“I lied.” He rumbled, and that was that. We pulled in the driveway and he pulled me into the house, kicking the door closed loudly behind us. He flipped on the lights and swung me around.
“Listen, and listen well.” He commanded quietly, tossing his keys on the counter and turning his dark eyes on me. “If you want a chance in hell at driving Makayla, really driving,” he said, frustration coursing through his words. “Then you have to cool it. We have to keep this quiet and take it slow, whatever it is.” He straightened his shoulders and tipped my chin. “You do not want that reputation; you do not deserve that reputation.” His eyes warmed and he smiled with half his mouth. “You continue to talk about being taken seriously, this would make any chance of that evaporate. Not to mention what it would do to me, and potentially the team. I need your patience. I need your trust.” Standing before him in his tiny kitchen, his big frame looming large above me, his intensity draining every ounce of defiance I had left. Fuck, I just wanted him.
“Chase is no threat to you unless you allow him to be. It is natural for a team, especially a young team like us to have multiple drivers. We are building something, Aidan has a plan, you are part of it, but you have to trust and you have to fall in line. You have been spoiled by me, Makayla. It is not normal practice for the lead to be directly training the development team, I don’t have time for that, but I made time, for you. I couldn’t help myself, and here we are,” he muttered quietly twisting a tendril of my hair between his fingers on a pause. “Now I have made it even more complicated but the fact still remains, though it’s clear to me that I need to do a better job of showing you, I want you. I want you in a way that I don’t want to fight, which is a first for me. But, Makayla, I also want you to be successful, and I want my team to be successful.
This is going to be an exercise in balance. I need you to understand that.” I watched his mouth then felt the words and the warmth in his eyes.
“Ok, Kelley,” I replied quietly, unsure of what else to say, knowing he was right.
“Ok? That’s it, after all that attitude, you give in with an ok?” He smiled and let his hand slip around my neck.
“I’m not giving in,” I smiled, leaning into him. “I just understand.”
“I’ll take it.” He declared, backing me through the living room and down the hallway, hauling me into his arms, his fingers winding in my hair as he crushed me to him. “You are going to be a challenge,” he whispered against my lips, “I love a challenge.” His lips closed over mine and I was a goner. His kiss turned me to liquid and I threw my arms around his neck. We crossed the threshold of his room and things got frantic. He tore the shirt from my body so easily, sending little faux pearl buttons soaring, scattering across the floor. He ripped it down my arms and didn’t even bother to remove it as the cuffs caught at my wrists. With my hands pinned behind my back, he had full access and I could do nothing. I wanted to do nothing. I wanted him to do whatever it was that he wanted to do to me. I had waited what felt like a lifetime for this moment and I was going to ride it.
He ran his finger over the cup of my bra and slid it beneath the lace and my breath caught. In the next instance he had torn both cups down and my breasts were trussed up and out and he had me cupped in his hand. It felt amazing, his big hands squeezing and pulling at me, his teeth tugging at my nipple. I couldn’t help it, my head fell back and a moan so deep struggled to escape my throat.
“Take that fucking shirt off,” he growled. I worked the cuffs behind my back and let the shirt slide from my arms. Before it even hit the floor my bra was off and flying across the room and he growled again, deeper this time, his hungry eyes taking me in. He hooked his hands under my arms sent me into the air, bouncing on his bed as he crawled up slowly after me and I felt compelled to elude him. For what reason I couldn’t say other than for the sheer delight of making him come and get me. For the delight of that wild look in his eyes that said when he finally got me pinned he was going to wreck me and I was going to love every brutal moment of it.
I scrambled to the other side of the bed and he froze, his eyes lighting up, his mouth twisting into a grin that had a direct connection to my heart rate. Fuck, he was gorgeous. He rose up on his knees, his moves calculated and slow. With one hand he grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, with the other he popped the top button on his jeans. His tongue darted from between his gleaming teeth and ran along his bottom lip and I felt it deep in my belly and he knew it. His eyes changed, they got dark and melty. He moved quickly, his arm shot across the bed and he took me to my back. It was like a dance and I don’t know how I knew the moves but I did. It came so naturally, he moved his hand and I moved mine. His lips hovered over mine as his hand slid into my pants and he sucked the hitched breath from my mouth. His hips squared with mine and he pressed me into the bed. It was heaven. It was what I had wanted, what I had been wanting for years, right here, with Kelley, just like this.
