Victory Lane (Shady Falls #1) (26 page)

“Don’t worry about it, just keep your legs to the side a little,” he said, a smile on his lips. He pulled my hand toward him once again, encouraging me to move closer. I didn’t fight him this time. I slid across the seat, moving as close to him as I could. I pulled my legs up onto the seat next to me so I would be comfortable. He put his arm around me, pulling me tighter against his side. “See,” he said, “isn’t this better?”

My heart was aflutter with anticipation. No matter how much I tried to convince myself this wasn’t a date, to me it was. He smelled so good sitting next to me. His fresh, clean, musky scent washed over me, making me feel calm. His strong, muscular arm around my shoulders and his powerful thigh pressed against mine made me feel surprisingly calm and safe. I felt surrounded by him, consumed by him, and it didn’t scare me. I loved feeling him, knowing he wanted me there, and he desired me. I felt like I was falling, I felt it every time I was with him. I was falling for him. In spite of our lack of alone time, our schedules, and every other obstacle we’ve encountered over the past couple months; I was falling for him, hard and it didn’t scare me. I didn’t know when it happened or how, but at some point I stopped being afraid, at least where Julius Fuller was concerned.

We talked throughout our drive, about nothing specific. We talked about his town, the car, the team, and how he felt about being an uncle in a couple months. We talked about the upcoming races and my graduation.

“You gotta slow down a bit and enjoy it, Toni,” he said.

“I am, but I’ve got a lot to do too. Besides, I was thinkin’ about skippin’ the ceremony on Wednesday. I don’t need to be there to get my certificate. I can just have Roger give it to Kyle or somethin’.”

“No way in hell, Toni. You’re goin’ to your ceremony. You’re gonna get your certificate and your family and team are gonna be there cheerin’ you on. We’ll leave for Richmond after.”

“What about the car. What about practice …” I argued until he cut me off.

“I’ll practice Thursday. We’ll leave for Richmond after we have dinner with your family and the team. I already rented the private room at Costa’s for Wednesday evenin’.”

I slid away from him slightly and turned my body toward him. “What?” I almost shouted. “Why did you do that? You put that party together yesterday and planned this whole weekend. You can’t do that too. You can’t just keep doin’ things for me, it’s too much.”

He glanced at me and he looked genuinely confused and a little angry. He didn’t seem to have any idea what I was talking about. “I can’t do what, Toni? I can’t do somethin’ nice for a member of my team? I do things for my team members all the time. I bust my ass week in and week out to make the money I have and I’ll spend it how I want.”

I immediately deflated listening to him tell me how he spends money on his team. I thought there was something else going on between us, but I guess I was wrong. He was doing all of this because I was a member of his team and he apparently does things for his teammates all the time. It shouldn’t have surprised me to find I was wrong about all of this, but it did. I thought the feelings were mutual, especially after that kiss.

He continued talking as if he hadn’t just crushed my heart with his words. “Besides, if I wanna do somethin’ for the woman I’m tryin’ to start a relationship with, I sure as hell will. You need to get used to me doin’ things for you, Toni.”

“Wait. What?” I asked. I was so confused. My mind was racing trying to keep up with what he was saying, and all of the feelings flooding me. One moment I felt like my heart was shattering and I was ready to cry and the next I couldn’t breathe because he said the word relationship.

“What?” he asked in return. He glanced toward me again. “You need to try to stop bein’ so goddamned independent and let me do things for you, Toni. We can’t have somethin’ if you don’t let me in. And I’ll tell you now, you can chase me away all you want. I ain’t goin’ anywhere. So stop bein’ difficult. I’m takin’ us all to dinner on Wednesday after the ceremony whether you like it or not. Then we’ll take the jet to Richmond Wednesday night. I’ll practice on Thursday and everything’ll be fine.”

I didn’t know what to say, it was as if he laid everything out in front of me and told me how it was going to be. He was pursuing me, he was doing things for me and apparently, as far as he was concerned I just needed to go along for the ride. I liked the thought, but then of course my independent part had a huge problem.

“You know, Jules, I don’t need someone takin’ care of me. I’ve been doin’ it just fine all by myself for a long time.” I didn’t know what or why I was arguing, but I was. “Besides, you can’t just yell at someone and tell them you’re tryin’ to have a relationship with them. It’s not supposed to work this way.” I didn’t know if I was more pissed about him declaring his intentions while arguing with me, or about having someone tell me what to do. It was all very confusing.

“Yeah? Well, Antonia, you best get used to someone else helpin’ you and tryin’ to take care of you, ‘cause I won’t stop.” He paused a moment then took my hand and pulled me back toward him. “Now stop bein’ a pain in the ass and get back over here. We’re almost there.”

