The Curve

by Noelle Bodhaine

  Russia was going to be my strongest race to date, I could feel it in my marrow, and Mario had made sure of it with his idle threats against Makayla. I had been unable to evict him from my thoughts in the days leading up to Sochi. He had woken something in me and I wasn’t going to let it rest. I did my due diligence. I knew what I was up against, by comparison, I was sure that he had underestimated me, and truly there was no way for him to gage my devotion to Makayla.

  Hell, I wasn’t even sure of my devotion until he threatened her. That was the trigger. He would rue the day he landed in Russia and I enjoyed each and every misfortune that befell him. He had intended to rattle me with his asinine visit but all he managed to do was stoke a fire. I was focused, he wasn’t. He hit the wall first day of qualifications. The second day he failed to make his time, eliminating him from the race completely. This was the first time in his career that he would sit a race out. I should have reveled in his misfortune. I should have enjoyed his tantrum and subsequent press conference, but I couldn’t. I wanted him on that track with me.

  This race was mine, I wanted to beat him, and this was my fucking week. It was time to race.

  ***

  Makayla

  A blood-curdling shriek ripped through the quiet but I had no idea where it came from, I just knew that everything stopped and my heart was thumping in my throat. Crunching metal and screaming tires faded to the background as hushed gasps filled the air. My feet felt like they were mired in concrete, my limbs heavy and useless, my heart definitely stalled. My body leaped into action without my permission and Aidan caught me as my legs took me bolting out of the garage. Sprinting towards what I knew in my heart was Kelley’s car. His arm swept out and caught me around the middle pulling me off of my feet, my arms swinging out in front of me, clotheslined.

  “Let me go!” I yelled struggling against his strong grip, trying to drag him along with me. He easily pulled me against him and backed into the garage robbing me of a visual, robbing the crew of the scene I was about to make. I couldn’t see the track, I couldn’t see Kelley, I couldn’t see anything. My eyes went blank as my pulse rocketed and my breath became shallow and labored.

  My life flashed before my eyes, my childhood, my dad, and my mom’s tears. It all came flooding back and I was struggling to fight it off. I couldn’t lose him, it would surely kill me. He was the glue that was holding me together. He was my hopes and dreams. I wanted him by my side; I needed him on my side. Aidan spun me around and wrapped his fingers around my arms.

  “Take a breath, Makayla.” His rough whisper barely broke through the buzz that was consuming my senses. He turned me around and gripped my shoulders, his quiet calm acting as a bubble momentarily. I looked up into his blank face, his pained eyes struggling to maintain cool, his jaw tight, lips set in a hard line. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to focus on calming my heart rate, slowing my mind, when the crowd roared. The roar grew louder, turning into a chant, the noise filling every recess. I turned from Aidan and ran from the garage, pushing through the crew who all stood blocking any view of the field or what was happening. I pushed through a stunned Robert and Garrett to finally get a clear view.

  A massive chimney of dark, angry smoke was climbing into the clouds, darkening that little patch of sky. The firetrucks and emergency crews were already in the thick of it, hard at work, hoses live with water tamping down the flames of a dying fire. A massive plume of smoke and vapor eclipsed the car. But the crowd’s attention was on the real life apparition walking casually across the grass, a team of medics hot on his heels. Kelley. His jumpsuit was smoking and torn from his right shoulder revealing a bit of his Technicolor skin, but he was standing, he was walking, he was coming right for me. He pulled off his helmet and dropped it in the grass as he strode across the field.

  I pushed through the crowd, leaped the concrete barrier before anyone could stop me and hauled ass across the expanse of grass that separated us, running as fast as my legs would carry me. I hit him with all my force but he was stiff and hardly fell back on his foot, crushing me to him with an urgency that permeated his grip. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and held me, let me feel how very alive he was and for a moment I swear there was a silence around the track that was deafening. He twisted my hair in his fist and pulled me so close, crushing me to him, but I couldn’t get close enough, my arms couldn’t hold him tight enough.

