The Sextet - Entanglements [The Sextet Anthology, Volume 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (31 page)

As Craig’s car headed to the first turn, the gun sounded for the end of practice, and the cars began to return to their pits. Scotty jumped down from the pit box and talked with the crew waiting for Craig to return. When he pulled in, he took off his helmet and stayed in the car while he spoke with Scotty and Paul.

Lindsey watched as Paul stepped away and instructed the crew to make a wedge adjustment while Craig crawled out. He pulled out his ear plugs and swiped his hand down his face. Frustration radiated from his body as he listened to Scotty and looked around, locking eyes on her.
God, he looks like sin on a stick.
He looked hot, frustrated, and full of attitude, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She figured he was still mad at her when he looked away, but she continued to stare, noticing how well his driver suit fit his body—especially when he leaned inside his car, showing off his backside.
Good God! This is crazy! I’m crazy!
This was obviously true, since the moment he caught her staring at him, her face heated.

When the team finished with the needed adjustments to the car, they pushed it into the qualifying line and waited for Craig’s turn. It seemed like an eternity until he took to the track, but when the green flag waved and he began his qualifying run, things were looking good. He was up to 175 miles per hour and still climbing, moving smoothly through the turns, and when he crossed the start-finish line with the checkered flag waving, Scotty slammed his hand on the table and yelled. “Damn, look at that! 178! We got the pole!”

The crew jumped with excitement, and Lindsey smiled when she heard Craig shouting through her headset.

* * * *

On Sunday morning, the team gathered at the garage prior to the race. After a quick meeting, Craig and Lindsey jumped in their car and made their way around the track for the final two sponsor events. Lindsey watched as Craig once again charmed all those who attended by signing their items, allowing them to take pictures, and just chatting away with them about the race. She noticed a glimmer in his eyes and how his smile went all the way to his eyes, especially when he was talking with children. It was then she understood why people—especially women—fawned all over him.
He was simply one of the sexiest men she’d ever seen.
His strong arms and chest muscles filled his polo shirt while his faded jeans showed off his tight ass and long legs. Feeling flushed, she waved her hand in front of her face hoping to cool herself down, but when Craig caught her staring at him, she just grew hotter.

With the race getting ready to start, Lindsey and Jud made their way to the suite and were in entertaining mode as they worked the room speaking to sponsors. Lindsey took the opportunity to get to know some of the sponsors that she’d not yet met. But once the race began, everyone was outside watching the cars or inside watching the large TV screens. Halfway through the race, there hadn’t been an accident. The “big one” hadn’t happened yet, leaving most of the cars, including Craig’s, still out on the track. His number thirty-seven was currently in tenth place but moving up the field.

Everything changed with twenty-three laps to go. Lindsey held her breath when one of the drivers got sideways coming out of turn two and cars began darting in all directions as the “big one” finally happened. Everyone was watching the monitor trying to see how many cars got caught up in the accident, especially Lindsey, who was looking for car number thirty-seven. The damage to most of the cars was extensive. Sheet metal littered the track, exposing several of the wrecked cars’ engines. It wasn’t until she spotted Craig’s car on the lower apron of the track that she began to breathe again. It took several laps under the yellow caution flag before the announcers figured out the lineup, and even more until all of the debris and wrecked cars were removed from the track.

When the green flag waved with eighteen laps to go, Lindsey watched as the drivers began jockeying for positions on the track. She gasped when another car hit Craig from behind, causing him to wiggle coming out of the third turn. As the end of the race neared, Lindsey found herself holding her shaking hands against her chin as she stood in front of the TV, cheering. Craig was back in fourth place and the white flag was waving, indicating one lap to go. She watched as he set up low heading into the first turn but wasn’t able to get around the number forty-four car. He tried again on the back straightaway, but forty-four moved down and cut him off. With the fourth turn ahead, Lindsey held her breath as Craig started low, then moved high and shot past the car, crossing the finish line in third place.

Lindsey made her way to the garage after the race and found the team already packing up. Craig was leaning against his car, drinking a bottle of water and talking with reporters. He looked at ease while telling the reporters about the accident during practice on Saturday and talking about today’s race.

Feeling a tingle of awareness, she looked up and found Craig’s eyes upon her. She smiled as he continued to speak with the reporters. His periodic glances at her caused her stomach to flutter. Somehow he was able to get to her like no other man could, and that both excited and scared her.

Chapter 8

Since the moment Lindsey had arrived in Dover, Delaware, it had been raining. It wasn’t just raining, it was pouring, thanks to a tropical storm that was sitting off the coast. Not one car had been able to get onto the track for practice, and qualifying wasn’t looking promising either.

But rain or shine, Craig appearances went on. By late afternoon, the track officially closed for the day. Completely drenched and chilled to the bone, Lindsey headed back to the hotel. She took a hot shower then changed into her sweats before settling into bed and doing some work on her laptop. After returning a few e-mails, she sent Craig a reminder about his appearances in the morning and then began working on a proposal for a potential new sponsor that she’d met at the autograph signing. While she was typing away, her phone beeped with a text message.

Thanks for the reminder. Are you back at the hotel?

Lindsey replied.
Yes.

Not expecting anything more, she returned to the proposal she was working on. Needing some pricing information, she got up from her bed and grabbed a binder from her bag. When she settled back on the bed, she had another message on her phone from Craig.

