by Dena Blake
She pressed her lips to Drew’s breast but didn’t speak.
“What are you thinking about?” Drew asked, kissing the top of her head.
“Ray.”
“Not exactly what I expected to hear.” Drew rolled over on top of her.
Sam laughed drowsily. “I thought that might get your attention.”
The warm, mischievous glow dancing in Sam’s eyes made Drew tingle all over. She touched Sam’s lips tentatively at first and then let her mouth melt onto hers. Sam responded completely, and Drew knew she was still hers.
“Did something strange happen today?” Drew grinned. “I mean, why else would you be thinking of Ray when you’re in bed with me?”
“Something odd did happen today, but I’m not sure I should tell you.” Sam let her fingers drag across the valley of Drew’s collarbone. “You might not like it.”
“He asked you out, didn’t he?”
“How’d you know?”
Drew chuckled, and Sam felt it vibrate through her. She hadn’t realized how much she cherished that sound.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t asked you sooner.” Drew slid to her side, and Sam rolled into her.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Mmm…Yeah.”
“I guess his wife left him.”
“He didn’t tell you about it?”
“No. I had no idea. I thought he was happily married. I was totally blindsided.” Sam traced her finger around Drew’s belly button. “Now I’m going to have to turn him down.”
“Guess I’m lucky he’s a slow mover, or you wouldn’t have given me a second look.” Drew pressed her lips to Sam’s neck.
“Right.” Sam let out a haughty laugh. “That first night when you came around asking for Slick, you didn’t give me a second look.”
“Oh, I saw you all right, but I was working, remember?”
Sam caught her bottom lip between her teeth and let it slowly drag loose. “That didn’t seem to bother you later.”
“Thank God I didn’t know who you were then. If I had, I would’ve had to resist.”
“You could’ve resisted?”
Drew shook her head, let out a short breath, and smiled softly. “No. When you came into the bar with these loose, red curls flying…” She plucked a few strands of hair from Sam’s shoulder and kneaded them between her fingers, “and these sweet hips swinging.” She squirmed at the sensation as Drew slid down her body, letting her lips drag across her hips. “You were so hot. I had to have you.”
“Hot?” The word escaped her lips in an involuntary squeak.
“Hot, sexy, sensual, seductive—absolutely all woman.”
Sam had never had anyone describe her that way. Practical, smart, bossy—those were the usual tags with which she was marked. Not sexy or sensual, and certainly never seductive.
Drew’s tongue tripped across Sam’s stomach, and she jerked. The gap between her legs smoldered. She was hot and wet. Sam tried to spread her legs, but Drew kept them clamped together, teasing the small slit amid them with slow, weightless strokes. When she slipped her warm, silky tongue just inside, Sam shuddered. This was ecstasy and pure torture in the same moment.
“Stop. If you don’t—” Her tongue swept deeper and harder, rocketing Sam into orgasm. “Omigod.” She arched into Drew, and her mind spun into wild flashes of color, her body straining to contain the endless bow of pleasure as she rode it out. When the last tremor rolled through her, Drew slid up Sam’s body and kissed her lightly. “Ready for the second heat?”
Second heat? How could she possibly do that again?
Drew pressed herself against Sam, who was energized. What the hell? She was willing to try. Letting her hand drift southward, she made contact, and Drew let out a groan. She was wet and slick, clearly ready to race.
“Just for your information. I would have definitely given you a second look.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Drew trailed kisses across Sam’s shoulder, her hand roaming the curve of Sam’s waist. “’Cause I don’t want anyone else touching you.” Her mouth reached the base of her neck, and Sam’s skin sizzled.
Drew’s eyes turned a deeply wicked brown, and Sam shuddered. She didn’t want anyone else touching her either. Not this way. Ever again.
Each swipe of Drew’s tongue across her nipples, which were achingly sensitive, made her tingle. Her breaths grew shallow, and Drew continued to torture her, licking, sucking, devouring every inch of them. Sam let a low seductive groan roll from her mouth, and Drew plunged her finger deep inside. When Sam lifted her hips, Drew slid another finger into her.
“Wait.” Sam shifted beneath her.
“Don’t tell me you’re sick again?”
Sam heard the desperation in her voice let out a low throaty chuckle, and spread her legs farther apart. “No.”
Drew slid in still another finger, and Sam’s pleasure reached new depths. She shuddered as her hot, slick wetness surrounded Drew’s fingers. Waiting a moment longer than she thought she could, Sam pushed against her, driving her fingers deeper, and her body quaked against Drew’s hand. She let out a gasping whimper and clasped her legs around Drew’s, while she responded wildly, capturing her fingers in place. Drew pulled back slowly, and she savored the drag before Drew drove her fingers into her again. Sam let out a heavy-breathed squeal, and Drew thrust faster and harder. Sam was swallowed by the impact of her climax as she rolled over the edge. When Drew removed her hand and hovered above her, she seemed to be memorizing her face.
Sam didn’t want to leave her just yet. “Please don’t move. I want you right here.” She dug trenches into Drew’s back with her fingers, and Drew held her tight as they rolled. Never losing contact, Drew pulled her on top of her, blanketing her with her heat.
