As I joined the rest of the staff to watch the race, the only concern I had was for myself. When the race was over, would Desmond and I just part ways? Would our romance just be called a summer fling or would we be able to make it work off the track as well as we had on the track?
I had questions that needed to be answered, but they would just need to wait until after we kicked Luke’s butt and put him in the loser’s ring where he belonged.
I had never before known a man that was so dark and shady as Luke was and I was positive that by the end of the race, everyone would know what a slime ball he really was. That was a project that I had already started on, a little extra surprise for everyone. Luke would never be able to race again, a fate worse than death for anyone on the racing scene.
12
Amber
I couldn’t believe how well Desmond and Theresa had done during the race. Everything about it had gone just as planned, even better. He had won by a landslide and as a little added bonus, he had even put Luke in his place.
I watched as he was carried to the winner’s circle by his other teammates and I couldn’t help but smile. Something looked wrong though and I glanced around to see what could have upset him.
A man was approaching me, and from the looks of it, he wasn’t Desmond’s biggest fan. I knew I would have to think fast. I didn’t think that Luke’s buddy would try anything out in the open, but I wasn’t going to give him the chance to prove me wrong either.
As he approached, I saw Desmond talking with Glen from the corner of my eye and I made my way to the podium. By the time I reached Glen, racing towards me, he had found two large security officers to accompany him.
“Did you see that guy?” I asked him.
Glen nodded. “I did. He didn’t look like he was anyone from the track either.”
Just then, Desmond joined us, moving protectively close to me. I smiled a little at how much he cared.
“I want you to follow him,” he said to the guards.
They nodded before setting off in the direction that the man had gone when he had seen Glen coming to meet me in the crowd.
“Are you okay?” asked Desmond.
“I’m fine. I don’t even care about him. I just want to talk about that race! You did a great job!”
He smiled at me. “Thanks, but you are the one who did great. I can’t believe how well Theresa did!”
I started to blush. “Let’s just call it a joint effort then?”
He smiled and nodded his head. “The shop crew and other drivers want to go out. Some want to drink away the loss and others to celebrate my win. They want me to come, what do you think?”
“I think that sounds like a very good idea,” I replied earnestly.
I needed a stiff drink, among other things. I followed the two men to a waiting car that zipped us out of sight to the bar that only a few outsiders knew about. With a smile on my face, Desmond took my hand as we walked through the door.
The room erupted in cheers as they saw who was walking in. Desmond smiled and waved at everyone. He let go of my hand as people from all over descended on him, wanting to shake his hand.
I saw our crew in a back corner and quickly made a beeline for them. The limelight wasn’t for me. I just didn’t like to deal with people the way that Desmond did. He was so good at it too. I watched from my seat as he slowly talked with everyone who came up to him before making his way over to us. He sat next to me and put an arm around my shoulders. I had to smile at his intimate touch; it felt amazing.
“So what do you think Glen? Am I set to win?” he asked his friend jokingly.
Glen shook his head. “No way man, I’m not getting sucked into this trap! Let’s talk about this woman here, how amazing is she?”
I glared at Glen but he just smiled. “Listen, my skills are nothing compared to how my father used to do things. He was the really amazing mechanic.”
Desmond smiled. “I can’t believe that anyone is better than you, but don’t tell José I said that!”
They all laughed again. José was known for his temper. He liked to do things a particular way and he always kept things simple. He was a wonderful mechanic; it was no wonder that he and my father knew each other.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I know that for our team, you have been a Godsend in more ways than one,” Desmond whispered in my ear.
His words made me blush as my heart started to race.
He continued. “Even if you don’t think so, I know that one day, you will surpass your father’s skills and your own wildest dreams. You have something special about you Amber, something that I have never seen before.”
I wanted to tell him thanks; I wanted to tell him he was kind for his words but I couldn’t speak. He had made my heart race with everything that he said. I was speechless until the bartender brought over another round of drinks and broke the spell that had trapped Desmond and me away from all the others. Before I could speak though, the front door opened and in walked Luke.
I knew that Desmond would notice right away and I wasn’t wrong. He glared at the man but Luke hadn’t seen us back where we were sitting. Desmond raised his arm to get the bartender’s attention. When he came back over to our table, Desmond whispered something in his ear. I looked at him suspiciously.
“What was that all about?” I asked him.
He smiled. “Nothing really, I just wanted to buy Luke and his crew a drink. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
My eyes narrowed. Desmond was a good sport but after everything that Luke had done to him, I doubted that buying him a drink was the only thing that Desmond was up too. I watched in anticipation as the bartender came back out of the kitchen with a tray full of cups—cups filled with milk.
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing a little bit; it was pretty amusing. As much as Luke pouted when he lost a race, he acted like a baby who did just deserve milk and nothing else. The bartender set the drinks down in front of him and I saw Luke’s face turn a scarlet red as all the patrons around him saw what it was and started to laugh at his expense. He whispered to the bartender and he pointed to where we were sitting.
