Hot Laps (18 page)

He stood there body strong, hair wild, and breathing heavy. “Is that so?”

His eyes darkened as he drew in a quick breath, quickly he was on me as my back slammed
against his toolbox before I even comprehended the movement. The metal tools clanked
against each other with the force but it didn’t stop us. His hands slid down my body
wrapping around the backs of my knees and then pulled them up around his waist. Slowly
his hands moved from my legs, his lips holding me in place and wrapped around my neck
angling my head and chin up. He looked at me, his fingers providing just enough grip
on my face and neck that it was a complete turn on.

The next moment, his lips, soft and sweet hovered at my ear.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked breathlessly, his stout hips pushed forward, lips
and teeth attacking, sucking, nipping and scraping anywhere he could find skin to
do so.

There was no question he wanted this just as much as I did.

“I’ve drank four beers while you sang that song.” I handed him one from my six-pack
I brought over with me. “I saved you two.”

His eyes searched mine, his breathing slowing as his lips left my skin.

“You have that look in your eye.” He said, his voice rough.

I swallowed, and then drew in a deep breath. “What look?”

Casten’s eyes dropped from mine, to my lips, and then back again. “The one that tells
me know you have exactly what I want.”

“The beer?”

“No. You.”

Well fuck. That’s hot.

My once hot skin turned to ice without his hot breath. I handed him the beer, which
he took but his expression changed and he let go of my legs allowing me to find my
footing. Casten winked, slowly took a drink from the beer staring at me.

Over the last few days, I learned that Casten’s penetrating stare could make anyone
squirm and had that affect on me more than I wanted it too.

“Hayden,” the way he said my name was intoxicating and I wished I had a recorder.
It sent shock waves through me, tempting me to do very naughty things with him or
to him. He reached up to cup my cheek. “I still have some work to do here, I’m sorry.
I can’t do this tonight.”

That did nothing to distract me because I’ve seen this boy work and watching him work
would be far more rewarding than going to some bar but wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding
as having him in bed with me.

Oh, the decisions.

“Well,” I met his gaze. “I’ll just stay and watch. How about that?”

His finger traced over my lips before he replaced his lips with it. I moaned leaning
into his kiss, his strong arms circled around my waist, our bodies pressed together.

Surrounded by his heady scent only increased the desire and I was nearing taking my
clothes off to convince him I was far more interesting than this engine sitting in
his stall.

He groaned a shuttering breath when my hips bucked against him.

“Do you have any idea how bad I want this?” he pressed his erection against my center;
my legs were wrapped around his waist again with only thin flimsy, damp cotton separating
us.

“If you want this so bad, then take it,” I told him pulling back to look at him and
then unzipping my dress. “What’s stopping you?”

His hands stopped me mid-zip. “I can’t, Hayden, not tonight.”

We stared at each other for a moment, both of our chests heaving with our labored
breathing. I could see the muscles in his chest tightening as he balled his fists
at his sides – he was fighting it.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low, his face hovering inches from mine. “I promised
my dad I’d have this one done tomorrow. I’m not even close.”

He did look sincere but, then again, I needed more than sincerity right now.

I shook my head smirking with a careless shrug. Bringing the beer I picked back up
from his toolbox to my lips, slowly, I tried to appear casual.

Casten growled and grabbed my beer from me slamming it on the toolbox. “You have no
idea what you’re doing to me,” his lips crashed against mine again.

We did this back and forth game for a few minutes before he finally came up for air
again, panting. “I really can’t, pretty girl. I have to get this block cleaned.”

“My block could use some attention.”

His head hung, resting against my shoulder.

“I know. And I want to … but I have a job to do here.”

I wasn’t going to beg him. Or would I?

He had a job to do. “Can I at least watch?”

“Sure.” He grinned, his mood improving. “But you have to keep that dress on and sit
over there.” He gestured toward a chair in the corner. “If I can see you …” he shook
his head at the thought, “…well, let’s just say I will forget about my job and that’s
not a good thing right now.”

“Alright, I get it.” I tipped my head the direction of the chair twenty feet away.
“I’ll be waiting for you.”

Casten grinned again. “I’ll hurry and then we’ll go back to my parent’s house.”

That sounded like a plan to me. I couldn’t wait. Taking a seat, I opened the last
beer and watched him closely.

That was until I fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my own bed again, alone. Talk about a bad
night.

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to focus on why he hadn’t nailed me yet. Any other man would
have, but no, not Casten and his locked down dick.

I went through a number of contemplations that morning while I looked over a text
message from Casten that said:
Hope you slept well. Meet me for dinner tonight?

Sure. Where?

Lancaster’s.

My mind was spinning wondering what this was between us,
why
he hadn’t got in my pants yet and
why
I couldn’t get in his.

After spending a good hour in the shower, dumping a gallon of water in Adam’s bed,
I was off to work Thursday morning.

Work was slow which was nice. The stomach flu had apparently plagued the office leaving
me and Bailey the only two besides the engine builders who were down stairs. I never
left my cubicle and before I knew it, six o‘clock rolled around and I found myself
at Lancaster’s in Mooresville waiting for Casten to arrive.

