In the Fast Lane

by Audra North

  When she cried out that she couldn’t take anymore, he crawled over her, nudging her legs a little further apart. He was big and hard, and the heat of him burned hotter than the sun, and when he thrust into her, she nearly combusted.

  It was the greatest thing she’d ever felt.

  “Do you like this?” He smiled at her, teasing. Wild.

  “Yes. God, yes. Ranger, I want you.” She tried to buck up, to get him to move inside of her, but he picked her up and rolled so that he was lying on the bow and she was straddling his hips. She smiled down at him, a wicked grin and rose up on her knees until just the head of his cock was still inside of her, teasing at the crown by bouncing gently on top of him and swiveling her hips.

  “Oh, fuck. You’re going to torture me for fun, aren’t you?”

  She gave a strangled laugh. “It’s torture for both of us. But I promise it’ll also be fun for both of us.”

  But then the boat bobbed on a wave, and she sank all the way down, making her moan and arch, her nipples hardening to tight points as the sensation of being stretched and filled took over.

  “Still feel like torturing me?” He was trying to tease her, but his voice was strained and he was pushing his hips up, grinding into her.

  She laughed and rose up again, then back down. Then again, and again.

  He groaned. “I take it back. You have no idea how fucking amazing you feel. I love watching you take all of me inside you.”

  She felt her inner muscles tighten around him at those words, and he brought one hand between her legs, teasing at her clit as she rode him, hard. Before long, she was crying out with an orgasm, slamming down on his cock over and over, riding out the spasms before collapsing atop him. He rolled them and thrust once more, pumping his own release into her body.

  Yeah. She definitely liked that.

  * * *

  He hated being away from her.

  They’d come back from their day on his boat and Ranger had flown out the next day, heading to Texas for Lee’s next race. Kerri didn’t go with them, since she had a race in Michigan the following weekend and had long planned to go up there early to visit a girlfriend from high school. Those days apart, he’d nearly torn his hair out from missing her. By the time he landed in Michigan on Thursday night, he was practically dying to see her.

  He’d only known her for six weeks, but somehow he’d already forgotten what his life was like without her.

  She met him at the airport, standing just outside the security area in a pair of hip-hugging jeans, her shining, light brown hair loose down her back. Despite how small she was, he picked her out of the crowd immediately, honing in her smile that made him feel like he was coming home. It didn’t matter that he’d just been to the place where he actually lived, that after Lee’s race in Texas he had gone on to Harrisburg and spent a couple of days in his apartment, driving his Mercedes to a corporate office that smelled clean. No gasoline, no motor oil.

  No matter where Kerri was, coming back to her felt like coming home.

  He swept her up in a hug immediately, swinging her around and causing a scene in the arrivals hall, but he didn’t care. She was here, and he’d missed her, so he was damned well going to spin her around if he wanted.

  When he set her back down, he kissed her long and deep, and she melted exactly the way he’d remembered her doing.

  “Let’s get to the hotel, fast.” He murmured the words against her lips, thrilling when she smiled and nodded. They headed to the car and she got into the driver’s seat. Funny, how he’d always preferred to drive when he’d been out with a woman, but with her it felt natural to let her take the wheel. They talked for a bit about Lee’s race and Kerri’s visit with her friend before a comfortable silence settled between them.

  Of course, his mouth wouldn’t stay shut.

  “I was talking to my mom last night,” he began, as Kerri merged onto the highway.

  “Oh?” She was relaxed, one hand on the wheel and the other resting in his lap, fingers laced in his.

  “Yeah, and, uh—” Don’t bring it up right now. “I was telling her about the Natural Light offer.”

  Good job on not bringing it up, champ.

  Her fingers jerked in his, just barely, but he felt it before she had a chance to smooth out her reaction.

  “And what did she say?”

  Shit. Now Kerri sounded tense, where just a few minutes ago she’d been all easygoing smiles and relaxed silence. But it was starting to get to him. They were on a deadline, and she hadn’t said a word over the phone while they’d been apart. Nothing that indicated whether she was even leaning in the direction of Natural Light.

  He took his free hand and laid it on top of hers, sandwiching her palm between his. She didn’t pull away, which he took as a good sign.

  “She was pretty excited. Said she uses their stuff…” He trailed off and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought this up. I promised myself I wouldn’t pressure you.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Hey, Ranger. It’s okay. I don’t—I mean, it’s your job. No matter what else is between us. I have been thinking about it. I still am. I promise I’ll tell you soon. I just need to wrap my head around it, is all. I’ve spent so long trying to fight the whole idea of being treated differently because I’m the only woman in racing that I’m just not sure how I feel about doing something like this, that’s only on the table because I’m a woman.”

  He blew out a relieved breath. Damn. He hadn’t even realized how tense he was until he felt his shoulder muscles twinge as they relaxed. And she was thinking about it … that was all he could ask for right now. At least, all he wanted to ask for. Because even though she was right—it was his job to make decisions like these—what was between them mattered more than he was ready to admit.

  Chapter Seventeen

  On Saturday morning, Ranger and Kerri had just stepped out of the hotel and were walking to the car when he heard it.

