Natalie had never been interested in anything as simple and fun as a fast ride. He’d tried with a few other women, but they were terrified before he even got going. Could Sarah handle it? Would she enjoy it? He shot a glance her way. Her eyes shone. Her tongue slipped out to wet her lips and his shaft pulsed. She was ready.
They approached the turn near the old logging trail. When they’d repaved these few miles of road, Cole had asked the highway engineers to put a bit of a bank into the turns and level the straightaways. They’d agreed to do so—for safety’s sake, of course. Yeah, right. He’d seen more than one of those guys whipping down this road in their souped-up Chevys and Fords.
Cole leaned into the curve, accelerating a bit on the exit as he would on a track. They flew through an S-curve and sailed over a small hill. At the top Cole felt that sweet moment of weightlessness deep in his gut. Sarah gasped. The smile that spread across her face told him that she was enjoying it as much as he was.
The car purred beneath him, a contented cat stretching its limbs, ready to pounce. After a couple more turns he slowed and pulled onto a gravel patch by the side of the road. A locked chain link gate was visible between the trees. Sarah’s breathing was rapid, color high in her cheeks. Eyes wide, she turned to him. “That was amazing! I’ve never driven like that before. The way you flew down the road, sped through those turns. It really was like flying.”
Amazing…? It took him a moment to understand. “What…you mean the ride here?” A bark of laughter burst out of him. “Darlin’, that’s how I usually drive. Hell, I was even holding back since we were on a public road.”
She looked confused. “You mean there’s more?”
Cole reached out, unable to resist tucking those blond strands behind her ear. “If you think that was something, you’re in for a real treat.”
He hopped out of the car, unlocked the gate and stepped up to the power box that controlled the lights. He flipped the master switch and a dozen suns lit the clearing ahead. Sarah sat silently, gaping. Cole tried to imagine the scene through her eyes.
The dense forest gave way to a huge open space dominated by a smooth half-mile-long oval of asphalt and concrete. It was modeled after the shortest track on the top-tier circuit, Martinsville Speedway, but with slightly more banking in the turns. Two sets of metal bleachers bracketed the short tower where a flagman could stand. A short pit road cut off a section of the infield, complete with a pit wall and a couple of corrugated metal lean-tos for crews to use during practice runs.
“I built this a few years back.” He gestured proudly at what his sister Carrie called the big-kids’ playground. “Here’s where I test cars to see what they can really do.”
He drove up to the flagman’s stand and the thick white starting line that crossed the track. This was just for fun, but the familiar burn of adrenaline flooded his limbs nonetheless. His body prepared for a race much the way it responded to the beautiful woman beside him. By instinct.
He checked his safety restraints and turned to Sarah. When he leaned across her seat to check hers, her eyes closed. From the look on her face, it was obvious that she expected him to kiss her. He was tempted, but if they started down that road there was no way he’d be able to pull back, and he really wanted to take her for a ride.
Besides, waiting would make it that much better.
He ran his hands lightly under the harness that stretched across her chest in an X, tightening it so that it held her firmly against the seat. “You good?” he asked. Unable to resist he brushed a finger across her peaked nipple and she gasped, leaning into his hand. Her eyes opened, pupils dilated. Oh, she was good all right. This was going to be fun.
He reached behind the seat and pulled out two helmets. In the confined space they were difficult to put on, but with a little help she managed. He slid a finger under her chinstrap to be sure it was secure. A pulse point in her throat hammered wildly, kicking his heartbeat into an answering rhythm.
He placed both hands on the wheel, caressing it for a moment before gripping the custom leather. Anticipation built in him, a delicious pressure that started in his chest and expanded into his belly and down his limbs. A good dose of it lodged in his groin thanks to the woman next to him. He shifted in his seat, then turned to his passenger with a grin.
“Ready?”
Before she could even nod, they were off.
Sarah was forced back against the seat as the car shot forward like a ball from a cannon. A roar filled her ears. The asphalt disappeared beneath them as the car picked up speed. The scenery blurred as they flew down the track. Cole’s hands gripped the wheel and they whipped through the first turn. Sarah could see his chest and legs strain with effort, but his eyes glowed with excitement. A smile played on his lips. He was in control.