both wanted a way out of this. Some kind of sign that our memories were failing us and there wasn’t anything there. If I was looking for something to make me forget her, that kiss was the last thing I ever should have done. It only cemented her place at the forefront of my mind and I cursed myself for letting her lure me in further.
She drove back to the racing spot in silence. By the time we arrived, the place was mostly cleared out. One or two late stragglers remained, but everyone looked to be leaving. She spotted my Jag, all alone on the hill top now and parked next to it, a silent suggestion for me to leave and never return.
It wasn’t that easy for me though. I couldn’t just forget about her. I couldn’t erase her from my life. She’d infiltrated my being and there was no going back now.
She patiently waited for me to make my move to get out, but I stayed put. If I exited this car, nothing would ever come of us. I knew that. Maybe that was for the best, but I just couldn’t shake my stubborn streak to accept that as the outcome.
“One date,” I said, finally breaking the long silence.
“What?” She clearly hadn’t expected me to say anything.
“Go on one date with me. A real date. Then tell me there’s nothing here.”
“Tanner…” she protested.
“What could one date hurt? If there’s nothing here, then you wasted one night… but if I’m right…”
She nibbled on her kiss-swollen bottom lip pensively.
“I don’t doubt that there’s something here…”
“Then what?” I tried to contain the anger that bubbled just below the surface. I didn’t want to lose my cool with her now. Not when she was actually opening up a little.
“It’s just not a possibility. Regardless of whether there is or not, there can’t be anything, Tanner.”
“Just give me one date. That’s all I ask.”
She shook her head, but I could see how hard it was for her to do it. There was a war behind her eyes and she still didn’t know which side would win.
“Fine, a race then. If I win, we have a date. If you win, you can choose to never hear from me again if that’s what you want.”
She thought it over for only a second before she stuck her hand out for me to shake.
“Deal.”
I felt the cheesiest smile slide onto my face effortlessly. I didn’t know why I was so happy; there was no way I could win.
Chapter 16
There was no way I could lose.
I still had a ton of pent up energy ready to be let loose after my disappointing race with Rex. I was sure that the internet was all abuzz about my latest event and I didn’t want to hear anything about it. That’s why my phone was on the side of the highway somewhere. I didn’t want to read Rex’s snide tweets or see the smack talk between fan bases. I felt like a failure and nothing on Twitter was going to remedy that.
Sitting next to Tanner did, though. I hated how rapidly my body responded to him, how easily I slipped into his kisses and how readily I wanted to agree to date him.
I couldn’t do that though, I was still engaged, whether I liked it or not.
I knew that no matter what he said, Tanner wasn’t going to stop looking for me unless I could put an end to this now. I hoped he would stick to his word and actually leave me alone after I won. And how could I not win? His car may have been faster and newer than mine, but the car was only part of the equation. Skill was another large component. We both knew that I far out-paced him in that regard.
So why had he even suggested the stupid race? Surely he knew that I would beat him. Surely he knew that meant there would never be anything between us again.
My lips tingled at the memory of our kiss in the car. Damn him for being so hot. His lips pressed against mine with that gentle yet firm pressure, his tongue gliding into my mouth, stroking and caressing me, his hands traveling up and down the back of my neck, sending jolts of pleasure straight down my spine to my core… Did I really want to
She drove back to the racing spot in silence. By the time we arrived, the place was mostly cleared out. One or two late stragglers remained, but everyone looked to be leaving. She spotted my Jag, all alone on the hill top now and parked next to it, a silent suggestion for me to leave and never return.
It wasn’t that easy for me though. I couldn’t just forget about her. I couldn’t erase her from my life. She’d infiltrated my being and there was no going back now.
She patiently waited for me to make my move to get out, but I stayed put. If I exited this car, nothing would ever come of us. I knew that. Maybe that was for the best, but I just couldn’t shake my stubborn streak to accept that as the outcome.
“One date,” I said, finally breaking the long silence.
“What?” She clearly hadn’t expected me to say anything.
“Go on one date with me. A real date. Then tell me there’s nothing here.”
“Tanner…” she protested.
“What could one date hurt? If there’s nothing here, then you wasted one night… but if I’m right…”
She nibbled on her kiss-swollen bottom lip pensively.
“I don’t doubt that there’s something here…”
“Then what?” I tried to contain the anger that bubbled just below the surface. I didn’t want to lose my cool with her now. Not when she was actually opening up a little.
“It’s just not a possibility. Regardless of whether there is or not, there can’t be anything, Tanner.”
“Just give me one date. That’s all I ask.”
She shook her head, but I could see how hard it was for her to do it. There was a war behind her eyes and she still didn’t know which side would win.
“Fine, a race then. If I win, we have a date. If you win, you can choose to never hear from me again if that’s what you want.”
She thought it over for only a second before she stuck her hand out for me to shake.
“Deal.”
I felt the cheesiest smile slide onto my face effortlessly. I didn’t know why I was so happy; there was no way I could win.
Chapter 16
There was no way I could lose.
I still had a ton of pent up energy ready to be let loose after my disappointing race with Rex. I was sure that the internet was all abuzz about my latest event and I didn’t want to hear anything about it. That’s why my phone was on the side of the highway somewhere. I didn’t want to read Rex’s snide tweets or see the smack talk between fan bases. I felt like a failure and nothing on Twitter was going to remedy that.
Sitting next to Tanner did, though. I hated how rapidly my body responded to him, how easily I slipped into his kisses and how readily I wanted to agree to date him.
I couldn’t do that though, I was still engaged, whether I liked it or not.
I knew that no matter what he said, Tanner wasn’t going to stop looking for me unless I could put an end to this now. I hoped he would stick to his word and actually leave me alone after I won. And how could I not win? His car may have been faster and newer than mine, but the car was only part of the equation. Skill was another large component. We both knew that I far out-paced him in that regard.
So why had he even suggested the stupid race? Surely he knew that I would beat him. Surely he knew that meant there would never be anything between us again.
My lips tingled at the memory of our kiss in the car. Damn him for being so hot. His lips pressed against mine with that gentle yet firm pressure, his tongue gliding into my mouth, stroking and caressing me, his hands traveling up and down the back of my neck, sending jolts of pleasure straight down my spine to my core… Did I really want to
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