by Desiree Holt
“You like watching me play with my hair?” She tipped her head. “I didn’t know that.”
“Love it.”
Flutters started in her belly. Eric never talked about love. Never mentioned the word unless it related to sex. He’d used the word, not once, but twice. There was a chance he’d changed his mind. Slim, but a chance. She shook her head and shoved the thoughts aside. “The point of the exercise was switching. You weren’t in control, but it still felt good, didn’t it?”
He palmed her breasts. “Felt fan-fucking-tastic.”
Janine sighed and arched into his touch. “And no one said a word about stress or the race.”
“Not a word.” He quit playing with her chest and offered his hands. “Untie me? Please? I want to touch you.”
“You have been.” Janine unwound the scarf and tossed it past his head. It landed somewhere on the seat. “This time we were careless. No condom. It won’t happen again unless I have a commitment from you.”
“You know I’m clean. You’re the only woman I fuck.” With his cock still deep in her pussy, Eric sat up and threaded his fingers into her hair. “What kind of commitment are you looking for?”
She filed his honest remark away for later. “If we’re going to do this, you have to promise to tell me the truth. Even if it hurts or you think it will upset me. We need to have honesty and trust. We’re committed to each other, no ands or buts. Just you and me.”
Eric dropped his hands to her lap and caressed her bare thighs. “You mean this isn’t a one-time thing? I’m all for letting you take control once in a while, but I’m the man here. What I say goes.”
Good gravy. He’d be a tough one to convince. She lived for tough cases. “I love it when you’re alpha and raging masculinity, but what you truly need isn’t what you think.” She slid off his lap and stood with her arms folded. “What we did this afternoon—it’s just the start. I want more.”
“How much more?”
She detected a hint of fear in his voice. Good. “I want lots more.”
Chapter Three
Later that afternoon at the track, Eric cracked his neck and focused on the timesheets. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the stress he’d carried around barely registered. He’d been with Janine on plenty of occasions, but had never before forgotten to use a rubber. Oddly enough, not wearing protection didn’t bother him. Could he get her pregnant? Sure. Did he want to? The idea held merit. What he couldn’t quite get his mind around was how she’d wriggled around his defences. She’d taken control during sex and part of him had liked it. But her comment about a commitment…he wasn’t sold. No woman held a candle to Janine and he wasn’t about to cheat on her. Did she really think giving up control in bed was going to fix him?
The more he thought he understood her, the more she surprised him. She hadn’t spent the afternoon with him the way he’d expected. She’d left him alone with his thoughts. He enjoyed the uninterrupted work time—up to a point. He missed having her there to give him reassuring smiles. He missed her almost as much as when she didn’t spend the night. He loved listening to her sighs when she slept and the cute way she dug her ass into his back when she needed warming up.
Maybe a commitment wouldn’t be so bad after all. Maybe. She’d be in his arms at night and by his side during the day.
“I’m ready to head out. The truck is ready, right?” Tucker’s voice blasted from the radio earpiece.
Refocusing his attention on the practice session, Eric adjusted his headset and twiddled with the volume. “You’re good.” He stood on his perch on the toolbox to watch Tucker’s progress around the track. The RPMs looked fine and the water temps were right where he wanted them. “Give her the gas and see what she can do.”
Tucker passed the start-finish line and mashed the gas. The truck sailed perfectly into turn one, but it didn’t continue around the curve.
Eric’s breath rushed from his chest. Each heartbeat registered a minute apart as Tucker’s truck connected with the wall. Pieces of the front end flew through the air as if in slow motion. The radio chatter between Tucker and Jase, his spotter, ceased. The silence deafened Eric. Fuck, fuck, fuck. His hands shook as he jumped off the toolbox.
“Tucker? Come on, buddy. Talk to me.” Eric gripped the radio. Sweat slicked down his temple and burned in his eyes. “Tucker?”
