by Cat Schield
“Hey,” Harrison said as he approached. “Thanks for the lift.”
“Are you kidding?” Beau glanced at his fiancée. “It’s the least we could do after the weekend we’ve had. The behind-the-scenes access you gave us was incredible.”
Harrison pulled open the rear driver’s-side door and spied London sitting on the far seat. The sight of her made his chest go tight. Damn. The woman was beautiful. Today she wore black pants and a denim jacket over a cream sweater. Her hair was bound in a loose braid with long strands framing her pale cheeks. A welcoming smile curved her full, kissable lips and he glimpsed no trace of hesitation in her manner.
Heart thumping erratically, he slid in beside her and became immediately aware of her subtle floral scent. “So what did you think of your first race?” he asked, slipping his duffel into the SUV’s cargo area. “Was it what you expected?”
“To be honest, I thought I’d be bored. Five hundred laps seemed like a lot. But it was really fun. It helped to have these two with me.” She indicated the couple in the front seats. “They explained a lot of the ins and outs of the strategy. And congratulations on your second-place finish.”
“The team had a good weekend,” he replied, unsure why he was downplaying his success. Didn’t he want to impress this woman? From everything he’d been told, only the best would do for her. “If all goes smoothly next weekend, Crosby Motorsports is poised to finish second this year.”
“So next weekend is your last race? What do you do during the off-season?”
“Rest, play and then get ready for next year.”
“How much time do you get off to do that?”
“Season starts again in February. I take a break in December to vacation and celebrate the holidays with my family. But even during the off-season I train. Both in the gym and with driving simulations to keep my reflexes sharp.” Harrison reached out and took her hand in his, turning it palm up and running the tips of his fingers over her skin. He noticed a slight tremble in her fingers as he caressed her. “I had a really great time last night,” he murmured, pitching his voice so only she could hear.
“It was fun. Thank you for dinner.” Her gaze flicked from the hand he held to the couple in the front and back to him.
“I’m sorry we had to make such an early night of it.”
“You had a big day today. I wouldn’t have felt right if I kept you up too late.” She sent him a sizzling look from beneath her lashes, banishing his earlier weariness.
Was she feeling bold because they weren’t alone?
He toyed with her fingers, imagining how they would feel against his naked body. Yet, to his surprise, the rush of lust such thoughts aroused was matched by a strong craving to find out what made her tick. He lifted her palm to his lips and nipped at her skin. Her sharp gasp made him smile. He’d begun to suspect the route past her defenses might involve keeping her off balance by pushing her sensual boundaries. He would have to test that during tomorrow’s hunt for the party venue.
“I think a sleepless night with you would’ve been worth doing badly today,” he murmured.
“I’m sure your uncle wouldn’t agree.”
“He was young once.”
“He’s running a multimillion-dollar racing team,” she countered, her tone tart. “And even if he forgave you, what about your sponsors?”
Harrison let loose an exaggerated sigh. “One of these days you’re going to surprise me by not being so practical.”
“You think so?” A faint smile curved her lips.
“I know so.”
London subsided into reflective silence for several minutes and Harrison gave her room to think. At long last she said, “It’s not part of my nature to be rash and spontaneous. My mother drilled into my head that I should think first and act second. She’s very concerned with appearances, and growing up, I never had an opportunity to spread my wings, so to speak.”
This bit of insight into her past intrigued him. “What would you have done if your choices hadn’t been so restricted?”
“Run off and join the circus?” Her weak attempt at humor was obviously an attempt to deflect his probing. After a second she gave a half-hearted shrug and said, “I don’t know. Sometimes I resent that my mother was so obsessed with advancing my position in Charleston society.”
“Only sometimes?” he challenged.
London’s fingers briefly tightened over his. “When I let myself think about it.” For a long moment she sat in silence, but soon his patience was rewarded. “It’s hard when your mother thinks your worth is defined by who you marry. That’s something other people judge you by, not your own parent.”
“Why do you care?”
His blunt question apparently surprised her. Despite the shadowy confines of the back seat, he could easily read the sudden tension in her expression.
She reacted as if he’d attacked some core value she lived by. “I want her to be glad I’m her daughter.”
Harrison understood why this was important. Tristan had long sought their father’s approval, especially since taking over Crosby Automotive. Harrison’s brother seemed obsessed with matching the success their father had made of the company, yet profits had been mostly flat in the first few years Tristan had been in charge. Still, that hadn’t seemed to affect his personal spending. Something Harrison had heard his uncle criticize more than once.
“You don’t think she admires all you’ve accomplished?” Harrison asked, returning his thoughts to London’s situation.
“I think my dad does.” Pride glowed in her voice. “My company is very successful and that makes him proud.”
“But not your mother?”
“She might’ve been happy if I’d married Linc and had several boys and one girl.”
“Why only one girl?” Harrison suspected he knew the answer before she spoke.
