Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  Casey was pretty sure that Connor hadn’t spoke to Maddie before that night. “No, Makaela. That was the first time they had seen each other in years. But, he was pretty taken aback when he saw her.”

  “Oh, is that right?” Makaela roared into the phone. She was really angry, and Casey was not looking forward to the shit storm that would ensue as soon as she got back into the states. “What do you mean he was taken aback?”

  Casey gulped and dreaded having to explain Connor’s crush. “He just seemed…attracted to her. It was almost like he was surprised at how much she had changed and matured over the years. That’s all.” He paused when he remembered an important detail. “The next day he took her out on the track for a ride in the car.”

  “He never takes me for rides in the car,” Makaela whined.

  “Really?” Casey asked. “I’m not sure how they set it up. I only remember that he brought her out to the track and showed her around the garage. Then they put on fire suits and he drove a few laps. After that I guess he just took her home. I really don’t know anything else. That must have been when it all started.”

  Makaela continued to fume. “They couldn’t have done much because I remember talking to him the night after he left Florida and headed out to Chicago. I was still at the lake with my friends. Then I saw him before I left for Stockholm.” She lowered her voice. “He was acting completely normal. I wonder if it was just a one-night stand, this fling in Indy. Maybe it was just a horrible, drunken mistake.”

  Casey shook his head, even though Makaela wouldn’t witness him silently disagreeing with her. “Nah. It was no one night stand.” He withheld the part about Connor shouting that he was in love with Maddie when they were standing on the curb, waiting for the limo. They had all been there when he made his declaration. Casey would let Makaela find that out on her own, when she came back and reamed his ass for cheating.

  Makaela took a long, deep breath. “I guess I have no choice but to confront him.” Her voice was shaky again and he could hear faint whimpers as she attempted to hold back more tears.

  “Just come home and straighten his ass out.”

  Makaela collected herself and cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’ll be there soon. Don’t tell him I’m coming back. I want to surprise him.”

  The two hung up and Casey’s newfound bravery flew out of the window. A sick feeling invaded his body and he suddenly realized he had just royally screwed over his best friend.

  Chapter 12: Maddie

  “Uugghh,” Maddie moaned as she awoke. She rolled to her side to greet the sun. A warm body stirred underneath the covers.

  “Connor, wake up,” she said and pushed the lump next to her.

  Connor slowly opened his eyes. “Hey,” he said groggily. “What time is it?”

  Maddie yawned and glanced at the clock. “It’s almost eight. I bet someone’s gonna come looking for you soon. And I think your phone’s been vibrating.”

  Connor hesitantly climbed out of bed and she watched his long, lean body stretch to welcome the day. The muscles in his arms and back flexed under his smooth skin. He reached out to grab his phone off of the nightstand.

  I’m gonna miss him, Maddie thought as she stared at his beautiful face.

  “My mom’s been calling,” informed Connor after he assessed his phone messages. “I bet she heard about last night. One of those big mouths probably ran right to her after we got back.”

  “At least it didn’t get too out of control. Things would be way worse if you had fought those guys.”

  Connor shrugged. “Well, it’s over with. We don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

  Maddie raised her eyebrows. “Uhh…did you forget about the pictures? The whole reason why you almost got into a fight?”

  Connor slapped his forehead. “Crap! You think those guys are gonna try to sell them? Maybe try to email them to Makaela?”

  “Who knows? What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing. I can’t do anything about it. I have no idea how to stop that.” A look of distress cast over Connor’s handsome face.

  Another nasty thought crossed Maddie’s mind. “What about that weirdo that approached us at the track yesterday? You know, the tall, thin guy that blew his cigarette smoke in our faces? He sounded pretty creepy and ominous, don’t you think?”

  Connor’s expression only worsened. “Yeah, I remember. There’s no telling what will happen with that. He didn’t exactly catch us in a compromising position, but he acted like he was fishing for a story.”

  “That’s another reason why you need to handle this immediately.” Maddie paused and looked down at the sheets. “I just have a bad feeling in my gut. One of these jerks is going to talk to somebody. Probably the press.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “I still say you need to talk to Makaela as soon as possible. Today would be best, otherwise the downfall might be bad.”

  “It’s going to be bad either way. She’s planning a wedding. I don’t expect her to be happy about breaking up. In fact, she could freak out.”

  Maddie hated talking about Makaela. She really just wished she would disappear and they all could act as if she didn’t exist. Instead, she changed the subject. “What did Lucas say to you last night?”

  Connor’s eyes filled with sorrow. “In a nutshell, he doesn’t want me with you. He actually asked me to think about it for the next couple of months, instead of break up with Makaela. He said my fans want to see me get married.”

  Maddie shook her head slowly. “Wow, I didn’t think they would be so controlling. I can understand your mother wanting-“

  Connor cut her off. “My mom is the one who blew this whole thing out of proportion. She went to Lucas too soon. If she just had waited, I could have smoothed things over myself. Now I got my whole crew pissed.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maddie said quietly. “I wish I could help in some way.” She climbed out of bed and approached his backside. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his spine, massaging his tense muscles. His skin felt smooth and dewy under her fingers. Just the sheer sensation of their touch ignited the excitement and passion she had recently become so addicted to.

