Consumed: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by Elizabeth Knox

  “Your father might be a passionate man. One who’s stuck in his ways. I’ll give you that, but one thing I will say is not everyone in your family believes the same thing. Some want to help you find the right mentors, the right people to stand in your corner and tell the fans, the community, and maybe even the whole wide world that you’re not someone who should be screwed with.”

  I blink a few times, trying to process everything he’s saying to me right now. I’m pretty positive I’m connecting the dots on what’s going on here, but man, I’m a woman who likes people to just shoot it straight. “What’re you trying to say, Colton?”

  “Clayton gave me a call to tell me you were thinking about getting into racing full-time. He made me think it’s about high time I back some new blood, try to get them sponsorships and whatnot. I’ve stayed away from it for a long time, but I’m not getting any younger and one day I might not be racing anymore. Maybe this will be my way to contribute to the community, to further expand my legacy. And if I’m going to do this, I’m going to find the best of the best. The ones who have it in their bones, blood, and heart. And you, Gemma, you have all three. If you’re open to it, I’d love to make a formal announcement in two weeks. We have a masquerade ball for Corporate Cares that I think would be the perfect moment to reveal this news.”

  “Wow. This is all so much to take in.” I mutter, caught in a bit of disbelief.

  I know stuff like this happens to some people. But I never thought it would happen to me. “Well, what do you say, Gemma?”

  I nod, extending my hand to shake with Colton. “I will take any advice you can give me. It’s an honor to be learning from one of the absolute best drivers of all time.”

  Colton busts out into laughter, “Just do me a favor and don’t tell your father that. He might kill me for getting such a high compliment from his daughter.”

  I nod, with a laugh. “Promise, I won’t say a word.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Keira

  A week and a half flashed by in the blink of an eye. One day I was with Gemma, and the next she’s almost returning to Los Angeles. I asked if she had another work conference for the gym she owns with her family, but instead she told me something so shocking that I didn’t quite believe it at first. Gemma’s in the racing community, just like Rylee’s husband, Colton. Gemma and I haven’t seen one another since the day she slept over at my apartment, but I’m itching to see her again, not only because she’s a beautiful vision of a woman, but because I have questions about her work. It made me realize I barely know anything about her life. Sure, I know about her interests, but I want to push past the surface and discover who she really is. What makes her tick and all of it.

  Vic has Kaia for a week since he’s vacationing in Italy right now with his parents and siblings, so this could be the opportune moment for a nightcap. Well, that and one of those romantic nights you only see in the movies.

  I’ve just finished work for the day and I’m on the way to the gym. I’m not one of those women who go every single day, but I do try to get here two or three times a week. I like Pilates and cardio, so I usually stick to those.

  I make my way through the gym and go into the locker room, stripping out of my typical business casual attire, I go for a fashionable yet practical look. I’m a huge fan of high-quality activewear since Greer just launched her line a few months back so I rep her every chance I get. Everything she’s released practically molds to your body. I remember her saying the clothing was developed using a new type of technology, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. The only thing that ever matters to me is the fit and the color, or pattern. Tonight, I’m wearing a deep velvet purple leopard print pattern sports bra and matching high-rise legging set.

  “Keira, is that you?” A familiar voice questions me from behind, so I turn around while also shoving my gym bag in my locker.

  Instantly I’m pleasantly surprised to find my friend, Bailey, here. She used to be my workout partner eons ago, but she got a job at a big law firm here in the city. They basically have her as slave labor, so of course she’s working fifty to sixty-hour weeks.

  “Bailey. God, how long has it been?” I cross the distance between us and get closer to her, standing maybe a few feet away.

  “A few months at least. The firm is working me crazy right now. How have things been with you?”

  I shrug, “You know, the same old thing. Kaia is doing great. Co-parenting is getting a little easier with Vic, even if he is an arrogant asshole. Work has had a couple bumps in the road, but nothing I can’t handle. So, I guess I’d better say things are going great. I’m really lucky.”

