by Dena Blake
“Don’t count on hearing it again.” The venom in Jade’s voice wasn’t surprising.
“You got any aspirin around this place?” Her head was splitting, just as it did every time she thought of that fateful night.
“Memory nagging at you again?”
She nodded.
“Check over there in the lockers. You might find some there.”
She pulled open the first of five gray-metal painted lockers. Finding nothing, she slammed it closed and went to the next and then the next. She spotted a bottle of aspirin, along with some deodorant and cologne in the third. As she took it off the shelf, a small newspaper clipping floated to the ground. Drew picked it up and turned it over. The name McNamara caught her eye. She reached up, slid her hand across the top shelf, and found more clippings.
“Whose locker is this?”
“Nobody uses those lockers anymore. All the suits are stored in the bus.”
“Come here and look at these.”
“Look at what?” Jade asked, heading her way.
“These articles on racing accidents.”
Jade frowned. “Really? How many?” Her voice took an alarming dip.
“One, two, three—there’s got to be at least five of them here.”
“There have been a lot of crashes on the circuit this past year. Someone’s probably just keeping track.”
Jade took a few from her. “Or maybe someone here has a bizarre notion of keepsakes.” She rummaged through the contents of the locker. “The only thing I can tell from this stuff is that it probably belongs to a man.”
“Either that or someone else put it here to distract us.”
Jade studied the articles for a minute before snapping pictures of them with her phone and handing them to Drew. “Leave them exactly where you found them, and I’ll keep an eye on the locker, see if anyone comes for them.”
Drew slid the clippings onto the shelf next to the deodorant. Popping the top off the aspirin bottle, she let a few tablets roll into her hand before placing it back onto the shelf and slamming the locker closed. She grabbed a cupped-handful of water from the sink to wash the pills down before following Jade to the bench.
“You want me to help you out with some of this stuff?” She picked up an open tube of grease and sniffed it.
Jade took the tube from her, screwed on the lid, and lobbed it up onto the shelf. “You’re a driver. Drivers are like hotshot detectives. They don’t clean up the messes they leave.”
“And you’re supposed to be a physical therapist. What are you doing here?”
“Helping out in the garage keeps me informed.” The metal building rattled, and Jade glanced over her shoulder. “Now, why don’t you get out of here? I don’t need you hanging around, screwing things up.”
“What’d I do to piss you off now?” She reached up and pushed the teetering cylinder of grease farther onto the shelf.
“I saw you tonight on the dance floor with Sam.”
“Yeah. So what?”
“So did everyone else.”
“Good show, huh?” Drew had watched Sam from the corner of the bar. She could see her tugging at Brad’s arm, motioning toward the dance floor. The sight of her long, lean legs formed out in tight, faded blue jeans made her pulse bounce. And the shimmering black sweater clinging to the rest of her had sent her heart into a double dribble. Anyone would have to be a fool to turn her away, yet Brad did. He’d dismissed her without so much as a smile.
“Pissed that jerk, Wilkerson, off.” She gave her a satisfied smile before taking the race schedule from the hook on the wall.
“I think you pissed Sam off pretty good too.”
“Maybe so.” After leaving the party, Drew had waited and watched by the pool. When Sam took off to her room, Drew had toyed with the idea of going up after her. But that would’ve been tempting fate. Sam was madder than a declawed alley cat, and Brad had shown up within minutes, following her to her room. Drew had to leave. She couldn’t stand the thought of Brad touching Sam. Now she was here, trying to use her sleepless night for something more productive.
“I thought you were going to cool it.”
“I didn’t take her back to my room.” She wished she had.
“But that kiss you gave her was scorching.” Jade raised her eyebrows.
“All in a day’s work.” She tried to shut Sam out of her mind, but knowing that Brad was still running thick in her system affected her more than it should.
“As long as that’s all it is.”
“Of course it is.” She relaxed back against the bench. She could feel Jade watching her, studying her every move, trying to read her. She’d turned out to be a good cop after all.
“How’re you going to get her to trust you?”
“By simply letting her get to know the real me.” She threw her hands out in front of herself and grinned.
Jade widened her eyes. “Oh yeah. That’ll do the trick.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm.
“Oh, and thanks for watching me make a fool out of myself the other night in the bar.”
“Goes to character.” Jade chuckled as she dropped a few tools into the chest. “You can’t know everything, or you’ll seem too perfect.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you want to make any headway with this woman, you have to be real. Real women have flaws.” Jade turned, letting her gaze sweep Drew’s body. “Lots of them.”
“Just try not to make me look like too much of an ass, all right?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you swinging again. Whether I like it or not, we’re partners.” Jade offered her a hand and she shook it. When Jade let go, Drew turned her hand and stared at the sticky black grease in her palm.
“You’re definitely a driver.” Jade chuckled and pointed across the garage. “The sink’s over there.”
Drew squirted some hand cleaner into her palm and rubbed her hands together before rinsing them under the faucet. “I see you’re making headway with her brother.” She pulled a few paper towels out of the dispenser and dried her hands. “Six months undercover is a long time. Gets pretty lonely.”
