“No, it was an accident. As soon as I was stable, he moved his hand away like it was on fire. No worries,” I assured her. I didn’t want her worrying and I didn’t want to ruin the rest of the show for her. I wanted her to enjoy it. But I definitely was going to use this as my excuse to leave and meet up with Shane. “I’m gonna go. I wasn’t big into this whole thing in the first place, and I’m just really embarrassed.”
“Oh, no one cares,” Annabelle insisted, but she did relent. “Fine, thanks for helping me pass out those flyers. I’ll see you Monday?”
I nodded, and then gave her and Jason a quick hug on my way out. As I started walking toward one of the main hallways, I made a mental note to add learn to dance to my list. I didn’t need to become a back-up dancer for Beyoncé or anything, but it might make life a little easier if I had some kind of rhythm. Actually, I’m changing it. I want to sneak into a club and dance all night. I needed to think bigger and really live it up, just like Violet said. Hell, just like what Violet was doing.
I still had about fifteen minutes before Shane was supposed to show up, but I didn’t feel like waiting. He liked to play with me so much, it was his turn.
Christie: I’m free earlier. Get here in 10 or it’s a no go. Parking lot 2.
Phone in hand, I walked a little faster to the parking lot and made it in six minutes. I leaned against my car, trying to be casual, but really, I was antsy. What would it be like for us to hang out? When I rode on the back of his bike, it was different than all our other interactions. He was quiet for one, and there were no games. It was just him, the bike, and me. I wasn’t worried if I looked pretty enough, or if I said the right thing. With the wind ruining my perfect curls, I finally had the chance to just be. I wanted to feel that freedom again.
I heard the rumble of an engine and turned to look for his bike. An icy blue sedan with a giant spoiler on the back and a giant vent on the front pulled up next to my car. I stood up, ready to tell some creep to back off when the window rolled down.
“I made it with two minutes to spare,” Shane said, proud of himself.
“Where’s the bike?” I was really confused. How was I going to learn to drive a motorcycle when he brought a car? I was a good driver, we didn’t need to work on that.
“If you really thought I’d teach you to drive my baby in the dark, then you’ve got another think coming,” he informed me with a lot of sass.
“So then what are we doing?”
“Get in and find out.” Shane leaned over and opened the passenger side door for me.
I jumped in before I chickened out entirely. Besides, I had my pepper spray in my purse.
Chapter 3
Shane pulled out of the parking lot driving way too fast with only one hand draped loosely over the wheel. True, I tended to drive fast, but he brought a whole new meaning to the word. When he took turns, I felt like at any second we’d be on two wheels. I should have felt scared, but instead, I felt alive.
At no point did I think he was out of control. He actually had a really good handle on what the car could do and how to control her. It kind of turned me on. Strike that, it completely turned me on. If he could make a car do this, what could he make me do? I glanced at his big firm hand gripping the steering wheel as he navigated a deep curve and felt a hot flash coming on. I tried to keep it together, but it just made me shiver a bit. Shane noticed and turned the heat on. I should have told him that wasn’t the case, but I didn’t want to talk just yet. Instead, I slipped out of my sweater and placed it on my lap.
“So that’s all I have to do to get you to strip…turn the heat up?” Shane reached for the temperature control and I swatted his hand.
“Shut up, it’s the beginning of September. It’s supposed to be hot.”
“Then why did you bring a sweater?” he asked, turning the heat off.
“Because girls always get cold in weird places. We almost always have a sweater with us or wish we did.” I reached over to his radio to switch it on and then he swatted my hand away.
“No, no. My car, my radio.”
“Aren’t we supposed to be having fun?” I asked in a bit of a huff.
“Yeah.” Shane stepped on the gas and the car flew forward. I panicked for a second, looking around for a cop or a car we might hit, but it was an empty road. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Depends on the secret,” I responded, trying to remain cool, but I really wanted to know what he had to say.
“Next Saturday is the start of the street racing season. This is the car I plan to take there. I was giving her a test drive when you texted me.”
“So that’s what we’re doing? Going on a test drive?”
“Isn’t it?” He looked over at me for a second and held my eyes. Shane didn’t look at the road but stayed focused on me. I was almost too scared to move, but I stared straight back. I knew what he was saying. It wasn’t just a test for the car. We were testing each other out. Trying to see if there was any spark. As his speed increased, so did my adrenaline, and so did my libido. I wanted him, and from the look of lust in his eyes, he wanted me just as bad.
It must have only been seconds, but it felt like minutes. Shane returned his gaze to the road in time to make it around another nasty curve. If I had to guess, I would say he knew that was there, and looked back at the road just in time.
“Do you need a good luck charm? When you’re racing, I mean.” It was ballsy to ask. He probably had a million girls all over him when he raced. I didn’t know much about cars, but I knew this one was sexy and I probably wasn’t the only one to figure it out.
“I’m defending champ from last year. I don’t need luck,” Shane said, jutting his chest forward.
“Well, then forget I said anything.”
“Hey, calm down. I could use a cheering section.”
“A whole section? Isn’t that a little cocky?”
“Nothing little about it.”
