by Hazel Parker
“Excuse me, but this is private race time. Would it be alright if you come back in around half an hour?”
The sweet, dulcet tone, said in a slightly prim, and slightly British accent, had me turning my head.
Speaking of the manager…
I watched Gray’s new manager approach me, her low heels barely making any sound on the pavement. There was one major improvement I could appreciate in Gray’s change of management, and that was that this one was pretty frickin’ hot.
I’d seen her around the race track beforehand—or rather, I’d seen her around the VIP bleachers with her binoculars and her intense gaze always following the races. I heard she was a racing enthusiast with loads of money, and the fact that she took Gray on last year only proved that point. We didn’t really cross paths, and any view I had of her was from a distance until now.
So I let myself look. And I found myself appreciating what I was seeing up close for the first time.
She was tall and she had gentle curves hidden beneath a cool white dress that was neither conservative nor revealing. The way she carried herself, she was definitely older than me, and older than the other females who usually hung out here. I just couldn’t figure out how old. Her skin was creamy white, and her hair was an array of honey-colored curls that made her look fresh and almost dainty.
Almost.
I had a feeling she was far from dainty, and the way she looked at me now proved it. Her best features—her blue eyes—were currently directed at me coolly, like she expected me to fall in line at the snap of her finger.
She wasn’t just pretty: she was gorgeous up close, and I found that I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I also found myself smiling at her, trying to put on whatever charm I could muster.
“Gray doesn’t mind. Our practice schedules usually cross paths, Miss…” I trailed off, hoping for her to supply the answer.
But the woman didn’t, instead frowning at me in disapproval. Then the frown disappeared, and her face cleared, smoothing over any irritation she might have been feeling at the moment.
“Well, then maybe we should do something about that,” she replied crisply. “Perhaps you can give me your schedule, and I can check it over so we can work out a new one for you and Gray.”
I blinked. Yes, that was definitely irritation I was hearing there. It was the first time my charming smile didn’t work, and I tilted my head as I considered her. Perhaps she was used to men trying to charm her and just didn’t fall for it anymore. Instead of turning me off, it challenged me—and before I knew it, I was leaning closer and giving her another easy smile.
“Really? You want to know my schedule?” I asked, keeping my voice soft and my tone low. It wasn’t suggestive per se, but I let enough amusement get through to let her know I was teasing her.
Her eyes widened momentarily, but just like earlier, she smoothed over her emotions in no time.
“Yes, if you’re capable,” she responded coolly.
I pretended to consider it, ignoring her rude remark. I took it in stride, knowing she was asking as Gray’s manager, who was trying to protect her asset.
I decided to see if I could push her buttons just a little bit longer.
“I can give you my schedule if you give me your name,” I said.
This time, it was her who blinked, emphasizing those cool blue eyes again. They weren’t overtly blue, but just the perfect color that you could get lost in. Jesus, she was like this tall, cool drink that you just wanted to down, and I realized my mouth was going dry just at the thought.
I cleared my throat just as she finally responded. But perhaps I didn’t have to, because her words were enough to cool me down.
“I’m Sara,” she clipped out. “And I expect the schedule by today. Have a good day.”
And just like that, she was walking away, never once giving me a backward glance. My eyes followed the subtle sway of her hips beneath her dress, then the long line of legs that she couldn’t quite hide. I shook my head in amazement, then couldn’t help the grin from spreading as she disappeared inside the building.
Yes, the charm thing definitely wasn’t working with this one. Usually I would just move on and forget about it. About her. I got her name—although it didn’t involve a last name—and really I didn’t have to give her my schedule.
But that was unfair. And if I was quite honest with myself, I wanted to have some more interaction with her. There was something there, something subtle that made me wonder.
Something thrilling.
I wanted to get to know this cool, polished Sara.
I wanted to see what was under all that polish.
CHAPTER THREE
SARA
That punk was really unbelievable.
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t really a punk. Cooper Oliver was a professional race car driver who won a couple of races himself and had gained fame throughout the years because of his skills—and yes, they were skills that could make him win first someday. I had been watching him from afar with a neutral perspective, just as I’d been watching all the other race car drivers who’d been in this racing world for a couple of years now. He was definitely in the top five or damn close.
He was also a resident charmer and the reporters go crazy over him and the women drop whatever they’re doing—case in point, that irresponsible woman earlier who left her kid sister alone so she could make a grand entrance and catch Cooper’s attention. Oh, I saw it all, and also saw how Cooper flirted with the woman and how the woman practically eye-fucked him right in front of the little girl. Cooper is bad for my business and I am definitely not falling for his bullshit charms. It didn’t sit well with me how he also strolled in the garage like he owned it. Cocky little…
Naturally, as Gray’s manager, I had to do my best to keep things in line. I’d expected a little protest as I knew they were acquainted and watching each other’s practices wasn’t a big deal for them.
What I hadn’t expected was getting flirted with as hard as the man flirted with the woman earlier.
It was pretty arrogant of him. I usually wasn’t cold when it came to men—but something about him just put my back up. Maybe it was his brazen flirting and the way he made it look so sincere, even though I was already witness to the fact that I wasn’t the only one he was flirting with. Maybe it was his boldness.
