Junkie: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by J. D. Hollyfield

  His body stiffens on top of me, his eyes like lasers searing through me. “Wh—What?”

  I can’t hide the shiver that runs through me at the way his sinful eyes devour me. The heat between us, it becomes so electric, it’s dangerous. “Wh—Who said it? In the movie—”

  He doesn’t answer. He offers me a better response. His head dips until those memories transform into reality as his lips land on mine. He’s hard and ruthless. I sigh into his mouth, parting my lips and letting his tongue meet mine. Urgency, lust, and need flow through us as we claw at one another, trying to get closer. His lips are punishing and demanding, and still, I feel I need more. I reach around his neck, bringing him even closer, our bodies brushing against one another. His hands are wild, and I welcome it. Skating down my sides, pulling at my shirt, tugging at my pants. My back shoots off the couch when a hand disappears into my jeans.

  “Jesus, Luna,” he murmurs against my lips, finding the moisture between my thighs. I almost bite down when he opens me wide and thrusts a thick finger inside me. I’m just as greedy, my hands digging into his hair and gripping it with fierceness as I clench around him. His predatorial growl is the fuel that burns need straight to my core. He takes no mercy inserting another finger, pushing himself deeper. His knuckles breach my center, and I ride out each thrust as he drives into me. There’s something primal in the way he kisses me, touches me, claims me, stealing each moan and whimper as I fly over this edge he’s put me on. My walls crash, and I convulse under him. His mouth never leaves mine, still savoring our kiss as I ride out my orgasm. But even as my body starts to settle, more need arises. My hands drop from his hair, reaching for his zipper. I’m frantic, hungry, and desperate to feel the thickness of him filling me. He shares in the same urgency, leaning up and ripping off his shirt. We claw and tear, until we’re both naked, and without thought of protection, he’s thrusting inside me.

  Something feral in him breaks and a low thunderous growl erupts from his chest. His composure shatters and a beast inside him releases. My nails scrape down his back, the pain feeding his powering need, demanding anything and everything I have to offer. His hands dig tightly into my hair, and we both lose ourselves. Indescribable pleasure resonates in the core of my sex, and I hold him tight as we both freefall into this unchartered territory of undeniable fulfillment.

  We’re silent for some time, our hearts hammering against one another. I’m trying to catch my breath, fearing I’ll never be able to. What just happened…was…

  “You…” unsteady breaths, “are going to…kill me.”

  My eyelids, heavy from the aftermath of the best orgasm ever, widen at his words. “Oh my god, was that…bad?”

  His chest rumbles against mine, his head tilting back as he bellows out a laugh. “Jesus, Luna, bad? That was so good, I think I’m about to have a heart attack. I can’t get my breathing back to normal. We need to keep doing that until I die. Yes, die because that was…marry me.”

  I choke.

  “Wha—”

  “Okay, too far.” He chuckles, dipping to kiss me. “You are something else, Luna Monroe. And I’m glad you picked my car to break in to—ouch!”

  I slap his ass. Hard.

  “Joke! But I’m warning you, doing something like that only encourages me. We won’t make it to Tokyo Drift if you turn all sadist on me.”

  I slap his ass again. I fight a smirk, but it wins, and he covers my mouth and kisses away my laughter.

  “What do you say, we start the next one? I’m partial to Tokyo Drift, so if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to seduce me again. Han Lue is kind of a legend in my eyes.” I debate on smacking him again, but the sweet, pretty please plea in his eyes has me melting.

  “Fine, but only if you make more popcorn. I have standards too, ya know.” His expression moves slowly until he grins wide. He climbs off me, the absence of him my new least favorite thing, cleans us up, makes another gigantic bowl of the best popcorn ever, and starts the next movie. Even when I try to steal a glance at him, he instantly shushes me, refusing to look my way, whispering to me distractions as he shovels his sexy mouth with popcorn.

  Tokyo Drift ends with another quiz, where I get nine out of nine correct, followed by us sprawled out on the counter, having the most intense sex of my life.

  Fast and Furious was cut short, because…well, illegal racing will make anyone hot…and Vin Diesel.

