I’ve watched some races on TV, but this is fucking surreal seeing it live. Maybe this job won’t be so bad after all. Watch over some punk-ass kid. Experience some live races. I just hope this guy isn’t too much of an asshole.
“After you meet Charlie, we’ll go over the details of what’s expected,” Sammy mutters, as the sleek machine pulls into the pit. The dude climbs out of the car after someone helps him unbuckle a complicated seat belt.
It’s like watching the scene in a movie as the driver removes the race helmet and shakes her long, dark hair out in carefree waves. No fucking way. I’m mesmerized, and every part of my body stands at attention. She unzips her fire suit, letting the top part hang on her curvy waist, revealing a tight pink tank top. Those fantastic tits. Tits I’ve already had in my hands and my mouth.
“Hey, Asshole.” Sammy’s voice shakes me from my daydream. It’s more like a fucking wet dream. “Are you listening to me?”
“Yeah,” I grunt. I’m not listening at all. It’s like a train wreck I can’t stop staring at, as my brain puts the puzzle pieces together. No! No. No. This is not happening. I can’t do anything but stand here motionless and blink, as the sexy stranger from the other night walks straight toward us.
“Don’t fuck this up, little brother. In other words, she’s off-limits.”
“Right.”
“DO NOT even think about sleeping with her.” He slaps a hand on my shoulder.
“Got it.” But what if I already did? I may have already fucked it up, big brother. At least I have a name to put to the fucking Grecian goddess. Fan. Fucking. Tastic.
Her gaze strays over to us, and she takes a few seconds to glare at me through squinted eyes. She turns away when she halts to speak to a guy with a pair of Aviator sunglasses perched atop his sandy-blond hair. He’s donning a fitted gray Henley streaked with grease stains across his broad shoulders, so I’m assuming he’s one of the crew. She throws me another quick glance, but I don’t miss the puzzled expression on her face. She’s wondering why I’m here. So am I, sweetheart.
I see the moment she realizes I’m her new protection because her eyes turn into saucers. She shoots the Sam Hunt lookalike a pointed look, shaking her head back and forth forcefully. He throws his hands up in the air and storms away. I can’t help my smirk when her amber-colored eyes lock onto mine, and she frowns unamused.
“Stay here. I’m going to talk to Becks,” Sammy mutters, but my eyes are still glued on Charlie standing in the same spot with slumped shoulders. She squeezes her eyes shut, throwing her head back like she’s praying to the heavens. I get it, honey. I don’t want to be here either.
When Sammy bolts, I pretend to look at my phone, sneaking glimpses of her, until she heads straight for me. Judging by the look on her face, she’s not happy to see me.
“Why the hell are you here?” she snaps, her brow knit in confusion.
“I believe I’m your new bodyguard.” I hold out my hand.
“No need to be formal, Hot Stuff. We’ve already seen each other naked,” she booms, loud enough for anyone within earshot to hear.
“I…I didn’t think you’d want the world to know,” I say with an amused grin. She’s adorable when she’s worked up.
“Why not? You suddenly shy?”
“Look, my brother, Sammy, said he had a job.” I rub my hand over my stubbled jaw, wishing I had taken the time to shave this morning. “I swear, I didn’t know it would be you.” I shrug. Her steely eyes are angry golden lasers, but she remains quiet, resting her hands on her hips. “So, Charlie, huh?”
“Only my sister calls me Charlotte. So, yeah…you can call me Charlie,” she huffs.
“It’s pretty funny if you think about it, Charlotte. Who’d a thought we’d ever meet again?” Not me.
“There’s nothing amusing about this entire situation. At all.” Her eyes bore into me. My gaze strays to her full pink lips. The lips I imagined on my cock this morning in the shower. She presses her bottom lip between her teeth, and I quickly look away before my boner gets any worse.
“Don’t!”
“Don’t…what?” I say innocently.
“Do not even go there. What happened the other night…never happened. Understood?” She leans in super close, causing me to inhale her sweet citrus scent. She smells pretty damn scrumptious for a race car driver.
I curl my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching out to touch her. “Got it.” I salute her like she’s a sergeant major, making her roll her eyes hard. I can already tell she’s going to be a challenge. “Just so you know…I’m going to take the job seriously. Your safety is my number-one priority.” I think about the last time someone was my responsibility. Yeah, how’d that work out?
“Fine…let’s go.” She whirls around, leaving me to watch her walk away with those killer curves. “You coming?” She glances over her shoulder.
“Do you want to know my name…or are we still playing it like the other night?” I chase after her. “You can call me Bossman…or Stud. I’m still partial to Hot Stuff.” I rush after her, chuckling as she continues to walk with a harsh sigh.
“More like Devil,” she mumbles under her breath. “Come on, Jace. Your protection detail starts now. I need a ride home. Hope you know how to change a tire.”
“Whatever you need me for, sweetheart, I’m your man.” I like razzing her. I like everything about her. I’d love another taste of the little fireball, but I have a job to do.
I may bust her balls, but if she thinks I won’t take her safety seriously, she has another thing coming. One thing she doesn’t know about me yet; I protect what’s mine.
Maybe it’s fate we met in that bar. Either way, I want to know everything there is to know about this confident, intelligent, sexy-as-fuck woman. I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect her.
I will not let anything happen to her. Not on my watch.
Chapter Six
Charlotte
“Charlotte!” My sister’s piercing voice shrieks through the house as I step out of the shower. “Your bodyguard’s here!”
Shit! I reach for my towel, skidding across the wet tile floor. Why the hell is he here already? It’s 7:00 a.m., and he’s two hours early. “Coming!”
We barely spoke two words yesterday on the drive home. I wasn’t kidding about putting him to work when I forced him put on the four new tires I bought for my car. Of course, I know how to put a tire on, but it was more fun watching Jace do it. If he thinks I’m going to make this easy for him, he’s got another thing coming.
Jace didn’t seem to mind changing the tires, but when he saw the slashes in my old ones, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by his anger. His face was so red with fury; I thought he was going to combust spontaneously.
Watching him change my tires was like watching soft porn. His muscles flexed and rolled, while he grunted and growled. What? He looked really hot with grease smeared across his cheek.
Before he left, he waltzed around my house like he was on a SWAT mission, inspecting every nook and cranny, inside and out. Jace insisted I keep all the windows and doors locked at all times. We exchanged cell phone numbers, and he asked me what time he should pick me up in the morning. I told him nine. So, why the fuck is he here so damn early?