“If you felt that way, why did you leave?”

  “I had to get back on the track. I couldn’t allow fear to paralyze me anymore.” That was true, but she needed to know there was more to it. “Listen, can we take a drive? I’d really like to talk some more but not here. Somewhere quiet.”

  She looked around, pointing to a table in the back. “I came with my friends. I really shouldn’t leave them.”

  He glanced at the group of women, talking, laughing, and sipping on their drinks. “I don’t think they’d mind if you bailed early.” He spotted Nick chatting up a pretty blonde and knew his friend would understand if he had to cut their time short. “Come on. I have to head back to Charlotte tomorrow, and I’d really like to spend some time with you before I leave. I feel like we didn’t get a chance to say a lot of things on the island.”

  She bit her lip, obviously considering her options. “Well, okay. Just let me grab my purse.” She took two steps forward and one step back, turning to face him. “You haven’t been drinking, have you?”

  He smiled. “No, I just got here a little while ago. I’ve only had a few sips of beer.”

  “In that case, I guess it’s okay.” She made her way through the crowd to the table the ladies shared.

  Justin approached Nick, trying to catch his attention without intruding. He threw a few bills down on their table for the waitress when Nick caught his eye.

  Nick said a few words to his companion before approaching Justin. “Hey, you headin’ out already, man?”

  “Yeah, do you mind?”

  “No, it’s cool. A few of my buddies are in the back playin’ pool. I can always get in on the action.” He turned around and looked at his sister across the bar. “Did you guys work things out?”

  “We’re gonna take a drive, then I’ll take her home.”

  “I’m hopin’ we’ll see more of you around these parts,” Nick said with a grin.

  “I hope so too, buddy.” Justin shook Nick’s hand. “Thanks for the beer and meeting with me tonight.”

  “Anytime.” Nick slapped him on the back. “I hope you guys figure things out, Justin. I think you’re exactly the kind of guy my sister needs in her life.”

  ***

  Anna was mortified when she overheard her brother’s words. Justin probably thought she was desperate. Clearing her throat, she nudged her brother aside. “If you don’t mind, I can speak for myself, Nick.”

  “I was just sayin’…”

  “I heard what you were saying,” she said, frowning at him. “Why don’t you get out of here? See if you can’t lose some more money to those pool sharks in the back.”

  “Just so you know, I never lose, sugar.” He patted her on the head. “Now you be a good girl tonight and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He slapped Justin on the back. “That pretty much leaves the field wide open, my friend.”

  Justin laughed. “Good to know.”

  Anna pushed her brother out of the way and grabbed Justin’s hand. Her face was already flaming, and she knew Nick would only get worse. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Remember what I said,” Nick called after them. “Hey, Anna!”

  “What is it now?” She turned around and saw him grinning.

  He held a non-descript plastic square in his hand. “You need this?” he mouthed.

  “I’m gonna kill him,” Anna muttered, tugging Justin toward the door.

  Justin laughed as he fell into step beside her. “Your brother’s a riot.”

  “Yeah, when he’s not being an ass.”

  “Come on now,” Justin said, tugging on her hand. “He was just teasing you. That’s what brothers do. I know from experience. I have two sisters, remember?”

  “God help them if you’re anything like my brother.”

  Justin led her toward the shiny black sports car in the middle of the parking lot.

  She stopped walking and stared at the obscenely expensive car. “You can’t be serious.”

  “What?” he asked, grinning, as he took the keys out of his pocket. “You don’t like my wheels?”

  She rolled her eyes. She shouldn’t be surprised his street car was one of the fastest and most expensive money could buy. His whole life revolved around his need for speed, and she would do well to remember that before she got in any deeper.

  “I like it just fine,” she said, walking to the passenger’s door. She stood back to give him room while he opened her door. Once she was settled inside, she fastened her seat belt, hoping that would be enough to protect her from harm once he climbed behind the wheel. She shot him a sidelong glance. “I hope you don’t drive on the street the way you do on the track.”

  Justin laughed as he started the car. “If I did, they’d throw my ass in jail.” He reached for her hand. “Trust me, you’re safe with me.” Looking her in the eyes, he leaned in closer. “You believe that, don’t you?”

  She wasn’t as concerned about her personal safety as she was about her heart. “Sure, if you say so.”

  Chapter Nine

  By the time Justin pulled into the driveway of Anna’s tidy little bungalow, he wasn’t ready for the night to end. Two hours had passed since they’d left Jimmy’s. They’d driven around, parked at the lake, and talked about everything: her students, their families, her books, and his business interests. He felt like he knew her better, which only made him want her more.

  The only topics that seemed to be off limits were the two he suspected they most needed to address: Tom and racing.

  If Justin was certain of one thing, it was that a few hundred miles wouldn’t be enough to quash his interest in her.

  “Would you like to come in for a coffee?” she asked, removing her seat belt.

