by Cox, Carrie;
It was embarrassing talking to my sister about it. I felt ashamed to admit that I was just hanging around Jack like a little puppy dog desperate for any scraps of happiness he could give me.
If I had any self-respect, I would have ended this thing with Jack. But I wasn’t strong enough. I knew I would stay with him for as long as he wanted me.
To make matters worse, he could be so sweet sometimes, and I would almost believe he cared about me. Perhaps he did in his own way, but he still made it very clear that we didn’t have a future together.
“Oh,” I said. “It’s not that. We prefer to have separate rooms. It’s just a casual thing…”
Kate frowned as she looked at me. I knew she could see the pain on my face. She took my hands in hers. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, Tina. You’re still very fragile… After rehab.”
I pulled my hands away and folded my arms across my chest. It wasn’t right that Kate was worrying about me after everything she’d been through. The way she used my nickname, Tina, made me tear up. I was just so stupidly emotional at the moment.
I plastered a full smile on my face.
“I’m fine, honestly. You really don’t have to worry about me. Things are great.”
Kate nodded slowly, but the look of concern didn’t leave her eyes, and I could tell she didn’t believe me.
“Anyway, we’re not supposed to be talking about me and Jack. We’ve got a wedding to arrange! And you have to talk to Benjamin.”
Kate smiled. “Okay, but if you need to talk, remember I’m always here for you.”
I hugged my sister tight. “Always.”
30
Jack
Rita Volder thrusted the fifty page contract at me.
I took the paperwork, and she jabbed a finger at the box at the bottom of the page.
“Sign there, Jack,” Rita said with a wink.
I grinned. “Hey, I’m not that green. I’m just a little out of practice. I’ll get my lawyer to look over it first.”
Rita returned my grin and put her hands on her hips. “All right. But this better not be a delaying tactic, Jack.”
It wasn’t a delaying tactic. I did want to show it to my lawyer, but I also wanted to talk it over with Alexander and Kristina before I signed, Kristina especially.
I had no idea what I was going to do if Kristina didn’t want to go. After everything her sister had been through, Kristina was probably going to want to stay in the States. That would be a problem. With a race every fortnight along with all the training I’d have to go through, I’d hardly get to see her unless she came with me.
Rita waved a hand in front of my face. “Are you okay, Jack? You’re looking a little preoccupied. You know I’d never try and screw you over this, don’t you? You can trust me.”
I’d known Rita and the Volder racing team for a long time. And I believed that out of all the teams out there they were the most trustworthy.
“I’m fine. I’ll talk it over with Kristina and…”
Rita laughed out loud.
“I never thought I’d see the day when confirmed bachelor Jack Harding was fretting about a girl! You’re really into her, aren’t you?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, embarrassed. Was I really so transparent? “I’d like Kristina to come with me, to work with me.”
Rita nodded with a mocking smile. “Yeah. It’s just work. Whatever you say, Jack.”
I tucked the contract under my arm. She was right, it wasn’t just work, but I was not sure Kristina would have appreciated me talking about our relationship with another woman.
Even though I should have said nothing, I tried to explain myself. “It’s not just work. You’re right. Everything I’ve been through… Well, stuff like that changes a person. Do you know what I mean?”
My explanation was as clear as mud. But how could I explain it to Rita when I didn’t really understand it myself?
Rita shrugged. “Don’t leave it too long, Jack. Chances like this don’t come along every day.”
It wasn’t until after I’d left the meeting room and said goodbye to Rita that I wondered whether she’d been referring to the contract… or Kristina.
After I left the hotel, I walked along Main Street and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I selected the contacts list, picked a number, then dialed.
Brian answered on the third ring.
I didn’t bother with any preamble. “I’m calling to give you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Jack? Where are you?”
“Still in the States. I need you to get the next flight over here.”
“I can’t do that!” Brian said as if I was crazy. “I’ve got other clients.”
“I know that. But none of them pay as well as I do. I’ll double what anyone else is paying you. And I want you full-time.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“I need you here,” I said. “This isn’t public news yet, but I’m about to sign for Volder racing, and I need you to help me get into perfect shape.”
“I specialize in rehabilitation, Jack. I’m not a sports scientist.”
“I know that.”
“For the money you’re offering, you could get the top sports scientists in the world to work for you. They could design a training program better than me.”
I didn’t want a sports scientist. I wanted Brian because he understood me. He knew when to bully me, and he knew when to encourage me. He didn’t let me get away with anything, and that was the most important aspect of a trainer in my opinion. He wouldn’t let me take the easy route. When you are paying so much money, most of the time, you get a bunch of yes men who you could never really trust to tell you the truth. I knew that Brian would always be truthful even if it was brutal.
“I’m asking you as a friend,” I said.
I heard Brian exhale. “Jack Harding, that is below the belt. That’s emotional blackmail.”
I grinned. “I never said I played fair.”
For a few seconds, Brian kept me hanging.
