Craving Her Enemy's Touch

‘It’s amazing.’ Those words were so light and husky. He gritted his teeth hard, trying to subdue the lust which now throbbed in his veins, demanding satisfaction.

With a sudden movement which caught her attention, he pushed his body off the car door. ‘We’ll take it out now,’ he said as he gave the signal to his team to raise the doors. Sunlight poured in as they silently opened.

‘I’d like to drive.’ Her words were firm as he walked back to the car, reminding him of the stubborn little girl he’d grown up with. His sister had nearly always got her way with such a tone, especially with him.

‘Maybe it would be better if I drove first.’ He didn’t want her thinking too much about her brother whilst behind the wheel. It was obvious she blamed him for Seb’s accident and grief could manifest itself in various forms. ‘You can sit back and enjoy the ride, just as Seb would have wanted you to.’

‘You didn’t know Seb that well if you think that.’ She raised her delicate brows suggestively at him and smiled. He knew he was beaten. ‘Seb would want me to drive so he could sit there and listen. He’d want to feel the car and be at one with it.’

He leant on the car, one hand on the roof, one hand on the open door, and lowered his head, bringing him very close to her. The enticing scent of her perfume met him and he resisted the urge to inhale it. Her passionate little speech just now had already done enough.

‘Va bene, you may drive, but carefully and I will, of course, be with you.’

She smiled up at him, a genuine heartfelt smile that made her eyes light up. Right there and then he decided he wanted her to smile more and assigned himself the mission of making that happen.

‘I am able to drive.’ Her lips formed a sexy little pout as she put on a show of pretend petulance and it was all he could do not to lean down and kiss her. The first woman who’d stirred his dormant body since he’d extricated himself from the mistake of his marriage and she was out of bounds. So far off limits she might as well be on the moon.

‘I don’t doubt that you can, but having dealt with one female who drove too fast I’m reluctant to do it again.’

‘Oh.’ The word was full of disappointment and he couldn’t hide his smile.

‘My sister. A while ago now. She took a corner too fast, despite my warnings, and ended up a bit the worse for wear.’ He made light of it when really he wished he could go back and change things, make her listen. Just as he now wished he could with Seb.

‘Well, you don’t need to worry about me,’ she said and started the engine, the throaty growl forcing her to raise her voice slightly. ‘Sebastian Warrington was my brother, after all.’

She was wrong, so wrong. He did have to worry. His promise to Seb meant that not only would he involve her in the launch but he’d look after her, be a brother figure to her, and he couldn’t do that when hot lust shot around his body like off-course fireworks.

He walked around the front of the car, watching her through the windscreen. Her face was full of concentration as she studied the array of information on the driver’s screen. As if she sensed his scrutiny, she looked up and smiled, this time a more hesitant smile. Should he be letting her do this? He knew only too well what could happen if someone drove beyond their capabilities.

Her gaze followed him as he moved to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door. ‘Ready?’ He kept the word light as he slipped down into the seat and shut the door. It was a lightness he didn’t feel, not when they were suddenly very close, much more so than in his car.

She nodded her head and looked forward, focusing on the task, but he couldn’t concentrate. The engine growled in anticipation and the car moved slowly out into the morning sunshine. He breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t as hot-headed as her brother had been the first time he’d taken it out.

Carefully she manoeuvred out onto the track and with a steady speed began the first circuit. He looked over at her, taking the opportunity to study her as she focused on driving. Her thick hair was scrunched up in a haphazard sort of style, looking as if she’d just left her lover’s bed. Her lips were pressed together in concentration, the same gesture Seb had used when he really focused on driving, but on Charlie it was cute, sexy even.

The engine grew louder as she pushed the speed up, bringing his mind back from the dangerous territory it had just wandered to.

‘Relax.’ The laughter in her voice didn’t match the intense concentration on her face and, probably for the first time ever, he didn’t know what to say. With shock, he realised she was making him nervous. He sensed she was holding back, that, just like her brother, she wanted to take the car to its upper limits, but was she capable? Could she really drive a car like this to its full potential?