Junkie: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by J. D. Hollyfield

  His lips fall to mine. He doesn’t press hard, just enough to give me reassurances I desperately need. “For what it’s worth, I would have fallen in love with that person just as easily. We can’t take back the past. We both know that’s impossible. But don’t think for a second I hold you accountable. I’m more hurt you didn’t trust me to help you, but I understand.”

  “It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I was scared.”

  He hugs me tighter to him. “And I never want you to feel that way again. I’m serious, Luna. Run away with me. Let me take care of you. I know you don’t need anyone, but if we’re being honest, I need you. So maybe you can take care of me instead?”

  I can’t help but release a burst of laughter. “Excuse me?” Again, I pull away, finding his eyes.

  “I’ve missed your sadistic ways. If it takes becoming your little pet and submitting to all the things you demand, I just want to know where I sign. I want us, Luna. And I’m really hoping you want to get into my car willingly because it’s frowned upon to force a woman into a car outside a woman’s correctional facility—”

  I cut him short by slapping him in the chest. “Can you be serious for like, a second?” I offer him my fake pout, but on the inside, butterflies swirl in a tornado of emotions.

  He nods quickly. “Sorry, you just make me nervous sometimes. And horny. You look beautiful.”

  Jesus. I roll my eyes. “I’ve been in lock-up for twenty-one days. I doubt I look beautiful.”

  His expression turns serious. “I know exactly where you’ve been. It killed me not being able to rescue you from this place—a place you never deserved to be in. Twenty-one days that have killed me not being with you, holding your hand, kissing these lips, making sure you know damn well how loved you are. I’ve been in fucking hell without you. You could be doused in mustard—which I absolutely despise—and I would still think you’re the most beautiful woman on this planet.” He cups my face once more, holding my gaze. “I love you, Luna. I love you down to your cute little crooked toe.”

  “Hey! I don’t have a crooked toe!”

  “You do actually. I watch it curl every time I give you a mind-blowing orgasm.”

  My brows crease together. “You stare at my toes while we’re having sex?”

  There’s that look. The oh shit I did it again look. I laugh as he tries to amend what he said. “No, yes. No, I don’t, but I’ve seen it, and I love it. It’s cute and mine, and you’re mine, and can we agree to disagree and just admit we love each other and you’re hungry and want those burgers and milkshakes and that happily ever after I’m dying to give you?”

  My eyes spill over with emotion. I’m not sure what to say. “Are you sure?” I ask, because if he’s not, he needs to let me go.

  “About the mustard? Absolutely. That shit is dis-fucking-gusting. About loving you and driving off into the sunset of our own magical destiny? Yes, that too—”

  I crush my lips to his, shutting him up, because he needs to stop talking. He pulls me tight against him, claiming my mouth. We collide in a world of silent words, our tongues connecting, setting off an explosive spark between us. Our kiss turns into a fiery passion, and he lifts me in his arms, carrying me away from my past toward my future. With him. Us. And the unknown.

  Cash

  Six months later…

  “Wake up, princess.” I spread feathery kisses down her bare back, squeezing her ass cheeks. I’m a greedy man. I know she needs her sleep since I’ve kept her up all night, but I can’t help it. I bite her plump ass cheek, loving the way she squirms under me.

  “Go away.” Her grumbly voice laced with fatigue has my dick at a full salute. I love it when she tries to get all bossy with me.

  “I can’t. You tease me with this thing. You should really put your toys away if you don’t want anyone else playing with them.” I take pleasure of biting her other butt cheek, loving the way she feels pressed to me. My love borderlines obsession, but I can’t help it. Every single inch of her drives me mad. Her laughter, her smart mouth, her parted plump lips when I make her come. Her rosy cheeks when she gets shy. Her cute little pout when she acts upset over losing at movie quizzes. I love every single fucking bit of it.

