accompanied each one as they raced to the pit, but Rachel was piqued at herself. Seeing Dylan, who looked damned handsome in his cashmere heather-blue sports coat and silky shirt beneath, had taken her breath away at first, and she was afraid he’d caught her reaction.
“What tack will you take with a segment on all this?” he asked from beside her.
Trying to keep her eyes focused on the field, she said, “I’m not sure yet.”
“Didn’t you come to give him good publicity?”
She faced him now. The overhead lighting made his hair glisten, and his big shoulders seemed to dwarf her. “Yes. Since I covered the scandal out here when it happened, like most reporters did, so I sort of, I don’t know, thought maybe I’d do a piece that would show some redemption for the racetrack. Their attendance is still low.”
He didn’t take his eyes off her. “So you’re using your friend to make yourself look good for me.” He smirked. “Leopards don’t change their spots, I guess.”
Temper spiked inside her. “I’m not using Joe or trying to impress you.” She stepped a little closer, but the scent of him, a bit spicy, filled her head and made her weak. She ignored it. “And you’re not filling your part of the bargain. You’re trying to antagonize me. You said you’d be nice.”
His face lost some of its ice. “That I did. You bring out the worst in me, I guess.” But then he added, “I’m sorry.”
“Okay. I don’t want our differences to ruin the day for Hogan. He seems like a nice kid.”
“He is, but he’s had some trouble…” His voice faded off. “Never mind.”
“You can tell me, Dylan.” She touched his arm. “We signed the confidentiality agreement for personal stuff.”
“His mother and I have been divorced for a decade. She was all about her career—she runs lingerie boutiques all over the country, and now has a place in Paris. Either she ignores my boy, or when she’s with him, she treats him like she treated me.”
“How?”
“I don’t want to get into that. He just got back from a visit. He’s a little rocky.”
“I’m sorry.”
Facing her, he said, “Now it’s your turn. Ever married?”
“No.”
“You’re what, thirty-five?”
“Close enough.”
“Why?”
“My sister Rebecca says it’s because I’m too…” She blushed.
“Too pretty? Too confident? Too intimidating?”
Trying to bluff her way through this, she flirted. “You think I’m all those things?
“Of course, doll. And you know you are.”
Not true. Her confidence had been bruised by how she grew up, but she wasn’t about to share that with him. She believed Dylan would honor the agreement, but she was vulnerable to her secrets. So she said flippantly, “You’re right about that.”
“Any guys in the picture now?” he asked.
From behind, she heard Hogan yell, “Hey, Dad, look what I got!”
Turning away from him, Rachel was glad for the interruption. Hogan carried an orange jersey. “All the pit guys signed this. Some of the kids got the drivers’ one, but I like these guys better.”
Rachel smiled at him. “You know, I do, too.”
“Thanks a ton for asking us, Ms. Scott. It’s been awesome!”
She was surprisingly happy to have given the experience to him. “You’re very welcome.”
Feeling too drawn to the O’Neil men, she checked her watch. “I’m afraid I have to go. My train leaves in a half hour.”
“Didn’t you drive?” Hogan asked.
“No, I don’t have a car.”
“You have a town car that carts you around.” Dylan’s brow had furrowed. “This was work.”
“My driver has a family thing today.”
“What about your cameraman.”
“Already gone.”
“We can drive you back, can’t we dad?”
“Um…”
“No, that’s okay.” She didn’t need to be with them any longer.
“You can sit in the front seat with Dad. I’ll take the little backseat. He always says we should be polite and kind to… What do you call women,
“What tack will you take with a segment on all this?” he asked from beside her.
Trying to keep her eyes focused on the field, she said, “I’m not sure yet.”
“Didn’t you come to give him good publicity?”
She faced him now. The overhead lighting made his hair glisten, and his big shoulders seemed to dwarf her. “Yes. Since I covered the scandal out here when it happened, like most reporters did, so I sort of, I don’t know, thought maybe I’d do a piece that would show some redemption for the racetrack. Their attendance is still low.”
He didn’t take his eyes off her. “So you’re using your friend to make yourself look good for me.” He smirked. “Leopards don’t change their spots, I guess.”
Temper spiked inside her. “I’m not using Joe or trying to impress you.” She stepped a little closer, but the scent of him, a bit spicy, filled her head and made her weak. She ignored it. “And you’re not filling your part of the bargain. You’re trying to antagonize me. You said you’d be nice.”
His face lost some of its ice. “That I did. You bring out the worst in me, I guess.” But then he added, “I’m sorry.”
“Okay. I don’t want our differences to ruin the day for Hogan. He seems like a nice kid.”
“He is, but he’s had some trouble…” His voice faded off. “Never mind.”
“You can tell me, Dylan.” She touched his arm. “We signed the confidentiality agreement for personal stuff.”
“His mother and I have been divorced for a decade. She was all about her career—she runs lingerie boutiques all over the country, and now has a place in Paris. Either she ignores my boy, or when she’s with him, she treats him like she treated me.”
“How?”
“I don’t want to get into that. He just got back from a visit. He’s a little rocky.”
“I’m sorry.”
Facing her, he said, “Now it’s your turn. Ever married?”
“No.”
“You’re what, thirty-five?”
“Close enough.”
“Why?”
“My sister Rebecca says it’s because I’m too…” She blushed.
“Too pretty? Too confident? Too intimidating?”
Trying to bluff her way through this, she flirted. “You think I’m all those things?
“Of course, doll. And you know you are.”
Not true. Her confidence had been bruised by how she grew up, but she wasn’t about to share that with him. She believed Dylan would honor the agreement, but she was vulnerable to her secrets. So she said flippantly, “You’re right about that.”
“Any guys in the picture now?” he asked.
From behind, she heard Hogan yell, “Hey, Dad, look what I got!”
Turning away from him, Rachel was glad for the interruption. Hogan carried an orange jersey. “All the pit guys signed this. Some of the kids got the drivers’ one, but I like these guys better.”
Rachel smiled at him. “You know, I do, too.”
“Thanks a ton for asking us, Ms. Scott. It’s been awesome!”
She was surprisingly happy to have given the experience to him. “You’re very welcome.”
Feeling too drawn to the O’Neil men, she checked her watch. “I’m afraid I have to go. My train leaves in a half hour.”
“Didn’t you drive?” Hogan asked.
“No, I don’t have a car.”
“You have a town car that carts you around.” Dylan’s brow had furrowed. “This was work.”
“My driver has a family thing today.”
“What about your cameraman.”
“Already gone.”
“We can drive you back, can’t we dad?”
“Um…”
“No, that’s okay.” She didn’t need to be with them any longer.
“You can sit in the front seat with Dad. I’ll take the little backseat. He always says we should be polite and kind to… What do you call women,
Similar Books