As I sat there waiting, my nerves got to me. My palms were sweating and I couldn’t
for the life of me keep from biting my nails. Before long I was downright chewing
on them and then they were bleeding. Classy. I couldn’t sit still either and damn
near scooted off the chair.

See, this side of myself was the reason why I drank and dated at the same time. I
couldn’t get out of my own way when it came to saying inappropriate shit and being
nervous.

Anna, she was a pro at dating. Never had problems. My sister, Haley, same deal. She
could talk sophisticated and all that.

Me? I’d never dated. Not that this was a date. I wasn’t sure what this was. But my
point was, whenever I was around the opposite sex, I did and said stupid things. At
least when I drank I was relaxed enough to tame myself a little.

The waiter came by, filling my glass and the one in front of me, with no one there.
The waiter didn’t look at me, nor did I look up at him.

Again, too nervous.

Watching the water form tiny drops of condensation, soaking the white linen table
cloth, my mind kept going back to a week ago, I was passed out on the floor of Anna’s
room. Now look at me.

Just when I was thinking it was too much and maybe I should just leave, he walked
in all sure of himself with a pair of dark jeans and black button down shirt with
the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Of course, he had on a white CST Engines hat
to match with loose strands of hair springing out. His eyes roamed the restaurant
carefully before they settled on mine, smiling.

It was then that Casten Riley gave me a little clue about him. He’s confident, that’s
evident at first glance but there’s more to him than just being the confident, youngest
Riley.

Behind the adorable face, bright grass green eyes and mesmerizing smile was a boy
who was so full of life and love that it was easy to mistake that for the exact same
thing that drew me away from some people. Happy people freaked me out. I sometimes
felt like they were smiling to cover up pain. No one smiles that much.

Only Casten did. And it wasn’t to cover up anything. It was just him and I found it
refreshing.

I didn’t have anything to worry about with him. That’s not that I relaxed or anything,
but I was starting to understand him a little more.

Stepping forward, Casten made his way over. He stopped short just before reaching
me and smiled widely. “You look beautiful.” He kissed my cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I did. How come you weren’t with me when I woke up?” I went in for the kill
immediately. I needed to know.

His eyes squinted before he made this endearing tilt of his head. “I’m not one to
prey upon pretty girls while their unconscious.”

“I see.” I moved closer to him, my bare knee touched his. “So what about tonight?”

“I guess we’ll have to see where that takes us then, won’t we?”

Suffice it to say, I was starting to feel like I was seducing him. I’d never had to
work to get anyone to have sex with me. It just sort of happened. Now I had a guy
being nice to me and saying nice things. If was throwing me into a wheel stand as
Charlie would say.

Well, that night took us to yet another consecutive night of drinking and no humping.
We went back to my apartment and he passed out on the floor in my bedroom while I
ended up in the bathroom puking from the multiple shots of Yukon Jack.

Then we had to make it to work by eight.

On Friday night I tried again to get the dick off lock down, but that night I was
obligated to go to dinner with my parents for my mom’s birthday.

I convinced Casten to come with me after work by simply adding, “I’ll give you anything
you want afterwards.”

He was game after that but a tad nervous about meeting my family. We weren’t dating,
nor were we sleeping together, so what would I tell my parents he was? A friend?

They’d laugh in my fucking face at that one. I never had guy friends who I wasn’t
secretly humping on the side. It just wasn’t me. Anna was my only friend besides alcohol.

As we sat in the driveway, I cracked open a beer from under my seat.

“Are you sure we should drink? I mean, we’ve drank for the last five days straight.
In some countries that’s considered a job, by the way,” he pointed out.

“Look, you’re about to meet my family.” I gave him a look of, “Are you really that
dumb?”

He clanked his beer to mine without another word and sat back in the seat. “Good point.
Cheers, honey.”

There we sat, in front of a police officer’s house drinking beer in my car. I sensed
this made Casten slightly uncomfortable.

“So, your dad, he’s a cop, huh?” he asked peeking over me to look out the side window
when my dad appeared outside, probably wondering why we were in the car still. Then
knowing me, he turned and went back inside.

“Last time I checked.”

“Has he ever arrested you?”

“No, but his friends have.” I took another drink, watching his reaction. “Have you
ever been arrested?”

“I’ve been in handcuffs a lot.”

“So what, you like convince them not to arrest you?”

“I didn’t say it was police who handcuffed me …”

When he smiled, I caught on and snickered softly. “Wow.” Taking my keys from the ignition
I tossed them in my purse that was on my lap and put my empty beer bottle in a bag
behind my seat. Casten did the same.

Casten sighed and looked at the house, tipping his head the direction of the red door.
“So who am I in there?”

“Huh?”

“Well,” he paused shoving his phone inside the pocket of his hoodie. “Are you telling
them I’m your friend or just some bum off the street?”

“Clearly you’re no bum dressed like that” —I pointed out with a gesture to his designer
jeans and a hoodie that was no doubt over a hundred dollars. “I’ll tell them you’re
a male prostitute.”