  “That’s for sure. Man, I wish I could’ve gotten a job representing Corporate Cares. The way you talk about the foundation has always made me want to work there. Even now, it just sounds like a lovely place.”

  I nod in confirmation, “It is, and it’s amazing. Everyone who works there has the biggest heart and honestly wants to make the world a bit better. So, how are you and . . .” My mind goes blank as I try to remember Bailey’s girlfriend’s name.

  “Megan?” Bailey laughs as she fills in the blank.

  “Yeah, sorry. It’s been a minute and you know I’ve always been horrible at keeping up with things on social media.”

  Bailey lets out another laugh, “Yeah, I don’t blame you. The online environment can be a little bit too much sometimes, even for me. But, um, Megan and I broke up a few months back.”

  “Oh God, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  A soft smile pulls at Bailey’s lips before her expression shifts back to a flat line. “It’s okay, really. We were at two totally different places in our lives. She wanted to settle down, get married, have a baby and all that. And . . . I have so much left to do before I can even level up at the firm. It wouldn’t be fair to her to commit to what she wanted and then barely be around. But I guess I’ve been low maintenance like that.” She shrugs her shoulders at the end of her sentence.

  “I understand. I love the fact I had Kaia young, and even though my experience with Vic wasn’t the greatest, it taught me a lot about what I need to search for in life. You know? You always need to take it one moment at a time. Don’t rush a damn thing, instead simply savor it.”

  “Damn, spoken like a true genius.”

  “I’m no genius, just a woman who’s made plenty of mistakes and knows how to hopefully not make more.” I giggle, happy that my mistakes have turned out to be lessons. Not one person on this planet is ever too old to learn something new.

  Bailey smiles brightly at me and crosses her arms, staring a bit longer than I’m used to. “You know, you’ve had so many experiences in your life. And whether they’re good or bad, you take them with grace and decide to use those experiences as a starting point to do better. I love that about you, Keira. Not many people can do the same.”

  “Thank you, that’s so sweet.” I say, really itching to get to the treadmill. “I hate to cut this short, but I really need to get started on my workout. It’s going to be a super busy day tomorrow at the office.”

  “Yeah, of course, but, um . . .” Bailey grows quiet, so I furrow my brows and stare into her eyes.

  “Everything okay?” I question.

  She nods, “Yeah, I just wanted to see if you’d like to grab coffee sometime.”

  “For sure. Just text me and let me know when yo—” Immediately I stop speaking, realizing this isn’t the kind of coffee you have with a friend. “You mean a date, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  God. This is going to be so awkward. “I’d love to Bailey, but I met someone recently and I don’t want to screw things up with her. We’re not official, yet . . . but I see things heading that way really soon. She’s . . . really special.”

  Bailey doesn’t hold her frown back, looking obviously disappointed. “Should’ve known someone like you would have found a good woman by now. Guess I should’ve acted a little sooner.”

  “
You’re going to find a good woman too, you know. One that’ll make you super happy and will have the same life goals as you. It just takes time, and I know you can be patient.”

  Bailey smiles, “I sure hope you’re right, Keira. Sorry, go get to your workout. I’ve held you up for a bit now.”

  “Thanks, and Bailey, if you ever want to grab a coffee or a drink as a friend, let me know. I need more fun girls’ nights.”

  Bailey’s smile grows quicker than wildfire. “Count me in. I’m tired of the stuck up, pretentious women at the firm. They make me want to gouge my eyes out. How’s next Friday at six for a drink?”

  “Sounds perfect. Text me the details later,” I say, walking out of the locker room. In all reality I was making my grand exit, but I really need more friends. I’ve somewhat become a loner as of late, so hopefully going out with Bailey, once every couple weeks, will be good for me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gemma

  Today I’m finally going to see Keira again. I’m more excited than I can possibly put into words. It’s normal for me to hop around from city to city, not seeing friends and family except for a couple times a month, but not seeing Keira has been agonizing. We talk every night on the phone for an hour before we go to bed, and we’re texting throughout the day. The woman is melting my heart a little bit more and more every day, and before I know it, she’s going to have me, head over heels in love with her.