  “Ranger.”

  He froze.

  He knew that voice. The one that had called his name from behind. The one that, for the past six weeks, had been plaguing him over the phone.

  “What’s wrong?” Kerri’s eyes widened. Scared.

  God, he must look like a crazy man if she was alarmed. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, just shook his head and slowly turned around.

  Sure enough, Al Colt was standing just outside the hotel entrance.

  What the fuck was he doing here?

  “Al.” He waited for his jaw to clamp tight, his shoulders to bunch together like they usually did whenever he met his father face-to-face. But for the first time since he’d started working for Colt International, he felt only surprised … and curious.

  Something had happened to him.

  “We need to talk.”

  Since when did Al Colt personally fly somewhere just to “talk”? Did this have anything to do with getting back to his roots, with Al calling him on this project to ask what was going on with Kerri and the team?

  That same hope that Ranger thought had died years ago was growing back. He tried to ignore it, but it was rising up too fast, clogging his throat and preventing him from saying anything.

  A small, warm hand slipped into his, squeezing gently.

  Kerri.

  Al sighed. “Look, this is an emergency. I have another deal on the table and I need you on it. It’s big, it’s high visibility, and it’s money.”

  Of course. Al had flown out because there was a lot of money on the table, not for any other reason.

  Ranger should have expected that. Hope, so hard-won, so easily destroyed.

  Fuck Al Colt. It was payback time.

  The hand squeezed harder.

  Ranger narrowed his eyes. “What about Hart Racing? That was our deal. Are you trying to sabotage things here so you won’t have to give me that promotion?”

  “Do this project and you’ll get the promotion the moment you land in Paris.”

  T
he fuck? Al had promised him the promotion for this project, not some French corporate deal. What was he trying to pull? Ranger curled his lip in a snarl. “What do you mean? You sonofabitch, you can’t just change the terms of the deal like that! What are you going to do, string me along forever? I haven’t been suffering through this bullshit for nearly two months so that you can renege, old man.”

  He heard a gasp beside him. Oh, shit. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say. He hadn’t been suffering, not really. It was just that he wanted—needed—this validation that he was better than his asshole of a father …

  Her hand slipped out of his and he wanted to snatch it back, but he was too focused on Al. He couldn’t leave things unfinished with the bastard. He’d apologize to Kerri afterward. She knew how hard he’d worked for this, how much pain Al had caused Ranger and his mother. She’d understand.

  Wouldn’t she?

  “Fine. You’ll get the promotion as soon as you step foot on the plane. Takeoff is scheduled for three o’clock and I won’t wait for you. Your choice, Ranger.”

  Al didn’t even bother to wait for an answer, just turned on his heel and walked back into the hotel. Mother. Fucker. For him to be here this early, he had to have stayed there at least overnight. Why hadn’t he approached Ranger yesterday? Given him more time to think? At least given him enough time to see Kerri race? The flag went up at two o’clock. If Ranger went—

  “You’re going to go, aren’t you.”

  It wasn’t a question. Kerri didn’t even look at him when she said it. Why wouldn’t she look at him? This was Kerri. Take-no-prisoners, grab-’em-by-the-balls Kerri. His Kerri.

  Could she really not see that he’d had to have that out with Al? That Ranger hadn’t meant what he’d said about suffering?

  Look at me.

  She stared out at the parking lot.

  It made his heart hurt. “I’m sorry, Kerri. I didn’t mean it, before. I just … I can’t. I can’t pass this up.” He knew he was pleading, but he couldn’t bear her indifference. Look at me, damn it!

  “I know you weren’t suffering. I know why you said that.”

  “You do?” She did? “Well, then, why—”

  “You did it because beating Al is more important to you than the people who actually care about you.” Before he could protest, though, she added, “I didn’t realize you were getting a promotion out of this deal.”

  Why did that make him feel even worse? It’s not like it was a secret. He just hadn’t told her. “Yeah. Exactly. I mean, this promotion, it’s big. I’ve been working for this my whole life. I have to—”

  “No, Ranger.” She finally turned to face him, her face twisted in anger and pain, and the shock of it made him recoil. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare lie to me. You have not been working for a fucking promotion your whole life. You haven’t even been working to beat your dad at his own game, like you said before. I saw you just now. I saw the way you looked at him. I saw the way—” She stopped, gasping for breath. “You’ve been working for his approval your whole life. This isn’t about being better than him. This is about him being proud of you. That’s what you’ve been struggling for this whole time but you haven’t bothered to admit it. You keep pretending it’s about revenge when really it’s just—it’s just sad, Ranger.” She sighed. “I accepted your terms in exchange for your promise to do your job, remember? And I believed you. I put my faith in you and I—fuck, Ranger. I put my body in your hands. My—” She cut herself off and shook her head. “What I’m saying is, if you’re willing to walk away from this team and what you promised us you would do, just to get Al Colt to pat you on the back and make you feel like you made it, then you’re not the man I thought you were.”

  This is about him being proud of you. … if you’re willing to walk away from this team … pat you on the back.…

  Was that true?

  Was that what he really wanted?

