“Really?” He stares at me, blinking with an amused grin on his face.
I nod as I bring the bowl of pasta to the table. “I met Zander at an off-road dirt track race. After he saw me race, he stuck his neck out and asked his dad, Colton, to check me out. Colton took a chance on me, and here I am.”
“You’re dad must be proud.”
“I wouldn’t know. He’s gone now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. He wasn’t dad of the year while he was alive. He tried, I guess…after Mom passed. His drinking was our downfall.”
“Shit!” He grumbles, “How old were you guys?”
“Lilly was thirteen when Dad died. I was seventeen.”
“Then what happened?”
“Nothing. I did what I had to do. I raised Lilly. We got dealt a shitty hand, but I tried to make things as easy as I could for my sister.”
“And who takes care of you?”
“I take care of myself.” I shrug.
“I don’t know a hell of a lot about racing, but I gotta say, I’m pretty impressed watching you race.” He grins, making my cheeks warm. “And Lilly’s a good kid, so I’d say you did a great job.”
“Thank you. I feel like we’re finally getting settled in life, and it’s just nice to have a race team who has my back.” I take a seat across from him, motioning for him to start filling his bowl. He digs out a large scoop of pasta and gestures for my dish. “Cooks first.”
“Thanks.” I hold up my bowl, letting him fill it.
“This is good,” he mutters in between mouthfuls. I swear the man isn’t chewing before he swallows.
“It’s just a quick sauce. I’m sure you’ve had better.”
“I don’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal, and trust me, this is delicious.”
“Thank you. So tell me a little about you. I know nothing.”
“Not much to tell.”
“Have you always been a bodyguard?”
“Something like that,” he mutters with a mouthful, avoiding my question. The man’s going to give me nada. He’s so…guarded and broody. What’s he hiding? I’m sure if I press, he’ll shut down more, so I quietly pick at my pasta. I’ve done the same thing my entire life. But, for some reason, it’s easy to open up to him. If I choose.
“So you used to race Formula. Why’d you switch to Indy?” Great. The one thing I don’t want to talk about.
I let out a sigh and lean back in my chair. “I had some issues in Formula. As you said, not everyone has an open mind. There are plenty of people who don’t believe a woman’s place is on a race track.” I fold my arms over my chest.
“It couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t.” I give a half-shrug. I think about how Zach was my protection from all the assholes. Most of the creeps left me alone, though they still talked behind my back. Nobody would mess with him. After he died, things got way worse. I was grieving as it is, so I ended up quitting.
I shove back from my chair and walk my bowl to the sink. I don’t want to think about Zach anymore tonight, especially in front of Jace. With my back to him, I wipe away a lone tear.
“What’s going on?” Jace’s gravelly voice rumbles behind me in my ear. He rests his hand on my shoulder. Hot sparks shoot through me from the soft touch. “Sometimes it’s good to talk about it.”
“You sound like my sister.” I rest my palms against the counter and chuckle.
“Yeah,” he scoffs. “My brother Sammy too.”
I spin around, straining my neck to look up at him. My heartbeat grows louder in my ears at the intense way he’s looking down at me. He’s too much of a temptation. I need to focus on racing. I should ask him to leave.
“Talk to me.”
“I…someone, I cared about a great deal…he died in a crash…on the track…in front of me.”
“He was your boyfriend.” He rubs the back of his neck with his hand, the question more of a statement.
“Fiancé,” I whisper. My first love. I lean my back against the countertop, fiddling with the ring hanging off my neck. “It’s old news. Seeing Mason yesterday shook me.”
“That guy at the track?”
“The one you looked like you wanted to throat punch—yep him.”
“What does he have to do with anything?” Jace’s hands tighten into fists.
“Easy, tiger. Mason is Zach’s brother. Seeing him…It brought that awful day right back. I figured he’d never want to see me again.”
“Why?”
“Zach and I…we fought the night before he raced.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe it wasn’t one-hundred-percent my fault, but I set some of the variables into motion. Mason must blame me a little.” Nobody will convince me I wasn’t a contributing factor. It was my fault. He was tired and not in the right headspace that day. I don’t tell him Zach and I fought over Mason. We never got along. I tried for Zach, I really did, but Mason never liked the fact his brother was dating me.
Jace surprises me, pulling me tight against his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me so I’m flush against him. I bury my face in his chest, inhaling his spicy, warm scent into my lungs. Quietly crying, my fists ball up his shirt, and I let out some of the pain I’ve been holding for so long.
After a minute, I pull away, wiping my damp cheeks with the back of my hand. Jace runs his fingers through his unruly black hair like he’s having some inner turmoil.
“You’re only supposed to be a job.” He traces his rough fingers down my cheek, as though he can’t not touch me. His gaze drops to my lips, the desire in his eyes clear.
The air electrifies around us. I’m not sure why we’re both breathing so hard. My heart hammers in my chest. I’m surprised he can’t hear the echoing beat playing in my ears.
My nipples are tight, and my pussy is a constant ache. I can’t remember ever being so turned on by a man before.
A twinge of guilt sweeps over me at the thought. It feels like a betrayal. My love with Zach was young and new and sweet. The sex was beautiful and gentle. Jace awakens my wild, erotic side. Makes my body needy and wanton.
“Jace.” His name is soft on my lips. I don’t chase after men. I never wanted to kiss a man so badly. I can’t stop thinking about him. What the hell is happening to me?
He stares down at me with deep chocolate eyes full of fire. He’s like a caged animal, waiting to break free. Goosebumps race across my skin.
“We shouldn’t,” he whispers in a soft voice. “But I want you so badly.”
“Jace…this is a bad idea.” I inch back until my hip hits the countertop. I’m about to tell him to leave since I’m such a hardship. He steps closer and leans down, silencing me with a kiss, stealing all my breath away.
His tongue traces my lips before entering my mouth with ease. I open to him effortlessly. He tastes warm and masculine. It’s so different from the other times we kissed—so easy, and passionate.
Jace slips his hands around my waist, pulling me closer. With a sigh, I wrap my arms around his neck, clutching the soft strands of hair at the back of his head. Our tongues swirl in exotic dance, each swipe causing havoc in all my erogenous zones. My nipples are tight against the thin material of my T-shirt, aching for his touch.