  I soaked it in, reveling in the sound of Kelley’s rapidly beating heart and his ragged breath at my ear before the crowd erupted again but I hardly heard a thing. The moment his demanding lips hit mine the rest of the world ceased to exist. It was soft and affirming. It was calm. It was ours. I ran my hands up his chest, checking the terrain, feeling for his pulse, making sure he was whole, and he was gloriously whole. His heart pounding like a war drum against my palm was the most intoxicating feeling, the most beautiful sound, he was whole.

  “I’m ok, kid” He finally mumbled into my hair, holding my head close to his chest. “I’m ok.” He tipped my head and smiled before spinning me around and wrapping an arm around my shoulder, tucking me tightly to his side. We walked back to the garage to the sound of the cheering crowd as the crew rushed out to meet a whole, mostly unscathed, Kelley.

  I sat and watched his every move with the rest of the crew as the doctor checked him over, insisting he accompany Kelley and they go directly to the hospital for a scan to make sure there was no concussion or internal damage. He was stubborn and joked, tried to play it off but I could see the worry in his eyes. Fortunately, Aidan was having none of it, insisting he go to the hospital. The boys quietly tipped their chins and shook Kelley’s hand, all of us still dumbstruck, all of us elated, frankly in shock that he was unhurt.

  Everyone slowly went back to their posts, there was still a race to be run, but I just stood, not knowing what to do, not wanting to do anything but be right next to Kelley. I stared at him as he stood and the doctor directed him towards the back door. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at me, “Mack, I want you with me,” a heavy sigh of relief rushed from my lungs and I quickly fell in step with him, grabbing his hand, boldly, unapologetically, as we filed out of the garage and into the waiting car. Aidan stopped us before they closed the door, ducking his head in and giving me a once over, his eyes going straight to our clasped hands before moving to my face and then to Kelley.

  “Bye week next week. I want you to take it easy. No matter what.” He looked to me as if to reinforce his decree. “I want you rested and whole and I’ll be by to make sure of it. Make sure he listens,” he said to me quietly demanding, chin tipped in an unspoken understanding. I squeezed Kelley’s hand and nodded to Aidan before he backed out of the car and shut the door. It took some time to clear the track and the race resumed just as we were driving away, heading for a local hospital.

  He had a few lacerations, a gnarly cut across the top of his shoulder but mostly just bruised and banged up, nothing too terrible. Not even a concussion, it was a miracle. The hospital released him and I took him right back to the hotel, letting Robert and Rose know that he was ok.

  I watched him sleep, which he practically refused to do until I plied him with a Percocet and a shared Whiskey. I still had yet to develop a taste for it, but I could sling it back quickly to get loose, or in this case, to convince Kelley to do the same.

  He was beautiful when he was still. He was even more beautiful when he was moving, using that powerful body. But for now, this was a beauty I could appreciate. A beauty I needed. The rise and fall of his chest, the faint pulse just beneath the surface of his craned neck; the soft sound of his breathing, it was hypnotic and comforting. I got lost in him for hours, unsure why I didn’t curl up next to him and sleep, but I just didn’t want to. I wanted to watch, I needed to watch. I laid my head on his chest and listened. His heart pounded against his ribs, strong and loud. It was the most comforting sound I had ever heard.

  Chapter 24

  More
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  I sank into the mattress under his weight. His lips brushed against my throat and I struggled to realize the dream until I curled my arms around his very real, very powerful shoulders. He ran his nose up one side of my neck and down the other so slowly it was a delicious tiny torturous wake-up call that I would gladly realize every morning for the rest of my life

  “Makayla,” he breathed as he cupped my chin, holding my face still, his other hand sliding down my belly and around my hip. His fingers dug into my flesh and I opened my eyes to see him staring down at me, his eyes intense, full of something, something that was going to burn me up from the inside.

  “Kelley,” I whispered back, bringing my hand to his face. He turned into my touch and kissed my palm, holding it to his lips and turned his eyes back to me. He moved my hand to his heart, pressing it to him, holding me there until I could feel the beat.

