Racing Hearts

by Dena Blake

  “Wow!” she squealed, letting the mud-ridden machine slide sideways to a stop. “What a rush!”

  Sam tugged her helmet off and dropped it into her lap. She grabbed Drew’s face in her hands and gave her a long, hard kiss. She was on fire and suddenly wished there weren’t so many people around. She pulled back and stared into Drew’s piercing, dark eyes as the small, screaming crowd approaching.

  “I guess you’ve still got it, Thompson.” Holding up his pink slip, Joe sounded disappointed.

  “That’s hers,” Drew said, motioning to Sam.

  “Keep it.” She smiled.

  “You sure?”

  “I’d hate to take away your pride and joy.”

  “I owe you one.” He kissed Sam lightly on the cheek. “I’ll look forward to next time.”

  Drew smiled widely. “It’s a good thing you won. I told him if they won, you’d go out with him.”

  “Maybe I still will.” She tilted her head, watching Joe as he walked away.

  “You can’t go out with him.” Drew snorted out a laugh.

  “Why not?

  Drew’s lip curled into a sexy grin. “Cause you’re totally into me.” She pulled out her phone and took a selfie with her. Then quickly tagged her in a Tweet.

  @samkelleher awesome on and off the track.

  “You are so full of yourself.” She bumped her shoulder playfully. “How could you enter a race with rules like that? You could’ve lost your Jeep.”

  Drew shot her a goofy grin. “I knew you’d win.”

  Sam wiped a glob of mud off her sleeve and threw it at her. “You’re damn lucky I did.”

  Moving closer, Drew stared deep into her eyes. “No luck involved, remember? It’s all skill.” Another glob of mud fell from the roll bar onto Drew’s head, and Sam laughed.

  “You are absolutely covered.” Sam smiled, brushing the mud from her head before dragging her fingers down Drew’s neck and across her shoulder.

  The electricity zapped through her, and Sam wanted to kiss her again. She dismissed the urge quickly and focused on Drew’s shoulder, scraping the mud from it and tossing it into the darkness.

  “Is there a car wash around here?” Sam asked, laughing uneasily as she sank back in her seat. “We’d better stop and get wet, or by the time we get back to the hotel you’re going to be stiff as a board.”

  Drew smiled and pulled her lip between her teeth.

  “Sorry. Bad choice of words.” After that kiss, Sam was already soaked, with absolutely no relief in sight. She would make sure of it.

  Chapter Twelve

  After driving the short distance from the wooded area to the paved road, it wasn’t long before Drew pulled into a gated drive. She killed the engine and lights before getting out of the Jeep. Sam slid out and watched her squeeze between the overgrown boxwood shrubs to scale a six-foot stone wall.

  “Come on,” Drew said as she sat on the wall and waved her over.

  Sam stayed put on the other side of the shrubs and planted her hands on her hips. “Do you know these people?”

  “The house belongs to a friend of mine.”

  Sam glanced at Drew, then at the shrubs.

  “Just raise your arms and squeeze through.”

  Sam did as she said. Grabbing Drew’s hands, she let her tug her up onto the wall. Hanging halfway over, she blinked at the tropical paradise in front of her.

  “Your friend doesn’t mind you showing up in the middle of the night like this?” she asked, and swung her legs up and over, dangling them on the other side of the stone wall.

  “He’s out of town. I check on the place for him while he’s gone.”

  “Then why are we climbing over the wall?”

  “Left the key in my other pants.”

  “Your friend must do pretty well.” Sliding off the wall onto the slick grass, Sam let out a squeal when her legs went out from under her. She ignored the sting shooting up her spine and scrambled to her feet.

  “Let’s just say he’s made a few wise investments.” Drew grabbed her hand and pulled her along. “There’s an outdoor shower next to the cabana.”

  “There’s a cabana?” Sam said, rubbing her tailbone.

  “We can probably find some dry clothes in there.”

  Drew pulled her around the edge of the pool and into a huge stone enclosure. After turning the water on and waiting until it warmed, Drew ducked under the vast waterfall and rinsed the mud from her head.

