Quarter Mile Hearts

by Jenny Siegel

  Eventually, he climbs off, and I can breathe properly. Cassidy and Maisy start to yawn.

  “Time for bed, you two.” Max takes charge and picks up Maisy. Cassidy comes over and raises her arms for me to pick her up. I follow Max up the stairs to the bedroom the girls share and we put them into their beds.

  “Story,” Cassidy mumbles sleepily, and I take the book that she offers me. I sit down on her bed and start to read. Max sits on Maisy’s bed and listens to the story, too. After a chapter, I set the book down. Max gives both girls a kiss and I follow him out of the room, closing the door slightly.

  Back in the sitting room, Max flops down on the sofa and reaches for the remote control.

  “You want to watch a movie?” He scrolls through menus.

  “As long as it’s not sappy,” I warn him.

  “No way. Here, you’ll like this.” He leans back in the sofa and holds out his arm for me to curl into him. I let out a small laugh when I see the opening credits for Fast and Furious. He knows me so well. I nestle into his side to watch the movie.

  An hour into the movie and it is becoming harder than it should be to concentrate. Max’s fingers gently stroke my shoulder in small circles and it’s a good thing I know this story inside out.

  “Max, wh-”

  “Shh, I'm trying to watch.” He cuts me off, still keeping his eyes straight ahead, so he misses the narrowing of my eyes.

  What the fuck? That's it!

  I shift in my seat and turn my body slightly so I can look at him side on. His profile is pretty striking, too—strong jaw, a day’s worth of stubble. Reaching out, I run my finger along his jawline and see the tiniest flicker of his lids.

  “Leigh, stop staring at me.”

  “Why?”

  “You're distracting me.”

  “Oh, I'm sorry. Is this distracting?” I run my finger along his jaw again and down his neck.

  “Yes,” he grinds out.

  “What about this?” I lean forward and brush my lips down his neck.

  “Yes.” His voice has lost some of his force.

  “How about this?” I shift further over to rest my hand on the top his thigh, very near his crotch and squeeze. He sucks in a breath and jerks around to look at me. Desire flickers in his eyes and I lean toward him.

  “And this?” I press my lips to his and kiss him softly, my tongue running along his bottom lip. His mouth opens and he responds, his tongue darting out to wrap around mine.

  With a growl, he grips my hips and pulls me onto his lap so I am straddling him, his growing erection pressing into me.

  “So distracting,” he mumbles against my lips, squeezing my ass and tilting my pelvis into him. Sitting like this gives me a slight height advantage, and I lean down to look at this gorgeous man who is making me rethink everything I once believed and has me considering actually staying. When I run my hands through his hair, his eyes close for a second before opening and the want in them shines brighter. My hands continue down his shoulders to his chest and then his abs. Tugging at the bottom of his t-shirt, I push it up so I can feel his skin underneath my palms. Max lets go and holds his arms above his head to allow me to pull his t-shirt over his head. The sight of his chest and tattoos has the same effect on me every time. They rob me of the power of speech and make it a little harder to breathe.

  Grabbing the back of my head, he brings my lips crashing down on his, our tongues fight with each other’s and the ache that has been building in my core is now throbbing. Vin Diesel and Fast and Furious are forgotten when Max maneuvers me down to lay on the sofa. Kicking my legs wider, his hips settle between my thighs as he supports his weight on his arms. My palms slide up the tense muscles of his chest and back down to his jeans before they make quick work of his belt buckle and buttons. Yanking them apart, my hand delves inside his boxers and closes around his hard dick.

  Max groans loudly as my hand slides up the smooth skin and back down again, over and over. Deft fingers work the buttons of my plaid shirt until he loses patience with the last one and pulls either side apart, sending the button flying across the room. His hand skims over my stomach and up to cup my breast in his hand, hooking his fingers inside the lace to tease my pebbled nipple.

