by Dawn Doyle
I believed him. His voice was clear and direct, and at that moment I was suddenly terrified of losing the guy that had stormed into my life only a couple of weeks ago. “I do want you,” I whispered.
He leaned over, cupping both sides of my face with his hands and taking my mouth with his, pressing his soft lips against mine. He slowly pulled back, leaving me in a daze and desperate for more.
“I shouldn’t want you so much, but I can’t help it,” he breathed against my lips.
“Why shouldn’t you?” I asked, gripping the front of his hoodie.
“I’m not good for you, but fuck if I’m going to let that keep me away.”
I tugged him toward me, slamming my mouth to his, parting my lips and deepening the kiss, taking what I wanted. Blaine’s tongue licked into my mouth, and I moaned, going back for more and more, loving how he gently sucked on my lips as he kissed me. I tasted him, flicking my tongue over his and he responded by threading his hands in my hair and holding me to him, tilting my head for better access.
I could’ve stayed there all night, just feasting on his mouth, enjoying how his lips moved expertly over mine. They were pulsating when he pulled away, swollen and wet.
Blaine brushed my hair back as he looked over my face. “You’re gonna cause me a lot of trouble, retweet, I just know it.”
I smiled, then pulled him in for another kiss. “I don’t think it’s me that’s the cause,” I countered.
“No.” He shook his head, then kissed me again. “You’re not, but I am.” He pressed his lips to my forehead once before releasing me.
He got out of my car and shut the door, the sound emphasizing the empty space beside me that now seemed so much bigger without him.
I watched him walk up the path toward the door, my stomach doing a flip-flop when he looked over his shoulder and winked.
Blaine wasn’t the only one that was trouble. I was, and in just a short amount of time, I’d gotten myself in so deep I couldn’t see my way out.
And I didn’t want to.
Chapter 9
Blaine
I had the details ready, the ladies lined up to be taken, and I was good to go. I was already inside my first, gliding her at eighty down the highway, making sure I didn’t attract the same attention as last time.
I gotta get this done right so I can see Robyn.
Fuck, the sensations of her mouth had stayed with me all damn night and right through to today. Twenty-four hours ago, I was in her car, trying so fucking hard to control myself, to keep from hauling her sweet ass onto my lap and relieving her of the bland uniform that she managed to make look sexy as fuck.
I ran my hand over my head and through my hair, trying to scruff away how horny I was right then. This little lady had to be taken to the drop off point, then I had another waiting for me to show her the city.
The needle hovered over ninety, the urge to race her ass growing more and more, but not because I wanted to see what she could do in my hands, but because I was so done already.
Fuck, I’m losing my shit.
I knew next to nothing about Robyn, so it made no sense at all for me to act that way. When I was with her, everything else went out of my head.
Cars were my thing, my passion, and had been since I got behind the wheel when I was twelve. Yeah, it was breaking the law, but it called out to me. From the age of ten, I’d started to act out, tired of the bullshit that was surrounding me, but who wouldn’t? I guess I had abandonment issues, but they were a distant memory the second I got inside the body of a V12 with a smooth ass and plenty of bite. Testing her limits made me focus on one thing—nothing.
I came to a stop at the back of the old warehouses, my usual place to clean up after myself. I got out and wiped her down, making sure to wear my silicone gloves and keeping my hood up once I was done. Seat covers were in place, Cecil was closed up, and I was on the move again. My last fifteen minutes ride with this brand new car, and I would be making my way to the next.
“Two more to go, Blaine,” Preston said as I pulled into the junkyard. The typical place for things like this to go down, with cars disappearing off the streets every day in the form of metal blocks, shipped overseas for a quick buck. Except for these ladies, though. “Keep this up, and we’ll have to double our orders.” He laughed, shaking his head as he did.
I ground my jaw, my teeth crunching together with the pressure. I wanted to tear his fucking head off. Being Eddie’s right-hand man made him think he was a big-shot, but I knew better. “You know that’s not possible,” I snapped. “The cops will be all over these as soon as they’re reported. I have a window that can’t be opened any wider.”
He wagged his finger toward me. “I’m sure you’ll think of something, blondie. You’re a smart kid.”
I snorted. “If you have a way of stopping the cops looking for cars like these, then I’m all ears, because three is my limit, and even they have to be spaced out most of the time.”
“Ah, yeah.” He grinned and tapped his temple with an unlit cigarette. “Keep them guessing. We can’t have them finding a pattern can we?”
“No, we fucking can’t.” One here, two there, a quiet period then a triple hit. That was this pattern, but I would change it up next time. “Not unless you want to get caught.” He was on borrowed time already, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when the last grain of sand fell in the glass.
“You’ll get paid when number three gets here,” he said, staring at the silver car. “Eddie’s got your cash ready, all you have to do is deliver.” Without looking at me, he held his hand out for the copied fob. “Now get out of here, sunshine, you’re cramping my style.”
“Yeah, sure I am.” I snorted with sarcasm. The bald prick needed to get his ass on a treadmill sometime. “I hear the burger joint down the street is asking for their rolls back.”