  He wasn’t interested in coffee, but he would take any excuse to spend more time with her. “Sounds great. Thanks.” He jumped out of the car and walked to the passenger’s side to open her door.

  “Thank you.”

  Justin rested his hand on the car behind her head. He wondered if she would retreat if he tried to kiss her. As much as he wanted to, getting to know her was more important. They’d had so little time together, and he didn’t want her to believe he’d come all that way for the wrong reasons.

  She licked her lips. “What’s wrong?”

  “Wrong?” he asked, taking a step back. “Nothing’s wrong. Why?” She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his waist and drawing him back in.

  “On the island, you seemed…” She shrugged. “I don’t know, interested in me. Now I’m not so sure.”

  He released the breath he’d been holding as he moved closer. If her neighbors were curious about the flashy sports car in her driveway at the late hour, he intended to give them even more to talk about.

  Stroking her face with one hand, he looked into her eyes. “How can you even ask me that?” He kissed her gently, trying to gauge her reaction. When she seemed receptive, he deepened the kiss, trapping her face in his hands as he had his way with her mouth.

  She blinked several times when he pulled away, as though she was trying to orient herself. “I-”

  He kissed her again, halting her words. If she was going to protest, he didn’t want to hear it. He needed her, and if she didn’t share his feelings, he would rather postpone the harsh reality while losing himself in the sweet promise of her lips just a little while longer.

  “You blow my mind,” she said, chuckling in spite of her ragged breathing. “You are without a doubt the sexiest man I’ve ever met.”

  He laughed at her characterization, knowing she wasn’t the kind of girl who threw those compliments out there without turning ten shades of red. That was what he loved about her. She was so genuine. Anna didn’t care who he was or how much money his family had. She liked him in spite of the fact he was a race car driver, not because of it, and that was one of the many reasons she was unlike any woman he’d ever met.

  “You’re laughing at me,” she said, pushing against his chest.

  “I’m not laughing at you,” he said and nipped her neck. “I think you’re adorable.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to be adorable. Kittens and babies are adorable.”

  “Fine, you’re hotter than hell. Does that work for you?”

  She sighed. “No. Only because I know it isn’t true.”

  He had dated dozens of women who spent more money on their appearance than he paid in property taxes every year, but no matter how much they invested, they couldn’t compete with Anna. Her appeal was effortless.

  “Take a look in the mirror, sweetheart,” he said, skimming his hands over her hips. She was tighter than most women who spent hours sweating it out in the gym, yet she’d managed to maintain curves in all the right places. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “Please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I saw those Barbie dolls at your house the night we met, remember?”

  He loved that she was jealous, but not at the expense of her self-esteem. “What about them?”

  “Were you…” Her eyes shifted to his chest. “I mean, are you… sleeping with any of them?”

  He held her hips firmly. “Look at me.” He waited until she complied. Their eyes locked, and he struggled with his pride. He never thought he would have the courage to talk to a woman about his problem. “You’re the first woman I’ve been attracted to since the accident.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Inside his head, he was spewing profanity as he reprimanded himself for bringing up the subject. Would she judge him? If they became a couple, which he hoped they would, would she question whether it might be an ongoing problem that could impact their relationship? He didn’t know if he was willing to take that risk.

  “Forget it,” she said. “It’s none of my business.”

  Justin felt her pulling away, physically and emotionally, and he couldn’t let that happen. “I just wasn’t interested in sex.”

  “Really?”

  He smiled at her surprise. “Really. I was beginning to question whether I ever would be again… then I met you.” Even under the light from the streetlamp, he saw her blush. “I reacted to you right away. It was like you flipped a switch in me or something.”

  “I’m sure it had nothing to do with me.”

  “It had everything to do with you.” He brushed his lips across her cheek and whispered in her ear, “The first time I saw you, the only thing going through my mind was how the hell am I gonna get this girl?”

  She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is that why you came on so strong?”

  He chuckled and held her tighter, moving his hands down the small of her back to cup her bottom. “I wasn’t even thinking straight at that point. I was just so damn glad things weren’t as bad as I thought.”

  She slanted her head back to look up at him. “Was there a medical reason for your… uh… condition?”

  He smiled at her thoughtfulness. She obviously didn’t want to embarrass him, but he couldn’t blame her for being curious. “The doctors said there was no medical reason. They told me I needed to deal with my feelings about the accident, find some way of easing the guilt and relieving stress…” He laughed. “Funny thing is, that’s how I used to relieve stress.”

  “With sex?”

  “Yeah.”

  She removed his arms from around her waist and walked toward her front door.

  He cursed his big mouth more with every step she took. Following her, he reached for her hand before she fit the key into the lock. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

  “It’s okay,” she said, holding her hand up. “You don’t owe me an explanation. In fact, you don’t owe me anything.”

  “Anna…”

  “Maybe you should just go. I knew this was a bad idea.”

  “Don’t do that.” He shifted her hair so it fell down her back instead of covering her neck. Burrowing his face into the crook of her throat, he zeroed in on her pulse point, flicking his tongue over the throbbing skin.

