by CM Foss
“They’re not my favorite.”
“You being smart about it?”
“Of course.” I furrowed my brows as I thought back to this morning and how I hadn’t eaten all day. It was three in the afternoon. Maybe not so smart.
“I need you light but I need you strong. What’s going on?”
I blinked rapidly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I can see your mind wandering, and the way you’re chewing on your lip and your fingernail means you’re nervous about something.”
I quickly pulled my finger from my mouth and twisted my hands on my lap. I hadn’t even realized what I was doing. Dude, my hands were beyond dirty. I should have been more bothered by that.
I sighed heavily. “I have the engagement party tonight.”
“This is a big deal?”
I nodded. “You’ve seen it with my family. There are functions and food and beverages and pressure and it’s exhausting. Plus high heels.”
He set his papers aside and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes briefly. “I need your head in the game. If you’re not one hundred percent in, you’re better off taking a break. Do you need one?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I’m good.”
He nodded. “What else do you need to talk about?”
“What is this? A fucking therapy session?”
“If it needs to be. Come on. Out with it.”
Wow. This ranked up on the list of things I didn’t want to speak about with my agent, right along with my period, of which he knew the date. “Ugh. Jace.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“How do you know?”
“Everybody knows.”
My whole body froze. “What?”
He rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Tessa. Everybody.”
“They do not. No one’s ever said anything to me.”
“And they probably never will. Unless you guys do something about it. Which I strongly suggest you hold off on.”
I bristled. “So, what? I can’t date and be a jockey?”
“Barely. And besides, who’s asked you on a date?”
I frowned. That seemed unnecessary. “Did you suspect something when we were together?”
“We were barely together.”
“Still.”
“I didn’t give it a passing thought.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
He threw up his hands. “What is with the sudden interest in my personal life?”
“Well, I just kind of realized that you know every detail of my personal life, and I know pretty much nothing about yours.”
“It’s my job to know everything about you. Your job is to win races and not be distracted.”
“I’m good at my job.”
“I’m better at mine.”
We glared at each other, but he was right. He was better. It pissed me off.
“You’re young, Tessa. You’re getting further and further into an all-consuming career. You don’t have time for this.”
I went back to chewing my thumbnail. “I know. There’s no this. It’s just sort of a thing… that sort of happened.”
“Well, you better make sure you two are sorted out and know the deal. Or else… you need to end it.”
“What in the…?” I was sitting in my truck in the track parking lot, riffling through a gift bag complete with purple tissue paper, trying to see if I was missing something. Like my mind.
Nope. In the bag from Nacho was a brand new pair of hot-pink gloves, no tag, and a wad of string. Well, it looked like a wad of string. In actuality, it was a mesh piece of lingerie. You just couldn’t tell until it was laid flat.
He. Gave. Me. Mesh. Lingerie.
I’m not sure why I was so stuck on the mesh part. The lingerie was bad. But at least if it were nice, I’d wear it. Not for him, obviously.
I stared at, stretching it this way and that, trying to figure out the possible allure. I couldn’t find it, so I chucked the offending item over my shoulder and into the abyss that was my backseat. Good grief.
I started my engine with a heavy sigh, but still a laugh. I was exhausted at the end of my days, but at least I was well entertained.
Checking my phone, I saw about fifteen texts from various members of my family. I didn’t take my phone into the track with me. I had no use for it there, and on race days I couldn’t have it anyway. I’d gotten into the habit of just leaving it in my center console and dealing with the onslaught of messages after. Very primitive of me.
Most every message was reminding me of the engagement party that night. I rolled my eyes as I swiped through them. As if I could forget. One of my sisters was getting married, leaving me as the last single girl in the family. Even my brother Lawrence was also well on his way to wedded bliss.
As the baby of the family, it was to be expected that I’d be last in line. I’m not sure my mom realized just how far down that line I’d like to stay.
The festivities were just getting started for Chrissy and Jeremy though. My parents’ house practically hummed with excitement as my mom and sisters pored over wedding magazines like rabid hyenas, frothing at the mouth as they discussed the intricacies of table settings. My mom loved table settings.
Me? Not so much.
I glanced at the clock on the dash as I drove back to my house. Despite it making little sense—I was rarely home anyway—I’d recently moved off the family farm, eager for some semblance of privacy, and I loved my little place. It was just a short drive from pretty much anywhere I needed to be.
However, it wasn’t really walking distance from the track, which struck me as unfortunate when I heard the thump, thump, thump outside my window. Fucking construction. My second flat tire since I’d been home in the past few days.
I pulled to a stop on the side of the road and rested my forehead on the steering wheel. My body sagged as I closed my eyes, just giving myself a moment. I could have fallen asleep just like that, but a tap on my window startled me upright, heart in my throat.
“Shit. Jace. What are you doing here?” I pressed my hand over my racing heart as I rolled down my window.
“Sorry. Want me to leave you alone?”
I pressed my lips together as I gave him a quick once-over. It was a necessary action, and any red-blooded woman who came across him would do the same. His wavy blond hair was a wreck, a mess of colors and textures that made my stick-straight locks jealous. His eyes were this weird kind of aquamarine color, playful and piercing at the same time, fringed in thick, dark lashes. His features were the epitome of “not fair.”