  Sam squeezed her eyes shut and followed her in, going face-first under the massive stream of water. The rushing surge felt amazing flowing through her hair and down her body. Warmth soothed her mud-stiffened skin as the water washed the dried muck away. She wiped the moisture from her eyes and caught Drew surveying her. Sam glanced down at her sheer-white, clinging, cotton shirt. She was getting a clear shot.

  She gave a slight smile at the thought of how Drew had begun to explore her the last time they were together. The night had ended badly, a complete disaster. A miserable train wreck at best. Drew had been teasing her for days, but now it seemed she was back in the driver’s seat. Time to give Drew a taste of her own medicine.

  “You wanna help me get these clothes off?” she asked, and Drew’s gaze flew back to hers. She gave Sam an unreadable stare, and Sam shuddered when she thought Drew was actually going to take her up on it.

  Drew gave her an easy smile and pointed to the water lever. “Just turn it right or left to control the temp,” she said, clearing the raspy lump in her throat and stepping out. “I’ll see if I can find some dry clothes.”

  “Thanks.” Sam pulled her soaked T-shirt over her head and tossed it over the top of the stone enclosure. She peeked out just in time to see Drew balk when it sailed past her, landing on the concrete in front of her.

  * * *

  Drew stopped just inside the door of the cabana and opened the electrical box. “Gate lock, landscape lights, pool light.” She sounded them off as she flipped the switches one at a time. “That should do it.” She rummaged through the drawers in the rustic Polynesian-crafted dresser and took a few things before heading back outside.

  Noting the absence of the sound of rushing of water, Drew glanced over at the shower and let her gaze follow the trail of clothes leading to the pool before fixing on the body swimming just below the rippling water. Damn! The pool light was a bad idea. She dropped the clothes onto the chair and waited for Sam to surface. She didn’t dare go any closer.

  “How about a moonlight swim?” Sam asked, emerging from the water in front of her.

  “I have to wash down the Jeep.” She turned and headed for the gate. “I set some clothes out for you.”

  Letting her mind flash back to Sam in that scant T-shirt, Drew smiled at the grin she’d given her. She wasn’t embarrassed or uncomfortable. She seemed entertained by her reaction. She glanced over her shoulder before going out the gate. Intentionally or not, she’d given her another glimpse of just what she was missing, and the impact had been completely arousing.

  “Get your mind back on track,” Drew mumbled to herself, tugging the hose free from the spindle. Earlier Sam had kissed her hard and deliberately, erotic enough to produce an arousal in her she hadn’t expected. When Sam’s sultry green eyes met hers, she’d almost lost control.

  She heard a splash and peeked back through the slats of the wrought-iron gate. Naked woman? Muddy Jeep? Normally there would be no contest, but considering the circumstances, Drew knew this was the right choice tonight.

  After spending the better part of an hour washing the thick coat of hardened mud off the undercarriage of the Jeep, Drew had her hormones back in check. She picked up the helmet Sam had worn and plucked a stray red hair from the foam padding inside. Not much had survived the last accident at the track, but the two previous crashes had left the cars partially intact, and Forensics had been able to collect a small amount of DNA evidence. She popped open the glove box, reached inside, and took out a plastic bag. Hopefully, this sample would
rule Sam out as a suspect, but it might firm up the case against her.

  Drew dug deeper in the glove box, searching for the slick plastic cover of her cell phone. She punched in a number and pressed it to her ear. “Hey, Boss. I’ve got a DNA sample for you, but she’s not giving up much information.”

  “Have you gotten close yet?”

  She peeked through the gate again. “I’ve been pretty close tonight.”

  “Get closer.”

  She caught a glimpse of Sam swimming laps up and down the pool, and her pulse quickened. She spun around and paced down the driveway. “You want me to sleep with her?”

  “I don’t care what you do. Just get me some evidence. Find out who’s causing those accidents.”

