Traction (The Driven World)

“I think it’s what makes you more alluring.” This time, he shifts in his seat to face me. I would move, but my dress is short, the hemline already rode up to the middle of my thighs. Teal eyes scan me, taking me in from my head to my toes. But they snap back to my face, lingering on my mouth for a long moment before he smiles. “You can’t deny that kiss was out of this fucking world.”

His words make me laugh out loud. “You seem sure of yourself,” I bite out with a grin. “I mean, it was a solid five and a half.” I shrug, and as Kayden lunges for me to tickle me, I shove the door open, escaping his fingers digging into my sides, making me giggle. It’s been a long time since I felt at ease, since I felt the weight of trying to prove myself lift. And even if it’s only in this moment, I’ll take it and run with it.

Kayden follows, and we’re soon out on the sand. He doesn’t touch me again, but I realize I want him to. I love his touch on my skin. The gentle, yet firm grasp he had on my body earlier still makes me burn.

“So, tell me about your childhood,” I request as we reach the shore. The waves crashing over the sand. We stop, settling on the ground side by side. The moon hangs above the horizon, full and looming, while stars blink in the darkness.

“I was lucky. I had both Mom and Dad, who were always there. My father wanted me to take over his company practically all my life, but it was never my passion. It was his.”

“Was he disappointed?” I ask, wondering if that’s what he meant earlier.

Kayden leans back on his hands, his gaze on the ocean instead of me. “He was, for a long time, because racing was the only thing I wanted to do.” His voice seems far away, his focus on the past rather than the present, and I allow him to think back and tell me about his story. “And then when I told him I wanted to race, even though I knew he’d be disappointed, he smiled and said okay. He supported me, and he never griped about me not wanting to take over the company. But now that he’s gone—”

“You want to make him proud?” This has me snapping my gaze to his face. All I see is the profile, but the pain is evident in his expression.

“Yeah,” he finally croaks. “It’s been a while, but … You know that pain never goes away. It might ease up, and it might take a backseat at certain times, but it’s always there, niggling away at you until you remember.”

“I know that feeling,” I admit freely. “My dad was always there for me. He would take me to races. He’d even allow me to drive his car in empty parking lots. I fell in love with the speed, the adrenalin, and I even fell in love with fixing up cars. We have an oldie sitting in our garage, one that Dad and I were meant to fix up, but …”

Kayden turns his attention on me, his eyes taking me in, seeing my pain because he looks right into me with those depths of teal emotion. This time, he does reach for me, cupping my face in his hand, and he pulls me in.

His mouth inches from mine, I can’t help but lean into him, wanting the kiss, needing the connection. When our lips touch, heat sizzles through me, and I’m once more lost in the flavor of him. It’s all man. The bitterness of the beer he had still on his tongue as I tangle mine with his. Slowly, ever so gently, he turns all the way over until he’s hovering over me, and I’m lying back on the cool sand. But nothing can quell the ache swirling in my belly.

“I want to do this,” he tells me earnestly with affection swimming in his gaze. The harsh crash of waves on the shore, along with the magical starry night, makes this seem like a fairytale, and it would be so easy to get lost in the fantasy, but I know it’s dangerous.

“You enjoy living life in the fast lane,” I whisper as he presses his lips tentatively to the corners of my mouth. “I’m used to a slower speed.”

“Then we’ll take it as slow as you’d like,” Kayden promises before kissing me hard. His mouth molds to mine, his tongue owning mine, and his body cocooning me, causing warmth to travel from my head right down to my toes. The heaviness of him keeping me pinned down to the ground. I tangle my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life because this roller coaster is going to throw me off course.