Driven: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants #12)

by Flora Ferrari

  I shot out of the tunnel and something hit me on the helmet. Shit! A crash up ahead. I scanned the area and listened to the comms. Nothing. Then it hit me.

  It was raining! Hard.

  I punched my steering wheel in joy and gave her all I got.

  Two cars in front of me hydroplaned and hit the wall, causing them to spin out. Thankfully the grip on my tires bit hard and I swerved around the first, then the second, leaving them sitting on the track in my thankfully nonexistent dust.

  The downed cars weren’t blocking the track so the flag hadn’t come out yet. Yes!

  I picked up the pace and started closing ground as the rain grew stronger and stronger. I had to do everything I could in case the organizers pulled out the caution flag, ending my ascent towards the leaders.

  I completed another half lap, passing two more cars, my tires throwing nearly two hundred liters of water per second.

  It was monsoon conditions after nearly seven minutes. “Come on, rain, let up,” I said under my breath.

  I looked up at the sky and saw the sun coming back out. Still no flags and if that sun came soon enough there wouldn’t be any.

  The leaders had all pitted to change tires. Now was decision time. Stick with the wet weather tires and hope I could play defense, or switch back and make up the time as the heat quickly dried the track. Erica had said the rain would last at least five minutes. It had been more than seven. Erica had gotten me this far, and I was going to trust her to take me the rest of the way.

  “Coming back in,” I said, over the comms.

  “Play defense, Gage!”

  “Put on Erica!”

  “Gage!”

  “Erica. More rain?”

  “No!”

  “Coming in. Yellow.”

  A minute and a half later I pulled in and switched out my tires again. I opted for a dry weather tire with some grip.

  When I exited the pits I was in third, with the race nearing stoppage time.

  Three laps later I was still in third, but right behind the two leaders, who couldn’t dare pit again or else the race would be mine. Now the sun was out and they had to play defense.

  I tried going high when they went low, but they came back and blocked me. Nothing.

  I tried low when they were high, but they blocked again. Nothing.

  “Time!”

  “One minute, Gage!”

  Damn, it was Erica. Her dad had handed over the comms for the finish. He knew! This was for them!

  Seconds later we approached the tunnel again and predictably the two drivers tried to block me.

  “Fifteen seconds!”

  I got this. For you girl.

  I juked right and the driver in second place bit. I passed him on the left as we shot out of the tunnel like cannonballs.

  “Ten seconds, Gage!”

  Only one last chance. The Nouvelle Chicane…the harbor. The same harbor where two drivers had driven straight into the Mediterranean before.

  The leader hit the chicane straight on, trying to block me out.

  Not today, buddy.

  “Five seconds!”

  There were helicopters overhead in case I landed in the drink. Medics were on standby. Millions of people across the world were watching, waiting, for Gage Hazard to live up to his infamous reputation one last time. In the history of racing I was ironically the worst at just that…gaging hazards.

  Today that would change. Now I had a woman waiting on me at the finish line. My woman.

  The leader darted in, knowing I’d go for the seaside angle, instead I put my foot down and gassed it straight ahead. I flew by him just in time to get the shocked expression on his face as the horn sounded.

  I pumped my fist and started my victory lap.

  “You did it!”

  “No baby, we did it!”

  CHAPTER 16

  Erica

  G age, I must admit,” the prince whispered. “We thought we might be looking at the third driver to find the water.”

  “Not today, prince. I had somebody really special waiting on me at the finish line this time.”

  “So we heard,” the prince said.

  Everything was such a blur. Suddenly Gage won in dramatic fashion and the next thing I knew I was a few feet from him at the royal box as the prince was handing him the trophy.

  I looked at the princess with her elegance and grace. I was in awe of such a lovely woman, until she winked at me, reminding me we’re all human. I smiled and winked back.

  What an amazing day, and it was all because of him.

  Suddenly we were swarmed with reporters, many went for Gage, but even more came towards me.

  “Could you please tell the world a little about yourself?”

  “Two hundred million people want to know, who is Erica Evans?”

  “Erica, why did you make the call for the rain tires?”

  I just opened my mouth but nothing came out.

