“Well, drat,” she pouted, crossing her arms over chest. “Done in by my own music choices.”
“I realize you have a very eclectic taste in music, but one Elvis song after another really clued me in that you were trying to make a statement.”
And here she was thinking she was clever. Ha!
“We’re not going to get into the city until almost eight tonight,” he said. “So other than dinner, I don’t think we’re going to get to see or do much else.”
“Oh.”
“However…”
She instantly perked up, twisting in her seat to face him. “However…?”
“Our next stop after Memphis is Birmingham, Alabama, and it’s a little less than four hours away so…maybe we can tour some stuff in the morning and leave after lunch. Maybe around two. What do you think? Would that work for you and give you enough time to satisfy your curiosity?”
If it weren’t so dangerous, Grace would have climbed across the seat to hug him. “Really? You’re not just messing with me?” she asked excitedly.
“Would I do that to you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You have mentioned several times how I’m a pain in the ass, so maybe…”
“Uh-uh. I never used those words. I said you drive me crazy. That’s completely different.”
He was adorable, she thought. And a super considerate guy. “So what I’m hearing is that you really want to tour Graceland too. Right? That’s what I’m hearing?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Would there be any point in disagreeing?”
“None! And just so you know, tours start at eight in the morning, so we totally have time to do it and see a little of the city before we hit the road. Yay!” Bouncing a little in her seat, she clapped her hands and started talking about all the other things they could see and do while in Memphis.
By the time that topic had been exhausted, she almost felt as if she’d visited the city already and was ready to talk about something else.
“After Birmingham, we’ll be in Atlanta, right?”
He nodded but didn’t comment, and Grace realized it wasn’t a topic she was particularly ready to embrace either. That meant their trip was almost over. He was going to go back to work, she was going to fly home, and then…that was it. It was a seven-hour drive from Raleigh to Atlanta and that meant seeing each other wasn’t really an option. Sure, people did the long-distance relationship thing all the time, but…hell, she wasn’t even sure it was something Finn would be interested in. What they were doing now was fun and exciting, and it had a time limit. For all she knew, he was looking forward to her finally going home so he could get his life back to normal. Of course, first he’d have to deal with his brother and that whole mess, but after that, he was a responsible man who had his own life to handle. Would he really want to continue to see her knowing she was a bit of a mess right now?
But wait, was she?
As cold and callous as it sounded, she really didn’t have any messy feelings toward Jared. Was she angry? Yes. Did she wish hateful things on him? Absolutely! Having his penis fall off was her number one wish, but…that was never going to happen and she should just let it go. But other than that, her life with Jared was over. They hadn’t moved in together, there wasn’t going to be any major separating of their lives because…
Wow. They had never really been joined. Again, why hadn’t she seen that before?
A weary sigh was out before she could stop it.
“You okay?” Finn asked.
“Yeah, just…thinking.”
She really didn’t want to talk to him about this–felt like she’d already shared way more than she should have about her previous relationship, and none of it made her look good. It was time to think of something else.
“What’s your favorite food?” she asked, forcing all negative thoughts from her mind.
He looked at her like she was crazy but quickly returned his attention to the road. “Steak.”
“Ooh…good choice. Please tell me you like it rare.”
He laughed. “As if there’s any other way.”
“Favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Favorite band?”
“The Foo Fighters.”
“Biggest fear?”
“Flying.”
Right. She remembered that. “Hobbies?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Even though I work on cars for a living, it’s what I enjoy doing in my spare time too. I love rebuilding engines. Besides that, I’d have to say working with wood. I told you last night about the work I did on my house and it really was incredibly fulfilling.”
“Play any sports?”
“I’m on a softball team and I did play both baseball and football in high school.” Then he grinned at her. “But I haven’t played since.”
“Biggest pet peeve?”
“People who ask too many questions,” he replied, but Grace could see his lips twitching.
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Excuse me for trying to play a game to pass the time.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t suggest the license plate game.”
“The what?”
His bark of laughter was his first response. “You don’t know what the license plate game is?” Then he explained the rules of the game to her.
“Finn, we’ve discussed this. I’ve never been on a road trip before! How would I know what that is?”
“Okay, fair enough. Got any more questions?”
Did she? Hell yes! For all the talking she and Finn had done over the last several days, Grace knew there was still so much she didn’t know about him. And because their time was coming to an end, she felt like she needed to know more. “Absolutely!” she said, forcing a smile. “Favorite ice cream flavor?”
“Chocolate. Yours?”
“Chocolate, too. Isn’t everyone’s?”
“Probably not. Dave loves strawberry.”
“Just another reason not to like him,” she teased. “Um…first car?”
“A 2005 Ford Ranger. Black.” He paused. “I loved that truck.”
“Wow, so not much newer than this one, right?”
He nodded.
“What do you drive now?” She was certain he had told her since it was clearly the car his brother stole, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember.
