Southern Seduction (6 page)

He chuckles in a low tone and that stupid grin is still present on his stupidly perfect mouth. Penn seems to bring out her inner five-year-old. She wants to stomp her feet in a rather unladylike way and has the insane urge to throw the bottle of beer her hand is gripping tightly towards his unsuspecting head. There’s no doubt Daniella would do both of those things if they wouldn’t cause a scene in the middle of the reception hall. Her body is as rigid as a two-by-four and she consciously wills all of her muscles to relax. Penn, on the other hand, looks completely unperturbed. She doesn’t appear to have the slightest effect on him and that more than pisses her off. Just once it would be nice to make him feel the way he makes her feel.

Is that really too much to ask?

“Well then, what do you go by these days?” he asks as his eyes take in the sight of her. She’s still as feisty as he remembers. Her big brown eyes could unleash a fury that would intimidate just about anyone. Well, anyone besides him. Daniella never had that kind of effect on him. She always held a different kind of power. A control that caused him to give in to something he never should have given in to. His attraction for her turned him into the worst kind of bastard, and he’s still pretty ashamed of that night.

Yeah, it was one fucking fantastic night, beautiful even, but it never should have happened. If only he would have known. If he would have known the truth, he never would have gone through with it. But by the time he realized, he was too far gone, too wrapped up in her seductive spell.

Her brow furrows and she has the insane urge to snarl at him. “My
actual
first name,” she responds in defiance.

“How are you doing these days,
Daniella
?” His eyes twinkle in a delightfully grating way.

He’s mentally refusing to let his gaze move south. He refuses to take in every perfect inch of her perfect body. It’s the hardest thing he’s had to do in a long god damn time. She’s still just as beautiful as he remembers, even more so actually. Her long brunette hair thrown up in her trademark ponytail only highlights her classic beauty. Her chocolate eyes are completely mesmerizing and still strong enough to suck him in, leaving him more than entranced.

“Considering that I’m standing at the bar—
alone
—at my cousin Darlene’s peach taffeta circus wedding, I guess you could say I’ve been better.” She finally uncrosses her arms and takes a long drink from her bottle of beer.

The movement of her arms urges his eyes downward. He takes in every inch of the short black dress that accentuates her flawless curves.
God, her body is still perfect.

“Still full of piss and vinegar,” he goads with a joking tone. He can’t help it. Penn has always enjoyed teasing her. In his eyes, Daniella is at her most beautiful when she’s feisty and stubborn and challenging him.

A small smile hovers at the corners of her lips as she shrugs her shoulders in feigned indifference. “I guess so.”

She
hates
that he can still make her smile. Penn Wilder doesn’t deserve her smiles, yet he seems to have the insane power of soaking them all up like a greedy sponge.

Silence descends upon them and she averts her gaze from his, busying herself with people watching. She can barely contain herself whenever he’s around, her emotions bouncing up and down like a yo-yo. Her sanity is held by the tiniest string, and it threatens to snap at any given moment.

Eventually, her eyes find their way back in his direction; he’s a magnet she can’t avoid. She peers out of her periphery and watches his Adam’s apple bob in the most appealing way as he takes a final swallow from his bourbon.

“Dance with me,” Penn demands as he sets his rocks glass on the bar and holds his hand out for her. He decides to give in to the craving to hold her in his arms, even if it’s under the pretense of a simple dance.

“No,” she responds adamantly.
No. Fucking. Way.

“Come on, darling. Just one dance. That’s all I’m asking.” He cocks his head to the side, giving her that patented look. The look that could make her agree to just about anything.

She stares into those ocean blues and can’t resist.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she places her hand in his, letting him take the lead. The song switches over to
Strawberry Wine
by Deana Carter as they step onto the crowded dance floor. She loathes country music, and her face can’t stifle the obvious cringe at the Southern cliché choice in song selection. This is just another reason Daniella can add to the long list of why she doesn’t belong in the small Texas town of Cumbie.

