A Fresh Start for Two (5 page)

Vincent crossed a line in her mind, and she had hoped to find support from her family, but she was wrong. When Vincent had struck her, she swore she would never have anything more to do with him, but he had begged her forgiveness, promising her it would never happen again.

A vision of green eyes made their way into her mind, and she could almost feel Jake’s tender touch all down the front of her body, just the way he’d caressed her in her dream.

Tomorrow. She could go to the racetrack to see him, and no one else would know. With him, she could be herself—not the person Vincent wanted her to be. Should she go? She knew it was wrong…after all, she’d made a commitment to Vincent—one that hadn’t explicitly been broken in spite of the fight.

But then again, maybe she would.

That night at class, the professor spent the entire time lecturing until the end. He assigned three problems in the book and gave them fifteen minutes to work on them, explaining he would give the answers before they left.

Julia sat in a position that prevented everyone from seeing her bruises. She was so embarrassed by her face that she kept her head down while she read the three problems over and over again. She had read the chapter that day, but was having difficulty understanding the material. Lucia sat in front of her and Jake sat behind her.

After a few minutes, Lucia turned around and whispered, “If you sigh any more, the professor will probably kick you out.

Julia gasped. “He can’t hear me, can he?”

Lucia rolled her eyes. “I’m only teasing, but what is wrong? You don’t understand?”

She shook her head, her eyes still on the professor. He stood from his desk and announced, “You may work with a neighbor if you need help.”

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. She turned her chair so she could see both Jake and Lucia. “I am not getting this.”

Jake immediately jumped in, leaning over to show her the section in the book she could use as a reference. Then he took his time and explained the concept to her. At first, she felt like such a fool, but a few minutes later, everything was much clearer.

“Wow,” she said to Jake. “That clarified everything for me. How do you do it?”

“Do what?” He glanced at her, then at Lucia.

“How do you understand it so well that you can teach it?” Julia asked.

Jake’s gaze caught hers, his green eyes full of sympathy. “I don’t have to worry about someone coming by at any given moment and threatening my well-being. Have you given your situation any more thought?”

She nodded.

Lucia said, “Good. End it.”

“It’s not that simple, Lucia.”

“It should be,” she retorted.

“But it’s not. But I actually have decided to end it. I just have to come up with a way to do it without getting hurt.”

“If you want, I’ll go with you,” Jake offered.

“Thank you, but we are engaged. I need to respect him enough to break it off on my own with my own explanation.”

Lucia whispered, “How much respect does he show you?”

Julia sat up in her chair. “I know what you’re thinking, Lucia. But I need to do this my way.”

“I agree with her, Lucia. She has to do it carefully, or he’ll retaliate. Julia, I wouldn’t do it when you’re alone. Do it in a public place. You’ll minimize your risk of injury.”

“You’re right. I’ll give it some thought.”

Later, on their way out of class, Jake said, “I mean it. Call me if you need anything. Lucia can contact me or you can call the precinct.”

“Can you give me the courage to do what I need to? That’s apparently what I’m missing.”

Jake stopped and turned her to face him. “No, you’re not missing courage. Your entire existence is now overshadowed by a violent man, and a mother who doesn’t support you. I couldn’t imagine not having my father standing behind me in everything I do. Fear should not play such a large part of your life. It’s exactly why you need to change something. Don’t apologize.”

“Thanks, Jake. I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t forget the track tomorrow night, Julia. Come.”

She walked away, a sinking feeling in her gut as she found Vincent’s car and climbed in. Jake Ramsay was not only in her head, but also in her heart, and she was quite sure he wasn’t going to let go anytime soon.

She glanced at her boyfriend, at the way he flexed his fists and the way his jaw clenched. Now was not a good time, not if she wanted to survive.

Chapter Five

Before Jake climbed out of his car, he had one more thing to do. He pulled out his phone and texted Lucia.

Jake
:
Tell Julia I’m here at the track if she wants to stop by like we discussed.

Lucia
:
Ok, I’ll let her know.

Jake
:
Thanks, Lucia. Appreciate it.

Lucia
:
I’m pulling for you. Thanks for caring.

They’d exchanged numbers after agreeing to work together as a group. Julia hadn’t shared hers because she’d worried about putting a strange man’s number into her phone. Julia probably wouldn’t show up, but he hoped she would.

He didn’t know where the kiss had come from the other night in the library. There had been no warning—he had just done what felt natural at the time, but he had intended just a chaste kiss. Julia had taken it further, and he had been more than pleased. He felt a little guilty because she was engaged, but she transfixed him. He wanted to know her better—to experience more of her—and most of all, to save her from her horrible situation.