After what seemed like a lifetime, Tucker answered. “You ever hit a wall at eighty miles an hour? Don’t try it. Sucks.” He groaned at his end of the radio. “And it hurts.”
Not relieved but able to breathe, Eric grabbed the first crewman he found. “Delaney, I want the truck looked over with a fine-toothed comb. Nothing ignored. It shouldn’t have hit the wall like that. I prepped that truck.” His hands continued to shake. Plenty of drivers were in accidents. Crashes were a necessary evil in racing. Except Tucker wasn’t any driver—he was Eric’s best friend.
With the rest of the crew in tow, Eric sprinted to the garage. He radioed Megan. “I know you saw that. I’m”—he fumbled with his words—“I’m sorry.”
She sighed. “It’s racing. I accepted it a long time ago. Parts fail. Just make sure it wasn’t something we did.”
“You got it.” He stopped at the truck hauler. “I want this one shelved and the backup taken out. If Tucker’s cleared to race, I want the truck ready and waiting on him. We’ll face tech tonight. Make it work.”
Although getting the backup truck through technical inspection went by at a turtle’s pace, he had to wait for Tucker to be released from the care centre with approval to continue in the truck. Thankfully, the truck passed and Tucker had permission to race. The rest of the practice session flew by in no time. Eric stood up on the pit box. “Bring her in.”
“Feels good, Eric. Nice and solid.” Tucker drove the truck to the pit stall and climbed out through the window. “I don’t know what the hell happened to the main truck, but I’ll take this one.”
“I’m going to find out what happened. I prepped that truck. It was in working order when we left Hickory.”
“You’ll figure it out.” Tucker unzipped his fire suit and shrugged out of the sleeves. “Damn, it’s hot today. It’s what, eight? Gotta be eighty-five degrees still.”
“Spend some time with Megan in the air conditioning.” Eric helped to put the cover on the truck. “Should cool you right down. I’ll be out here trying to decipher what went wrong with that truck.”
“Not hardly.” Tucker slapped Eric on the shoulder. “Find yourself a piece of ass and have a good time. Aren’t you and Janine having romantic relations? Find her. The truck will wait until we get back in the morning.”
The truck might wait, but Eric wasn’t interested. His pride stung. He’d worked hard to make sure the vehicle was fast for Tucker. He’d accepted nothing less. He crawled up into the upper deck of the hauler and ran through a cursory check of the ailing racing machine. Despite the damage to the front end, there wasn’t any debris in the radiator. The cooling system sprawled out in every direction.
I’m not going to find anything in this mess. Perspiration trickled down his brow and beaded on his back. The parts of the truck that weren’t damaged didn’t show any signs of being tampered with. He fanned his face and continued his observation.
“Trask.”
Eric turned in the direction of Delaney’s voice. “Hey, man. Looking over the damage.”
“It’s totalled.” Delaney folded his arms on the hatch opening of the upper deck of the truck. “The garage is closing in ten minutes and Janine said she needed to see you about some paperwork. I’d give my eye teeth to fill out paperwork with her.”
“That’s my girlfriend,” Eric growled. “Lay off. I’m heading out.”
“I’d planned to, but I lit the requisite fire under your ass.” He laughed and ducked down the hatch opening. “Fuck her until you both can’t stand.”
Eric climbed out of the upper level and waited for Delaney to leave the truck before he follo
wed. Paperwork. Knowing Janine, she probably did have paperwork for him. He flipped the cover off his phone and dialled her number.
“Eric.” Nothing pretty. No sweet nothings. Just his name.
“Where do you want me to fill out this paperwork? I’m leaving the truck now.” He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder and closed the door. His credentials slapped his chest with every step.
“I’m in the RV. Hurry up or you’ll be closed in the track.” She clicked off the line before he had a chance to answer her.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “This had better be good.”
* * * *
Janine fluffed her hair in the mirror once more. If Eric had been standing in the actual truck, she’d have about fifteen minutes until he arrived unless he stopped to chat with another one of the crew chiefs. She touched up the gloss on her lips, then rechecked her stock of towels in the bathroom. Steam billowed from the bathtub. She twisted the knob to stop the flow of water. Her phone beeped. She pressed the buttons to retrieve the message.
