“Get in,” I murmur against her lips. There is a split second of hesitance before she pulls back and climbs into the backseat. Bright green eyes alive with lust watch as I climb in. It’s a good look on her.
“Do I want to know how much action this backseat has seen?” she asks as I sit down beside her and wrap my arms around her.
“Nowhere near as much as you think,” I reply truthfully and lift her onto my lap, placing her legs on either side of me. Leaning down, her lips seal over mine, her tongue snaking around mine. Now, she’s the one in control.
My fingers find the band in her hair and slide it down to let it fall loosely around her shoulders. My hands skim down her back to her hips and rock her against my erection, wishing I could sink into her and show her how much I want her. I start to kiss down the column of her neck, pausing to suck on her pulse point, which pounds furiously as my tongue flicks over it. At the same time, I feel for the bottom of her tank top and push it up her body. I tip my head back to look at her and groan softly at the sight of her full breasts encased in white lace, hard nipples protruding through the material. My palm closes around her breast and a shiver rips through her when my lips find her neck again as she leans into me. Rocking against me, I kiss a path between her breasts before she takes hold of the hair at the back of my head and tilts my mouth up to meet hers.
Our breathing is rapid; hearts pounding when she leans back to look down at me.
“Don’t race,” her soft voice pleads, and she runs a hand down the side of my face, a tender gesture that tugs at my heart in a way I’ve never experienced. My eyes search hers, but she is deadly serious.
“How do you know about it?”
She laughs softly and shakes her head. “It’s a small town, people talk. I overheard some of the guys talking to Aaron.”
“Why don’t you want me to race?” I ask. Her gaze drops and stares at her hands in her lap.
“It’s the Gauntlet.” Her voice has dropped to a whisper, and when she looks at me her face is ashen. “Please don’t race.” It is heartfelt, and she looks me straight in the eye. The fear in her green eyes causes me a moment of doubt. If I don’t race, would she change her mind about us? But I can’t let Ryder down; I’m new here, still trying to fit in.
Tipping my head back, I scrub a hand down my face. “I’ve said I’ll race. I can’t back out now.”
“It’s dangerous,” she whispers.
“You’re worried about me?” I smile up at her, hoping to defuse the tension. She gives me a half-smile and swats me with her hand.
“Don’t be a dick.” But she doesn’t move her hand; instead, her palm flattens on my chest, over my heart which pounds underneath.
“Give me a good reason.” I take a chance and lean forward to press a kiss to her lips. Immediately, she responds and the hand on my chest curls into a fist. Grabbing a handful of my shirt, she pulls me closer. Warm lips press down on mine and when her tongue strokes over mine, it gives me hope that’s she’s coming around. But it’s short lived.
“I don’t want you to race.” Pulling back, she gives me a final kiss and climbs off my lap to sit next to me, knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around them, hugging herself. A curtain of dark hair falls around her face, partially obscuring it from my view.
“I suppose it’s silly to hope you’ll come watch the race?” I ask, and her head jerks to the side, wearing a hurt expression. Almost close to tears, her bottom lip wobbles, but I don’t understand her reaction. Biting down on her lip, she gives a regretful shake of her head.
“Sorry, but I can’t watch.” She leans over and places a gentle kiss on my cheek before clambering out the back seat, leaving me staring after her. I watch as she pulls her hair back into a messy bun and resumes working on my GTO as if nothing happened.
I’m torn in two. Would she give me a chance if I didn’t race? It’s obvious she has something against racing but doesn’t trust me enough to tell me. But I can’t back out now and lose face. I drop my head into my hands. This sucks. I’ll need to take my chances that she’ll give me a second chance after this race. I climb out of the car and gently close the door. Leigh doesn’t look round, and I realize there’s no point in staying.
“See ya,” I drawl, and she nods. It’s the tiniest of movements, but it makes me pause behind her and press a kiss to the back of her head. Like before, she braces herself on the engine bay and drops her head. I actually think this is as hard on her as it is on me.