  “So much wasted time,” he mumbled, his eyes fixed as his hips pressed against me, his cock unmistakably rigid and ready. He was driving me slowly mad, his hips rolling into me, his strong arms around me, and his heart beneath my palm. He put his forehead to mine and whispered hot, “no more.”

  He crushed his mouth to mine and everything sped up. His hands roamed greedily and spread desperate heat, my hips bucked beneath him and our mouths connected. It was deep and long and wet and hot as hell. His mouth so demanding, yet his lips were so soft against mine, hungry, but soft. His hands warmed my body but it was more of his mouth that I wanted, it was hypnotic. Electricity flowed between us and I felt the earth shift beneath us as he came up for just a breath before refiring the connection and everything ceased to exist but us. I could barely catch my breath, but I didn’t want to. I would gladly drown in Kelley at this moment, let the moment take me and never come up for air.

  His mouth disappeared and the shirt that covered me was ripped from my arms, my panties wrenched down my legs and he sunk into me in the most fluid motion. Flesh on flesh, skin on skin, our bodies pressed together and it still wasn’t close enough. I wanted to climb inside him, I wanted him to rip me wide open, so he could see for himself that his name had been written on my heart all these years, branded, beating only for him, and now it pounded for him like a tympani drum.

  “Fuck!” He growled through gritted teeth his eyes flying open, his eyes so intently focused on me I could do nothing but stare into his depths. We were naked and on fire, so intense, and it was not enough. A thousand memories flashed between us, memories of things yet to happen. Everything I have ever wanted, everything I never knew I needed. It was all right there in his eyes, in our shared gaze as our bodies met, over and over. His eyes slid from mine to where our bodies connected and he groaned, a delighted feral grin ripping across his lips. My eyes followed to see what drew the devious grin; his cock moving in and out of me, being swallowed by my body, deeper and deeper with every thrust.

  “You see that, baby,” he breathed heavy, his eyes fixed. “See my cock owning that pussy. That’s mine” A soft moan slid from the back of my throat, unable to form words as he fucked me thoughtless. “What do you want Makayla,” he asked his hips ringing against mine, his body stilled momentarily as he owned me.

  “More,” I mouthed barely making a sound as he pulled back and slammed into me again.

  “What do you want?” He roared before taking my ear between his teeth and torturously running his velvety tongue down my neck.

  “More,” I panted.

  “What do you want?” His arm wrapped around the top of my head and he curled me into him as his hips continued to punish delightfully.

  “More,” I moaned loudly, my voice breaking eyes rolling back as he took my hips in his hands and he rose to his knees. He pulled my ass from the bed, rested me on his thighs and angled himself to take it all, and he fucking did. He crashed into me until my voice was hoarse and I could hardly catch my breath. The build became unbearable and I wasn’t sure I could take another moment when he slid to the hilt, as deep as my body would allow and stopped, his laser focus back to my face.

  “I could spend the rest of my days giving you more, Mack.” And before I could react he pulled back and fucking undid me.

  “Fuck, more!” I cried out as our hips crashed, his fingers pressed into my clit and his cock unleashed an orgasm the likes I had never experienced. Quietly violent, it poured from my body. The breath left my lungs, the room went black save his face and there was nothing but us.

  He gave me his full weight, his chest crushed to mine and I could feel the pounding of his heart across the veil of our sweaty skin, and I labored to catch my breath as he filled me with his need.

  His breath was ragged, his body heavy and spent. We lay connected for what felt like not long enough. His cock throbbed and I flexed around him wanting to hold him tightly, to stay connected. He moved to roll off of me when it became evident I couldn’t take a deep breath but I locked him to me with a cage of my arms and legs. I would have gladly suffocated beneath this man in this moment, I was not about to let him go. He lifted up onto his forearms, running his finger along my jaw, his eyes no less intense, his mouth soft, lips swollen and in need of my kiss.

  I tucked in closer, wanting nothing more than to be beneath him, running my teeth along his jaw line before I angled up to steal a kiss from his mouth.

  “I don’t think I will ever get enough of this Kelley, enough of you.” I looked up to see him watching me. “I think I will always want more,” I whispered.

