“What are you looking at?” I asked as I walked out of my bedroom, slipping on a fresh shirt.

“Is this your mother?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s Ma.”

I hadn’t had time to decorate, but I had placed a couple of photos around the room. I’d made sure to put a picture of Ma out. I knew that, as soon as she made it to Florida, she’d drop by and take note.

“Does she live here?” Her fingertips swept across the glass as she tilted her head.

I plucked the photo from her hands and placed it back on the coffee table. “She followed me here.”

“That’s so sweet.” She turned and started to wander around my place.

“I guess so.”

“Seriously. I have no one. That’s why I’m so devoted to my work. It’s the only thing I have in my life anymore.”

I frowned, wondering how someone got to that point in their life. “That’s sad, Race.”

“I know.” She traced the curves of the couch as her eyes roamed. “You don’t have much here.”

“I just moved in. I’m still trying to get everything set up.”

She stopped and faced me, clasping her hands together. “I can help with that.”

“You want to decorate?” I shuddered. Fuck. I hated shopping.

“I’m pretty good at it.” She shrugged, plastering an innocent smile on her face. “What else do you have planned today?” She stepped closer.

If I had my way, I’d have her bent over the sofa and screaming my name within ten minutes. “I don’t even know where to go around here.”

“I’ll take you, but only if I drive.” She held her hand out, waiting for me to give her the keys.

The woman must’ve lost her marbles.

No one, and I mean no one, would drive my girl. She was a 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Not only was she gorgeous, she could kick serious ass.

I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest. “No one but me drives Elvira.”

She burst out laughing, holding her stomach. “Elvira?” She rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

I puffed my chest out, setting my lips in a firm line. “It’s the perfect name for my girl.”

Covering her mouth, she tried to calm her giggles. “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who named their car Elvira. You’ve got to tell me why.” Her hand dropped.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve never slept with an Elvira. I wouldn’t want to be reminded of someone from my past every day when I climbed into her. Plus, when I was a kid, I used to be mesmerized by her. When I saw my black beauty, I knew the name fit. She was sleek, sexy, and dark.”

Her smile vanished. “Makes sense when I hear you say it. I don’t know many guys who would admit that Elvira was their childhood crush.” She shrugged.

“I’ll drive,” I said as I grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter.

Before I could close my fist, she plucked them from my hands. “Gotta get them back from me if you want to drive.” She moved quickly, giggling as she sprinted to the other side of the room.

“Race,” I said, grabbing my head, “come on.”

She dangled the keys from her fingers and shook them.

“Woman,” I said, dropping my hands to my sides, “no one fucks with Elvira.”

“I’ll be gentle.”

I stalked toward her, ready to snatch the keys from her fingertips.

She darted to the right, but I reached out, grabbed her arm, and spun her around to face me. Caging her in when she collided with the wall, I placed my arms on either side of her.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing and not think about her beautiful tits being within inches of my mouth. We’d never get out of here. “Can we be adults, princess?”

When her body began to move, I opened my eyes.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered as she placed the keys down her shirt and nestled them between her breasts.

“What are you going to do now?” She grinned, raising one eyebrow.

“Babe, you think that’s going to stop me from getting them?” My eyes dipped to her chest, and I studied its beauty. I’d use my fucking teeth if I had to.

“I hope not.” She smirked, blinking slowly.

“I thought we were going to keep today all business?” I asked, swallowing hard and trying not to face-plant in her cleavage.

“I think that went out the window this morning in the shower.” She laughed softly.

Without saying another word, I pulled her to me and stared down into her deep-green eyes. Her breath hitched as I brought my lips down on hers and kissed her hard.

The sounds of our breathing filled the room as our mouths tried to devour each other. Her hands slid up my arms, leaving goose bumps in their path, before she grabbed the hair on top of my head and held me to her.

I grabbed her arms and pried her from me before my lips broke contact. “We can’t,” I said, my voice sounding winded as it cracked.

Wrinkles lined her forehead as she gawked at me. “Why not?”

“We’ll never get out of here.”

She sucked her lip in her mouth as her head fell forward. “Can’t get enough of me?” she teased.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of you,” I said.

“You won’t?” she asked as her eyes grew wide.

I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath through my nose. “I wouldn’t just fuck you to fuck you, Race.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Morgan.” Pushing against my chest, she put space between us.

“Listen,” I said as I dragged my hands through my hair, “it’s been a long time since I’ve liked anyone. I really like you. Lord knows why, because you can be a pain in the ass at times.” I smiled, hoping she’d know I was joking. “I’m supposed to protect you and find out who is threatening you, not fuck you every chance I get.”

“I started it.” She glanced down at her feet. “I’ll behave,” she said as she pulled my keys from her shirt. “Here.” The keys dangled from her fingertip.

I rubbed my forehead, feeling like the biggest tool. This girl had me in knots. She’d scrambled my brain in a few short days. I knew I was fucked.

“You keep them. I’ll let you drive Elvira.”

“Really?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

Twirling the keys in her fingers, she whistled before she yelled, “Yes!”