  I pull his head down so he can kiss me; his tongue strokes mine as his kiss consumes me, his fingers teasing me relentlessly. He shifts to the side so I am balancing on the edge of the sofa and I let go of his erection. Trailing kisses down my neck to my breast his tongue replaces his fingers to continue with his teasing. His fingers work the button and zipper on my jeans and his hand slips inside.

  I suck in a breath as his fingers connect with my sensitive flesh and my whole body relaxes under his touch. Releasing my breast, he starts to kiss down my stomach to the top of my panties before he starts to tug them down my hips, following with his lips. My breath falters in my chest as I wait for the moment when his tongue connects with my flesh. But it never does. The sound of the front door slamming interrupts his kissing and he raises his head to look at me.

  Our eyes grow wide and our mouths drop open at the same time. Max scrambles onto his knees and I yank my panties and jeans back up and fasten them. Holding the sides of my shirt together I frantically start buttoning it up. Max arranges himself inside his jeans and buttons them before he searches for his t-shirt. I sit upright and smooth down my hair, but my cheeks feel flushed and my lips tender from Max’s kisses.

  “Looking for this?” Causey laughs and leans over the back of the sofa, holding Max’s crumpled t-shirt in his outstretched hand. I fight the roar of embarrassment, and my cheeks grow even redder. Max rolls his eyes at him and pulls his t-shirt on as Sugar walks into the room.

  “I hope my little brother hasn’t been making a nuisance of himself.” She laughs, her eyes jumping back and forth between the two of us, taking in our disheveled state and my pink cheeks. She saves me from answering. “How were the girls?”

  “No trouble. Max helped put them to bed. Did you have a nice time?”

  “Yeah, we saw Furious 7,” Causey answers, and I make a strangled sound in the back of my throat, Max laughs, entwining his fingers with mine.

  “I’ll take you to see it, I promise.” He tugs me closer and a bemused smile tugs at the corners of Sugar’s lips as she watches us both.

  “There’s a race on tonight.” Causey nods at Max, who looks down at me trying to gauge my reaction.

  “You going?” Max asks him.

  “Nah.” He looks adoringly at Sugar, and it tugs at something deep inside me. “My racing days are well and truly over.”

  “Come on.” He leads me with him to the door.

  “See you later, Leigh, and thanks again,” Sugar calls and closes the door behind us.

  Max doesn’t let go of my hand until we reach his car, which is parked outside the triple garage over from the house.

  “So you live there?” I nod toward the apartment above the garage, curious about what it looks like. Not that I would tell him that. And I try not to think about how many women have seen his bedroom ceiling.

  “Yeah.” There is wariness in his voice.

  “Can’t be easy for them doing the walk of shame down this dirt track.” I partly meant it as a joke, but his eyes narrow.

  “You totally have the wrong idea,” he grinds out, the muscle in his jaw bunching.

  “Do I?”

  “You still think I’m a manwhore, don’t you? Even after everything I’ve said.”

  I shrug because I always did. For years, I thought Max was nothing more than a player—no depth, no substance, and no feelings. But now I feel cruel calling him that. Beth was right; there is more to him than meets the eye.

  “You’re telling me there’s not been anyone?” I meet his angry stare head-on and hold it with my own.

  “No, but nowhere near as many as you think.” He scrubs a hand down his face, a days’ worth of stubble, scratching against his palm. “You weren’t just another notch on my bedpost. You were the
notch. The girl who I measured everyone else against. You wondered why they’re all blondes?”

  I gulp and nod slowly, watching how his dark eyes flash.

  “So that when I’m fucking them, I’m not picturing making love to you. You’re this unobtainable fantasy that has fucked with my head for the last four years. When I used to rile you, I thought I had forever to show you how I really felt. To convince you that I was good enough, that it was all a front, put on for everyone. I thought I had all the time in the world to show you the real me.”

  “I…” At a loss for words, all I can do is stammer. I had no idea he felt this way.

  “Then you left and I never thought I’d get the chance again. So I kept up the act and never let anyone see the real me. Got so that I didn’t fucking recognize myself.” His chest rises and falls rapidly as he gets more worked up. “Then you come back spouting some shit about not dating racers. If that’s what it takes for you to be mine, then fuck it. I won’t race again.”

