a big bite of the sandwich, then moan and chew. Alec chuckles. “I’m sure you would.”
I’m midchew when Declan scampers into the garage, wild-eyed and grinning.
“I love it here. If only Elly May could batter and deep-fry a Twinkie for me, then my little foray into this alternate reality would be complete.”
His attention cuts toward Becca, who’s standing with the still-shrieking females, her arms extended to keep them out of the fray, trying to be a voice of reason. I don’t even need to confirm he’s talking about Becca. Elly fucking May? You have to be kidding me.
Alec knows me too well already, because he called it—I do hate this guy. I use what’s left of my sandwich to gesture at him with a sneer.
“Make him stop talking. He’s ruining my sandwich.”
“Oh, if I could,” Alec deadpans.
Declan just rubs his hands together and waggles his brows at me.
“So, what happens now? You go out there and win the next race, then what? I’m hoping it’s your custom here to douse each other with light beer or something equally charming. And promise me there will be some homegrown trophy girls. I love a good trophy girl.”
I narrow my eyes on him, hoping he’ll take my withering stare as a cue to shut his trap. He doesn’t. All I get is more brow waggling.
“Sorry to disappoint, but all we have is a wobbly podium and some plastic trophies. And if I win, trophy girls aren’t really my style.” I tilt my head and pretend to look him over. “My trophy guys have to look good shirtless. I don’t think you fit the bill.”
Declan’s mouth drops open like I’ve just insulted him on a level he can’t quite accept. The next thing I know, he’s whipping off his shirt and tossing it in Alec’s direction. Alec mutters something under his breath but still catches the shirt smoothly, as if this isn’t the first time he’s had to stand by while Declan strips.
Declan stands there like a lunatic peacock, posing and flexing, then draws a hand down his chest. It’s an impressive chest, I’ll admit that. Only to myself though. The man clearly doesn’t need any encouragement.
“Come on. This is perfection and you know it. If you’ll agree to let me be your trophy guy, I’ll let you—”
Alec interrupts by whacking Declan in the face with his shirt. “Shut up and put this on. This woman has standards.”
Slowly I slide my gaze over to Alec. “That’s right. I do.”
Our eyes meet and a new rush of excitement washes over me. I didn’t mean for what I just said to sound like an erotic challenge designed with only one man in mind, but from the look on Alec’s face, I think that’s how we both heard it.
“If you’re interested in applying, you know what to do,” I say half teasingly. Just to be safe though, I finish by giving him the same critical once-over that I gave Declan.
Alec tilts his head and waits a beat, letting us both settle into whatever it is that we’re doing right now. Bantering doesn’t seem like the right word. Teasing? Not quite. Even flirting doesn’t quite cover the intensity brewing between us all of a sudden.
He takes half a step forward and tips his head, and those two small adjustments are enough to make it feel as if we’re alone. He lowers his voice.
“If you want to see what’s under my clothes, I’m more than happy to make that happen. But I have one rule.” His eyes lock on mine, then drop to my mouth. “We do it in private.”
My heart starts to race as everything turns hazy and confusing. If he says another word, it will be too much and I can’t be responsible for what happens next and… oh hell.
I know exactly what to call this. We aren’t bantering, teasing, or flirting. This is something else entirely, something that’s a lot more complicated.
This is foreplay.
10
Alec
Sage doesn’t win.
This, of course, means she doesn’t need a trophy guy, so I don’t have to watch Declan strip his clothes off again, which is a good thing. The two of them clearly aren’t interested in each other, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed standing there while another man got half-naked in front of her. And Declan is still Declan. Lots of women who dislike him at first somehow end up in his bed.
Even if Sage is too smart for that, just the idea of it has me seeing red. That probably