Page 8

Monterey

Early the next morning, I find myself wedged at a table in the ballroom between my best friend, Lilah, and Danger.

Lilah has been my friend for a few years. She was my rock when Thad cheated on me, and the press turned our break up into my fault. They made me into a monster and she stood by me through it all. She’s also had the hots for our other driver on team Grander, Mandarin.

“I can’t believe you’re dating Danger. I thought that man would never be tamed.” The way she stares at him, like she’s seen him with all his clothes off leaves me panting with worry.

“Have you and he?” I wave my finger in between them.

Lilah slaps my arm. “Oh my god, no. I wish, but no. Never. How can you even think that?”

I shrug. “Well, I’m not a fool to pretend he hasn’t gotten around. And I know your love for drivers.”

Lilah winks. “I’ve been so busy with Mandarin, I can’t even come up for air.”

I’m all smiles. “That’s still going on?”

Lilah, with her long legs and even longer straight blonde hair, places a finger over her lips. “Shh, it’s only been a couple of months. Who’s counting?” she whispers back.

Mandarin’s one of the first drivers my father ever let me recruit. And he’s been a great asset to our team ever since.

And I’m so excited Lilah and him have sparked up a connection. I personally think they’re so cute together. Lilah works as a Pit reporter, traveling with the tour just like us.

I smile, placing my hand on Danger’s thigh, hoping he’s still paying attention to the keynote speaker today at this charity function. It’s a breakfast for the same charity we went to last night, run by Rayna Danforth with Carter Loves, and this is the part where the donations roll in. Last night was just fun and food, but today is the actual message of the charity. And right now, Danger is paying very careful attention to the woman on stage speaking about how they take runaways from all over the country.

He notices me staring at him and smiles. “What?” he whispers close to my ear.

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

Lilah kisses my cheek as she leaves our little table in the back, and moves to one closer up front by Mandarin.

Danger grabs my hand on his thigh and moves it up, closer to his...heat.

I blush. “What are you doing?”

He leans in. “You want to make a show of it, right? Most women I’m seen with would be stroking my drive shaft under the table right about now.”

I remove my hand, catching his joke about the drive shaft, and I slightly roll my eyes. “Well, I’m not most women. I’m your girlfriend, and about to become your fiancée.”

He grabs my hand and deposits it in his lap, and I touch his dick before retreating. “If you’re going to be engaged to me, you’ll have to act like it.”

“And being your whore is how you suggest I show it?” I’m furious. I don’t want to be one of his many nameless, faceless women.

I’m special.

He turns his whole body toward me, ignoring whoever is at the stand speaking. He drapes an arm over the back of my chair, moving toward my ear. “Would you rather I touch you?”

I face him, my whole body radiating my anger. “No, I don’t want you to touch me.”

He nips my ear. “You sure?”

My anger turns to desire on a dime. Damn traitorous body. “Danger, we can’t do this here.”

He places a hand on my thigh, inching up my leg and under my skirt. “This would be what any normal couple would do.”

It’s overwhelming having his attention focused solely on me. I can see how he gets so many women to do whatever he wants. With one touch I’m about to beg him to do whatever he wants to me. But I remember where I am and straighten in my chair.

“Danger,” I warn, but it sounds more like a moan.

“No one’s even paying attention to us. See.” He stops to glance around the dining room.

It’s early, the room is dark so the speaker can show a set of slides on the screen up front.

He’s right. No one is even paying attention to us way back here. Even Lilah left our table a while ago and has made her way toward Mandarin. For all I know they’re doing the very same thing.

“Now, you should feel special, Monterey. Normally women don’t get a breakfast date with me. And if they do, I’d make sure they were stroking me and not vice versa.”

I stare into his deep, haunting eyes. The brown so fierce it slices right through me. “So, I should feel special because you’re touching me now?”

He nips the bottom of my earlobe again. “So fucking special.”

My heartbeat kicks up, and I close my eyes to try to find my center of gravity. I can’t believe this is happening. Danger’s fingers hit the edge of my panties, and he slides right past the barrier and over my wetness.

“Danger,” I warn again.

“You’re so wet. Is this all for me, Monterey?”

I bite my bottom lip, not really sure how to answer him, or if I even can. “Yes.”

“Right answer.” He moves his finger inside me, rubbing another over my clit. I spot my father out of the corner of my eye, moving this way.

Before I can warn Danger, he sees as well and removes his hand.

We straighten ourselves before my father joins our table. “I’m heading to Indy now. You two will be ok, right?”

“Yes, Dad. We’ll be fine.” I stare over at Danger, and oh my god, he’s licking his fingers, the exact fingers he just had inside me as he smiles in my direction.

“We’re all good,” he says with his stupid grin.

My father, not thinking anything is out of the ordinary, smiles and puts his wheelchair in reverse. “Call me once you arrive.”

“Will do.” As soon as he’s gone I turn my head in Danger’s direction. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

His eyes are hazy, like almost darker as he stares at me. “You taste so fucking good.”

