The Finish Line - Chapter #3 - Free To Read

Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Was his voice strained? Could I hear something in it, some emotion a part of me desperately craved? I couldn’t be sure, so I told myself it wouldn’t have mattered if I had.

I pulled away abruptly. It was too soon to deal with this much intimacy from him. Way too soon. On a cleansing breath, I turned away from the dark temptation in his eyes.

The other car in the shop was one I’d seen race dozens of times. Just seeing it brought the adrenaline pumping memories flooding back. “And this beauty has a shiny new coat of paint.”

I didn’t run my fingers down the fender of Jordan’s Malibu. She was too pretty. I didn’t dare for fear I’d mar the polish. Admittedly, even I was struck with the mystique of the midnight blue Chevy. How many times had I watched this car fly down a dark street?

I could still feel the rush from the wind it kicked up, if I tried hard enough I could taste the warm night air and feel the tingles of anticipation as I waited to hear who’d crossed the finish line first.

It was almost always Jordan and the Malibu.

The sixty-nine Chevy Malibu was painted the sort of blue that would shine under the fluorescent lights of the track. But on the street, she’d be as black as the Camaro beside her. This was the car I compared all others to. It was difficult not to make the connection to the driver. Especially when I could still feel myself

pressed against his chest. “Running a small block with three shots, too?”

There was no grin in response, instead only the arrogant tilt of Jordan’s head. “You know better. I like my race car to pull the entire eighth of a mile. Not just for a few seconds when I press the button.”

There wouldn’t be nitrous under the hood of the Malibu. She’d run a couple of turbos that cost more than I’d spent on a year’s worth of tuition. It wasn’t instant horsepower like nitrous, turbos pushed air through the engine and the horsepower was constant. The engine wouldn’t stop pulling until the pass was over.

“I bet.” The constant thump of the fan in the corner almost drowned out my words. When I turned, I got caught in the magnetic pull that was Jordan Slater. It was no wonder I’d always had a thing for fast cars because I’d always had a thing for him. The two were synonymous.

The pull was still in full effect as I straightened, trapped suddenly between Jordan’s intimidating form and the car. There it was, an instant of standing by that car, reminding me all too much of that moment before I’d left. Once before I’d stood by that car, once before he’d humiliated me and ripped my soul apart. The memory stung with a razor-sharp edge, forcing me to blink back tears of the past.

It was an unnatural reflex when I reached up and touched my throat, tracing other hidden scars, and found his eyes following my fingers. I forced my gaze up, under the bill of the black ball cap, and for one cold

moment got caught in the questions of his eyes.

Defiance was the only answer I could give him. That defiance was rewarded with a heated gaze that stole the breath from my lungs. Would I ever find even ground when he was close?

“You shoulda been here last night, Raelynn.” Vic’s jovial words broke the spell between the sharp, electric whirl of the air socket on the lugs. “You could have watched them run each other.”

“I hate I missed it.” My laugh was too shrill, my movements too stiff as I hurried away from Jordan, grateful for the reprieve. Without trying, Jordan chipped away at my walls. I shouldn’t let him do this to me, shouldn’t let myself respond so vehemently. Yet, nothing I could do would pull the heat from my cheeks. “Yup. Devin finally stepped up last night and they duked it out on the street.” A toothy smile spread on Vic’s face, drawing attention to the black smear across his forehead. “It was almost as epic as prom night when Jordan ran Aiden out off I-twenty.” It had been a while since Jordan had raced my brother. When Dad retired from driving, Aiden had taken over the family ProMod

at the track.

“The most epic part of that night—” Grateful to put distance between the big guy and myself, I poked Devin in the chest. Secretly, I hoped he’d smoked Jordan. Even if that was unlikely. “—was my prom date.”

I’d expected the crimson color to his cheeks and the bashful way his crystalline eyes shimmered. Our shy, sweet Devin had taken me to prom. Those were memories that didn’t cause my gut to clench and my heart to ache. “It was a good night.” Devin nodded.

“It was epic. I was the most talked about chick in school after that. All the girls hated me. They all wished Devin McAllister had taken them to prom.” I told the truth as I saw it. Devin with his unruly blond hair and bright blue eyes was the object of many female affections. He just never seemed to notice.

“Pretty Boy,” Vic joked. “He still keeps them all lined up.”

The dramatic roll of Devin’s eyes only added to the pink hue of his cheeks.

“Who won?” It was a pointless question. We all knew the answer.

“Who do you think?” Jordan popped the hood on the Malibu. I couldn’t help admire the gleaming engine with the two turbos that spun off it like an airplane. I stepped closer, despite myself, for a better look. Again, I was drawn near enough to Jordan that I could feel the warmth of him, hotter than the summer evening around us.

He looked down at me and licked his bottom lip. Everything else disappeared. I trembled, unable look past his lips. Coherent thought slipped from my mind. There was a rush of heat to my chest and the punch of arousal so potent it shook me. Had he felt that? Did he have any clue what he still did to me?

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