Have you had dinner yet?

Narrowing her eyes, she looked at her phone.
Not yet, was planning on ordering room service later.

Within seconds, he texted her again.
How about meeting me downstairs in the restaurant? Hate eating alone.

I’m in sweats.
She replied, waiting for his response.

Craig didn’t disappoint.
While I’d love to hear more about what you’re wearing…or not wearing, I really do hate eating alone.

With her stomach voicing a loud growl, Lindsey replied to Craig’s last message.
Give me fifteen minutes.
After hitting
send
, she saved her work and turned off her laptop. She took a moment to fix her hair and put on some makeup, and then looked at herself in the mirror. Waving her hand at the thought of changing her clothes, she grabbed her phone and room keycard and headed downstairs.

* * * *

Craig sat in a booth off to the side of the restaurant, attempting to stay hidden from anyone who might recognize him. After being out in the rain all day and dealing with fans at the signing, he just wanted to have a relaxing dinner.

With Lindsey.

The woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, who just told him she was wearing sweats.
Clothing that was easy to remove.
Shaking his head, he finished off his beer and ordered another. When he saw her walk into the restaurant, he found himself smiling as he waved her over.

“Seriously? You couldn’t find a fan to fawn all over you?”

He cocked his head, grinning at her. “Why would I want someone fawning all over me when I have you to kick my ass around?”

She rolled her eyes but sat down anyway. “Have you ordered yet?”

“No.” He handed her the menu. “Thought I’d wait for you.”

A few moments later, the waitress came over and took their order and dropped off their drinks. Craig took a long pull from his beer then looked at Lindsey. “Tell me, do you still like the job?”

“You have to ask?” Smiling, she ran her finger down her glass, wiping away the condensation. “I’m still not sure how I got so lucky to find this job.”

“I think I’m the lucky one.” He locked eyes with her and was quickly filled with an unquenchable heat. His eyes lingered at the sweatshirt and the simple little zipper that was keeping him from seeing her tits, and wondered how quickly he could get her out of her pants.

Clearing his throat, he pushed away the thoughts in his head and asked about her family. By the time dinner had come, the two had fallen into an easy conversation that gave him a chance to find out so much more about the woman who seemed to be at the forefront of his thoughts. For every bit of information he uncovered, he wanted to know more.

“How about you?” she asked. “Are you close to your family?”

“Not really.” He set down his beer and glanced at her. “My mom and dad were both killed in a car accident when I was fourteen, so I really don’t have much of a family except for the team.”

“I didn’t know.”

He pursed his lips together and shook his head. “Not something I tell many people.”

“I can understand that.” She reached for her glass. “I think we all have things we keep to ourselves.”

There was a lull in the conversation while they watched the waitress clear their table. “Now I’m curious. What’s your deep, dark secret, Lindsey?”

She looked down at her glass and moved her thumb up and down the slick surface, wiping away the beads of condensation. “Trust me. I’m not that interesting to have a dark secret.” She finally looked up at him. “You have to understand, my last job was a nightmare. To have a place where people get along, and treat each other with respect…” She sat back in the booth, letting out a slow breath. “I’m just really lucky to have found this job.”

There was something in her expression. He wasn’t sure what, but it caused him to probe further. “So what was so bad about your last job?”

Watching her, he noticed her expression change. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she reached for her drink. Her sweet smile was gone, and her eyes looked troubled as she swirled the liquid in her glass. “You don’t need to tell me—”

“My last boss was verbally abusive.” She paused for a long moment before she looked at up him. “At first I was able to let things go. But over time I allowed him to tear me down to the point I didn’t know who I was anymore. I thought I wasn’t good enough to find a new job, that I didn’t deserve a new job, and that I should just be happy to have the job I had.”

Suddenly everything started to make sense to Craig. He understood the brave front that Lindsey put out to the world. But even more importantly, he understood where her issues with control came from.

“Enough about me.” Lindsey interrupted his thoughts while reaching for her drink, which she finished before continuing. “How is it you don’t seem to let the fame get to you? I mean most guys in your place would love women fawning all over them, but you don’t.”

He smiled. “Fame is overrated.” He raised his bottle, nodding at the waitress to order another round. “Besides, it gets old having everyone kiss your ass all the time. Then there are the people that say they’re your friends, only to reveal that they are just using me to be part of my fame, my money…” He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a drink. “Like I said, the fame can get old. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit with someone I know can kick my ass if I screw up, or sell a humiliating sponsorship.”

She blushed. “Sorry about that.”

“No. It’s what I like about you.” He looked across the table into her brown eyes and couldn’t look away. “You give it right back to me, treat me like a normal person.”

“I thought I was just a pain in your ass.”

Laughing, he stirred in his seat. “Well, there are times.”

* * * *

Lindsey felt heat flood her body when Craig looked at her. There was something in his eyes, and it turned her on more than she cared to admit. Truth be told, he’d been turning her on for awhile now. Between their verbal bars and heated stares, she’d been thinking of him constantly. Those thoughts turning into a battle inside her head as she tried to keep her control, knowing he was the one man that could totally make her lose it.

“It’s getting late. I should probably get back to my room.” Feeling a little overwhelmed with the way he was looking at her, she needed to get away. “We’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”