Page 16 of Wrecking Boundaries (SteelTrack Racing #2)

Jake rips off his clothes and returns to straddling me. The light brown hair on his legs tickles me, so I grab one and pull, hoping for a reaction. There isn’t one.

His blond hair isn’t neat, though it hardly ever is. He keeps it short, not bothering to do more than finger-comb it after a shower.

He spends enough time shirtless to give his skin a golden hue rather than a full tan. I tickle his stomach, enjoying the warm skin and firm muscles underneath.

“It’s your turn,” he says, nodding at my still-clothed body. I cross my arms, and my eyes squeeze shut. “You know this gets me hard, right?”

I open one eye and then the other. My shorts and panties disappear onto the floor, and I help with the shirt. “You walked through the hotel room door already hard, Jake.”

“That’s true. It led to some awkward stares in the lobby.” Jake lays down, taking care not to crush me. “I forgot to mention I ordered our dinner. It should be here in twenty minutes. We get a round one, and then I fuel up for round two, leaving you exhausted and sore in the morning.”

I can’t decide whether to ask Jake what he ordered or challenge his claim. “What are we having?”

“Fruit, and you know what else.”

Jake said he would protect my heart, and I’m starting to believe him. He’s showing it every day and allowing me to set the pace. Well, as much as the race car driver in him will allow .

I still need to fix everything else, and I don’t know how. Jake’s dream is morphing into my own, while his adversarial relationship with Boone is another challenge. It’s also the more difficult one to solve.

Neither can be fixed this evening, not with Jake on me, his lips against mine, and his hips between my thighs.

“You said twenty minutes, right?” I ask him.

“Yes. You’ll be impressed or disappointed. I’m not sure which.”

I pull myself like I’m going in for a kiss and end up surprising him with a shove on the chest. Jake obliges, moving us both so I straddle his thighs.

I stroke his chest and abdomen, letting myself explore while deciding what to do next. Jake lies still, content to let me lead.

His chest and shoulders, though sun-kissed, are still pale enough to give him a slight farmer’s tan. I trace its edges on his upper arms. His chest hair thickens further down his stomach, and his silky curls change to a dark sandy blond. I pull at one tendril and wait for a reaction—still nothing.

I shimmy further down his legs, and Jake’s pleased smile grows. My tongue licks the tip of his shaft, and he sucks in a gulp of air. I lick a second time, letting my tongue explore. Our eyes meet, and I take him in.

He strokes my hair, and I release him with a loud plop. Jake gasps once more, although for a very different reason.

“Hands at your sides,” I order. “No touching, or I stop.”

Jake’s arms lay at his side, with both hands splayed out, as if to show how carefully he follows my instructions. His eyes never leave mine. I take in his shaft a second time, letting my tongue caress and stroke while my mouth and throat swallow him up. Jake’s hips desperately lift to keep pace with my movements .

He grunts and yanks my hair. I release him a second time and wag a finger. “That was against the rules.”

“Fuck the rules. That was on purpose. My turn now.”

He lasted longer than I expected. Jake easily turns over control but always takes it back. Eventually, the race car driver in him returns to put himself back in charge.

I secretly love it.

Jake bucks, flipping us, so I lay under him. “Clock is ticking,” he says and enters me.

I hiss, and my head falls back. “If it’s your turn, then prove it.”

Jake shakes his head, and his hips roll against me. “You like that?” he asks after my whimper. “Brace yourself.”

There’s nothing to latch onto but his shoulders, so I let my fingers dig in. Jake’s hip buck against mine, drawing sounds from me with every movement.

I pull him tighter. Jake’s speed increases so quickly that I can hardly keep up. He’s close, and I’m ready for it.

Sure enough, Jake grunts and lays still. His shallow pants in my ear relax me.

“Food will be here soon,” I say. Hopefully, it’s a little late.

No such luck. As if my words are a horrible magic spell, there’s a knock at the door.

“Stay here. I’ll answer the door.” Jake rises and pulls on a pair of nearby sweats. The hair on his chest is damp, appearing almost black in the room’s yellow light. “Don’t put on any clothes either. I’m not done with you yet.”

∞∞ ∞

“You’re enjoying this.” Maddie pokes a finger at me with a level of violence that’s rare for her.

“I find street races extra exciting. The final stage is always the best part.”

“Sure, Jake Knowles being in the top five is just a coincidence,” she says.

I eye Maddie. “He’s adequate, at best.” Except for a single pit, he’s been at the top of the pack for the entire race. “You know what he told me yesterday? The secret to COTA is not to do anything wrong.”

