With any luck she’d prove that to herself once and for all come Saturday night.
Later that afternoon, just at the edge of dusk, she sat on her couch and curled up with a glass of wine. Eyeing the big wooden box she’d placed on the coffee table, she figured she just might keep it here among the big, squat candles and the small stack of antique first-edition books she’d begun collecting over the past few years.
Hesitantly, she lifted the lid, thoughts of her past vivid after her conversation with Teresa. Carrie took out several pictures and settled back, tucking her bare feet up on the couch. Choosing one, she smiled. This was one of her favorites. Her light blonde hair had been shorter then, she mused, noting how closely J.T. had her hugged against his tall, muscular body. Sipping the chilled chardonnay, she stroked that stunning face remembering the day Ted had shot the picture. She’d shown up at the track that day but Mark had already left. Embarrassed, sidelong glances from the crew had told her everything she’d needed to know about Mark’s whereabouts.
Some woman had obviously spirited him away with the promise of some afternoon fun that involved sex and sweat but J.T. wasn’t going to let her dwell on it. He’d always tried to take her mind off Mark’s continual mistreatment and he’d chosen that day to stick a helmet on her head and drive with her around the now empty racetrack at speeds that made her think her eyeballs might explode.
Later they’d laughed and played while Ted Dobbs snapped pictures of the two of them. Everything rushed back and slammed into her as she sat there holding the old picture. J.T. was in profile, facing her, grinning broadly, white teeth flashing as she laughed. He was always making her laugh.
Why hadn’t she married a man like J.T. instead? Tears burned behind her eyes then floated and with a low curse she knuckled them away. Nope. Uh-uh. No more crying about this crap. It was over and done with.
Just then the roar of a truck engine sent her head up. She lived isolated in the boonies and it was impossible to hear a passing vehicle unless it was coming down her private drive. Setting the photos on the table along with her half empty wine glass, Carrie moved barefoot across the terracotta tiles and colorful rugs until she stood at the double wide, arched front door.
Restlessly, she ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair hoping for a quick fix. She was a mess. Very little make up and still wearing her jeans and white tee shirt. Carrie frowned. She didn’t recognize the huge, silver truck that kicked up a winged cloud of dust as it raced toward her. It wasn’t Dan, thank God. He was a BMW man, all the way. Relief swept her. She wasn’t ready to see him yet. Though she’d pretty much decided a brief, hot affair might be just the thing to plant her feet back firmly among the living, she still balked at the idea.
Must be kind of like parachuting from a plane. Knowing you needed to do it but hesitant as hell. Curious, she stepped through the front door and onto the tiled front porch. The arrival was a man, a big one whose presence seemed to fill up the cab of his truck. She lifted her hand in a wave. The roar of the engine died, dust settled, and for a second or two, she watched him grip the steering wheel and then recognition blasted through her body like a Texas wind storm.
J.T.
Oh. My. God.
J.T. Sims.
A bolt of pleasure tore through her body. Memory seared her as he opened the door and unfolded his long, rangy body to stand there just looking at her, a crooked, devastating grin on his face.
“Hey, darlin’.”
Carrie’s hands went up over her mouth as she gasped loudly. “Oh! Oh! J.T. Oh, honey!”
A dream in denim, looking rumpled and oh-so-sexy, his smile widened as a whip of wind caught his thick, black curls and dashed them around. He opened his arms and she lost her ability to think. Moving like lightning she practically flew down the front steps and launched herself at him. Legs around his hips, arms around his neck she held on and just breathed in the clean, male scent of him. Her lips settled along his tanned throat and she whispered against that warm flesh. “J.T. J.T. I’m so glad to see you!”
A low purring sound came up through his throat, vibrating against her lips. “Same here, gorgeous. Guess I don’t have to ask if you’re happy to see me after all these years. I was kinda worried about that.”