Will be another ten. Talking to Tucker.
Figures. She crinkled her nose and placed the phone on the countertop. “Gives me time to double-check everything.”
Forty-five minutes later, the door clunked shut. “God damn, I am tired,” came Eric’s voice from the other room. “Janine?”
She stepped out of the bedroom and rested her hand on her hip. “You bellowed?”
“Tucker wanted to talk about the race and a couple of his run times.” Eric’s lips parted and his eyes widened. “You’re in latex. I didn’t think you bought anything…like that. Gloves? What next? A crop? Come on, hon. I’m tired.”
Well, fuck in a basket. The erection in his pants belied his words. He probably was worn out. Working at the track all hours of the day wasn’t easy. Still, she demanded his attention and compliance. And kudos to him for guessing one of the toys of choice.
“You’re tired? I have the solution.” She crossed the living room, swishing her hips for extra emphasis. The latex clung to her legs with the slightest pinch. She embraced the sweet sting. “But you have to agree, from this moment on you’re in my care. No questions, no complaints. Just trust.”
He glanced around the room a couple of times. “And if I accept?”
“You find out what I’m going to do. If you don’t accept, then you go to bed and I head back to Hickory tonight.”
“This late? You’re not watching the race?” He braced himself on the counter top. “Having you in the pit is my good luck charm.”
“You don’t need luck.” Janine tugged each fingertip of her satin gloves. “Come into the bedroom. We’ll discuss my terms there.”
He crooked one brow, then kicked out of his shoes. Eric strode past her and shrugged out of his work shirt. “The primary truck hit the wall pretty damned hard today. I don’t get it.” He stopped in the doorway to the bathroom. “For me?”
Janine eased up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. “You need to relax.” She nudged him with her hip, then swatted his ass. “Naked. Now.”
Although he glanced over his shoulder at her, Eric complied. “Did Megan call you?”
She waited for him to strip down to nothing, fighting the urge to help him. He turned around and pointed to the tub. “May I?”
“Please do. I want to wash you.” Janine poured a healthy amount of soap into the water. “Sit.” She dropped to her knees beside the tub. “Part of my relaxation for you involves not talking about the race or the trucks. I’m breaking my rule now, but when we play you are to say nothing. I mean nothing.”
“Wait, what?” His shoulders sagged and confusion filled his dark eyes.
“Yes, Megan called me. I saw the replay when I got back to the track. Tucker had his bell rung, but he’ll live. I’m sorry it had to happen. But now you want to figure out what happened. I understand and don’t blame you. If it wasn’t mechanical or a chance incident, I’d be bent over backwards trying to figure out who did what to cause it.” She rubbed the soapy washcloth over his chest. “But what I want to do requires you to give me your full attention. In return, I guarantee you will be ready for tomorrow.”
Eric flicked water from his fingers, then cupped her jaw. “What are we going to do?” He swiped his thumb over her cheek in one circle. “You guarantee?”
Finally, she’d made a breakthrough. “We’re going to switch.”
“You’re taking my job?”
“So to speak.” She shrugged. “I’ll have control over you.”
“Like last night in the car?”
“Do you accept?”
He whirled his fingers through the bubbles. “I want to hear the rest of the conditions…” He sighed. “But I accept.”
Chapter Four
How could he not accept? Seeing her in a latex dress, the shiny fabric stretched over her curves like a blemish-free skin? And the boots… He loved her in heels—she’d run with his suggestion and worn thigh-high boots. Hell, he was in a fantasy. She hummed as she massaged the soap over his chest. She wanted to switch, to hold all the control. The part of his brain in charge of his masculinity cried out. He wasn’t a beta male. He did what had to be done—grabbed his woman, conquered and loved her until they both dropped. Then why did he want to give her control for a while? Relieve the burden? Reduce the stress?
