Breaking Away (Rocking Racers Book 3)

by Megan Lowe

  It’s been a week since everything went down with Connor, and the only times we’ve been apart is to sleep or when we’re in class. We’ve been keeping things light, but tonight is my chance to get to know the real Mav. I asked him why the wait. All he said was he wanted to do this “right”, whatever that means. I don’t question it too much; it’s just one of the ways Mav Ryan is so totally different than I first thought.

  “I feel like I should give you the safe-sex talk,” Josh says, as he comes into my room and sits on my bed.

  “Aren’t I a little old for that?” I ask.

  “Probably, but here you are, getting ready to go on a date with an older guy, not to mention the fact that he’s covered in tattoos and has several piercings.”

  “Isn’t he your best friend?” I ask as I apply my make-up.

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean anything. You’re my sister.”

  “He’s a good guy, Josh.” I mean it. I know Mav is a good guy.

  “Oh, I know that. I wouldn’t let you make out with him if I thought otherwise.”

  I turn to look at him. “So what’s the point of this conversation then?”

  He takes a deep breath. “I feel like this moment, this relationship is going to be a major part of your life, of our lives. I’m trying to say what I think Mum and Dad would say if they were here.”

  “Josh,” I say, my voice thick.

  “He’s a great guy, Aubrey. They’d approve of him and they’d see the same thing I do when I see the two of you together.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A couple that is truly meant for each other. I know you were hesitant at first, and that resistance stems from all the shit that went down with Connor, but Mav isn’t like that. He likes you, he’s respectful, hell, he saved my arse. He’s going to be good for you. Not to mention he’s a kickarse FMX rider and a total IT genius. My GPA is going to be insane with his help this semester.”

  I shake my head as I laugh. We hear a knock at the door.

  “I’ll get it,” Josh says, getting up. “You just focus on making yourself even more beautiful than you already are.” He kisses my temple before heading downstairs. Not long after, I hear voices, Josh’s and Mav’s, floating up from the living room. I cap my mascara, grab my clutch, turn off the light, and head downstairs.

  If I thought Mav was attractive in T-shirts, cargo shorts, and thongs, it’s nothing to what he’s wearing now. Distressed jeans, black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and motorcycle boots top off the “bad boy meets gentleman” look.

  “Wow,” he says when he sees me, “you look, just wow.” I meet him at the bottom of the stairs and he grabs me by the hips, bringing us together. He smells like leather and man; I love it.

  “Yeah?” I ask nervously. He didn’t tell me where we’re going, but this is the Gold Coast so I knew I wouldn’t need a ball gown. Instead, I’m wearing black shorts, a sleeveless black lace top, and strappy sandals.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispers, and kisses me softly.

  “Have her back by ten,” Josh says in his deepest voice, breaking the spell surrounding me and Mav.

  I hang my head and rest it on Mav’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about him. I have no idea how we spent nine months in the womb and I didn’t manage to kill him. I don’t know how I manage it now, come to think of it.”

  Mav just chuckles, takes my hand, and heads to the door. “Don’t wait up,” he says.

  A shiny white sports car is parked outside, and lights up when Mav unlocks it. “No bike?” I ask him as he opens my door.

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t bring it with me when I left.”

  “Where are you from anyway?” I ask once we’re settled.

  “Booker. It’s a town in Victoria, about three hours east of Melbourne.”

  “With the university, right?” I ask.

  He nods. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “They have a good nursing program there. I looked into it after everything blew up with, um, yeah…,” I say, not wanting to bring Connor into this, “but ah, in the end I wasn’t quite ready to leave home, so that’s how I ended up at Hale.” Mav nods. “So why the Coast?” I ask.

  “Hale has the best IT course in the country, plus it had the added benefit of being far away from Booker.”

  “Your family aren’t supportive?” I ask, my heart breaking a little at the thought.

  “No, they’re great. I just felt like I was always different from the rest of them, and doing this, coming here was a big step.”

  “Will you tell me about them?”

  “My family?” I nod. He glances over at me. “There’s a lot of them,” he warns.

  I shrug. “I think I can handle that, as long as you don’t quiz me afterwards.” He smiles and proceeds to tell me all about his pa, pop, brothers, siblings-in-law, nephew, and niece. It sounds hectic, but growing up in a comparatively small family I’m also a little jealous. “Jax sounds like a character,” I say, laughing after Mav regales me with a particularly hilarious tale of some of the stuff he and his younger brother got up to. I’ve never been more glad of Gold Coast traffic than I am hearing Mav’s rich voice fill the car on our way to the restaurant.

  Mav smiles fondly. “He is. He’s my best friend, besides Josh, but right now he’s angry as hell with me.”

  “Because you left?” I ask.

  “Because of the way I left. I just packed up, wrote a note, and started driving. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing or thinking or how I was feeling. I just up and left.”

  “You did what you needed to, the only way you knew how,” I tell him, squeezing his knee.

  He shrugs. “I guess. I still should’ve talked to him about it though. I mean, we lived together, trained together, did everything together. I’d be pissed if the shoe was on the other foot.”