I also happened to know that under the soft cotton of his plain blue T-shirt was a rock-hard body, tanned and toned. I only knew because I’d seen him swim over the years, not for any other, better reason. Unfortunately.
Equally unfortunate… well, actually way more, was the fact that a few months ago I’d gotten drunk and thrown myself at the man standing before me, only to have him solidly reject me on the basis of being his best friend’s little sister. It was mortifying. What I remembered of it anyway.
I rarely drank. It made me stupid. Case in point, the dude before me.
Of course, being the youngest of seven total kids meant I could show no weakness, no regrets, and definitely no insecurity. So no part of me would ever let on that being around Jace made me positively itchy with embarrassment. And filled with unrequited lust. A terrible combination.
“Do I pass muster?” he asked with a quirk of his lip.
I shrugged and leaned out the window to see his feet. “Not really. You’re not much help to me in flip-flops.” The man wore them year-round. It was so weird.
“I think I can change a tire in them just fine.”
I slumped back in my seat. “I’m not some helpless girl, you jackass. I can change a tire too. If I had one to change it out with.”
“You don’t have a spare?” He gaped. “How have you made it this far in life?”
I rolled my head to the side to glare at
him, the late afternoon sun making me wince and squint. “I do have a spare.” I leaned out and pointed behind me to the tire attached to the wheel base. “It’s right there. The other is at Tires and Tacos, and I haven’t had time to pick it up yet.”
He popped my door open with a jolt, almost causing me to tumble out. I had to grab his shoulder to keep from falling on top of him.
“Jace!” I squeaked as I used him to push back into my seat.
His hand came up to grip my arm, and I froze. There was something about the touch of skin on skin in such an innocent way that sent my heart up into my throat and then back down. Really far down. I swear it was beating in my vagina. Yep, nope, that was it. Lub dub. Between my legs. Vagina heartbeat. Racing. Only Jace could make me run this gamut of emotions in such a short period of time.
“Sorry,” he muttered, but he didn’t move his hand right away. He watched as he ran it down my arm to encircle my wrist. It wasn’t unusual for me to be smaller than most people, outside work anyway. I was pretty tiny. You know, a jockey. But I didn’t usually feel small or dainty, not until that moment.
He cleared his throat as he finally released me, blinking rapidly as he returned to his usual, casual self. My inner self was a little smug because I saw the attraction in his eyes and felt the way his fingers lingered over my pulse just a little too long. That same pulse that was also throbbing between my thighs. In fact, it was almost like he touched… No, stop that train of thought. Flat tire, sister’s party. Those were the things to concentrate on.
“Well, here, I’ll take you to pick up your tire. What do you need out of here?”
He flung open my back door, I guess to be helpful, but it’s a place I never went. It was full of crap I’d toss back at any time. Socks, shirts, water bottles, tissue, an old pair of boots, an extra halter and lead rope, plastic wrap… You name it, if it was random, it was back there.
I ducked my head sheepishly as I heard the clatter of plastic bottles spilling out and Jace’s curse as he tried to catch the avalanche and push it back in. I didn’t even try to help. It was too funny to watch and also a bit mortifying. I looked around the front of the truck. It was spotless. The places that I usually occupied were nice and tidy at least. Dusty though. I swiped a hand across the dashboard and grimaced.
“What the fuck?”
I was startled out of my dirt art by the harshness of Jace’s tone. “What?”
He appeared back at my door with Nacho’s present dangling off his finger. I snorted and clasped my hand over my mouth. His jaw was tight and his eyes were narrowed and his nostrils were flaring, and he looked really hot when he was pissed. Maybe that’s why my attraction had grown steadily over the years. I pissed him off a lot. I snatched the ridiculous item out of his hand, and he snatched it right back.
“Hey,” I protested. “That was a present.”
“I am not giving this back to you.”
“What?” I started to laugh outright at his indignation and horror.
“There is no reason this should be in your possession.”
“You can’t take my underwear.”
“This is not underwear.”
“Well, I mean… You wear it under…” I waved my hand in a circle.
“You wear it under nothing. And you’re not wearing it at all.”
“Jace.”
“Midge. I can’t handle this. I don’t want to talk about it. Can we please just go and get your tire?”
I pressed my lips together to rein in my laughter as best I could, but it was a severe struggle. I couldn’t speak, so I just grabbed my wallet and got in his truck as he stalked around to the driver’s side, still holding the teddy. His lips were pressed flat together as well, but not in amusement. That made it even funnier.
Chapter 13
“So…” I drew out the word with pursed lips and looked over at my chauffeur. He was still white-knuckling the steering wheel and muttering under his breath. “How’s it going?”
Jace nodded and ran a hand through his hair to comb it back off his forehead. “It’s good. Business is… busy. Almost more than I can keep up with.”
“That’s good.” I folded one leg beneath me and nibbled the edge of my thumb as the scenery whipped past. I had pretty much no clue what else to say. I was torn between our familiarity and the immense awkwardness over the last time we were together. And also wanting to attack his face with my mouth.