J.T.’s arms wrapped around her and settled just below her butt, one hand caressed her ass playfully. The warmth of that touch seared her through her jeans as a little sexual thrill whipped through her system, surprising her. A bolt of longing shot through her and it caught her completely off guard.
“I’m just sorry it’s been so long. I missed you.” He felt so good she never wanted to let go.
Carrie became aware of several things all at once and what she learned shocked her to her core. She’d thought it was friendship she felt for the man who’d stuck close all those years ago. Maybe it had been but it certainly wasn’t the case now.
Slowly, the man who made a living by doing things fast turned with her in his arms and pressed her against the side of his truck. He pressed his cock against her center. He was as hard as stone and apparently unafraid of her knowing. Letting her feel every inch of his impressive body, he buried his face against her throat. She heard his sharp inhalation of breath. Oh, God, he was breathing her in. Helplessly, she closed her eyes and just absorbed the feel of him.
“Ah, Carrie, darlin’, I’ve missed you. Can’t believe I waited so long.”
“You’ve been kind of busy being a famous guy,” she whispered. “But you’re here now. That’s what’s important.”
The warmth of his breath sent a shiver zipping over her flesh. Her nipples responded to the hard press of his chest and she sucked in a slow breath as they tightened painfully. Unable to resist, she ran her hands over his broad, sturdy shoulders, dipped them lower to caress his back and the realization struck her that over the years, when she’d looked back, it was always J.T.’s face she saw.
Everything was different now though. Something had changed. She felt it in the tension that shimmered from J.T.’s body, felt it in the very air she breathed.
J.T.’s hands flashed down the sides of her body and back up to curl around her upper back. His mouth settled on her face, near her ear.
Carrie felt his breath, the press of muscle, and her body reacted with a violence of sensation she almost didn’t recognize. Gathering her courage, loving the feel of him wrapped up in her arms she finally spoke. “Why are you here now, J.T.? After all these years, why have you come?”
J.T. pressed a kiss to her ear and drew back to look at her with those dark, intensely warm eyes. A tiny smile lifted one corner of his lips. “Haven’t you figured it out yet, darlin’? I’ve come for you.”
Chapter Two
He’d come for her.
Carrie couldn’t quite believe it but truth was there on his face, burning deep in those dark, brown eyes as he held her pinioned against the side of his truck. His cock pressed against her, burned hot through the crotch of her jeans and she mentally shook her head at the craziness of her position. They were friends. Weren’t they? Oh, no. Simple friends didn’t hold each other this way.
“Tell me what you mean, J.T.” Oh, God, her voice trembled. He’d rattled her for sure and she wasn’t a woman who rattled that easily after all she’d been through.
He wouldn’t be denied and she knew it. J.T.’s muscles bunched as he leaned closer, one tiny sexy increment and brushed his sensual lips against hers as if he planned a serious study on the textures of her mouth.
“I think you know exactly what I mean, sweetheart. I’ve been waiting. All this time just waiting,” he whispered in a rough voice. How did a man get such thick, black, curling lashes, she wondered inanely as his lips brushed hers leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world.
J.T. rolled his chest against her and Carrie felt her nipples draw up tighter. They stabbed against his muscled chest and she gasped. Lowering his face, he drank the sound, teased her bottom lip with this tongue, swiped it past her teeth a
nd into the cavern of her mouth. A short quick claiming that stole her breath. When he drew back, smiling faintly, Carrie struggled to catch her breath.
He looked like a man who knew a sexy secret. Well, she had a few secrets of her own and he might not think quite so highly of her if he knew.
“I think you’d better let me down, J.T.” she said breathlessly, before she lost her nerve. One more kiss would have her tossing her good sense to the wind. One more taste of him would have her grinding her pussy against him and begging him to take her on the driveway in front of her house.
Was she that starved for sexual contact?
Oh, yeah. She was.
“What are you afraid of, honey? Me?” Obliging her, J.T. stepped back and slowly lowered her down the front of his body. His scent whipped around her, making her dizzy. His body was hard and strong and utterly edible.