  My hands have a mind of their own, massaging her butt. I lower myself until I’m spreading her legs open and tasting her from behind. Breakfast of champions. I groan, swiping my tongue up her center, loving how wet she is. My little liar. “Just tell me if you want me to go away—”

  “Shut up,” she snaps, but it morphs quickly into a moan as I lick between her folds, finding her warm and inviting as I insert a finger into her. God, this is heaven. Every part of her. I can never get enough. Her sounds of pleasure fill the air, and I become high off the sweet melody of her arousal. I suck and bite, offering her another finger, until I feel her death grip around me as she lets go. Pulling my fingers away, I flip her, and am greeted by the most beautiful woman in the world. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips still plump from last night. I line my hard cock up to the best place in the world and push inside her. There’s never been anyone like her. There never will be. This is it for me. She’s my one.

  “I love when you tell me to go away,” I tease, pulling out slowly.

  “And I love when you don’t listen. More,” she begs, and I slide back home. This is how it is every time. This connection is so intense, I wonder if we’ll make it out alive. Our bodies are like two puzzle pieces made perfectly to fit one another. I never want to be without her. I swear every single day I never will be. I plan on making her so damn happy, she won’t want to leave. That or Google guidebooks on hostage relationships.

  I slide deep inside her, making sure she knows how much I love her. Pulling out, I thrust harder, so she also knows how fucking crazy she makes me. She returns the need, lifting her hips to meet mine, her hands getting lost in my hair. The way she tugs and pulls, holding me close, is what I need to know she loves me. I find her mouth and swallow her moans, both of us surrendering to the passion and everlasting love that burns so fucking bright between us.

  “I love you,” I proclaim, though the words don’t feel like enough. What I feel for her is more than love. It’s eternal. Everlasting. It hasn’t even been defined, but it lives so deep inside me, I’ll never find the right words to show her just how indestructible we are.

  I lose myself in all things Luna and power into her, needing her all around me. Her pitched moans tell me she’s close. “I love you too. Fuck…fuck…” Yeah. I do that to her. Make her lose her mind.

  I growl into her mouth as she starts to fly over the edge we’ve built together. Taking me with her, we freefall into oblivion.

  Luna

  I’m still coming down from my euphoric high. Each orgasm gets better and better. I’m not sure how my legs even work. Cash starts peppering my chest with warm, wet kisses. “Seriously. You need to stop waking me up like this. I need my sleep.” I’m lying through my teeth. This is the best way to wake up. My fingers brush through his wild hair, and I cradle his head while he makes his way down between my breasts to my stomach. I rest my head against the pillow and close my eyes, reveling in the way his lips feel against my hot skin.

  “Whatever you say, princess.” More kisses. “Tomorrow, I’ll try to hold back.” Sure he will. He better not. I tighten my grip on his hair, pulling his head up so we lock eyes.

  “Are you at least going to feed me since you woke me up so early? What day is it?” We haven’t left our place since Cash won the Grand Prix Long Beach two days ago. The immediate headlines declared he obliterated the competition. Before that, at the season opener in St. Petersburg, they called his driving perfection. Yeah, that’s right. My man is nothing but speed, precision and perfection.

  “That depends on if you want to leave, princess. I would be making Lilly’s job a lot easier if I showed my face soon. Then again, the only place I want my face to be is right here.” He shoots down, but before he can get to my sex, I pull his attention back up.r />
  “Hungry,” I growl at the same time my stomach does. If I let him continue his journey, we won’t be eating ’til past lunch.

  His warm breath teases my lower belly, his lips pressing just above my belly button. “Fine. No fun. I’ll feed you. We have to be somewhere in a couple hours anyway.” He doesn’t say anything more and jumps out of bed, naked as the day he was born, wiggling his cute ass as he walks into the bathroom.

  He catches me ogling him from the bathroom mirror and grants me his infamous wink, using his index finger to insist I join him in the shower. I shake my head, laughing at his devious scheme to finish what I stopped.

  I throw myself back against the mattress, an audible sigh leaving my lips. I will not be lured in by his sexy body and devious ways. I am strong. I have a backbone. I am not horny. First thing I retract is the strong part because images of him in the shower, water dripping down his muscled chest…. his dick, hard and ready for me… dammit! My nipples are hard. I am strong. I will not be lured in by his sexy, mind-blowing—Screw it. I throw my legs off the bed, barely waiting to find my balance before hurrying into the bathroom so I don’t miss the show.