Or maybe it was just the way he looked at me and that I didn’t want to admit I liked it.
Whatever it was, it was best to avoid any further interaction with the man. Cooper was obviously young, maybe a bit reckless, and I just didn’t have time for someone like him. Granted, this was our first time interacting close up, but I could already tell he was more of a headache than he was worth.
To his credit, he did leave the premises once we spoke. I wondered if he would keep the other promise about the schedule, then dismissed it right away. With the way I blocked him, I was pretty sure he wasn’t ever going to speak to me again.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I looked up at the familiar voice and immediately smiled. Coming up towards me on the spot I chose on the bleachers was none other than Gray’s wife—warm, friendly Kate, who had to be one of the sweetest women I’d ever met. My managing of Gray made us pretty close, and she was one of the few people I’d gotten used to hanging out with during practice or during the actual race itself. She was sweet and although I had to keep it professional I always enjoyed her.
“Hey,” I greeted warmly once she was sitting beside me. “I was just thinking about Gray’s chances.”
“Oh. I hope he’ll win again this year, but I guess everyone’s upping their game?” Kate asked.
I nodded my head. Scott McCall and Gray had been head to head for a while now, but Cooper was definitely someone to watch out for, and his improving performance this year made everyone stand at attention. The image of him grinning so cheekily at me earlier, his dimple deepening and his gray eyes sparkling, entered my mind all of a sudden. I shook it off and tried
to focus on watching Gray driving on the race track, conversing with Kate every now and then. Listening to the deafening sound of the car ripping around on the track.
Kate and I filed back down when Gray finished, following him to the garage. Gray greeted Kate with a quick passionate kiss, and I hid a smile as I watched them.
Their relationship was all about mutual respect and adoration, and sometimes I couldn’t believe my eyes when Gray, the womanizer who was always splashed on tabloids for his scandals, was now so in love with this bright young woman. The affection they held for each other reminded me of me and Gary in our early years, but the passion simmering and the sparks…I had to admit that ours weren’t as intense, and sometimes it had me wondering how passion as intense as theirs would feel.
Gray grinned at me once he was done doting on his wife. “I didn’t think you’d come today. You really didn’t have to, you know. It’s just practice.”
I shrugged. “I was avoiding work. How are you holding up?”
“Pretty good. Don’t worry. I’ll get you those trophies,” he teased confidently.
I grinned back and shook my head. “Do your best Gray and I am confident you will.”
“I am doing my best. In fact, I wanted to extend practice today…” he trailed off, his eyes shifting to something behind me and twinkling. “But some people are just too impatient for me to finish up.”
And just like that, my smile slowly started sliding down as I suddenly knew who Gray was looking at behind me.
“Aww, Denton, that’s so sweet of you.” It was the same Southern drawl he used when he flirted with me—and just like earlier, I felt the first stirrings of a shiver coming in. I kept my face impassive as I felt his warmth behind me, right before he took a step forward and finally stood beside me. “But you know how it goes. We always have to share the spotlight.”
There was humor in his voice, and I could see that the response amused Gray to no end. Even Kate was smiling, which had me backtracking just a little bit. Maybe I was pretty harsh on the guy and should consider the fact that they were friends. I glanced at my side.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw those gray eyes watching me quietly. Like smoke, only lighter…and absolutely mesmerizing.
And I was pretty sure he knew it.
“Hey,” he said softly.
I glanced away. “Hey.”
“Ah, I forgot to introduce you guys,” Gray said. “Kate, I’m pretty sure you already know Doug Oliver, aka Cooper Man Candy.”
Reluctantly, I turned back to Cooper, watching as his eyes lit up at the teasing. The dimple played at his right cheek again right before he chuckled: a low and pleasant sound. He held out a hand.
“Ma’am, don’t believe him,” he said sincerely. “I have nothing but love and admiration for all kinds of people. And you are?”
It was Gray who responded for me.
“Sara Montgomery, my manager. Better stay in your lane, Cooper. She can be pretty tough.”
The hand Cooper offered was still there, and despite my earlier dismissal of his flirting, I wasn’t a deliberately rude person. Reluctantly, I raised my hand and accepted the handshake, feeling our palms touch and the dry warmth of his firm shake. Nothing worse than a shitty hand shake from a man.
Almost immediately, electricity zinged down my wrist and traveled up my arm, shocking me enough to make my heart skip a beat. My gaze met his, and the heat I saw in them made me realize he was feeling the same thing. I kept the handshake short, snatching my hand right away and trying to keep it from shaking.
“Nice meeting you,” I said, trying to act as cool and unaffected as possible.
“Likewise,” he murmured.
Gray patted Cooper’s back and said they needed to go, then turned to me. I smiled at the couple and waved them off, knowing Gray’s busy schedule didn’t allow for them to really see each other as much as they wanted. I watched them go, then made a move to turn in the same direction.
A hand on my wrist stopped me—a brush of skin before it was removed right away. I looked up and realized Cooper was still looking at me, and this time, silence filled the air as I stared back at him. I was tall for a woman, but the way he towered over me and had me needing to look up…it felt odd.
