Page 21 of Tied Up In Tinsel
“Oh, God,” she said suddenly, dropping her head into her hand.
I frowned. “What?”
She just shook her head, muttering something I couldn’t catch.
“Annie,” I said, reaching forward. My fingers curled gently around her wrist, coaxing her hand away from her face. Her skin was warm under my touch. When she looked up at me, she bit her lip, and I felt it like a jolt straight to my chest.
“You don’t want to know the thought I just had,” she murmured.
“Something tells me I do.”
Her eyes sparkled like she was deciding whether to let me in on the joke—or the fantasy. Either way, I was already hooked.
“It’s so embarrassing,” Annie murmured, eyes darting anywhere but mine.
Her voice had a nervous lilt, and I couldn’t help but lean forward, curious. Embarrassing to her might be pure gold to me—maybe even something I’d happily replay later in the quiet of my own mind.
She took a long sip of wine, as if fortifying herself, and let out a slow breath.
“I’ve probably heard worse,” I coaxed.
“I thought, you know…” She hesitated, cheeks warming. “You being an ex–bull rider and all, you’d be the ride of my life.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Okay, yeah, that’s pretty embarrassing.”
“Brooks!” She swatted my bicep, but there was no real sting to it—just the kind of touch I’d been craving from her all night.
I let my hand rest on her leg, my thumb brushing back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm meant to assure her I wasn’t laughing at her, not really.
“I’m just kidding,” I said softly. “Not embarrassing at all. Because, truth is… I probably would be. Never had any complaints.”
Her smile faltered just enough to make me wish I’d reeled the teasing back a notch. I wouldn’t. She took another sip of wine to try and hide it.
“I’m real good with my hips,” I added, letting the words hang in the air like a promise.
She groaned, shaking her head, but she didn’t move my hand. If anything, her knee edged closer, like she wanted me to keep touching her.
I let the air between us cool to a low, slow simmer before steering us into safer waters. “So… I don’t think you’ve told me why you were in such a pinch at such short notice.”
Her mouth twisted as she swirled the wine in her glass. “My dumb, douche-canoe of an ex-husband, that’s why.”
“He was supposed to take Ruby for the holidays and bailed?” The thought made my chest tighten. A man skipping out on his daughter this time of year? That hit me wrong.
“Yup.” Her tone was sharp but tired. “Instead, he decided to go to Hawaii with his new wife because it was an ‘opportunity he couldn’t miss.’” She made air quotes.
“Ah,” I said dryly. “So he’s that kind of father.”
“Ruby’s used to it by now,” she admitted. “Didn’t even blink when I told her. Just asked if we could still make cookies and drink hot chocolate.”
I scoffed. “I imagine it’s still hard for you to watch that happen to her.”
“Oh, yeah. When I married him, I thought he’d be a great dad. That’s why I wanted to have a kid with him. He’s been a disappointment ever since.”
I gave her leg a slow, reassuring squeeze. “I don’t know him, but I can already tell he was an idiot for fumbling two great girls.”
Her eyes lifted to mine, soft and shining in the warm light, and she gave me a small smile that hit me harder than I expected.
“What about you? Why are you still single?” she asked.
