But right now I only saw one thing. A sleek, black Italian sports car pulled up in the lot and the door swung open. Out stepped the most beautiful man on the face of the earth. Gage Hazard. I hand’s seen him since I was a little girl, running around the track. It had been fifteen years and a lot had changed, but not in a bad way. The years had been good to Gage. He was aging like a fine Tuscan wine.
I suddenly felt my posture straighten, my back as flat as a board. My body clock was still off with the jet lag combined with being up right now just before sunrise, but none of that mattered now. My mind raced as my focus intensified on the one man I had fantasized about the last two years. The man who had always just been “dad’s best bud” had become my ultimate celebrity crush, and he was walking directly towards me.
But he didn’t really walk, he glided. His single-breasted tuxedo jacket with its peaked lapel projected power, confidence and sophistication. His bow tie which he had untied and now hung around his neck contrasted his high society look with an “I don’t give a damn what you think about me” swagger.
And one look at my nipples which were now firmly protruding through my shirt would tell him exactly what I thought about him. I pulled my sweater closed around my chest in order to hide my arousal and avoid putting my father in an awkward position, not that my panties which were quickly becoming wetter by the second wasn’t awkward enough.
How in the world was I going to convince him that the little girl he hadn’t seen in years was now all grown up, and beyond that capable of being a part of his team? My heart sunk at the prospect of my sales pitch falling on deaf ears, my only hope that his loyalty to my father would be the deciding factor.
His “I don’t give a shit” smirk quickly changed to a welcoming smile as he neared.
“Erica, it’s been too long,” he said as he extended his hand.
I stood quickly from my chair, my knee hitting the underside of the table causing my coffee cup to rattle in the saucer.
Pull yourself together, Erica.
I extended my hand and felt his hand gently, but firmly, take mine in his.
His hands were rough, likely the result of hour upon hour of gripping a steering wheel. Their masculinity hit my most basic of instincts as I felt goose bumps run up my arms. I quickly looked down to make sure my sweater was still closed. I noticed I had subconsciously arched my back a little more, pushing my breasts out more than usual. I was standing taller than normal and breathing in shorter, staccato bursts.
And then it hit me. Race car drivers usually aren’t that tall. At six feet one inch, Gage was a giant by industry standards. And gigantic is how his hand felt in comparison to mine. Convincing him that my hands were big enough to wield a pneumatic wrench while changing a tire was going to be a difficult task. A guy like Gage lived and died by small details, and I was sure the size of my hands didn’t go unnoticed.
“The last time I saw you, you were hiding wrenches from the team on qualification day,” he laughed.
Oh my god. He remembered? I had totally forgot and now, looking back, I realized why I had to go live with my mom. I was a little shit back then who may have cost him that race. Small hands and poor history at the track. I was down two strikes before I even stepped into the batter’s box.
“I’m really sorry about that,” I said as confidently as I could. “It won’t happen again, sir.”
“Sir?” he smiled. “Please, you’re a family friend. Call me Gage.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Mind if we join you?”
“No, certainly, we’ll just need to get—”
“Oh, Monsieur Hazard! We are so honored you are here,” the man from the bakery said suddenly as he arrived with two chairs. “My wife and I would like nothing more than a picture with the best driver in the history of automobiles.”
It then occurred to me that the two people in the bakery were a husband and wife team. Gage quickly snapped a picture with them and they proceeded to tell them that anything we wished for was on the house. Is this what life was like for Gage? Sure, our entire bill here would only be a few euros, but the gesture was very kind. Was it like this everywhere he went? My dad had mentioned how going out with him was the ultimate red carpet experience. Before he left for Monaco this year, he had laughed as he told the story of their last visit when Gage had been dining in the most exclusive of circles and upon leaving the restaurant a number of fans came running forward asking for autographs. A certain someone by the name of DiCaprio had been taken aback when he suddenly realized it was Gage who they wanted a picture with to remember their brief celebrity encounter.
Over the next half hour Gage asked me questions about my life while I blabbed. I hadn’t even realized what I was doing. He just had a way which made me feel so comfortable. I could see now exactly why women found him irresistible. He never spoke of himself and didn’t even ask me a single question about cars or any sort of qualifications or the like. The most desirable man in the world, and certainly the world’s hottest and most eligible bachelor, was just getting to know me as a person. My self-esteem soared as my cheeks blushed.
“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity,” I said as a second car pulled into the lot.
“As am I,” he smiled. “See you in a few hours.” He leaned in and gave me the customary kiss on the cheek before shaking my father’s hand.
Gage held the door for us as we entered the first car, and he entered the second.
“Looks like you’re going to get your shot, sweetheart,” my dad said, as our car pulled away.