I rolled my eyes and snorted. Then I leaned over the gear shift and whispered in his ear. “Do you know what they say about guys who are over confident?” I asked while sliding a hand up his firm chest. “They tend to have…” I paused a moment and gave his ear a little nibble. “…really small feet.”
I leaned back in my seat and Shane pulled the car over to the side of the road. He reached over, wrapped his hands around the back of my head, and pulled me into a deep, unapologizing kiss. He gave me everything he could and I tried desperately to keep up. Then, he broke away, started the car up again, and smiled at me.
“See, no one likes a tease.” He sped up, the car revving so loudly that he wouldn’t be able to hear my response had I been clear headed enough to come up with one.
For the next twenty minutes, we drove in silence. It was like the bike, but his hand had managed to rest on my bare thigh, every now and then sliding just under the hem of my shorts. To my surprise, I didn’t brush it off. I leaned the seat back a little and stared off, taking in the rush that came from driving too fast, and the thrill I felt with his hand on my leg.
By the time Shane pulled back into the school’s parking lot, I felt like I was intoxicated. The adrenaline had left me feeling light headed and a little dazed. But then Shane stopped in front of my car and it was like icy water was thrown on me. The spell was broken. We climbed out and he walked me to my driver’s side door.
“So how did the test drive go?” I asked as I swayed a little. I had this terrible habit when I was nervous. There was just no way to keep me still.
“She’s good. I felt a few kinks in there, but I can definitely see the potential.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Did you really want to come with me next weekend? To the race with me?”
“Hell yeah, it sounds like a shit ton of fun.” He wanted to see me again. It wasn’t like I doubted it, but the validation was nice. I bit down on my lip to keep my smile from spreading clear across my face. I didn’t want him to know how much I was looking forward to seeing him
again. But the truth was, I knew I’d be counting the days.
“Great, but just know, once you enter that world, you’re stuck. You’ll never want to leave,” he warned, taking a step closer to me.
“I’ll take my chances,” I purred, and took a step closer to him, placing my palm on his chest. I could feel his rapid heartbeat and that made me feel better about my own. I wanted him to want me. The look in his eyes, the look that screamed danger, didn’t disappoint.
“I guess I’ll see you around school until then,” he whispered, placing his hands on my hips.
“Looks like it.” I dropped my hand from his chest, a little disappointed about the brush off. I started to turn around but Shane spun my hips so I was facing him again.
“Not so fast,” he warned, and reached out to brush some hair out of my eyes.
“Why?” I asked, pressing my chest into him.
“I just wanted to grab a piece of ass,” he growled and grabbed my butt with both hands, picking me up and placing me on the hood of my car. Then he pulled me in for a kiss, laying me down against the hard metal. I wrapped my arms around his neck, dragging him closer to me so there was no space between us, just clothes and desire.
Pulling away slowly, Shane looked at me and smiled big. “Now you can leave.”
I rolled my eyes at him and pushed him away so I could slide off the car.
“I noticed we didn’t do that on the hood of your car,” I said to his back.
He turned his head to look at me and gave a smile.
“If you wanted another kiss, all you had to do was ask.”
I rolled my eyes and climbed into my car. One more kiss wouldn’t be enough. Instead, I drove home that night, thinking of Shane and his street racing. Just sitting in the car with him speeding down the road, I got a secondhand high. I wondered how it would feel to actually drive like that. Stepping on the gas, I sped up and ran through the red light as it changed from yellow. My pulse raced and I could hear my heart beating in my ears again, but I couldn’t calm it down. Alarms were going off inside of me and I forced myself to ignore the voice telling me to slow down.
My street came up and I took the turn fast, my tires screeching on the street. I pulled to a stop in front of my house and headed inside while experiencing one of the best natural highs I’ve ever felt, though, if I was being honest, it may have had more to do with Shane than speed.
***
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my mother singing in the kitchen. She was in an extremely good mood.
“Hey Mom,” I greeted her, and then sat down at the dining room table. I helped myself to the eggs and bacon she put out.
“Hello darlin’,” she replied in sing song. “I am so excited. I was talking to Heather, and she told me that Rob called her to get the ring out of the safe deposit box to have it cleaned.”
She looked at me expectantly, almost bursting out of her skin.
I forced a smile and nodded. “You’re talking to Mrs. Arnold?” I hadn’t told her about the break, and I guess Rob hadn’t told his mom, either. I grabbed the cup of juice she handed me and took a big sip to try and force down the lump forming in my throat.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” She gave me a curious look, but then sat down next to me. “No reason. Rob is just really busy with school so we haven’t talked much.”
Mom’s smile faded and she covered her mouth. “Oh no, did I just give away a surprise? Have you two not been talking about getting married? I just assumed you knew that he was going to be asking about the ring. I wanted to give you some finality with it. Oh darlin’, please forgive me if I’ve ruined this surprise for you.” She reached out and stroked my hand, covering her face with the other one.
“No, you’re right. I know Rob is getting ready to propose. I just won’t see him until November, so you know, I’m just trying to enjoy college before…” I still couldn’t say it.
