by Kylie Walker
“I get it,” she said. “I knew you were into cars and engines but I had no idea you designed them.”
“And got rich doing it,” Aaron said.
“Shut up!” Sam chastised him. Luke only laughed and said,
“Engines have always fascinated me. My father, your grandfather could rebuild an engine with his eyes closed. I worked with him in the garage from sun-up until sundown most days. He was a mechanic and he worked from home. My mom worked so I was with him most of the time. I could name all of the parts of an engine before I could read. I loved how proud it made him when I’d show off my knowledge to his friends or customers,” he looked nostalgic as he said; “My dad was my best friend.”
“Must have been nice,” Sam said in a sharp tone before she caught herself. Luke had just spent his entire day off doing the same thing with her and as soon as she saw the pain her comment caused in his eyes she immediately regretted it. “Hey Luke I didn’t…”
He shook his head. “It’s okay, Sam, really.” She glanced at her little brother. He was actually giving her a disapproving look. That was different; it was usually the other way around. She felt like shit right up until she started to leave to meet Conrad. For years she’d come and gone as she pleased and no one had asked or even cared where she was going or when or if she’d been back. She was ready to snap again when Luke asked, “Where are you off to tonight?”
She did her best to control her tone as she said, “I’m just going to meet one of my new crew.”
“Can I expect you back tonight?” She was more than a little bit annoyed. She opened her mouth with the intentions of reminding him that she was almost twenty years old. She was even prepared to tell him he would know that if he’d been around for the rest of her life. But something about the genuine concern in his eyes stopped her.
“Yes, I’ll be back tonight,” was all she said before narrowing her eyes at her brother and going out the door.
**
By the time Samantha parked Luke’s old pick-up around behind the bar and walked to the front, Conrad was waiting for her. He was wearing a sleeveless green t-shirt that did nothing to hide his hard, cut muscles and a pair of jeans that fit like they were tailored for him. He hadn’t shaved and the stubble on his chin and cheeks coupled with the fact that his hair still looked like he’d just rolled out of bed after having wild sex caused a tickle to begin deep down in her core. When he saw her and smiled that tickle exploded and suddenly a fire was burning in its place.
“Hey there, are you ready to show me what you’ve got?” Sam felt her whole body go hot and she hoped that her face wasn’t bright red. She was afraid that she’d be willing to show this man everything she had. All he had to do was ask.
“If you think you can handle it,” she said with a grin. He pulled open the passenger door on the Charger and she climbed inside. Before he closed the door he said,
“You’d be surprised at what I can handle.” Sam was still trying not to imagine what he might be able to handle when he slid in on the other side.
“This car is sick,” she said, trying to change the subject to something a little less dangerous.
He grinned again. Jesus he’s hot. “She’s my baby,” he said. “My step-dad bought her for me for my sixteenth birthday. She was practically just a shell. It’s taken me almost seven years to get her to this point.” He started up the Charger and the sound of the V-8 engine roaring to life only added fuel to the fire that was already threatening to consume her insides. Sam loved that sound. The Charger sounded healthy and fast and with Conrad behind the wheel it may well have been the sexiest car she’d ever been in.
The drive to Fontana took them about an hour. Conrad got out at the gate and talked and laughed with the security officer for a few minutes before the other man opened the gate and let them inside. Samantha had never actually been inside of a real racetrack before. She was even more awestruck than she had been by Luke’s shop. When Conrad parked near one of the pits and they got out she inhaled the scents of leftover burnt rubber and the distant intoxicating aroma of methanol and nitro. She looked around and imagined it full of the sights and sounds of the thousands of cars that had run through here over the years and the excited drivers and hard-working pit crews. She’d seen it all on television a million times
“This place is awesome.”
“Yeah, it’s great to be able to run the car on a real track. Every once in a while I bring one of my step-dad’s cars out and run it in the street legal races. I actually got an interview out of my last race.”
“An interview like with a real racing team?”