“Obviously my mother’s opinion is that women are worth less than men.” London’s tone was more matter-of-fact than bitter. “Still, she’d like to have a granddaughter who could do what I couldn’t. Become a debutante.”
Harrison knew his mother had gone through the classes and been presented at nineteen. But in this day and age, did that stuff even matter?
“Why is it so important to her?” he asked.
“My mother grew up in New York City and was never selected for the International Debutante Ball there, despite her family’s connections and wealth. She took the rejection hard.” London shifted in her seat, turning to face him. “And then she gets to Charleston and finds all the doors are closed to her. No one cared about her money. All that mattered was she was from off.” London freed her hand briefly so she could form air quotes around the last word.
“You should talk to my mother,” Harrison said. “She rejected becoming a debutante and married my dad, who was not only an outsider but poor by her family standards.”
“I’m going to guess she’d tell me to follow my heart?”
“That was the advice she gave me when my dad hassled me about choosing racing over working for Crosby Automotive. If I hadn’t, I’d be working for the family business and completely miserable.”
“You don’t see yourself as a businessman?”
“Honestly, not the sort who sits in an office and stares at reports all day. My plan is to take over for my uncle one day and run Crosby Motorsports.”
“And in the meantime you’re just going to race and have fun.”
“Nothing wrong with having fun. I’d like to demonstrate that to you.”
“What sort of fun do you think I’d be interested in?” she asked, her manner serious rather than flirtatious.
“Hard to say until I get to know you better.” He had several ideas on the subject. “But would you have guessed that you’d enjoy today’s race as much as you did?”
“No, not really. Maybe I do need to look outside my lim
ited circle of activities.”
“So that’s a yes to new experiences?”
“As long as you’re willing to balance adventure with somewhat tamer forms of entertainment,” she said, “I’m in.”
No sweeter words had ever been spoken by a woman.
Six
Shortly after lunch on the Monday following her weekend in Richmond, London sat at her desk, doodling on her notepad, her cell phone on speaker while Maribelle went on and on about how much she and Beau had enjoyed their time at the raceway. London’s attention, however, was not on the race but on the man who’d invited her to it.
Almost as if her friend could read her mind, Maribelle said, “He’s really into you. I think that’s so great.”
Maribelle’s remark sent a little shiver of pleasure through London. “I don’t know what to think.”
But she wasn’t being completely truthful. London was in fact thinking that she’d intended to use Harrison to get close to his brother, and the more time she spent with the race-car driver, the more troubling her attraction to him became.
Despite their closeness, London hadn’t told Maribelle about the crazy plan hatched at the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event. London knew if she looked too deeply at why she’d kept it from her best friend of fifteen years, doubts would surface about her moral choices. Shame flooded her as London realized how far she’d strayed from the person she’d believed herself to be. Yet to stop now when others were depending on her...
“Are you worried what your mother would think of him?” Maribelle asked, breaking into London’s thoughts.
Maribelle had been there for London during high school when Edie Fremont-McCaffrey’s frustration with Charleston’s society rules had made London’s life hell. It wasn’t her fault that she wasn’t allowed to be a debutante, but that hadn’t stopped her mother from raining criticisms down on her daughter’s head. Blaming her mother gave London an excuse to be conflicted about getting involved with Harrison so that her real concerns never had to surface.
“She wasn’t exactly thrilled with the fact that Linc was a professional baseball player, but he was wealthy and had the old Charleston social connections that she wanted for me.” London toyed with her earring. “Can you imagine how she’d feel about Harrison? Not only is he a race-car driver, but his father and uncle are from off with no social standing.”
“Why do you care?”
It wasn’t the first time Maribelle had asked the question. Nor did it spark the familiar surge of resentment that was always just below the surface. About how easy it was for someone who had it all to downplay their advantages. Add to that how supportive Maribelle’s family was about everything she did, and bitterness had often colored London’s mood. Today, however, London was feeling less defensive than usual.
“Because fighting her is so much work. It’s easier to give in.” The admission flowed from London’s lips, startling her. And apparently surprising Maribelle, as well, because for a long few seconds neither woman spoke.
“Oh, London.”
Sudden tears erupted in London’s eyes. Shocked by the rush of emotion, she blinked rapidly, determined not to give in. Her mother had hounded her mercilessly all her life and London had always braced against it. For as long as she could remember, London had maintained a resilient facade while secretly believing that Edie was right and it was all London’s fault.
She picked up the phone and took it off speaker. “My mother is a tyrant,” she said in a barely audible whisper, almost as if she was afraid to voice what was in her heart. “She has criticized nearly everything I’ve ever done or said.”
“She’s a terrible person,” Maribelle agreed, always London’s champion. “But she’s also your mother and you want to please her. It’s normal.”
But was it? Shouldn’t parents want what was best for their children? That being said, Edie would claim that encouraging her daughter to marry well was the most important thing for London’s future, but it was pretty clear that her mother didn’t take London’s happiness into account, as well.
