Page 28 of Rear View
Her hair was down, freshly dried and streaming behind her as she moved.
She didn’t have makeup on while her tight jeans showed off her sexy curves and she wore a black hoodie with a picture of my rally car on the front.
Offering me a cute-as-hell twirl, she gave me her back, showing off the name written there.
My goddamn name.
Fuck me. My cock jumped, ’cause she’d never looked better. My hands flexed, itching to throw her over the hood of my vehicle and make her come until she screamed my name.
No one’d ever shown up for me before. Ever.
Not even Ma. She’d wanted to, but Dad hadn’t let her out from under his thumb.
Alec was the only one, but he’d been beside me, not cheering from the sidelines.
Not calling my name or wearing my gear. Having Ryah do that, it just hit different.
And it hit hard. I had fans, but it wasn’t the same as havin’ someone who gave a shit about me .
Someone who was proud. And if the smile my girl wore when she peeked over her shoulder and fluttered her lashes was any sign, she damn well was.
“Christ, dream girl.” I sealed that distance between us, then dipped and hooked the crook of my elbow around her ass, lifting her to my side. “You’re lookin’ real damn good right now.”
She looped an arm over my neck as she tugged her shirt, a pretty blush spreading over her cheeks. “You like it?”
I cinched my hold around her and headed for the Jeep. “I fuckin’ love it.”
Her smile beamed and lit the damn city before she pressed her face into my throat and murmured, “I missed you.”
My chest expanded, and everything in me settled. The girl was my calm. She drowned out the tape on loop in my head, the one blaring my father’s voice, saying I was worthless. Criminal. Unwanted.
Her. All I needed was her. Setting her on the driver’s seat, I edged between her legs and kissed her temple. “Missed you too, darlin’.”
Pulling back, she eyed me. “I thought you were in Emerald Cove?”
I inclined my head. “I was. I gotta get back. Can’t stay long.” Resting my forehead to hers, I said, “Just needed to see your face for a minute.”
Her fingers tracked up my neck until they twisted around my hair. She traced the tips of her nails across my scalp, her eyes softening when she asked, “What happened, Xavier?”
I didn’t wanna tell her. Not all of it, anyway.
I wasn’t ready. Not because I didn’t want her to know, ’cause I did.
And she needed to. But bringing my convict past and Peter-goddamn-Bosch into that moment…
I couldn’t do it. But she’d asked, so I’d give her what I could. “My dad’s gettin’ out next week.”
She stilled, a small gasp escaping her. “Like, out , out?”
The nod I gave her was tight.
“I’m so sorry, Xavier.” One of her palms trailed forward, resting along my jaw as her thumb grazed the line of my chin. “Is there anything I can do?”
I let loose a rough exhale, my fingers flexing against the soft flesh of her back. “You’re already doin’ it.”
She canted her head, the copper in that gaze warm. “Are you okay?”
My mouth pulled up at the corner. “I am now.”
She tugged me closer and grazed her lips over mine before she opened for me, and our tongues met.
Goddamn, she tasted good. I wanted to taste all of her.
Wanted to slide my hands south and sink into that perfect ass, but she was the go-slow kinda girl.
And I wasn’t making any next-level move until she gave me the green light. But once she did, hold the fuck on.
When she pulled back, her eyes softened. “Does your mom know yet? About your dad?”
I shook my head.
“You wanna protect her?”
Taking several strands of her hair, I twisted ’em around my wrist. “Need to.”
“Is she still in hiding?” she asked, leaning into me.
“She is.”
A shadow crossed her eyes, her fingers sliding over my stomach. “You think he’d come for her?”
“I know he would.” A breeze blew, drifting her warm cinnamon scent my way. “We’ve got a code though, in case shit goes down.” Always had one. Used it more than once too.
“A code?” she asked.
“I didn’t like leaving Ma alone if I could help it. Was usually there when my old man caused trouble, but if I wasn’t, we used stuff like ‘dinner’s in the fridge,’ or ‘I’m going to bed early.’ Somethin’ that’d say she was in trouble without settin’ his alarms off.”
She stilled. “That’s smart.” Arching into me, she breathed, “I’d like to meet her someday.”
“I think she’d like that too.” Checking my watch, I frowned.
“You have to go?” she said, voice sad and gentle, and it damn near broke me.
“I do.”
Her gaze fell. “Okay.”
My gut twisted. It felt good knowing she’d miss me. Problem was, I’d miss her too, and that part sucked hard. Hitching a knuckle under her chin, I brought those pretty eyes back to mine. “I’ll be back in a few days, yeah.”
Her smile was empty when she nodded, and it punched a hole in my chest. She shimmied forward to get out, and I took her waist, helping her.
“Good luck this weekend, Xavier.”
She took one step away. Two. A hollow pit opened inside me, and my hand shot out, latching on to that hoodie. I snapped her to me and kissed her again. Hard and deep and as goddamn desperate as I was.
She gripped my waist, a soft moan escaping her. Christ. She was gonna kill me making a sound like that. When I pulled back, I jumped into the Jeep, ’cause if I didn’t go then, I never would.
“See you soon, dream girl.”
Her wave was small when I shifted the vehicle into drive and veered away. I didn’t wanna leave her. I wanted to race but I wanted her there with me too. And, shit, if the sight of her in my rear view didn’t fuckin’ hurt.