  I smile. That sentence right there is how I know Mav is different. He looks over and sees the expression on my face. “What’s got you so happy?” he asks, a smile on his own face.

  “You’re just not who I thought you were, and I’m glad of that.”

  “Let me guess, you thought I was a tattooed bad boy manwhore, right?” I mash my lips together. “Well?” he asks. “Am I right?”

  “I don’t want to say.”

  “It’s all right, I know what people think when they look at me. I know the tattoos can be a little in your face.”

  “They can be,” I agree, “but I like them. It’s kind of like a test. If you can get past them then you’re rewarded with knowing this awesome, sweet, caring guy.” His cheeks blush red. “Oh my God, are you blushing?” I giggle.

  “What? No!” he says.

  “You so are! Oh my God, that’s so cute!”

  “Shut up,” he mumbles, blushing even more.

  I pinch his cheek. “Don’t be like that, it’s adorable.”

  “Whatever,” he mumbles as he pulls into an underground car park. He parks the car, gets out, and comes around to open my door for me.

  “Don’t be embarrassed,” I say as I stand. “You’re a great guy, Mav. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “I’m not, it’s just”—he scratches the back of his neck—“I’m not good at this stuff.”

  “What stuff?” I ask, genuinely confused.

  “You know, dating and flirting and stuff.” I know he’s not trying to, but it makes me melt a little bit more every time he proves my preconceived notions totally incorrect.

  I cup his face. “I like that you’re not good at this stuff.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nod. “Oh yeah, total turn-on.” I brush my lips against his.

  “I mean, I’m not a virgin or anything. I just don’t whore around like my brothers, or like they used to, I guess.”

  “Mav,” I say, bringing his attention back to here and now, “don’t ruin it.”

  “Right, shutting up now,” he says, taking my hand and leading me to the street. We stop in front of one of the hottes
t restaurants on the coast, an Asian fusion one that everyone’s raving about. “Is this okay?” he asks nervously. “I mean, if you don’t like Asian we can go somewhere else. I probably should’ve asked before I booked. It’s just this place has been blowing up online and I thought you might like it, but it’s totally okay if you don’t.”

  “Mav,” I say, before he talks himself into thinking this was a bad idea, “this is great. I’ve heard the food is amazing, so just take a breath, relax, and know that whatever you have planned I’ll love.”

  He takes the deep breath I suggested and pushes open the door to the restaurant. We’re seated at a corner table, and instead of sitting opposite, Mav opts to sit at a ninety-degree angle to me. The food is amazing; it’s no wonder this place has got everyone raving. We sit and talk throughout the entire meal; the only silence is when we’re stuffing our faces with the delicious food we ordered. Afterwards we take a walk along the beach.

  “So, tell me about FMX,” I say.

  “FMX in general or me in FMX?” he asks.

  “You in FMX.”

  “It just sorta happened,” he says. “My family have always been around bikes, but in racing, and I didn’t want to do that. I was watching something on YouTube and saw guys were flipping and doing all sorts of tricks. It looked like fun so I thought, ‘Why not?’”

  “And it turned out you were good at it.”

  “It turned out I was very good at it.”

  “That’s the first time you’ve actually admitted your skill level,” I say.

  “It’s the wine with dinner,” he says quickly, once again blushing.

  “You didn’t drink,” I point out.

  He grabs me around the waist and hugs me tight. “Shh, you weren’t supposed to point that out.” I laugh. “But yeah, I was—I guess I probably still am—good at FMX, it’s just not what I want to do with my life.”

  “Do you miss it?” I ask.

  “A bit. It’s funny, I didn’t think I would, but I do, probably more now that I’m back in contact with my family.”

  “It’s okay to miss it, you know,” I tell him.

  He slings an arm around my shoulders. “I know. I guess I thought I should only have one love, either FMX or IT, but now I’m considering the possibility of having both. My pop actually planted the seed and said the same thing you did.”

  “He sounds like a smart man.”

  Mav nudges me and I laugh. “So, you have room for dessert?” he asks.

  “I’m always up for something sweet.”

  “I’ll remember that,” he says, before his lips connect with mine. His tongue lazily enters my mouth and I let out a little moan.

  “Come on,” he says, turning us towards the car, “before I have you and forget about dessert.” I’m smiling and giggling like no one’s business on the way to our next destination.

  Chapter 14

  Mav

  My first date with Aubrey is going so much better than I imagined. I’ll freely admit I was nervous as hell when I first picked her up, but she put me at ease and now I never want the night to end.

  When we drive up to her house, there’s a car I haven’t seen before in the driveway.

  “Oh, my grandpa must be home,” Aubrey says in her husky voice that I love. “Do you want to meet him?”

  “Do you want me to meet him?” I ask.

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  I shrug. “I don’t exactly look like meet-the-family material.”

  She takes my hand and kisses the ink on the back of it. “I don’t care what you look like.”

  “Are you sure? ’Cause if you’re not, I’m okay not ever meeting him. We can just hang out at my place from now on or something.” I can feel myself start to sweat at the thought, both of not being the type of guy she introduces to her grandpa and of being the type of guy she does.