“Maybe I need a new normal,” London groused.
“Maybe you do,” Maribelle said, her tone deadly serious. “What are you wearing right now?”
The question came out of nowhere and made London laugh. She dabbed at the trace of moisture lingering near the corner of her eye and found her spirits rising.
“Are you trying to get me to engage in phone sex with you?” London teased, pretending to sound outraged. “Because I don’t think either of us rolls that way.”
“Ha, ha.” Maribelle sounded more impatient than amused. “I’m only asking because I heard you making plans to get together with Harrison today to go venue shopping. I hope you’re wearing something less...reserved than usual.”
London glanced down at the emerald green wrap dress she wore. The style was more fun and relaxed than her typical uniform of conservative suits in understated shades of gray, blue and black.
“I’m wearing the necklace you bought me for Christmas last year.” London had not previously worn the statement necklace of stone flowers in hot jewel tones, thinking the look was too bold for her. But today she’d wanted her appearance to make an impact and the necklace had paired perfectly with the dress.
“Is your hair up?”
London’s fingers automatically went to the sleek side bun she wore.
“Forget I asked,” Maribelle said. “Just take it down and send me a picture.”
Feeling slightly ridiculous, London did as she was told, even going so far as to fluff her blond waves into a sexy, disheveled look, and was rewarded by her friend’s joyful squeal.
“I think that means you approve.”
“This is the London McCaffrey I’ve been waiting for all my life,” Maribelle declared in rapturous tones. “You look fantastic and it’s so nice to see you ditching those dull duds you think make you look professional.”
“Thanks?” Despite her friend’s backhanded compliment, London was feeling optimistic and excited about seeing Harrison again. Would he approve of her new look? Or was he a typical guy who wouldn’t notice?
“You really like him, don’t you?”
London opened her mouth, preparing to deny the way her heart raced and nerves danced whenever she was with Harrison, but couldn’t lie to her friend. “I do like him. More than I expected to. That being said, it might be that we have a lot of chemistry and there’s no possible way we’re compatible beyond that.” She left an unspoken but hanging in the air.
It was getting harder and harder to make excuses for why dating Harrison would be a waste of her time. Unfortunately, the real reason was a secret London could never share with her friend and that made what she was doing all the worse.
“Say whatever you want,” Maribelle said. “But I see things working out between you two.”
“I don’t know. We’re so different. We have divergent points of view about lifestyle and the things we enjoy. How do we go forward if we have nothing in common?”
“That sounds like your mother talking. How different are you really? You both come from money. You may not run in the same groups, but your families share some social connections. Both of you are committed to your careers and highly competitive. If you’re talking about the fact that he races cars for a living, he makes a boatload of money doing it and I think you’d be bored with some stuffy businessman who only wants to talk about how his company is doing. You need someone who gets you riled up.”
“You keep saying things like that, but excitement has never been my criterion for finding a man attractive before.”
“How’s that worked out for you thus far?”
Before London could protest that she was quite happy with her life, her desk phone lit up with a call from Missy, likely indicating that Harrison had arrived.
“I think Harrison’s here.”
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“Call me later to let me know how it went.”
Instead of reminding her friend that this was a business meeting, London said, “I’m sure there won’t be anything to tell.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
London was shaking her head as she disconnected with her friend and answered the call from her receptionist. Sure enough, Harrison was waiting for her in the lobby.
Before she picked up her tablet containing all the information on the four venues she’d be showing Harrison today, London double-checked her makeup and applied a fresh coat of lipstick. She noted her sparkling eyes and the flush over her cheekbones put there in anticipation of seeing Harrison. The man had certainly gotten beneath her skin. Worse, she was glad of it.
Despite the fact that she’d seen him the night before, London’s stomach flipped as she walked into the reception area and spied Harrison’s tall figure. Although her primping had kept him waiting, he wasn’t checking his phone or flirting with her receptionist. Instead he was focused on the hallway leading to her office. Their eyes collided and a shower of sparks raced across London’s nerve endings, leaving her breathless and light-headed.
“Hi,” she said, her voice sounding not at all professional. Cursing her body’s longing to fling itself against his, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Sorry I kept you waiting.” Flustered by his slow, sexy smile, she turned to the receptionist. “Missy, I’ll be gone for the rest of the afternoon. See you in the morning.”
“Sure.” Missy brazenly winked at her. “You two have fun now.”
London’s mouth dropped open and her brain was scrambling to come up with something to reply when Harrison caught her hand and tugged her toward the door. She noticed how the man smelled delicious as he guided her to his Mercedes.
“Where to first?” he asked as he slid behind the wheel.
Although the entire afternoon’s plans were already firmly in her mind, she cued up her tablet, needing something to do to avoid looking at him. After naming an address half a mile down on King Street, she began listing the positives and negatives of the space.