Cooper held out his hand again, and in it, I saw a piece of paper. Our gazes broke off as I glanced down at the paper curiously.
“My schedule,” he said.
Oh.
Now I was somewhat embarrassed by my attitude earlier. I tried to find a diplomatic way to get out of what I just said.
“You can keep it,” I replied, giving him a polite smile. “I don’t really need the schedule anymore. I’m…” Fine, I had to do it. “I’m sorry for earlier. I admit I was pretty harsh and shouldn’t have been. I just get protective when it comes to Gray, considering how many scandals he and Kate have been through.”
“He’s a big boy, and he can handle himself,” Cooper said with a shrug. “But you’re right. He and Kate don’t deserve anymore.”
Surprise filled me that he would empathize, considering he was the media darling and practically untouchable. I’d seen some interviews with him, and I could safely say no wonder, what with his combination of lethal southern charm and manners that he used on them freely.
“Yes, they’re good people.”
He held out his hand with the paper again. “Here.”
“Mr. Oliver…”
“Cooper, ma’am,” he corrected. “My brother’s named Oliver.”
I raised a brow. “Your brother’s name is Oliver Oliver?”
He grinned, and it was so blindingly attractive that I almost took a step back. But I didn’t.
“My dad has a very odd sense of humor,” he drawled.
“Oh.” Not knowing what else to say, I shook my head. “Then call me Sara. And I don’t need that paper.”
His grin positively turned smug. “Yes, you do.”
And then he did something that shocked me once more. Cooper took my hand, opening it in a gentle but firm way that had electricity flowing through me at an alarming rate. Then he placed the paper there and closed it into a fist, closing his hand around my fingers for a long time. I didn’t know what was happening, but the electricity was high, threatening to make me lose whatever semblance of calmness I had at the moment.
Before I could show any type of reaction, he was stepping away and taking the warmth with him. Gray eyes regarded me in what looked like fascination and…something else: something I couldn’t quite make out. There was intensity there, as if he was trying to figure me out.
Then it disappeared almost instantly, and the smile was back on his face. I knew I should stop staring, but somehow, I couldn’t, which was why I saw how the smile turned into a smirk as he kept backing away.
“You need it so you can watch me practice sometime…Sara.”
And just like that, he was disappearing into the same corner that Gray and Kate disappeared to.
I watched his strides—long ones that spoke of grace and strength at the same time. He just radiated it, and my heart was racing a mile a minute. Finally, his words registered, and the blankness disappeared as I realized what he’d just done.
He’d flirted with me all over again and got away with it.
It was a cheeky little move. It was also a warning on my end more than his, telling me one very important thing that I should have realized from the very beginning.
Cooper was trouble, and I was going to have to do my best to avoid him from now on.
CHAPTER FOUR
COOPER
“Is that how you greet your favorite sister in the world?”
I smiled at the cheeky little thing standing in front of me—well, she was as cheeky as me, anyway. Then I stepped forward and gave her a tight hug, not letting go until she groaned and told me that I needed to let her breathe. Now I was grinning as she pushed me off, her lips curving into a pout before she returned my grin with a reluctant one of her own.
Not only my only sister, but actually the youngest in the family. Our mom had given birth to three boys straight up, with me being the third boy. But our hell-raising toddler days made our parents realize they wanted a girl, and crazy as they are, they went for it. And lucked out. Jane was four years younger than me and currently starting her career as a freelance writer for a quirky but popular magazine—again, something that our parents didn’t expect but supported, anyway. That was just the Oliver way.
Jane eyed me critically with her sharp blue-gray eyes, and I did the same to her. She was as blonde as me, but she outranked me in the dimples department, having one on each cheek. Give it a few years, and I was pretty sure this cheeky girl would outrank me when it came to charm, too.
“You look pretty haggard,” she said, her tone full of disapproval. “Mom would fuss over you if she saw how much weight you’ve lost.”
“I lost weight, but I’m still buff,” I argued. “This weight suits me.” I used to be really bulked up, especially back in college, but I discovered that shedding some of that off made me feel better, especially when I was racing. Tilting my head, I checked my sister from head to foot.
“And you look pretty healthy,” I said. “Have you been gaining?” I chuckled when she smacked me on the arm.
“Say that one more time,” she warned.
“I was kidding. But seriously, you look great.” I tilted my head again. “Like you are dating someone?”
I meant it as a joke. But suddenly Jane’s eyes lit up to sparkling, and her face practically glowed—which, in turn, had my own eyes narrowing. She didn’t miss my expression and waved a hand right away.
“Yes I’m dating someone, it’s new, and no, I’m not taking him to any family reunions just yet. I’ll let you know if it gets serious.”
If it gets serious…Jesus. I frowned at the thought that my baby sister was fooling around with some guy I hadn’t met yet. I was about to give her a lecture, but fought back the urge, knowing she wasn’t going to appreciate it. Jane was a sassy chick who could hold her own, and I was pretty sure she was going to try to put me in my place before I even finished my speech. It still boggled my mind sometimes how quick she grew up.