Carolina King
Copyright © 2015 Gwendolyn Grace Books
All rights reserved.
Carolina King is © copyrighted by Gwendolyn Grace and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, with ALL rights reserved. No part of this may be copied, or changed in any format, sold, or used in any way other than what is outlined under any circumstances without express permission from Gwendolyn Grace.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design: By Hang Le Designs
Editor: Jennifer Mattison
Photography: Stacy Lynn of Secret Places Photography
Cover Model: Daniel Herrmann
Dedication
For the good girls who love a little bad in their lives.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Acknowledgments
Carolina King Playlist
About the Author
Prologue
“I am but a firefly caught in his jar and when he looks at me, I can’t help but glow.”
-Kellie Elmore
I couldn’t see shit and I had no idea how long I’d been walking—no, stumbling down the road, and I didn’t care. Everything was dark ahead, my vision was blurry, and my chest ached.
Fox? Fucking Fox? She was fucking Fox.
Harley Wyatt had been mine for five years. She was wild and drove me crazy, but she was mine. From the moment I’d laid eyes on her, something told me to steer clear, but I’d approached her anyway. She was sitting at the bar at Daggers drinking shots of tequila with her feet propped up on a cardboard box. As soon as I was at her side she glanced over at me and rolled her eyes.
“Get lost,” she grumbled, threw back her shot, and made a face as she swallowed the liquid.
“What’s in the box?”
“Dicks.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I like to cut them off of men who try to hit on me in bars and keep them as souvenirs.”
“Oh, and what makes you think I’d let you get anywhere near my dick?”
She scoffed, and before I knew what was happening she reached out and grabbed the front of my jeans. My reflexes kicked in just in time for me to back away, but not before her hand grazed my junk.
“Shit,” I shouted out in surprise, and she threw her head back and laughed.
“My, my, my. It would be shameful for all of that to go to waste.”
“Trust me, it’s never wasted, sweetheart.”
“Hmm, tell you what. If you buy me a drink I may let you keep it.”
“That’s not how I do business. It’s only fair that if I do something for you, you do something for me.” She narrowed her eyes and pinched her lips together.
“Name. Tell me your name.” I grinned and her face visibly relaxed.
“Harley.”
“I’m Mack.”
“I’m thirsty.”
“I’m on it.”
Several shots of tequila later, she was in my bed. Things started off easy between us. We had fun and we got along. We knew a lot of the same people, went to some of the same hangouts, and caused equal amounts of trouble. We never made any promises or had any expectations. Or so I thought.
The biggest mistake I’d ever made was getting shit-faced at a party one night and taking some chick, whose name I can’t even recall, home with me. It was the look on Harley’s face when she found the two of us naked in my bed I’ll never forget.
After that, I’d lost her. The person she had been with me was gone forever, and the light in her beautiful hazel eyes went dark every time she looked at me. I knew she didn’t have anyone, and I let her lean on me because aside from my brother, I was alone in the world, too. I didn’t know how to fix things between us and eventually had gotten to a point where I didn’t want to fix it. We were never going to be right for each other, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less for her to stand in front of me and choose to be with someone else.
“Harley, tell me you didn’t leave me for this dumb fuck? Are you with him?”
“I am.”
“Aagh,” I growled. “I’m so sick of you fucking with my head. It’s cool, though. I’m done with you, too.”
That’s when I walked away from them, grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels from my car, and made my way across the field and through the woods. This was also the reason I found myself stumbling around in the darkness in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere. I stopped for a second and looked from left to right trying to decide which way to go. The sound of a car engine fast approaching caught my attention, and I stood still as a set of headlights grew closer. My feet didn’t move and I couldn’t think of a reason to make them.
I’d loved cars ever since I was a kid. My uncle Eddie gave me a set of Matchbox cars for my fourth birthday and they became my pride and joy. I took such good care of them and played with them for hours. I’d also kept my cars carefully hidden in a good place so that no one would ever find them and take them away.
Uncle Eddie also was the one to give me the Shelby. He let me work on it with him for two summers, and when I finished high school he gave it to me as a graduation present. A few months later Uncle Eddie went to prison, and since most of the men in my family, including my father, were there already it was sort of like a little family reunion.
So it seemed fitting that my love for cars would also be what killed me.
I lifted my arms out to my sides, looked up at the sky, and studied the shape of the moon. The roar of an engine and the screech of tires didn’t even cause me to flinch.
It would all be over soon.
The next thing I saw was the ground, then the sky, then the grass as I tumbled down the side of the hill. I rolled to a stop and landed on my back. I searched frantically for the moon, but there was only darkness. Until I saw her, with golden curls and bright blue eyes as she stared down at me. She was beautiful, like an angel. She carried a warm glow in the heavy gloom that surrounded me. Completely drawn to her light, I was unable to speak. She reminded me of the little fireflies I used to chase around the yard in the summertime when I was a kid. All I wanted was to capture those tiny things with my hands and watch their lights flicker. They seemed magical, and I envied their ability to burn brightly even when everything around them was dark.
