by Jess Bryant
“He is. Just like you.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far…”
She tilted his chin back towards her when he started to look away, “I would. I do. You’re a good man, Remy. That’s why it worries me, you working for Lincoln. I don’t want you to get hurt or… worse.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen to me.”
“But…”
“All I do is fight, babe. And nobody’s gonna beat me in that cage. Nobody.” Remy kissed the end of her nose, “The rest of it, the stuff with Colt, we’re not going to let that happen again. Link’s gonna find his traitor and the danger will go away and my cousins won’t be hanging around the salon all the time. You’ll be safe. We’ll all be safe.”
She tried not to flinch at the mention of the traitor. The danger, everyone on red alert, and she had the power to fix it. She could protect Skylar and Jemma, Cash and Colt, even Remy. All she had to do was find the strength inside herself to say the words.
“I’m glad they were there yesterday though, to take care of you when I didn’t know you were in danger.”
“Yeah…” She managed a nod, “F-Ford sent Craig away. I-I need to thank him for that.”
“You can’t even say his name without flinching. I’ll tell him you said thank you.” Remy smirked, “He’s a scary fucker huh?”
“He looks it but… I-I don’t know. I think he has a soft side.”
Remy laughed, “Oh, I don’t know if I’d go that far but he is a good guy. I trust him and there aren’t too many of my cousin’s I would say that about.”
“R-R-Royce?”
“Do I trust Royce? Hell no. Trouble follows that guy like it’s his shadow.”
“No. Royce. That’s Bentley’s twin right? Lincoln and Ford’s younger brother?”
“Yeah.” Remy drew the word out slowly, seriousness returning to his face, “Why?”
She knew from the look on his face that deciding to answer his earlier question had been a good idea, “I-I… I think he’s the one that hangs out with Craig. I know it wasn’t the others so… It was Royce.”
“You’re sure it wasn’t one of the Bible Bomars? Abel or his brothers? There’s a bunch of them too and their business crosses with Lincoln’s a lot of the time.”
“N-No.” She shook her head, “They’re all dark haired, like you, right?”
He nodded seriously, his jaw tense.
“It’s Lincoln’s family that has the lighter hair. Well, and the twins.”
When Remy winced, she hated that she’d thoughtlessly mentioned his brothers’ resemblance to his cousins. She’d heard the rumors. She’d heard that the reason Decker Bomar hated his two youngest sons was because he thought they weren’t his. She’d heard that Colt and Cash might very well be Auto Bomars sons and the resemblance was certainly there. The twins looked more like Lincoln, Ford, Bentley and Royce, Auto’s sons, than they did Remy. Remy had his father’s dark coloring, the same coloring that Decker’s twin, Duke, and his sons, the Bible Bomars, all had. But it was clear that mentioning that his brothers might not be his brothers, hurt Remy and she regret the words.
“Yeah.” He choked out.
“So it was Royce.” She said quickly, getting them back on topic. “It had to be. He’s the only one I haven’t met now.”
“Royce is friends with Craig?”
She nodded.
“That’s good to know.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. I’ll talk to him. See if I can’t get him to keep your brother away from you.”
“Th-thank you.” She managed even if she didn’t feel all that thankful.
She had a feeling giving Remy that bit of information was only going to make her brother angrier. She hadn’t seen Royce hanging out with her brother recently anyway. And if Craig had turned traitor they couldn’t be as close as they used to be. But maybe if they talked to Royce they’d figure out that Craig had turned on them, and why, and she wouldn’t have to explain what she knew, or how she knew it.
“Come on.” Remy jerked upright suddenly.
“What?”
“I don’t want to think about my family bullshit anymore. Let’s get out of here. Let’s go do something fun today, just you and me.”
“I… but…”
“There’s something I want to show you. Come on. Get up.”
“What?”
“There’s this place I used to go sometimes and I haven’t been since I got back to town. I want to take you there. It’s special and I want to share it with you.” He smirked, “My special girl.”
She smiled as he paced the room excitedly. He was gorgeous. All brawn and muscles and tattoos, he looked dangerous as hell. But then he grinned like that, the smile that flashed those Bomar dimples and made him look younger, almost boyish. And if she’d ever be able to tell him no, it wasn’t going to be when he was half naked and grinning at her like that.
“Stop staring at me and get your cute little ass out of bed before I change my mind and decide to handcuff you to the headboard.”
She laughed, “You don’t have to handcuff me to your bed, Remy. I’m not going to try and run away.”
His grin widened, “Oh, baby, there’s plenty of reasons to handcuff you to the bed that don’t have a thing to do with you not getting away.”
“Really?”
Remy choked out a laugh, “Yeah, really, now, since you’ve given me a hard-on I’m gonna go take a cold shower. Get up and get dressed or so help me, when I get back, I’ll spank your cute little ass.”
Rachel giggled as she watched him walk out of the room. A part of her wanted to call after him and tell him there was no need for the cold shower. She’d given him the erection and she could certainly help him with it after last night. But the shy, uncertain girl she’d always been kept her lips pressed closed.