Preston threw his head back and laughed, his jiggly gut wobbling over his too-tight belt. He stopped suddenly, then glared at me. “You know, kid, if it were anybody else saying that shit to me, they wouldn’t be seen again. But, since you breathing is helpful to us right now, I’ll let that slide.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed long and hard. “Please, Pres, don’t embarrass yourself.” I smirked then spoke louder. “I told you I’m not interested in you.”
“Why, you little shit,” he spat. He began storming toward me, but I didn’t move.
I held up my hand and turned it over as though examining my nails. “Do you really want to mess up the order?” I asked, making him halt. He was at least eight inches shorter than me, but with Eddie Sykes as his friend, the prick thought he was unstoppable.
“Get the fuck out of here, Blaine,” he seethed, his fists tight by his sides. “And bring me the cars. You have two fucking hours. One minute over, and I’m coming for you.”
“Make sure that you do,” I growled, turning away from him and slinging Cecil over my shoulder. “It gives me an incentive to take my fucking time.”
No lights were on, but the scanner picked up the signal from the keys in the house. They’d been left out in the open, and I wanted to knock on the damn door and yell at them for being reckless. Hide your fucking keys!
This wasn’t fun—it never had been—because I’d always intended for the cars to go home. My stomach swarmed with bile, the burning rising as my device copied the signal and unlocked the car. It took three seconds to transfer that into a new fob, the ones I’d gotten specifically for these cars.
“Come on, baby, let’s get this show on the road. I’ve got another one to ride after you, and then I can see my girl.”
My girl. Yeah, Robyn was, and the more I thought about what I was doing, Lucian’s mess with Luca—back when he was fighting at the pit—made so much more fucking sense. He’d been broken when Larry, Eddie’s brother, threatened her, making him have no choice but to destroy their relationship just to keep her safe. And it had almost killed him.
I couldn’t have Robyn involved with
this. I should’ve left her alone and just forget about her, but I couldn’t.
I shook off the thoughts and focused on the job, telling myself I didn’t have time to waste. I took off the parking brake and let the car roll out of the driveway, then started her up, shifting into drive and pushing the gas pedal down just enough to leave her owner clueless that she’d been taken.
Robyn
I walked out of the building and into the darkness, the small parking lot lit up by the two streetlights at either end. I headed over to my car, scanning the area while I took my keys out. I reached my Swift and saw a black car parked next to mine, the driver inside resting their head back with their eyes closed.
I tapped the window, and Blaine’s eyes sprung open, then snapped to me, the color still standing out in the dark.
“Hey, retweet,” he said, opening the door. “Fancy meeting you here of all places.”
I laughed. “Yeah, such a coincidence.”
He closed his door then stepped toward me, causing my heart rate to spike. His warm arms wrapped around me, then released me too soon. “Wanna go for a ride?” I looked at his car, then mine. I knew which one I’d prefer, but it was late, and I didn’t think he would be staying in the area for too long. “My car, retweet,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder. “Yours will be fine right here.”
I shook my head. “No.” When his brows dipped, I continued. “I’ll take my car home, then we can go for a ride.”
“Sure thing,” he replied, a sexy smirk forming on his lips, the kind that showed he was holding back. “Lead the way.”
I turned my back on him to walk to my driver’s side, feeling him watching me as I went. I glanced to him once before I got in, not missing the way his eyes shot up from wherever he’d been staring.
Five minutes, and I was outside my apartment building, parking up next to the curb in the numbered spots. Blaine pulled up behind me, and once I got out of my car, I closed the door, only for his passenger side to open.
“We have to stop running into each other like this,” he said when I sat down. “People are gonna start talking.”
“And what are they going to say?”
Blaine leaned toward me, ghosting his lips over mine. “They’re gonna think there’s something going on between us.”
“Is there?” I asked, my lips stroking over Blaine’s as I spoke.
“That’s only up to you, Robyn.”
Jesus, I loved how he said my name. Just his deep voice was enough, but the gravelly tone gave it a dangerous edge, and it sent shivers down my spine. “It is?”
Blaine nodded, then pressed his lips to mine so gently I wanted to grab his hair and hold him tight. “Just say the word, and I’m gone.”
What reason did he have for thinking I would tell him to go? “Why are you saying that?”
“I can’t go into details, but there’ll be times when I can’t call you, or text you. There’ll be a couple of days where I won’t be around at all, but you have to know it’s not because I’m avoiding you.”
The days after the party came back, the time when I hadn’t heard a peep from him until he showed up at the coffee shop. “Like the past few days?”
He nodded again. “I had every intention of seeing you, to apologize for being a dick, but there were things I had to do before I could. When I’m in the middle of that, I can’t call anyone…at all. And now, not even Alpha Cabs.” He reached up and ran his fingers down my cheek, stopping at my chin to rub his thumb over my bottom lip. “I know it would piss me off, so asking you to be okay with that is a lot.”
Blaine kept his gaze fixed on my face, staring into my eyes as though the answer was somewhere inside them, but I didn’t want to give it away. I drew my shutters, keeping him out of anything he could decipher, and pulled back. “Are we going for a ride, or are we gonna sit here all night?”
Blaine took hold of the steering wheel and shifted into gear. “Whatever you say, retweet.”
