CHAPTER TWENTY
GAVIN
“Miss York, how does it feel to end January with not a single loss under your name?”
“It feels wonderful. It feels encouraging, and it makes me want to win some more.”
“Do you have any special techniques or routines before the big race?”
“I just practice as much as I can to make sure everything goes smoothly, from my car to my body. Then I just take it from there.”
“What are your plans for the Big 500?”
“Plans? Well, I plan to win, if that’s what you mean.”
Chuckles filled the room, and Honey flashed the crowd a warm smile. This minor race only held a press conference individually, one that was small but filled up with reporters who were noticeably nicer to her now. It only showed how what you gave was also what you got, as Honey was visibly friendlier and open, answering their questions with a candid honesty that obviously had them all pleased. Her charm, which had taken a backseat and had become subdued during the peak of her scandal, was back in full force now.
And really, no one stood a chance against that.
“She’s really back to her old self.” Sara’s voice floated beside me, and I turned to look at her. We were both standing on the sidelines, me guarding Honey as per usual and her doing her random, spontaneous visits. It was nice to see that despite Sara’s busy schedule with the start of the year, she still found time to check in on Honey and make sure she was well taken care of—as a proper manager should.
“She’s always been the same,” I said.
“In private, yes. But she lost some of her spark because of that nastiness. Now it’s back.”
And it was a spark that had everyone enraptured, for sure.
The second placer, Viktor Igor, was standing on the sidelines on the other end, waiting for his turn in the press conference. His eyes were focused on Honey, too, and there was no missing the admiration in his gaze as she kept talking. One of the reporters made a friendly joke, one that had Honey’s eyes widening before she threw her head back in a loud laugh. Her hair shone redder when she moved, and Viktor disappeared from my sight as she became the only one I saw.
Shit.
She was wreaking havoc on my system, and she didn’t even know it.
Something akin to lust hit me in the belly when it shouldn’t have. I shook it off but decided it was pointless. Lust wasn’t the only thing in me, and I’d learned through the first few days of realizing it that there was no fighting this thing between us.
If I am being honest, I was scared it would fade away in time, just like it did with Tanya.
Tanya had been on my mind lately, but not in an I-miss-her kind of thinking. It was more of the memories of our marriage coming back to me, from the dewy-eyed way we entered into it to the frustration of how it ended so badly. Call me a cynic, but that was reality—and it only made me more aware that no matter how happy I was with Honey right now, there could be a time limit to that, and all I could do was enjoy it while it lasted.
The problem was, I didn’t really like the thought of whatever we had between us ending.
It was a pointless thought. It wasn’t realistic at all, and my mind knew that. But my instincts protested it completely, wanting to fight until the very end and make her mine—a scary instinct, really. I wasn’t ready for that, particularly the heartache when our fascination with each other turned to boredom in the long run—then, to resentment, just like the resentment between Tanya and I when our marriage turned into the biggest trap.
No one needed that.
When Honey’s press conference was done, she stood up and waved to the crowd, obviously enjoying the positive attention. I grinned, liking how joyful her mood was today. She sauntered towards Viktor, whom she flashed a smile to. She even took his hand, an obvious congratulatory gesture as she was obviously happy for his win. Viktor squeezed the hand she held, his eyes sparking and his shoulders straightening as he leaned towards Honey to whisper something in her ear.
The grin slowly slid off from my face.
What he said must have been amusing, because Honey’s face lit up. Then she laughed again, and even though I couldn’t hear it, I could feel it deep in my bones, where it burned bright and had me thinking of dragging her away from here and away from Viktor—that was, after I punched him on the face. It was such a barbaric thought that I had to physically step back and order my mental state to follow.
“Gavin? What’s wrong?”
Belatedly, I realized that Sara was still beside me. A quick glance in their direction confirmed that Viktor was now being called to the center, and Honey had slipped to the side and away from sight.
“Nothing,” I muttered, forcing my expression to be calm as I turned back to Sara. She was eyeing me closely, carefully, and I knew behind that serene face of hers was a sharp mind. “I just thought I saw something, but it was nothing. Do you have to head out soon?”
Sara nodded. “Yes. I need to get back in the office for a meeting in half an hour. Can you tell Honey to come by later? We haven’t really started discussing her new contract yet, and I want to personally let her know the surprise I have for her.”
“Such as?”
“A better endorsement deal, for one. You’re certainly curious.” Sara’s voice was light. Treading.
“Just looking out for my charge,” I shot back evenly.