  We never make it to Fast Five.

  Luna

  “Luna,” a deep voice hums in my ear. “Luna, wake up.”

  I grunt and throw the covers over my head. “No more. I can’t.” I feel the vibration of his laughter as he fights me for the blankets, finally winning over. “Please. I need sleep and recovery time.”

  His lips press against my bare shoulder. “I’m not even sure my guy works right now. Get up.”

  I lift my head, peeking through the brightness of the morning sun. “Why?”

  “I don’t know…I just figured, maybe you’d want to race and—”

  I shoot up, almost head-butting Cash. “Really?”

  He shrugs as if he didn’t simply suggest we finally race. “I mean, we can do something else. Fast Five has Elena Neves, and man, she’s—”

  “No more Furious movies. They’re only a gateway—”

  “To my pants?”

  “Creepy.”

  “Correct. Okay, no movies. Let’s race.”

  I hop out of bed, throw off his t-shirt, and run into the bathroom to get ready. A strange feeling comes over me when I see the unopened toothbrush and toothpaste he set on the counter for me.

  Cash is already by the kitchen dressed and waiting. “Ready?”

  “Uh, yeah!” He laughs, shaking his head, and nods for me to follow. We head out and take the short drive from his place to the speedway. I’m buzzing with excitement as we walk in, unable to hide my huge smile as we head down the corridor to the track. My hands are fidgety, missing the thrills and highs of being behind the wheel.

  “Okay, before anything, we need to suit up. Safety first. It’s not just a bedroom term.”

  My cheeks flare. It’s one thing to have wild sex, but to openly talk about it makes me want to crawl out of my skin. “I…I only have this.” My eyes drop to what I’m wearing.

  “Yeah…I’m gonna be honest, clothes don’t suit you. I prefer you to be clothes-free. But have no fear, I made a call and had Jimmy set you up. Head into the locker room. There should be full gear in your size. When you’re done, meet me on the track.” He wiggles his brows, then takes off into the garage. It takes a moment for me to move my feet.

  When I enter the locker room, a fire suit, helmet, socks, and shoes all wait for me. I’m overwhelmed with emotion as I trace my fingers along the seams of the suit. A real racing suit. I lean forward and almost choke on a gasp when I see my initials on the upper corner. How can a person be so wonderful to someone they just met? Cash knows nothing about me, and he’s done so much for me. Given me so much. I’m not sure he knows the extent to which he’s changing my life. My heart is beating again, this warmth inside me finally knowing what it feels like to have someone see me and want me. This can work. Maybe I can sign those papers and not worry about being found. I was on cloud nine yesterday, given an opportunity that doesn’t fall into the hands of someone like me. Cash, without knowing, was offering me my life back. I could accept this position and start fresh. Be someone who wasn’t labeled as a thief or a thug. I would become the person I was destined to be, before my mother took it away from me. Someone truly amazing.

  But then Tessa asked me to confirm my identity. And what she would find would have taken all that away. I panicked. She would figure out I’m a low life, and Cash would figure out I’m a fraud. There was no way he’d continue to fall for someone like me. And that would crush me worse than anything in my life has thus far.

  But if I didn’t stop worrying about my past, I would never find my future. I stare down at the pile of
clothes. Live in the moment, Luna. You’re being given a second chance. Take it. Savor it. Thrive. I am. I should. I can’t live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I need to move on. And I think I can actually do it here in California. Maybe with Cash.

  Replacing my funk with hope, I scurry into my new set up. “Go figure,” I mumble when I peek at the back of the suit. Embroidered on it is Team Cash. Never a dull moment with him. I don’t stop smiling as I finish and head down to the track where he’s already waiting. His eyes light up seeing me in the suit, and I can’t help it, I do a little twirl so he can check me out.

  “Well…hot damn, little lady. Not sure it’s the car that’s gonna burn up the track today.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’d look way better without the tag on the back. Really kills the look.”

  Cash laughs. “I’d say it accentuates your back side. Nothing like thinking about taking a hot girl in a smoking hot fire suit from behind while reading your name on her back.” My eyes widen, my cheeks flare. “I mean…not that I would know, ’cause that would be something a creep would do, and I know nothing about that.”

