“Maybe I should’ve stayed at her place. Do you think that was an asshole move?” Don’t know why I bothered asking Derrick anything about my “love-life” but I guess anybody would do.

    “Since when did you start caring about being an asshole Lock?”

    “Ehh shove it smart ass.” I continued replacing the alternator in my car.

    It was pretty obvious that the “genius” behind fucking with my car was Mauve Bedguard. I would confront him today.

Make the kid regret crossing him. Hope he was ready for it.

“Did you bother telling Jamie Jordan about what you do? I mean, you might wanna let the lady know that your real job is illegal street racing before she falls in love with you.”

“No. That’s going to cause problems I don’t need. All bug eyes needs to know is that I’m a car mechanic. That’s all I’m telling her.” I screwed the new alternator into place and dropped the hood down. “Jobs done.” I could hardly hear myself over the loud drilling. Hiring more staff for the shop was a pain, but it was necessary.

“So when y’all going to race?” Derrick couldn’t help but peer his nose into my business.

“2 am today. Off the 99.”

“What’re the stakes.”

“Twenty thousand greens.”

“Damn! Good luck brother.”

Lucrative wasn’t even a good enough word to describe this business. It was reckless, risky, and paid me beyond handsomely. Of course, the was always that chance I would crash and die, going a hundred miles over the speed limit. But what was a reward without a little bit of risk?

 Jamie wouldn’t understand. And I didn’t want her getting involved.

“I thought about buying her a new car with the winnings. I can have her driving around in that dump she calls a car.”

“Man, is that the sound of you softening up Lock? Never thought I’d see the day!”

“Please. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

I definitely wasn’t going to admit it, but Jamie was softening me up.

Spent the rest of the day fixing cars and keeping Derrick from pissing me off.

Eventful to say the least.

 

***

 

The minute the clock hit 1:50 am, adrenaline kicked it.

 It would be the first time I was confronting Mauve since he managed to weasel his way under my hood. Yeah, it was time to send this kid a clear message not to fuck with me.

I waited off the agreed exit of highway 99. With a double flashing of headlights, I knew it was him. Steeling myself for the confrontation, I got out of my car.

“Mauve Bedguard. I see you decided to lure me out by damaging my car huh?”

The tone of his screeching laugh stung me like nails on a chalkboard.

Insufferable bastard.

“Forest! I hear you made it all the way to Mountain Loop before your precious little Subaru conked out on you. Pretty impressive.”

This kid decided to wear a suit. To a street race. I wasn’t sure I could roll my eyes any harder than I did.

“Enough yapping. You have the money? We’re racing for twenty stacks. Put it where I can see it.”

He raised his arm in front of the headlights of his car, illuminating a small briefcase.

“It’s all in here. We go for ten minutes. Whoever holds the lead the longest wins. Simple, no? Rebecca will signal us off.”

A tall model looking woman emerged from his car. How this eighteen-year-old youngin’ managed to travel with such company could only be explained one way.

Money.

“Simple. Get in your ride and let’s get this over with.”

“I hope you like my new car. Mustang Shelby, just for you.”

Ignoring his weak attempts at taunting, we walked back to our respective cars and drove to the agreed upon start point.

When Rebecca’s arms hit the floor signaling the start of the race, all I could see was the path in front of me.

I floored it as hard as I could.

To say I was addicted to speed was an understatement.

It was a rush that came over me like a mad tempest.

Tunnel vision came over me. My only care in that moment was that Mauve was soundly behind me and in the dust.

My focus was on the road. My eyes glued to it.

There would be no way I could let Jamie know about this. It was my primitive secret.

Sharp turns, bumps, the occasional car on the road.

Yeah, this was too dangerous for a woman like her.

The timer that was set on both of our vehicles sounded and I took the nearest exit off the highway to wait for Bedguard to catch up.

He lost, and badly.

His car pulled up next to mine and he got out of his. His face was a visible red, and he blew smoke out of his nostrils as he walked to my car.

Why should I bother showing him the decency of getting out of my car?

Stupid kid didn’t deserve that.

“Here Forest Lock. You won. Fair and square. It wasn’t even close.”

“Glad you’re not arguing the obvious.” I grabbed the suitcase from his frail little hands and put it in my front seat.

I laughed in his face. Viciously. I guess maybe I should’ve thanked him. Without his meddling, I wouldn’t have been stuck with Jamie that night.

Nah, no thanks for him.

“Next time Lock…” he pointed at me as forcefully as he could muster, “…we’re racing for pink slips.”

