Ignite

A few moments later, my father said, “You know you can’t.”

“Fine, tell that motherfucker he cut me off and pay back is a bitch!”

With that, Emmit made a move to the outside.

“Bumper . . . door . . . clear!” Emmit’s spotter said as Emmit overtook Malcolm for the lead.

Emmit was silent for the next twenty-five laps as he led. He had pulled five car lengths ahead of Malcolm and was gaining.

“Man’s on a mission,” Daddy said as he sat and watched Emmit do what he did best.

As I glanced down, I saw Ashley and her two friends. I couldn’t help but stare at Cookie. The insane amount of jealousy that was building up caused me to look away.

“Green flag, no traffic!” the spotter called out.

“Take it easy, Emmit. You’ve got this.”

“Is Addie still there?” Emmit asked as my father and I looked at each other.

“Yeah she is,” Daddy said.

I couldn’t help but notice how my heartbeat increased and my hands shook. To know that Emmit was about to win a race and he was thinking about me did something to me. Smiling, I looked back at the track and watched as Emmit took the checker flag. Everyone started going crazy as my eyes never left Emmit’s car, even when Daddy hugged me.

I smiled until it felt like my cheeks would be frozen in that state; I watched as Emmit did his normal victory spin outs and then took the checkered flag and drove down the track.

“Come on, he’ll be looking for you in victory lane,” Daddy said as he took my hand. Shaking my head, I pulled my hand back.

“Daddy, we’re not together anymore. I don’t think he’ll be looking for me.”

My father gave me a look of disappointment. “Adaline.”

Ashley and her two friends started toward victory lane. “Oh, I’m going to try like hell and kiss Emmit while the cameras are on him!” Cookie said as she skipped by.

Narrowing my eye at her, I said, “Okay, I’ll go.”

I stood off to the side as I watched Emmit crawl out of his car and hold up his fists and yelled out, “Yeah!” The camera crew was there waiting and ready to talk to Emmit. I couldn’t help but glance over at Cookie standing slightly behind everyone and behind Emmit’s sister.

The last time I stood in victory circle, Emmit had won his first NASCAR race and he had searched the crowd for me. This time, he went straight to the camera and began talking as he took small sips of something someone put in his hand. Robert reached over and changed out Emmit’s baseball cap to another sponsor’s hat.

My lower stomach tightened as I watched Emmit’s every move. His sweat-soaked hair peeking out from under the baseball cap lit a fire in my body that I tried desperately to ignore.

Bastard.

I wanted to be angry with him, but I couldn’t.

“He’s so damn good looking. What I wouldn’t do to spend just one hour in his bed,” some girl behind me said. Turning, I gave her a fake smile. “Tell me you don’t agree,” she said to me.

With a smirk, I said, “I’ve graced his bed plenty of times.”

With a huge smile, she said, “Lucky bitch.”

I rolled my eyes as I pushed all thoughts of Emmit and my horny body away.

The freedom of not feeling the need to have Emmit’s hands all over my body lasted for a whole minute. Once his gray eyes found mind, I held onto my breath.

There was so much more to Emmit than how he made my body feel during sex. One of my favorite things he ever did was place his hand on my lower back as he guided me through a room. Or, to a table for two in the corner of a romantic restaurant. Oh, yes . . . there was so much more to him.

Giving me a smile, Emmit said something else to the reporter and then nodded his head and turned to his team as they continued to celebrate. Daddy had gone up and given Emmit a quick hug and said something to him that caused Emmit to let out a laugh and agree with whatever Daddy said.