“I missed you,” I whispered without thinking and he stopped, looking down into my eyes and the air changed. The desperation evaporated and was replaced by something far more palpable, something intense, something …. slow. His eyes bored into me and we stilled.
“I waited for you.” His voice was rough as it rolled over me and my breath, my heart, everything stopped. He waited for me. Then his hands started to move, first to my face. He brushed his thumb against my lips and watched them part for him. The other hand slid like silk down my cheek, over my shoulder and he cupped my breast, calling every cell to attention as he stroked my nipple with his thumb and my body caught on fire. I writhed beneath him, rolling my hips against his as he pulled me between his fingertips then covered me with his mouth.
Oh, my god, this is happening. My mind swirled around the top of his head moving down my body, his hands getting to know every dip and curve of my body. Every touch slow and deliberate, exploratory. What started as a desperate bid for satisfaction had turned to a slow dance of discovery and every step counted. He slid from the bed and stood, slowly unbuttoning my jeans pulling them from my legs all the while watching my face. He dropped them to the ground and tipped his chin and his honey voice washed over me.
“Panties.” I lifted my bottom from the bed without hesitation and slid them down over my hips, his hungry lips parting as he watched. I bent my knees and slid them over my toes and held them out for him. He took them in his hand and balled his fist around them, his eyes wide before he dropped them to the floor and looked down at his jeans.
I took the cue and rolled towards him my hands going right to his pants. I was careful with the zipper, moving slowly, looking up at him as I slid it all the way down. He slid his hands around his hips and they fell to the ground along with my mouth. His cock sprang forth, no boxers or briefs to get in the way and there was something so fucking raw about that. He was ready. Ready for me. I let my eyes travel over him, over the planes of his chest, the V of his waist. His cock was long and hard and perfectly mouthwatering. He was magnificent from top to toe.
He grabbed my legs and swung them around, pulling me to the edge of the bed, placing himself between my parted thighs. When he finally sunk into me our eyes locked and the whole world melted away. Never in my life had I felt so connected with someone, so totally possessed by someone. He moved slowly at first, his hips rolling gently and it was hypnotic. I let my head fall back and my eyes closed.
“Look at me.” His rough voice brought me back and I met his gaze. “Don’t look away.” I wouldn’t dare. By the time he was done with me he knew me better than I knew myself. He left no inch untouched, no curve left unkissed. He left an indelible mark with his hands and branded me from the inside.
I laid barely awake drawing lazy circles on his warm flesh, his chest rising and falling beneath my fingertips as he softly slept. I inspected his shoulder and the ink that covered it. It was abstract, heavily shadowed, a mishmash of what looked like gears and car parts and then I saw it, on the insid
e of his bicep. Surrounded by bold shadows and what looked like a halo, my Daddy’s number, 9. God, I Loved this man. I loved the thought that he had my dad with him, inked right there. I wondered how long he had it, I wanted one like it.
The sound of his heart beating beneath my ear made me happy, the sight of the valley between his hips and where it led made me giddy. The sheet already askew and pulled from his hips made the decision to explore that much easier. I used my foot to push the sheet away and sat up to look down on the beauty that was Kelley, his flat belly, rippled even as he lay still, slim but powerful hips that drove me wild.
An audible breath escaped my lips as I looked down to the dark patch of hair that signaled, undeniably his masculinity and the cock that stood half at attention already, that announced his undeniable virility. My God he was beautiful, his long lean body, right down to his feet, but it wasn’t the beauty that got me, it was the ferocity. Even laying there, sleeping, my eyes raking him over, I felt his control, his presence, his eyes. Sure enough, that searing heat could not be mistaken, as I traversed his body, I noticed his cock twitch and when I came back to his face his eyes were wide and fixed on me.