Still managed to walk away from defeat with his head held high. Ever the pretentious schmuck. I suppose I could give him that.

“Twenty-grand in ten minutes. How’s that for an hourly wage?”

There was no other way to drive back to the apartment than victoriously.

 

***

Fresh, crisp hundreds. Stacking nicely on the dining table.

It was always easy money as I was concerned. No reason to stop that bread line.

Thoughts of that silly girl crept up in my head as I sat in my apartment alone. The smell of her sweet perfume, some mixture of flowers and a burning desire to be noticed. Yeah, I had enough useless materialistic shit to keep me occupied till I reached Nirvana. But it still made me feel empty. It was designer junk without a purpose.

 “Heh, bug eyes.” A stupid nickname, but I thought it fit her well.

She really did have these massive eyes. They popped out of her forehead like some weird bug. I fucking hated to admit it, but she made me forget about it all.

The accident.

The orphanage.

How was it possible that such a ditzy girl could make me forget about the things that have been plaguing me since I was ten?

I had to shake her, somehow. Couldn’t have her weakening me. My reputation was on the line. “King of the streets softening up because of some painter.” How the hell does that sound? I spent years putting in work, burning rubber.

For me it was top gear or nothing at all.

“Forest, can I come in?”

The muffled sound of Jamie’s voice carried from behind my front door. What did she want with me? I pressed my lips together and opened the door slightly.

“What is it?” I leaned my head to the side hoping she would catch my disinterest.

    But damn.

    The way that silky black nightgown hugged her curvaceous body like no one’s business. It was going to be hard to play that one off.

    “I just wanted to say thanks for cooking breakfast.” She was staring at me with those eyes. I swear, it would be only a minute before she did me in.

    “That’s all? Glad it was good. Good night.” She placed her hand on the door right before I could close it. Didn’t she realize I was closing it for her own good?

    “Wait a minute Forest! I also had something else to tell you. Will you let me in?”

    This was bound to end badly. She knew and I knew it. I hesitated for a minute, staring at anything in the doorway that wasn’t her. Gritting my teeth together, I opened the door and motioned her in.

    Entering the lion's den. All bets are off.

    “Wow, your place sure does look bigger than mine. And nicer. Must cost you a fortune!”

    “Cut the small talk. What did you wanna ask?” I wanted her out of my apartment before I did something I wouldn’t regret. She folded her arms together raising her nightgown slightly up her leg. I had a feeling she knew exactly what she was doing too.

    Sneaky, sneaky girl.

    “I want to work with you at your shop. You know, maybe paint it over and give it some pizazz. I’m not working at the coffee shop anymore.”

    “You, want to work at the shop? Tell me the one about the model that wanted to be a trashman.”

    “I’m serious Forest. You need a renovation in there anyway.”

    If this was her little way of trying to get close to me I gotta admit, it was clever. But I definitely didn’t need the distraction. Instead of working on cars out back I’d be working on her, for sure.

    I walked close to her so our faces were inches from each other. She was even more beautiful up close. I wanted to take her then and there, force her against the wall and make her scream. Rip that flimsy fabric off and marvel at her sexy body.

    I thought about it really long.

    “Fine. I’ll let you stay for a week. Consider it a trial. If you get in the way, you can consider it done. We clear?”

     She dragged her teeth against her bottom lip and bit it softly. That little moan that came out of her mouth was everything but innocent. Jamie was playing for keeps no doubt.

    “You know what Forest? I know you get off on asserting yourself over me, but you could just ask…” She raised an eyebrow and brought her face closer to me. Then she pouted her lips and all the sudden the jeans I was wearing became a bit too tight.

    “So you think you know what I’m after?”

    “Sure do tough guy.”

    I grabbed her small waist and pressed her body against me. I ran my hands down to her ass and grabbed them as hard as I could. She winced at the feeling.

    I need to taste her again. Now.

    Sliding my tongue between her mouth, I separated her full lips from each other and gorged on her sweetness. We stopped only because we needed to breathe.

    Pushing her back against the wall, I ran my hand down her full breasts and to her thigh. I whipped her leg around my hip and bit into her throat.

    “Forest,” the word came out of her mouth like a haggard cry.

    My bite turned into a rough kiss and I placed them up her neck and to her ear.

    “I’ll make you scream my name.”

    My chest was pressed up so close to hers, I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat against mine. Her adrenaline was kicking in. She was definitely longing for more.

    In one quick motion, I moved my right hand from her thigh underneath her nightgown. The feeling of her sweet slickness inside her flimsy lingerie made me roll my eyes to the back of my head.