I huffed and leaned my weight into him. “Where are we?” I asked as we pulled onto a dirt road. It was just a huge empty field with a booth that looked like a security guard’s box sitting in the middle and the huge white wall at the end. It was now dusk and the grey clouds had moved, making the sky seem bleaker.

“This is where we’re goin’,” Julius said as he pulled forward slowly. We passed the small building that sat in the middle of the field and I noticed there was a projector sitting inside facing the white wall.

“Is this what I think it is?” I asked excitedly. Back when I was a kid, going to the drive-in had been my favorite thing to do. Mom would pack lots of snacks and drinks, dad would bring blankets and chairs and we would camp out in the parking lot and have the best time running around and playing with the twins and Fred while mom and Dottie would set up our picnic. After mom died, we rarely went to the drive-in. It had been where dad and mom met, it was a common thing they shared and loved to do. I think it hurt him too much to go and remember.

“Yep, and it’s all ours for the night,” he said as he backed the truck up to face the screen. “Toni, would you mind goin’ over and lettin’ the guy in the booth know we’ll be ready in about five minutes?”

I know my look was full of surprise but I did as he asked. I was kind of surprised that he wanted me to run an errand for him, he was usually so insistent I not perform mundane tasks. I slowly walked over to the booth where an elderly gentleman sat preparing the projector.

“Hello sir, Julius says we’ll be ready in about five minutes. Is that okay?”

“Yes, Miss. That’ll be just fine, just fine indeed,” the man said, tilting his head. “Have a good evening, Miss.”

“Thank you,” I replied, returning to the only truck sitting in the huge lot.

When I got back to Julius, I saw why he’d asked me to go over to the booth. He had the back of his truck tricked out with blankets and food. It looked cozy and warm.

“We’re all set,” I said when I got to the tailgate of the truck. Standing on the blankets, Julius reached down, took my arms and lifted me into the back of the truck with him. Looking around I smiled. “What’s all this?” I asked. “It looks so cozy.”

Julius smiled, “It’s still April, the nights get chilly. I didn’t want you to get cold.” With that, he pulled me down to the pile of plush blankets that stretched the length and width of the truck bed. I sat beside him as he arranged a cooler full of food and drinks next to us and the blankets around us.

My heart swelled as I watched him meticulously arrange everything so we wouldn’t have to move once we were situated. It was so sweet and thoughtful, I was barely holding in my emotions. I wanted to cry at how attentive he was to what I’d told him about my favorite childhood memory and how considerate he was to try to recreate it for me. This man was so kind and so perfect, I felt inadequate next to him. He did so much for me. He was helping to make my dreams come true. He was patient and kind, when most men would have gotten frustrated with me by now. He threw a party for me and made sure everyone I loved was there, comfortable, and taken care of. He was too good to be true and for reasons I didn’t understand, this man wanted me in his life. It may just be friendship or it may be more, but it was something special and I needed to let him in and let myself have this. My past didn’t have to control me, not anymore. I just hoped I could keep the fears at bay.

Chapter Nineteen

Julius

The look of genuine excitement in Toni’s eyes was all the thanks I needed. Tonight was about establishing what I hoped would be a real and lasting connection with this woman and I wasn’t going take no for an answer. I’d listened to her late night musings while we sat in my mobile home on race weekends talking strategy for each week’s races. I’d come to find that she talked more when she was tired and distracted. Between talking strategy, she would often talk about her parents’ love story. It was obvious she envied what they had and wanted that kind of connection with someone. She also talked about all the things she used to love to do, but hadn’t done for years for reasons that she wouldn’t always share. This was one experience she shared and explained its significance to me. The moment she told me about her childhood weekends at the drive-in, I wanted to bring her here. This was my favorite place when I was a kid. I was more than happy to share this place with her, especially if it brought her as much joy as it brought me.

Once I had everything situated, I pulled her down to sit next to me. As usual, she was too far away. She never took the initiative to be nearer to me, she waited for me to ask. I wanted her closer. I wanted her in my lap, in my arms, surrounded by me. I wanted to envelop her in my arms, pull her to me and keep her there.

“I can’t believe all this, Jules. It’s been years since I’ve been to a drive-in. You planned all this for me?” she asked.

“Of course I did. Mom used to bring Marg and me here when we were kids. She couldn’t afford to do all the amusement parks and big vacations some of the other kids did, but this was somethin’ she could do. We’d bring lots of blankets, set up our drinks and snacks, and we’d sit here and snack away and just hang out. It was our time when we were just together and there was nothin’ else to distract us,” I explained. “This was my favorite place and when I found out you had a similar love for drive-ins I knew I had to share this with you.”

As the opening credits began for whatever movie was playing, I watched her sit back and start to relax. She had a tranquil look about her as she settled against the back of the truck bed. She leaned into my arm a little as she settled next to me and whispered her thanks next to my ear.