She wasn’t sure what had come over her last night. She’d felt so bold, so free. Remy made her feel sexy and wanted and desired. It had gotten to her. It must have. Because the Rachel she’d always been never would have climbed on a Bomar boy’s lap and insisted he take his cock out so she could see it and touch it and… suck it.
Her body responded to the memory, growing warm and wet and she tossed the blankets aside. She’d never considered herself a sexual person. After what had happened to her, she was so scared all the time of inviting more pain, more hurt, that she’d never given a thought to the pleasure she was forfeiting.
But being with Remy was pure pleasure. He made her feel things she hadn’t known she could feel. He made her feel sexy and wanted. She wanted to be the woman he saw her as instead of the scared little girl she’d always been.
“You better be putting pants on, Rach.”
She grinned when she heard him yell from the bathroom. As tempted as she was to see what he would do if she didn’t put pants on before he came back in the room, she hustled to find something to wear. He wanted to take her somewhere special and that was more important for their relationship right now.
Besides, she could probably figure out a way to get him out of his pants again when they got back.
“Are you sure about this?”
Remy chuckled and adjusted his seatbelt. It was only about the thirtieth time Rachel had asked that question since he’d begun coaxing her behind the steering wheel of the Challenger. If he was another man, he might be worried that she seemed so flabbergasted by the idea of driving his car but he wasn’t. He trusted her, completely, and he couldn’t wait to see that look of pleasure on her face when she crossed the finish line.
He’d brought her to his favorite place in the whole world today. The old, abandoned drag racing strip had been his home away from home when he was a teenager. It was the place he’d first learned to drive. Uncle Auto had taught him because Decker had been too drunk of course. And it was where he and Lincoln and the other Bomar boys would race whatever heap of metal they’d been able to get their hands on in an attempt to outrun their demons.
Most peo
ple in Old Settlers had forgotten that the strip existed. According to family legend, Boyd Bomar had it built for his sons when they were just kids. He’d been certain one of his boys would be a race car driver but as close as he’d gotten was getaway drivers. Duke had gone to prison. Decker had become an alcoholic. And after years of running the garage and the track, Auto had shut it down and stuck to what he knew. Cars. Both fixing them and stealing them.
The track had fallen into disrepair. The grandstand and the concession were graffiti covered and buried in weeds. But the strip itself was still intact, run down enough to show that somebody had been using it in the years Remy had been away. He’d have wondered who it was if he’d been alone but since he’d had Rachel, he hadn’t given it much thought.
With Rachel, everything else fell away.
There was nothing but her for him. Nothing and no one else. She was his sun, his light, his reason for being. She was his and he would spend the rest of his life trying to make her smile at him the way she had when they’d first pulled up to the old drag racing track.
The way her smile made his chest feel tight when he pulled to the starting line. The sound of her slightly terrified but mostly exhilarated scream the first time he gunned the engine. The way her laughter had filled the car when he slid to a stop at the finish line. The way she’d bounced up and down and kissed him, begged to do it again with the windows down so she could feel the wind in her hair.
Those were the things that made this the single best day of his life.
No death or destruction. No fists or fighting. No threats. No worries or doubts or fears.
It was just him and Rachel out here. The two of them, spending the day together, like a normal couple. Doing something fun together. Doing something normal, or okay, drag racing in an abandoned field probably wasn’t a normal first date but he was a Bomar so maybe it was. The two of them laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves. It was hands down the best day he could ever remember having and all they’d done was talk and get to know each other better and drag race the Challenger for a couple of hours. It was the best day of his life and it wasn’t over yet. Not even close.
“Rachel, put your hands back where I showed you.” He took her small hands in his and kissed them gently before depositing one back on the wheel and the other on the gearshift.
“I dunno about this Remy.”
She was chewing on that damn bottom lip again so he popped it free and then leaned over the console to kiss it gently, “I trust you. You can do this. It’s gonna be fun.”
“But...”
He nipped her bottom lip and tugged on it with his teeth until she whined. When he released her she swayed closer but he smirked and shook his head. The way she was looking at him, if he kissed her again right now he’d haul her cute little ass over the gearshift and into his lap. And then he’d have her naked and he’d slide her down his now aching erection until he was buried deep inside her and…
“No.” He had to clear his throat because the word came out too husky, “No more buts. You wanted to drive the Challenger. You drive the Challenger. What happened to not being scared of what you want anymore?”
Rachel pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him and he fought a laugh. He was using her words against her and they both knew it. Her chin tilted up a degree and she huffed but turned her gaze back out the windshield. He covered his grin by rubbing his chin.
He’d figured something out about his girl today. She liked fast cars, just like he did. She liked that out of control feeling of flying when you hit top speed. It made her breathless and giddy. She liked a little bit of danger even if she’d never admit it and that was fine. Because he’d also realized that the reason she could enjoy this kind of danger, instead of being scared, was because he was there and she trusted him to keep her safe.
“Are you sure about this?” She swallowed hard.
“Yes, you can do this. I showed you how and when to shift and when to let off and brake. You can do this.”
“You really trust me not to wreck your car and kill us both?”
He chuckled, “You’re not gonna wreck the car and kill us, Rach. Stop overthinking it. Matter of fact, stop thinking at all. Just grip the wheel, put your foot on the gas and let go.”