“A 2018 Ford Mustang. And it better still be unharmed and in one piece when I get home,” he murmured. “If Dave so much as put one scratch on that car…”
“Okay, okay, okay,” she said soothingly. “I’m sure the car is going to be fine. And if not, it’s a good thing you know a mechanic!” She was going for light and funny, but he didn’t look amused.
“New topic–alien abductions! Friend or foe?”
They were in the right-hand lane on the interstate, and Finn pulled over onto the shoulder, put the truck in park and looked at her. “Did you bump your head or something?”
“What? No. Why?”
“Alien abductions? Friend or foe? What the hell kind of question is that? Are you having a stroke or something?”
Grace couldn’t tell if he was genuinely concerned or amused. “No! I…um…I don’t know. I just…it came to mind and thought it would be a good distraction from the way the conversation was going! Why is it such a big deal?”
In the blink of an eye, he reached out and banded one rough hand around her nape and pulled her in for a quick and steamy kiss. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…”
“I make you crazy,” she finished for him, smiling against his lips. “Good.”
Finn straightened in his seat and pulled back onto the road. “How about I pick the topic this time?”
She sighed dramatically. “Fine, but it better not be boring.”
Shaking his head, he laughed. “Right. Because my favorite color was completely riveting.”
“You know it.”
“I think it’s time to shine the spotlight on Grace for a little while,
” he said lightly. “See how you like it.”
“Bring it, Kavanagh.” She cracked her knuckles and made a big production of looking like she was preparing for battle.
“Favorite food?”
“Chinese food–anything spicy!”
“Favorite color?”
“Hot pink.”
He nodded. “Favorite band?”
“Not so much a band, but an artist–Taylor Swift.”
With a quick shudder, he continued. “Biggest fear?”
“Drowning.” When he looked at her, she nodded. “When I was a kid, we went to the beach, I went out a little too far in the ocean and the current started to carry me. It was terrifying. I don’t go in the ocean anymore past my knees. Pools, I can handle. But lakes or other bodies of water I avoid.”
“Interesting. Hobbies?”
“Hmm…love to read, love to cook.” When he looked at her with surprise, she laughed and nodded. “It’s true! I love watching cooking shows and trying new recipes! It’s so much fun! Not so much when I’m only cooking for me, but I still enjoy it.”
“Do you bake?”
She shook her head. “Oh, God, no. I hate measuring.”
“But…you just said you love cooking!”
“Two completely different things. It’s all about precision when you’re baking, and I don’t have that kind of patience. I like to concoct and create and play around with ingredients. That’s a fairly big no-no when you bake.”
“Okay, I get it. So, any sports?”
“I’m a bit of a klutz, and I never played sports or took dance classes or anything like that when I was growing up. But now I enjoy yoga and Zumba and going to the gym and taking some classes.”
He paused. “Biggest pet peeve?”
“People who avoid answering questions,” she said sassily and was glad he laughed with her. “What else you got?”
“Hmm…most adventurous place you’ve ever had sex?”
Oh, God… “We’ve been PG-rated all day, Finn,” she said lightly. “And I thought we agreed to no more sexy talk while one of us is driving. You sure you want to take this in the R-rated direction when we’ve still got hours to go before stopping for the night?”
“Well, I wasn’t asking for specifics,” he clarified, “just a location.”
“Alright…it was under the bleachers on the football field of my high school,” she said, hanging her head in embarrassment. “It was late at night–not during a game or anything, so…no chance of anyone catching us. Not really. At least…I don’t think anyone could have caught us.”
Lame, Grace. Totally lame.
“Mine was in a tent on a camping trip,” he said, sounding casual. “There were about a dozen of us and we were going to go off into the woods, but she was afraid of getting too many mosquito bites!” Looking over at her, he grinned. “Adventurous, right?”
“Very!” she said heartily.
“Okay, want to stay R-rated or go back to PG?”
The thought of another R-rated question intrigued her. “Keep it going, Finn. Let’s see what else you got.”
“Sex toys? Yay or nay?”
“Ooh…yay.”
He nodded in approval. “Morning sex or evening sex?”
“Love them both, but I’m finding out that morning sex is really good.”
And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was blushing. Totally adorable.
“Do you prefer to be on the top?”
“Ooh…another good question.” She stopped and thought about it. “Depends on my mood, but there is something to be said about having a sexy man stretched out on top of me.” She looked at him, lifted her sunglasses and winked. “I really like that.”
“Ever had a threesome?”
“Oh, my gosh! No!”
“Good to know,” he said, laughing softly. “Ever have phone sex?”
Laughing a little, she said, “No, but I always thought it could be hot.”
He nodded. “Ever watch porn?”
She eyed him carefully. “A couple of times. Not really my thing, but I do enjoy a good, sexy erotic novel. It makes me use my imagination.” Her voice was a little breathless and she couldn’t even explain why.