  “You’d do that for me?” I reach out and touch his arm; his whole body seems to relax under my touch.

  “Fuck yes.” He turns and takes hold of my shoulders, forcing me to look at him, to really look at him.

  “I wouldn’t ask you to do that. What if you resented me for it?”

  “No. You don’t get to decide that for me.” His hands move down my arms to rest on my waist as he steps closer. “How about it, Storm. Stick around. For me, your dad, Beth, and Aaron.”

  “I promised I’d think about it; that’s all I can do.” It’s all I’ve thought about since my dad’s setback. It’s the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thought before I go to sleep.

  We stand in the dying light in silence for a long time. Max draws me into his arms and rests his chin on the top of my head. My cheek rests against his chest, the beat of his heart thundering in my ear.

  “You want to go to the quarter mile?” I break the silence, and he pulls back to look at me.

  “You want to race?”

  “No, I want to watch.” I lean up and kiss him softly on the lips.

  “Let’s go, then.” He pulls his keys out his pocket, and we climb into his GTO before bumping down the dirt track.

  “You should really get that fixed. It will ruin your suspension.” I wince as we bump over a large pothole.

  “I’m on it with Causey all the time.”

  “Why do you use a Subaru to race?” It’s something I’ve always wondered, especially as he drives a GTO the rest of the time.

  “It was Causey who got me into them. He had one, and the first time I raced at the quarter mile was in a Subaru. I won and didn’t want to tempt fate by changing.”

  “So they’re lucky for you?”

  “I guess.” He shrugs.

  “I remember that race,” I say quietly, and my fingers knot in my lap. He looks over at me, his brows rise with surprise.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, it was the first one that I’d gone to. Only because Beth was interested in Aaron and he was there. I was more into the cars. I saw you and the way you looked at me… well, no one had ever looked at me like that.”

  “You were beautiful. It took my breath away when I laid eyes on you.”

  “But you went away with another girl.” I frown, remembering the jealousy I felt seeing him with her. It confused the hell out of me, and that’s when I decided I would never let myself fall for Max Morgan.

  “What the fuck did I know? I told you it’s always been you. Even then. I drove Causey mad after that race asking about you.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, finally he told me to shut the fuck up about you, that I didn’t stand a chance. The more I saw you, the more I realized he was right. You were never with other guys, but then that night when I goaded you into racing… that was the start of our love-hate relationship.”

  “I avoided you on purpose. Didn’t want to admi-”

  “Admit what?”

  “Nothing,” I squeak and realize that I was on the verge of telling Max that I’ve always liked him, past the obvious sexual attraction.

  “No, you’re not getting out of it. I’ve bared my soul to you tonight and told you how I feel about you and always have. Come on, Storm, spill.” I glare at him for the use of my nickname, although when it comes to Max, he could pretty much call me anything and I wouldn’t care. I like hearing him call me that. Stopping the car in the middle of the road that leads to the quarry, he turns to me. “I’m not moving until you tell me what you were about to say.”

  I throw my arms up in exasperation, but I can’t fight the shy smile twitching at the corners of my mouth. “I avoided you because I didn’t want to admit that I liked you. There. I’ve said it. You happy?” He reaches over the shift and takes my face in both hands drawing me closer to his beaming face.

  “Fucking ecstatic.” His lips crash onto mine and his hold tightens as our kiss deepens. A car horn sounds behind us, and Max pulls back, throwing the car into gear and continuing along the road. “I’ve been waiting four long fucking years to hear that.” He flashes me a wicked grin. “You’re not going anywhere now, Leigh Storm. I’m keeping you right here.” He winks at me, but I just smile. Once upon a time, those words might have scared the shit out of me or annoyed the hell out of me but not anymore. Max Morgan is slowly helping me make my mind up.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Max parks behind a long line of cars, a ways from the start line, and I think he’s preparing for a quick getaway when the race is over. It is a different crowd here tonight, and I don’t recognize anyone. Beth and Aaron certainly aren’t here.