  “How about a shower?” Connor suggested while she rubbed lower on his back.

  Maddie smiled at the thought. “Only if I get to wash you…everywhere.” Connor spun around, wrapped his hands around her bottom and lifted her off the ground. She curled her legs around his waist and locked her arms around his neck. He carried her to the bathroom as she giggled in delight. Connor went in first while Maddie stood at the sink to brush her teeth.

  “Come on, babe. Don’t make me wait. We only have a few precious hours left,” Connor said from behind the curtain.

  Maddie rinsed and spat. “Oh, don’t remind me. I wish I didn’t have to leave today.”

  The warm water rained down on the two of them while Maddie clung to Connor’s wet body. Her desires soared as they spent the next half hour touching, groping, kissing, and pleasing each other until they were ready to crawl back into bed. More of the same ensued there until there was a heavy pounding on the door. Maddie quickly dressed in a robe and twisted her hair into a bun while Connor hid in the closet next to the bed.

  “Yes?” Maddie asked sleepily when she opened up the door. She was looking at Casey, who appeared quite peeved.

  “Is Connor here?” His tone was not so nice.

  She yawned for effect. “No, haven’t seen him since last night.”

  “Has he called?”

  “No, not this morning.”

  “Are you sure he’s not in there?” Casey asked again, peering through the doorway.

  “No, Casey,” Maddie said at the point of exasperation. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for my flight.”

  “If you hear from him, let him know we’re all looking for him. We need to have words.”

  “Why don’t you all just leave him alone? It’s his life.”

  Casey rolled his eyes,
something that Maddie noticed he did very well. “Of course, the other woman would say that.”

  Maddie placed her hands on her hips and gave him attitude. “Hey, I didn’t plan on all of this happening. It just sort of did and now Connor and I have feelings for each other. Why is that so horrible? He’s been wanting to get rid of Makaela for a while now, so don’t blame me. Okay?”

  “We’ll see,” Casey retorted with a huff. He jogged over to the elevators and Maddie slammed the door closed.

  “Well, he had a lot of nerve.” Maddie moved over to the bed and waited for Connor to show himself.

  Connor emerged from the closet and began to pull on his shorts. “I better get down there. Gotta do damage control.”

  “I thought you said there was nothing you could do about what happened last night?” Maddie’s heart twisted while she watched him prepare to leave. If she really wanted to she could follow him downstairs and defend herself in this war they have started. Instead, she stood like a statue, afraid of overstepping her boundaries.

  “I’m just going to let them know that nothing has changed, despite the little incident last night. You know, it may turn into nothing at all. I mean, about those guys and the pictures they took of us.”

  “They’re probably hating on you cause they’re Smuthers’ fans.” Austin Smuthers had been a rival of Connor’s ever since he started racing.

  Connor’s eyes lit up and Maddie could sense a wonderful idea brewing in his mind.

  “Why don’t you crawl back into bed, order some room service, and wait for me to come back. You don’t have to leave for a while, right?”

  “I think I need to be at the airport around three.”

  Connor glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s almost ten now. Let me go take care of a few things and I’ll be back up here to hang out until its time to go to the airport. Unless you want to do something else…”

  “No, no. You come back as soon as possible! I want to spend every last second with you.”

  Connor kissed Maddie on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” Then he snuck out the door and closed it behind him. She didn’t hear any voices, so she figured that Casey really did leave, unlike Patty had the night before up in Connor’s suite.

  Maddie did what Connor had suggested; she ordered some breakfast and coffee and retreated back to the comfy bed. She let her eyes close for a few minutes to catch up on the extra sleep that she so badly needed.

  ***

  A soft knock rattled her awake a short while later. She glanced at the clock and saw that almost forty-five minutes had passed.

  “Connor?” Maddie called out as she approached the door. She opened it to the sight of him and a cart full of breakfast.

  “I guess they delivered this while I was gone. Did you hear them knock?” Connor pushed the cart in the room and hastily closed the door.

  “I guess not. What happened downstairs?” Maddie could tell he was not in his happiest state of mind.

  Connor pursed his lips. “They all wanted to attack me and throw hurtful words my way. My mother cried. My dad was quiet. Nobody backed me up. It sucked. I don’t know what I’m going to do about all of them. It’s hopeless.”

  Maddie frowned and wrapped her arms around Connor. He did the same and found his familiar, comfortable place in the crook of her neck. He loudly inhaled her scent as they embraced. Maddie liked the way his breath tickled her skin when he exhaled.

  “I just wanna crawl back in bed and feed you strawberries,” Connor muttered into her ear. He led her to the bed, pulling the cart behind him. Maddie hopped in, removing her bathrobe along the way, revealing her tan, bare body.

  “Ah, I’m suddenly not hungry for food anymore,” Connor said as he slid in next to Maddie, then on top of her, and then inside of her. Her body warmed with every motion and it didn’t take long for the tingling sensation to take total control of them both. His body writhed above her as if some sort of enchanting spell took over. The euphoria, the rapture; it was so intense and all she could do was let go.