  Drew pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the screen. Had she really heard what she’d thought she had? Did the captain just give her the green light to sleep with her suspect? That was totally against protocol.

  Drew paced back up the driveway to the Jeep, tossed the phone back into the glove box, and slammed it shut. She wasn’t sure what to do. It would be easy to let things run their course, right here, right now. Sam had let Drew know more than once she was willing. Maybe she should go ahead and do it. Then she’d be rid of all these feelings mixing her up inside. Or would she? Drew actually liked Sam. She couldn’t picture her blowing up the cars she’d put so much effort into creating. And her reaction earlier at dinner wasn’t typical of a cold-blooded killer.

  She reached in the backseat for a towel and swiped it across the rear quarter-panel of the driver’s side. Not a scratch on it. Sam was an excellent driver. During the race, Drew had thought they might make contact with the trees on more than one occasion, but Sam had kept it under control. She was impressed. That didn’t happen very often.

  Drew gave the Jeep a good drying before checking her watch. An hour and a half. Surely she’d given Sam enough time to be out of the pool and dressed. She pulled the gate open and peeked around the stone wall. Damn, she was still in there.

  Watching her swim slow, fluid laps sent a thrill through her. Her nakedness blurred just enough by the rolling motion of the water was a total turn-on. Everything seemed perfect—the setting, the mood, the woman. But she had to resist.

  Drew snuck through the gate and headed for the shower.

  “You coming in?” Sam said.

  “I’m gonna to hit the shower.” She kept her distance from the pool. Another glimpse of Sam would put an end to her resolve.

  “Come on, jump in. The water’s great.”

  “No. I’m good.” That was a laugh. She was far from good. Drew knew where this was going, and she had to do something to stop it. Fast.

  * * *

  Sam kept her face half-submerged in the water. She was spending an awful lot of time teasing this woman. She wasn’t even sure what she’d do if Drew actually called her bluff. She wanted Drew, but that didn’t mean her conscience wouldn’t get in the way again.

  And what about Drew? Would she go through with it? Her wife had died…during childbirth. Divorce she could handle, but the memory of a perfect wife. How could she compete with that?

  She waited a few minutes and then climbed out of the pool, went to the shower, and peered inside. She watched the water rush across Drew’s shoulders and the taut muscles of her back. She gazed lower, stopping at the distinct tan line at her waist before probing the virgin-white skin of her butt. Then Drew turned and…Wow! The visual was incredible.

  Sam bolted, throwing herself against the outside of the stone-wall enclosure. Her heart, ready to rocket through her chest, pounded wildly as she thought about the exquisite creature on the other side of the wall. She took a deep breath and started in, but then her hand brushed against her thigh and she felt it. The roughness of the scars left from the accident.

  She dropped back against the wall and struggled with the paralyzing memory. The heat-searing pain—then the sudden but brief relief as everything went numb. That was all she could recall, but it was enough to throw her into uncontrollable sweats.

  Kneading the pink, uneven skin with her fingertips, Sam cursed. How could she have forgotten about them? They were horrible, ugly scars that Brad couldn’t look at, let alone touch. She could never let Drew see them.

  In a panic, she rushed over to the clothes Drew had laid out and pulled them on. The navy-blue T-shirt and sweatpants were baggy enough to cover everything she wanted to hide.

  After settling into the oversized hammock that hung between two of the miniature coconut trees, Sam closed her eyes. She’d teased Drew enough for one night.

  Sam was almost there, to that dazed state between semi-conscious and completely relaxed, when Drew’s muddled voice broke through the dreamy-darkness in her head.

  “You ready to go?”

  Sam sighed, opened her eyes, and stared up into the stars. “It’s so beautiful here. I hate to leave.”

  “We should get back. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

  “I was just settling in. Can’t we stay a little while longer?” She shifted to make room for Drew in the hammock. “Sit with me?”

  Drew sank down onto the grass next to her instead.

  Letting out a soft chuckle, Sam propped herself up on one elbow. “You know, I’m beginning to think you’re all show and no go.”

