by Hazel Parker
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
JULIE
I had repeated to myself over and over again that I wasn’t going to the race, with many excuses in mind: that I didn’t want to see him, that I didn’t want to be seen, and that it wasn’t going to be exciting anyway. But despite myself, I was already there before the clock hit seven and sitting beside a very important person in Scott’s life.
His mother.
It had been a surprise, really. Nelly McCall had come barging into my old apartment while I’d been moping, with just one question: what has my son done to make you go away, sweetie?
Apparently, Nelly had called Scott to wish him luck on the race and had noticed that there was something off despite her son refusing to tell her anything. She deduced that we had a fight, but hadn’t expected that she wouldn’t find me in Scott’s apartment when she snuck in while he wasn’t around.
She then went to my apartment and brought me chocolate pie—and then she proceeded to sweet-talk me so that by the end of it, I ended up telling her the whole truth and apologizing for the mess that I’d created. Nelly surprised me by telling me Scott was as much to blame as I was and not to dwell over matters that were already done.
Then she began to tell me that only an idiot (like her son) wouldn’t realize how in love I was with him and would actually not want to proceed with this marriage.
She was the sweetest thing ever, really, but I still couldn’t believe I got talked into coming. We were sitting inside the VIP box along with the relatives and car owners of the other drivers, and the race had already started minutes ago. The adrenaline was high in the air, and I had to admit my nerves were killing me. Sitting in a box was so different from being part of the crew, and suddenly all I wanted was to be with them and witness the race up close.
The announcer sounded like he’d taken some happy pills and was talking a mile a minute, only adding to the excitement and tension. It was a close race, with Doug already back and all the others vying for the top spot just as much.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off Scott’s distinct blue car.
It was on fire. It was racing in a blur, and my breath caught in my throat as cheers rose from the crowd every time he passed by the stands—no, whizzed by. My heart was racing a mile a minute, but I knew it was doing so even before the race began and I only got a glimpse of him.
Just the sight of him made me ache so much and miss him terribly.
My eyes were glued wherever the car was, and no crowbar could have pried my gaze off. I felt a hand squeeze mine and reluctantly turned to Nelly, who was eyeing me with a soft expression on her face.
“My son’s lucky to be loved by someone like you,” she said.
I felt my face turning hot at the compliment.
“He still doesn’t know,” I replied quietly.
Nelly smiled. “Then isn’t it time to stop being a coward and tell him what’s in your heart?”
She was right. I’d been running away for too long, and it was terrible. I was ashamed of myself for what I’d done, and I wanted to take it all back.
I wanted to take Scott back.
“I’m scared,” I finally replied, squeezing Nelly’s hand back.
“Want me to nag him?” she offered.
I blushed and shook my head, then laughed at the cute gesture.
“I can handle him,” I said firmly.
“That’s the spirit!” she chirped.
I smiled at her, feeling my tenseness easing off. Someday, I was going to take this woman out for some food, and we were going to have so much fun.
But for now, whether Scott won or lost, I was going to tell him how I was feeling and fight my way into his heart.
And he was just going to have to deal with it.
*****
It happened in the last lap.
Scott was leading the race, but Gray Denton was steadily gaining speed and trying to outmaneuver him, with the others not far behind. My nerves were back, and I could tell Nelly was just as tense beside me as she held my hand again and held her breath. The crowd’s roar had now become deafening, but my throat was too dry to join them as I watched the match without even blinking.
Then Doug was inserting himself into the leading spot, too—but it was short-lived.
In a blur, his wheel turned in the wrong direction, causing his car to swerve to the side and block the way for the cars at the back. I saw Gray’s car swerve as well as he almost hit the wall but evaded it at the last second. I saw Scott’s car crash completely into Doug’s, turning the front of it into a crumpled mess.
And then James Kinnick’s car was crashing into Scott’s, and I watched as it flew up in the air and landed right on top of Scott’s.
My heart leaped into my throat.
The crowd’s deafening cheer turned into a massive cry of horror.
And then Nelly and I were already racing away from the stands as no other sound came from the still cars below.
CHAPTER THIRTY
SCOTT
My first and last thought before things came crashing down on me was how this was one hell of a way to go—and then the impact came, and the thoughts left my mind as everything happened too fast to comprehend.
I was crumpled beneath a messy pile of an accident, and I felt pain zing on my right shoulder, making me curse out loud. Thankfully, I was fast enough to unbuckle my harness and slide over towards the other door just as the car on top of mine went down and crushed the driver’s seat area.
There was a lot of commotion outside. Yelling and sirens. I could hear James’ name being called out, as well as mine, but I was stuck in my position, unable to get the door open or move in any direction. I felt dizzy as hell, and I knew I was going to feel more pain later when my body was no longer numb.
For now, I tried my best not to close my eyes, else I would end up being unconscious—and I didn’t want to be unconscious. So I counted to ten and recited in my head whatever I could recite as the voices outside washed over me.