“Thank you, dad. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough,” I said as I gave my dad a big hug in the back seat.
I pulled away as a thought occurred to me. “Dad?”
“Yes, dear.”
“How did you convince him to give me a shot, I mean, what did you say to him?”
“That was the part that even surprised me. I didn’t really say anything, just that we had an opening and you were the only person I could get on such short notice.”
“And that was all it took for him to agree?”
“Well at first I guess he technically didn’t even agree.”
“What do you mean? I mean how did he react?”
“He provided a ride for his companion and we came to meet you right away.”
“His companion?”
“Yeah, that Bianchi girl.”
“Bianchi? Giulia Bianchi?”
“I think that’s the one. The one you see on TV sometimes.”
My dad’s life revolved entirely around racing, so he didn’t really know the difference between TV actors and movie stars, but I certainly did. Giulia Bianchi had been Miss Universe a few years earlier and was now the hottest actress in Europe. She was scheduled for her American debut this summer as the lead in a huge Hollywood blockbuster. He had left Giulia Bianchi to come visit with me? I fell back in my seat. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, in more ways than one, and I better not mess this up.
CHAPTER 3
Gage
I stood on the rooftop of my penthouse apartment and stared out over the Mediterranean. I should have been thinking about the upcoming race, the changes to the team, or cashing the half a million euros check I had in my pocket, but I could only think of one thing.
Her.
Since the moment I saw her sitting there at that little table in front of that pastry shop I haven’t been able to get her off my mind, nor have I wanted to. The vision of her was burned into my thoughts. It was a like a postcard. The deep blues of the sky were starting to lighten, signaling the imminent sunrise. It was that peaceful time when the partiers had arrived home and the alarm clocks of the workers who make the city go hadn’t sounded.
But those visions were all just the ambiance. The real beauty of the moment was her.
And there she sat. She was peaceful in this moment of tranquility, but in my mind she was anything but. She arrived like a tornado and tore through m
y core, shattering my thoughts of her as I had remembered her. She had always just been Dave’s kid, but that was then and this was now.
She wasn’t a kid anymore, that was for sure. She was a beautiful young woman. A woman so stunningly beautiful that I hadn’t even thought to ask her her qualifications for being a part of our team. The thought had totally slipped my mind as my attention was transfixed on her mouth, watching her lips move with every word she spoke. Her slight nervousness at first quickly turning to confidence the deeper our conversation progressed. She was like a little flower, blooming right in front of me.
And this weekend she would be behind me, my left rear tire to be exact. But I was the one who wanted to be behind her. It wasn’t a race car that I wanted to grip with my hand and expertly navigate, it was her. I imagined my fingers grasping her hips while I guided her back and forth onto my cock, driving my hips forward into her backside, each time with more force than before.
I was tired of all these fake celebrity types, I wanted a real woman who wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, and wasn’t afraid to let me get mine dirty while handling her. I wanted to take this girl in the garage, on my yacht…I wanted to cover her body in the finest Swiss chocolates and French pastries, and then slowly and deliberately run my tongue along her soft, creamy skin alternating the sensations in my mouth from the sweetness of the deserts to the sweetness of her body and the saltiness of her skin as she would surely be covered in sweat after the things I planned on doing to her.
I shook my head trying to bring myself back to the present, but I couldn’t. In a few hours I’d need to meet her and introduce her to the guys. Together we’d have to execute some dry runs in the garage to make sure she could handle the job and the men who might question bringing her on the team. They better not try anything, that’s for sure. And they better not give her a hard time.
I didn’t give a damn what they thought. She would contribute just like everyone else, and if anybody had any problems with that they’d answer to me. I’d deal with any whispers swiftly and definitively, but I knew it wasn’t my team I would have to be most concerned with. It was the media that might try and spin this into a publicity stunt, and I was not going to allow that for one second.
I stripped down and put on my yellow trunks. If I couldn’t be with her tonight I’d have to find another way to burn off this pent up energy and aggression. I dove into the rooftop pool hoping strenuous exercise might be able to distract my thoughts. I was an expert swimmer, but right now I was in danger of drowning…drowning in thoughts of her and I can’t say the idea didn’t sound hot as hell.
CHAPTER 4
Erica
T he pit team seemed nice, but it didn’t take a woman’s intuition to sense there was quite a bit of apprehension. As much as I knew I could do the job, I also knew I couldn’t fault them too much. The proof is in the pudding and they weren’t going to believe anything until they saw it with their own eyes.
