Rent was due and now I had the money to cover it, fix my car and some extra left over. Plus, I had to look for a job. This was my life.
“Where ya headed?” Jake asked from the bathroom. I looked over at him as he pulled on his jeans. I watched as he peered at himself in the bathroom mirror while he splashed water on his face.
“Home, I guess.” I shrugged. “I should probably call my friend Katie and have her pick me up,” I said. “Although I guess I could just get a cab now that I have some cash.”
Jake nodded. “Right,” he said. “I should go back to the track. I’ve got a few more days here before heading out.”
All of a sudden, a wave of sadness washed over me. I knew this was a one-night stand, but even so, a part of me wished he’d ask me to go with him. We’d just met. He was a stranger. I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me. A man like Jake wasn’t looking for anything more than a quick night of fun…and I was insane for even thinking of the possibility of anything more than that.
“Hey,” Jake said suddenly. “You got somewhere to be, like a job?”
I blushed. “No. Not at the moment.” I felt like a loser.
Jake nodded. “Well, you wanna come with me?”
“Where to?” I frowned. “To the track?”
“No,” Jake said. He finished tying his shoes and looked up at me. The intensity in his sapphire eyes made me shudder. “On the road.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
Jake laughed. “I know it’s totally crazy. We just met. But I had such a good night with you, Liv. I’d really like to have more fun.” He raised an eyebrow. “Besides, you’re my good luck charm. I can’t be without my lucky charm, can I?”
I blushed. I knew I should say no. It was a totally crazy idea. I didn’t know anything about this guy. For all I knew, he could be a serial killer! Or like, one of those weirdos who’s obsessed with the Home Shopping Network and tentacle porn!
I knew I shouldn’t say yes. There were a thousand reasons why this had to be a terrible idea.
“Well?” Jake looked at me, his grin fading with each passing second of silence. “What do you say?”
I bit my lip and broke out into a wide grin.
“Sure,” I said. “Why not.”
Chapter Three
Olivia
One week later, I was standing in line at the betting counter at the Las Vegas International Speedway. The hot, arid desert was a welcome change from the humidity in Florida. I was feeling more confident than ever about Jake and his ability to win.
When it was my turn at the counter, I leaned over and said, “Excuse me, I’d like to put five thousand on Jacob Teller.”
The guy, an old geezer behind the counter, paused for a second and then burst out laughing. “You know this kid?”
“Who, me?” I looked at him all wide-eyed and innocent. “Of course not.” I said, feigning shock.
“That’s a lot of dough to be putting on a joker like him.” The geezer said as he gave me over, trying to figure out if I was just simpleminded or if I’d been duped into betting on a loser.
“I just have a good feeling about him today.”
The guy nodded. “Uh-huh, that’s right Darlin, do what you want.” he said. “It’s okay. We’ll still take your cash.” He picked up the stack of bills and counted them before handing me the ticket. “That kid got lucky and had a couple of good races lately, but he ain’t got what it takes to make it in the long haul.”
“Oh really, you think?” I batted my lashes. “He seems really good to me.”
The guy rolled his eyes. “Lady, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I smiled politely. “Well, thank you for your opinion sir,” I said as I tucked the ticket into my purse. “And I’ll see ya soon when I come pick up my winnings!”
The ticket guy laughed. I looked over my shoulder and waved to him as I walked away from the counter. I did my best to keep a straight face until I was out of sight. When I knew I was a safe distance away, I just about doubled over with laughter.
Jake and I had been on the road for just a week, but it seemed like longer. He’d already won two more races. I’d bet on him both times and my earnings were over fifty thousand dollars. It was insane for me to think that a week ago, I was broke and worried about making rent. Now, I was living large, having fun and sleeping with one of the coolest and hottest guys I’d ever met.
If Jake won today, we were going to Rio de Janeiro for the next race. I couldn’t believe it. I’d always wanted to travel, but never had the money. Now that it was finally becoming a possibility, it seemed like it was too amazing to be real.
