by L. M. Carr
“Nothing,” I reply coyly. If I answer honestly, he’ll devour me here and now.
“I was just thinking about how smart you are.” I smile and continue. “How do you know all this stuff?” I ask, motioning with my hands.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs, tilting his head sideways to look underneath the motor.
“Come on. You didn’t go to school for this so how’d you learn?”
His arms flex again as he tightens a bolt.
“I watched. I listened. I learned.”
“So you just walked up to some random guy at the track, stood behind him and took notes with a pen and a paper?” I ask, chuckling at the mental image.
“Actually, I took notes on my phone.” He grins playfully.
“Haha. Aren’t you a funny guy!”
When his chuckle finally subsides, he looks me at me seriously.
“I paid attention. I observed. I learned what to do and what not to do.”
“Ahh…so you were a creepy stalker then.”
Oil-slicked hands fly in my direction, mere inches away from my face and I flinch, my head hitting the door as I jump back in defense. My heart nearly stops with the moment of déjà vu, but the quick flash of memory vanishes the instant Tyler reaches out and cups my jaw carefully, pulling my mouth to his.
“Come here. I’ll give you a creepy stalker.”
He kisses me long and hard, his tongue slips into my mouth and swirls around, dancing, tasting, loving me.
“I watched from afar and then moved closer until I was in the thick of things.”
A shiver runs through my body at his words; I know he’s not just referring to building motorcycles. My belly flutters as butterflies take flight.
“From a distance.” My eyes close as I sigh, understanding his words. “You loved me from a distance for so long.”
My chin quivers over the wasted years of loving another man.
His thumbs sweep over my closed eyelids and reopen at his tender words.
“I did and I always will.”
One tender kiss is followed by another until we give in to desire and satisfy our desperate need for each other. Whispers of intimacy fall from Tyler’s lips and waft into my ears as I climax, followed by his own release.
I press my lips to his neck, leaving a trail of kisses until I reach his chest and turn my ear to listen to his beating heart. It beats hard and strong. My hands slide around his back and find their way beneath his T-shirt where my fingernails scratch lightly.
He hums in response.
“Feels so good.”
“You like that?”
Tyler lowers his face to mine, pinning me with those soulful eyes I love so much.
“I love it. I love everything you do.”
“Even this?” I lower my hand and squeeze his ass and swirl my hips, feeling him harden.
“If you keep doing that, I’ll never get this bike ready. I’ve only got three weeks to finish.”
I sigh dramatically and sing song, drawing out a single word. “Okay.”
Tyler pushes up and adjusts his clothing while I do the same. He turns his attention to the sleek motorcycle and continues the task at hand.
“Did you put in those vacation days at work?”
My eyes brighten as I nod eagerly.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I actually looked at your schedule for the entire season and requested those days off, too. Hopefully, I’ll get them approved. If not, I’ll see if someone can switch with me.”
A genuine smile stretches across his face.
“Thank you.” His face lights up like a Christmas tree. “And why would I mind? I want you to be there so you can give me a good luck kiss.”
I bite down on my lip and grin.
“Not that I need luck, but I would love the kiss.”
I roll my eyes and toss a dirty rag in his direction.
“Don’t be arrogant!”
“I’m not!” He chuckles, adding a quick shrug of his shoulders. “I just know I’m good.”
“I believe that’s called arrogance.”
He smirks and shakes his head.
“In my book, it’s called confidence.”
“Whatever,” I retort.
“You’ll see.”
Another hour slips by as I sit there, watching him. I text with Pam who’s giving me a hard time about spending all my spare time with Tyler. She thinks I’m falling into an old habit of letting a guy dictate what I do and don’t do. I think I eventually convince her that Tyler isn’t like anyone I’ve been with. Aside from my father, he’s the most considerate and loving man I’ve ever met.
I stand and stretch, announcing that I’m tired and am going to take a shower and possibly read.
“I won’t be much longer.”
My face distorts and my stomach rolls when the smell of race fuel infiltrates my nose.
“Ugh! How can you stand that?” I wave my hand in the air, clearing the air in front of my face.
Closing his eyes momentarily, Tyler inhales deeply as if he were savoring it.
“I love the smell of MR12.”
“Why?” I ask incredulously, placing a hand over my mouth.
“It’s the scent of victory.”
I laugh, moving in to kiss him.
“Hah! Do you know what I just realized?” I raise my eyebrows and wait until I have his full attention. “A doesn’t stand for Anthony. It’s for Arrogant. Tyler Arrogant Strong.”
Turning on my heels, I climb the three steps, enter the house and close the door behind me. With my hand still on the handle, my back sags against the door as a sigh releases.
I love Tyler Strong.
“IT’S NOT MY birthday. Not for another two months.”
Tyler’s eyebrows raise up as he inspects the colorfully wrapped boxes on the kitchen table.
“What?” I squawk. “I thought your birthday was March 7th!”
With narrowed eyes, he smiles playfully.
“Tyler, you’re exactly two months older than I am. How could I forget that?”