Desmond raised his beer up in the air to show Luke that it had been him. I had never seen a man so full of hatred in my life. He glared at Desmond and me like he wanted to see us both dead. His reaction to the joke had been amusing, but now his stare was giving me chills.
It seemed like he was a dangerous man; one that I didn’t want to keep dealing with. Eventually, there was going to be a showdown between him and Desmond, and I wanted to make sure I was there to witness it.
Desmond had gone back to talking with our crew but I couldn’t pull my gaze away from Luke. I didn’t trust him not to retaliate. As I watched him from the corner of my eye, I saw him look at me and lick his lips. If Desmond had done something like that, it would make my panties wet. Instead though, it made me sick to my stomach to see Luke do it. His beady eyes and snake-like personality were enough to make me sick.
“Hey, are you okay?” asked Desmond, wrapping an arm around me again.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just tired of sitting here.”
“Oh yeah?” he replied playfully.
I rolled my eyes at him, “Want to lose a round of pool?”
“I can think of a few other things I would love to do too,” he said in a sultry voice.
“Tempting, but I think you owe your men a night of fun, not just me,” I replied.
He laughed and rose from the table. We made our way over to where a line of pool tables was sitting. A few of the members of our pit crew joined us at their own tables. I hadn’t played pool in a very long time. The last time I played, it was with my father. He had just found out about his diagnosis and he’d been trying to find a way to tell me.
It had been heartbreaking. He had been too young but after years of rolling his own cigarettes, it wasn’t all that surprising that he had lung cancer. They had caught it late, and he had re
fused treatment.
Instead, he insisted on spending the last of his time training me to take over the shop. In a lot of ways, I thought this was where the rift between Diana and me came from. She hadn’t been able to accept that my father wouldn’t get treatment.
Even after he explained to her that it would only add a little time, and most of that would be spent in the hospital. She still resented him for making the decision without talking to her. It wasn’t until the later stages that he told her about it at all. She was just too delicate, whereas I was a little better at handling the news.
As a nurse, Diana always felt like she could fix the problems in the family, but that wasn’t the case with my father’s diagnosis and she blamed herself for not noticing the signs earlier and not pushing him harder to quit smoking. I knew he would never have quit though; he was the last of a dying breed who thought a rolled smoke made you who you were.
“Hey,” said Desmond. “You are zoning out on me.”
“Sorry,” I replied. “I was just thinking about my dad. The last time I played pool was with him.”
Desmond leaned over me and kissed my forehead, “I don’t think he would be too proud of your pool game, but as far as being a mechanic, I think he would be prouder of you than you realize. Everything that you have done for this team has been amazing; I don’t know anyone like you, Amber.”
I couldn’t stop the blush from hitting my cheeks as I smiled. “Thank you, Desmond. It’s really wonderful to hear someone say that. You know, I think he would have liked you after he got past the pompous ass exterior.”
He laughed. “Oh man! No respect for your boss!”
With a playful wink, Desmond had pulled me back into the present, and it was a time I didn’t want to leave again. Everything about that moment was wonderful. Even Luke, who was still glaring at us from a distance, couldn’t upset the mood amongst me, Desmond and the rest of the crew. The day had been a victory in more ways than one. It was a victory that none of us would ever forget in our lifetimes and one that we could brag about being a part of for years to come.
13
Desmond
I believed Amber when she said that she hadn’t played pool in years, but it must have been like riding a bike for her. She managed to beat me at two separate games before I finally got the upper hand on the third. Now, watching her close to losing, I saw what my competition must see when they looked at her, pure determination. She analyzed everything as if there was a way to win no matter the end result. It was a little intimidating and thrilling at the same time.
“You know, you could just let me win,” I said playfully.
She glared at me. “Not on your life Keys.”
I laughed. “Boy, remind me never to get on your bad side. I bet you are tough as hell.”
“Keep trying to distract me from this shot, and you’ll find out,” she replied with a wink.
I laughed again. The night had started out rough with Luke coming to the bar but in the end, it was shaping up to be a great night.
I was no longer in the mood to drink though. Two beers in and all I could think about was taking Amber back to my place and showing her just how amazing I really thought she was. I knew that it was important to spend time with the crew though and the fact that she saw that right away meant the world to me.
I turned away from her, talking with my wheel mechanic. For the first time in a while, I noticed that Luke wasn’t at his station at the bar, nursing his wounds. I heard Amber yell before I saw Luke standing there next to her.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she screamed at him.
Before I made it to the pool table, Amber had shoved him hard enough to send him flying into the wall. She was not someone anyone wanted to mess with. I knew she could take care of herself, but my protective instinct rose up inside of me.
“Easy baby, I just wanted a little piece of the action,” said Luke, his hands raised up in surrender.
“What happened Amber?” I asked once I made it over to her.
She glared at Luke but didn’t go after him again. “This prick here grabbed my ass!”
“Hey now, I’m just trying to get a piece of what everyone else has gotten. Can’t blame a guy for wanting a bite of the cookie too,” replied Luke with a sinister tone.