* * *
Snuggled in right where she wanted to be, Sam circled her finger lazily around Drew’s belly button. She didn’t think she could be this happy. She had no doubt in her mind now—they fit together perfectly. How could she have ever wanted this woman out of her life?
Earlier, when Drew had opened the door, she was in a foul mood and had made no effort to hide it. Sam had harbored serious doubts they would ever be this close again.
She’d had it all planned—what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. But standing in the doorway, with those hard, brown eyes staring her down, her thoughts had scattered, and she’d lost it all.
She had to do it now. She had to come clean about the Tweet if she wanted this thing between her and Drew to last for longer than tonight.
“Drew, are you still awake?” She raised her head, waiting for her to open her eyes.
“Not again, woman.” She smiled, letting out a throaty growl. “I need some rest.”
Sam laughed at her feigned resistance. “It’s not that.” Well, maybe. No, you have to tell her. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I’m responsible for the Tweet that may get you suspended for the race.” She stared into Drew’s deep, warm, brown eyes and balked.
“Sam, you can’t always feel responsible when Brad does something stupid.”
“But this time, I am responsible. I did it.”
Drew stiffened immediately. “What?” Her voice rang with uncertainty. The warm, loving sparkle in her eyes vanished.
Sam dropped her gaze. The thought of Drew losing faith in her sliced straight through her. “Don’t say another word.” Drew bolted up and swung her legs to the floor.
Sam followed, plastering herself across her back. “I did it because of you.”
“Because of me?”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt.” She pressed her cheek to Drew’s shoulder.
“Now I could be suspended from the race.” Drew jerked forward and dropped back down onto the bed, breaking the contact Sam desperately needed between them.
Drew made it perfectly clear she didn’t want Sam touching her. “Please, let me explain.” She sat down besid
e her, skimmed her fingers across Drew’s shoulder blades, and felt her muscles tighten. “The last car shouldn’t have crashed, but it did.”
“I’m listening.” Drew didn’t move.
“Someone adjusted the inertia switch to cut the engine when the car hit the first turn, but it didn’t die. It accelerated.”
Drew turned around. “Did you do it?”
Sam couldn’t read her. Drew’s eyes were dark and void of any emotion. She straightened her shoulders. “No. Of course not. I would never put anyone in jeopardy.”
“Then who did?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I thought it was Brad at first, but he wouldn’t have gotten in the car if he’d done it.” Drew’s gaze skittered across her face, and Sam knew she doubted her. “You don’t believe me.” She felt deflated.
“I want to believe you, Sam.” Drew’s eyes made contact, and she held firm. “But what am I supposed to think? Brad was hurt. Badly.”
“I wanted you out of here, so I sent a Tweet, Drew. I didn’t want you injured.” Sam clung to her like this was their last moment together. She didn’t care if Drew knew how desperate she was. She needed Drew to believe her. She stared into Drew’s eyes hoping for a glimmer of understanding but saw only anger. “I just wanted you out of the race. The only way to do that was to get you suspended.”
“To get rid of me. You’ve been trying to do that since I got here.”
“No. To keep you safe.”
“And you did that for me?”
Sam nodded, dropping her head onto Drew’s shoulder. Drew didn’t move. Maybe she still had faith in her after all.
“You know you seem guilty as hell right now?” Drew popped up, sending Sam sailing back onto the bed. “Don’t tell anyone else about this.” She pulled on her jeans. “No one. Not Paddy, not Jade, not Ray. Understand?” Drew’s words came out low and demanding.
Sam scrambled from the bed and threw her arms around Drew. “Please don’t go.”
Drew broke free and pulled on her shirt. “I need some air.”
“I’ll go with you.” Sam couldn’t believe this was happening. Drew was actually leaving.
“No.” Drew spun around and put up a hand. “I need time to figure this out.” She left without another word.
Chapter Thirty-one
Drew pounded on Jade’s door. No one answered. Where the hell could she be? She went to the railing and stared into the darkness.
When Drew and Sam had met, neither one of them had been monogamous, let alone truthful with one another. Sam was a case file, and Drew was just another driver. Drew didn’t know when it had happened, but somehow, somewhere, they’d made an emotional connection, a bond that wasn’t just about sex. And when Drew had opened the door earlier and found Sam standing there totally vulnerable and unguarded in front of her, begging Drew to make love to her, no way in hell could she send her away.
It had been only a few days since they’d been together, but each minute they were apart, Drew ached for her. When she’d kissed her, Drew’s resistance had dissolved. Captain Jacobs had just told Drew—ordered her to keep her distance now—but when she’d stared into her simmering green eyes, laced with sincerity, Drew lost control. After they’d made love, Drew had felt the warm, steady heat of Sam’s breath against her neck. Sam didn’t sleep often, but she’d slept soundly. She was a proud woman, and she’d given Drew everything, including her dignity. Nothing that had just happened between them had been easy for Sam, including admitting she’d sent the Tweet about Brad’s drinking.
She pounded again. “Stop,” Jade growled as the door swung open. “You’re going to wake everyone in the fucking hotel.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Who is it?” Tommy’s voice was groggy.