  “Sure.” I roll my eyes and walk over to the bright blue Audi R8. “Is this the car I get to race?” I’m pretty impressed at his choice. I almost grabbed one of these once, but the couple apparently didn’t approve of the restaurant and almost busted me lifting their car.

  “It’s here to get detailed, so we’re gonna keep it to ourselves that we’re borrowing it, but also it’s the car we get to race. I know you say you’re a beast on the streets.”

  “Uhhh, I never said that, and isn’t it beast in the sheets?”

  “Yeah, but we’re not talking about me right now. As I was saying, it’s important we start off slow, which means we’re going to race a few laps with this baby. You’re gonna sit shotgun so you can get a feel for the track. Once you start to feel it, I’ll let you drive. Got it?”

  I want to break it to him that I don’t need to learn the feel of a fast car. I have it tattooed on my palms and fingertips. But I’ve never truly raced on a real course, so I keep my mouth shut and try to be as compliant as I can. “Got it.”

  He’s actually shocked I give in so easily. “Wow, okay then. So, let’s get to it. Climb in.”

  I open the door, realizing something. “Uh, I won’t fit with the helmet.”

  Cash realizes the same. He stares at his own helmet and the car, then throws it across the track into the grass. “Ditch it. Lesson number one: never drive without a helmet…besides this one time.”

  I laugh, tossing mine behind me, and climb in. Great thing about luxury sports cars are the V10 engines. They allow you to grab speed in no time. I’ve lifted Lamborghinis and Jaguars before, but my preference would be an Audi. All you need is about four seconds to get this car up to sixty miles per hour.

  “Seat belt,” Cash says, and I lock myself in. He starts the car, bringing her to life, the purring sound of the engine like music to my ears. “We haven’t even gone anywhere yet and you already look like you’re in heaven.”

  “I’d be happier if you did less talking and started driving. Bet you can’t get her up to sixty in under four seconds.”

  His brows go up. The challenge in his eyes creates a pool of heat between my thighs. His grin is infectious as one side curls up. “All righty, missy. As you wish. But I get to pick the prize.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  “You screaming my name in that fire suit later.”

  Jesus, this guy. If he keeps this up, I’ll never want to leave. He does something on his phone and tosses it into my lap. I see the timer app open, ready to go. “On your mark…get set…go.”

  He throttles the gas pedal, sending my back against the passenger seat. One, two, three… I gape over at the dash. He’s at an impressive sixty-one miles per hour in three-point-nine seconds. Glancing my way, he winks and takes the first turn. He handles the car with ease, taking the bend like it’s as simple as tying a shoe. He barely lets off the gas, and when we straighten out, he brings us to an exciting one-forty-two before easing off the gas for the next bend. My face hurts I’m smiling so hard. My blood is pumping, every nerve in my body alive and feeding off the speed and freedom of the track. Even Cash seems lost in the track, driving the car as if he’s going for a leisurely drive on a twenty-five mile per hour road. You would never know we were at an insanely unsafe speed. And it feels so fucking empowering. Laughter bubbles from my belly. I raise my arms to the sky and holler and scream in excitement like a kid about to plunge from the highest point on a roller coaster. Cash takes another quick turn, and the thrill makes me feel so high. My lips burst into a broad smile, my laugher loud and boisterous, a sound I haven’t heard for a long time.

  Cash peeks at me, cracking a smile. If there is one thing I’ve given away, it’s that when it comes to racing, we’re wired the same way.

  It all ends too fast. Before I know it, we’re slowing down and veering off. The second he puts her in park, I’m out of the car.

  Cash is barely out when I throw myself in his arms. He’s quickly catching me as I crush my lips to his. I kiss him hard and passionately, pouring my soul into it, needing to show him how much this means to me.

  “Whoa, already wanting to pay up on the bet?”

  I ease up and squirm out of his hold, which he seems hesitant to release. I take a step back, then somewhat rudely move him out of the way so I can climb in. “Nope. My turn.”