  I looked towards Gage who was looking at me. He gave me a wink and thumbs up, the sign drivers use to signify a win, but his body wasn’t signifying he won. He was showing me, and the entire world, that I had won. I had arrived in the world of racing, achieving my biggest professional dream.

  Two hours later we were back in the garage. I had given interviews to reporters from all over the world. I even had translators for Japanese, German, Russian, and a few countries in Africa I couldn’t point to on a map if my life depended on it.

  Right now my life was perfect, except for what would become of Gage and I.

  I looked for him in the pit, but only found the other members of the crew.

  “Great job out there today, Erica!” on stabilizer said.

  “I have to admit, I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong,” the front tire gunner said.

  I could barely keep up with all the well wishing.

  “Glad we had you on the team today. Hope you get a permanent spot.”

  A permanent spot. That’s all I ever wanted all along, all I had ever wanted for years, but now I’d give it all up to be with him.

  CHAPTER 17

  Erica

  I stepped off the team bus at the Nice airport and made my way inside. Just a few hours ago Gage had won the race, and now the entire team was packed and on their way home for a week with family before heading to Montreal.

  And I hadn’t been informed of my status, at all. I didn’t officially have a contract so I just assumed the txt meant the ride, while exciting, was over for me, at least for now.

  John would be back from paternity leave and I’d be back at home, practicing wheel gunning in my tiny room. I didn’t mind that part at all. What I had this weekend had been an amazing experience. What I did mind, more than I could put into words, was how quickly things had started…and then promptly stopped, with Gage. He hadn’t even said goodbye. I felt a tremendous sadness, but knew it was the nature of the beast. He would party with the royals tonight and his picture would likely turn up in the papers before I landed back home. The only question was which beautiful woman would be on his arm this time.

  “Your ticket please, madame.”

  I handed my ticket to the man at the counter, my thoughts still stuck in Monaco.

  “Thank you, madame. Please proceed to terminal two.”

  I took my ticket and followed the signs to terminal two. When I arrived a gentleman approached me, “Pardon. You are Miss Evans?”

  “Yes, I’m Erica Evans.”

  “Right this way, please.”

  He guided me into what appeared to be a business travelers VIP suite where I was offered full use of their services.

  Well, this is nice, I thought to myself. At least this amazing experience will continue awhile longer.

  Forty five minutes later I saw my flight come up on the departures screen.

  Next thing I knew I was on the plane and trying my best not to pass out. The weekend had been exciting and I’d barely slept. My body was reminding me of that. I strapped in my seatb
elt and was out cold before we even hit the runway.

  CHAPTER 18

  Erica

  P ardon, madame. Excuse me.”

  I felt someone gently touching my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up.

  “Sorry to wake you, but we have arrived at your destination.”

  I looked around the plane and noticed everyone had departed.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  I grabbed my bag and exited the plane. As I entered the airport I noticed something was wrong. I saw the help desk and went there immediately.

  “Sorry, this isn’t Paris, is it?”

  The lady smiled. “No, madame. The connecting flight for Paris won’t leave for another two hours. They must clean the plane first. Can I please see your ticket?”

  I handed her my ticket.

  “I’m sorry, but you do not have a ticket to Paris any longer. You cancelled online during your flight. You have arrived at your destination.”

  “Cancelled? My destination?”

  “Yes, madame.”

  “Where am I?”

  I saw the woman’s eyes light up…great she was trying to hold back a smile for the silly American girl who didn’t even know where she was.

  “You’re in paradise,” a voice behind me said as two arms wrapped around me.

  I knew that voice and that touch.

  My head quickly spun around, and there he was.

  Gage.

  Oh my god!

  “Ready to have some fun?”

  “Yes!” I said, wrapping him up in a big hug.

  He took me by the hand and walked me through the front doors.

  “I thought my plane was going to Paris?”

  “It is, but it had a stopover here…just as I planned,” he winked.

  “And where exactly is here?”

  “The beautiful island where Napoleon was born…Corsica.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Erica

  G age, it’s incredible!”

  “You like it?”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  The home was white stone and featured an infinity pool and outdoor dining area with an 180-degree view of the sea.

  “As I lay in bed in Monaco a few hours after I almost made you mine, I promised myself I’d fly you someplace and make our first time the most memorable of your life, and mine too.”