She laughed a little. “You’re damn right I’m afraid of you. You’re a very scary man and too sexy for your own good. What do they put in those power drinks you’re always endorsing, huh? Testosterone?”
She’d wanted to lighten the moment and knew she’d succeeded when he chuckled and reached into the bed of his truck. He had his bag halfway out when he glanced at her over his shoulder. A dark brow winged up over one eye. “Can I bunk here, Carrie? Or I guess the better question is this—are you involved with anyone? Am I welcome?”
“No. There’s no one.” She noted the satisfied, cat-ate-the-canary look that flashed in his eyes and continued. Yeah, she knew it was a risky proposition for her heart but she was a hospitable southern woman. “And of course, you’re welcome. Please stay, J.T. There’s only one motel in Mesquite Creek and I think they only rent by the hour.”
Yes. Keep it light. Keep it fun. There was plenty of time later to find out just what the hell he was talking about.
J.T. laughed and finally pulled the duffel from the bed of his truck. “A real no-tell mo-tel, hm?”
“That’s about it.” She headed back toward the house and knew he followed. A little shiver skittered up her spine. He was watching her ass, the sneaky little devil, and she knew it, could feel his eyes exploring her curves. “I have plenty of room.”
“Yeah, I noticed. Nice big house you have here.”
“I like it. It’s quiet. Nobody bothers me out here.” She walked into the house, deep into the massive living room and spread her arms, smiling. “Home sweet home. You like?”
“Mm-yeah. A lot. The place looks like you. Classy but with touches of sweet thrown in.”
Carrie watched him take in her space as an unexpected thrill went through her at his words. He was one of the best parts of her past and his sincere compliment meant the world to her. “How long have you been driving, J.T.? Bet you’re beat.”
He laughed. “Not that beat. I wouldn’t turn down a shower though.”
“God. It’s great to see you. Really. I’m so glad you’re here. A surprise like this really jump starts my heart.”
“You look good. Better than good.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. Completely delicious.” Moving to her, a tiny smile curving his lips, he reached out and ran a finger through the loose, blonde curls that swept her shoulders. “You’ve let it grow. I like it.”
She met those rich, deep eyes and a blast of nostalgia grabbed her, tickled through her chest. Stopping herself from reaching out to pull him back into her arms, she flashed a grin. “Remember how you used to tease me about my short hair?”
He laughed. “You looked like a regular tomboy. Maybe I didn’t tell you often enough how cute I thought you were.”
“Cute, huh? Every woman’s dream description.” Carrie went serious. “I heard you came in third at Miami.”
“Did you watch?”
She shook her head. “You know I can’t watch them anymore.”
“I get that, sweetheart.” His voice lowered an octave, compassion heavy in his words.
“Anyway. I read all about it. Third isn’t too shabby.”
“Um, yeah. Did pretty good. Gearhardt was happy. Got a nice little bonus out of the deal.”
Gearhardt Racing, based in Houston, was J.T.’s team and, at one time, had been Mark’s as well. “Lots of endorsements, too, I hear.”
J.T. laughed. “Testosterone laced power drinks and a sandwich outfit. A candy company. Not bad.”
Chuckling, shaking her head, Carrie realized how very much she’d missed him. “How long will you be here? Don’t you have stuff coming up?”
He shifted and tucked his thumbs in the pockets of his worn jeans. “I have a couple weeks before heading up to Texas Motor Speedway for the three hundred. I’ll meet up with the team there. Two weeks too long for you, honey?”
Uncertainty shook her but she couldn’t let him see. It had taken years to come to grips with her past and now, here it was, roaring back into her life. J.T. brought with him a lot of junk she just wasn’t certain she wanted to face right now.
“No,” she whispered. “Two weeks is just fine but, um, it’s taken me awhile to feel comfortable in my own skin again, J.T.” It was hard but she forced herself to look him dead in the eye. “Mark’s my past and I don’t talk about him much.”