  I can hear his laughter even when I shut the door and watch him round the car. He gets in and snaps his seat belt. “Okay, so I think for the first round, you should take it slow—”

  “Cash, do you trust me?”

  He stares at me for a quick second before answering. “I do. Is that a scary thing? Should I be scared?” I want to smack him, but I’m on cloud nine.

  “You should. And also, what do you say? If I beat your record, I get to take you in your sexy fire suit while you scream my name?”

  “Wow, you are a sadist. I kind of like it.”

  “Good. Here’s your phone.” I toss him his phone and clip my seat belt. Hell yeah does this feel good—gripping the steering wheel, the subtle purr of the engine. My body buzzes along with the car as I press my foot to the gas, bringing her onto the track. I don’t need to see Cash to know he’s suspicious of my driving and probably thinking he’s crazy for allowing me to do this. The things guys do to impress girls.

  The car takes off, smooth and quick. Its impressive horsepower allows me to hit the speed I intended. Sixty-two miles per hour in three-point-five seconds. “Jesus, you beat me!”

  I want to give him my best duh look, the one I always used to give Jade when he bet me stupid shit. Holding back my grin, I reply with a simple shrug, and make the course my bitch, lap after lap, feeling the vibration of horsepower under my fingertips. God, I could stay out here forever. I can see why Cash loves it out here. There’s no better rush than racing through the dark streets, and to find the ultimate control on the track is the same. There’s no other high like it.

  Cash doesn’t say another word and lets me have my moment until the gas light blinks on and I realize I got lost in myself and have been driving for close to thirty minutes. I pull off and park, shutting her off. Neither of us says a word until the silence becomes almost too loud.

  “Sorry, I must have gotten lost—”

  “No need to explain. I get it. Fantasizing about fast cars and handsome drivers, time tends to get away from ya.”

  He almost earns a hard slap to his hearty chest. Instead, I roll my eyes and set free the smirk I’m fighting to hold back.

  “All right. Let’s get her back inside.” Comfortable silence falls between us for the remainder of the time. Cash instructs me to head back to the locker room to change and shower while he goes and puts the car back in its rightful place. An hour later, we’re being seated at Shrimp Shack off the Santa Monica Pier.

  “Thank you for today,” I say, breaking the sile
nce between us.

  “Not sure who should be thanking who. I enjoyed it just as much.”

  “Oh, did you now? You didn’t fear for your life at all?”

  Cash chuckles, taking a sip of his water. “More worried about my man card after you beat me. Where did you learn to race like that?”

  There’s no intent behind his question, no accusation, just genuine curiosity. But it leads to me giving him answers I’m not quite ready to confess. “Hey, sorry. Didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No, it’s okay. It’s just…” I want to give him something. A little piece of me so he sees I’m trying. So he doesn’t give up on me. “I didn’t have the best upbringing. Some of the things I learned…I learned in an off-the-books kind of way. Does that make sense?” I’m trying to admit I’m not a good person.

  “In a way.”

  “Well, it’s kind of simple. I fell in love with racing when I was little. My home life didn’t set me up to follow my dreams, at least through the proper channels. So, I got to learn the sport and become amazing at it, just on an unconventional level.”

  “What you’re saying is my lessons were basically a review of what you already knew?” The way he brings ease to a tough topic makes me appreciate him more and more.

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  A stretch of silence falls over us again as the waitress comes and takes our order. We make small talk about the weather, racing, and stupid stuff before he becomes fidgety in his chair. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Am I going to want to answer it?”

  He shrugs, popping a fry into his mouth. “Why are you staying at The House?” I stall in my own attempt to eat, missing my mouth and jamming a fry into my chin. “You missed.”

  “Yeah, got that.” I take the fry and launch it at him. You can’t change where you come from, Luna. You can only change who you want to become. I take a deep breath before replying. “I grew up in foster care. When I turned eighteen, I went off on my own. Wasn’t the best living situation, but I made it work. A couple weeks ago, I got into some trouble and had to leave. Everything. I packed a bag and took the first bus out, which led me here. Since I didn’t know anyone, I went back to my roots, knowing there were places that would take me in until I got back on my feet. That’s how I landed at The House.”