HarleyJim smirked. “Damn. All right. Now I’m worried. Are you in the FBI or something?”I laughed and shook my head. “No. Definitely not.”“Why definitely?”“I’m a thorn in the side of law enforcement.”His brows drew together. “You’re a pimp, aren’t you?”I burst out laughing.He collapsed into his chair. “I should have known a chick so hot wouldn’t have a traditional nine to five.”“Who says a pimp can’t schedule themselves to work nine to five?”He studied me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Okay. In all seriousness, what do you do, Harriet?”I considered toying with him. It would be so easy. He was looking at me the way I looked at ice cream, and I knew without a doubt that he would believe whatever words came out of my mouth next.But that seemed like a foolish game to play.“I organize and host the underground street racing scene here in New York.”He blinked. “Whoa. Wait, what?”That was the reaction I was used to getting from non-race-car-driving men. “Yep. Have you heard of
RickThe Saleen looked more than a little out of place outside the motel in Greenwood, Indiana. All the other vehicles were either crossovers driven by young families, sedans owned by business people, or pickup trucks.My car caught more than a few eyes from the people lounging near the swimming pool on the right side of the motel when I got out and crossed the parking lot to duck into the lobby to book a room.A young man, probably twenty-four or so with curly red hair and trendy black-framed glasses, looked up from his phone screen, took his feet down from the desk, and pulled his headphones off.“Good evening,” he said a little hurriedly, realizing he’d been caught in the act of slacking off while getting paid.“Evening. I’d like a room, please.”“For one?”I nodded.“Name?”“Benjamin Harris,” I lied.Torq had been on my tail ever since I’d left LA three months ago, but over the last few weeks, I’d managed to shake him, and I was fairly certain that this time, he wasn’t going to ca
RickI waved over my shoulder before hooking a right and making my way down the length of the hotel as he had instructed. When I walked by the pool, I felt a lot of eyes on me, but I didn’t turn toward them. Instead, I kept my head down, made it to my room, slid the key in the slot, and let myself in.The place was standard. Nothing fancy. But it was clean and smelled like lemons and eucalyptus. The sheets were soft, and the bed was firm.“This will do,” I said. My tense muscles and aching body were already singing sweet hallelujahs just at the thought of lying down in that bed.But first, food.I ended up ordering in from a pizza place not far from the hotel to avoid having to get back in my car. They delivered within half an hour, and I gorged myself on cheese bread and pizza while watching garbage television on a tiny screen. After I cleaned up my mess, I could barely keep my eyes open and decided that nine o’clock was not too early to go to bed.Then I remembered that I should pro
HarleyCharlie was in the passenger seat holding Benji’s hand while he drove, and try as I might, I couldn’t bury the feelings of jealousy that rose up inside me. I wanted that. I wanted all of that.Laina glanced over her shoulder at me and grinned. “So, are you excited?”I nodded. “And a bit nervous.”“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” she assured me. “Right, Benji? It’s just Rick. He’ll be the same guy he was when he left, and I’m sure everything will go back to how it was in no time.”“Definitely,” Benji agreed.I licked my lips.That was part of the problem. I didn’t want it to go back to how it was. I wanted it to be different. I wanted it to be me and him. But that was a pipe dream. He’d left me behind, and that sent a very clear message that he was no longer interested in what I had to offer.I couldn’t blame him. I’d turned him down more than enough times to earn myself a seat on the bench.“I’m excited to see the bastard,” Benji said, taking a right on Mason and Laina’s
HarleyWe poked fun at Rick in his absence while we waited for him to arrive. After receiving a text message, Mason informed us that Rick was running a little bit behind and got caught up in traffic, so Laina went into the kitchen and reduced the heat on the curry to let it simmer and stay hot until he arrived.I joined her in the kitchen and topped up my sangria from the massive punch bowl filled with fruit and ice floating around in the cherry-purple concoction. “Want some?” I offered.Laina lifted her cup from where it was on the counter. “I already topped off my drink. Thanks, though.” She turned to face me, leaned against the counter, and crossed her arms under her breasts. “So?”“So what?”“How are you feeling? Are you nervous about seeing him?”I gave her a flat look. “Babe, I don’t get nervous. This is Rick we’re talking about. It will be great to see him.”She arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Right.”“I mean it. I’m moving on. I can’t stay hung up on him when I know he’s probably
RickIt felt like I’d never left.Except for when I saw Harley.She looked good. Too fucking good. Her tattoos were on display, and her strong thighs had me working hard not to stare. Her top was low cut but not dangerously so, showing a whispering amount of cleavage. Her long red hair was up in a messy bun and loose. Slightly curled strands hung down around her cheeks, framing her beautiful face.It was hard to pay much attention to anyone else with Harley looking hotter than sin walking around Mason’s place.My brother grabbed me a beer from the fridge and steered me out onto the back porch. I looked around at how nice the setup was. “This is a lot nicer than when I saw it last,” I said. “You have a nice touch, Laina.”Laina, who had just come out behind us, put down a bowl of chips and salsa on the table, which was surrounded by outdoor sofas. Everyone settled in and took a seat, and I found myself sitting beside Harley. I wasn’t sure if the others had done it on purpose or if that