The gathering storm to the east wasn’t supposed to affect us, but it did bring cooler temperatures. The wind picked up slightly, bringing with it a leftover bitter chill just to remind us summer was still pretty far off. We had enough blankets to keep us warm, but next to me, I felt a shiver run through Toni.

“Come here,” I said.

“What?” Toni asked.

I pulled the blanket from around her. “Hey,” she complained. “What’re you doin’?”

Lifting the blanket from my lap, I took her arm and pulled. “Come here,” I said again.

She shifted next to me and I took the opportunity to put my arm around her waist and lift her into my lap. I settled her between my outstretched legs and wrapped the blanket around the two of us. Snaking my arms around her waist, I pulled her tight against my chest. “See,” I said, “isn’t that better?”

She leaned her head back into my shoulder and I could just see the slight smile that graced her perfect lips. “Yes, much better.”

We stayed that way, wrapped together through the first movie. I hardly paid attention to the screen because I was too aware of how her hair blew in the chilled breeze, how her body felt flush with mine, and the rise and fall of her slim back pressed against my chest. Every now and again, she would wiggle a little, adjusting her body to get comfortable, but every time she did I had to readjust myself. The contact between her ass and my groin was impossible for me to ignore, no matter how gentlemanly I could behave.

When the second movie began, the wind also picked up. The clouds looming overhead were threatening to open up and release all they held.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to get rain,” Toni asked.

“Guess they were wrong.”

“We should probably get packed up …,” Toni said, glancing toward the sky. The moment the words came from her mouth, a few large, cold drops of rain landed on us.

“Shit,” I growled, pulling the blanket from us. Toni rolled out from between my legs and kneeled to my side. She immediately rolled the blanket we had wrapped around us as I stood and gathered everything else. It was too late, the moment I jumped from the tailgate and pulled everything out of the back, the sky opened up with huge, freezing cold raindrops. Toni squealed a little as I pulled her from the truck bed. “Get in the truck before you get soaked,” I commanded.

Instead of doing what I told her, she started laughing. Her long hair immediately soaked, the rain cascaded down the long strands and saturated her shirt. Soaking wet, her sweater plastered to her breasts. She didn’t run for cover or try to hide; instead, she stretched out her arms and looked up toward the sky. She looked so relaxed, more than I’d ever seen her before. “Come on Jules, it’s just rain,” she giggled.

I closed the tailgate and smiled at how carefree she looked. She was always so serious, there was usually a gloom looming behind every smile. But I didn’t see it at all. I only saw her happiness.

Without a word, I moved toward her quickly, smiling my warning a split second before I wrapped my arm around her slim waist. She squealed as I planted my shoulder in her stomach and lifted her from the ground. I didn’t run to the truck to get us out of the rain, instead I danced around in the pouring rain with Toni over my shoulder laughing and hitting my back.

“Put me down,” she giggled as I continued to jump around in the cold ass rain.

“No way,” I laughed out. “You wanna dance in the rain, we’re doin’ it together.” After a few minutes we were both completely soaked as we danced in the downpour. The moment I felt a shiver pass over her, I knew our playtime was up.

“Hold on,” I instructed as I quickly moved to the passenger side of the truck. I pulled open the truck door and grabbing her hips, I lowered her to the dry bench seat. Her eyes were huge and full of so much emotion that the need to kiss her punched me in the chest. I wanted this woman so badly I felt I would do almost anything for her. She sat inside the truck, me standing between her open knees and her staring at me. She felt what I was feeling and I knew it, I could see it in her eyes. It took every ounce of my resolve to move away from her warmth. I gently touched her knee and nudged it so she would turn her legs inside of the truck so I could shut the door.

I ran around to the other side, taking a moment to get myself in check. I knew that if I wanted anything to work out with this girl, I had to be able to keep my body under control. She was worth waiting for.

I slid into the warmth of the dry truck, immediately started it and turned on the heater. I then looked toward the beauty seated next to me. She had taken her soaking hair and draped it over one shoulder. Her tight long sleeve sweater was plastered against her body and hanging, laden by the weight of the rain. It highlighted every peak and valley of her beautiful figure. I’d never seen a more perfect woman than this and I was sure I never would. Her face was flushed from being hung upside-down over my shoulder and her eyes glittered with amusement.

She smiled toward me, oblivious to my inner musings about how perfect she was. I wanted to take her in my arms and do all of the things I’d been dreaming about since I first saw her in my garage so many months ago.

“You don’t play fair,” she whispered through her smile.

I didn’t respond, I only grinned at her. My hand reached across to where she sat on the other side of the bench seat and touched the smooth curve of her bare neck. I simply wanted to touch her, but I used the stray hair that had clung to her neck as an excuse. I tucked the hair behind her ear, my hand gently sliding from the base of her ear to her exposed collarbone. My fingers lingered on her shoulder as my thumb smoothed across the wet skin of her neck.