  “Okay. I give up. What are we doing here?” I’m standing in the middle of the field of the auto speedway—the place where it all began. The sun is scorching, and it’s hard to see through the bright light. Cash lifts his hands and places something over my eyes. “Wha—What are you doing?”

  “Relax. I want to show you something.”

  “You’re kinda doing it the wrong way by blindfolding me.” His chuckle vibrates against my back as he ties the fabric.

  “You’re so funny. And cute. And sexy. And smart. Very smart. First, I want you to listen. We’ll get to the visual in a minute, okay?” What the hell is he up to? I give in, letting him do his thing. There’s not much sound except crackling air, it’s so dang hot. “Okay. Listen.”

  I do as he asks, focusing on one of my five senses. It’s quiet until a soft purr hums in the distance. The faint sound of a roaring engine. There’s strength in its howl, like a musical instrument rumbling at different levels of power.

  “What do you hear?” Cash asks quietly in my ear.

  “Someone is racing.” He doesn’t say anything, but I know what he’s waiting for. “Five-fifty horsepower. Probably more. Twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6. Twelve thousand RPMs, give or take.” The wind blows as the engine blasts past us. “Are we out here to have public sex at the speedway?” I ask, rubbing against his hard-on poking my butt.

  “No, but damn that was super fucking hot. I probably should have rethought this idea.”

  I pull off the blindfold as the car takes another lap, zooming past us at a speed that gives me chills. “Wow, he’s good. Who is that?” I ask.

  “Amazing, right? And she is Adrienne.”

  “He’s a she?” I ask, surprised.

  “Yeah. What, you don’t think a female can hack it in motorsports?” His goofy smile makes me want to smack him and kiss the daylights out of him at the same time.

  “Not what I mean, but why—”

  The car comes to a quick halt on the track. Cash grabs my hand and walks us over. My eyes bug out of my head when the driver climbs out and pulls off her helmet, exposing gorgeous long, dark hair and legs for miles. My jealousy radar starts to ping. I step closer to Cash like a green-eyed girlfriend.

  “As always, you smoke the shit out of the track. Thanks for comin’ out.” He goes in for a hug, and I almost tug him backwards. Shit, what’s wrong with me?

  “Thanks. Maybe one day I’ll make it up to your level.” She shifts her attention from him to me. “And you must be the resilient, good-looking, unstoppable Luna Monroe. Cash won’t stop talking my ear off about you.” She sticks out her hand, and now I feel like a big ol’ jerk.

  “He said that about me?” I ask, eyeing him. He seems as smitten as a kitten right now.

  “Yeah, and a whole lot more, but I don’t want to embarrass him.”

  “Probably a good idea. I do that enough on my own. So, I wanted to surprise Luna. She doesn’t know why she’s here and I figured—”

  “You’d let me deliver the good news? Hell yeah!” What news! Jesus, somebody spit it out. “Anywho! Adrienne Malone. It’s a pleasure to meet ya.”

  I snap out of it and shake her hand. “Hi, yeah, nice to meet you. Are you…part of CDE?” I ask.

  Adrienne laughs, shaking her head. “Nope. I play for the other team. Oh! Not that kind of other team. My daddy owns Dark Horse Racing—CDE’s competitor. Don’t tell anyone Cash and I are playing nice. PR would have a field day.” They both share in a laugh. “Luna, I’ve heard what you can do and have also seen it. Cash sent DHR your tapes, and we’re pretty impressed. I know it’s a longshot, but we’re training here at the speedway for the next six months until we head over to Lexington for Indy at Mid-Ohio. If you aren’t busy, I’d love to have you work on my team.”

  My mouth parts. I’m not sure I heard her right.

  “Uh oh, I think I broke your girlfriend.”

  “Nah, she’s like a bull. Tough, yet ticklish in the strangest places—ouch.” Cash grunts as my elbow swings into his gut.

  “I’d love to,” I spit out.

  “Yeah? You sure? I know it’s not getting to work with the all-mighty Cash Huntington, and I’ll be honest, I’ll be all over the place, so you may be with smaller drivers, but the experience is like nothin’ else.”