RickHarley, who was sitting across from me, plucked her wine from the table and nodded at me over the rim of the glass as she took a sip. “I heard that you won yourself a pretty slick car out there. A Saleen?”I nodded. “Sure did.”She shifted in her seat, and her eyes lit up with excitement. “You’ll have to show me.”“I can drive you home tonight if you need a ride,” I offered.Everyone at the table went quiet and looked at us. Harley did something I had never seen her do before.She blushed.Then she lifted her chin. “That would be great. Thank you. Next time, I will refrain from the wine so I can drive it.”I grinned. “Deal.”It was a little awkwardly quiet after that, and I caught each and every one of our friends—and especially my brother—trying to hide their smiles.Clearly, there was some unspoken thing going on that I wasn’t privy to. Neither was Harley.Right. The smiles were because of us.Benji fanned his mouth after taking a piping-hot bite of spicy curry. Then he chugged
HarleyRick drove like the devil himself was chasing us, and I loved every second of it. The roar of the engine, the sharp corners, the way the force of the speed pushed me hard into my seat. He kept the windows down, and the wind ripped strands of my hair out of its bun, sending some pieces into my mouth. I let out a gleeful cry as Rick geared down and punched it.The car launched forward and hit top speeds.The thrill of it all had my heart racing. Not only was Rick Thomas sitting beside me, but we were approaching my apartment, and I was fairly certain that I was going to be bold and invite him up.I was tired of missing my chances with him, tired of wishing I’d done things differently. Tonight, I was going to get what I wanted.Him.All of him. In my bed. Under me. On top of me. All around me. Inside me.God yes.Rick slowed the car down when we approached the more populated streets around my apartment building. He took a right and then a left, and before I knew it, we were pullin
Harley“I can’t believe it, man,” Rick said.“I couldn’t for a while either,” Mason said. “But this is something we’ve wanted for some time now. Now it’s happening. You picked a good time to go away. I was going to ask for your help building the crib and setting up the nursery.”Rick chuckled. “Well, you have Benji for that.”The men looked at Benji. His shoulders slumped. “Yay.”Everyone laughed.“Are you going to find out the gender, or let it be a surprise in the end?” I asked Laina.She lit up like a light bulb and instinctively put her hand on her belly, even though she wasn’t showing yet. “I think we’re going to wait.”I smiled. “Beautiful.”Within the next half hour, everyone migrated to the dining-room table, which Laina had set beautifully with a white tablecloth, gold chargers, and white plates. The candles were in gold holders, and even the cutlery was gold. She had an eye for detail.While we devoured the spaghetti and meatballs, we talked about life and babies and all the
HarleyTwo Months Later“Careful,” I said as Rick took a sharp righthand turn and drove the Jeep into Mason and Laina’s driveway. The appetizer I’d thrown together slid across the backseat and bumped into the door panel. I scowled at him. “I slaved over those for fifteen minutes. Don’t ruin them before we walk in the door. I want to knock everyone’s socks off with how much of a homemaker I’ve become.”Rick killed the ignition and arched an eyebrow at me. “A homemaker? Really?”I lifted my chin. “What?”He snorted and got out of the Jeep. “Nothing. I just doubt anyone is going to think ‘homemaker’ just because you’re showing up with a plate of—what do you call these?” He opened the back door and picked up the plate covered in three layers of saran wrap.Wrapping the plate had been more difficult than whipping up the food.“They’re caprese salad skewers,” I said.I’d spent the fifteen minutes before we left sliding cherry tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, and basil leaves onto toothpicks. I
RickThe corner of her mouth twitched, giving away the beginning of a smile. “A trip, huh?”I nodded. “We can narrow it down to some destinations and start mapping it out. There’s no better time than now, right? We can get out of the city, figure out what we want, and make up for lost time. Just you and me and beaches and sand and—”“Lots of sex?”I chuckled. “That’s not what I was going to say, but I assumed it was part of the package.”Harley nodded. “That sounds like a plan to me.”“Good,” I said. “Now stay still.”She opened her mouth to ask me why but promptly shut it when I ran my hands over her shoulders and then to her breasts, which I gently massaged, loving how they felt all lathered in slippery soap.“You’re such a guy,” she said playfully.I snickered. “I know.”She let me lather her entire body in the shower. Then we switched places, and she did the same for me. Having her run her hands all over me was heavenly, and it helped me forget about the tight pain in my bruised r