“Right,” she said, cutting me off. “That’s exactly what you should be doing. Spend time with your friends, and in the meantime…” she cooed, getting up and grabbing something off the counter. A magazine came sliding toward me.
It was a bridal magazine.
“In the meantime, we can start to plan your wedding.” She clapped her hands together and screamed a little in glee.
“Wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not engaged yet.” My mouth grew dry and my breathing came quick. I took another big sip of juice, but it wasn’t helping.
“At this point, darlin’, you might as well be. We know he’s going to propose, I know you’re going to say yes. And I know you want that big June wedding at The Plaza. Well, to make something like that happen, we’re gonna need to start planning early. Tomorrow, I should call someone at The Plaza and talk about possible June dates. It’s not like they’re going to stick around, and I want to have the best one for you.” She laughed her high pitched giggle and opened the magazine in front of me.
Before I knew what was happening, she was pointing to dress styles that would look good on me, and centerpieces that she liked. It was all becoming too much, and it felt like the room was closing in on me.
“Uh, Mom, why don’t I go talk to Annabelle about bridesmaid dresses?” I suggested, hoping that she would let me leave.
“Well, what about Mindy? Isn’t she going to be the maid of honor?” Mindy was my childhood best friend. I’ve known her since I was about five, and I’ve liked her since I was about seven. We call those two years before that the lost years. She thought I stole her “boyfriend” in kindergarten, so she hated me. But then I pushed another girl who was being mean to her and we’d been friends since.
“Yeah, of course. But you know, I’ve kinda been thinking of making Annabelle, like second maid of honor. Mindy is, like, three hours away at school, and Annabelle is up the street.” Really, I needed a back-up. Mom and Mindy together were too sugary and romantic. I needed someone to keep everyone level headed before I ended up in a gown covered in bows, lace, and tulle. Annabelle voiced her opinion, but never disrespected or ignored mine. She was perfect.
“That’s such a good idea.” She handed me the magazine and then stroked my cheek gently. “Here, take the magazine with you so you can show her my suggestions. Toward the last few pages are a collection of dresses I like for the bridesmaids.”
I nodded my head and rushed to get dressed before she took me to a seamstress to get fitted for my one of a kind dress that she’s been dreaming of.
Chapter 4
“So what’s this ring look like? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t say yes unless the ring was your shoe size?” Annabelle recalled.
“Okay, so this is a super vintage ring from his great grandmother. The center stone is three carats, perfectly clear, without a single flaw. It’s surrounded by a collection of sapphires that Rob has always said reminds him of my eyes. The band intertwines itself, so it is very baroque feeling. It’s basically the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life,” I said a little glumly.
“It sounds a bit like Kate Middleton’s ring.”
“Yup, it’s a ring meant for a princess. Apparently, his family was super rich in Ireland and they bought the ring off a British royal who owed a lot of money in gambling debts.”
“I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”
“Oh, I’m one hundred percent serious.” My face fell and I examined my perfect nails for imaginary flaws. “The ring is perfect.”
“You know, there is something to be said for imperfection. It keeps you honest,” Annabelle said softly as we sat down on her bed.
I looked up at her and saw that knowing look again. I didn’t want her to probe, and as much as I wanted to agree with her and say I wanted a different ring, maybe one with a less checkered past. Or if I was being honest, I’d say I wanted a two carat halo princess cut diamond with a plain band so I could get an elaborate wedding ring set to go around it. This way, I didn’t have to be fancy every day. I could leave the wedding ring at home a
nd just wear the engagement ring. Somedays, you didn’t want the princess ring. It was great for going out, but what about when you were lying on the couch? I couldn’t picture it. Instead of saying all that, I just said, “It’s fine. I should consider myself lucky, right? Rob is a great man, with a promising career. And he will be able to support my kind of lifestyle.”
“We do need to keep you in designers. I’d hate to see you break out if you had to put on a dress that came from the bargain bin,” she teased, nudging me gently.
“Right, I wouldn’t even know where to find the bargain bin.” I laughed, glad she was here for me to talk to.
“You can always say no. Would it really be so awful if you broke it off with Rob for good?”
“I could say no. It’s not like an arranged marriage or anything. When we’re together, I’m happy. He treats me well, he doesn’t take my jokes too seriously, and he’s sexy as hell. Besides, I love his parents. How often do you get in-laws who aren’t crazy?” I smiled, remembering that time my mom and my dad’s mom got in a screaming battle at Christmas. Mom chucked a glass ornament at Grammy for insulting her cooking.
“I don’t know. I haven’t met Jason’s parents yet, and it’s not like I told mine about him.”
“Why not?”
“My mom is a worrier. She worries about everything. Next thing I know, she’ll be taking Jason to the clinic to get tested. It won’t matter that he’s never had sex before.”
“Well, that’s fun. It could be like the ultimate test of his love for you.”
“Um, maybe not. My mom’s a nurse, so the chances she’ll suggest doing the test herself are way too high.”
We laughed but it didn’t seem pure. Annabelle was the first person who’d ever told me I could say no to Rob. Everyone else just assumed I’d say yes. It’s funny that the people who have known me all my life don’t seem to know me as well as the girl I met nine months ago.
Third Wheel (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 3) Page 3