I wasn’t in the mood last year to celebrate my birthday so I didn’t care that it slipped by without notice. Neither Susie’s sweet éclairs or Pam’s promises to find me a hot date could cheer me up. The fog I had been in had only begun to lift; things were still clouded and hazy especially where Tyler was concerned.
“I’m opening it,” he sings, slowly peeling off a sliver of clear tape.
The anticipation is killing me. I do have to give my mother credit for the idea; but the logo and its meaning is all mine.
Bits of paper fly everywhere as Tyler rips into it, leaving the cardboard box naked. He pulls an Army knife from his back pocket and cuts the tape, finally revealing its contents.
“Shirts?”
I can see the gears working in his brain.
“Well, you have to take them out and look at them!”
He grabs a T-shirt and stretches it out on the table, using his hand to flatten the material.
“Superman?”
There’s a mask of confusion on his face at the logo printed on the left side of the shirt.
“Now turn it over.”
He obliges.
“T.A.S. Racing.” Tyler smiles in surprise and awe when he sees the bold printed script.
I can almost feel the excitement seeping through his pores.
“Did you read what it says below?”
“Stronger than ever.”
The muscle in his jaw clenches as he bites back the moisture in his eyes.
“I love this! Thank you.”
Slipping from his grasp, the soft material falls to the table when he turns to face me, sliding his rough hands over my face.
My heart melts into a pool of emotions.
“You are the most thoughtful person. All the little things you do make me fall more in love with you each and every day. I don’t think I could possibly love you more.”
“I feel the same way about you.” I sweep
my lips across his.
Tyler’s body crushes against mine, his arms locking me in place…my favorite place in the world.
“Can I ask you a question?” he breathes into my hair as his kisses line my neck.
I hum, unable to locate the words to respond.
He chuckles lightly and asks, “What’s up with the Superman logo? I’m not a fan of superheroes.”
I pull back to look at him.
“I know that…but you’re my superhero. You’re my Superman.”
Angling my body to free my arms, I turn and guide his attention to the logo.
“S.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “While some may see “S” for Superman, I see it as “S” for Strong. You are the strongest person I know. You’ve overcome so much. You give so much.”
“But—”
I cover his mouth.
“I wasn’t finished yet.” I smirk.
“Like Superman, you want to make the world a better place. Like him, you take care of people. Like him, you flew in, came out of nowhere, and saved the girl.”
My eyes meet his and express a deep connection.
“You saved me, Tyler. You saved my life.”
This man, this strong and loving man, buries his head in the crook of my neck as the emotion he tries to suppress finally overwhelms him.
“I wish I could’ve saved you sooner.” Broken words are mumbled.
My fingers run along the nape of his neck, gripping tightly as his body shudders against my breasts.
My lips move quietly, whispering, “You’re my Superman.”
Together we release a torrent of moisture, giving and taking what we need from each other until our faces are stained with dried tears and our bodies thoroughly exhausted.
“You made me cry,” he declares with a hint of shame and disbelief.
“So what?” I pull back and smile. “I’m sure Clark Kent shed a few tears over Lois Lane.”
“I don’t cry.”
I grimace as a humorous warning emerges. “Don’t make me change that logo!”
“Why would you change it?
“Because “S” is also for sweet.”
I’ve embarrassed him based on the red flush on his cheeks and the turning away of his eyes.
“And it’s for sexy.”
His eyes drag up slowly.
“And solid.”
My gaze falls to his hard abdomen and then lowers as my hand follows the trail.
“And sensual.”
I graze his groin.
“And satisfying.”
My hand moves against him causing his erection to stiffen.
“And surprising.”
I pull my hand upward and place it on his chest with my palm splayed flatly. My thumb rubs over the top of his scar slowly.
“But above all, you are strong. Stronger than ever.”
The air between us crackles with passion; its blanket envelopes me. I know my expression mirrors that of Tyler’s.
“You know I’m going to marry you, don’t you?” A rushed question flies from his lips while his hand covers mine on his chest.
“What did you say?” I ask with hesitancy as my mind works in overdrive, struggling for comprehension that he wants to be my husband. The idea of marrying has nudged my brain for some time, but now that I hear them, I’m stunned.
“I’m going to marry you, Karrie.”
His words, dripping with longing, reach my ears and take hold of my heart.
“I thought that’s what you said.” I sigh, releasing the pent-up ball of air.
“I love you and I don’t want to spend another day with you as my girlfriend.”
Intensity laces his voice.
“I’m your girlfriend,” I breathe; the intonation of my statement sounds more like a question.
“You’re so much more than that! I’m serious. I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”
The pounding of my heart rings in my ears.
“Ty—”
His eyebrows furrow and his countenance darkens.
I smile.
“When you ask, I’ll say yes.”
Judging by the open mouth, I believe I’ve shocked him until his lips give way to a massive grin and his arms lock around me. Tyler lifts me off the ground, spinning me so my legs are left to dangle as I fly around. Joyous laughter floats in the air.
When the room finally comes to a complete stop, my head is left dizzy. I bury it in his chest and hold onto his biceps for support.