“Sod it,” Brian said in his broad Irish accent. “Book me a flight. I’ll be there.”
I spent a few more minutes catching up with Brian and giving him a rough idea of what our schedule might be like. As I spoke, I could feel my excitement building. In a matter of months, I would be racing again.
After I hung up on Brian, I dialed Alexander’s number. It went straight to voicemail. I knew he was planning to be in the US for a business trip for the next three days, so I sent him a text asking if we could meet up tomorrow. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the news, and I wanted to explain face-to-face.
Talking it through with Alexander wouldn’t be easy, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the conversation. But that was nothing compared to how nervous I felt about talking to Kristina about it.
31
I took a cab from Boston to the Easton mansion in Rhode Island. It was a long journey, and the cab driver was initially very reluctant.
“I’ll give you a good tip.”
The cab driver studied me in the rearview mirror before shrugging. I guessed he decided I was good for it. “If you’re sure, man. It ain’t gonna be cheap.”
“I’m sure,” I said.
The cab driver shrugged again. “I’m not supposed to…”
I took a wedge of dollar bills from my wallet and passed them forwards between the seats, holding them under the cab driver’s nose.
His eyes lit up.
“You’re the boss,” he said as he steered the cab into traffic.
The journey was a long one. I could have arranged a car from a limo company or asked Benjamin if I could use one of his company drivers, but I liked the anonymity of a cab.
I used the journey to try and work out in advance what I would say to Kristina. I stared out of the window as raindrops began to patter on the glass.
I needed to be open with her, to tell her that I really wanted her to come with me during the
race season. I could tell her that I wanted her to be with me because I needed her. It may have started with a passionate fling, which neither one of us was expecting to last, but I couldn’t deny that my feelings had grown stronger over the past few months.
But if I tried that approach, she might not accept my proposal. She had been paid to take care of me, but in the last few weeks the lines between work and play had grown more and more blurred.
I knew that starting over and taking responsibility for her life had been a key reason for taking the job when Alexander offered it. Would she really give up her new life to follow me around the world?
I didn’t think she’d want to give up her independence, which really only left one option. I’d have to convince her to take a job as my assistant.
My breath began to mist up the window. As I puzzled over what I needed to say to Kristina, I tried to rehearse the words in my mind.
Kristina, I need to talk to you about something.
No, that was too serious.
Kristina, I met up with Rita in Boston and…
No, that wouldn’t work. She would wonder why I hadn’t told her I was meeting up with Rita today.
I put my head in my hands, fighting back a groan. Why was this so hard?
The cab driver whistled when we finally turned in to the driveway leading to the Easton mansion. I couldn’t blame him. It was an impressive sight. I paid him well over the fare he quoted and left him beaming in the cab as he counted out his money.
I couldn’t find Kristina straightaway. She wasn’t downstairs. Maybe that was a good thing. If she was upstairs, she was probably alone, and that meant I could talk to her in private.
I rapped on her bedroom door.
“Jack,” she said as she opened the door. “I’ve been waiting for you to get home.”
She grabbed the lapels of my jacket and pulled me into the room.
“Hey, what’s the rush? Not that I’m complaining.”
She looked gorgeous. Her hair was loose and fell down to her shoulders. I took a lock of her hair running it between my fingers, so soft and silky.
She wasn’t dressed. She was only wearing a robe. I guessed I must have caught her changing. Lucky me.
I leaned forward to kiss her neck. Her skin was so soft and warm and she smelled so good.
She gave a soft little moan and pressed her body to mine. I was rock hard in an instant.
I was getting distracted.
I pulled back and put my hands on her shoulders. “I need to talk to you.”
She grinned and put her hand on my stomach. I felt her fingers inch lower and close around my belt. “We can talk later.”
I started to protest, but what she did next left me speechless.
She eased off the belt of her robe and let the top half slip down from her shoulders.
She wasn’t playing fair.
“Don’t you like it?” she asked, suddenly looking less sure of herself.
She bit down on her lower lip and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Like it? I love it.”
She was wearing a delicate kind of lingerie. The thin lace covering her breasts was tight, pushing them up so they almost spilled out of the material. I could see her nipples, hard and erect, through the lace.
It was an invitation. One I couldn’t refuse.
I reached up with my right hand and brushed my thumb over her nipple.
She gave a breathy little moan that made me ache. God, I wanted her.
She was right. We could talk later.
She licked her lips. “I’m glad you like it. I did some shopping online with Kate, and I couldn’t resist buying something for myself. Do you approve?”
“Well, I think I should see the rest of it before I give you my final decision,” I said in a teasing tone.
I nudged the fabric of her robe so it fell to the floor, revealing the rest of her sexy underwear.
Sweet Jesus.
Her panties were nothing more than a tiny strip of lace. I groaned and reached out to grab her hips and pulled her towards me roughly.
I felt her hands fist in my hair as I bent my mouth to hers.