He grinned and his green eyes lit up as he said, “Yeah. One of the reps from Sanders Racing was out here that night. I have an interview with their CEO in two weeks. They’re looking for drivers to sponsor for the Whelan All American series in Vegas.”
Sam knew the name Sanders Racing. Anyone that called themselves a racing fan did. Sanders’ cars have run in every NASCAR division for twice as long as Sam or Conrad had been alive. “Seriously, you’re not bullshitting me?”
He laughed. “Not bullshitting, but you’ll see once you have the pleasure of watching me behind the wheel tonight.”
She rolled her eyes and said, “I watched you the other night and I’ll admit, it was a pleasure…but I have to wonder if you’ll still be so cocky when I beat your time tonight.”
Laughing he said, “I guess we’ll see. You want to go first?”
“No you go ahead,” she said, “That way I’ll know the time to beat.”
Laughing again and shaking his head at her he said, “I think the cockiness is running rampant around here.” He handed her a stop watch before sliding back into the car and telling her, “Take those stairs there up to the first track…and don’t blink.”
Sam smiled all the way up to the top of the stairs. Finding a spot behind the railing where the whole ¼ mile track was visible underneath the lights she took a seat and waited. Seconds later Conrad brought the Charger up to the start line. He revved the engine a few times, obviously for her benefit. She saw him stick his hand out the window and wave to her before he floored it. The smoke that poured out of his tires was still suspended in the air 12.2 seconds later when he crossed the finish line at the other end. He definitely had reason to be cocky. Professional drivers in cars that are worth millions do it in about ten.
Sam met him back near the pits. When he stepped out of the car he was grinning from ear to ear and his cheeks were flushed. His breaths were quick and Samantha recognized the adrenaline high right away. It was a feeling she lived for. “So?” he asked.
“Not bad.”
“Not bad?” he said in disbelief, “What was my time?”
“Twelve point two,” she told him with a smile. “Good job.” She handed back the stopwatch.
Grinning again he said, “That’s amazing.”
She laughed. “Would you like me to pat you on the back so you don’t wrench your shoulder trying?”
“I usually just pat myself on the ass, but you can go ahead if you like.”
Rolling her eyes again she willed herself not to turn red from the hot flash surging through her. She’d love to get her hands on that tight ass. “So is it my turn or what?” He held the door open and gestured for her to step inside. Before he closed the door he pointed out where everything was at and said,
“Since you’ve never driven her before, we’ll give you a five second handicap.”
She laughed and said, “Right, just make sure you don’t take your eyes off that watch…or blink.” She could still see him smiling in the rearview mirror as she drove away toward the track. She was shaking with pure excitement and adrenaline when she stopped the car at the start line. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to race on a real racetrack. It would be different if the stands were filled with people watching her of course, but it was still closer than she’d ever been. She looked over and saw Conrad sitting where
she’d been a few minutes ago and realized that the thought of him watching her excited her almost as much as an entire crowd. She revved the engine a few times and then waved at him. He waved back and she took off at 10mph right off the line. She was up to 40 in less than two seconds as she shifted into second. She heard the tires squeal as they tried to stay gripped to the asphalt when she hit 100 mph and shifted again. She crossed the finish line at 150 mph with nothing but pure joy and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her heart was pounding harder than it ever had before as she downshifted and let the car coast into a stop. Once she was going slow enough to tap the brake, she slowed enough to flip it around and head back up the track where Conrad was sitting. She could tell by the look on his face that he was impressed and slightly shocked. She was grinning as she stepped out and said,
“Time…please?”
He came down toward her holding the watch. When he got close he said, “I think it’s broken.”
She punched him in the arm. “You wish, I beat you didn’t I?”
“I really don’t think it’s working,” he said, holding it up to his ear.
“Conrad!”
He laughed. “Eleven six,” he said, and then as if it were just sinking in he said, “Damn!”