“Okay. Uh…good. I mean…using your imagination is a good thing,” he said gruffly. “Um…bondage, yay or nay?”
“Are we talking with silk scarves or chains? Because I wouldn’t be opposed to the silk, but I might have issues with the chains.”
His only response was to cough until he was almost choking. Grace gave him a moment to recover before speaking again.
“Finn?”
“Hmm?”
“I think we need to go back to the PG questions,” she said, squirming in her seat.
“How come?”
“Because if we keep going with this, we’re going to have to find out how to maneuver having sex in this truck, on the interstate, right now.”
Laughing, he said, “So, are you a cat or a dog person?”
8
It was their last night.
Sighing, Grace looked out the window of their hotel room and wished she could stop time–not forever, but for at least another week or so. She was completely conflicted. Part of her really wanted to get home to see her family, but the rest of her selfishly wanted more time with Finn. They would need a clean break tomorrow. She was going to drop him off at his shop so he could grab a car–he had several loaners he kept on hand–and she was going to head to the airport.
At least, that was the plan, even though she hadn’t booked her flight yet.
She was procrastinating, plain and simple.
Finn stepped in close behind her, his hands resting on her waist. They had chosen a more upscale hotel for the night–one that offered room service. It was the first time on this entire trip that she had zero interest in going out and exploring. All she wanted to do was stay in with Finn and soak up all she could of him.
He’d changed her.
In these few short days, Grace felt like she was a completely different person than who she was when she left for Lake Tahoe. Her eyes were opened to all the ways she wasn’t taking care of herself and how she had allowed Jared to control too much of her life. That was all over and done with, and from here on out, she was focusing on the things she wanted to do. Plus, she was ready to spend some much-needed time with her family.
His arms came around her and he rested his head against hers. “Dinner will be here in thirty minutes.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
They stood like that–staring down at the city–for several minutes. “You know we’re going to have to talk eventually, right?” he asked quietly.
“Why?” she whispered, hating the tremor in her voice. “We both know what’s coming. Why do we have to talk about it again?”
Gently, he turned her in his arms until she was facing him. “I hate this, too, you know.”
That surprised her. “You do?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“But…but I thought…”
“When this whole trip started, I thought we’d drive, and it would be awkward, but we’d get through it and go our separate ways. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that wasn’t going to happen.”
“Finn…”
“It’s true. Things were messy for both of us and yet…I was drawn to you. I didn’t want to be because it was only going to complicate things, but I want you to know I wouldn’t change a thing, Grace. Not one. I don’t regret any of it.”
“Me either,” she said, feeling tears stinging her eyes as she willed them away. “You know I’ve always been honest with you, right?”
“Almost painfully so,” he teased lightly, and that made her smile.
“I’m not ready for tomorrow. I…I’m just not. Every time I think about it, it feels wrong. I hate that we live seven hours apart. I hate that I can’t just…throw South Carolina out of the way so our states could be closer!”
“If anyone could do it, Grace,
it would be you.” He reached up and caressed her cheek.
“It’s not fair. How could I find you and lose you all in the span of a week?” And then she wanted to kick herself for her admission. That was a lot more information than he probably bargained for. Resting her forehead against his chest, she said, “Tell me I’m crazy. Tell me I’m wrong and the feeling isn’t mutual. Put me out of my misery.”
He was quiet for so long that she was fairly certain he was just trying to find the words to let her down easy. If nothing else, Finn Kavanagh was a good guy.
Both his hands–those wonderfully rough hands–cupped her face and slowly forced her to look at him. “You’re not crazy,” he said, his voice so low and gruff that it almost didn’t sound like him. “And you’re not wrong.” Pausing, he let out a long, slow breath before adding, “And the feeling is mutual. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Nodding, she quietly replied, “I know. Is it…do you think…is this just proximity? Are we just reacting to each other like this because we were forced to be together?”
“That’s not even possible, Grace. I spent several days in Carson City, and I met a lot of women…”
She tried to pull away, but Finn wouldn’t let her.
“And I wasn’t interested in any of them. Only you.” His arms dropped to wrap around her and he held her tight. “I can’t explain it–any of it. And I have no idea what’s going to happen after tomorrow or how we’ll feel once we’re back in our own homes and back to our usual routines and lives.”
And dammit, she knew he was right. He was always practical and logical and saw things in a way that she couldn’t because her emotions got in the way.
Tucking a finger under her chin, he gave her a sad smile. “I don’t want this to be the mood tonight. We’re going to have a nice dinner here in the room and then…”
She looked at him expectantly. “And then what?”
Then his smile went from sad to sexy. “And then we have sex anywhere in this room–or, out in the hotel–that you want.”
Her eyes went wide. “Really?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. You want to go do it in a supply closet? I’m your guy.”
Drive Me Crazy: Road Tripping Series Page 13