he counters firmly as if he’s frustrated at what I’ve just said. “Perhaps that’s why I feel this way. You’re not like any other girl I’ve come across. The racing world is filled with beautiful women, but none of them have ever bantered with me like you do.” His admission makes me smile. I’ve always been more comfortable around guys. I guess it comes from growing up around race car drivers and garages where I would learn about engines and car parts that most girls have no idea about.
“Sometimes being different doesn’t feel like a good thing,” I finally admit as Kayden pulls into a parking spot near the pier. When the engine dies, silence fills the emptiness between us, but within that empty space, there’s also sparks, the electricity that runs through my veins at Kayden’s touch.
“I think it’s what makes you more alluring.” This time, he shifts in his seat to face me. I would move, but my dress is short, the hemline already rode up to the middle of my thighs. Teal eyes scan me, taking me in from my head to my toes. But they snap back to my face, lingering on my mouth for a long moment before he smiles. “You can’t deny that kiss was out of this fucking world.”
His words make me laugh out loud. “You seem sure of yourself,” I bite out with a grin. “I mean, it was a solid five and a half.” I shrug, and as Kayden lunges for me to tickle me, I shove the door open, escaping his fingers digging into my sides, making me giggle. It’s been a long time since I felt at ease, since I felt the weight of trying to prove myself lift. And even if it’s only in this moment, I’ll take it and run with it.
Kayden follows, and we’re soon out on the sand. He doesn’t touch me again, but I realize I want him to. I love his touch on my skin. The gentle, yet firm grasp he had on my body earlier still makes me burn.
“So, tell me about your childhood,” I request as we reach the shore. The waves crashing over the sand. We stop, settling on the ground side by side. The moon hangs above the horizon, full and looming, while stars blink in the darkness.
“I was lucky. I had both Mom and Dad, who were always there. My father wanted me to take over his company practically all my life, but it was never my passion. It was his.”
“Was he disappointed?” I ask, wondering if that’s what he meant earlier.
Kayden leans back on his hands, his gaze on the ocean instead of me. “He was, for a long time, because racing was the only thing I wanted to do.” His voice seems far away, his focus on the past rather than the present, and I allow him to think back and tell me about his story. “And then when I told him I wanted to race, even though I knew he’d be disappointed, he smiled and said okay. He supported me, and he never griped about me not wanting to take over the company. But now that he’s gone—”
“You want to make him proud?” This has me snapping my gaze to his face. All I see is the profile, but the pain is evident in his expression.
“Yeah,” he finally croaks. “It’s been a while, but … You know that pain never goes away. It might ease up, and it might take a backseat at certain times, but it’s always there, niggling away at you until you remember.”
“I know that feeling,” I admit freely. “My dad was always there for me. He would take me to races. He’d even allow me to drive his car in empty parking lots. I fell in love with the speed, the adrenalin, and I even fell in love with fixing up cars. We have an oldie sitting in our garage, one that Dad and I were meant to fix up, but …”
Kayden turns his attention on me, his eyes taking me in, seeing my pain because he looks right into me with those depths of teal emotion. This time, he does reach for me, cupping my face in his hand, and he pulls me in.
His mouth inches from mine, I can’t help but lean into him, wanting the kiss, needing the connection. When our lips touch, heat sizzles through me, and I’m once more lost in the flavor of him. It’s