It really was crazy—how a one-night stand turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I was having so much fun that I hadn’t even thought about going home. And honestly, I didn’t have the time or the desire. There were parties every night. We had it all—great food, great liquor, and lots of hot sex in the best hotels in the world—as long as Jake kept winning. It was like a dream come true. I found myself pinching my thigh sometimes, just to make sure I really was awake.
The Las Vegas International Speedway was huge, even compared to Daytona. I settled into the stands, jammed some foam earplugs into my ears and closed my eyes as a hot, grease-scented breeze blew over me. The cars were roaring and spinning below in flashes of metal and rubber. I grinned when I imagined what I wanted to do to Jake as soon as we were alone together.
Just the thought of Jake’s muscular body against mine was enough to make me wet. I felt my nipples stiffen inside of my new, lacy bra that I’d bought just that morning from the upscale lingerie store on the Strip. One of the perks of having so much cash was being able to shop. I went a little crazy, buying all the designer stuff I’d always wanted to have but could never afford—that is until now.
Before I met Jake, I’d never really considered myself very materialistic. But now I was starting to understand why so many women were obsessed with shoes and nice clothing. It was addictive—almost as addictive as gambling on Jake.
Jake sped across the finish line, easily beating the other drivers. I leapt up from my seat, screaming happily and jumping through the air before running down from the stands into the pit lane. Jake was there, waiting for me, clutching his helmet and still in his racing uniform. He looked radiant, happy and boyish, and triumphant, like nothing bad could ever happen to him.
“Baby!” I cried, running up to him. I threw my arms around him and the other drivers whistled and clapped as I wrapped my legs around Jake’s waist and slipped my tongue deep into his mouth.
When we pulled away, I was grinning so widely that my cheeks hurt.
“You were great!” I cheered, sliding down from Jake and back onto the ground. “We won, again,” I added, leaning close to his ear. “And you know what I wanna do?”
Jake grinned. He leaned over and kissed me sweetly on the forehead. “And what’s that, my beautiful Lady Luck?”
“Well, it starts with getting you alone in the hotel room, and lots of champagne,” I whispered, licking his earlobe and grinning. “And some ice cubes…yeah, baby, I’m gonna make you feel so good.” I was getting excited again, just thinking about it.
Jake turned to me and kissed me deeply. He squeezed my ass like he always did, making the other drivers howl and hoot with approval.
“Sounds like a plan, babe,” Jake said. “Come on. Let’s go get your money.”
Ten minutes later, I was standing in line at the betting counter again. The guy recognized me but I didn’t even feel like engaging with him. I just wanted to get back to Jake as fast as possible and so I collected my winnings—more than twenty-thousand dollars this time—with a polite smile and quickly turned around, quickly scanning the area for Jake.
When I saw him, I gasped. Jake was standing next to a handsome man in a button-down shirt and ultra-chic sunglasses. He was tall, with brown hair and a deep tan. Also, oddly enough, he seemed incredibly familiar.
When Jake saw me, he waved and motioned for me to join him. “Olivia!” He yelled. “Over here!”
I trotted over to where they were standing. A hot breeze toyed with the hem of my dress and I eagerly pushed it down, not wanting the entire Las Vegas crowd to get a glimpse of my goodies.
“Olivia, this is James,” Jake said.
“Hi.” I put my hand out to shake. But when James looked at me over the tops of his shades, I nearly fainted. “Oh my God,” I said slowly. I place a hand on my chest. “You’re James Connelly.”
The man grinned. “Don’t be too loud about it,” he said, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “The last time someone yelled my name, I was mobbed by fans.”
I nodded. It was hard not to feel completely star-struck. James Connelly was an A-list Hollywood actor. He’d been in over twenty blockbuster movies, and he was young—early thirties at the most and incredibly handsome.