  I turned my attention from the sea, back to him. “The most memorable of your life too?”

  “The most memorable of my life, too. Yes.”

  I felt like the ultimate woman, the one who had finally tamed the wild playboy, and not just because he was such a desirable man. It was because he was the only man I desired.

  “So, about our first time,” I said, running a finger down the middle of his torso.

  Gage gently grabbed me by the wrist, turning it over so he could take my hand in his. He led me towards the table.

  “First I have a surprise.”

  “Another surprise.”

  He flashed me that sexy smirk as he pulled out a beautiful wooden chair for me at the table.

  “There will be many surprises in your future, this I promise you, but I want this surprise to be the first,” he said as he slid a folder towards me.

  “You’ve already surprised me more time than I can count.”

  “But this is an, let’s say, official surprise.”

  “Are surprises sanctioned like races?” I laughed.

  “They aren’t, but sometimes displays of affection, trust, and commitment are more beautiful when they’re shared with the world.”

  He was still standing and this was a folder, and not a box, so I wasn’t expecting any jewelry, let alone a…ring. Not this soon, even from a man who could be as impulsive as Gage.

  “Open it, please,” he said.

  I carefully removed the ribbon around the folder and opened it. There was a single page, on the right side. I removed it and read it.

  I looked at the top to double check the logos. I read it a second time just to make sure.

  My head dropped forward into my hands and I began crying. I sprung from my chair and ran to him, jumping in his arms.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I said as I kissed him repeatedly. I must have looked like a woodpecker, my head moving in and out so quickly to cover his face in kisses.

  “Now it’s official,” he said.

  “But what about John?”

  “John wants to spend time with his family. I was going to keep you both, even if he wanted to come back, but I guess this makes things even a little nicer.”

  “A whole lot nicer.”

  “And that’s not the half of it?”

  “No?”

  “Not at all. Do you know why I took a separate flight to arrive here?”

  “No.”

  “First to surprise you. That was the main reason, of course, but also because I literally had to fight off the sponsors who were bidding against one another in an effort to attract you to sponsor their products.”

  “You’re joking me?”

  “Not even close. You are going to revolutionize the sport. Literally revolutionize it. I’m even getting asked if you’re planning on driving.”

  “Driving?”

  “Yes, I told them anything is possible.”

  “But I’ve never had real training or enough experience.”

  “True, but you can learn. I can teach you.”

  “But it takes a lifetime to learn.”

  “That’s exactly how much time I plan on spending with you.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Erica

  H e carried me inside the house and straight to the bedroom.

  “No interruptions this time.”

  “Just me and you,” I said.

  “Me and you and all the time in the world.”

  There was a path of rose petals all the way to the bed and even a few on top of the comforter.

  “Wow, this is very romantic.”

  “Another reason why I flew here first. I finished preparing just before you arrived.”

  He laid me on the bed and shut the bedroom door. The window was cracked, allowing the calming ocean breeze to enter, but it wasn’t strong enough to put out the candles he had lit around the room.

  “I feel very special to receive all this red carpet treatment.”

  “You are very special. The most special. And as much as I want to grab you and fill the need I have to make you mine, I’m going to take my time…at least at first. I want our first time to be an experience we’ll remember forever.”

  He came over to the bed and hovered above me, leaning in to kiss me gently. As much as I wanted him to take me savagely I had to admit it was nice to feel so feminine after such a testosterone filled weekend.

  He ran his fingers through my hair as he laid next to me, just kissing me while his other hand gently explored my body, caressing the sexy parts and even the forgotten parts like my knees and elbows and the back of my arms. It was incredible how he made every single part of me long for him, how no part of my body was neglected.

  We must have kissed for at least twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of pure bliss before his hand came up from underneath my blouse and took my breast. He squeezed it gently at first, before slowly applying more pleasure.

  “Is this torture for you?” I laughed.

  “How did you know?” he smiled. “But the absolute best kind. The suspense and anticipation is incredible, but I’m still right here in the moment with you, enjoying every single second.”

  He slowly unbuttoned my blouse before sliding out of his white shirt. That chiseled, tan body of his with a light masculine coating of hair on display for me and only me.