“You are so gorgeous,” I whispered. I didn’t know if I meant to say the words aloud, but I did. I looked into her brilliant golden brown eyes and saw the flash of disbelief. Every time someone told her she was pretty or that she looked nice, she cringed and you could see she didn’t believe them. It pissed me off knowing someone fucked with her self-esteem so much that she couldn’t even take a compliment. She immediately turned her head and lowered her eyes to the floor.

“Dammit, Toni, don’t do that,” I said as gently as I could. I knew the frustration was evident in my voice, but I was hell bent and determined to get this woman to take a compliment. “Look at me,” I ordered. Seeing her flinch just a bit at my demand, I softened my voice. The last thing that I wanted to do was to scare her. “Antonia,” I said softly, “please look at me.”

She looked over at me, and I could see the fear and confusion in her eyes before she immediately put her eyes back to the carpet. I took her hand and pulled her toward me across the leather seat. When she was closer, I touched her chin and made her meet my eyes. “You are so stunningly beautiful, Toni. Whether you are in a work uniform, a sexy dress, or soaked to the bone, you are gorgeous. Don’t hide from me anymore, please,” I pleaded. I was sick of her hiding from everyone, especially me. I wanted her to own her beauty and her talent. I wanted the confidence I saw in the garage to be present in every aspect of her life.

I leaned in and pressed my lips gently to hers. It wasn’t like our kiss earlier which had been raw and claiming. This kiss was tender and reassuring. I wanted her to know I valued her, I respected and appreciated her for exactly who she was. I pulled back from her and looked into her eyes.

“Promise me you won’t hide from me anymore,” I whispered against her lips.

She waited several long moments before she responded. Her eyes closed, lips still touching mine softly she made the promise that I hoped would change everything. “I promise I’ll try,” she whispered in return. It was like our own secret, only we and the inside of the truck would ever know.

I pressed my lips to hers, sealing her promise with a searing kiss. I forced myself to pull back, only to have her press even more into me, and return my fervor. We kissed until we were breathless; our passion became hurried and fervid as I pressed into her. She leaned back across the bench seat as I hovered over her moving my hands across her wet clothes, hovering at the seam of her sopping sweater. She shivered under my touch and just as I was ready to back away, she slipped her hands under the seam of my shirt, running her warm hands under my shirt and across my wet, cold skin. They moved across the ridges and planes of my back and ribs. Her hands mapping a path around my torso, learning all they could about my body, leaving a fiery trail in their wake.

My hand found the bare flesh at her stomach, just above the band of her jeans. I gently ran my fingertips across her torso, begging for permission to move my hand further under her shirt. When she didn’t shy away, my hand moved up, under the sopping material, across her smooth, flat skin. She felt so good, her beautiful body moving with mine, her mouth exploring mine allowing me to devour the gentle sounds that escaped her throat. One of my hands was laced in her thick, dark hair while the other slid up her abdomen to the peaks above. I caressed her full breast, feeling the hard peak straining against the fabric of her bra. I slid my thumb across her breast, caressing as I deepened our ardent kiss.

I moved from her mouth and down her throat to her collarbone, then down further still to the exposed skin at the top of her chest. I kissed and nipped at the tender flesh, feeling her arch into me and lace her fingers through my hair. I loved that she was allowing me to give her pleasure and took her moans as permission to move further up her stomach, sliding her shirt higher and higher until her lace-covered breasts were exposed. My mouth enclosed over her hidden flesh, nipping through the thin, lacy material.

“Julius,” she whimpered, pulling my hair and rubbing her hands down to my shoulders. Her voice was laced with both desire and something else. Was it fear? Was I scaring her? I didn’t want to frighten her. I pulled away, sliding her shirt back over her exposed body until she was fully covered once again. I looked into her eyes, searching for how she was feeling. Her eyes were closed but she had a gentle smile on her lips. It was all I needed to see to know she was okay.

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I murmured, hoping I didn’t do anything to harm her.

She was quiet for a few long moments. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she breathed. She placed her hands on my cheeks, guiding me back up her body until I was hovering over her. She leaned up, pressing her lips to mine and smiling into that perfect kiss.

~oOo~

The weeks passed and the weather got warmer as we traveled from track to track. Toni graduated from NPCT at the top of her class. Her family and her team were there to share her accomplishment with her. Once she graduated, she was officially a member of Fuller Enterprises and she took the promotion seriously. She worked hard and made sure I was as prepared as possible for every track and every situation.

After our shared experience at the drive-in, I could tell Toni was trying not to be so timid. She was more willing to take a compliment from me, whether it was about a car or how hot she looked in her fire suit. She took my approving words and just smiled her appreciation. Every so often she would go into herself, but she would come out of it faster than ever. I only hoped I was helping her in some way.