  “My girl is greedy,” he said flashing a beautiful grin, “I like that.” His mouth closed over mine and my little sigh slid down his throat.

  “Mmm…” his throat rumbled, “that is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted.” A comfortable silence settled in the minute space between us and I melted beneath him. His chest pressed to mine, his hips still rocking slightly, just enough to make my breath catch as he watched with the most delicious slow grin across his face. When he had lulled me into a cock coma he slipped quietly from my body and rolled to his side, pulling me with him. I laid my head on his taut belly, my hair splayed across his hip and watched the swell of his chest with each deep breath and the pulsing of the vein in his throat, meditating on the ways of his body.

  “What scares you, Kelley,” I asked while he ran his fingers through my hair.

  “You, kid,” He looked down at me, intense and dark.

  “Me?” I propped myself up but he kept my hair between his fingers, twisting a tendril mindlessly and it felt amazing

  “You’re the scariest thing in my life.” His eyes warmed as he looked down at me. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted. More than I dared hope for right at my fingertips. It’s terrifying. Losing you Mack, losing this…. that is what scares me. This body,” he said, his hands skating down over the curve of my waist, up and over the swell of my hip. “Covered in curves and freckles, enough freckles to keep me occupied for a lifetime, connecting the dots.” He ran his fingers between my freckles drawing patterns of fire on my skin. “My heart has been tied to you for a decade. Pulled in a direction I did not understand, an unbreakable thread holding me to you. I didn’t know what it was, I just never felt whole. When I saw you, I knew, I…” He paused. “I felt a part of me come back to life. The last decade flashed behind my eyes and fuck if I had anything of value in those ten years that could hold a candle to what had been lost. It threw me. One minute I understood. I understood what I wanted and who I was. I had learned to live with that hole and then,” he shook his head, wrinkling his brows at me, “there you were.”

  “Kelley,” I said, the only word that came to mind as he blew me away.

  “If there is anything I have learned from the last 24 hours it is to stop fucking around and wasting time. Too much wasted time, kid. I want to drink cheap wine with you. I want to watch bad TV and eat takeout from greasy containers. I want to stay in our pajamas all day, or better yet stay naked.” The right corner of his mouth turned up as his eyebrows shot up in chall
enge. “I want to eat grapes from your fingers and drink champagne from your lips. I want to do everything with you, Mack. I want to do everything for you. I want to watch you conquer the world; I want to do it with you. I want to stand next to you while you do it. No more hiding.” And there it was, what he was really getting to. We were coming out, and I was so ready. I wanted the world to know, I wanted to lay my claim and I wanted him to lay his.

  Chapter 25

  Coming Out

  It only took a little over 24 hours for the news to break and much to my dismay, it was in fact news. While we flew home news outlets were circulating the story. The Racing Orphan and the Teflon Man they dubbed us. Clips of us kissing in the infield grass were in heavy rotation and Aidan had “leaked” a picture of Kelley and I leaving the garage together, hand in hand. That’s all it took to break what some were calling a fairy tale and what others were suspicious of.

  I woke the in the middle of the night, comfy and back where we belonged to find Kelley propped against a bank of pillows, whiskey in hand watching ESPN, the ticker running along the bottom of the screen moving along as it always did until my sleepy eyes saw my name roll past.

  “What was that?” I said groggily, sitting up as quickly as my body would let me.

  “Told ya, kid, we are coming out. The only way to control this is to get out in front of it. Mario wants to discredit you, discredit me. He will have a much harder time now.” I shifted uneasy and half asleep, jet-lagged, confused and exhausted. He put his arm around me and coaxed me to settle. I burrowed into his shoulder and closed my eyes, knowing I couldn’t wake myself fully if I wanted to.

  “I’m scared, Kelley. I don’t want to ruin your season.” My throat was dry, voice sleepy and quiet, but the worry roared in the back of my mind.

  “I don’t want you to worry, Mack. The team, the people who needed to know, already knew. Robert was meticulous in his record keeping, Aidan insisted on it. They knew what they were doing; Aidan had you added as a principal before Chase was signed. You broke no rules.