  “You don’t get it, do you?” she asked, pushing him away. “You and I would never work. We’re too different, Justin.”

  He sighed as he stepped back to give her some space to unlock the door. He wasn’t giving up without a fight. He’d tried that once, and he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since.

  She stepped inside and turned to face him. “It was nice to see you again, but I think you’d better go.”

  “You don’t want that any more than I do, Anna.”

  He hadn’t expected the night to end in her bed, but he wasn’t going to let it end on her front porch either, especially when she still thought they were all wrong for each other. If he knew one thing for certain, it was that Anna made him feel things he’d never felt before. He couldn’t let that go until he’d convinced her to explore their attraction.

  “What I want doesn’t matter. We have to deal with the reality.”

  “The reality is that I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered, moving closer. “Whether I’m trying to sleep or behind the wheel, my mind drifts, and I can’t get you out of my head.”

  “You can’t afford to be distracted, especially not out on the track. That’s why you just need to go home and forget about me.”

  He cursed her stubborn streak. “If I could do that, don’t you think I would have?” He gripped the door handle, wishing he didn’t have to fight so hard to make her believe what he felt for her was real. “Look, I don’t know where this is going, and I sure as hell can’t make any promises, but I want to give us a chance. Don’t you?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t believe you.” He knew challenging her could backfire. She could slam the door in his face and refuse to speak to him again, but if he didn’t force her to admit she had feelings for him, she would contentedly ignore them. “Tell me you haven’t thought about me since you got back.”

  “I…” She swore softly and stepped away from the door.

  It wasn’t an invitation to come in, but since she hadn’t locked him out, he chose to follow her. “You can’t run away from this,” he said, grabbing her arm when she walked down the narrow hallway, presumably toward the bedrooms. “I can’t let you.”

  “Don’t you see? This can’t go anywhere. We don’t have a future together.”

  He knew arguing would be futile, so he decided to yield on that point. “So what? I’m not talking about getting married and having a couple of kids.” Though that didn’t sound like such a bad idea anymore. “I just want us to get to know each other better. We can date, have some fun, see where it might lead…”

  “I have a feeling I know where you’d like it to lead.” She shook his hand off and crossed her arms over her mid-section.

  “If you’re asking me whether I’d like to make love to you, the answer is yes.” He smiled when her mouth fell open. She obviously hadn’t expected him to admit the truth. “But that’s not the only thing I want.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “Hell no. I like you, and I know you feel the same way. Why can’t that be enough for now?” He could tell he was wearing her down. “Look, I don’t have any expectations, and you’re free to date other people.” Though he suspected he might break the guy’s legs if he saw her with someone else.

  “I’m not used to casual dating. I’m not even sure I’d know how. I’ve had one serious relationship in my life, with Tom.”

  “So maybe you need someone who can bring a little levity to your life, show you a good time.”

  “Now you sound like my cousin Lauren.”

  “She sounds like a smart girl.”

  Anna smiled. “She certainly thinks so.”

  Justin reached for her hand, pulling her a step closer. “I’m not asking for more than you’re willing to give. We can take this slow, work on being friends, if that’s what you want. I just want you in my life. I want to know that I can pick up the phone and call you at the end of the day or text you just to check in.”

  “I think I’d like that.”

  He’d hoped for more, but it was a start. “Listen, I have a race in Jacksonville this weekend. Why don’t you come and watch? Bring your cousin or your girlfriends, Nick, anyone you want. It’ll be fun.” He hoped she couldn’t tell how much he wanted her to say yes.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t know a lot about racing. I’ll admit I’ve been watching it a little bit recently, but-”

  He grinned as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Why the sudden interest?”

  Trying but failing to keep a straight face, she said, “As if you didn’t know.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  ***

  Justin tried to get his head in the game. He had a race to win, but with Anna sitting out there waiting for him, he couldn’t focus.

  “Did you hear a word I just said?” Mitch asked, smacking him upside the head.

  “Hey, back the hell off,” Justin said, shoving him. He wasn’t angry, just embarrassed his friend had caught him off guard.

  “Man, you’ve got all night with Anna,” Mitch said. “You need to focus on winning this race right now.”

  All night with Anna. Those four little words were enough to throw any man off his game. “I hear ya. We’ve spent hours talking strategy. I know what I need to do out there. ”

  “Jesus, I’ve never seen you so messed up over a woman,” Mitch said, chuckling. “You think she’s the one, or what?”

  Justin had been asking himself that same question for the past month. “Too soon to tell.”

  “But it’s a possibility?”

  “Anything is possible.”

  “You gonna introduce her to your family while she’s here?”

  Justin had thought about it a lot. He’d convinced himself he should make the introduction, if only for the sake of her career. “Maybe.”

  “I’d be careful if I were you.”

  “Why do you say that?” Justin asked before taking a sip of his bottled water.

 

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