Our kiss was deep and hungry. I just couldn’t get enough of her. My hand went to my belt buckle, and I pulled back from our kiss just enough to take in her beautiful face.
Her tousled hair framed her face as she looked up at me with wide eyes. She licked her kiss-swollen lips, and I felt a primal need fire through my body in response. I reached out and trailed a finger over her pink lips.
Still looking at me and maintaining eye contact, she reached around and unhooked her bra.
I could feel my breath freeze in my chest as the thin lace straps slid from her shoulders, revealing the plump swell of her breasts and her hard pink nipples.
With a shy smile on her face, she hooked her thumbs in her panties, and she lowered them down her hips, and then her thighs until she was naked before me.
She took two steps away from me, and then crawled on the bed before sinking back on her side and crooking her finger, beckoning me.
“What are you waiting for, Jack?” she asked.
She didn’t need to ask twice. I crossed over to the bed, quickly pulling off my shirt at the same time.
“Kristina,” I breathed as she reached out for me, taking my belt in her hands and un-fastening it.
Her fingers barely grazed my lower abs, but it made my erection spike in my jeans.
She moved on, concentrating on the buttons of my jeans. Slowly working her way down, getting closer and closer. The anticipation was killing me.
I couldn’t wait. Anymore of this and I would explode in my jeans.
I pulled Kristina towards me at the edge of the bed, and I stripped off my own jeans, finishing the job. I heard her soft intake of breath as my erection sprung free from the confines of my underwear.
My body ached for her. I stared down at her on the bed as she gazed up at me, her nipples tightened to hard nubs. It wouldn’t last very long this time if I didn’t try to slow things down.
As if she knew exactly the effect she had on me and wanted to torment me further, her hand trailed down along the lush curves of her body before finally sliding between her legs.
I swallowed hard.
Her fingers began to move as she slowly pleasured herself.
She reached up with her other hand. “Jack, please.”
But I was happy to watch. It was so damn sexy.
“You have no idea how hot that is, Kristina.”
“I want you to touch me,” she said and grasped my hand.
She moaned softly as she pressed my fingers between her legs, and it was all I could do to stop myself from coming right then and there.
I groaned as I buried my face between her legs. Her hands reached down, clutching my hair between her fingers. Kristina cried out as my tongue found the most sensitive spot between her legs. My tongue flickered over her clit as my fingers made their way up her body to find her breasts.
I pressed gently on her legs to spread them a little wider. I could hear her breathing coming fast and hard
“You are so beautiful,” I said. “I want you to touch yourself again.”
She hesitated for a moment but then her desire overcame her shyness, and her hands slowly went up to her breasts cupping them before rolling her hard nipples between her fingers.
A groan came from deep within me. “I could come just by watching you do this.”
Then her hand travelled further down over her stomach, towards the dark hair between her thighs. She hesitated slightly before her fingers slipped between her folds moving steadily.
I wanted to watch, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to taste again. I moved my head down to kiss her wet fingers and then used my tongue to pleasure and tease her. Her body tensed and I could tell she was close. But I put my hand over hers to still the movement.
She groaned in frustration. “Please, Jack.”
My tongue delved ag
ain into the wetness between her thighs. I used my tongue to flicker rapidly across her clit and then slid one finger inside her.
Her back arched as she pushed against me, desperate for pleasure.
She called my name as her body shuddered in a climax.
I pulled myself up, rested my arms either side of her head and stared down into her starry eyes. She looked so gorgeous. Her cheeks were flushed and her pupils dilated. I could have stared at her all night.
I felt my cock jerk as she reached down to cup my balls, her fingers lightly stroking and caressing me.
Her hand tightened around my hardness as she stroked me from shaft to tip, and then she did it again.
Her other hand slid over the muscles of my stomach, and she laughed as she shimmied down beneath me. I held my breath as she took me in her mouth. I don’t think I had ever been that hard before.
Pleasure flooded me as she sucked me. Her tongue licked and swirled around the head of my cock before she pulled off a little and then pushed down harder. I moaned as her fingers stroked me.
“Christ, Kristina. No more. I don’t want to come like this.”
I could feel myself swell in her mouth as she massaged my balls with one hand and stroked the length of me with the other.
“Christ,” I groaned again as she picked up the pace.
I had to pull away.
Kristina looked surprised as she blinked up at me.
“I don’t want to come like that,” I said, pulling her up so she was level with me on the bed. My hands found her breasts, and my fingers tweaked the tight peaks of her nipples. I wanted to come deep inside her.
She arched her body against me, pressing herself to me tightly as I lowered my head and took a nipple in my mouth, circling it with my tongue. I felt her nails scratch down my back as her other hand found my hardness again.
She squeezed the base of my cock and licked her lips as she guided me between her legs.
I pushed myself into her in one smooth stroke, and I felt her tighten around me. It felt so good. I moved against her, grinding my hips into hers.