I couldn’t help it, but I started blabbering like an idiot. “I saw your last movie with my best friend Katie.” I nervously linked my arm through Jake’s. “She won’t believe it when I tell her I met you. She has the hugest crush on you!”
“That might not be so bad if she’s as beautiful as you.” James winked at me with a wolfish grin.
“You can’t have this one.” Jake wrapped his arm around my waist. He pulled me close to him and nuzzled my hair. “She’s my good luck charm.”
“I can see she’s spoken for, but you can’t blame a guy for trying now, can you?” James patted Jake’s shoulder.
“She’s the reason why I’ve been winning like this.”
“You my friend are one lucky man,” James laughed. “Hey, are you two free later? You guys should come to my suite later,” he said. “I’m throwing a party.”
I had to make a conscious effort not to gape. I looked at Jake and prayed that he’d say yes.
“I think we could be free later,” Jake said teasingly. “That is, if Olivia doesn’t completely wear me out first.”
I blushed.
James clapped his hands together. “Excellent! I’ll see you guys there.”
***
After a passionate, fun round of hotel sex, Jake and I went shopping. Vegas was the absolute perfect playground! A few hours later, it was hard to believe that I was ten-thousand dollars lighter.
“You’re going to have to keep winning,” I said, glancing at my shopping bags. I’d just bought a sexy dress for the party later and high heels. “I can’t keep spending money like this.”
“Trust me, Liv, I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon,” he said. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Especially not when I have to keep my Lady Luck satisfied and happy.”
I smiled at him. “You better, Mr. The lady’s got to live.” I teased.
“The party tonight should be pretty wild,” Jake mused. “I’ve heard that James is a freak of a dude.”
We were just getting back to Nefertiti’s Palace, the hotel where we were staying on the Strip. As always, I was struck by the sumptuous decor. In this particular hotel, there was a beautiful glass pyramid hanging over the lobby.
I giggled and looked at Jake with mock surprise. “Don’t tell me my boyfriend believes everything he reads in the tabloids!”
Jake snorted. “So I’m your boyfriend, huh?”
I blushed. We’d never actually called ourselves boyfriend and girlfriend. “I couldn’t think of a better word,” I admitted. “I hate lover. It sounds so cheesy. Like it’s from the 1970s, you know?”
Jake nodded. I was hoping he’d say something—about how much he wanted to be my boyfriend, but the elevator doors pinged open and the conversation fell silent.
I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing with Jake. We were having so much fun together, but we never really talked about it and I always kind of knew that what we were doing couldn’t possibility last.
When I thought about what it would be like to be with someone like him all the time, I couldn’t imagine it. It was one thing to roam around the world and have fun with a guy like Jake for a while. But what would it be like to be his girlfriend? Or heaven forbid, his wife? Would that mean having to stay at home eight months a year while Jake traveled around the world, rubbing elbows with beautiful women in exotic cities? Or would we live in hotels together, never staying too long in any one place? What kind of life would that be?
I swallowed. It felt like things were finally starting to get real. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I thought about the future. It was something that gnawed away at me, increasingly weighing on my mind with each passing day. I couldn’t escape it.
The party at James Connelly’s suite was crazy. As soon as we walked in, my senses were completely overwhelmed. The room was packed with people. Some were famous, some were normal, but all of them were beautiful. There was Dom Perignon everywhere and beautifully crafted canapés. The sound of laughter and money rang through the air, and I was dazzled and charmed by how much fun everyone seemed to be having.
“God, this is something else,” I whispered to Jake as I set my bag and shoes down in the corner of the room. “I can’t believe this.”
Jake nodded. There was a clear hunger in his eyes—not for the scantily-clad beautiful women that flitted around like exotic birds, but for James Connelly’s wealth and lifestyle.
I squeezed his hand. “You’ll get there, you know,” I told Jake. “You’ll be famous and have all of this someday.”
Jake shook his head. “I doubt it,” he said.
“Don’t ever doubt yourself,” I replied. I kissed him on the cheek. Jake grinned and lightly swatted my ass.
