Old Flame, New Sparks

by Day Leclaire

  He conceded her point with a shrug. “Then how did you end up with Jinx so soon after our night together?”

  She’d anticipated this question. Planned for it. “I realized I’d made a terrible mistake sleeping with you.” That much was true enough. She’d imbued Lucas with qualities she’d wanted in the man she’d love and marry, rather than with those he actually possessed. She’d created a fairy tale out of reality and tried to cast him in the role of Prince Charming. It not only hadn’t worked, it had been an unmitigated disaster. But along with that single truthful statement came the lie she desperately hoped to sell as truth. “I also realized that I was using you as a stand-in for the man I really wanted. Jinx.”

  Lucas took a moment to consider her words before pushing a bit harder. “Your father must have had a thing or two to say about your relationship with Hammond, especially when you were all of seventeen and he was a solid fifteen years older. Not to mention being a paraplegic.” Lucas’s eyes narrowed in thought. “He was hit by that drunk driver just a few weeks after we were together, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes.” She managed to shove out that single word, but adding to it proved beyond her.

  “You must have conceived Jamie during those two weeks, since you were clearly pregnant by the time Jinx left the rehab hospital. I mean, you were adamant that the baby wasn’t mine when I asked.”

  “Jinx and I married the day he was released,” she said, confirming his one assumption, without bothering to address the others.

  Lucas continued to block the office door or she’d have shoved past him and put an end to the discussion. If she had a hope of dealing with him on any sort of an equal footing, she needed to stand up to him, no matter how difficult.

  She allowed a hint of impatience to bleed into her voice. “What’s the point of all this, Lucas? Why dredge up ancient history? I think we can both concede that I was an idiotic seventeen-year-old. But that was ages ago.”

  “I’m well aware of how long ago it was.” Something in his comment snagged her attention, but before she could analyze it, he continued. “I’m wondering why you slept with me. You were a virgin, and yet there’s no question in my mind that you came after me that night at the party. Granted, I was more than happy to accommodate you.”

  “Until the next morning.”

  Wry acknowledgment swept across his expression. “And woke up to discover that the sophisticated twenty-year-old I’d taken to bed had transformed into a girl not yet out of high school.”

  The years had turned that soul-deep pain into a gentle ache, enabling her to handle the memory without the anguish that had threatened to tear her apart back then. “Not to mention being Darrell Reynolds’s daughter.”

  He winced. “That alone guaranteed the end of my career if anyone had found out. I kept expecting Darrell, Jinx and the entire shop and team to come after me when they found out what I’d done to you and dole out a serious hurting.”

  “And they would have been all too happy to do some doling…if I’d ever told them we’d had a one-night stand.”

  “Which brings me back to my original question.” She thought she’d managed to ease him away from that, but she should have known better. Lucas had always possessed infinite focus, something that had contributed to his success on the track. “I keep wondering why, Kellie. Why me? And why didn’t you ever tell anyone what we’d done?”

  She looked him straight in the eye and lied for all she was worth. “Because Jinx was the man I loved, but my father would have cut him to pieces if he’d tried anything with me. So, I turned to you because I thought you were the next best thing. But you weren’t.” She couldn’t help the taunt. “You aren’t anything like Jinx, are you?”

  Lucas shook his head, his expression settling into grim lines. “No, I’m a very different man.”

  “So I found out.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Are we done with all this now? Can we finally leave the past where it belongs…in the past?”

  “Sure.” He waited a beat before adding, “That just leaves the present and the future.”

  She fought to keep from reacting, to keep a pleasant expression on her face and any hint of despair from reflecting in her eyes. “That’s easy enough. You’re my partner, as well as one of my drivers. Since you were so quick to list your expectations the last time we spoke, I’ll return the favor.” She ticked off on her fingers. “I expect you to fulfill your contractual commitments and attend all the pre-and post-race meetings. I expect you to keep all internal disagreements out of the media and work on getting maximum exposure for your sponsors and HRI. I expect you to give your usual one hundred percent to winning races. And most of all, I expect you to play nicely with the other drivers.”

