Sweet Carolina(50)

She turned in his arms. Her eyes were bright with tears and uncertainty. Her palms rested over his heart and he wondered if she could feel its erratic beat. “No. No regrets, Dell.” She sighed and seemed to melt in his arms. He cradled her close, stroking her back with one hand while the other held her cheek to his chest. God, she felt good in his arms, like she was meant to be there.

“We're going to do this, Caro. You and me. We're going to make Hawkins Racing a name to be reckoned with. You wait and see.”

“Okay.” The single word from her lips breathed life into his chest. He held her a moment longer, savoring the moment. He gently eased her away to look into her eyes.

“You won't regret this, Caro. I promise.” To seal his promise, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was nothing more than a brush of lips before he tried to pull away. Her lashes fluttered down and she rose on tiptoe, her lips following his, halting his retreat.

“No regrets, Dell,” she said. She pulled his head down to hers. Their lips met in a rush of longing and desperate need. She opened under him and his tongue swept in, claiming her soft heat to warm the dark recesses of his soul.

She tasted like the sweetest honey and he couldn't get enough. He took all she offered, and begged for more. Her lips promised carnal delights he wanted desperately to sample. He rocked his hips, pressing his erection against the soft pillow of her stomach. She groaned and molded her body to his.

Her hands found the hem of his shirt and slipped underneath. Her cool hands on his heated back almost brought him to his knees, but they also brought him to his senses.

“We can't,” he said, disengaging from her and stepping back. He sucked in a deep breath and put as much distance between them as her office allowed. “We have to do this right, Caro. No more…of that. We can't give them anything else to fire back at us… you.”

“They won't know,” she countered, taking a step toward him. Dell backed all the way to the door, wrapping his hand around the solid knob. The cool metal helped ground him in what he needed to do.

“Yes, they will. They found out once, they'd find out again.” At the stricken look on her face, he let go of the door and crossed to her. He kissed her, trying to convey all his anguish and love with the touch of his lips. She wiggled, trying to get closer to him, but he held her at a distance with his fingers clamped around her upper arms. She tasted like heaven, and he hated to let her go, but he had to. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “Never doubt how much I want you, Caro, but we can't be together – not yet anyway. You need time to prove to them, and to yourself that you can do this.” And I do too. “There's enough talk about you already, and I won't do anything to add to it.” He pulled her close just to feel her in his arms one more time. “I hate what they said to you. It isn't right.”

Those sweet hands found the skin at his back again and he held her tighter. None of this was right. They should be together. He should be able to tell her what was in his heart, but he couldn't, not until he'd earned the right to love her, and he had a damned long way to go before that happened, if ever.

“We'll get through this, and Hawkins Racing will be on top. I know it. I believe it.”

“I want to believe it too, Dell. I really do.”

“You do, Caro. You're the bravest person I know, taking on the established system like you have. I'm so sorry I made it harder for you.”

She pushed away, and he reluctantly let her go. “Don't apologize, Dell,” she said as she swiped the moisture from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Please don't be sorry for…you know.” She waved her hand in the air in an absent gesture. “I'm not.”

His lips quirked up on one side and a little huff of purely masculine laughter escaped through them. “I'm not sorry about it either, Caro. Never.” His tone turned serious. “I am sorry someone used what happened between us to hurt you. If I knew who did it, I'd pay them a visit.”

“I guess it's a good thing we don't know who it was, isn't it? My driver is in enough trouble as it is; I can't have him suspended for good.” Her shaky little laugh eased his mind. She was going to be okay. The spunky girl he knew was finding her way back.

“No, you can't, and I promise he'll be above reproach from now on. I'm going to see to it myself.”

* * * *

She believed him, even if it did make her all kinds of a fool for doing so. He stood there with a big wet spot on his shirt from her tears, acting all macho and protective, and so sure of himself. He meant what he said. She just wasn't sure he would be able to follow through. That bright young driver hadn't been seen in three years. Was he still inside Dell? Or had the last three years buried him so deeply Dell would never find him again?