“You’re not only my lucky charm, but you’re my inspiration, too,” Jake said. “You want a drink?”
I nodded. “Please,” I said. “That would be great.”
Jake disappeared into the sea of people. The crowd seemed to swallow him up all at once. Even though the suite wasn’t that large, there had to be at least sixty people crammed into the space. The DJ started up with some music and small groups of people started dancing in the middle of the room. I noticed a lot of women were giving Jake the eye and I smirked. He’s all mine, I thought. At least, he is for now.
A pretty girl with olive skin and jet black hair pulled back in a big bun sidled up to me. She was wearing a bright green strapless dress that I’d seen that afternoon at one of the high-end couture stores. It was hard not to feel faint when I remembered seeing the price tag. The dress had been more than twenty-five thousand dollars.
“Hi,” the girl said.
“Hi.” I smiled at her. “Are you a friend of James?”
The girl laughed. “No, but don’t tell anyone,” she said, smirking. There was a mischievous glint in her dark eyes. “I’m here with my sister. She works at Crazy Horse, and she met James at a party last week.”
“I’m Olivia,” I said. “My friend Jake and I just met James at the race track.”
“Horses?”
I shook my head. “Cars.”
“Whoa,” the girl pulled back. “You mean you’re here with Jacob Teller? That Jake?”
I nodded. “Yeah, you know him?”
The girl clapped her hand to her chest and rolled her eyes back in her head dramatically. “Every girl in the room knows of him and wants to get to know him if you know what I mean,” she said. “When James said the newest racing phenom was gonna be here, everyone went wild!”
For some reason, that made me feel weird. I couldn’t explain it, but an odd feeling was forming in my throat.
I frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
I forced a smile and shook my head. “Nothing. What did you say your name was?”
The girl held out her hand. “Kendra,” she said. “Pleased.” Rather than shaking my hand, Kendra squeezed the tips of my fingers in a gesture that reminded me of a Southern debutante.
“Jake said he was getting a drink,” I said, standing up on my tiptoes, glancing around for his blonde head. �
�But I don’t see him anywhere.”
“He probably got attacked by a mob of girls,” Kendra said. She sipped her flute of champagne. “And what do you do?”
I blushed. “For the moment, not much,” I said. “I’ve been traveling with Jake this week. We’re going to Rio next week and that should be fun.”
Kendra’s eyes got wide. “Holy shit, girl,” she said. “You’ve got like a total set up. You’re like a kept woman.”
“It’s not exactly like that,” I said quickly. “Jake’s not paying me. We met because I bet some money on him when he was supposed to lose. He won and I felt like I had to go tell him.” I shrugged, feeling self-conscious of my rambling. “And we’ve been together ever since.”
“Wow,” Kendra said. “That’s so romantic.” I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic.
Just then, I spotted Jake pushing his way through the crowd. His cheeks were flushed and I could tell he was in high spirits.
“Hey, babe,” Jake said. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek before handing me a cup of something pink and sticky looking.
I sniffed it and tried not to gag. “What is this? Everclear?”
Jake laughed. “It was the only thing they had,” he said. “I had some. It’s not bad. Strong, though.”
I made a face, held my breath and downed the pink liquor. It didn’t taste as bad as I thought it would, but the lingering scent reminded me oddly of motor fuel and grease.
“Oh!” I said, remembering my manners and turning to Kendra. “This is Kendra. Her sister is a friend of James.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jake said. “Jake Teller.” He put out his hand to shake and I tensed, wondering if he was going to kiss Kendra’s fingers the same way he had mine. When I saw that he just squeezed her hand, a hot wave of relief washed over me.
“Pleased,” Kendra said coyly. “Why not Jacob?”
Jake laughed. “Jacob was my grandfather,” he said. “Trust me, I don’t think I’ll ever get there.” He grinned. “Jake is better.”
Heart Racer: A Billionaire Love Story Page 3