  My hand tightens around Max’s, and he throws me a questioning glance.

  “Who are all these people?” I ask out the corner of my mouth.

  “Out of towners. Sheriff Fred will be busy tonight.”

  I feel slightly uneasy, and now I wish I hadn’t suggested this. Most of the people are older than me with the odd young gun thrown in. But there is a tension in the air and not the good kind. Max nods to a few people and then he spots his friend, Ryder, whose eyes widen when he sees us together. Max’s arm is wrapped protectively around my shoulders, and he reaches for Ryder’s hand to do a guy handshake thing.

  “Ryder, you remember Leigh Storm?”

  “Not seen you for years, although I never stop hearing about you,” he says with a laugh as he takes my hand. What the hell has Max been saying about me?

  Ignoring him, Max looks around. “What’s kickin’ chicken?”

  “You racing?” Ryder asks, looking at either of us for a response.

  “Not tonight,” Max says with a shake of his head

  “Excuse me?” Ryder’s eyes bug out.

  “You heard me, dickhead. I didn’t even know there was a race. I was babysitting.”

  With a shake of his head in dismay, he scoffs, “You’ve gone soft.”

  “Fuck off. They’re my nieces, plus I live there; it’s the least I could do.”

  “You racing, Leigh?” Ryder turns his attention to me.

  “Not tonight.” Not ever, I omit.

  “Not seen you race since that night you won Max shitloads of money. That was what? Five years ago?”

  Max glares at him, silently telling him to shut up, and he does.

  “So, who’s racing?”

  “Kyle, Dillon, Zach, and the scary looking well-built guy.” Ryder rattles off the names.

  “Tate,” Max supplies.

  “Zach Anderson?” I ask.

  “Yeah, that’s him. Pretty scary dude, too,” Ryder chips in. “Rumor has it he cheats. Will cause the odd accident when it calls for it.”

  “Do you know him?” Max looks down at me.

  “Not really. My dad knows his dad; they used to race against each other. Zach would come around the shop. He was older than me and went to a different school.”

  “That sounds about right. He’s one mean mother-”

  “Wait, you said
Kyle’s racing?” I turn sharply to Max.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “What’s he driving?”

  “His Camaro, why?”

  “Is it still pulling to the left?”

  “I guess, he never came in last week.”

  “What?” The dread starts to rise in me as I scan the crowd for Kyle. I can see his black Camaro but not him.

  “I heard he got lucky with some blonde he met at the movies,” Ryder beams, and I roll my eyes at him and his one-track mind.

  “Max,” I groan.

  “What? I didn’t tell him to take her home and fuck her.”

  I growl at him. “We need to stop him.”

  “You can’t stop him.”

  “I have to try.”

  “What are you going to do? This isn’t Aaron we’re talking about. You can’t bully him into doing what you want.”

  But I’m away, weaving through the cars and spectators before he can finish speaking, making a beeline for Kyle’s Camaro.

  “Kyle,” I shout, and his head bobs up, a grin spreading across his face.

  “Leigh.” And then he sees Max, hot on my heels. “Look, sorry about the movies, Max said he would take care of you and-”

  “It doesn’t matter. You can’t race,” I blurt out.

  “What? Why not?” He looks back and forth between the two of us, frowning in confusion.

  “You didn’t bring the car in. It’s still pulling, the steering is out of alignment, and if you take off at speed, it will be worse.”

  “I’ve got this; it will be fine.”

  “At least change the lineup. Go on the outside that way you won’t hit anyone when it pulls,” I rush out.

  “You ready, Kyle?” A voice booms behind us, and I spin on my heel to meet the wide, leering smile of Zach Anderson.

  “Leigh Storm. Long time, no see. And Max. You’re not racing?”

  “Not tonight,” Max says simply, his voice tight.

  Zach dismisses him and concentrates on me instead. Great. “How’s your dad? Recovered yet?” My eyes snap to meet his, and I don’t like his tone. Something in his words have the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.