My eyes shifted to her perfectly shaped mouth and saw that it was moving. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I felt a strong message in my soul.
Don’t give up.
In a flash, her glow was gone and I wanted to chase after her. Then my brother’s blurry face suddenly appeared in front of me.
“Shit, you okay? I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” He looked me over as he tried to assess my injuries.
“I’m fine.” I pushed him away and b
rushed a hand over the scratches on my arm. I strode back up the hill and to the waiting car and looked around, but she was gone. Had I imagined her?
“The crazy chick who ran you off the road must have taken off. Are you sure you’re okay, Mack?”
I jerked my head in a nod as I sat in the passenger side of the Shelby. I didn’t feel any pain, or at least not the pain caused from my fall. The ache in my chest was back, but not for the same reasons as before. I’d seen a tiny flicker of something beautiful, and for once, I wasn’t alone in the dark.
Chapter One
The night before the race . . .
I could count everything I knew about Mack King on one hand. First, he was considered the king of racing throughout the Carolinas. Not only was he fast, he also ran the show. Nobody raced for ranking without his say so, and he’d earned that respect by putting together discreet and well-organized races. Second, he attracted big names because he was good at what he did, which meant big money for everyone involved. Third, he made it his business to know everything there was to know when it came to his competition. If a new racer was gaining a reputation for being fast, he knew about it. If someone was building a car in preparation of racing it, he knew about that too. Fourth, you weren’t anybody in racing until you were on Mack’s list.
On the rare occasion Drew, Woody, and my dad would let me come to races, I’d developed a habit of seeking Mack out. If he was there, I’d find him. His vintage black Ford Shelby was unmistakable. Of course, he had no idea I even existed.
Tayia and I had been hanging out at The Spot, a big clearing on the island where all of the local racers and gearheads hung out. That’s where we’d heard about the plans for a party on the mainland prior to the big race between Woody and Knight, and I knew there was no way I would miss it. My brothers didn’t like me hanging around with racers, but I didn’t care. I was an adult now and could make my own choices.
Besides, I was certain that Drew would be spending the night in with his new girlfriend, Harley. The two were nearly inseparable and only came up for air in order to work at Catch and then retreat into their own little love bubble. They were sickening sometimes.
The night of the party I had to stop myself from going into complete fangirl mode when I saw Mack King standing next to a pool table in the far corner with a pool stick in one hand and a beer in the other. I could still see the scratches on his arms from the tumble he took last weekend.
I was flying down the dark road after leaving The Spot when I saw someone standing in the middle of the road. I managed to swerve, but the back end of my car hit him just enough to knock him into the ditch. So I stopped the car, ran down the hill, and gasped when I saw Mack King lying motionless in the grass. His eyes were open and his chest was still moving, so I knew he was breathing. When he turned his head in my direction, the look he gave me took my breath away. The only way I could describe it was, awe. Like he was in awe of me. Then I started to wonder just how badly he was injured for him to be looking at me that way.
“Firefly,” he whispered. “Beautiful firefly.”
There was a voice behind me, and I saw a man running down the hill calling his name. It was obviously someone who was concerned about him because he started looking Mack over for injuries.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see him. Should I call an ambulance?” I asked.
“Nah, he’s good. Thanks.”
“You sure?”
The guy jerked his head into a nod but didn’t look as if he was going to say anything more to me. I felt awkward just standing there, so I slowly went back up the hill, and when I turned back, Mack was sitting up and speaking to the other guy. Feeling satisfied that he was okay, I got in my car and drove away.
When I stepped fully inside the main room of the party, Mack lifted his head and his eyes went slightly wide as he turned in my direction. The way he scanned my body appreciatively boosted my confidence to move forward, adding a little extra swish to my hips as I walked. There were a few people there that I recognized, so I made small talk for a while each time inching closer to the room with the pool table. Finally, I settled myself onto one of the empty wooden high-back stools against the wall, and Tayia quickly occupied the other. I’d made a show of slowly crossing my legs and caught Mack looking my way as he took a swig from his beer bottle.
“Somethin’ to drink, ladies?” a deep voice called out. I turned my head to see another man with messy black hair and tattooed forearms, the same guy I’d seen running to help Mack the other night. He was standing in front of the open refrigerator, looking at us expectantly. I was only nineteen but my parents owned a bar. I’d been sneaking bottles of beer and liquor to share with my friends for years, so I knew what I wanted and wasn’t shy about it.
“I’ll take a beer,” I replied confidently, and the guy gave me a quick nod, then shot a glance over to Tayia who immediately shook her head no. With a shrug, he turned around and started rummaging through half-empty cardboard containers. When my gaze returned back to Mack, he was staring at me. Studying me. So I licked my lips involuntarily and looked away. From the corner of my eye, I saw him walk forward and come to a stop beside me. He was so close that I could smell a hint of his cologne.