He had dated after the service, but he’d only allowed himself to get serious about one woman. It had cut him to the quick to realize she was seeing someone else at the same time, and after cutting things off, he’d vowed to keep his heart out of his future relationships. It had worked well for a while, but dating for only sex was getting old. His brother, Ryan, had fallen hard for Caitlyn, meeting and marrying her in less than six months. At the time, the rapidity of their relationship had shocked him, but now he had to admit he was jealous. Cait was wonderful, and she was the very best thing to have ever happened to Ryan. She grounded him whenever his PTSD hit him hard, and had pulled him out of his self-imposed shell in other ways too…except of course for his issues with Jake.

Maybe a serious relationship would help ground him, too. And Julia…well, she was smart, sweet, and beautiful. He pulled into the race track, a place always guaranteed to brighten his mood. The track property had been purchased by Randy’s dad and his brothers years ago as a practice track for the nearby racing glen, but it had fallen into disuse. He had befriended Randy in high school and together they’d pooled the funds to buy a couple of old cars, hoping to refurbish them so they could race for the fun of it. The army had interfered, but Randy had caught up with him a year ago and renewed their friendship.

Randy was a mechanic, so he’d done wonders with their cars. Jake helped out where he could, painting or cleaning, but Randy was the true genius. They were close to being ready to race, and Randy had been calling him to stop over. The two of them shared the repair expenses, and they took care of the shed at the track so they could keep the cars out of the rain. 

He slammed the door to his car and marched over to his friend. “Randy, what’s up?”

Randy slid out from under the car he was working on in the old shed. “Hey, Jake, didn’t know you were coming tonight. Want to give the old thing a test drive for me?”

“Which one?”

“The Chevy.”

They had a 2007 blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a Pontiac Grand Prix from 2004, bright red.

“Sure.” Randy got up from his creeper and grabbed a set of keys, which he tossed to Jake.

“Helmet’s in the car.”

“Yeah, don’t need a helmet today.”

“Ramsay, you dumb ass. I know you don’t care what happens to you, but jeez, at least protect your brain.” He scratched his head, a sure sign he was about to say something serious. “Buddy, you need to deal with the whole service thing, especially with your brother.”

“Shut the hell up. I’m fine with my brother.” He reached in his pocket for a toothpick and chomped down on it as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

His friend chortled. “Yeah, right. That’s why you spend half your time trying to kill yourself. Just make sure you keep me out of your suicide mission, huh?” Randy grabbed his old checkered flag and headed toward the worn race track as Jake started the engine, running it to test it before pulling out of the barn.

Jake had issues. He knew it. While he’d come home without any real injuries or nightmares, something new had followed him around ever since he returned to Summerhill: guilt.

Guilt that he had survived and came home whole when his brother and Chad hadn’t. They had been directly behind him in the convoy. Why had their truck blown and not his? Why had Chad died and not him? It wasn’t fair; it just wasn’t fair.

And every time he thought of seeing Ryan with his leg half blown off, muscles and tendons and vessels hanging out between patches of charred skin, all he wanted to do was puke, heave, and vomit, just like he had done that long ago day.

He revved the engine and pulled out onto the old strip, grinning as he looked at Randy’s checkered flag. They laughed at it every time, but they loved it too—it made it seem more real. The only person who loved racing more than Jake was Randy. He was working hard on this car to get it into shape so they could actually hope to race it.

Jake smiled at his friend and waited for the slightest twinge of his arm. As soon as Randy waved the flag, he shot forward, sending gravel shooting out behind him. Of course, judging from the four letter words Randy spewed out, that probably hadn’t been very nice of him, but these first moments were his favorite part of a race. He got the engine up as fast as he could, hitting over one hundred miles per hour just before the turn. After his second lap, he slowed because he thought he saw her…

At first he wasn’t sure if it was a mirage or if it was really Julia, but shit, it was her. There she was, chatting with Randy near the barn, a wide smile on her face. He ran one more lap before parking the car into the shed and hopping out. Randy came in first, heading straight to the hood so he could check the engine.

“Nice,” he whispered when Jake walked by him.

Jake rushed outside the shed and stopped right in front of Julia. He still couldn’t quite believe she was there. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She smiled and his heart sped up.

“I didn’t think you’d come, but I’m glad you did.”

She stared at her feet. “I’ve decided to try doing what I want for a change.”

He lifted her chin and removed her sunglasses. “How’s your eye?”

“Sore, but better. Thanks for asking. No one in my family has even asked me how it feels.”

“Ouch. Sorry. You must have a small family.”

“Yeah. Just my mom and a younger sister. My dad died in a car accident when we were little.” She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She had on a tight black tank top with a light sweater over it, definitely bringing attention to her assets. “You have a big family?”

“Hell yeah. Twelve of us. My mom died a few years ago, and my dad remarried. I have five siblings and six step-siblings. There’s lots of fun at our house.”

“Wow. That must get confusing.” She laughed.

“It does, but there’s always someone there to help me out or ask me about how I’m doing. It’s actually nice.”

He stared at her for a moment, then said, “You want to go for a ride?”

She nodded, “Sure, but maybe not quite that fast.”

“Okay, I promise to start out slow.”