“You still have no idea what it is I do, do you?”
I blinked rapidly, snapping out of my make-out musings. “Huh? Oh, no. No clue.”
He laughed, the sound warm and husky and the thing beds are made of. “Okay. Say you’re a famous racehorse trainer.”
“Which I will be.”
“Which you will be. And say you have millions of dollars’ worth of horseflesh in your stables.”
“Which I will have.”
He smirked but kept his eyes on the road. “But you also have twenty to thirty unsavory characters working for you.”
“Oh yeah. I’ll totally have that too. Naturally.”
“Naturally. Anyway, you could hire me to come in and evaluate your needs for security. Camera equipment, sensors, remote access, computer programs. You name it, I’ll get it done. All my stuff.”
“Wow. Sounds smart.”
He shrugged.
“So when I do have said stable full of moneyed clients and ne’er-do-well employees, you’ll hook a girl up with a freebie, right?”
“No. With the millions of dollars’ worth of horseflesh you’ll be dealing with, you can pay me.”
“How ’bout a deal?”
“Shit. I have a feeling you could talk me into just about anything.” He glanced my direction and then back to the road. My fingers itched to comb his hair back, and I twisted them together to stop myself. “How was Saratoga? Sounds like you did well.”
I felt a smile creep across my face, and I sucked my lip between my teeth to hide it. “You been keeping tabs on me?”
“Just making sure you make it around the oval in one piece.” He winked at me as we pulled in to the taco stand with the garage in back. Tires and Tacos.
I inhaled deeply as I opened my door, and the heady scent of greasy, fried tortillas assaulted me in the best possible way, making my stomach rumble loudly, practically screaming for satisfaction. I heard a low groan and realized it came out of my own mouth.
Jace materialized in front of me, eyes darkened but a smirk on his full lips. “You want me to leave you alone for a second?”
I snorted and shoved at his chest, my fingers lingering just a touch longer than strictly necessary. “I’m fine.”
“You want a taco?”
“I wish. I’ll be back in a sec.” Ducking around him, I walked to the back and waved down Nacho’s brother, José. I liked to keep it in the family, plus they owned so many businesses in the area it was hard to not keep it in their family.
Within a few minutes, I was rolling my nicely inflated tire out to Jace’s truck and heaving it into the bed. Jace ambled out with a mouthful of taco.
“I would have done that.” He nodded at the loaded tire.
I wiped my hands on my jeans and climbed back into my seat. “You snooze, you lose. Look for the helpless girl somewhere else.”
He looked left and right as he slid behind the wheel and started up the engine with a rumble that sounded an awful lot like my stomach. “I’m sorry. Are you the girl I just picked up on the side of the road?”
I smacked his shoulder. “Shut up and eat your taco.”
“I got you one.”
“You’re an ass. I’m not eating it.”
“One taco. You can eat one taco.”
“I can’t. It’ll end me. Because then every time I drive by, I’ll think I can have one taco. And then I’ll get fat and lose my job.”
I felt his eyes travel the length of me. “I’m not sure it’s possible for you to be fat.”
“I’m not talking traditionally. But j
ockey fat. Jockey fat is the worst.”
“How ’bout one bite? One bite won’t make you jockey fat. And you can’t drive by and consider buying one bite of a taco.”
He held out his half-eaten food. Not gonna lie. It smelled spicy and meaty, and it’d had the good fortune of having Jace’s lips on it. There was no chance I could resist.
I grabbed the foil to keep it steady, and there wasn’t really a way to accomplish that without wrapping my hand around Jace’s. Leaning over, I sank my teeth into the crispy shell, tearing off a hearty chunk. This time I groaned on purpose as I sat back, hand over my mouth to catch any falling pieces, not willing to waste a speck. Jace kept looking from me to the road and back again.
“So good,” I mumbled.
He shifted a little in his seat. “You want some more?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m good.”
“Boy, you’re easy to please.”
I ignored him, intent on savoring the flavors still in my mouth instead of focusing on his brand of negativity.
We reached my stranded vehicle and I hopped out, expecting Jace to follow and take over. Imagine my surprise when he did follow, only to lean against the side of his truck, arms folded across his chest.
I huffed as I pulled the jack out from under my scary backseat.
“Are you gonna just stand there?”
“Yep.” He nodded. “I wanna see.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’m totally serious.”
I stood with my mouth agape for a moment. But he was totally serious. And what else could I do but prove to him that I could change my tire by myself? I mean, I could. But what the hell?
And he did. He literally stood and watched me change a truck tire. All by myself. The whole thing. Someone even pulled over, asking if we needed help. We. Psht. Jace waved them off and told them I had it handled. They laughed as they drove away.
When the truck was off the jack and the last lug nut was finally tightened, I fixed my ponytail and turned to Jace, who was now sitting over the fender of his truck, bare feet swinging over the side. Lips pursed, I sauntered over and leaned through the open passenger window, popping open the center console to grab my lingerie. He narrowed his eyes as I pulled it out, hooked over my finger, letting it dangle out there in all its glory, and approached him. Placing a toe on the running board between his knees, I swung up to give him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the help.”