“I don’t understand how, but I want to try.” He barely believed the words coming from his lips.
“First, we must come up with a safe word. That’s the point at which all play stops and we go back to that particular activity at a later date, after discussion. I’ll never make you do something I know you can’t handle. The idea is to pleasure you, not punish. Not in the strictest sense.” She handed him a towel. “I want you to think about anything but your job and the team, so your safe word is truck.”
Eric stood and dried himself. She wasn’t going to hurt him more than he wanted. He could live with that. Hell, the idea sent shock waves through his body. His cock twitched beneath the towel. “I understand. And what am I to call you? I assume there’s a special name I use for you during the play.”
“You will call me by my name.” She dragged the gloves back up her arms. “I will refer to you as ‘my Pet’.”
He processed her words. If giving in meant getting a decent night’s sleep after great sex and exploration… Screw his alpha needs. “Then, Janine, I’d like to play. But I have one more question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Where did you get all this? I don’t remember you having a latex outfit in your closet.”
“You’d be amazed at what a girl can find with a free afternoon and good directions.” She wiggled her brows. “I’m glad you approve. Ready?”
She took his hand and led him into the bedroom. A length of silk lay in a coil on the bed. His chest heaved. He’d be blindfolded? God damn, she did mean control. He hated not being able to see everything happening.
“I want you to kneel, right here.” She pointed to a pillow on the floor.
Eric turned away from the bed, dropped to his knees and folded his hands behind his back. He didn’t completely understand why, but went with the action.
“Very good.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders, then through his hair. Janine tilted his head back and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. Her hair tickled his face as she pushed the kiss farther and tangled her tongue with his.
He held on tight to his wrist. She hadn’t said anything about not touching, but he was enjoying letting her run things. A lot. Tingles shot through his veins and his balls constricted. Just a kiss, but she’d shown him a high he’d never imagined.
Janine broke the connection and stood tall. Her cheeks flushed and her nipples beaded beneath the tight dress. His mouth watered. God, he wanted to taste her.
“From this point on, focus on me and what I’m doing. You and I are the only ones in the whole world.” She stepped around him, out of sight. “You’ve folded your hands. Nice.”
He swallowed hard. He’d made her happy. Pride swelled in his heart. Blood throbbed in his cock. “Thank you, Janine.”
“You please me.” She hummed behind him. “I’m going to use the blindfold.” Janine slid the silk over his eyes and tied it tight enough that he felt the pinch. “There.”
The soothing quality of her voice enveloped him in a fog. He swayed a bit. “Thank you, Janine.” The words came out in a mumble.
Her footsteps padded around him. The scent of her perfume settled in front of him. “Having control is fine. I love seeing you assess a situation and deal with it in a matter of moments.” She stroked his chest, tweaking his nipples. “But even the strongest people have times when they don’t want to be the one in charge.” The sweet scent of her perfume increased and her hair dusted over his shoulder. She nipped his neck. “You need to release.”
He tipped his head towards the sound of her voice. “Yes.” He groaned. His cock pulsated. He’d wanted to come the moment she’d started speaking. How’d that happen? He prided himself on holding back.
Janine traced the line of his mouth with her finger. “Ultimately, you have the control. If you don’t want this to happen, all you have to do is use your safe word. I’ll stop. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Janine. I want to continue.”
The heat around him dissipated as she moved away from him. He missed her warmth, but yearned for her next touch.
“Sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to give it up in another activity.” Something soft caressed his ass. Her gloved hands? More silk to bind his hands?
He relaxed and let out a long breath.
Crack. Streaks of pleasurable pain ricocheted through his body and centred on his ass. Another sharp slap on his butt. She was spanking him! He fisted his hands. Part of him wanted to fight. The rest of him begged for her to continue. He wiggled his bottom. The swats stopped.
“What do you say?”
Say? Oh, fuck. Could he make a clear sentence? “Please, Janine?”