“So?”
“So what?” I ask, keeping my head down.
“When do you want to get married?”
I drag my head up and my eyes meet his.
“What? Wait…you didn’t actually ask me anything,” I laugh before becoming serious. “Here’s the thing.” I inhale drumming up courage. “I do want to marry you…someday, but I don’t want to rush into it. I rushed into a marriage last time with a man I hardly knew and look how that turned out.”
“Don’t compare me to him! I’m not Alex; I’m nothing like him!”
My eyes close in response to his harsh tone before I eventually take a deep breath, reopen my eyes and look at him with compassion.
“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t realize how damn lucky I am to have found you? You don’t think I know how special this is?” I motion between our bodies. “I love you so incredibly much and that scares the hell out of me.”
“I want you to be mine.”
“And I am! A piece of paper isn’t going to change that.”
I caress his face gently, soothing away the stress I see.
“I am yours in every way possible. You’ve claimed me. Heart. Body. Soul.”
“So you’re saying we’re not going to get married right away?”
“I’m saying when the time is right…when you actually propose after asking my father, of course,” I tease, “I will be the luckiest girl in the world and completely honored to become your bride.”
When he takes me to bed, it’s more than sex; it’s a promise of what’s to come; a promise of our future as husband and wife.
***
“ARE YOU SURE you have everything?” I quip, looking inside the trailer where his bikes are strapped down and secured for the ride down south. Over the past two weeks, Tyler’s excitement grew daily. He’s ready to race hard and win big.
“I could do this with a blindfold on.”
“Arrogance.”
Tyler’s smirk is followed by a kiss.
“Confidence.”
I climb into his truck and slide next to him, getting comfortable for the six-hour trip.
My eyes flutter open and my belly rumbles with a combination of hunger and anxiety when I spy the state sign.
“We’re here?” I yawn, stretch and crack my neck.
“Just about. How’d you sleep?”
“Good, I guess. I didn’t realize how tired I was. I haven’t been sleeping well the past few nights.”
“I noticed.” He chuckles.
“Well maybe if you stop waking me up for Midnight Madness, I’ll sleep more.”
Tyler pulls up to the gate and rolls the window down to talk to the lot attendant.
“Name and sponsor?” a tall, thin man asks, checking over the list attached to a clipboard.
“Strong. TAS Racing.”
The man’s eyes nearly fall from his face with realization.
“Tyler?”
With his hand extended, Tyler greets him.
“Hey Matt. What’s up?”
“Yo, brother. I didn’t recognize you or this truck.” Matt says as he sweeps a quick glance at the dark truck and trailer. “You look good, man! Real good.”
Tyler nods in response.
“Hey man, I’m sorry about Alex. I can’t believe he’s gone. One day he’s here and the next he’s gone. I wish I could’ve made it up for the funeral. I wanted to go, but you how things are down here.”
Tyler pulls his eyes away from the gat
e attendant, ignoring his comment entirely.
I listen as the two men chat about the weather forecast and the other teams coming in for the weekend. Apparently, the return of Tyler Strong has been the talk of the town and all eyes will be on him. Races have been secured and bets placed. There’s a lot at stake for him. It’s his time to come out from behind the shadows of his former sponsor and show everyone he’s still one of the country’s top racers.
When we drive through the gate and enter the open lot, I turn and ask him why I wasn’t introduced.
“You don’t want to know him. He’s a dick.”
“Oh,” I say as my eyes widen.
“A lot of these guys are just like him and I don’t want you talking to them. Stay close by me.”
I heed the warning in his voice and it raises my suspicion.
“What’s going on?”
“You’re going to hear Alex’s name a lot this weekend. I just want you to be prepared.”
“I know. I kind of figured as much.” I exhale slowly, hoping I have the courage to face all these people.
Trucks and trailers of every size and color line the lot. Pop up tents with team logos fill in almost every vacant space.
Curling the bill of my ballcap, I pull it down low, protecting my face from the scorching sun. I step out of the truck. Glancing around, I immediately spot them…scantily clad bike bitches circling around the trailers like piranha.
“You look good.”
I look down at my team logo shirt paired with cut off shorts and smile.
“I do, don’t I?”
I wave a quick hello to Gabe and Matt, two guys whom I’d met before when they came up to help rebuild the engine with Tyler a few times. They ended up staying for the weekend and I’m almost a hundred percent positive Gabe went home with Pam …or was it Matt?
“Did you bring the earplugs like I told you?” Gabe asks.
I shake my head, kicking myself for not grabbing a pair when I was at the store last week.
Matt raises his chin in greeting before helping the rest of the crew unload the bikes from the trailer while Tyler gets bombarded by fellow racers and their cronies. Of course, the bike bitches follow and focus all their attention on my man. My attempt to step back is thwarted when Tyler reaches for my hand and keeps me in place right beside him.
I don’t understand half the terms they’re using; I never had the desire or the need to pay attention before. This time is different. I want to know everything. I listen intently, making mental notes of things I want to ask Tyler about.
