He raised an eyebrow, as if trying to read my thoughts. All I could do was swallow against the dryness in my throat and try not to flutter my lashes like the wings of a hummingbird in flight.
“Come on,” he finally said, heading toward the door. I followed as close as I could, considering I wasn’t used to walking around with spikes sticking out of my heels.
In the parking lot, Colton pulled out a set of keys and pointed the remote lock at a gorgeous yellow Camaro SS with black racing stripes like the one I once saw in a movie.
“That’s the rental?”
“Yeah, what do you think?”
“Wow … I mean, just wow.”
Colton opened my door like a gentleman, then came around and slipped into the driver’s seat. He turned the key in the ignition, and the sound of the motor’s deep, throaty roar sank me back against the leather seat.
At the salvage yard, I never appreciated the sound of an engine coming to life or the rumble of an idling one. Most of the cars that came through my shop were old and sick, or just plain garbage begging to be taken out of their misery. Since joining Dean and his team, though, I’d learned to appreciate the goosebumps and the internal rush flowing through my veins at the fierce sound.
We rode in silence most of the way there. My nerves grew stiff the closer we got to our destination. Gwen was not going to be happy to see me. That was a fact. I toyed with the idea of staying in the car, but something told me Colton probably wouldn’t go for it. I didn’t want to screw up his night—or his sponsorship, for that matter. The girl was Daddy’s little spoiled brat, and Daddy was Colton’s ticket to acquiring Guardian’s sponsorship for the full season.
We pulled up in front of a large, iron-gated fence that seemed to hug the road for a quarter mile in both directions. Guards stood on each side as cars pulled in. Colton lowered his window when it came our turn. “Hi, I’m—”
“Colton Tayler. I know who you are,” the husky guard said. “Go on in. Miss Gwen is expecting you.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, and good luck on Sunday.” The man leaned closer, winked, and flashed a toothless grin. “We’re all big fans.”
“I appreciate it … thank you.” Colton raised his window and continued forward down the long tree-lined driveway, giving me a quick sideways glance. I chuckled. I wasn’t sure if I could ever get used to people recognizing me all the time like that, but Colton seemed to embrace it as part of who he was and wanted to be. I admired him for that.
Within seconds, the tall trees opened up to a clearing, revealing a large, four-story red brick house with huge white circular columns framing the entrance. Manicured lawns and lavish flowerbeds stretched out around the property and tall, strategically placed palm trees added to the rich feel of the home. I was so way out of my element, it wasn’t funny.
We climbed out of the car in front of the oversized front door, and Colton handed the valet his keys. No joke. They had a valet servicing an eighteen-year-old’s birthday party. Unreal.
The doorman ushered us inside, and all eyes turned on us. Loud whispers rippled through the crowd over the booming music coming from the DJ’s booth on a stage-like platform overlooking the ballroom-style dance floor.
Word of Colton’s arrival must have spread like a tabloid scoop, because Gwen came out of nowhere through the crowd and threw herself into his arms. “I’m so glad you came! I was starting to think you wouldn’t show.”
“I promised I’d come, didn’t I?”
Girls around the room, most of whom I’m sure Gwen didn’t even know personally, stared at the two of them with envy.
Hell, I did it too.
Gwen was perfect for Colton, as much as I hated to admit it. She was gorgeous, petite, and loved being in the public eye. They looked good together, which made me want to puke, but I knew I could never fill those shoes. Hell, I could barely walk in mine, and hers were two inches taller.
She let go of Colton and did a double take when her eyes landed on me. Her ear-to-ear grin faded. “What is she doing here?” She wasn’t skilled at hiding her snarky attitude. “She wasn’t invited.”
“Come on, Gwen, the team thought it would be nice for Lexi to go out and have a good time. And what better place to do that than at one of Gwen Langdon’s legendary parties?”
She smiled at his compliment. “Fine, she can stay. But remember, you’re mine tonight.”