  He appeared intrigued by one of the items on her list. “You sure you want me to give a hundred percent to winning?”

  It only took an instant to understand what he meant. “Do I want you to win another NASCAR Championship? Actually, I would.” She gave him a brilliant smile. “Next year.”

  His grin cut deep grooves on either side of his mouth. “In that case, I only have one last question.”

  Relief made her cocky. “Hit me.”

  “How do you plan on dealing with what’s going on between us?”

  Her smile died. How did he do it? One minute she felt secure in the knowledge that they had a shot at maintaining a strictly business relationship, and the next he had her wanting to tumble into his arms. Well, she wouldn’t let him get away with it. She hit him with her coldest glare. “And what do you imagine is between us, Lucas?”

  He straightened away from the doorjamb and approached. Could he tell how difficult it was for her to keep her knees locked in place? Considering the hint of amusement that drifted through his black gaze, he did. He drew to a stop a scant few inches away. For a race car driver, he was unusually tall, a solid six foot two worth of powerful male. He didn’t attempt to pull her into his arms as she half expected. Instead, he reached out with a single finger and dragged it along her cheek to the edge of her mouth before tracing her lower lip.

  She closed her eyes, hiding from what she couldn’t handle. Reaction slammed through her, and a hot, tight ball of desire knotted low in her belly while a forbidden need sizzled through her veins. How was it possible that she still wanted him? That with one touch, she’d be willing to put herself right back where she’d been eighteen years ago? Unbidden and unwanted, the tiniest of moans escaped her and her eyes flew open in horror.

  A flame ignited in his gaze at the telltale sound. “That,” he murmured. “That’s what’s still between us. And I’ve had a hankering for another taste for eighteen long years.”

  Without another word, he turned and headed for the door.

  He exited the office, leaving her totally undone.

  “THE EXCITEMENT IS heating up. We’re just a few short weeks from Daytona and fans are counting the days until the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season takes its first green flag. It’s crunch time and all eyes are on Hammond Racing, Inc. and its stellar racing teams.

  “Will Bad Boyce kick off the season by making an early grab for the points lead as he races toward a repeat NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship? Or will Cole Whaling, Bad’s new teammate and Championship runner-up, decide he doesn’t like being second best? Or will HRI newcomer Jamie Hammond surprise us all, showing off the driving chops he undoubtedly inherited from his father? Fans who want to see Jamie’s brand-new uniform and race car paint scheme will get the opportunity at Food Basket’s shindig in two short weeks, where everyone who’s anyone will be celebrating the official unveiling.

  “In the meantime, rumors swirl that the three HRI drivers aren’t playing as nicely as team owner Kellie Hammond might like. Three rowdy boys, all after the same prize. What’s a mother to do? I’ll tell you what you should do. Stay tuned for the latest breaking news and racing updates!”

  LUCAS SPOTTED HER the instant he walked into the reception area.

  There was something ab
out Kellie Hammond that put all of his senses on high alert. It had been that way since the moment they’d first met. Of course, then he’d been a brash, cocky twenty-one-year-old, full of himself and his potential success in the racing community. Back then, it had been all about scoring, both on the track and off.

  And Kellie Hammond—or Reynolds as she’d been in those days—the innocent seventeen-year-old daughter of the great Jinx Hammond’s crew chief, had been a temptation he should have resisted and hadn’t. Looking back now, he realized he couldn’t.

  It shouldn’t have happened all those years ago. And it wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been celebrating his first victory, indulging in too much champagne and fueled by far too much testosterone. He’d spotted her across the room way back then, just as now. She still had that glorious cloud of golden curls tumbling down her back, though the first time he’d seen her, she’d worn it teased into a wild mid-eighties tangle about that stunning face. The memory prompted a smile. She’d also shoveled a few inches worth of makeup onto her face that particular night, which might have accounted for his mistaking her for a full-grown woman instead of a starry-eyed teenager playing dress-up.

