Revved (39 page)

“I can. You can fix anything you put your mind to.”

But not me. I can’t fix the broken in me.

I bite my lip, feeling myself waver.

“Are you getting emotional on me?” he asks.

“A bit.” A tear slips from my eye. I wipe it away.

“Well, I might make this either better or worse.” He reaches into the glove box and pulls out some papers. He holds them out for me to take.

“What are these?” I ask, taking them from him.

“If my girl doesn’t know what a logbook looks like, then I’m gonna be worried.”

I hear the hint of nerves in his voice as my eyes start scanning the papers.

Fuck…

“Carrick…I…you…”

“She’s yours.”

“No,” I gasp. “Carrick…it’s too much…you can’t…”

“I can, and I have.” He turns in his seat. Reaching over, he takes my face in his hands. “I bought her for you. She belongs to you. It’s what your dad would have wanted.”

I close my eyes on a blink, and tears roll down my cheeks. My throat is thick with emotion.

“I love it, what you’ve done…but it’s just so much money. I can’t take that kind of money from you.”

“It’s nonnegotiable. The paperwork’s done. It’s legal and binding. The only way you’re getting rid of this car is if you sell her, and I don’t think you’ll do that.” He gives me a winning look.

I should be mad at him for doing this…spending so much money on me. But how can I be angry with such a beautiful man who has done such a beautiful thing for me?

“Carrick…I…”
Love you
. “I’m beyond crazy about you.” Then, I kiss him, with everything I have.

When we finally break apart, breathing heavily, he rests his forehead against mine. “I really want you right now, but I think it’d be kind of creepy if I fucked you in your dad’s car.”

“Not kind of creepy. It’d be totally creepy.”

He chuckles. “Well, let’s take her out for a drive, see how she opens up. Then, we’re coming back here, and I’m spending the rest of the day inside you, fucking you in every room in my house and quite possibly the garden.”

Grinning at him, I say, “Sounds perfect.”

IT’S FAIR TO SAY
that Carrick and I have grown incredibly close these last few weeks. We’ve reached a level of intimacy that I never thought I would be able to have with a man.

We’re together a lot, only apart when I’m working or he’s training.

Carrick did want me to forego sharing a room with Petra and just stay with him, but I felt I should maintain some form of independence from him. He wasn’t happy about it, but I was firm.

Staying in his room with him would almost be like living together, and I don’t want to rush things. Although my stuff might be in my and Petra’s room, I still sleep in Carrick’s bed every night. It’s a hard task, staying away from him, so having my clothes and belongings in another room is the only way to make it feel like we are actually going slow.

Everyone knows that we’re together. Carrick was insistent about that. He told his dad and Pierce, and I told Uncle John, who wasn’t as surprised as I’d thought he would be. Of course I told Petra, and she just flipped out with excitement. I got an, “About fucking time,” from Ben.

Apparently, the sexual tension between Carrick and me has been killing everyone.

Carrick won the British Grand Prix. It was a great moment for him. Winning at home is always a huge thing.

And he also won in Germany, too.

I was proud of him. But at the British Grand Prix, that was the moment I realized how hard being with Carrick is going to be for me. Watching him race on that screen, I had a full-blown panic attack.

It came out of nowhere. Fortunately, I had sense enough to get myself to the restroom before anyone could see it.

I didn’t tell Carrick about it. He was too happy with his win, and I didn’t want to bring him down, so I haven’t said anything. It happened in Germany, too.

And now, we’re in Budapest, and the race is a few days away. To say I’m anxious is putting it mildly.

I just need to find a way to deal with this. If I’m with him, he’s always going to race. I’m always going to have to watch. I have to learn to deal.

“I look okay?” I ask Carrick.

We’re in my room. He’s laid out on my bed, looking handsome in dark jeans and a shirt, watching TV while I dress.

Petra’s out having dinner with the guys. Carrick and I are going to have dinner with his dad.

It was Owen’s idea.

I’m nervous. I know Owen doesn’t like me.

“You look beautiful.” Carrick gets up from the bed and comes over to me. Wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, he stares back at me in the mirror. “You always look beautiful.”

I’m wearing a cute little sleeveless knee-length floral dress with these gold sandals that I got when I went shopping with Petra. She’s such a big help with buying girlie clothes for me.

Biting my lip, I glance back at him. “I just want to make a good impression. I want him to like me.”

“He does like you.” He chuckles. I feel his chest rumble against my back.

I raise a brow at him.

“He does,” he maintains. “He thinks you’re a good influence on me.”

“He thinks I distract you.”

“You do distract me. You’re a bad…bad distraction, Andressa.” He runs his tongue up my neck to my ear. He nips my earlobe with his teeth, making me shiver.

“I’m bad, huh?”

“Mmhmm…you’re really, really bad.”

He slides his hand up my stomach. Cupping my breast, he brushes his thumb over my already hard nipple. The feeling shoots straight to my sex.

“And I’d show you exactly how bad if we didn’t have to go to dinner right now.”

Turning in his arms, I tip my lips up at one corner. “We could cancel and stay here. I’ll let you punish me for being bad.” Lifting my arms, I press my wrists together, giving him an innocent look.