Eventually, the door on my side was forcibly opened. I felt hands holding my head still and talking to me, checking out if I was conscious. Questions were being directed in my face. The pain on my shoulder was back, but I gritted my teeth and answered the questions to show I was coherent enough, that I’d already moved and didn’t have broken neck and could be pulled out.
They—the paramedics—did it seamlessly, and I found myself on a stretcher and being rushed to the medical area to be checked out. There were other drivers also there, but it all became a big blur as my crew was suddenly with me and hounding the paramedics about my condition.
Ten minutes later, I was declared good to go, with no broken bones and only a bruised shoulder. My reluctance to go to the hospital had Ulysses talking louder as the minutes went by, but the paramedic knew better and bandaged me up, made me sign a release form, then let me go. I was still pretty out of it as Henry filled me in quietly on the news—that James Kinnick was the only one in a really bad condition as his car flew into the air and toppled right on top of mine, crushing him inside.
Jesus.
It was the stuff of nightmares. He had apparently broken a lot of bones, which meant he was going to have to kiss his racing career goodbye. Hell, he almost kissed his life goodbye.
And I almost did, too.
I could still remember it all vividly, and was grateful for my presence of mind to slide, otherwise I would have been crushed. I didn’t want to die, not when I wanted to do so many things first.
I wanted to win more races and travel the world, then retire and buy another business. I wanted to flourish as an individual, to teach younger drivers how to handle the pressure and to maybe write a book. I wanted to see my child grow up and to guide him or her on how to be a good human being, and all the joys in life.
I wanted to see Julie and tell her how I really felt.
The pit crew’s voices became a blur again as I got lost in my own thoughts. I was already trying to compose the apolog
y in my mind and was almost done when I heard it.
“Scott?”
The blur disappeared, but only enough to focus on that familiar voice. I turned my head to look and found Julie standing a few meters from where I was sitting, her eyes on me as she looked at my bandages and my condition.
A familiar scent was hugging me, and it took me a few seconds to realize my mom was there beside me, telling me all sorts of things that I couldn’t understand. I hugged my mom back, but I couldn’t concentrate on her. All apologies fled from my mind as I drank the sight of Julie in.
She was wearing a pretty dress—light green, highlighting the color of her eyes and showing the growing bump on her stomach. Her hand rested on her bump, caressing it softly, and I found myself aching at such a pure, lovely sight.
In an instant, I was on my feet and walking forward, never once looking in any other direction. Julie’s eyes widened as I neared, but I didn’t give her a chance to speak as I pulled her immediately and wrapped her in my arms.
The smell of her—lemons and woman—removed whatever pain I was feeling, to be replaced by longing. I buried my nose in her hair and just breathed her in, feeling her steady heartbeat against mine and wanting to be near her softness for a long, long time.
I remembered her leaving, and my hands tightened around her. Then I forced myself to step back, studying her worried face for a few seconds before gathering the courage to say the words.
But she beat me to it.
“Don’t you dare do that to me again,” she blurted out.
I blinked. “What?”
“Scare me like that again,” she said, burying her face in my chest. “I couldn’t stand it. I thought you were dead, and we still weren’t finished arguing. And then you were alive, and I still needed to tell you so many stupid things—”
“I love you, Jules.”
Her tirade stopped. She blinked once, then twice.
Then Julie hit me on my good shoulder and had me clutching on it with a wince.
“Ow! What the hell—”
My words were cut off when I felt soft lips against mine. Without wasting time, I kissed her back, feeling the desperation and the hunger from her, along with another emotion—one that had me stunned and in awe as I tasted every bit of her.
She didn’t need to say the words back because I could feel it in the kiss alone. And just like that, I knew why she left—because she was afraid I didn’t feel the same way, as I’d never said the words at all.
And I wasn’t about to let it happen again. I was going to show her and tell her, every single day, for the rest of our lives.
I kept kissing her. Julie kissed me back.
And I knew, just then, that everything was going to be all right.
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Chapter One
Abby Walker nervously wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. Once again, she tried to remind herself that she had no reason to be nervous. She had a plan, she could put it into action, she could carry it out.
She was settled now in the front row at one of the largest fashion houses in New York, waiting for their latest fashion show to start up. She looked stunning in her low cut, short black dress and six-inch Jimmy Choos. Abby loved fashion. She’d grown up with it, and the models that went through it, her entire life.
Abby’s father, Ed Walker, had co-created the most successful modeling agency in New York City. While Abby was pretty enough to be in the industry herself, her father had gone out of his way to protect her. Ed Walker did not want her to see the ugliness that could come with both the modeling and underside of the business enterprise. That had not stopped Abby from ending up at parties, or corporate events. That was where she had met the man who was currently seated on the other side of the runway from her—Mitchell Fields.
Mitchell Fields had been her father’s business partner her entire life. Mitchell was twice her age, but he was gorgeous. She’d developed a crush on him early and it had been with her ever since. Not that Mitchell had ever noticed. She’d always been nothing but Ed’s Little Girl to him. But today, Abby had a feeling that was going to change.