“Let go?” Her eyebrows shot skyward and he snorted.
“Not literally.” He sobered and shook his head, “Do not let go of the wheel, Rachel. No matter what happens. Do. Not. Let. Go. Of. The. Wheel.”
“See, now I’ve even got you worried.”
She kind of did but he refused to let it show. She’d told him that she had a license but had only very rarely driven in her life. She’d had to sell her mom’s car to pay for the funeral and her bastard brother hadn’t let her near his car. She knew how to drive, just barely.
He reassured himself that this wasn’t really driving. The strip was a quarter mile in a straight line. She wanted to drive. She’d told him so. Even if she’d immediately retracted the question and been nervously arguing with him ever since. She wanted this, needed it, to know that she could do even the things that scared her, so he was going to make sure she did it. That was all there was to it.
Remy slid his hand over hers on the gear shift, “Ready?”
“No.”
“Are you ready?” He repeated when she shook her head.
“I…” Her hand on the wheel tightened until her knuckles were white and then she bit into her bottom lip, faced forward and nodded, “I… okay. Yeah, let’s do this.”
“On the count of three…” He felt his heart ratchet up a notch when she shifted in her seat, putting her foot on the pedal and giving another nod, “One. Two. Three.”
He shoved the gear shift forward and the car lurched. They peeled out and the smell of burning rubber hit his nose at the same moment the back end began to swing around. He started to open his mouth, to remind Rachel to grip the wheel and steer, but she was already correcting and straightening them as the car sped forward. A grin spread over her face and it was her hand on the shifter that moved this time as the tach on the dash neared the red line. He pulled his hand away, letting her do this on her own, but never taking his eyes off of her.
She was gorgeous. She always was but like this… the only other time he’d seen her light up like this was last night, when he’d made her come apart in his arms. That knowledge made his pants terribly uncomfortable as his dick twitched and he steadfastly ignored it like he had all day. This wasn’t about him, it was about her.
Rachel’s smile spread across her entire face and her eyes danced though they never left the road. Their surroundings flew past them in a blur as she hit top speed. She shifted just when she was supposed to, just like he’d taught her, and he’d never seen anything so sexy in his damn life. His woman, driving his car, like a bat out of hell. His sweet, shy, tiny little girlfriend controlling thousands of pounds of metal and gasoline was damn near as good as sex.
They hurtled over the finish line and Rachel let up on the gas. She downshifted and braked and screamed as they skidded to a stop. Minus the scream, it was like she’d done this a million times, like she’d been born for it. As soon as the car stopped moving she threw her hands up and screamed again and he laughed because he’d never seen her so happy.
“Oh my God!” Rachel squealed with delight, “That was amazing! Oh my God! It was amazing!”
“Yeah, baby, it was.” He unsnapped his seatbelt, “You’re amazing.”
“Oh wow… Oh Remy…” She was breathing hard from her excitement and her cheeks had gone pink, “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You did it. Not me.”
“I did it because you made me. Thank you. Thank you!” She unsnapped her seatbelt and launched herself at him, “Thank you, Remy. Thank you.”
She kissed him and he groaned as her excitement and taste incinerated the last bits of his willpower. He was hard. He’d been hard for her since he woke up this morning and no amount of cold showers
or jacking himself off or ignoring it would make his need for this girl go away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth, her tongue teasing at the seam of his until he opened and he lost it.
Rachel being bold and demanding was his kryptonite. He couldn’t refuse her. Not when she was shy and reserved with everyone else. With everyone but him. Her need, her desire, was so strong that all of her nervousness disappeared and there was nothing left but how much she wanted him.
And how much he wanted her.
When her tongue stroked into his mouth he groaned and grabbed her. He hauled her over the console and she gasped but didn’t complain when her foot got stuck and twisted. The kiss broke as they both laughed at the awkwardness of trying to get close in the small car and Remy felt his heart swell in his chest.
Her eyes were big and bright and so full of things neither of them could say yet that he wanted to shout the words right then and there. He had to bite his tongue to keep them at bay, worried that they would ruin this moment. Too much too soon. Instead, he kissed her again, soft and slow, and tried to tell her how much he loved her with nothing but his touch.
Rachel kissed him back as he helped her to straddle him. The passenger seat of the Challenger was too small, too tight a fit. She couldn’t settle down on top of him the way he wanted, couldn’t grind against him the way she needed, but their hips both bucked, searching for each other, seeking the friction and touch of the other.
With a frustrated moan, Rachel tore her mouth from him, “Remy, please…”
“I know, love. I know.”
She gasped when he cupped her breasts and her head fell back. God he loved the way she reacted when he touched her. She was still wearing one of his oversized t-shirts and it had fallen off one of her shoulders revealing creamy, untouched skin that he wanted to mark. He slid one hand to her back to hold her steady as he reared up and latched his mouth to the spot where her neck met her shoulder and sucked.
“Oh God, Remy…” She shuddered out a breath and arched into his touch.
He sucked hard, knowing he was bruising her, and only released the mark when he was sure it would be visible for days. She might cover it up with clothes before she went back to work but he would know. She would know. And that would be enough… for now.