That gets his attention. I see lust flicker to life in his eyes and feel it press up against my hip.

“Fuck. Now, I’m hard.” He glances at his watch and groans. “We’re already late, and I can’t fuck you quick.” Cupping my chin in his hand, he gives me a hard kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth, making me groan. “When we get back, I’m tying you to my bed, and I’m gonna show you exactly how bad
I
can be.”

Releasing me, he backs away with the hottest look on his face ever, making my insides tremble.

“Now, let’s get this fucking dinner over with, so we can come back, and I can fuck the hell out of you.”

Feeling hot between the thighs, I decide to wind him up because I’m not getting my own way. “Oh, and just so you know, I’m not wearing any knickers.” I give him a saucy look as I pass him, grabbing my clutch off the dresser.

I was going to save that nugget of information for later, but I just couldn’t help myself.

“Please tell me you’re kidding.” His chest presses up against my back, bringing me to a stop, as his hand lifts my dress, finding me bare and ready for him. “Jesus, you’re not kidding.” He groans, dropping his forehead to my shoulder.

“Just think how much easier it’ll be to access me later.” I flash my eyes back at him as he lifts his head.

“God…this is gonna be a long-ass dinner, knowing you’re sitting next to me, bare. Don’t be surprised if I drag you off to the restroom and fuck you right there.”

My eyes widen. “You wouldn’t. Not while we’re out with your dad.”

“Wouldn’t I?” He raises his brow. Then, he slaps my arse as he moves away. Opening the door, he says, “After you.”

We’re meeting Owen at Costes. It’s Carrick’s favorite restaurant here in Budapest. And as we’re staying at the Four Seasons, it’s only a short walk away, so Carrick and I go on foot.

We arrive at the restaurant first.

We’re seated and ordering our drinks when Owen arrives. “I’m not late, am I?”

“No, you’re fine,” Carrick replies.

“Andi, lovely to see you.”

Owen leans over the table to kiss my cheek, so I rise up to meet him.

He takes the seat opposite me. Picking his menu up, he gives his drink order to the waitress.

“So, how’s your day been?” Owen asks Carrick.

“Good. I trained this morning. Then, I took Andressa for a drive over Chain Bridge, and we went to see a few landmarks.”

“Oh? Where?”

“Saint Stephen’s Basilica, and we also visited Shoes on the Danube Bank,” I answer.

“Oh, yes, I’ve been to the Danube Bank. Hauntingly touching, I found.”

“Yes, it was.”

The waitress comes back with our drinks.

I pick up my menu and start looking at the food choices. “What do you recommend?” I ask Carrick.

“Veal. That’s what I usually have.”

“But…isn’t veal baby cows?” My brows draw together.

“Yep.”

“Jesus, I’m not eating baby cows!” I screw up my face in disgust. “I’ll have the steak instead.”

Carrick sputters out a laugh. “You won’t eat baby cows, but you’ll eat adult cows? Where’s the logic, babe?”

“They’re babies!” I gesticulate. “It’s just wrong!”

“But it’s okay to eat the mammy cows?”

Fuck. He’s got me there.

“Fine. I’ll have the crayfish.”

“But what if that’s a baby crayfish?”

Bastard.

Carrick’s eyes are filled with mirth. Even Owen is choking back a laugh.

I narrow my eyes at Carrick, and then my gaze goes back to the menu, quickly scanning. “I’ll have the spinach ravioli.” I slap my menu shut, jutting out my lip.

“Aw, babe, I’m just teasing. Have the steak.”

“No, I’m oddly off it now.”

“Don’t sulk.” He tugs on my pouting lips with his thumb and finger.

As if I could stay mad at him.

“I’m not sulking. Promise.” I smile easily. “I’m good with the ravioli.”

He smiles back at me with such warmth that I feel it coat my skin like the sun is shining on me. He hangs his arm around the back of my chair.

As I turn my face forward, I see Owen watching us with obvious interest.

It makes me wonder if Carrick is always this affectionate with women in front of his dad. Owen doesn’t seem surprised by it, so maybe Carrick is.

Then, I have the thought of whether he was like this with Sienna, and I suddenly feel ill.

I’m glad when my glass of wine appears in front of me. I take a deep gulp.

“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asks.

Carrick slides me a grin. “Yeah, we are.”

We place our orders and settle back into a comfortable conversation.

Owen asks me about my family, but I artfully dodge any conversation about my dad with Carrick’s help. Then, Owen asks me about my time in stock car racing. He seems genuinely interested.

And I’m feeling relaxed. Maybe that was the point. Relax the prey and then swoop in for the kill when it’s least expected.

“I’m just gonna go to the restroom,” Carrick says to me, a wicked gleam in his eye.

If he thinks I’m leaving this table to join him, he’s got another thing coming.

Not that I’m adverse to public restroom sex with Carrick. I’m just adverse to it while we’re out to dinner with his dad.

“Okay.” I give him a sweet smile. “Don’t be long.”

He playfully narrows his eyes, and then he surprises me by taking my chin in his hand and kissing me softly on the lips.