“So, do everything right.”

“I had the same impression, but no. He meant don’t do anything wrong. Concentrate on that, and you’ll do fine.” I shrug because it sounds like one of those sayings you find inside a fortune cookie while also being decent life advice. “I guess even stock car racing can give you wisdom.”

We sit for a few minutes, watching the completed lap number tick up. Truthfully, I don’t particularly care who wins as long as specific drivers play nice with each other. It’s the first step in getting them to reconcile.

That needs to happen if we’re to have any future, and I increasingly want us to have a future.

I sit up, surprising Maddie, who looks at me with concern. “Is something wrong?”

I’m helping Jake negotiate a contract and plan his eventual expansion. All he needed to do was ask, and I was in. Plus, I need them to reconcile. There’s also a chance I love him.

Maddie calls my name again, so I force myself not to consider it further. It’s too many thoughts to have during a NASCAR race.

“Nothing is wrong. I was supposed to fill out some forms for that lit class and forgot,” I say because it’s true. After a gung-ho start, my interest slowly weaned and is now replaced by something more entertaining. “It’s fine; it can be done later.”

“That’s good because I need to tell you something,” Maddie says, pulling me from my thoughts. “You’re the first person to know.” She taps her knee, stops, and starts all over again.

She isn’t quitting; Maddie loves her job too much. Boone would’ve already announced if she were pregnant. I squeal with delight since that leaves only one other option. “When? How did it happen? You have to tell me everything.”

Witnessing my grumpy brother become a lovesick fool is sometimes a shock. It’s great, but it’s also a bewildering sight.

“He finally said the most romantic thing he’ll ever say.” Maddie blushes and bites her lip to suppress a laugh. She shakes her head, enjoying some unsaid joke. “It’s been a promise from him. Well, it’s not a promise, more of a warning. No, not that either, something else.”

“A promise?”

Her blush spreads. “A shared understanding of what was to come. One day, I would hear it, and then I did.”

I don’t pry, sensing it was an intimate moment between them. “My brother is starring in his own romantic movie. Who would have ever thought?”

“I would,” Maddie says with enough solemnity that I feel another twinge of envy.

It’s similar to yesterday, during our impromptu meeting. I don’t feel jealous of their relationship but of its ease. A simple act like holding hands in public is nothing to them, and I ache for it.

“We’re going to be sisters. Like, actual sisters.” Way better than an annoying older brother. An older brother whose home I practically live in. “Wait. Do I have to move out? That’s why you’re remodeling, isn’t it?”

Maddie’s amused smile eases all my concerns. “Your room is your room. We’re changing up the carpet and the bathrooms, that’s all. You’re staying with us until you’re ready to leave on your own time.”

I congratulate her, and then we hug before I congratulate her again. “Wait, do you have a ring?”

“That’s the reason I’m telling you now.”

My eyes narrow. “I’m confused.”

“I wanted to tell you because it’s tradition to tell best friends first, right?”

“It is now.”

“We have a ring in our bedroom, but I’m not wearing it yet. We plan to tell the entire family at dinner next week, and then I’ll start wearing it.”

“When you tell everyone, I’ll be so surprised I’ll faint from the shock.”

“Good, because I’ll need you on my side. Wedding plans will come up.”

I grasp Maddie’s concerns. Marrying into our family is not an easy trip to the courthouse, followed by a backyard party. That’s my dream, and it doesn’t matter if that’s what the happy couple would prefer. My mother has a large extended family and is a part of local society. Plus, there is everyone at headquarters and the entire motorsports industry. Their wedding could fill an arena if they aren’t careful.

“Boone probably wanted to elope in Vegas,” I say.

Maddie gasps. “How did you know?”

Boone finds large parties and similar gatherings to be miserable. He’s always preferred more intimate dinners and similar forms of entertainment .

“Have a destination wedding after the season is over. After all that travel, no one will want to come. It’s close to the holidays, further shrinking the guest pool.” I consider further. “A resort or theme location that limits the number of attendees.”

“That sounds expensive.”

I shrug. “Who cares? Boone can afford it.” Jake had a similar reaction to my off-hand comments. “We can find different options for you to pick from.”

“Then you’ll help?” she asks, and I hear the subtle hint in her voice.

“It will be fun.”

I’m spectacular at deciding for other people. This is only a problem in my personal life.

I hug her again. My mood is lighter than it has been in days.

“The race is over,” Maddie points out.

Neither of us noticed.

Jake finished sixth, Boone tenth, and Julian third. Not bad at all.