  “Mav,” she says sternly, “get out of the fucking car.” It’s the first time I’ve heard her swear, and it’s sexy as hell. I race around to the passenger side, open her door, and help her out. She hooks her arm through mine and leads me to the house. While she’s looking for her keys, I roll my sleeves down. “You don’t have to do that,” she tells me.

  I shrug. “I want to make a good impression. I know I can’t do much about my hands or neck, but these I can. I don’t know what your grandpa is like, but I can’t imagine he’d be thrilled that I’m who you’re bringing home.”

  She stops and faces me. “Connor is probably the opposite of you. He’s tall, wholesome-looking, with blond hair. Outwardly he’s the perfect guy, but you and I both know nothing could be further from the truth. What you look like here”—she runs her hands down my chest and arms—“means nothing to who you are here.” She lays a hand on my pounding heart. “Got it?” she asks as she threads her fingers through mine.

  I pull her to me and give her a chaste kiss. “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Good, now come on.” She leads us into the living room, where a distinguished-looking man sits. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s probably older than Pa, late sixties-ish, with grey hair, a strong build, and Aubrey’s green eyes. “Hey Grandpa,” she says, going over to him and kissing him on the cheek. “How was your trip?”

  “Oh, the usual,” he says in a deep voice. “Who’s this?” he asks, when he spots me standing awkwardly at the edge of the room. Aubrey crosses back to get me and pulls me closer.

  “Grandpa, this is my boyfriend, Maverick Ryan. Mav, my grandpa, Phil James.” I’m still trying to process the fact Aubrey called me her boyfriend when Phil clears his throat.

  “Oh, sorry,” I say, and hold out my hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, sir.” Phil looks at my outstretched hand but makes no move to shake it. I let it fall back to my side.

  “Your brother said you were out. What he failed to mention was you were with one of Australia’s most wanted,” Phil says to Aubrey.

  She laughs. “Don’t be silly, Grandpa. Mav goes to Hale with Josh and me. In fact, he and Josh are in a lot of the same classes.”

  “It seems they’ll let anyone in these days,” he grumbles. “I’m spending all this money to send my grandkids to one of Australia’s premier universities and this is who they let in?” He shakes his head.

  “Right, I’m um, I’m gonna go,” I say, and start edging to the door. “It was nice to meet you, sir. You have a lovely house and family.” He doesn’t acknowledge my statement.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” Aubrey says, when we reach the front door.

  “It’s okay,” I say, cupping her face. “I know what I look like.”

  “You know I don’t care what you look like, right?” she says.

  I lean down to kiss her. “Yes, I do, and I’m very grateful for that.”

  “I had a great time tonight,” she says, relaxing against my chest. I run my fingers through her hair.

  “So did I.”

  “You know, for someone who doesn’t know how to date, you sure did it well tonight, Maverick Ryan.”

  “Anything for you,” I tell her, and kiss the top of her head. “Anyway, I should get going. I’ll call you tomorrow and see you Monday?” I don’t know why I phrase it as a question. I’m so hooked on this girl, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.

  “Just try and stop me,” she says, stretching up to kiss me.

  We make out for a little bit against the door, but not nearly as much as I’d like. The thought her grandpa could interrupt us at any moment keeps me from taking things too far. Eventually I end the kiss.

  “Sleep tight, sweetheart,” I say, and give her one more quick kiss before I turn and walk to my car.

  Chapter 15

  Aubrey

  Mav and I have been dating for two months now, much to my grandpa’s dismay. He still hasn’t warmed up to Mav or approved of our relationship. I’m not going to lie, it hurts, but I’m not willing to stop seeing Mav. I just wish Grandpa would put aside his bias for a minute and get to know him. If he did, he’d see what
I see. A young man who’s far from home. He’d see that despite appearances to the contrary, Mav is gentle and kind. And even though he’s living his dream, he’s so unsure of himself. I’m doing my best to convince him that what I see is who he is, but he’s still having a hard time. I don’t think it helps that his younger brother still isn’t talking to him. He FaceTimed his family a couple of weekends ago for his nephew’s fifth birthday and his niece’s first, but when Jax saw one of his brothers with the phone he snatched it off him and disconnected the call. Mav tried to hide how much that hurt him, but I know he thinks he deserves it. I get where Jax is coming from, but I also think it’s time he cut Mav some slack. I’ve tried to mention this a couple of times, but he shuts down the minute I bring it up.

  He also refuses to discuss getting back into riding. I think he thinks that it will be too good to be true if he can have his cake and eat it too. And how do you convince someone that they’re entitled to their own happiness when they believe they’ve ruined someone else’s? I’m working on it, but I think Mav wouldn’t be Mav if it came easily; it’s just one of the many things I love about him.

  Yes, I said the L-word, but no, I haven’t said it to him yet, or vice versa. We haven’t done one other major thing either, much to my dismay. For whatever reason, Mav is refusing to sleep with me. I’d take it personally, except we’ve fooled around quite a bit so I know what reaction he has to me. It’s frustrating, like incredibly frustrating, but I also find it, like so many other things Mav does, sweet. Every day I thank fate—or whoever sent him to my brother and me.