“Hmm.”
“I’ll let her know. I’ll probably end up driving her there, anyway. She prefers the passenger seat after a race.”
“Then come join us for dinner after, if you’re free.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
She left, and I was left to look for Honey. I found her at the back of the conference room, chatting up a girl and signing an autograph for the girl’s father—a young father, by the looks of it.
A father who obviously had the hots for her.
My protective instincts kicked up, but I purposely stepped back and let it simmer. Vibrations trembled in my stomach and my chest area, and I recognized it for what it was the moment I heard Honey and the dad laughing together: jealousy, bright and as green as they came. It had no place here, and I wasn’t about to make a scene. But they took a while, and I quietly seethed and tried not to roar in place like some kind of monster.
It took counting numbers to distract myself, and I used it fully. Perhaps I was too preoccupied because it wasn’t until I smelled her jasmine scent and felt her arms wrap around me from behind that I realized the father and daughter were gone. She stood on tiptoe and kissed me on the shoulder, and it was such a playful move that something in me snapped.
I whirled around and caught her in my arms. Then I began pulling her out of there, making her gasp.
“Gavin? Where are we going?”
“Somewhere,” I muttered. “Just come with me.” While speaking, my eyes were everywhere, looking for a certain location and not stopping until I found it. I opened the door, which as predicted led to some kind of special restroom that was for single use. It had a sink and a mirror, and a stall on the far right.
Without a word, I ushered Honey in and followed her, locking the door. Questions slid from her mouth, but I ignored them as I pushed her against the sink.
Then I took her mouth in a hard, hungry kiss that had her gasping again.
It was a kiss that consumed and didn’t leave space for breath. It was a kiss that took over us as the need rose, and in just a few seconds, Honey was melting in my arms and kissing me back for all she was worth. Something like triumph slid inside me as I felt her own hunger, as her hands pulled me closer until I was pressed against her. But it wasn’t enough, so I pulled back and started sliding her skirt up.
“Gavin!” Honey gasped again, her eyes widening. But they blurred almost instantly when I kissed her neck, and her hands started moving to my pants. “Are we…?”
“Yes,” I growled.
There was no protest after that.
Our hands got busy. She unzipped my pants and simply slid my cock out, then took my shirt off and tossed it in the sink. I yanked her straps down until her breasts were free—free for my hands and my mouth to play with and tease as I pleased, and she had no protest at all as she urged me on. I sucked on one while I grazed the other, then alternated to give both nipples proper attention. They perked against my touch, and it only fed my arousal.
Wanting more, I yanked her legs apart and slid her panties to the side. Then I plunged my tongue down her center, and the way her body bucked had me repeating the plunging motion as I realized this was a drug on its own.
She placed a hand over her mouth and stifled her scream, even while her hips rode me. I whispered things that jumbled in my mind: about how wet and good she tasted, about how I wanted her to grind against me for all she was worth. I inserted a finger in, spread her further and lapped her all up, stopping only when she was nearing her peak and about to explode.
Then I surged my body up, ignoring her whine of protest to continue. And I replaced my mouth with my cock, plunging inside her in one smooth motion.
Her body jolted, and her mouth opened. She exploded then and there, and we rode the waves as her muscles clenched against me and had me gritting my teeth. I braced one hand on the counter and started thrusting inside her, timing my rhythm with her clenching until she got down from her instant high. I basked in that orgasm, using it to further harden myself—basked in it and kept at it, turning thrusting to pounding until it built up for her again and I had to stifle her moans with long, wet kisses.
It wasn’t long before I was poised on that edge, too. With one last thrust, I let go and released myself inside her, feeling her clench around me again as her second orgasm hit her. We clung to each other, sweaty and smelling of sex, our breaths sharp and fast as we tried to get our winds back.
When it returned, something heavy and regretful settled in my stomach at my loss of control.
It made me angry. It made me pull away from her, slipping my cock back into my pants and putting my shirt back on. Surprise filled her eyes. Then she followed my movements, and I tried not to look at her as Tanya flashed in my mind again.
But Honey was more perceptive than that, and she wasn’t the type to ignore it.
“What’s wrong?”
Silence filled the air.
“Tanya,” I finally said.
Recognizing my ex-wife’s name, I didn’t miss the darkening of her eyes, indicating shock. Her head reeled back as if I slapped her.
Then shock was replaced by anger, and her hand was coming up to connect on my cheek.
I didn’t evade the slap because I knew I deserved it.