RACE
Trey
I TAKE ANOTHER swig of cold beer while my eyes scan the bleachers. Again. My search for Raven is beginning to feel desperate. I left her hot and bothered, wanting more, in hopes she’d seek me out. But who knows if she’ll even show up.
My fingers slide around the cool bottle, and I imagine Raven against me. Those sinful lips sliding along mine while I press into her. The curve of her ass fitting perfectly in my palm like she’s meant to be there. Her quiet moans and subtle movements asking for more. My pants grow uncomfortably tight so I shift slightly, trying to alleviate the ache.
Damn, she better be here.
Engines rev from the pit as the teams prepare for start time. A couple of cars ease around the track for test runs, and I do my best to pay attention. I usually enjoy watching the pre-race rituals while everyone scrambles with last minute adjustments, but my mind is focused elsewhere tonight.
With a scowl, I turn away from the action, and my gaze stops on a blonde. My heart pounds louder than the warning signal blaring through the speakers as I try getting a better look. But when she turns and the sun glints off her too-light hair, my gut plummets along with my mood. Not Raven.
Fuck, I’m losing it. She took something from me this afternoon, but not in a bad way. Raven grabbed a piece of my baggage and offered to carry it. The honesty in her sapphire eyes said she wants to help ease the burden. All I have to do is let her. I scrub down my face, feeling foolish for even considering this shit. Raven is just another girl, one I was hellbent on chasing away. Now I want her close? I’m seriously screwed.
A slap on my shoulder jolts me back to reality. “Have you heard from them?” Shane asks for what seems like the thousandth time.
“No,” I bark. “Not sure they’re even coming. Already told you that.”
“But, dude,” he complains, “we’ve been here almost an hour. It’s almost match time. I was looking forward to hanging out with some girls.”
“If you wanted a sure thing, should’ve taken care of it yourself.”
Shane laughs. “What’s eating you?”
“Nothing.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” he mumbles.
I’m about to tell him off when Mitch plops down next to me.
“The fuck?” I ask him.
Mitch gives me a blank stare. “What? No one’s sitting here.”
“Not yet, she isn’t.” I point with my bottle and say, “Go over there.” I don’t tell them who the spot next to me is reserved for. I won’t be denying Raven a seat again.
Before either guy can comment, golden hair appears in the crowd. This time the shade is exactly right. Shane notices the girls and calls out. When Raven’s blue eyes clash with mine, I lift a brow and smirk, playing it cool as if my pulse isn’t thundering.
Delilah leads as they climb the few steps to our section. She huffs when she catches sight of the empty space beside me. She still pushes Raven forward, and I pat the metal bench.
“Hey, Princess,” I say once she’s settled in.
“Hi,” she replies before glancing around. “These are really great seats.”
I nod. “Jack has the hookup. He does repairs for some of the pit crew and gets this row in return.”
“That’s awesome. I bet you love this stuff, right?”
“Hell yes. This shit’s in my blood. I’ve spent so many summer nights at this place. Growing up, Jack would let me tag along whenever he had business. When I got older, it became our hangout. Doesn’t get much better for me.”
“Oh, wow. I’ve never been to a car race before.”
“First time for everything.”
A slight blush dances up her neck. “There sure is.” Raven bites her lip, making my dick twitch. I glance away before my reaction gets worse. An announcer gives the five-minute countdown and a roar of applause booms from the audience. Addy passes her a beer, and Delilah hands over a pink koozie.
I snort. “You’re such a fucking princess.”
Raven pokes me in the ribs with an elbow. “Don’t be an ass. I thought we’re trying to get along?”
“What gave you that impression?” Messing with her calms the tension in my stomach.
“Oh, I don’t know. The fact you invited me here?”
“That was just a ploy to get Delilah on my good side.”
D scoffs and narrows her eyes at me. “In your dreams, Trey.”
Raven giggles. “Pretty sure you’d have better luck with anyone else.”
“Good thing it’s you I want,” I say and brush a finger down her flushed face.
She tucks her chin, peeking up through lowered lashes. “You’re so forward.”
“I’m done denying the inevitable.”
“So, you wanna be friends?” She winks.
“With benefits,” I add.
“We’ll see.”
When I lean in, her floral scent spins around me. I whisper in her ear, “Should I find a wall to pin you against? That seems to work in my favor.” She chokes on her sip of beer and coughs. I pat her back lightly and say, “See? Gets you all riled up.”
Raven glares. “You aren’t playing fair.”
“Who says? We never established any rules.”
A few blonde strands tickle my cheek, the slight sensation feeling more like a jolt.
“Good to know.” She places a palm on my thigh and slowly slides toward the promised land. I curse while my dick responds instantly. Raven slinks closer and coos, “You like this?”
“Too much,” I grit and pluck her hand off me.
Victory laces her voice when she says, “That’s what I thought.”
“I like your style, Princess. Never back down.” I veer onto a safer topic. “How did The Graze end up?”
Raven smiles, but her lips are tight. “Oh, fine. Had a chat with Marlene and Betty, which was thrilling. They struck a nerve, but pretty sure that was intended.”
“What do you mean?”
“Eh, it’s whatever. I’m sure you don’t wanna know.” I do, yet I don’t. My jaw tics while I work through my indecision. Raven saves me when she touches my forearm and says, “I won’t drag you into the drama. Mostly they were sniffing around for dirt and spreading nonsense.” She rolls her eyes. Knowing those two, they gave Raven a tale about someone’s booth being overrun by aliens.
