“That was a fluke. Don’t think for one second I won’t wipe the track with you, little girl,” he sneers.
“Oh, yeah? Put your money where your mouth is.”
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, little girl,” he taunts me again, using the name to fuel my anger, and my hand is rearing for a slap, but before I can make contact, his grip on my wrist is solid steel.
Fireworks spark through me, and a tremble takes hold. No. I can’t want this with him. He’s bad news. My father warned me about racers. They have girls in every town they visit.
“Let go of me, Kayden,” I sneer, lowering my voice, but he doesn’t relent. Instead, he steps closer to me. So close, in fact, I can smell the woodsy scent of his cologne. There’s a minty fragrance as well, and for a moment, I’m struck dumb.
“Why? Doesn’t it turn you on when we’re this close, speedy? Do you not like my hands all over you?” he challenges, but his words only incite more frustration. I’m not angry anymore. I’m annoyed that he doesn’t see me. And I realize in that moment I want him to see me. The real me.
The woman.
Not the girl.
When I was in high school, I wasn’t one of those giggly cheerleaders who would swoon over the popular boys. But Kayden, he’s not a boy, he’s all man. And that’s the last thought that enters my head before he leans in, allowing his lips to feather over mine.
“You know what, Kayden, fuck you,” I tell him before tugging my arm free. “I’m a racer. I’m a woman who knows how to drive around that track the same as any guys on this team. Yeah, I’m young, but you know what? I have youth on my side. What do you have? I don’t know, perhaps just the cash that your—”
Suddenly, my mouth is fused with his. His lips scorch me, turning my blood hot, and my toes curl in my shoes. Kayden pulls me in deeper, closer, and my whole body is molded to his. My softness against his hardness.
I should push him away.
I should stop this kiss right now.
But the moment I whimper and his tongue snakes into my mouth, dancing along mine, I lose all fight and just enjoy the moment for what it is. My first real kiss. His hands taunt their way over my hips, down to my ass, and he grips both globes of flesh to hold me against him.
A low rumble vibrates in his chest. I’m lost to the pleasure, lost to the taste of him. The dark flavor of black coffee assaults my senses. I don’t know how long we’re fused for, but when he finally breaks the kiss and steps back, I’m breathless.
“What was that?” I breathe the words, looking into his eyes that seem endless right now. The anger and frustration from moments ago gone. All that’s left is … confusion?
“I don’t know.” His admission is bitten out as if he’s as unsure as I am. “This isn’t happening,” he tells me then. “I don’t mix work with pleasure.”
“That must be a first,” I bite out as embarrassment burns my cheeks. I’ve been ignored before. I’ve also been looked at as different from everyone because I wasn’t the perfectly poised cheerleader, the prom queen, or any of those popular girls who seemed to swan around high school as if it were a pageant.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Kayden reaches for my hand, but I step back. I don’t want my heart broken. I don’t want to do this. Because as much as I enjoyed the kiss and I allowed myself to want it, I know I can’t. I’m not the type of girl for Kayden. He’s bad news for both my heart and my mind.
“I’m going to walk back,” I tell him, tossing him the keys and turning to leave. His eyes burn a hole through me, and I remind myself not to look back.
Don’t you dare.
He’s not good for you.
But by the time I reach the garages, I do glance over my shoulder, expecting him to have gone. Instead, he is standing right where I left him, staring after me as if I just broke his heart.10KaydenFucking shit.
I fucked up. I should never have done that.
Picking up the beer, I think back to this afternoon and just how much I wanted to kiss her. She’s beautiful. Even though she doesn’t think so, I know so. But I can’t tell her that because the moment I do, she’s possibly going to knee me in the balls. One thing I’m learning about Haelee is that she doesn’t like to be told what to do or how to do it.
But I’m her racing coach, and I’ll make sure she gets better with every class. If I can keep my hands and lips off her. That’s going to be difficult because all I can think about is how her mouth felt against mine.