Colton threw an apologetic look my way. “You know I can’t stay long. I’ve got an early practice in the morning.”
She flipped her hair back over her shoulder. “I know that, silly. I have your race schedule programmed on my phone.”
Yeah. That wasn’t creepy at all.
“Gwen,” Mr. Langdon called her from the doorway to another room.
Gwen looked back, annoyed. “Make yourself at home. There’s hors d’oeuvres over there.” She pointed at the far end of the room along the wall. “I’ll meet you back there in a snap.” With another flip of her hair, she took off.
Colton gestured for me to lead us toward the food. As we made our way through the crowd, he pressed his hand to the small of my back, sending chills up my spine. I glanced back. Colton’s lips curled to one side.
The long table at the far wall offered an array of finger foods at the foot of a large ice sculpture in the center. I grimaced at the carved features of Gwen’s perky nose and high cheekbones. Seriously? Overboard, much? That had to be the tackiest thing I’d ever seen. I wrinkled my nose at it, and caught Colton doing the same.
After taking a few nibbled bites of the goods, the music faded, and a slow song started. A sea of bodies scattered off the dance floor, leaving only couples wrapped in each other’s arms, swaying in circles to the music.
Colton set his plate down on the edge of the table and extended his hand toward me.
“Oh, no, thanks. I’ve never danced with anyone before. I don’t want to break your toes before your big race.”
“Oh, come on,” he said, taking my hand. “It’s easy, I promise.” He led me to an unoccupied spot on the dance floor next to a couple that was sucking face more than dancing, and pulled me close. I made it a point to keep track of my cursed senses. Being this close to Colton brought on some never-before-experienced emotions, and I didn’t trust my iron levels to stay in check.
Colton wrapped my hands around his neck and let his fall to my waist, tugging me even closer. I swallowed hard as he lowered his lips to my ear. His hair brushed against my temple. “Relax and just follow my lead.”
Relax. Yeah, right.
He leaned his head to the side, pressing it against mine, and moved in slow circular steps to the flow of the music. “That’s it,” he said. “You’re a pro already.” A girly giggle escaped from my lips. A giggle—really? I don’t giggle. Never like that, anyway. My distracted thoughts threw off my momentum and I clipped the tip of his shoe with my heel.
“Shit.” I pulled back. “I can’t do this. I’m going to hurt you.”
He drew me back to him. “No, you’re not. You’re doing great.” His hands slid from my waist around to the small of my back, bringing me close. His eyes sparkled under the shimmering lights above us. My heart grew weightless and I lost myself in the moment. I leaned into his embrace, letting my head rest against his chest. He dipped his head lower into the slope of my neck. His breath warmed my bare shoulder. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous, happy, and content.
The song ended and another started. Colton’s hands remained fixed, not allowing me to step away, which was fine by me. I was where I wanted to be.
A long-nailed finger poked me in the ribs.
“Thanks for keeping him warm for me, but scat.” Gwen waved her bony fingers in front of my face. “I got this.”
I stepped out of Colton’s arms, which were trying to keep me from leaving. “I’m sorry.” I turned to walk away.
“Wait!” Colton cried.
“No. It’s okay. You’re here for her. It’s her bi
rthday. Dance with her.” I went back to the food table and watched as Gwen’s fingers crawled up his biceps and grazed the back of his neck while she gazed up at him. One of his hands wrapped around her waist while the other stayed in his pants pocket. The impersonal gesture surprised me. I wished I could get a glimpse of his face, but his hair hid mostly everything. She was talking to him, though I couldn’t hear what she was saying.
My heart wept. Who was I kidding? I could never get a guy like Colton Tayler. If he found out what I truly was—a freak of nature—he’d drop me like a rusted-out muffler. He’d hate me. I couldn’t deny that, against my better judgment, I was falling for him. The glass of punch I’d swiped off the beverage table trembled between my fingers. This felt like more than a crush. I was falling … No! I couldn’t even let myself think the words. It was just so wrong on so many levels. I couldn’t be. I’d only known him for a short time.