Gage introduced me to everyone individually, taking his time with each interaction. Each time I shook hands I made sure my grip was firm and my eye contact strong. I couldn’t help but notice something was off after a few of the introductions, and soon I found out why. I caught Gage out of the corner of my eye giving the stare down to a few of the men. He said more by saying nothing at all, his expression simply letting the men know not to mess with me.
As much as I appreciated his support and protection, I knew I had to make it for myself. Respect is earned, not given, and I was out to prove I could be a valuable contributor to the team.
We went through a few practice runs in the garage.
“How are you feeling?” Gage asked.
“Good,” I said.
“Ready for the stopwatch?”
“Ready,” I replied.
Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. Two additional men came into the garage and we executed a few more dry runs. There was no practice today, so the garage was the only place we could get in some reps. After three timed reps, Gage motioned one second with his finger while he walked off with the two men. It had been hard to gauge their reactions. They seemed like those expressionless military security guards who are trained to be intimidating human statues. If that was their goal it was working.
I wasn’t sure how well I had done. I hadn’t messed anything up, and felt like I was moving at a good clip, but the stopwatch doesn’t lie.
I thought back to all the times I practiced in my room at home. My dad had built a practice stand for me where I practiced gunning off the nuts and pulling the tire out of the way. Fortunately with Formula One I’d have someone else to pull off the tire and slide on the new one, but I still had to be agile and precise as I slid into position and loosened the nuts. And if anything went wrong I would have to sling that massive tire out of the way and help slide the new one into place. I was glad I had been training so hard leading up to this moment.
A few minutes later Gage was back, alone. He was expressionless.
“Let’s try one more time,” he said. “I want to show you something, personally.”
CHAPTER 5
Gage
E rica was down on her hands and knees facing the tire. I had cleared everyone out of the garage already, so there was nothing stopping me from sliding in right behind her and taking her right here and now. Nothing except good judgment, something I’d been accused of lacking on plenty of occasions.
But as much as I wanted her there were two things that I was focused on. One, I was her dad’s best friend. And not only that, he was in charge of my entire pit team, and all the safety and security that goes along with it. Millions of dollars, careers, and lives rode on the decisions he made and how quickly he could make them. I couldn’t risk that, and I couldn’t risk his friendship, yet.
Second was I couldn’t get over how quickly she’d executed her transitions. She wasn’t quite world record class, but she wasn’t far off, and not only that this was her first run on a car she’d never worked on. With a little bit more practice she could become the secret weapon our team needed. And not just a secret weapon, my secret weapon, and the girl I knew I was ready to spend a whole lot more time with.
I wanted to know more about her, everything I could, but first I had to know just how quickly she could move and to do that I’d have to get down and dirty with her.
I lined her up with the pneumatic gun in hand.
“If we start with the gun higher, gravity will work with us,” I said. I slid in behind her. I froze for a second as I looked down over her position. Not only was she on all fours she was leaning forward holding that damn wheel gun. It didn’t take much imagination to reposition that wheel gun in my mind about six inches to the side, imaging it was my cock and she was holding it in that same two hand grip ready to worship it, and take it in her mouth as she pleased me.
And just like that mechanical rocket, my dick was just as torqued up and just as ready to explode with power in her hands. Stay focused, Gage.
“First thing is to lean back so only your shins are touching,” I told her.
I felt her body slide back as her ass made contact with my dick, causing me to nearly lose control. I breathed out through my nose and saw goose bumps form on the side of her neck where my breath had passed over. Damn, she noticed.
“You’ll want to raise your hand position so you can control that big beast,” I said. And that’s exactly what those guns are.
“If you start high and allow gravity to take you right into place you’ll save milliseconds, which is of course the difference between winning and losing.” And losing is exactly what I was thinking about right now. Losing total control. I could feel my cock pressing against my suit. She had to feel it, she slid back right into it. If I moved back now it would be too obvious. If I moved forward my desire would be too obvious. I can’t show her now. Not here.
“Let’s try a run,” I said, noticing she was shaking. I wasn’t sure if it was from the prolonged period of holdin
g the gun in her hands or the tension between us.
I reached in and put my hands on top of hers. My intention was to steady her grip, but instead I felt the electricity from touching her skin shoot through me. I froze for an instant before realizing her grip was rock hard. How did she get this strong yet remain so feminine at the same time? She was the ultimate woman…the best of both worlds.
I had studied Asian philosophy and meditation in order to quiet my mind and improve my focus during races. At first the training focused on understanding the masculine and feminine parts inside all of us. I wrote it off as new age nonsense until I saw just how well it worked. It wasn’t about giving up a part of yourself, it was about tapping into other parts of yourself when the time called for it. And as much as I wanted to tap into all of her right now, I couldn’t and it was driving me absolutely crazy.
Driven: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants #12) Page 2
