Chapter Five
Dylan
The party pickedup as soon as the clock struck twelve.“Auld Lang Syne” began in unison, everyone in high spirits—even me, for the moment.
Not Hunter, though.Poor kid was asleep on his feet.
I ushered him out of the living room with a smile stuck on my face and got him settled in one of Sylvie and Glenn’s guest rooms, tucking him in before he face-planted.He was a little trooper, making it to midnight, which was more than I’d expected.
The evening wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but it had been bearable.Seeing Hunter have a good time made it worth it, even if it had earned me a scowl from Jamie.
But now that it was over, I was ready to make a quick exit.Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.Sean appeared beside me again just as I was slipping on my jacket.
“You leaving?”His smile was easy, his words a bit slurred.
I gave him a curt nod, trying to shake off the lingering feelings of regret.“Planned on it.”
“Without saying goodbye?”
“How are you getting home?”I asked, ignoring both his question and his flirtatious grin.“You didn’t drive, did you?”
“Man, I’m not going home tonight.That’s crazy.”He swayed into me.“Taking a cab to a hotel.”
“I’ll take you,” I offered before I could change my mind.“Save you the cab fare.”
His eyebrows pressed together in a way that was far too fucking sexy.“What kind of car do you drive?”
I would’ve laughed if it weren’t for the surge of pride.“A ‘69 Charger with a 440 Magnum.”My car was a thing of beauty.“It’s parked out front if you want to take a look.Maybe go for a drive before I drop you at your hotel?”
“It’s freezing and they’re calling for more snow.”He shook his head, that damn playful smile still on his lips.“You want to drive a car like that out in this?”
“I’ve got snow chains in the trunk.”I shrugged.
“Well…since you’ve got chains.”He sneaked me a conspiratorial wink.“Lead the way.”
We slipped out while the party was still in full swing.No one noticed.No one cared.
My heart was racing anyway.
Outside, the cold hit fast.Thank fuck for the remote starter.The Charger was already warm when I slid behind the wheel, engine purring beneath me.
This was my space.One of the only places I could drop the careful version of myself and just breathe.
Then Sean folded himself into the passenger seat, and every square inch of it was suddenly swallowed by his presence.He was taller than me and filled the bucket seat completely, but it was his personality taking over—audacious and unapologetic.
And fuck, I liked it.Too goddamn much.
He reminded me of how I used to be.Before I had more to lose.
“Nice.”He ran his hand over the dashboard.“If I knew anything at all about cars, this one would probably really impress me.I like that it’s shiny.”
“It’s not just pretty to look at, you know.”
“You mean there’s more hiding under the surface?”
“Isn’t there always?”I smiled, shifting into gear.
“Where are we going?”