“Don’t break my heart,” I whispered.
“Sorry, what? I didn’t catch that.” His lips pursed, just a little, but I caught it nonetheless.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just talking to myself,” I replied. He began to chew the inside of his lip. “Your grandpa talks about you like you don’t get along…” I let that trail off. I had no idea what to add to that to make it sound any better.
Blaine shrugged. “He always has, but my mom gives him shit for it. When my dad…” He blew out slowly as his hands curled tight, the steering wheel squeaking in his grip.
I saw how his jaw clenched and his eyes focused dead ahead, a similar reaction I had whenever anybody attempted to stick their nose in where it wasn’t welcome.
“Aren’t we supposed to be getting a speed-high?” I asked, changing the subject.
Blaine’s eyes snapped to mine, his lips stretching wide. “Retweet, you read my mind.” Then he put his foot down, darting in and out of the night traffic, shifting gears with perfect foot control. His hand found mine, and he squeezed gently before gripping the stick again.
Tonight wasn’t about questions, it was about enjoying my time and getting to know the guy beside me. Whenever he wanted to open up, I was going to be there, because for everything about him that was still a mystery, I knew there was only so much pain a person could take before they broke.
Even him.
“Was Mica’s car ever found?” Blaine asked when we reached the busy road on Central Avenue.
I looked at him then back at the road. “I don’t know, we’ve not spoken since that night.” I wasn’t going to bring it up, either.
“You were friends for long?” He came almost bumper to bumper with a Mercedes, darting out at the last second and dropped his gear to get way in front.
Racing down the highway like that, as though racing, I couldn’t keep my legs from moving. I wanted to be in that seat so bad. “Uh, since I started work at Aunt Joan’s coffee shop,” I replied. “A couple of years, I guess.”
“What else do you know about him?”
I grinned. “Interrogation time again?”
Blaine smirked, turning his eyes on me for a moment, full of mischief and promises of more to come. “Just curious,” he replied, then licked his lips.
Oh, yeah, I remembered what happened after the last time he questioned me. “We’re the same age, like the same music, we got on well… For a while. Oh, and his cousin is my boss at the cab center.”
“You’re not friends anymore?”
“No. Not since I rejected him.”
“Not the kind of guy who likes to hear that, then, huh?”
I stared at his profile. “I guess not.” Blaine never broke concentration from the busy traffic, giving me plenty of time to admire his face, and as my gaze fell, I definitely admired the rest of him, too. “Do we have to talk about Mica?”
“Is his cousin a good boss?” he asked, ignoring my request to get off the subject.
I blew out a hard laugh. “No. He’s an asshole. He threatens to fire me any chance he gets.” Blaine was silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. “Are you okay?”
“When I came to the shop with Luca, did you know Mica took a picture of us?”
I bolted upright. “What?”
“Yeah. Well, Mica wanted to know a hell of a lot about me, and got someone to investigate.”
“Oh my fucking god, he got a PI on you?” Blaine’s comment about me looking into him, too, made so much sense now. I’d wondered what he’d meant by that.
Blaine grinned “It just so happens that that person was my friend, Charlie.”
I slapped my hand over my mouth. “The guy you brought to the shop the other day?” When Blaine nodded, I continued. “So, that’s why he took off so fast.”
“He told Charlie you were his girlfriend and that Luca was mine, but I was after you.”
I clenched my jaw. “He. Did. What?”
“He knows now that you’re mine, so he won’t try to fuck with you anymore.�
�
That word. Mine.
“I’m yours?” I snorted.
Blaine grinned again, then quickly looked at me before putting his foot down hard on the gas and took the ramp toward Cedar Bridge. “Yeah you are, and if you have a problem with that, then speak now, or forever hold your tongue.”
I barked a laugh, and for the first time, I wasn’t pissed at the thought of being claimed. My heart rate was already through the roof, butterflies dancing in my stomach, and my skin tingling with anticipation. I had to stay calm, though. I was reaching my high, and losing control right now wouldn’t be a good idea. “Whatever you say, Summers.” I placed my hand on his thigh, and his muscle twitched under my palm. “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
He jerked the steering wheel, the back end of the car swinging out, and he turned into the skid, drifting like he had a few nights ago. “I intend to find out, baby, and I’ll do that all by myself.”
I was so screwed.
“So, where are we going?” I asked after a few moments of silence. I chewed on my lower lip while Blaine tilted his head to the side.
“You know, I never thought that far ahead.,” he said, his brows knitting together. I could see every expression on his gorgeous face as he concentrated on the road. He glanced at me, then back to the road. “My main objective was to get you in my car.”
My insides fluttered, and I swallowed hard. “Oh?”
Blaine chuckled, the deep rumble of his laugh doing things to me that shouldn’t be possible with just that sound. “I guess you were right.”
“About?” I thought about all the things I could’ve been right about, but nothing came to mind. It was as though him being near me fried my gaskets and rattled my cylinders.
“I really don’t know what to do with you.” He stared at me, then a wicked grin spread across his mischievous face. “Yeah,” he drawled out. “That was a lie, retweet, I know exactly what to do with you.”