Penn’s masculine grip grabs ahold of her waist, pulling her closer to him. Their chests are nearly touching, and the wonderful smell of him assaults her senses. His movements are slow and sensual and
drugging
. She’s high off of his very presence. The fourteen-year-old girl in her is squealing in excitement while eighteen-year-old Daniella wants to smack him clear across his beautiful face. She relinquishes into his hold and places her petite palm on his chest as they slowly sway to the music. His large hand presses into the small of her back, spurring a rush of tingles up her spine. Her irrational brain chooses to let fourteen-year-old Danny Jo enjoy this moment.

“What have you been up to?” He stifles the urge to run his lips along the sensitive spot in the crook of her neck. The feel of her creamy skin is like a drug and he might as well be a recovering addict. His fingers itch to touch her, stroke her, caress delicious moans from her plump lips.

He craves her
.

“Just finishing up my degree and still helping Momma and Daddy out at the diner.” She glances up at him underneath her thick lashes and finds him intently staring down at her. He’s displaying a look she can’t decipher. Her foolish brain tells her it’s a look of want, of absolute need, but she knows that can’t be true. If he really wanted her, he never would have walked away without looking back, without even uttering goodbye. But god, he’s
too much
, and he’s still the epitome of perfection in her stupid eyes.

“Your momma and daddy still keeping Nadine’s Diner up and running?”

She nods in response. “Of course. Where else would the residents of Cumbie get their favorite loose-meat sandwiches?”

Penn chuckles softly. “I guess you’re right. Well, good for you, Daniella. I had no doubt you’d make something of yourself. You’ve always been one of the smartest, most tenacious girls I’ve ever met.” His smile is soft and his blue eyes are warm. He looks so good, healthy actually. That sharp, hardened edge is long gone.

She hates and she loves and she
hates
the sound of her name from his lips. His words tickle her inner girlish excitement, threatening to bring fourteen-year-old Danny Jo out of hiding. She refuses to start swooning over this frustratingly gorgeous man. He doesn’t deserve her swoons.

“How’s Billy?” he asks sincerely.

The subject change is a nice reprieve from her incessant inner monologue. “Billy is great, just finished up a tour in Iraq. He is stationed in Germany right now. I miss him like crazy. Actually, I miss
both of my brothers
, but I don’t miss them being their usual overprotective, pain-in-my-ass selves. They scared a lot of boyfriends away back in the day.” Daniella’s lips crest into a grin just thinking about the numerous dates her brothers threatened to beat the shit out of. Those boys sure have an interesting way of showing their love for their sister.

Penn’s husky laugh washes over her and the smell of peppermint with just a hint of bourbon fills her senses.
Oh lordy, even his breath smells good
.

“I’m sure you do, darlin’. I talked to Bobby a couple of days ago. It sounds like he’s doing really well. And Eve looks just like him. That little girl has him wrapped around her tiny finger.” He smiles at the sentiment. “So who’s the lucky bastard who managed to get his hands on you?”

She lets out a barking laugh from the mere shock of his audacity.

Why in the fuck does he even care?

“Uh, that’s really none of your business, Penn,” she scolds. Her sharp tone causes the tip of her tongue to sting.

His jaw clenches a tad and he is eerily quiet for an endless minute. He’s doing his best to rein in the strong emotions that sit heavy and unrelenting in his gut. Daniella has always had attitude, more attitude than should be humanly possible to bottle up inside of her tiny frame.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I was just trying to make small talk.” His words are tense as his hands grasp her body a little tighter.

Despite the tension flowing between them like an electrical current, they continue to sway to the cliché country music the wedding DJ is playing. Daniella catches sight of the DJ’s wardrobe and nearly stops in her tracks. Neon green sunglasses and a white tuxedo are
never
a good wardrobe option.

God, she’s snarky tonight. She’s blaming this on two things: Darlene’s peach taffeta circus wedding and Penn Wilder. Add those two things together and she’s bound to lose her cool at some point in the evening. She’s shocked she’s managed to remain remotely civil in his presence.

“No lucky bastard,” she whispers quietly against his chest.

Why is she even giving him the satisfaction of an answer to his earlier question?