“What’s your plan?” He asked quietly propping himself on his elbows, the corner of his mouth curling upwards.
“I,” I looked from his eyes to his now harder cock, then back to his amused eyes. “No plan,” I nodded, our eyes locked.
“Well you better make one pronto, or I’ll be making one for you.” His sleepy voice set me on edge then he licked his bottom lip and I plummeted.
“You don’t scare me,” I declared running my hand up the inside of his thigh.
“I have no intention of scaring you, baby.” He moved slowly, raising himself from the bed, “I do plan to make you scream, but I promise you‘ll love it” Before I could process or respond I was on my back and Kelley had me in a cage of his big arms.
“I’ve been watching you, you know,” I said quietly looking up into his eyes as he settled his weight on me. His brows knit together in question and I continued. “Your career,” I reached up and ran my finger slowly along his collar bone, reminding myself to kiss him there when he let me up. “Your exploits,” I fought off a grin. “I never stopped watching, Kelley.”
“I like that,” his lips split into a bright smile that captivated my attention, the way his eyes wrinkled slightly, and his lip turned up crooked on one side.
“I think it’s time to talk, Mack,” and he took his weight from me, rolling to his side. “We need to talk about how this is going to look. I want you to have the best chance; I want you to have the chance to earn that respect, so we have to be cautious until you have earned your stripes. I know you understand this. And on top of it all, I am your boss; we will always have to maintain that balance. Zoom is in 3 weeks and then we have expo day, that is when you will shine. I think it’s best for now if we just keep this here, in this bed, between us.” He stopped and ran his finger over my collar bone. “It’s in your best interest and everyone’s.”
“Agreed,” I said quietly before pressing my lips to his chest. “But what about Robert?”
“Robert only knows what he wants to know, and he doesn’t really want to know. Besides if I really start to break it down, I’m starting to think there was a conspiracy going on here in the first place. Either him or him and Ina.” I stopped and thought about that for a minute. That was just like her, but it didn’t explain why she was pushing me so hard towards Luc. I wonder if she could be that manipulative that she would think to push me towards Luc would push Kelley towards me. A little smile raised the side of my mouth and I couldn’t help but giggle to myself. She was devious; in this case, I loved it.
“Either way, for your career, for the team, for everything. It’s better that we keep it here. We have to keep it separate anyway Makayla; I am still your boss. You have to let me train you.”
“I am letting you train me as well as can be expected,” I grinned as he grabbed a handful of my ass and pulled me astride him.
“I never stopped thinking about you Kelley, never,” I whispered as he moved to shut me up.
“Stop talking, baby.” His mouth covered my neck and swallowed any words I had left, his warm lips slid over my skin giving me shivers and he rolled to the side so his hands could roam my bare skin. He propped himself on an elbow and looked down at me while he ran the back of his fingers down my belly. “Now I want to watch you,” his gravelly voice rolled over me and I closed my eyes and stopped talking.
Chapter 16
The Motherlode
For the next two weeks, we conditioned and trained, met over the cars and specs. Chase and I got to know each other well over early morning runs during which Kelley and Aaron seemed to work me harder, but I didn’t mind. I welcomed it really, I felt like I had something to prove, to Kelley, to Chase, to myself. I was glad Kelley pushed me, glad for the strength and I really liked the look on Chase’s face when he watched me push through. He was sexy as fuck, his body hard; he looked like he was cut from fucking marble. His dirty blonde curls made him look childishly sweet, and he was sweet as a peach and talented, he was definitely going to make a name for himself but I needed him to be aware that I wasn’t going anywhere. We were coming up together, I was his equal.
***
“Mom, is everything ok?” I picked up my chirping cell, surprised to see my mother’s picture appear at 530 am on a Saturday.
“Hello, Pumpkin,” her voice carried through the phone and I missed her immediately.
“What time is it there?”
“Mom, its 530 in the morning.”
“My goodness, I had no idea. What are you doing up?”