Sam was giddy with excitement. “Eleven six?” He nodded and grinned. Either her excitement was palpable, or he was just as excited as she was. He started to give her a high five but instead he opened his arms and she jumped into them. “Eleven six!” she yelled to the empty stands as he swung her around. She had her legs wrapped around him and it felt almost as good as knowing she’d just run that car. “Damn!”
CHAPTER 11
Sam was supposed to meet with the crew on Wednesday evening to talk about the next weekend’s upcoming race. Wednesday suddenly seemed miles away when she woke up on Monday morning. She’d only been in bed for about four hours before the alarm went off but she was still energized from the night before. After Conrad’s embrace he’d sat her back down on her feet and for about half a second she thought he was going to kiss her. She really wanted him to. She wanted so much more than that and if he would have made that first move she would have been willing to go all the way. He didn’t kiss her though. Instead he gave her another high five and then he ran the car two more times trying to beat her time. It was close to two a.m. before he finally conceded defeat and took her back to the bar. He told her about the Wednesday night meeting when he dropped her off and the last thing he said as she got out of the car was,
“You’re pretty damned amazing Samantha.”
She knew he was talking about her skills on the track, but all the way home she let herself imagine him saying that after a night of passionate sex. She tried to force thoughts of him out of her head but it wasn’t easy and as soon as she’d slipped into dreamland, he’d reappeared with a vengeance. Even now as she sat in the truck with Luke and Aaron on the way to the parts store for her first day of work, she couldn’t get him out of her head. She’d never met a guy that she felt so connected to and wanted so much more from than just sex. In the past she made sure to stay as far away from the scent of a relationship as she could possibly get. But something about Conrad wanted to draw her in and keep her there. Samantha promised herself a long time ago that the second she started feeling that way about a man she was going to run in the opposite direction. She never wanted to be like her mother, so blinded by love or lust that she couldn’t see straight. Lacey’s feelings for Darren had dominated her life to the point of ruining it and her children’s even before he killed her. Samantha would never let that happen to herself, even if she had to avoid relationships altogether. Conrad and the way she felt about him already was a complication but she was confident that she’d get past it once the new of it all wore off.
When they got to the store Aaron went his own way, looking proud to be the one that already knew the lay of the land. Samantha thought it was cute and she was thrilled that he was enjoying this so much. Luke took her to the office and introduced her to the general manager.
“Les this is my daughter Samantha. I’m going to have her train with you for a couple of weeks and then we can sit down and figure out where we might have a spot open for her. I have to warn you though, she probably knows more about cars and parts than you and the rest of the crew here combined.” Luke looked proud as he said that and in spite of herself, it warmed Samantha’s heart to hear it.
Les was a middle-aged man with thick blonde hair and a ruddy complexion. He smiled broadly and gripped Sam’s hand tightly as he shook it. “Welcome Samantha. It will be refreshing to have a rookie that already knows her stuff.”
“Thanks. I know parts and cars, but nothing about sales.”
Les winked at her. “That’s the easy part. Come on and I’ll give you the tour and introduce you to the guys.”
Luke left her with Les and told her he’d be back to pick her and Aaron up after work. The store was huge and Sam was thrilled to be this close to the kind of parts she’d always dreamt of buying for the Mustang someday. It was still a bit surreal to her that her father actually owned all of this. Les turned her over to the sales people on the floor after that and they put her to work. Everyone treated her well and kept her busy and she was grateful for that. It kept her mind occupied enough that she didn’t have time to ruminate over the feelings that churn in her system every time she even thinks about Conrad. She set a goal for herself that by the time she saw him again on Wednesday she would have all of that out of her system so that she didn’t end up doing anything she might regret later on.