“All right, I’ll bite. Tell me the latest word on the street.”
She glances at me before her eyes dart away.
“They found out about this.” Raven gestures around us. “Delilah and I set them straight, but Marlene is peeved. She’s upset that I’ll come here with you but won’t go out with her gentlemen suitors.” She says the last words with a snooty accent.
A stab of jealousy hits when I think of Raven going out with someone else. Fuck that. “Marlene is a crazy old bird. And the guys she wants to set you up with are lame. Guaranteed.”
She waves dismissively. “D already warned me. Not that I would have agreed anyway.”
“Oh, yeah? Why not? Pining for someone else?”
“Shamelessly digging, are we? The truth is simple. I’m not ready to rush into anything serious. Marlene seems to be matchmaking for committed relationships. I prefer spontaneous meet-and-greets.” She offers a barely-there smirk.
“Such as meeting a handsome stranger in the bar your first night in town?”
Raven bumps her shoulder into mine. “Sounds like a fairytale waiting to happen.”
“Ah, good one,” I chuckle. “More like an epic disaster.”
“Meh, could be worse.” Her hair whips in the wind, sending flowers and citrus into the air. My fingers itch to tuck the strands behind her ear, but she beats me to it.
I scratch my temple, ready to change the subject. “So . . . did you sell all the Dirty Mechanics?”
“Nah, I saved the rest. There’s new flavors for tomorrow.”
Something deep inside me warms at hearing that. Maybe she wants me to have them. Or I’m being an idiot. Yeah, probably the latter.
“So, there’s a chance I could have another?”
“I’d say so. You’re the inspiration, after all. No one else got the significance.”
“They didn’t figure out I was the grease monkey you were referring to?”
“Nope. Everyone else thought it was a weird flavor and didn’t even give it a chance. But they don’t know the real meaning.”
A tremor rolls through me as I process Raven’s words. My gaze sears into her for a reason beyond the baking skills and flawless features. As I dig underneath those surface layers, real beauty stares back at me. Raven’s blue eyes gleam with sincerity, like an open book, and I want to read every page.
But I won’t.
“Their loss and my gain,” I say while patting my stomach.
Raven watches me as though she sees the truth buried within me. She doesn’t call me out on it. After that, our conversation dies off, but random chatter passes between us. Watching the race takes most of our concentration, but I’m very aware of her next to me. The metal shakes beneath us each time the cars zoom past for another lap. As the temperature drops with the setting sun, Raven slides closer and closer. I fight the urge to wrap my arm around her. This isn’t a date and giving mixed signals will only cause trouble. I already screwed up earlier by acting like a sentimental weirdo. I’ve got to lock this shit down and be done, black licorice cupcakes be damned.
While Raven is busy chatting with Delilah and Addy, Shane nudges me. “You’re the worst wingman ever,” he grumbles.
“Huh?” I question, shaking off the fog in my brain.
“You’re like a massive roadblock in the middle of us. Mitch and I couldn’t talk to the girls if we tried. It’s like we’re not even here.”
“Oh, chill. The night is young. And if you really want her, go sit down next to her.”
Shane sighs. “The race is almost over so it’d be odd if I switched seats now.”
And he wonders why she hasn’t noticed him? “Dude, stop being a pansy and make it happen.”
“Easy for you to say,” he complains.
“Uh, huh. Sure is,” I tell him and roll my eyes.
“It’s true. You barely have to try. Me? I’m not sure Addy knows my name.”
I rub my forehead, feeling a headache approaching. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll talk to her later.”
“But we’re leaving soon.”
“And you don’t think we’re heading somewhere after this?”
Shane just blinks at me.
“With them,” I clarify while hooking my thumb at the girls. There’s no way I’m ready to say goodnight to Raven. I’ve got plans to keep.
“Oh. Oh!” His expression brightens. “Awesome. Where should we take them?”
I groan. “Seriously. Is this your first time?”
“Don’t be a dick. I don’t want to screw it up, okay? You know what to do so help me out, man.”
Fuck, he’s right. I’m off-kilter and taking shit out on him. “All right, whatever. Let’s go to Boomers. Girls love to dance, especially those girls.” I hook my thumb toward them.
Shane’s head bobbles so fast I’m worried his neck will snap. “Great idea. Yeah, let’s do that. Are you going to ask Raven?”
“Ask me what?” she questions, leaning forward.
“We were thinking about going to the bar after this. Would you all wanna come with?” Shane responds.
Raven glances at me before turning to her friends. They murmur quietly, Delilah’s harsh tone most audible. She doesn’t sound super happy about the idea, no fucking surprise. She’s had a vendetta against me since I pulled her pigtails in first grade. It’s about damn time to get over it. After a few moments, Raven twists toward us again.
“Addy says there’s a club nearby with a live band and a huge dancefloor. That’s where we’re going,” she tells us with no room for discussion. “Wanna come along?”
“It’s Cyclone,” Addison says, looking directly at Shane.
I elbow him and mutter, “See? She knows you exist.”
He hisses under his breath, “Be cool, dude. Don’t blow it.”
“You’re a moron.”
Shane grumbles at me before glancing at Addy. She’s already staring, at him and it’s one of those serendipitous moments from the movies. Cue the cheesy music.
Raven taps my shoulder before murmuring, “I hope you’ll join us.”
I peek at her from the corner of my eye. Her blue gaze sparkles in the stadium floodlights. When did my mouth go dry? Not sure I could deny her anything.
My head bobs casually, playing it cool. “Yeah, Princess. I’ll be there.”