“I really like him.” A flit of excitement flew across her face and vanished as quickly as it came. “He’s a nice guy.”
“He doesn’t seem like your type.” Drew had seen Jade’s eyes sparkle like that before and knew it meant she was involved. But how deep?
“My type?”
“Men who can perform,” she added, pushing to see if she’d read Jade’s reaction right.
“You want to work together or not?” She slammed the tool drawer shut. Drew had hit a nerve.
“Just seeing how far in you are.”
“If you’d worried about yourself as much as you worry about me, you’d still have a wife.”
“Maybe so.” Drew had been crushed when she’d lost Kimberly. If she’d been home with her, maybe she and the baby would have made it. But she was undercover, only home for a few days at a time, and Kimberly hadn’t told her about the spotting. By the time she’d found her, she was unconscious and had already lost too much blood.
Drew gave her anything and everything she’d wanted, except her time. A side effect of the job. Kimberly knew Drew couldn’t change and accepted that fact. Losing her hurt more than anyone could fathom. Drew had decided right then she would never make herself that vulnerable again. She’d put up an emotional wall. Invisible as it was, no one could breach it. Being involved was just too painful for her to endure again.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“No. You’re spot on.” She raked her fingers roughly through her hair. “And that’s my cue.” She headed for the door.
Jade trailed after her. “I miss her too, you know.”
“I know you do.” She shook her head. “No one will ever understand me the way she did.”
“Same here. But who knows? Maybe someone else out there understands a twisted soul like you.” Jade reached for a shop r
ag to wipe her hands. “But I can guarantee you won’t find her in this garage.”
“Just hoping for a little fun.” She half smiled and gave Jade a wink. “You know, something to pass the time.”
“Sam likes the rebels. But I’d advise you to mix a little compassion in with the macho. That boyfriend of hers is a real jerk.”
Drew raised her eyebrows. “Aren’t you getting a little too personally involved?”
“It’s hard not to with these people.” Jade flipped her hair back and slid her hand onto her hip. “They’re so…embracing.”
“I know better than to get involved, and so do you.”
“At one time I did,” Jade said softly. “I guess I just got tired of being alone all the time.”
“Alone is good.” She continued to the door. “No responsibilities. No complications.”
She’d worked hard to stay connected to Kimberly, but that had ended tragically. She wasn’t ready to settle down again. The picket fence, the family just wasn’t in the cards for her. How could she even think about having another one? She was an undercover cop, for God’s sake. Her life would never be stable.
* * *
Sam cursed from the side of the track as the number-fifteen car swerved toward the inside wall. The front tire hit the edge of the pit curb, catching the tire, pulling the front end up and over the barrier. Realignment, balancing, new exhaust seals. Another day’s work shot to hell. She rubbed her forehead wearily and trudged back to the garage.
Drew pulled into the garage and stopped. The engine made a loud, rhythmic, popping sound as it idled.
“Shut it off and get out,” Sam shouted over the engine.
Drew unfastened the restraints and pulled herself up onto the door. “What the hell was that noise?”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Mechanics 101. You blew an exhaust manifold gasket when you jumped the curb.”
Drew took her helmet off and set it on top of the car before swinging her legs out and sliding down the door. “The rear end was pretty loose. I was having trouble controlling it.”
“I was hoping the cloud cover would cool the track down some today, but it’s still pretty hot outside. The suspension isn’t adjusted quite right.”
“Can you fix it?” Drew asked cautiously, one eyebrow up, the other down, and her lower lip puffed out into a funny grimace.
Sam covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter, but it came out in a low, throaty burst. “Do you think you’ll ever learn anything about these cars?”
Drew embraced Sam quickly, trapping her arms against her sides. “Why would I do that when I have such a beautiful technician to fix them for me?” Picking her up, Drew swung Sam around until she was dizzy with laughter.
“Stop.” Her feet dangled just above the floor as she tried to regain her composure, but the longer Drew held her, the more she laughed.
“Not until you promise to fix this one.” Drew jammed her face into the crook of Sam’s neck and blew.
“I’ll fix it,” she said in a breathless squeal. “Now stop!”
Drew stopped taunting her, yet she lingered, her face immersed in Sam’s hair. She slowly let her slide down her body to the floor. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
“No.” She stared into her eyes. This is the hard part. Drew’s mouth just inches away from Sam’s, her breath warmed her face. The beat of her heart raced in such a thunderous rhythm, it created a huge crater in her chest. When Drew’s gaze fixed on hers, a sudden sense of immediacy emerged, and torrid feelings of desire swept through Sam. Snaking her arms around Drew’s neck, she let her mouth meld onto hers. Sam’s heart pounded wildly, making it hard to breathe. Nerve endings suddenly spiked, and her body sizzled. This is too much—she’s too much. With her hands pressed hard against Drew’s chest, Sam pushed, creating some much-needed space between them.
“Sorry,” she choked out. Shoving her hands into her back pockets, Sam sent her gaze immediately to the floor. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No need to be sorry.” Drew cupped her face in her hands and planted her lips on Sam’s again. Sam let out a slight moan and quickly yielded to Drew’s mouth once again.
