me except you.”
“He scares me.” Her eyes darken. “He scares the shit out of me. He’d drive his truck into the river with me trapped inside; he’d kill us both, and he’d take you out as we pass, before he’d let me deviate from his plan.”
I stroke a thumb over her thin wrist. “When you’re with me, you don’t have to live anyone’s plan except your own. I’ll follow yours, whatever it is. Wherever.”
“What if I go off to school? Four years is a long time to be apart.”
I scoff. “Not once just now did I say we’d be apart. I said I’d go wherever you go.”
“It’s May, Bryan! You’d pack your shit up just like that and move?”
“We’re already in the car, Bert. This is all my shit. This is me. You’d be choosing this over money. You’d be choosing ramen noodles over power, struggle street over prestige, but I tell you what, you’d also be choosing passion over Shane Fuckin’ Turdsky. Ten years from now, twenty, no matter which option you choose, you’ll be living fancy. You can go their way, get the big house now, easy and fancy and quick, or you can choose my lane, work on the fancy with me, team work, and we’d get there. But either way, ten years from now, you’ll either be lying in bed next to him and wondering where in the world I am. If I’m happy. If you’d be happier if you chose me. You’ll wonder what you gave up. Or, you’ll be lying right beside me, and I’ll have just finished fucking your brains out and reminding you exactly why you chose me.”
Her chest heaves with every heavy word I throw at her.
“You’re at a Y intersection, Bert. Two roads. Two choices. One of them ends only with money. Money won’t keep you warm at night. Money won’t tell you it loves you. You’ll end up the abused wife of a man who keeps three mistresses. He and your daddy will talk, and bam! Shane learns how to keep women in line.” I reach across and take her jaw. “Or you could have me. I don’t have much to offer you. I don’t have the money or houses or trinkets, but I will. It’ll come with time and hard work. I’ve never been scared of hard work. I won’t let you down. But I do promise to keep you warm at night. Only you. Until my dying day.”
Her poor abused bottom lip rolls between her teeth.
Could she believe me? Should she believe me?
“Can I ask you something?”
I bring the pads of her fingers to my lips. “Anything.”
“Do you race because it’s fun, or just for the prize money?”
“Both. It’s a bunch of fun when the love of your life’s not standing on the line. But I do it mostly for the prize money.”
She nods thoughtfully. “Money to live on or money to save?”
“Money to save. I already work down at the garage. I have money to live on. I spend only enough that my belly’s most the way full, I save everything else.”
“What are you saving for?”
“You.” I lean forward and drop a kiss barely a half inch from her hungry lips. “A house to put our family in.”
“Our family?”
“Mmhm. Haven’t you been listening? We’ve already named our firstborn son.”
She snorts inelegantly. “Robert. That’s right. I forgot.”
“I’ll keep reminding you.” With the very tips of my fingers, I slide the strap of her top off her shoulder and move in to nibble. Her breath races out on a shudder. “If I promise to take care of everything, would you give me the yes?” I can barely open my eyes. My mouth salivates at how close I am to the yes. Lust and love and hunger and protection war inside me. I’ll take care of her; show her how vivid and amazing and passionate the world can be.
“Answer me, Bert.”
“Yes.” She clears her throat. “Yes.”
“Yes, you would give me the yes?”
“No. Yes, that’s your yes. Right now. This is your yes.”
With the combined strength of a million men, I flip the switch on the soft top, wait the three seconds for it to begin moving, and when we’re in the clear, I flick her belt and pull her into my lap. Straddling my thighs, she sits on my hardened cock and moans as she grinds down.
I thread my fingers in her hair and pull her close. Our breath mingles. Her lips reach for mine, but I hold her