From Monday to Wednesday she worked at the parts store during the day and she and Luke worked on the Mustang in the evening. She and Luke worked well together in the shop too and little by little she was getting to know more about him and him her. He seemed to know what questions to ask without making it seem like he was just morbidly curious about her life. Instead she felt like he was not only genuinely interested, but he told her more than once how proud he was of her for the way she’d been able to come out the other side of all of that seemingly unscathed. She wasn’t sure he’d feel that strongly about that if he could see inside of her. Her life had left her with scars she couldn’t avoid, but she had refused to be broken.
By Wednesday afternoon they had the old engine out of the Mustang and all the parts they needed for the new engine ready to go.
“Was this your first car?” Sam asked Luke as they were cleaning up the shop that day.
He smiled slightly and said, “Yeah, my Pop bought it for me.”
They never talked about what she’d said to him about his father Sunday night and Luke didn’t act like he’d held it against her, but she felt guilty about it anyways. She’d tried to assuage that guilt by telling herself he deserved to suffer just a little bit for taking that away from her but after this past week with him the part of her that looked at the man working by her side and letting her have free reign in his state of the art shop actually recognized the honest regret he felt for the past in his eyes. She was beginning to believe that if he could go back and do it all differently, he would.
“Was it new when you got it?”
Luke laughed. “This car was born a few years before your old dad.”
“Oh,” now she’d called him old. It seemed like she was destined to put her foot in her mouth at least once a day around him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure a forty-five year old man seems ancient to a nineteen year old girl.”
“You don’t seem ancient…and I’m not a girl.”
Luke put his arm around her and she automatically stiffened up. He must have felt it because he pulled his arm off right away. Once again, she felt guilty. “I’m sorry; a nineteen year old woman was what I’d meant to say.”
Sam gently socked him in the arm, trying to make up for stiffening under his touch. “That’s better. I’m starving.”
“Me too,” he said. “Let’s head up t
o the house and see what Aaron made for dinner.” They both got a good laugh out of that.
**
She borrowed the old pick-up from Luke again that evening and drove into town to the address that Conrad had given her. It was an apartment complex that looked like it might be slightly pricey but yet it wasn’t overly pretentious. There was no elaborate lobby or doorman and the gates stood open until dark. She wasn’t sure if there was parking inside so she parked the pick-up on the street and walked around for fifteen minutes until she found apartment number 262. She climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. It was pulled open by Casey.
“Hi Samantha, come on in.” Sam said hello and followed the little red-head inside. The living room was big for an apartment and the rest of the crew was all there, except for Conrad. Samantha found herself feeling disappointed almost at once, but she kept a smile plastered to her face as she said hello to everyone. “This is Robert,” Casey introduced a stocky blonde guy that looked really familiar. “He’s not part of the crew, he’s with me.”
“He’s here to pour the drinks,” Beau said.
“Screw you,” Robert told him, “It’s my night off.”
Beau laughed. “Where’s the boss?”
“On the phone,” Shawn said, “He’ll be out in a sec. Sam you want something to drink?”
“Nah, I’m okay.”
“You don’t drink, Sam?” Drew asked her.
“Not much,” Sam told her honestly. “I like to keep my head clear.” Another promise that she’d made to herself while she was growing up was that she would never, ever become dependent on a substance the way her mother was. She’d never even tried drugs for that reason and she was glad that at least so far she hadn’t been impressed at all with alcohol either. Her addiction was speed and if anything killed her young, that’s what it was going to be.
“She sounds like Conrad,” Stew said. He looked at Sam. “Conrad has a two-beer limit. He never goes over it.” For some reason unknown to herself it made Sam happy to find out that she and Conrad had even more in common. As she had that thought she saw the man himself appear from the hallway. His sexy eyes landed on her face and he smiled. Sam felt like she couldn’t breathe for a few seconds until he turned away and started saying hello to everyone else. He took the beer Casey offered him and then took a seat on the floor next to the chair Sam was sitting in. She noticed that there was another empty chair and an empty spot on the couch as well. It warmed her blood to think he chose to sit by her on purpose. Then he did something else that thrilled her, he bragged to his crew about her racing skills,
