Flat-Out Sexy(13)

"I have to meet my in-laws at the race. They're bringing my kids."

Elec eyed her outfit. "You're going to the track in a cocktail dress?"

"I don't have a choice. I left my bag at Geoffrey's and I lost my purse, remember?"

There was no way she could show up at a race wearing a black dress and  heels. Somehow he knew Tamara didn't covet the spotlight any more than  he did, and wearing that sort of getup was bound to get her all sorts of  unwanted attention. "You don't want to do that. Just come back to my  coach and we'll find you something else to wear. I have to go get my bag  anyway."

She was biting her fingernail. "Nothing you wear is going to fit me."

"Probably not, but a baggy T-shirt is better than a wrinkled cocktail  dress. Think of all the media scrutiny you'll get strolling around in  last night's clothes."

Tamara blanched. "You're right. Okay, thanks."

"We'd better get a move on." Elec scooped up his shoes in his hand. He  was not stuffing his feet back into those things. He'd rather walk  across glass.

Tamara actually put her heels back on and headed for the front door.  Elec put his hand on the small of her back. "Third coach to the left."

She glanced back at him. "You're that close? Yet we stayed here?"

He grinned. "Well, I do share it with my brother, though he wasn't  planning to stay here last night. Mostly I figured no sense in ruining  the moment. Besides, if we had taken the time to walk to my place, you  might have changed your mind. I couldn't risk that."

That was spoken to tease her. The true story was that once she'd told  him to get inside Ryder's coach, it had never even occurred to him that  his own place was spitting distance away.

Tamara glanced back at him, but she didn't say anything. She looked  worried, her gaze darting left and right. Elec dropped his hand from her  back to alleviate her feeling even more self-conscious than she already  did. The compound was quiet, and they didn't pass anyone in their quick  dart to his coach. Elec had the door unlocked and they were inside,  Tamara's hand over her heart.

"I'm not cut out for sneaking around," she said.

"Then maybe we shouldn't sneak around. Who cares if people know we're  dating?" He certainly didn't. But even as he said it, he knew the  situation was different for her. She had kids, in-laws, a spotless  reputation. "But I understand. I do. No one saw us, I'm sure of it."

"I hope not." She bit her lip. "I mean, no offense or anything, it's just that . . ."

"I know. It's okay, I do get it." He did know, and he didn't really want  to hear her spell it out. Reality sort of sucked all the fun out of  their spontaneous night of sex, and he didn't want to let go of that  satisfaction and pleasure just yet. "Let me find you some clothes to  wear. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. If you're thirsty or  anything, feel free to dig through the fridge."

Elec glanced around his living room. There was a half-eaten bag of chips  on the coffee table, some beer cans, and a multitude of video games  splayed across the couch. His furniture didn't really match, since he'd  just gathered it here and there over the years and there were no  pictures or anything hanging on the walls. It looked like he was a  college kid, and he was suddenly embarrassed. His condo looked way  better, like he was actually an adult, and he really wanted her to lose  the focus she had on their age difference. The coach wasn't helping the  matter. Not to mention he was starving and he really wanted to toss a  handful of those chips into his mouth, but didn't dare.                       
       
           



       



He went into his bedroom and saw similar turmoil . . . lots of dirty  clothes, a bed minus a headboard, and his remote control car. Best to  get her out of the place before she thought too long and hard about his  housekeeping. Elec ripped open a drawer and dug through it until he  found the smallest shirt he owned. He did the same thing with his jeans,  and even dragged out a pair of gym shoes, then tossed them back when he  realized her tiny feet would swim in them.

Elec was mortified when he came back into the living room and found that  Tamara had tossed out his empty beer cans and was rolling the bag of  chips closed. "You don't have to do that," he said.

"The chips will get stale," she said, setting them back on the coffee  table, her hands going to her hips, then falling away. "And I'm nervous  and needed something to do with my hands."

His embarrassment disappeared. "I wish we had more time. I can think of a thing or two you can do with your hands."

Her cheeks turned pink. "We don't have any time. We have no time  whatsoever and I'll feel really terrible if you're late and get  reprimanded. So are those clothes for me?"

Elec handed them to her, knowing a lazy smile was spreading across his  face. "Why don't you change in the bathroom so I can get my stuff  together in the bedroom. Bathroom is the first door on the right. And I  suggest you get a babysitter for a good long while next Monday night. I  think we're going to want a lot of time for . . . dinner."

Tamara's eyes went wide. "You're a very naughty boy, Elec."

It didn't sound like it bothered her in the least. She pulled the  clothes out of his hands and he made sure their skin brushed against  each other. "So punish me."

She arched her eyebrow. "You'll like it too much."

Elec laughed. "You're right."

Then she surprised him by leaning over and giving him a sexy, lingering  kiss. She stared at him for a second, then turned on her high heel and  walked down the hall, pausing to gaze in like she was making sure it was  the right room, before she went inside the bathroom.

Elec found himself just standing there feeling like he'd been hit with a  stupid stick. He was grinning in an empty room over being with a woman  who didn't want anyone to know they were getting it on, because he was  falling for her already-hook, line, and goddamn sinker.





TAMARA came out of Elec's bathroom feeling less than prepared to face  him or a crowd at the track. His jeans were resting on her hips and  sagging in the butt and his golf shirt was gaping in the armpits and  just about everywhere else. The grin he gave her when he saw her didn't  help.

"Do I look that bad?" she asked, self-consciously. She had patted her  hair down and washed her face, but it wasn't the same as having a  shower, your blow-dryer, and a hairbrush. Not to mention she probably  had foul breath from not having a toothbrush.

"You look adorable," he said, and he sounded and looked like he meant it.

Had the man been drinking? "I look ridiculous, is what I look like."

"I don't agree. And before you run off on me, give me your number." Elec  was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his sponsor's ball cap on his head,  his gym bag at his feet.

It was a look Tamara was very familiar with, and she suddenly had a lump  in her throat, unsure how she felt about all of this. But Elec was  flipping open his cell phone and typing her name in, so she recited her  number for him. She wanted to go out with him, she did, she wanted to  have good sex again, at the same time she was damn well terrified of  what might happen if she did. Elec was too young for her. Pete's family  hated Elec's family. Tamara had children who would resent their mother  dating another driver. It was just all sorts of complicated and she  didn't want any of that.

But Lord, she did want to have some fun with him.

"Got it, thanks. Tamara Briggs, Hot Mama," he said as he punched buttons on his cell phone.

"Very funny."

"It's the truth." Elec grinned at her, then went back to his phone. He pushed a button, then frowned.

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing. There's just this woman, a fan, who keeps sending me  text messages. I'm almost afraid to read it. She's been a little  aggressive."

He was holding the phone away from his body like he expected it to bite him. Curiosity got the best of her. "What did she say?"

Elec pushed a button, then his eyes went wide. "Wow, okay, didn't expect that."

"What?" Tamara moved a little closer to Elec, feeling something she was refusing to label as jealousy.                       
       
           



       

"It's a picture text," he said, one eye squinting a little as he stared at it. "One I could have done without, frankly."

"She sent you a picture of herself?" Tamara started to get suspicious.  "What, is she naked or something?" she asked, half joking, half  convinced that's what it was.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Unfortunately was good. Unfortunately probably meant that Elec was in no  way attracted to the woman and that she was not a pretty sight naked.  Tamara should just leave it at that.