The song reached its end. Colton spotted me over Gwen’s shoulder and smiled. Gwen noticed and glanced back. An evil smirk crossed her face. She looked back up at Colton, reached for his collar, and pulled him into a full-on lip lock. The glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. Or had that been my heart shattering into a million pieces?
I couldn’t look away, even though I desperately wanted to—like a bad car wreck that just wouldn’t end. Tears clung to my lashes and a lump formed in my throat. My curse vibrated and pulsed in my head.
The kiss ended and Colton looked up at me right away. My tears defied my orders and leaked down my cheeks. The thumping in my temples grew stronger. I needed to get out of here. I pushed through the crowd toward the front door, but it was too late. Everyone’s gasps filled my ears. I knew it was my fault. I’d felt the stainless steel pitcher of water fly through the air. I turned in time to see it hit Gwen square in the chest. Water poured down the front of her cotton candy pink dress.
“Who threw that at me? Who?” she screamed, her eyes filling with rage.
Colton looked down at his damp shirt, then back up in time to spot me. “Lexi, wait.” He left Gwen’s side and started making his way through the crowd, but I didn’t wait. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I wasn’t sure if my eyes had turned red or not. I could never tell, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I couldn’t let him see what I was, what I could do, or how I honestly felt about him.
He could never know.
chapter fourteen
Dark clouds hovered overhead, hiding the stars. I wished I could see them right now to calm my nerves. I’d lost control again. At least this time I hadn’t almost killed someone.
Colton found me on the side of the house where I sat on the grass, in the shadows, wiping away my tears. I hid my face behind the curtain of hair that fell from behind my ear, too embarrassed to face him.
He knelt beside me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I wiped away another tear with my forearm.
He leaned in closer. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not. It just got too stuffy in there all of a sudden. I had to get out.” I looked at him. It was clear he wasn’t buying it.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He stood and extended his hand.
“What about Gwen?”
“What about her? I came here as a favor to her father. I owe her nothing.” He smiled down at me. “Come on.”
I took his hand, not expecting his firm grip to pull me up so fast. My heel dug into the grass and tripped me into his arms. He straightened me and stilled his hands on my hips. His eyes shone in the dim light as he brushed back a clump of hair that clung to my damp cheek.
Gwen appeared from around the corner, still drenched from the pitcher of water I’d flung at her. “There you are,” she said with a grin the moment she spotted Colton.
Colton turned to face her, slipping one hand around my waist. “We’re leaving.”
The grin melted off her face. Her eyes traveled from him to me, then back to him. “But you just got here.”
“Lexi’s not feeling well.” He stepped past her, taking me with him.
She spun around. “But, Colton, you can’t just kiss me and then leave.”
Colton released me and stepped toward her. “You ambushed me, Gwen. That wasn’t a kiss. Thank your father for his hospitality. I’ll see you at the track.”
Gwen let out a sharp grunt and stomped back toward the house.
Colton slipped his arm around me again and led me to the valet attendant out front.
“Wait here,” he said, releasing me to go have the car brought around. I shivered at the sudden lack of warmth.
“Are you cold?” Colton asked, returning to my side.
“A little.” There was a chill breeze blowing that wasn’t helping. Colton loosened his tie, shirt collar, and sleeve cuffs while we waited. When the car pulled up, he reached into the back seat where he’d left his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders before helping me into the car.
The jacket didn’t help the chills much. I wasn’t just cold, I was scared. Scared of my growing feelings for Colton and my need for him to feel the same. My head and heart were on opposing sides. And if he knew what I could do … I couldn’t let him find out. I couldn’t let anyone find out. Not now, not ever.