He gave her a look and moved closer. Cupping her cheek in one big hand, he bent and brushed his lips against hers. For a man who’d made a living out of being fast, he certainly put a lot of slow in his kisses. He kept it brief and smiled down at her. “My being here doesn’t have a goddamn thing to do with Mark. He’s dead and I’m sorry about that but let’s leave him where he is, Carrie.”
“Okay. Let’s do that.” Manners kicked in. “Have a seat. We’ll talk.”
They sat together on the couch as the last bit of daylight swept through the windows and into the room. It had been three years but she felt just as comfortable with J.T. as she always had. She smiled at his casual sprawl thinking how big and male he looked with the backdrop of colorful pillows behind him. His darkness contrasted deliciously with the buttery soft ivory leather of her couch. “I was just thinking about you.”
J.T. stilled. “Oh yeah? What were you thinking about?”
“Just remembering.” She gestured to the picture box on the table and watched him pluck up the picture she’d been looking at minutes before his arrival.
He smiled at the image and glanced at her. “I remember this like it was yesterday. Scared the shit out of you when I drove you around the track.”
“Yeah. Speed kills,” she said with a smirk.
He laughed. “Tell it to the fans, honey.”
“You’ve done so well, J.T. I’m proud of you.”
“I’ve come a long way from that trailer park in North Carolina.”
“You have.” Carrie reached across the couch and took his hand. “Bet your folks are proud of you.”
“I hope so. They seem to be. I was really sorry to hear about your mom. She was a really nice woman.”
Tears flashed hot across the surface of her eyes but she blinked them away. “Got the flowers, J.T. It’s been almost a year and I still can’t believe she’s gone. Miss her every day.” She sighed, curling her legs up beneath her on the couch and settled in. “How did you find out about Mom?”
“Gus Gearhardt told me.”
“Gus? Oh my God! I haven’t talked to him in forever. How’s the head honcho of Gearhardt racing doing these days? Bet pretty good, considering the skill of his number one driver.”
J.T. made a sound. “I don’t think he has any complaints. He’s helped me keep track of you over the past three years and I owe him for that.”
“Mm. I wondered how you knew about Mom passing away and how to find me.”
He chuckled, the sound rich and warm. “I have my ways.”
“Don’t I know it.”
As they chatted, Carrie watched him, feeling comfort stealing through her very bones along with something else. The force of attraction was new and disturbing on a number of levels but she didn’t want to fi
ght it. Suddenly she saw him as more than Mark’s friend and hers. She saw him as a man who was vastly appealing to a woman who’d been alone as long as she’d been.
Silence fell between them and finally she asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. “Why are you here now, J.T.? It’s been three long years and you’re a busy man, to say the least.”
J.T. went still, a dark intensity burning in his eyes as he took up her fingers and absently toyed with them. “I wanted to give you some time, Carrie. Mark’s death was so sudden and violent and don’t forget I know you. You needed time and distance and I gave it to you. When you took off for Italy right after the funeral, I knew you needed to lick your wounds. Those years of dealing with Mark’s bullshit and the press and everything else took their toll, didn’t they?”
“You’ve always read me better than anyone else, J.T.” Carrie absorbed the truth of his words, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the sofa. “God. I loved Italy. I found the most gorgeous house in the countryside. I’d still be there today if Mom hadn’t gotten sick. Now I’m back home in Texas but I have few complaints.”
“Are you glad to see me?”
Carrie opened her eyes and looked at him. “Yeah, I am. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed you until you pulled up in my drive. A few years ago it would’ve been hard to see you with Mark’s death so new but I’m ready now.”
“Ready for me?”
A burst of laughter broke from her lips. “Audacious as ever and man, is that ever a loaded question. Let me put it this way, I’m more ready for you now than before. Does that help?”
“A little bit. Gives me hope.” His disarming grin caused the hint of a dimple to crease his left cheek. What a sexy rogue. Lord, he made her mouth water.
Killer Curves Page 2