  She’s the whole package, beautiful, smart, and funny. Basically, everything I’ve been looking for. Keira is the type of woman I’d want to introduce to my family, if they even knew I was a lesbian that is.

  God. I need to tell her about . . . I need to tell her she’s one of the only people who knows my sexual preferences. I can only hope she won’t be upset with me, and that she’ll understand why I haven’t said anything to two of my brothers, and my father. For goodness sake, I did grow up in the backwoods of Louisiana. If you even looked at a girl for too long you were sat in front of your local preacher who in more or less terms told you that God frowns down on women who sin in such a way. I actually went to high school with two girls who had that happen to them, one of them was even sent to a reformation camp. You know, where they pray the gay away. Ugh, what a joke.

  At least in this day and age people are becoming more accepting. I’m just so happy I’m alive to see it all happening, and hopefully my family can be just as accepting as others I’ve seen. God, I’ve had so many nightmares about telling my dad, it isn’t even funny. I’ve had dreams about him slapping me silly, until my cheeks burned, to the point they were bleeding and my face felt like it was on fire. All because he was disappointed in me for not being the type of daughter he wanted. Hell, Poppy will be that daughter for him. She can never do anything wrong, and here I am, diving headfirst into the racing world with not even a care about what people will think. I only care about proving a point, showing not only these old timers that women have a right to be in the circuit as well, but that talent really does flow through veins. I’m hopeful being a Storm will make things easier on me, but it could do quite the opposite. They might chew me up and spit me out.

  I flew out from New Orleans last night and slept at my family home in Los Angeles. It’s a typical early-nineteen hundreds craftsman with the original woodwork throughout. Rumor is my grandfather bought it back in the forties when it was at auction and it’s been in the family ever since. Whenever we have to come to Los Angeles, instead of renting a stuffy hotel room we’ll use the family house. It’s a bit more special that way.

  No one else in the family is here, so I invited Keira over for dinner. I’m not the type who normally wines and dines women, but for some reason I really want to with her. I want to show her I’m more than just some sort of surface level woman, that when I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. And I might’ve told her I wanted to make her a home cooked meal. Tonight is my opportunity to make it a reality.

  I landed a few hours ago and already went to the supermarket, grabbing everything I needed to make lobster, steak, mixed vegetables, and a killer chocolate peanut butter pie. The pie is in the refrigerator, currently sitting in there until it’s time for dessert.

  Truth be told, it’s taking everything inside me not to throw open that door and dig in with my hands. God, I love peanut butter pie. When it comes down to it, I have no shame throwing the nastiest, junkiest food down my trap. Even if I’m going to gain ten pounds I could care less.

  Now, I’m not one of those ladies who looks for food blogs to find the perfect recipe to make for their partner. Not usually anyway. Today, well, I was totally one of those ladies. For some reason I find myself really wanting to prove to Keira that I like her, to go the extra mile in a sense. We’ve spent so much time chatting, and texting lately that I don’t want to give her the wrong idea. I’m pretty sure we’re dating, but I’m hoping tonight she’ll give me some sort of confirmation about that.

  I’m opting to make a steak stuffed lobster, using a blog post as inspiration. I’ve already seasoned the steaks, lobster and put a mound of butter over each serving to make sure it’s packed with extra flavor. The vegetables are on a foil pan since I already tossed them in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. With veggies I like to stay simple. There’s not much you have to do to make them taste good. Unless you’re adding chopped garlic. Garlic makes everything better, and I mean everything.

  I take the pan of vegetables and meat from the island in the kitchen and slide them on the racks in the oven. I put the meat on the top rack and the veggies on the bottom. About halfway through cooking them I’ll switch, and I’ll probably make sure the veggies are flipped over to ensure they’re cooked through.