“I see you’re happy.”

“Totally worth kissing you to be able to drive that baby.”

“You didn’t want to kiss me?” I felt my stomach plummet.

“Oh, I did, but I didn’t think you’d let me drive the car. Let’s hit the road,” she said as she started for the door.

I followed behind her, dragging my feet. “Let’s set a few ground rules first.”

She’d already climbed inside Elvira before I’d finished the sentence. “She’ll be fine,” she said as she slammed the door.

Looking up at the sky, I cursed. I could swear God was trying to punish me.

Thomas had to give Race to me as my first case. It couldn’t have been something easy, like a cheating spouse? No. I’d had to get the overbearing, ballbusting corporate executive who made my dick feel like a lead pipe ready to break off.

Before I settled in my seat, she had the car started and revved the engine. “Ground rules,” I reminded her.

“Hit me,” she replied as she gripped the steering wheel and looked like a woman possessed.

“Don’t your hands hurt?”

“I was so excited to get behind the wheel that I totally forgot.” She shrugged, easing her grip.

“Number one, go the speed limit. Two, no changing lanes unnecessarily, and three, be kind to my girl.” I sounded like my mother rattling off commands when I’d started to drive.

I had hit asshole territory.

“I can do that,” she said as she started to back up.

I fastened my seat belt and said a small prayer as I shifted in my seat.

As she put the car in drive, the wheels began to screech, causing the car to fishtail. I reached for the dashboard, my heart pounding wildly as I screamed, “Race!”

“What?” she asked innocently as she glanced at me.

The car glided across the pavement, not gripping the surface.

She turned the wheel, gaining control of Elvira. “Did I ever tell you how I got my name?”

“No,” I replied as I braced myself. “Slow the hell down though.”

“We’re good. My daddy was a huge fan of racing. He named me Race because of it. When I was a little girl, he’d take me to some of the dirt courses around here and let me speed around. I could barely see over the damn steering wheel, but I drove like a speed demon.”

“Shocking,” I muttered.

“I could’ve gone pro if I’d stuck with it.”

“I can’t breathe.” I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

“Oh, stop being such a baby. Elvira couldn’t be in better hands.”

When the car came to a screeching halt at the end of my street, I was ready to run out of the car and lie down in front of it just to get her to stop.

“This is the only thing I have in my name. I don’t want you to fuck her up, princess.”

“I promise to behave if you calm down.” She looked over at me.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

Using her fingers, she made an X over her heart. “I promise.” Her lips parted, giving me a toothy and totally bullshit smile.

I should’ve demanded the keys back.

The car behind us honked, causing Race to flip them off in the rearview mirror.

My mouth fell open. “What’s gotten into you?”

“It’s this car. I swear I turn into a different person when I’m behind the wheel of a car with some power.”

“Just go before you start shit and I have to finish it.” I motioned for her to move, keeping my eyes glued to the side mirror. The last thing I wanted to do was kick someone’s ass before we had even driven a mile.

She looked like a different person today.

The tank top and skinny jeans looked good on her. She looked calmer and more relaxed than I’d ever seen her. The way she held the leather wheel in her hands made it clear that she was in her element.

As she eased onto the street without causing the car to spin, I took a deep breath and tried to relax. “So why don’t you race anymore?”

“When my father died, I didn’t want to go to the course anymore. I miss him every day, but I just couldn’t go there. I started to study harder and decided to leave that world behind.”

“I’m sorry. What happened to him, if you don’t mind my asking?” I asked, watching her face change.

I knew the trauma of losing a parent. My dad hadn’t died, but the bastard might as well have, since he’d dropped off the face of the Earth.

“He was hit by a semi and died instantly,” she said as her chin trembled. “It was my fault.”

I blinked. “Race, how could it be your fault?”

“It just is. Ask my mama. She’ll tell you.” She shrugged.

“She can’t feel that way. How old were you?”

“Twelve,” she whispered as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

“You can hardly be at fault,” I reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You were just a little kid.”

“Anyway, he was my best friend and we spent our weekends together at the racetrack.”

“You know you aren’t at fault, Race, right?” I asked, concerned about her change of attitude.

“In my heart I know it, but I can still hear the words coming out of my mama’s mouth.”

“Sometimes parents say shit they don’t mean,” I said, knowing that my ma had said more than a few things I knew she wished she could take back.

“I know,” she said, keeping her eyes on the road.

She weaved in and out of traffic, and I couldn’t look. “It’s quite a leap from race car driver to the corporate world,” I said before I swallowed hard, trying to get the lump out of my throat.

“I wanted something challenging and cutthroat, but I never expected what’s happening now.”

As she pulled into the IKEA parking lot, my phone rang and Thomas’s number scrolled across the radio.

“Let me grab this. Thomas may have some news,” I said as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took it off Bluetooth.

“Yeah?” I asked, hoping he had a lead.

“I think I found him,” Thomas said, the excitement in his voice evident. “Come to the office this afternoon and we’ll work out a game plan.”