Sweet Carolina(36)
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Caro stood at the back of the crowd gathered outside the Charlotte Speedway, watching Dell sign autographs for his fans. He looked both hot and hot in his fire suit. Caro fanned herself with the folder in her hand. The hot wind she stirred up did nothing to cool her sun-baked skin or the warmth melting her from the inside out. Damn. Why did the sight of Dell do these things to her? He infuriated her at every turn –professionally and personally. And there wasn't a thing she could do about either one.
She might need him professionally, but on a personal level, he was the last thing she needed, and everything she wanted. It was a sad truth she'd come to accept. Popular psychology said recognizing a problem was the first step to overcoming it, so she'd taken the first step, admitting to herself how badly she wanted Dell Wayne. So far, admitting her weakness hadn't done a thing toward making it go away. If anything, the dreams that woke her at night became worse since her self-revelation.
And the worst of it was, she knew how his hands felt on her skin, how his lips felt on hers. It was knowledge she wished she didn't have because you couldn't unlearn something like that. It was as if his hands imprinted themselves on her skin, and like a tattoo, the imprint was etched in permanent ink. Caro chuckled to herself, imagining tattoos covering her body, announcing every few inches, “Dell was here.”
Dell smiled at a teenage fan, and Caro shifted her gaze to the show car behind him rather than see his eyes sparkle at the girl. She'd seen enough women of all ages simper when he turned his megawatt smile on them to last her a lifetime.
The weatherman promised a solid week of record temperatures – exactly what they needed for the ten-day racing extravaganza that ended with the six-hundred-mile race on the following Sunday. Thankfully, it was close to home. Hawkins Racing didn't need two weeks of travel expenses on top of everything else. If Dell didn't finish well in either the All Star Shoot-Out or the Sprint Cup, they'd be taking the show car off the promo circuit for real. It was old as the hills, but with a minimum rebuild, it could meet today's safety standards and comply with the rule changes since it was taken out of commission.
Caro glanced at her watch, then at the crowd still seeking Dell's autograph. She weighed her desire to get out of the sun with the promise of souvenir sales if these women left here happy and decided a few more minutes in the heat wouldn't kill either of them. Dell glanced her way, his eyebrow raised in question. She flashed him five fingers. A slight twitch of his lips told her he wasn't happy about the time extension. But he didn't know how strapped they were for cash. These last two weeks of May at Charlotte had the potential to boost a team's bottom line if the drivers played nice with the fans. Thus, Caro booked Dell at every fan event possible. He was even sacking groceries at the tented grocery store in the middle of the campground one evening this week.
It was a grueling schedule of practice runs, qualifying, racing and promotion that would take a toll on anyone, even an athlete in top physical condition. It would also mean no time for fooling around with track bunnies or…her. By the time Dell was through every night this week, he wouldn't want to do anything but sleep. She only hoped she would be as lucky.
Four-and-a-half minutes later, Caro skirted the crowd and slipped in beside Dell. The women still wanting an autograph or photo voiced their displeasure. Caro handed out flyers detailing Dell's multiple appearances, assuring them they had ample opportunities still to get what they wanted. Dell signed one more hat before Caro shoved him in the direction of the track gate. He didn't need much encouragement. Caro hustled to keep pace with him. He slowed once he was in the hot-pass zone – away from all but the most privileged fans.
Caro followed blindly. Between the heat and her semi-run to the infield, she was past caring where they were going. Dell held the motor coach door open for her, his hand on the small of her back, and propelled her up the steps and inside. Cool air slammed against her, taking her breath away. Dell's body pressed against her backside, his hands came to rest on her hips. Her internal temperature spiked and her head whirled. Dell caught her as she began to fall.
“Sit down.” He half walked, half carried her to the sofa, before he spun her around and used his hands to press her hips into a sitting position. “Loosen your blouse. I'll get you some water.”
Caro fumbled with the buttons of her silk blouse. The fabric fell open down the front. Goosebumps rose on her exposed flesh as the cool air hit her.
* * * *
Damn. He didn't want to care about Carolina, but someone sure as hell needed to. It was obvious she wasn't taking care of herself. Dell wet a towel and grabbed two water bottles from the refrigerator. Since Warner's revelation, Dell thought of little else. Memories and reality collided until the pieces of the puzzle began to slip into place, and the picture they formed was ugly – filled with anger and hate that gnawed away at him.