be in a world of hurt if anything were to happen to it. It didn’t even make a difference if it was insured or not. If my parents, or even Chester, found out about my little hobby, my entire cover would be blown. But I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

  I loved my ‘Stang, but she was no Jag.

  No, a Jag was a marvel of engineering. The peak of luxury and function meeting together in a beautiful union. I couldn’t believe that I was going to be the one to drive her.

  I pulled down the long driveway to the mostly abandoned access road. Even on the unpaved driveway, the ride was smooth and far too good to be true.

  Once we got to the road, I headed off in the direction away from the city. I didn’t want anyone around while I was admiring this beauty.

  “How much do you trust me?” I asked with a sly grin.

  Tanner smiled and shook his head.

  “Why do you ask?”

  The Jag was so responsive to me, she was just begging to be treated like the special lady she was. She wanted to run. She wanted me to open her up and let her go.

  “Oh, I just wanted to see what this baby can really do, but if you’re too scared…” I taunted. He was fully within his rights to deny me. I would be a little disappointed, but I would completely understand.

  “Go for it.” His answer surprised me, but I wasn’t going to ask twice. If he wanted me to open her up, then damn it, that’s what I was gonna do.

  I accelerated and shifted gears; the speedometer edged upwards, past 80, past 90, past 100, flawlessly. The transitions were smooth and easy.

  “You call yourself a racer?” It was his turn to taunt me.

  I cast my eyes in his direction, meeting his challenging gaze.

  “Hey, it’s your car,” I said.

  “I didn’t even have this car this morning. It’s not like I’m attached to it. I trust you.”

  Hearing those three words from him sent a strange jolt of pleasure through me. Why did I feel so proud at possessing his trust? It didn’t make sense.

  130. He still looked cool as a cucumber. The world raced by us in a blur. There was no one on this road, no one around for miles and miles. It was the perfect drag strip.

  150 and the Jag still purred and accelerated effortlessly. Go big or go home. I was going to push her to her limit. I may never get another chance, so why not?

  165. She was nearing her limit. Still, there were no complaints from the passenger seat. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Hell, maybe he was.

  170. Only one tick off from top speed and I couldn’t believe how fluid the gear shifts were, how quiet the engine was even at its max. My heart raced in my chest, the adrenaline rush from being behind the wheel and opening up like this was nearly overwhelming. It was addicting and habit-forming. I could do this every day and never get sick of it.

  We finally hit top speed and I started shifting down to bring her back down. I knew she was happy with me and looking at the expression on Tanner’s face, so was he.

  We were finally back down to about 50MPH when he turned to me with a mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes.

  “So, why don’t you turn around and do that again… like you mean it this time.”

  I couldn’t stop the loud laughter that bubbled out of my mouth.

  “Hey, I just didn’t want to make you piss your pants or anything. If you want the real deal, I’ll give it to you,” I quipped.

  “Oh, you can give it to me anytime, sweetheart.”

  The sexual promise in his voice made butterflies crop up in my stomach. He made me more nervous than a big race and I didn’t know why.

  “Well, I hope you’ve got a spare pair of panties, mister,” I teased, turning the car around and bringing it to a stop.

  “So, I think the specs say this thing can get from 0 to 60 in around five seconds. Wanna test that out?”

  Tanner grinned, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. He pulled up his stopwatch app and looked over at me.

  “Way ahead of you. On your mark, get set…” He paused for a long moment; my body was already ready, the Jag was ready for her test and he was teasing us.

  I cast an exasperated glance in his direction, clearly saying ‘don’t tease me about this right now, just say go’. He snickered and turned his eyes back to his phone.

  “Go!”

  I floored it, shifting up again and again. The needle inched toward 60 and Tanner’s eyes flicked back from the speedometer to the phone and back again.

  “Come on sweetheart, you can do it,” I cooed to the car.

  “Time!” I shouted, still accelerating, trying
to see how long it would take me to get to top speed.

  “4.9 seconds. Not bad at all,” he answered with a grin.

  “Was there ever any doubt?”

  “Not even for a moment. I believed you knew what you were doing.”

  Again, we were pushing 100 and still climbing. It was the most exhilarating feeling.

  I raced down the road like it was a real event. I didn’t know why I felt like I had something to prove to him, but I did. I wanted him to respect me. I’d never been able to show off my talents to anyone that wasn’t a competitor. Marilee knew about my racing, but she never wanted to go to any of my races, she said that she would be too nervous. I teased her about it occasionally, but she never budged.

  As much as I loved racing, I always wanted someone to share it with. It was so hard to be so passionate about something and have to keep it a secret.

  Sometimes my parents tried to give me a hard time for not being more socially active. I wanted to scream at them. I had my hobbies; they weren’t hobbies that my parents approved of, so I had to keep them to myself. That didn’t mean that I was free to parade around like their little trophy. I had my own things to do and it seemed like they were never going to understand that.

  We topped out again and Tanner actually gave me a little bit of applause. I didn’t know if it was mocking or genuine, so I didn’t say anything.

  “You deserve this car a hell of a lot more than I do. I love fast cars, but you could out-drive me any day of the week.”

  I grinned from ear-to-ear. Most men would never admit to something like that. I’d been made to feel inferior so many times by men that thought they had an advantage just by virtue of having a Y chromosome. The fact that Tanner wasn’t like that, that he was willing to readily admit that a woman could best him at something, only made him more endearing to me.

  I didn’t really know how to react to him. I wanted him, but I knew it was something that I shouldn’t even consider.

  Regardless, I was suddenly aware of how close we were to one another and though I longed to be even closer to him, I tried to mentally distance myself from him.