“Answering my phone,” I teased.
“You were up, I didn’t wake you did I?”
“No mom, you didn’t wake me, I was just getting ready for a run. Isn’t it late for you? What are you doing up?” I asked, but she didn’t answer.
“A run?” She asked shocked, understandably so, as I have never been one to exercise by choice in the past. “Hmm,” the skeptical noise traveled across the miles, no amplification lost. “I have to stay up late in order to speak to my daughter…who never calls me. Tell me how you are. I almost didn’t recognize your voice it’s been so long.” That didn’t take long, I thought to myself.
“I’m sorry Mom, I’ve been so busy. I’ve been working for Uncle Robert.”
“Working?” She asked with a distinct tone of disbelief. “Is that all?” I could tell she already knew the answer.
“I’ve also been driving, a bit,” I answered quietly, chewing my bottom lip.
“So I’ve heard.” A long moment of silence stretched over the miles and then she started again. “I had to hear it from your aunt Ina, Makayla.” Her disapproval clawed at my nerves and unearthed that damn guilt. “I don’t like hearing about my own daughter from someone else. Why haven’t you called me?” I sighed and took a deep breath, not wanting to do this, to have this talk although I know we have to. It’s been a long time coming and I have avoided it like the plague. Hell, I flew across an ocean just so I wouldn’t have to have this conversation. Damn it, Ina.
“Never mind that now. I’ve missed you terribly and Ina has extended an invitation so I’ll be coming over for a visit. You can tell me all about what you have been up to in person, isn’t that exciting?” Exciting was not the first word that came to mind. Terrifying, stressful, painful, she had not been back to the UK since Daddy died. If she hadn’t just said it, I would have assumed she preferred to pretend the whole country just ceased to exist once we left. I never thought she would visit, certainly not this soon and not when everything was so up in the air. If I had my way I would be driving, successfully, so I could show her I was right. Instead, she comes when everything is so unsettled. I don’t know where I stand with the team, with Kelley, everything is up in the air and she is going to come and watch me drop the balls. Anxiety welled in my throat and min
gles with that all-consuming need to see one’s mother.
“Ina!” I called, taking two steps at a time to find her coming out of her bedroom. I stopped at the top of the stairs to catch my breath and she smiled brightly, her eyes wide in excitement.
“Did you talk to your mother?” Her question was loaded but the way she asked it threw me, and my voice cracked in frustration before I could respond.
“Yes, Ina, but not before you did apparently.” I crossed my arms and her face fell slightly.
“Did I do something wrong,” she asked so innocently I felt like a jerk. I dropped my shoulders and stepped closer to her, my head cocked and I let out a deep sigh before I responded.
“I hadn’t told her that I was driving.” I shook my head. “But you didn’t know that,” I said quietly. “I should have told her, I just didn’t know how.” Ina’s eyes grew wide and she closed the gap between us, pulling me into her arms.
“Oh, sweetie. Damn it, me and my mouth. I was just so excited to hear from her, I wanted to brag on you.” I looked at her through a shimmer of tears and couldn’t help but smile. I knew she meant well, she always meant well. This was all my fault.
“I’m sorry, Ina, it’s not your fault. I should have told her. I just didn’t know how. I’ve hardly talked to her since I got here.”
“Makayla,” her disapproving tone flared my guilt and I sulked before her.
“I know,” I said looking down at my feet. “She has just never wanted me to drive,” I started, and like a sprinter from the block I launched. “She has always been afraid for me to drive. She never forgave him for dying, her heart never healed and she did everything she could to keep me from it. I went to college, Ina, I got the degree, I did everything she wanted. I stayed close. I missed so much. I am ready to live for myself. She will never approve.”
“Oh no,” she muttered, biting her lip looking away from me. “I did something Kiki.” She smiled a most uncomfortable smile and I waited or the other shoe to drop. “I thought I was doing a good thing,” she whispered, taking my hands in hers. I can’t think how this could be worse. Nothing could make this worse, I was wrong.
The Curve Page 13