  Of course, he hadn’t recognized her. How could he? Not when her usual uniform around the garages had always been grease-stained jeans, baggy tees that hid that incredible figure and her distinctive hair either braided or stuffed into a ball cap. Cleaned up she’d been irresistible and he hadn’t bothered trying.

  She was still irresistible. The only question that remained was whether he’d succeed where he’d failed before and hold her at a safe distance, or succumb to his baser instincts. Judging by what had happened two weeks ago in his new HRI office, his chances of success this time around were zero to none.

  Worse, Kellie’s essence haunted the place, making it almost impossible to closet himself within those four walls and get any work done. Every time he tried, his thoughts strayed to the satin-smooth skin of her cheek and the full ripeness of her mouth, not to mention how close he’d come to yanking her into his arms and kissing her. She was forbidden fruit, now…and then.

  “Hey there, Bad.”

  A heavy hand clapped Lucas on his shoulder and he turned to discover a grinning Cole standing beside him. To anyone looking on, the two appeared the best of friends, unless they were close enough to see the intense dislike glittering in Cole’s hazel eyes.

  “Whaling,” Lucas acknowledged.

  Cole shook his head in patent disbelief. “I’m still finding it hard to believe that my biggest rival is now my teammate.” He spoke in a carrying voice for the benefit of those nearby, who could overhear their conversation, and his attitude signaled amused camaraderie. “Could have knocked me over with a bulldozer when Kellie made the announcement. I was that surprised.”

  “Feather.”

  “Say what?”

  “The expression.” Lucas spared the other man a brief glance. “You were so surprised you could have been knocked over with a feather.”

  Whaling’s grin broadened. “Ain’t nothin’ that can knock me over with a feather.” His eyes drifted in Kellie’s direction and now he spoke so only Lucas could hear. “Except maybe our boss. Fine lady, that Kellie Hammond.”

  Something clenched inside Lucas. “I look forward to working with her.”

  “Unless you win this year’s NASCAR Championship. Then all forty-nine percent of her will be working under all fifty-one percent of you. Isn’t that how it’ll go down?”

  The suggestiveness of the taunt had Lucas turning to face Whaling, wanting nothing more than to knock the broad, knowing grin off the other man’s face. It was a trademark smile that had charmed the fans and media since Whaling had first hit the circuit, his “golden boy” good looks, twinkling hazel eyes and disarming dimples used to full advantage whether seducing reporters, or the women who’d graced his bed. Did he have plans to seduce Kellie now that Jinx was gone?

  Lucas decided to give Whaling the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being. “I’m sure you didn’t mean that to sound the way it did.” He returned Cole’s smile with one more deadly than charming. “I understand you practice your little quips in front of a mirror. You might want to practice that last one so it doesn’t come off wrong in front of the press. That way I won’t be forced to make you eat your words on national television.”

  The “aw, shucks” grin faded, replaced by something far cannier and far more real. “Don’t you worry about me and the press,” Whaling drawled. “I know exactly what I’m doing there.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  “Boyce!” Leo Farmer, Food Basket’s CEO and Lucas’s close friend since high school, hailed him from across the room. “Get over here, old man. You’re just in time.”

  Kellie and Jamie stood with Leo, along with Leo’s daughter, Stephanie. Lucas frowned. One look warned that his goddaughter was smitten, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the object of her affections. Jamie Hammond. Based on the shy grin NASCAR’s newest driver aimed in her direction, the feeling was mutual. Lucas suppressed a groan. What was it about teenage girls and race car drivers that made them both lose every last brain cell they possessed?

  “We’re about to unveil the new paint scheme on the Number 56 car,” Leo said, clearly oblivious to the swirling undercurrents between the two teenagers. “We’ve kept the old green and gold colors that Jinx had, but we’ve given the paint scheme a flashy new look, featuring our logo, of course. I’m really impressed with the final design.”