RickAll the aches and pains that had plagued me on Saturday night were still with me when I woke up on Monday morning. I was lying on my back, and Harley was tucked into my side. Her cheek was on my chest, and her left leg was draped over me. Her breathing was deep and slow and soft, and I didn’t open my eyes.I just lay there and listened to her. And felt her closeness.Yesterday had been dedicated to recovering and covering our tracks from Saturday’s race. I hired a tow-truck driver to come get the Saleen and bring it back to my place, where I got it in the garage so that if the cops came looking for it, the car wasn’t sitting out somewhere. It needed a lot of work, and the downside of street racing was obviously that it didn’t have insurance. I couldn’t claim a hit and run when the car was beat to shit on both sides and the rear end.Fucking Torq.But it was just a car, and I liked working on vehicles. The Saleen would be my project for the next year or so while I figured out what
HarleyHe watched me like a hawk as I started going down to my knees, pulling his boxers down as I went.His cock sprang free, teasing and taunting me as I got comfortable below him. I gazed up at him and took his shaft in one hand, working him over softly and warming him up. His gaze was dark and heavy as I ran my tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip and then swirled it around his meaty head.I drew him into my mouth, suctioning my lips around his thickness. I worked him slowly at first, taking my time, easing him into it. I knew he was hurting, and I wanted to be gentle with him.If he’d let me.He had a way of taking over halfway through and showing me who was boss. Not that I’d be mad if that happened.I swirled my tongue around his length before taking him deep in my throat and holding him there as my mouth filled with saliva. Then I bobbed my head, sucking him off hard and fast and fitting as much of him in my throat as I could take.He let me suck his cock for a long ti
HarleyIt was a wonder that the Saleen had even started back on the track, and it was even more mind blowing that it made it back to my house without losing several more pieces along the way.I parked at the back of my building in the private parking lot. I didn’t want to leave it on the curb in case any police drove by. It would be easy for them to link the Saleen to the scene down by the docks, and then we’d be done for.After parking the car, Rick had to climb out of the passenger window again. Every move he made was gentle and controlled. I knew he was hurting and hated that there was nothing I could do to take the pain away.Once he was out of the car, I climbed across the console and slipped out too. He offered me his hand, and I took it but didn’t lean on him for support. I was pretty sure he wasn’t in much of a position to be offering it in the first place.We walked soundlessly across the parking lot, our footsteps drowned out by the sound of rain pinging off the metal garbag
Rick“Fuck me fucking sideways,” I said.I couldn’t afford to waste any time. Either I was getting his ass out of the car, or I was bailing.“You owe me, motherfucker,” I said as I leaned in through the driver’s window and reached up to unclip his seatbelt.Torq crumpled to the ceiling of the car, landing across my arm beneath him. Shattered glass from the windshield bit into my bicep and forearm, but I gritted my teeth against the burn and worked to drag Torq’s ass out of the car. He was a heavy motherfucker.He started groaning.I stumbled to my feet and hauled him backward. “Work with me you fat bastard. I’m getting you out of here. Your asshole buddies bailed on you.”He mumbled something incoherent.“Yeah, I know. They’re your friends, not mine. I guess that’s what you get for being a piece of shit.”I collapsed when I had him clear of the car. I struggled to catch my breath, and my side screamed with pain. I tucked my arms under his armpits, stumbled back to my feet, and kept dr
RickI landed heavily on the wet pavement after managing to climb out through the passenger window of the Saleen. My right leg was tender and bruised from Torq driving into me, and my chest ached from the seatbelt and being jostled around roughly as I’d lost control of the car.But I was alive, nothing was broken, and there was no blood. So, overall, things were pretty good.Aside from the approaching police.I used the car to push myself to my feet, slicking my wet hair off my forehead as I rose. Then I stood and waited for the dizziness to pass. I didn’t think I’d hit my head at any point, but it sure felt like I had. Maybe it was just severe vertigo from whiplash.It didn’t matter. I could figure that out later. I had to focus on getting the hell out of there and making sure Harley was safe, too.She had a lot to lose if this race got busted, and so did I. She was everything. If I lost her, I would lose my damn mind. After all this time, we were finally together, and there was noth
HarleyBenji and Mason took off for the registration table. I swung my attention toward Rick’s car. The whole passenger side was busted up. The damage looked pretty bad, and I had no idea what sort of injuries he might have acquired. I leaned forward to look down the road.The last drivers were only twenty or so seconds away. Maybe less.“I think his door is jammed,” Laina said, nodding at Rick’s car.I narrowed my eyes. She was right. He couldn’t get out. His car was too crumpled and too fucked up for him to get the door open. I wondered if it would still run.If we had to leave it behind, it was a sure-fire way for the cops to trace the car back to Rick. Then all our dreams of starting a new life together would be over. He’d be in jail for a long time.Charlie shook my arm. “What do we do, Harley? Tell us what to do!”I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. We need to clear the area. Rick can handle himself. Help me get people the hell out of here. Send them off in differen