“What the hell are you talking about you idiot,” I asked him.
Luke grinned, “Oh man, didn’t you know? Word around the track is your little hottie here only got the gig because she slept with a few of the racing officials. That’s one way to work your way to the top honey.”
I knew he was trying to goad me. Amber had the position because she was the best there was and José had picked her himself. Amber was the best mechanic there was, and Luke was trying to stir the pot with fake rumors to cause a rift.
Unfortunately for him, I did my research before letting someone join my team. José had talked about her father like he was the Lord of cars. I doubted that my regular mechanic, a happily married man with two young kids, would be sleeping with Amber. I also knew that Amber would never do anything like that, she had no reason too. She was the best mechanic I had ever known and that scared Luke.
“That’s bullshit, and you are an idiot for believing it,” I shot back at him, unwilling to give into my anger.
“I didn’t say I believed it,” replied Luke softly, “Hell, I’m the one who started it.”
That was the last straw. All I saw was red as I charged across the pool table for Luke. Amber yelled, and I froze when I felt her hand on my chest, pushing me away from Luke.
I didn’t know why she would be trying to stop me; it was her honor that he was trashing all over the track. Before long, she would beat him to a pulp herself. Maybe she just wanted the first crack at him, and I was more than willing to share.
She pushed me away from him until we were backed into a corner. She was strong but not as strong as me. I let her push me, knowing that I needed to hear what she had to say. Amber was one of the few people I trusted. If she wasn’t okay with me putting Luke in his place, then she had a damn good reason. Still, my temper was hot, and I was ready to level him into the ground.
“What the hell Amber?” I seethed. “Let me kick his lying ass.”
“Desmond!” she said to me, her hand still on my chest. “Luke is only trying to provoke you. Think about it, if you throw a punch at him, you get disqualified. Then he will win, and you will lose. We will all lose, Desmond. Is that what you want?”
I thought about it for several minutes. There would be another shot at the Grand Nevada. It would take a year to arrive, and my spot wouldn’t be guaranteed. If anything, they would argue that I was uncontrollable and shouldn’t be allowed to race again at all.
However, there would be other opportunities to knock Luke into next week. The thought brought a sly smile to my face. He would get what was coming to him. One way or another.
“Desmond,” said Amber. “Do you trust me?”
I didn’t have to think about it; I knew the answer right away. Nodding my head, I smiled at her.
“Amber, I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone outside of my family and José,” I said softly.
She smiled and put a hand on my cheek before spinning away from me. She stormed over to Luke, a playful smile dancing across her lips.
“You think you’re pretty smart don’t you? Trying to get him to throw a punch?” she hissed.
“Honey, why don’t you join the right team and I will show you just how smart I am. In bed that is,” he replied.
I was stunned by how cool Amber was, his words didn’t faze her at all. She just laughed, “I think you are a chicken-shit.”
Luke stopped laughing, his eyes narrowed.
Amber continued, “I think you are too much of a pussy to settle things like a real man would. So instead, you are trying to cheat, again.”
“I don’t cheat, you can’t prove a thing,” he muttered.
“I don’t need too.” s
he replied with a smile. “Everyone on the racing scene—the ones you claim listened to your bullshit rumor… They all know what you are. A good for nothing, cheating, pathetic excuse for a racer. A real man would settle this on the track.”
He glared at her and took a step toward her. Instantly, the entire bar rose and moved a little closer. Luke looked around, knowing if he made a move to hurt her, he would be leaving the bar in a body bag instead.
“I don’t need to race him on the track to know I am better—and my car is too,” he replied weakly.
“Then prove it,” pushed Amber. “Right here, right now.”
“Racing outside of the Nevada Grand is grounds to get you disqualified,” said Luke.
Amber laughed at him, and it was a sight to see. Her head tossed back and her long hair flowed down her back. The skin tight jeans she was wearing jiggled her rear, and her breasts bounced up and down. If there was anyone in the bar not watching the scene in front of me unfold, they were after that moment. You couldn’t look away; her beauty and fire were captivating.
“You really are a chicken-shit! Maybe we should get you another glass of milk and send you home to bed. I’m sure you can find some woman with low standards to tuck you in like the baby you are!” Amber exclaimed.
I burst out laughing along with the rest of the bar. She had put him in his place, and it was one of the most amusing things I had ever seen before. I wasn’t even sure that I could match her quick wit and endless banter. I could tell that Luke knew he was backed into a corner. If he left the bar without racing me, he would be the laughing stock of the racing community for years to come. Put in his place by a little woman.
“You want to race to prove I’m better?” he hissed at Amber. “Then fine. Let’s go.”
The bar went up in cheers as everyone started to race outside to watch the illegal race. I didn’t realize until that moment that I was going to have to be the one out there driving. I had been so engrossed by Amber’s sharp tongue, that I hadn’t really been paying attention. When we were among the last people still in the building, she came over to me and smiled, putting her hand on mine.
Fast and Loaded: A Bad Boy Sports Romance Page 7