The responses her mind and her body have to Penn have always been a complete mystery to her. He leans back and looks down at her with a questioning gaze. His brow furrows and his eyes crinkle at the corners.

“I was answering your earlier question. There’s no guy in my life right now. I don’t have time for a relationship…or dating. I’m too busy with classes and working at the diner. Hell, I barely have time to go out with my girlfriends,” she adds and then rests her head against his chest again, enjoying the warmth of his body pressed against her cheek.

“How old are you now?” he inquires. His breath brushes across her forehead.

“Twenty-one.”

He softly mumbles something that she can’t discern.

Daniella inclines back to observe his piercing blue eyes, desperately trying to gauge his reaction. “What? You’re only five years older than me, Penn.”
I’m not Bobby’s little sister. I’m a grown-ass woman! A woman you couldn’t resist one magical night…
These thoughts relentlessly scream inside of her brain.

The corners of his mouth turn down. “I know, Daniella,” he sighs in exasperation. “You’re just as beautiful as the last time I saw you.” His voice sounds pained, and the words leave his lips before he has the chance to think them through.

Beautiful?
She’s stunned silent and shocked he’s even breaching the memory of the last time they saw each other. It’s a bittersweet memory for her—equal parts perfect and painful.

“Thanks,” she whispers quietly once she regains the power of speech. “According to my aunt MaryLynn, I’m a disgrace to Southern women everywhere. Apparently, I need more makeup and should strongly reconsider doing something different with my hair,” she says jokingly in an attempt to take the edge off the painful tension that hovers above them.

His mouth crests into a small grin, amusement making his eyes turn a shade lighter. “Your aunt MaryLynn should strongly reconsider putting that pink lipstick into retirement,” he chuckles lightly. “And I like your hair. It suits you just fine, darlin’.” Penn’s fingers tug the end of her ponytail as he smiles down at her. He pulls her closer into his embrace as they continue to gently sway back and forth to the song. “Well you let me know when the lucky bastard comes around and I’ll be sure to step up to the plate and interrogate him for your brothers.”

Her body stills. Just when she thought he might be thinking of her in a new light, he has to say something like that. This man is always going to think of her as Bobby’s little sister.

Why can’t he see her as Daniella instead of little Danny Jo?

“Yeah, I think I’ll manage just fine without that thank you very much,” she mutters in annoyance as a thought crosses her mind in regards to Penn’s new business venture. “What are you doing these days?”

“I own my own business,” he responds curtly.

“What kind of business?” She already knows the answer to this question, but she wants to see if Penn will give a straight answer.

“I opened a club in Houston called Wild Nights.”

Yeah, that club is wild all right
.

“What kind of club is it, Penn? I’d love to come see it sometime.”

“Wild Nights is not the kind of club a girl like you should be visiting,” he admonishes.

Girl.
Her anger heightens to new levels. “Penn,” she voices with a vexed quality. “I know all about your club—
your strip club.
You don’t have to treat me like I’m innocent and naïve. Do I need to remind you that I’m not a little girl? You should know this better than anyone.” She throws in the last statement in an effort to make him remember. She assumes that night was easily forgotten by him. It’s probably been replaced by numerous women who pleasured him in ways she couldn’t ever dream of doing…

Amusement fills his blue eyes as his warm, strong chest vibrates from the slight chuckles that escape his throat. “Baby, I know you’re not innocent or naïve. I probably know this better than anyone in this room. And if you knew all about my
strip club
…why did you even ask?” He knows his words are laced with meaning and he remembers all right. He remembers every single detail of the night she spent wrapped up in his arms. How could he forget a night like that?

She shrugs her shoulders and contemplates giving him a snarky response but chooses to take the high road. Her cheek nestles against his chest as she tries her hardest to push the past out of her mind. She doesn’t have the energy or the strength to continue
that
conversation.

Her eyes go wide in shock when Penn presses a soft kiss to her forehead. His lips touching her skin cause her nerves to prickle. Her mind is fuzzy and her knees threaten to buckle. He beseeches the most intense emotions from Daniella’s body. Her brain strives to refute being insanely attracted to him, yet her traitorous body says otherwise.