“I got you,” he said in a low voice as he handed me the nearly full beer he’d just drank from. I hesitated briefly, darted my tongue out to wet my top lip, then took his offering. While I drank, my eyes remained on his. His brown eyes grew so intense that they turned nearly black as he watched me.
“You’re beautiful. What’s your name?” His question came out in a low growl.
“Jonna,” I replied breathily, and his nostrils flared a little as his lips pulled up into a smile.
“I’m Mack.”
“I know who you are.” I smirked up at him and handed his beer back. It was obvious that my answer pleased him, and his chest seemed to expand.
“Nah, keep it.” He waved me off before adding, “Just so you know, never let a guy hand you an open drink.”
Feeling bristled by his scolding, I quickly replied, “Well, I saw you drink from it first, so you would not only be drugging me but yourself. That wouldn’t make you a very smart attacker.”
“Dumb shit happens every day.” He shrugged. “Lucky for you I’m not into that.” With a smirk, he turned and hollered to the kitchen area, “Yo, Brando. I’ll take one.” He was handed a beer from the guy with the tattoos, then cracked it open and took a drink. I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed.
“I remember you.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re the girl who tried to run me over the other night.”
My cheeks warmed with embarrassment, and I shrugged.
“Why were you just standing in the middle of the road like that?” He only shrugged back and looked away as he took another drink.
“You’re up, Mack,” tattooed guy, Brando, called from the pool table. Mack turned his head and jerked a quick nod before focusing back on me.
“Stay here, Jonna,” he ordered as his eyes held mine, and the muscles between my thighs clenched at the sound of my name coming from his lips. I nodded shyly, and he stepped away.
I shot a look over at Tayia who was subtly shifting her eyes between me and Mack’s retreating form.
“What?” I mouthed to her. She did her best to suppress a giggle by pressing her lips together as she shrugged.
Tayia, my best friend since eighth grade, often served as my conscience. She wasn’t a big drinker and usually took on the responsibility of making sure we got home safe. She also knew I had a slight crush on Mack King. She was without a doubt enjoying the scene in front of her and would waste no time making fun of me later, which was also the reason I scowled at her.
I let my gaze travel around the room and saw a few guys laughing and drinking while sitting at a folding table in the middle of the living room playing a game of cards. Two girls were perched on the arm of an old worn couch scanning the place, obviously trying to determine who they w
ould go home with tonight. I didn’t miss the way their eyes kept shifting in Mack’s direction. I also didn’t miss the way his eyes kept landing on me. Enjoying the attention, I twisted in my seat and turned my back to him, making sure he got a good look at my exposed lower thigh and started making conversation with Tayia. I asked her about her writing class, a topic I knew she would do most of the talking, and I pretended to listen. It was hard to concentrate because my thoughts were completely focused on Mack.
As much as I tried, I could no longer ignore the sound of giggling coming from behind me, so I turned to see one of the girls from the couch standing next to Brando and being all flirty with him. Her friend’s point of interest seemed to be Mack as she tried to position herself in his line of sight. I shifted in my chair so that I could return my focus to Mack who was leaning over the pool table and lining the pool stick up to make a shot. His black hair fell over his forehead as he narrowed his eyes in concentration then pushed the stick forward with a crack, causing the sound to vibrate through the room. Then he looked over at me and winked. Every time he sent a ball into its pocket our eyes would meet. My heart began to beat rapidly in anticipation of each shot. He repeated the process methodically and in no time had effectively cleared the table. When the game was over he collected money from Brando who never even had a chance to play.
“Wanna go again and give me a chance to make my money back, man?” Brando asked.
Mack turned his gaze to me again, and when our eyes met he replied, “Nah, maybe another time. I think I’m going to get out of here.” He handed the pool stick off to someone else, stepped around the girl who’d been eye-fucking him, and walked up to me. “Jonna, you ready to go?” He raised a dark eyebrow expectantly as he waited for my answer, and I knew he was dead serious. My heart was beating so fast that I was sure other people could hear it.
Holy shit!
Was I ready to go? I discreetly shot a look of panic to Tayia, but she only stared back at me with wide eyes for a second before quickly collecting herself. Why was I nervous? I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I’d had plenty of sex. First with my boyfriend, Dylan, of two years. We went at it constantly the way two horny teenagers in love were supposed to, before our relationship ended the summer after graduation. Then I’d had sex with a guy named Travis who I’d tried to date a few months ago, except that didn’t work out either. But they’d all been boys. Mack King was a man. He had to be in his midtwenties and I was pretty sure he’d been with women far more experienced than me. My eyes ran involuntarily down his body and took in every bulge of muscle across his wide chest and arms. And his scent was mouthwatering. It was what I imagined raw seduction would smell like, and it was coming off him in waves. Yes, he was definitely a man. But I wanted him, and so I decided to have him.
Carolina King (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 1