  The doorbell rings so I grab my phone and check the time. It’s a little bit before seven, and Keira was supposed to be here at seven-thirty. Shit. Figuring it’s her, I take off the apron I’ve been wearing while prepping our dinner and toss it on the counter, rush through the dining room and into the foyer.

  A dark silhouette is all I can see until I pull open the door. Her stone-gray eyes glisten in the light and the smile she has crossing her face confirms she’s missed me as much as I missed her. If there was even an ounce of doubt inside me, it’s flown out the window by now.

  “Hey,” I mutter, trying to hold back my smile. Is it odd I don’t want her to know how excited I am to see her?

  “Hey there,” Keira smirks, taking a step inside my house she presses her chest up against mine, darting her eyes over mine before she glances down to my lips.

  I make the first move, bringing my lips directly down onto hers. Just like the first time she tastes sweet. Her lips are delicate, like untouched velvet and she smells radiant like a fresh vanilla candle. I suck her bottom lip into my mouth, itching to show her just how much I’ve missed her, wanting to do more than kiss her so badly.

  If we can have chemistry while being thousands of miles apart, I know we can have chemistry in the bedroom as well. There’s no doubt about it.

  “God, I almost forgot what a great kisser you are.” Keira giggles against my mouth, causing me to smile in response.

  “Allow me to remind you,” I murmur, grabbing her by the back of the neck, I pull her further inside the house and slam the door shut. I manage to press her up against the wall, forcefully kissing her in a way I haven’t done as of yet. I want to claim her, to taste every part of her body and tell her she’s driving me crazy in a way no one else has ever been able to do. But doing that would be putting my heart on the line and I’m not sure I’m ready for that quite yet.

  I slide my hand over her torso, gliding slowly over her hips and squeeze her tight rump. She must work out. There’s no way her ass would be this hot if she didn’t. I continue going down her leg until I’m at her knee and then I drag my hand around the inside of her thigh, halting my speed and slowly skim upward until I’m at her heat.

  Everything inside me wants to toy with her, to tease and taunt like the way she does t
o me in my dreams. Fuck it. I’m not going to stand here and ask her if I can bring her pleasure. I’m going to do it, because we both know what we’re doing.

  At least, I hope we do.

  Once I start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Keira

  Here she is standing directly in front of me while she rubs her thumb over my clit through my leggings. Gemma stares into my eyes, watching me like a hawk as I react to her touch. It’s something so simple, yet so erotic. I can’t hold back the need to gnaw on my bottom lip, so I do and I tilt my head back against the wall, close my eyes, and allow the feelings of bliss to wash over me.

  It’s like heat is magnifying at my center as her thumb slides up and down, then twirls around in a circle. So delicate, yet harsh enough to demand a reaction from my body. “Gemma, God.” I moan, digging my nails into the wall.

  “That’s it, give in to what you’re feeling.” She mews, bringing her lips right against my ear. She softens her tone, whispering in a sinful manner. “Imagine what it would be like for me to have my tongue on your clit, lapping at it like a kitten does to milk. The way I’d treat you like a goddess before sucking it between my lips, intensifying the need coursing through your veins. I’d make you feel it all, Keira, until all you could do is shake before me, begging me to continue to make you feel bliss.”

  “Yes, I want that.” I admit, opening my eyes, I stare into hers. They light up with need, with a hunger I’ve yet to see from her. “I want you to make me feel amazing, Gemma, please.” I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my life, but right now I’m doing it for an orgasm.

  She drops to her knees before me, hooks her fingers under my leggings and brings them down, taking my candy pink thong along with it. Gemma wastes no time wrapping her lips around my clit, sucking on it like a vacuum cleaning carpet. I thrash against her while electric volts crash through me. It’s intense, overwhelming, and amazing. She shoves two fingers inside me and my walls tighten around her, begging for more. Gemma thrusts her fingers as hard as she can and quickly a sloshing sound can be heard. I’m so close to coming for her and we both know it.