  “I can’t wait to see it,” Lucas said, genuinely pleased for his friend.

  “Why don’t you get changed,” Kellie suggested to Jamie. “They’ll want pictures of you with the car.”

  Jamie reluctantly dragged his attention away from Stephanie. After shaking Leo’s hand and giving Stephanie a final grin, he exited the reception hall. Leo and Stephanie headed for the staging area a few minutes later to assist with the presentation, leaving Lucas alone with Kellie.

  He could see her guardedness and knew it stemmed from the last time they were alone together. In the two weeks since, they’d both been careful to keep their meetings to only those occasions when others were present to act as a buffer. It had worked, though only to a certain extent. While it prevented new sparks from re igniting an old flame, the heat smoldered in the back ground, threatening to erupt at the first opportunity.

  And they both knew it.

  The question that troubled him was whether any of the others around them were aware of the situation.

  They’d have to be deaf, blind and downright stupid not to sense some of what rippled beneath the surface. And if it were this bad now…how would it be once the season kicked off and they were in each other’s company on a more frequent basis?

  He released his breath in a silent sigh. He’d deal with that situation when it became too irritating to ignore. In the meantime, he had another problem he needed nipped in the bud. “Those two remind me of old times,” he said, inclining his head in the direction Jamie and the Farmers had gone.

  Wariness drifted across Kellie’s expression, and he could tell she was hastily slapping defenses into place.

  “Who does? What are you talking about?”

  “Jamie and Stephanie.”

  Her eyes widened in dismay. “You think—” She dismissed the suggestion out of hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. They just met.”

  Aw, hell. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him. “You’re joking, right?” His laugh held a derisive edge. “We met at a party celebrating my first win and a couple hours later we were in bed together.”

  “You don’t need to remind me,” she snapped, rounding on him. “I believe we already covered that ground and agreed to put it behind us. Besides, Jamie’s only eighteen.”

  “Why do I feel compelled to point out that you were barely seventeen, though I didn’t know it at the time. I seem to remember you telling me you were twenty.”

  Twin spots of color rode her
cheekbones and her mouth tightened. “I was a child playing at being an adult. I screwed up.”

  He refused to cut her any slack. “You blindsided me that night, sweetheart. I was definitely at fault since I allowed myself to be seduced by a pretty paint job instead of checking under the hood. But you’re guilty of some serious false advertising. Check that. You flat-out lied.”

  The depth of her hurt caught him off guard. “You’re right,” she said simply. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “On the plus side, you taught me to look beneath the surface, a lesson my ex-wife, Bridgette, reinforced. Now, I expect to get hit, and do my best to protect myself against it.” He offered a humorless smile. “I don’t trust easily anymore. Makes it simpler all around, don’t you think?”

  “No, I don’t.” Her hurt turned to compassion. “If you want the truth, I think it’s sad.”

  “I don’t need your pity.” He couldn’t resist touching her, sliding his callused hand up the length of her arm to the flimsy strap that clung to her shoulder, holding her gown in place. He traced the edge of the strap and watched as she shivered beneath that single, tantalizing stroke.

  “Stop it, Lucas.”

  He ignored her. Instead, he shifted closer, taking a perverse pleasure in the intensity of the reaction that rippled back and forth between them. “Listen up, partner,” he murmured. “Stephanie’s my goddaughter and I’m not about to let Jamie hurt her. She’s the innocent in all this, ready, willing and able to be blindsided by a randy teenaged stock car driver. No matter what it takes, history will not repeat itself.”

  “You’re overreacting,” she protested.

  “This isn’t open to negotiation. This isn’t a 49/51 give-and-take. Not on this issue. This is me warning you that if someone gets hurt, it won’t be Stephanie. Are we clear?”

  Her chin swept upward and she met his gaze with a defiance at distinct odds with her words. “I’ll speak to Jamie.”