  When it was all over they huddled together, panting heavily and reflecting silently about their special moments in each other’s arms. Maddie ran her hand lightly over his chest, feeling the moisture in her fingertips. Never in her life had she felt such contentment and complete satisfaction. She sighed heavily when she thought of how he had completely turned her life into a new direction. Connor interlaced his fingers with hers and lifted her hand to his lips. She closed her eyes and smiled while enjoying the simple kissing on the back of her hand.

  “What are you thinking about?” Connor asked.

  Maddie gathered her thoughts, which were spiraling out of control, along with her feelings. She kept her eyes closed and chose to unleash it all to him. “About how beautiful you are, in every way.” She changed her position so her upper body was stretched across his chest. She gazed lovingly into his eyes and spoke tenderly. “I love the way your eyes seem to be a melting pot of honey and chocolate, so warm and inviting. I love the way you smell like a man, feel like a man, and hold me like a man should. I love how you defended me to the most important people in your life. No one on Earth has ever done that for me.”

  Connor lay there, speechless, gazing back at her with the same admiration swirling in his eyes. Maddie rested her head on top of his heart and listened to the steady beats as it sang to her.

  “I hate that you have to leave,” he said after a few quiet moments. “Well, we all have to leave. I just don’t like being away from you. I wish you could travel with me the rest of the season.”

  All of Maddie’s responsibilities flashed in her head. She remembered her internship that was just granted at one of the local newspapers in Jacksonville. She thought of her last year’s worth of classes at the university. How can I fit all that in and travel with Connor?

  “Me, too,” she simply replied, becoming disheartened as the words escaped her lips. She wondered if she loved him enough to leave her life behind, but more importantly, did he love her enough?

  Then Maddie wondered what he was thinking. Would he risk the downfall if he formally invited her into his chaotic life? Surely, his team would flip their lids. Maybe at first they would be upset, but like Connor said, they would learn to love her like he did. A short movie played in her mind. Visions of a life with a famous race car driver danced in front of her. She imagined flying from city to city, watching on as he did countless interviews and worked on his cars. She would get to sit up in his pit box and cheer for him to win every weekend. When the season ended, they could spend time up at his home in North Carolina and enjoy the holidays together.

  “You got quiet.”

  “Just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “You and your life.” And how it could include me.

  “It ain’t so spectacular once you think about it, huh?”

  Maddie smirked. “I know it seems that way now, but you really do have a great life. You get to do what you love.”

  It was Connor’s turn to laugh. “And I get to do who I love.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t talk about Jackson that way. It makes me feel all icky and gross.”

  “Ha! Are you jealous?” Connor shifted under her weight and reached around to tickle her sides. Maddie squealed like a little girl.

  They played around for a few seconds until they were centimeters from each other’s noses. She leaned in and kissed him with conviction.

  “I love you, Connor Gray. Don’t let me down.”

  Connor’s eyes sparkled. “I love you, too.”

  Then it went quiet while they both contemplated how to untangle the mess they have created.

  Chapter 13: Connor

  Connor kept his hands glued to Maddie’s rear end as they kissed goodbye in the car. She had convinced him not to walk her to the security checkpoint inside the airport because she was sure he’d be recognized and they didn’t need anymore incriminating photos taken.

  “Babe, I’m going to miss my plan
e,” Maddie hissed in Connor’s ear, smiling all the while. His lips grazed her neck ever so slightly and then moved effortlessly toward her collarbone. He loved the way her skin tasted like warm sugar.

  “I…can’t…stop,” Connor uttered slowly. He continued to kiss down her front and under her shirt.

  Maddie cleared her throat, but continued to enjoy his attention. “You know, we didn’t really talk about the next time we’ll see each other. Do you have a break coming up anytime soon?”

  Connor lifted his head to answer her question. He had been thinking about the same thing. He wished he could take her with him for the rest of the season. “Hmm…not until the end of next month. Right after Bristol.”

  Maddie frowned. “That’s seems like an eternity. I don’t think I can wait that long to see you.” She leaned back in to kiss him again.

  “Maybe I can sneak away for a day or two and fly to Florida. It’ll be a short visit, but at least we’ll see each other.”

  Maddie nodded and appeared satisfied, so he went back to running his lips over her neck. “You’re going to get sick of me if you keep this up,” she giggled playfully.

  “Never.” Connor pulled away and looked into her honey eyes. He never wanted to leave her side. He was so drawn to her and he couldn’t explain it. All he knew was that things were going to change and he was going to have a lot of explaining to do to a lot of people.

  “Okay, I better get going,” whispered Maddie. She pulled his face to hers, kissed him hard, and then pecked his lips softly. “Bye, baby.” Shiny tears lined her eyes and then slowly made paths down her cheeks.

  Connor hated seeing her upset. “Don’t cry. We’ll see each other soon enough.” He wiped the stray tears from her rosy cheeks. “I’ll call you tonight, I promise. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” Maddie sniffed, grabbed her purse, and then climbed out of the limo. Connor watched as the driver lifted her bags and helped her to the sliding door entrance of the airport terminal.