She felt no trace of opposition this time. Sam melted into Drew’s arms, surrendering completely, reveling in the new blaze of sensations she was igniting.
Sam heard the door swing open and immediately broke free. Physically shaken, she quickly slipped into the office and flung the door closed behind her. The hollow wooden door banged against the frame and slammed back open without latching. Heading straight into the bathroom, she flipped on the water and stared into the mirror. Her hands shook as she splashed cold water onto her heated face until the warmth in her cheeks subsided. She reached for the gold chain hanging on the hook next to the mirror and pulled it over her head.
What the hell am I doing? Her hormones were raging like she was a teenager in heat. She tugged the towel off the rack, sank onto the toilet seat, and patted her face dry. She had to get herself together before she went back out there.
Drew pushed the office door open without knocking. “Brad’s trying to find you.”
Sam jerked her head up, panicked.
“I sent him into the supply room. Thought I’d give you a little time to recover.”
“Thanks.” She bolted up.
Drew rounded the desk. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t tell.” She skimmed her hand down Sam’s arm.
Don’t, Sam told herself, but she had to take just one last glance. Drew’s penetrating eyes entranced her, and goose bumps emerged on her entire body instantly, sending a tingle of excitement through her. She was too close. Again.
She heard the supply door swing shut, and in less than a minute Brad was coming through the office doorway.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, brushing past Drew.
“I heard.” She peered up at him. “I was on my way out.” She straightened a stack of papers on the desk.
“Is everything all right?” His gaze darted from her to Drew and back again.
Shit! He can see it. He had to know something was going on. Her cheeks were pink, and he must have seen the stare between her and Drew when he came in.
“The car blew an exhaust gasket. I have to change it.”
“That shouldn’t take long, should it?”
“No. I was debating whether to get all greasy again before the sponsor party.”
“Do it tomorrow.” Brad took her freshly cleaned hands, and she couldn’t hide their unusual warmth. “Where’s your ring?”
Staring at her bare finger, she hesitated before reaching inside the collar of her shirt. “I don’t wear it in the shop.” She pulled out the gold chain with the ring dangling on the end of it. “I put it on the chain and hang it in the office when I’m working in the garage.”
“Why?”
She drew her brows together. “Because I’ve become quite fond of all my fingers. I’d hate to get my ring caught on something and have one ripped off.”
“Oh. I never thought about that.” Slipping his arm around her waist, he pulled her to him. With Brad’s mouth pressed firmly to hers, she closed her eyes and waited for the tingle. But it didn’t come. Nothing. No passion, no fire, not even a spark. Through slitted eyes, she caught Drew watching. Sam opened her eyes fully and made contact, Drew’s gaze didn’t falter, and the unnerving sting returned.
As they parted, she let her gaze drift back to Brad. “Will I see you at the party tonight?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Maybe I could go with you now.” She shot him a sexy smile. “We could just skip the party.” She didn’t think she could stand another night being thrown together with Drew.
“Gotta be there, babe. I’m the star.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Without me there is no party.” He slapped Drew on the shoulder before swinging back around, pointing a single finger at Sam. “I’ll see you there.”
“We’re not going together?” Sam hated walking
into parties alone.
He swung back around as he walked. “I’ve got a few things to do this afternoon, but I won’t be too late. Dress pretty,” he shouted without turning.
“Dress pretty,” she mumbled, whirling around and slamming the tool drawer shut. She’d put on this ridiculously obvious display of public affection just to show Drew she was happy, and then Brad had to treat her like she was some kind of trophy.
“Will I see you tonight?” Drew asked.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Drew’s smile as she crept up behind her.
“I didn’t realize you were still here,” she said nonchalantly.
“Caught the whole show.” Drew touched Sam’s shoulder and she jerked away. “It was for me, wasn’t it?”
“Boy, you’ve really got a big ego.”
“That’s beside the point.” Drew took her hand and moved closer.
Sam’s skin sizzled, and she glanced at her hand. She yanked it away. “Stop!”
“All right.” Drew’s hands flew up in surrender. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
She turned and went back to the tools. “I don’t know.” She clanged a wrench into the drawer and, with a resigning sigh, swung back around. “Parties like that are more my sister’s forte.”
Drew swept her finger down Sam’s nose and pinched her chin. “I don’t have any interest in your sister.”
She hesitated and peered through her lashes at Drew. “Maybe you should be. She’s younger, and more importantly, she’s single.”
“But I bet she can’t get my motor running like you can.” Drew’s lip pulled to one side, into a smile.
Sam closed her eyes and stood perfectly still, waiting for the burn of Drew’s lips on hers once again. Instead, she heard footsteps crossing the garage. She opened her eyes and watched Drew go out the door. If she went to the party tonight to see anyone, it would be her.
* * *
Drew sat alone in the corner booth reading the case file. She tore the top off two packets of sugar and dumped them into her coffee. Without stirring, she took a big gulp and suffered the slow burn across her tongue.