And with that, I stand and head in the direction of the closest restroom. I can’t breathe, and I need time alone.

To think.

To hyperventilate in peace.

I’ve never been the type of girl to do something like that. Something so brazen.

I find the restroom and head inside, splashing some cool water over my face. I stare at myself in the mirror. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

I think back to the ballroom, Danger’s finger inside me. The way my whole body came alive with just one touch. His deep voice seducing me into submission.

It occurs to me, Thad was in the ballroom, too. Do you think he saw?

Is that why Danger touched me?

I head back into the ballroom, scanning the room for Thad. Yep, there he is, sitting in my seat, talking to Danger. I rush over there, before things escalate.

“You need to leave,” I hear Danger say before I’m there.

Thad stands and I swoop in, grabbing Danger by the arm. “Ready, sweetheart? I really wanted to get on the road so we could get to Indy sooner.”

Danger stands, hooking one arm around my waist. “Sure thing.” And then he leans in and kisses my neck. “I just can’t get enough of this woman.”

I smile, and then we walk away. I give a quick wave to Lilah on my way out, putting my hand up to my ear telling her to call me.

“I want to apologize to Cole before we leave,” Danger says to me once we’re out of the ballroom.

“Oh, I saw them leave the ballroom earlier.”

Danger’s face appears dejected. “I heard they’re doing the race circuit too, so they might be somewhere else along the way.”

“So his wife owns Carter Loves?” he asks.

“I don’t know if she owns it, but I know she works there. Why?”

Danger smiles. “No reason. Let’s get out of here.”

Danger and I spend the next thirty minutes checking out and loading our car, before we’re once again on the road.

Neither of us has mentioned what happened at breakfast earlier. I don’t dare bring it up because I really don’t ever want it to happen again. Maybe I should let him know that.

“You can’t touch me like that again in public. We’re supposed to be a respectable couple. In love.”

Danger just focuses on the road, silently thinking about who knows what. Maybe he’s not even thinking. And then finally, after a few moments he says, “Did you not like it?”

I did. “I didn’t,” I lie. “It isn’t something I would ever do in public. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Danger laughs. “Well, I have a rep, too.”

“Yes.” I fold my hands in my lap. “And it’s the thing we’re trying to change for your sake. You want to win, right?”

He rubs his thumb and forefinger over his eyebrow, tugging the hair absentmindedly . “Yeah, I do. Sometimes I just can’t help it.”

“Why?” I’m no therapist, but maybe just talking it through can help Danger with the reasoning behind his rambunctious ways.

He shrugs, eyes on the road. “Let’s just say I have a lot of madness in my head, and sometimes the crazy acts help calm it.”

I wasn’t expecting that answer. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“It means that when I’m being reckless it makes me feel alive.”

I laugh a little. “And all the other times you feel dead?”

He stares at me for a second before his eyes hit the road again. “Maybe not dead, but I don’t really feel alive either. Like just a void of everything.”

“That’s not a good way to live.”

He laughs. “Tell me about it.”

“So right now, right now you feel a void?”

He doesn’t say anything, just keeps driving for a few minutes. I guess he’s not going to answer, and I guess that’s fine. I’m sure I pried too far.

He doesn’t have to talk to me. This is an assignment. One to prove to my father that I can do business.

Before I can say anymore on the subject, Danger steps on the gas. “What are you doing?” I ask.

“Being a little reckless.” He smiles as he goes even faster.

I’ve grown up in the racing world. I even know how to handle my own with an Indy car. And I can drive fast, too. But I’m smart about it. I’m not one to disobey the speed limits on the interstate like Danger is right now.

“Slow down.” I grab the handle along the top of the door.

“Oh come on,” he says, speeding even faster, “I thought you wanted to feel alive.”

“I don’t think dying is a good way to feel alive.”

He laughs, and the sound only intensifies my fear. This guy is bat shit crazy. He sets his hand on my thigh with his other hand on the wheel as he speeds down the highway.

Thank god there’s no other cars around on the road.

“You’re insane.” I’m not going to lie, his hand on my thigh is making my heart pound. I’m sure it’s the fear.

He inches his hand up my thigh, and under my skirt as his speed continues. His eyes are on the road, his speed close to one-hundred miles per hour and his hand steadily inches closer to the center of my legs.

And the higher he goes, the more I want him there. This is maddening.

I want Danger’s fingers on me. I spread my legs a little, letting him slip freely past my lace panties.

He moans his approval and slides a finger over my slick skin. “All this wetness for me?”

“Slow down,” I warn, trying not to enjoy his finger as it traces over me. “Please.”

He laughs. “You don’t like living recklessly?”

“No, I like living, period.” I push his hand away. “Now slow down.”

He lets his foot off the gas and we start to slow. “Better?”

I twist my body as much as I can in the seat and angle myself so I’m facing the window. “Don’t talk to me for the rest of the way.”

Danger laughs again. “I was in complete control the whole time.”