Randy strolled by them with a grin, then climbed into his commuter car, which he’d parked on the side of the barn. “Later, guys. Have to go to work.”

After they said their goodbyes, Jake grabbed a helmet from the shed and backed out the car. He got out to hold the door open for Julia and handed her the helmet.

“Really?”

He nodded. “You should. This isn’t the safest track. It’s an old one built way before the race track at Watkins Glen was popular. Has some potholes in it.”

“If you say so.”

He helped her put it on, then snapped the straps for her. As soon as he noticed her grin, he tipped his head sideways and kissed her, tugging on her bottom lip before he let go. “I’ve never seen anyone look that cute in a helmet before. Of course, I spend most of my time here with Randy.” He shut the passenger door behind her and let her get settled. He got into the driver’s seat and prompted her to put on her seat belt, wondering all the while why it mattered so much to him that she had a helmet and a seat belt on when he wasn’t wearing one. He had to admit that Randy was sort of right, that he was taking more risks than was wise, but he wasn’t interested in thinking about that right now.

He revved the engine and then hooked his seat belt, just for her.

“Where’s your helmet?”

She gave him the sweetest look imaginable, and he wanted to make love to her so badly, but knew he couldn’t. At least not yet. “I don’t wear one.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.” And that was the truth.

She started to unhook her strap, but he reached over and held her hand, stopping her from completing what she’d started. He shook his head. “Please leave it.” She dropped her hand, and the warmth in her gaze touched his soul somehow. He stepped on the gas.

Julia squealed as they took off, flying down the track. Her squeal turned into laughter when they hit the first curve, and she kept right on laughing—a contagious, effervescent sound that had him laughing right with her. He hadn’t laughed this hard in a long, long time. Every time he glanced at her, his heart soared to see how much she was enjoying the ride.

He did three loops of the track before he stopped the car in front of the shed. After he shut the engine off, he turned to her. She looked as if she was ready to devour him—her gaze started at his lips, then moved down to his chest and even lower. Her sweet tongue caressed her lower lip as she brought her gaze back up to his.

And he was hard instantly. He hopped out of the car, threw his toothpick away, circled to her side of the car, and opened her door. She jumped out, flinging her helmet onto the seat behind her before closing the door. He pinned her back to the car and planted his hands on the roof on either side of her head.

Her smoldering gaze melted his control. “Do you want this as much as I do?”

“Yes.”

***

No matter how she tried, she just couldn’t get her breathing under control. This man was smokin’ hot, and she wanted him. He was everything Vincent wasn’t—strong, yet tender. Kind. He had actually been concerned enough for her welfare to insist she wear the helmet. He had said
please.
How could a simple word be such a turn on?

As soon as the word
yes
left her mouth, his lips were on hers, ravishing her, assaulting her senses. His hands gripped her shoulders and tugged her closer, enough for her to feel his hardness between them. She whimpered as he slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue dueling with hers, his kiss at once hard and demanding and soft and tender. Was that even possible?

His arms wrapped around her and grabbed her bottom, tugging her closer. She moaned as soon as his mouth left hers to trail a path down her neck and across her collar bone. Desperate to feel his skin under her fingers, she reached for his shirt and wrestled with the edges until she could slide her fingertips underneath. She moaned again when she found his rock hard abs, this time in sheer pleasure as she raked her nails down his rippling chest.

His hands found their way under her shirt and unclasped her bra, reaching around front to cup her breasts. He found her nipples and rubbed his thumbs across her taut peaks, causing her to squirm against him, searching for the release she needed. Panting as hard as she was, he pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

She just stared at him, unable to catch her breath, uncertain of how to answer. Was she beautiful? Her mother had called her homely up until a year ago, and Vincent said she was gangly.

“You don’t, do you?” He cupped her breasts one more time before he withdrew his hands and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” she gasped, clinging to him as if he were in danger of disappearing.

“I want you more than anything right now, and I think you know it. But I can’t.”

He hooked her bra back up, adjusted her clothes, and hugged her close.

She could feel the blush rising across her face, embarrassment replacing her blatant desire. “The ring, isn’t it?” Glancing at the large emerald-shaped diamond on her left hand, she fisted her hand and hid it, as if that movement alone could rid her of it. She breathed in his scent—clean, musky, woodsy. What was it about him that made her lose her head?

“Yeah. I thought I could, but I can’t. I can’t take a woman to bed with another man’s ring on her finger.” He kissed her forehead and stepped back to fix his shirt.

“Then I guess I’ll have to do something about it.” Yes, her mind was made up. Even if he took a swing or two at her, it would be worth it just to be away from Vincent. Jake Ramsay was the kind of guy she had always dreamed about. Granted, he wasn’t wealthy like Vincent, but he had every other quality she could ever want. The man was hard-working, honest, intelligent, kind, gentle, and he could charm her just with a flash of his grin. Jake was the kind of guy you spent a lifetime with, and she was falling hard for him. She wouldn’t risk losing him.