    She was fucking soaked. Already.

    God this girl was making high.

    I got 2 centimeters to plunging my fingers inside of her when she grabbed my hand.

    “Forest, not yet.” Breathy words were all she managed to get out.

    “What’s the problem?”

    “I’m not sure…”

    “Not sure about what?” I paused for a second, “You’re not ready are you.”

    “I want it, but I’m afraid I’ll regret it.” She nearly whimpered her words out. By the way, she was pressing up against my cock, I thought for a minute that her mind and her body were exactly on the same wavelength. 

    “You won’t regret it. I’ll make sure of it. I kissed her swollen lips again and she flinched. She wrapped her arms around my neck and licked my earlobe.

    Yeah, she was a liar. She wanted this.

    I picked her up and carried her on my chest as I walked her to my bed. When I placed her down, I straddled her waist nearly ripping my shirt over my head.

    “That’s coming off too.” I pointed at her nightgown and slid it off of her before she had a chance to react.

    Her body was perfect. Slim, sexy, tanned. And all mine.

    I grabbed her perky breasts in my hand and squeezed them tight, pinching her supple nipples as I let my hand go. Leaning in and taking one in my mouth, I brought my hand back down to her slick entrance.

    She grabbed my hand and slid my finger inside of her.

    Warm tight and fucking drenched. If it felt this good on my finger, then I could only imagine.

    She arched her back upwards and ground against my hand.

    “Feels so good.” She was staring up at the ceiling with her eyes closed shut. Her chest rose and fell with the slight little sounds she was making. I looked on and it took everything for me not to just take her there.

    “I said I’m going to make you say my name.” My hands grabbed both of her legs and held them high over her head. She gasped and the pressure and I brought my tongue to her prize.

Don’t really remember the last time I went down on a woman. Most of the sex I did remember was more of the forgetful sort. Quick fix, short stint, that kind of thing.

But something about her innocence, her soft silky skin made me want to devour her like an animal out of hibernation. I told her I would make her scream and call out my name over and over again. I wanted her to beat her voice against my eardrums, staining the sound against them all night. She turned me into an animal immediately.

And that fucking feeling? Made none of the other times matter.

She tried to wrench away from me at the onslaught of sensation, but my hands kept a firm grip on her hips.

If she was an ocean, I was the fucking rocky mountains, as the ever-growing constriction between my jeans constantly reminded me.

By the way, she held her eyes so tightly closed it looked like she was anticipating the moment when I would take her.

Well, she didn’t have to wait too long for that

I flicked my tongue against her entrance. Up and down. Left and right. Circles and squares. I was in fucking geometry class tasting her body.

I waited for this moment. She caught my eye way back in high school, but I could never let her no.

She tasted salty, sweet, tangy. I greedily dragged my tongue against her.

“Forest!” One scream for me.

I thought about just how high I could make her go.

 She tried to grip the satin sheets beneath us, but her fingers just aimlessly scrambled about. With the other hand, she combed her fingers viciously through my hair, grabbing it into balls in her fist.

    “F-forest! Please!” Two down.

    If she thought I was going to stop, she’d better guess again.

I sped up like my tongue had an engine, and she leaned into my motion, jerking her hips forward. She nearly lost herself when I bought a finger inside and I caught a glimpse of her trying to cover her mouth.

“I don’t think so.” I moved her hand from her mouth with my left hand. “Say my name again.”

Stubborn. She was so damn stubborn.

She rolled her lips together, tucking them in and trying to block any sound from coming out. It was cute that she thought her resistance would get her anywhere.

 “Forest!!” Sticking a finger inside of her tight body gave me the third scream I was looking for. Between my tongue and my finger, I could feel her soft walls getting tighter

    She was definitely at the edge.

    “Let me see those pretty eyes.” She stared into my eyes as much as she could as I continued to pleasure her. When she couldn’t hold it any longer, she closed her eyes and shuddered against my hand.

    She let out a scream so pleasurably piercing, I made it a mission to make her do it every day.

    Pulling my arms up to the bed, she motioned me to lay next to her. I could see the small beads of sweat dripping from her body and I wrapped my arm around her waist, bringing her closer to me.

    “Forest,” she said “That was amazing. I never felt like that before.”

    I smirked at the sound of her voice.

    “I’ll make you feel like that again.” I whispered into her ear.

    Tonight was nothing compared to what I really wanted. But I was going to take my time with it.

    Slow burn baby. Slow burn.