The ride back to the track was a quiet one. Neither of us dared break the silence. Colton took a detour down the Vegas strip. The blinking lights and show displays were hypnotic and larger than life. Tourists and gamblers alike flooded both sides of the street. Fliers and papers littered the sidewalks. I’d never seen anything like it. The strip was alive, unlike me. My insides mourned the life I wanted. The life I would’ve had if I’d just been born … normal.
I thought back to the night of my mother’s funeral, after everyone had left the cemetery. Roy had taken off, leaving me there alone so he could go have a few beers with his friends. He hadn’t cared that she was gone, only that he’d inherited the burden of having to raise me.
I’d sat at the foot of the fresh mound of dirt over her casket, staring at the cheap tombstone Roy picked out without consulting me—a small, thin oval top rock, like those Styrofoam ones you see on people’s lawns on Halloween. Only her name, her date of birth, and the date she left me were on its surface.
It stormed that night, hard. The rain fell like pebbles against my umbrella until the wind ripped it from my hands. It didn’t bother me. I’d been too numb to care.
The shock of having lost her overwhelmed me. I couldn’t leave her alone there in the ground. In the cold. Thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the sky, but still I stayed, staring at my mother’s name, dark against the grey stone. I shouldn’t have been out there. I knew that. Mama told me time and time again, even made me promise her before she died, to never go outside during a storm. I never quite knew why, only that it had something to do with what had happened to my father and that the same thing could happen to me.
My father.
Was she with him now? Had he greeted her when she opened her eyes in the afterlife?
That’s when it happened—the instant flash of bright light jolted through my body, making me seize up with pain so hard I blacked out. Hours went by before I woke again. Weak, stunned, and tingling all over, I managed to walk the three miles back to the salvage yard on my own. I never told Roy what happened—or anyone else, for that matter. Who would have believed me?
Mama never told Roy that I could detect and sense metal as easily as a normal person could sense a cold breeze on their skin. Roy didn’t know what kind of impact lightning could have on me. I hadn’t known either, until Roy forced me to attend my first day of high school the next day. I found out then why my father thought himself too dangerous. That was what had happened to him. Now it was happening to me.
Sunday morning I woke up early. With last week’s sabotage hanging over the team’s head, Dean wanted me there at all times, in case he needed my speedy skills. That meant hanging around the garage … and Colton. I hadn’t seen him much ye
sterday. He’d been tugged away to different promotional things, and I’d skipped going to his practice. The moments we did run into each other were awkward and uncomfortable.
“Hey, Lexi.” Dean waved at me from the other side of the car when I got to the garage. Colton hadn’t returned from his driver’s meeting yet. “I have a favor to ask.”
“You need something dismantled again?”
“No. I need you to watch the race from the pits today.”
Confused, I cocked an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“Mr. Langdon and his daughter are here, and Miss Teen Beat requested that you not be anywhere near her.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, looking disturbed by his own request. “Of course, Mr. Langdon thinks she’s being unfair, but has requested that you stay down here, just this week, so he can have a chance to talk to her later.”
I’d known that her royal highness disliked me, but hadn’t realized she held the power to exile me from the hauler’s roof.
“Just this week, Lex, I promise.”
I wiped the hurt from my expression and forced a smile. “No worries, I’ve never seen a race from the pits before.” I shrugged. “Could be fun.”
“You could sit next to Lenny in the pit box. I’m sure Dylan would let you have his spot.”
I amped up the smile and enthusiasm in hopes of taking some stress off Dean’s shoulders. He had enough to worry about. He didn’t need the added worries of Gwen’s tantrums.
“It’s okay, Dean. I don’t mind.”
Colton came back in time to help the crew push the car out to the inspection booth. We exchanged glances and nods, but nothing more. Things were awkward once again.
He knew.
He knew how I felt. He’d be stupid not to. He saw me storm out like an idiot after Gwen planted one on him.
I took my time going to the hauler to retrieve my headset and met the crew out at the pit stall once all the inspections were done.
Magnetic Shift Page 12