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, Kerri. I-I think I have to go.”

  The hurt in her eyes nearly destroyed him.

  “Kerri.” He reached for her, but she was already walking away. Her back was already turned, and she was striding toward her car, leaving him behind.

  He didn’t go after her.

  It was for the best.

  He watched as she pulled out of the lot and drove away.

  She didn’t look back.

  * * *

  She should have known that this would happen. In fact, hadn’t she even thought about it, weeks ago, when Ranger had first come crashing into her life?

  How could she have been so foolish? It had been too easy, being with Ranger. He’d fallen into her life and made her hope that maybe, finally, she’d found someone who would be there for her when she needed him.

  She drove to the track almost without thinking. Her mind was too numb to do anything but put herself on autopilot and just go. It wasn’t until she’d arrived at the speedway and suited up that she started feeling more normal. Hopefully she’d be able to focus enough for the race.

  When she stepped into the pit, though, Grady took one look her and his brow furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  Fuck. Last thing she needed was Grady panicking over this just before a race.

  “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  Grady stared at her, and it looked like he was going to drop it, but just as she turned to go get ready for the time trial, he stopped her.

  “What did he do to you?”

  He didn’t even have to say Ranger’s name and she could already feel the tears collecting behind her eyes. But still she brazened it out. It’s what she’d always done, after all, and it was the easiest thing to fall back on. Talking back, tearing it up—that was what she knew.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  At least this time, Grady had the tact not to mention the waver in her voice. He simply shook his head and frowned. “Be careful out there.”

  He was the one to walk away first, heading up the ladder to the top of the booth.

  Kerri ruthlessly pushed away the tears. Ranger was gone. There was no use dwelling on it. She didn’t doubt they’d all have to hash things out after the race, figure out what was next for Hart Racing. But right now she had a job to do, and that meant putting her feelings aside and getting the hell out on the track.

  Chapter Eighteen

  As the car pulled up next to Al Colt’s private jet, Ranger wanted to smash something. The entire ride to the airport, he’d fought the feeling that this was wrong, that he shouldn’t be leaving like this.

  That maybe he shouldn’t be leaving at all.

  He got out of the car and climbed the stairs that were standing open in front of the plane. Did he really want his father’s approval that badly? Enough to turn his back on a promise he had made?

  The second he walked through the doorway, he knew.

  He didn’t want it enough. Not enough to turn his back on love.

  He loved Kerri.

  Holy fuck. The realization shook him deep, and he had to pause for a second, trying to understand what the hell was going on. That was it, wasn’t it? All along, he’d been fooling himself. This wasn’t about Hart Racing, not really. This wasn’t about Al. This was about falling in love with a woman who’d had the courage to fight for everything she cared about, to work ceaselessly to make sure that those she loved were taken care of, not about trying to get approval from someone who had never loved him.

  “Ranger.” Al looked up, startled.

  “Al.” Ranger felt like he was underwater, trying to form words through the pressure of all that liquid flooding his mouth and slowing his speech.

  Al frowned, but it wasn’t an angry frown. The older man seemed more … disappointed?

  Ranger didn’t move out of the doorway. The flight attendant, a lovely young woman with wavy brown hair and soft brown eyes, stepped forward. “May I take your jacket, Mr. Colt?”

  Ranger stared at her. Wha
t? He was having a hard time processing what she was saying, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “That’s my father’s name.”

  The pretty young woman blushed and nodded her head. “Of course, sir.” She held out her arms, presumably waiting for his suit jacket, but he shook his head and turned back to Al.

  “I can’t do this.”

  “Can’t do what?” The disappointment that Ranger had thought he’d seen in Al’s eyes, just a moment ago, was gone. The shrewd, assessing gaze that he always associated with his father was back and it was focused on him.

  He thought of all those years that he and his mom had been alone, how hard they had struggled, and how far they had come. And as he stared back at Al, he saw the way his future would unfold if he left now. If he left Kerri behind.

  He’d end up just like the man he’d spent his life resenting.

  “I can’t go to Paris. I have to stay here. I have to be with Kerri. I refuse to make the same mistake that you did. I will not give up love for money.”

  Al nodded. “Good.”

  “I don’t care if you don’t give me the promotion. I want Kerri. I need to be with her. I—wait, did you say ‘good’?”

  Al’s response had finally sunken in, and Ranger stuttered to a stop, blinking in surprise at his father. For the first time since they’d met each other as two grown men, Al looked away, focusing on something out the plane window.

  “I did.”

  Well, shit. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Luckily, he didn’t have to think of anything, because Al turned to look at him, his dark eyes exactly like Ranger’s, and gave a wry laugh. “Like you said, I made a mistake.”

  Ranger watched the older man take a deep breath before he went on. “I loved your mother. Shit. I still love her. And I was a stupid sack of shit for letting her go.”

  Something squeezed in Ranger’s chest. Al? Still loved his mother? Did that mean—? “And what about me? Are you trying to say that you would have kept her around if I hadn’t come into the picture?” He tried to keep the bitterness from his voice, but he was afraid the words still didn’t come out as he intended. Instead, it sounded almost … desperate.