  Cash and I came to the quick realization we couldn’t work together. Two hours on the job, I was spread wide in the locker room screaming “Team Cash” like a fool. He also admitted it was getting to be a challenge racing with a constant hard-on. So we decided it was best if we kept work and pleasure separate.

  “Oh no, I bet it’s even better.”

  “Hey!” Cash whines, and I give him the you know why look. He returns with the I do know why, but “Team Cash” sounded super sexy look.

  “You guys want me to give you some privacy? I can come back—”

  “No! We’re good. I’m good. I would love the opportunity. Thank you for even considering me. I haven’t done too much in the industry, just…” Illegal stuff here and there. Washed cars, ya know.

  “No problem! It’s not what you know, it’s about what you learn. That’s what these opportunities are for. But hey, I gotta get goin’. I have training here soon and I’m meeting my dad. It was a pleasure meeting you. We’ll be in touch to get you all set up.” She hugs Cash goodbye and waves at me before getting back in her car and pulling it into the pit.

  We both stand there for a moment, not saying a single word. Then his whistling starts. “Okay! Don’t start with the whistling.” I face him. “Why?”

  “Why what?” he asks.

  “Why are you so perfect?”

  His cheeky smile glows as the midday sun shines down on him. His lips do crazy things to me when they arch into the sexiest grin I’ve ever seen. “Takes one to know one.”

  “Are you ever serious?”

  “Yes, when I confessed my love to you. And when I admitted snakes scare me. Or I wet the bed ’til I was nine—oh come on, don’t cry! I know it’s embarrassing, but no need to get emotional for me. I grew out of—ouch. Violent. I love it.”

  “Cash, I’m serious. This…this is…how do I thank you?”

  He pulls me into him, pressing his mouth to the top of my head. “You thank me by making me the happiest man alive. You go kick ass and show the world who Luna Monroe is. And you build your career and do what you love to do. Legally, of course.” He pulls back, trying to avoid a gut punch. But I let his humor slide. I’m too busy wrapping my arms around this man and squeezing him tight, hoping he knows just how much I love him. “Thank you,” I whisper into his chest. I’m not even sure he hears me until his lips press harder against my head.

  “And I love you, princess. I’d do anything to see you fulfill your dream. Even if it takes buying a franchise, putting your name on it, and giving you a car j
ust to see you race.”

  I quickly pull back. “Cash…” I warn.

  “It’s that or buy the entire car museum from Fast and Furious, and I’d really like to do that, so if you can make that happen organically, that’d be great. Two birds, one stone, ya know?”

  God Almighty, I am so in love with this man.

  “I’ll see what I can do. I’ve always had this fantasy of having hot, passionate sex in the back of Vin Diesel’s Dodge Charger. I’d even roleplay and let you call me the name of his love interest in the movie too.”

  His eyes darken, and he grips my hand, dragging us off the field and taking us home.

  Home.

  God, I love the sound of that.

  Six months later…

  The crowd is going bonkers, along with my entire nervous system. I honestly don’t know whether to vomit or wet myself. I may do both if this race doesn’t end with Cash in first place.

  It’s been a year. Funny how things come full circle. I’m in the grandstands at the WeatherTech Raceway as Cash singlehandedly takes the largest lead known in racing history. Three laps remain until he claims what belongs to him: first place in the Grand Prix at Monterey. My emotions have been all over the place lately. Cash has been amazing. Adrienne has been the best mentor. Even Beckett has spent some time teaching me the ins and outs. Even though he likes to act like I’m too much of a distraction to his big star.

  Today marks the anniversary of his brother passing. This year, he took the proper steps to grieve and pay tribute. The speech given before the race brought me to tears, and I saw Cash discreetly wipe at his face.

  And now, he’s only two laps away from taking home the trophy. For him. For his brother.

  I’m pulled out of my trance when I see Becks waving at me, signaling me to get down there. My stomach bottoms out and I almost trip on my feet getting to the pit. “What? What’s wrong?” Everything seemed fine. He looked steady. We can’t go through this again.