Abby had not seen Mitchell in several years. She’d graduated high school and gone off to college, coming home only on the occasional holiday break and never for a full summer. Now that graduation was over, she had just returned to New York after finishing at Yale. Her degree was just as impressive as her looks. She was twenty-three now, and had grown up in all of the right ways. Abby’s long blonde hair, huge green eyes and killer figure had gotten her the attention of all of the Ivy League boys. Despite that, she was still a virgin. She was holding out for just the right man… and today she was going to have him.
She was not a little girl anymore, and today Mitchell Fields would see that. Abby was going to seduce him if it was the last thing that she did. Studying him, she realized that he looked even better than he had in the past. She had chosen her outfit with the intent of proving to him that she was no child. She had gone through every modeling tip and technique on makeup that she had learned over the years. Expensive foundations and brighteners accented her flawless skin. Her eyes were rimmed in black liner and mascara. She had topped off the look with bright red lipstick. She looked hot-and Mitchell was going to notice.
The house lights dropped. Abby smiled as her eyes focused across the runway on Mitchell. Her tongue traced across her lips once more while she crossed one long leg over the other. Her Yale roommate and best friend Maria had dared her to seduce the man she had been lusting over all these years. Abby suspected that Maria might have been growing weary with hearing about Mitchell. As long as Abby had known Maria, she had her crush on Mitchell. Maria had sat through countless nights of Abby googling recent pictures of Mitchell or just declaring how gorgeous he was. So when the other girl had offered out the challenge, she could not really blame her. After all, the other girl who had watched Abby walk away from countless men her own age over the years. So when the dare had come out of Maria’s mouth, Abby had thought it was as much a challenge to make her stop talking as much as it was one to see if she could do it. Abby had accepted immediately.
Abby smiled at the memory, just as Mitchell happened to turn. He looked across the runway at her. Their eyes met. She gave him a sly smile. She watched as Mitchell’s eyes roamed over her. Abby held back a grin. The look on Mitchell’s face said it all. He wanted her already. This was going to be no trouble at all. Abby licked her lips again. Maybe she did have a reason to be nervous after all.
*****
Mitchell Fields took a deep breath, trying to hide his arousal. Who the hell was the girl in the front row? He knew that he had never seen her here before—he certainly would have remembered. She was gorgeous, and she would not stop staring at him. Mitchell was not doing much better himself. He could barely take his eyes off of her to concentrate on the girls on the runway.
Mitchell was used to beautiful women hanging on him. He was forty, but he enjoyed his bachelor lifestyle. He had never really seen himself as the settle down type. Therefore, he had every intention of sticking to his world of drinks and hot sex with gorgeous models.
Getting older had done nothing to his looks. Mitchell still looked fabulous. His black hair had a few streaks of distinguishing gray in it. He himself kept to a strict workout routine and diet. It paid off. Models were always after him. Actually, all women were always lusting after him.
The fashion show ended not a moment too soon. Mitchell got up from his seat. He was a bit ashamed to admit that he had not paid as much attention as he probably should. He was too distracted by the hot blonde seated across from him. He hoped that she was on her way over to the after show party. He needed to find her—immediately if not sooner.
There was always an after show party filled with drinks and bands. It was a good way to network, give
feedback, or simply hype up publicity with the press. Of course, it was also where some of the darker aspects of the modeling business began to form. That always happened.
He entered the large room that was already filling up with beautiful women and well-dressed men. He knew that most of the men in the room did not have the best of intentions where the women lay. That was the problem with modeling. Women too quickly became objects that symbolized only one thing. While he did not care much to think about it, it was something that he had to admit he was guilty of from time to time.
He laid eyes on his mystery woman near the bar. She was sipping on a glass of red wine. Mitchell smiled. He began making his way through the crowd. It took him a few moments. He kept getting stopped by both men and women alike. Everyone wanted his attention. While most of the men wanted to talk business or compliment him on the company’s successes, the women were batting their eyes in ways that Mitchell knew. Apparently his reputation preceded him.
“Did you enjoy the show?” He finally reached the mystery woman’s side. He leaned against the bar beside her, ordering himself a gin and tonic. The girl turned to him. Her eyes were bright green. Her lips were a beautiful shade of bright crimson. Mitchell felt the lust well up in him immediately. He could already imagine what those lips could do to him.
“Couldn’t take my eyes off of it.” The girl put her wine glass on the bar. “It was everything I wanted.” Mitchell chuckled.
“I don’t believe that we’ve met. I’m Mitchell Fields.” He offered her a hand.
“It’s my pleasure.” She shook his hand firmly.
“And you are-?” Mitchell pressed gently. He was curious just who she could be. He had never seen her here before, after all.
“A fashion lover who is thrilled to meet the brilliant mind behind this empire.” She leaned against the bar beside him as her fingers wrapped around her wine glass once more.
“Flattery will get you everything.” Mitchell looked the girl over. His eyes immediately landed on her chest. She had quite the figure-that was for sure. “Have we met before?”