  “Oh, believe me.” Drew brushed Sam’s lips with hers. “When I’m finished with the show, I’ll be ready to go.”

  “I can’t wait for that,” Sam said, leaning closer for more. The hammock turned, and Sam tumbled out on top of Drew. Zing! There was that feeling again. She stared into Drew’s chestnut eyes and forged ahead. Her mouth met Drew’s in a soft, slow frenzy as she immersed herself fully in the kiss. God, her lips were soft, simply perfect for her own.

  Drew broke away and moved swiftly out from under Sam, letting her slip off onto the ground. “It’s getting pretty late.”

  Totally confused, Sam remained motionless on the soft bed of grass. Here she was all fired up and ready to go. Did Drew want her or not? That was a stupid question. Of course she wanted her. Sam knew when a woman was interested.

  “We’d better get going.” Drew offered her hand, Sam took it, and she pulled her up. Her soft body pressing against Drew’s once again, their eyes connected instantly, and she could see that it was difficult for Drew to resist. Drew released her, and she followed her back to the Jeep. Drew wanted her all right. She wanted her so much she’d lost her usual cocky banter.

  * * *

  Without turning on the light, Sam snuck into her room. And after she let her eyes adjust to the darkness, she saw that the bed was empty. Brad had heeded her warning and slept in his own room, or more likely someone else’s. Either way she was relieved he wasn’t there.

  Sam removed the golden chain from around her neck, let the half-carat diamond ring slide into her hand, and dropped it just inside the night-stand drawer. She needed to be free of him, if only for one night. The ring was no longer a symbol of love but a symbol of never-ending captivity.

  She glanced at the clock—after three. Tomorrow would be another day with him, but tonight would be hers and hers alone. She took out her phone and viewed the Tweet Drew had sent.

  @samkelleher best date I’ve had in a long time.

  Was it a date? She contemplated the picture. They were certainly a mud-covered duo. Maybe it was. She smiled and tweeted in return.

  @drewthompson it was definitely an adventure.

  Even covered in mud, Drew’s boyish grin was absolutely charming. With little left of the night to sleep, she would have dreams filled with visions of Drew, the intimate stranger who seemed to fill her world with happiness.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sam swigged down the last drop of coffee and slid the cup onto the workbench. She’d abandoned her usual cup of herbal tea because she needed caffeine more than purity this morning. Sleep had evaded her last night, and she’d broken yet another of her self-motivated dietary rules to help her get t
hrough the day.

  She picked up a can of carburetor cleaner and pressed the top with her finger. It sputtered a few drops of liquid before air hissed through the nozzle. After tossing it into the trash, she stretched to rummage through the various cans on the shelf above the bench but couldn’t locate a new one.

  “Ray, could you check the supply room for another can of carburetor cleaner? I thought there was one up here but can’t find it.” She wiped down a piston and slid it into one of the shafts. “I know it’s a mess in there. As soon as I get these seated, I’ll be in to clean up,” she said, reaching for another piston.

  “No problem.” He pulled the metal door open and let it slam shut behind him.

  She heard the clang of the metal door again. “You found it already? For the life of me I couldn’t locate it earlier.”

  “I don’t know what you’re missing, but I found what I need.” The sound of Drew’s voice set off the usual buzz within her.

  Sam glanced back over her shoulder and shook her head. “What is it with you? Why do you keep coming back?”

  “I think you know the answer to that,” Drew said nonchalantly, assessing her appearance.

  She let out a quick breath and whirled around to face her. “Is it because you really want me?” she asked, lifting her left eyebrow suspiciously. “Or because you can’t have me?”

  “I’m not really sure.” Drew smiled hesitantly. “But if last night was any indication, I was thinkin’ your position on that might have changed.” Drew took Sam’s free hand and slowly raised it to her lips.

  “About that.” Sam smiled subtly. “I really should apologize.” Turning slightly, she set the piston down on the clean cloth she’d laid out on the bench. “I had a great time at the race, but I shouldn’t have baited you like that.”