“It’s Drew.”
“What’s up?”
“I think she’s drunk. Go back to sleep.” Jade pulled on a hoodie and slipped out the door.
“I’m not drunk.” Drew wished she was, and then maybe, in the morning, she wouldn’t remember any of what Sam had said.
“Then what’s your excuse? It’s three a.m.”
“She did it?”
“Who did what?”
“Sam. She sent the Tweet that may get me suspended from the race.” Reality stung Drew, and she threw her fist into the wall. Sam had wanted her gone. She’d played Drew well, she’d manipulated her, and Drew had fallen for her. Conflicting emotions tore at her. Nothing she’d ever endured had ever hurt this badly. “Said she was trying to protect me. Wanted me suspended, so I couldn’t drive in the race tomorrow.” She shook her throbbing hand and then checked her watch. “Scratch that. Today’s race.”
“Do you think she rigged the car?”
Drew rubbed her face wearily. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t think she could hurt anyone.”
“If she’d been responsible for the other crashes, I think she would’ve told you.”
“I’m not so sure about that. She’s a very smart lady.”
Just then, Sam rounded the corner and stopped. She gave Drew a gut-wrenching stare before she slipped into her room.
Drew had been sucker-punched. Sam had snuck in the back door and robbed her blind. The woman had taken everything she had and left her bleeding inside. “I fell right into her trap.” She reared back to throw another fist into the wall.
Jade stepped in front of her. “Are you trying to break your hand before the race tomorrow? Then you won’t race for sure.”
“If they believe I Tweeted that crap about Wilkerson, it won’t make a difference.” She rubbed her eyes. “Everyone knows it’s all true, but no one can put it in print.”
Jade poked at her chest. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and figure this out.”
“That’s the problem. I can’t.” Trying to clear her head, Drew leaned back against the building and closed her eyes. No matter what happened between her and Sam, she had to focus on the case.
“Of course you can. Who else are we looking at here? Brad, Paddy, Ray?”
She sprang forward. “Sam said Ray was acting strangely today. He asked her out.”
“Yeah. She told me.”
“I just don’t get it. Sam’s like his only friend. He didn’t even tell her about his issues with his wife while they were happening.”
“He probably didn’t want to talk about it. You’re a perfect example of that.”
Drew grabbed the railing. “Not this guy. Something else is up with him.”
“Did you see him do something to the car?”
“No, but he’s been telling Sam all along that everything’s fine with his wife.”
Drew whirled around to face her. “Now all of sudden, she’s gone, and they’re divorced.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “What? She didn’t tell me that. Let me see the case file.” Jade pressed a palm to Drew’s chest, and she let her pass.
When she and Jade entered Drew’s room, her stomach knotted at the sight of the bed. Her life had been perfect only a few hours ago. She and Sam had made love, and Drew knew Sam loved her. Now all she felt was anger and betrayal. She pulled the rumpled sheets from the bed and tossed them into the corner. She didn’t need any reminders of her night with Sam.
“That’s it.” Jade headed to the table in the corner and fumbled through the files. “All this time we’ve been trying to find some conspiracy surrounding the race. “But it isn’t about the race. It’s about Sam.” Jade brought a file back to the newly stripped bed and opened it. “Check this out. Victim number one, Josh Jamison. Sam dated him from January to April of last year, right?”
“I really don’t want to go over her past affairs.” Drew let the papers drop to the mattress.
“Wait. This is important. She did date him, right?”
Drew sank down onto the bed. “Right.”
“And Frank MacNamara.” She flipped through a few more pages. “She dated him from May to September.”
“Uh-huh. She’s very touch
y about that one.”
“Josh was injured in May.”
“Yes, but by then, she’d already stopped seeing him.”
“From what I’ve heard around the track, he wanted her back. And wasn’t she still seeing Frank when he was killed in September?”
Drew pulled her brows together. “That sounds right.”
“She’s the only link to all of these men.”
“That’s why she’s our prime suspect.”
“What about the trials?” She scooted around and tucked a leg underneath her. “The throttle stuck when she was driving.”
“Ray didn’t know she was going to drive that day. Brad was supposed to lead off, and Paddy slipped her in at the last minute.”
She scratched at her chin. “What about Tommy? She certainly wasn’t dating him.”
“You’re right. Something’s wrong there.”
Drew hit the power button on the remote, and the blue screen flickered on. “Got a question for you.” She pressed the Play button, and a blazing car filled the screen. “Who is that, carrying her away from the car?”
“Is this footage of Tommy’s crash?” Jade’s voice cracked.
“Yep.” Drew rewound the tape and let the scene run again. “Have you watched it?”
“Not recently.”
“I found something you missed?”
“I didn’t miss anything. Back it up again.” Jade leaned forward, studying the screen. “Is it a fireman?”
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t have any gear.”
“Stop right there.” The screen filled with a blurry silhouette. “I think it might be Ray.”
Drew flipped the folder closed and scooted closer to the screen. “Really.”
“See the black racing suit?” She pointed at the screen. “Look at the patch on the shoulder. It’s one of ours.” She shrugged. “Why didn’t he let the firemen get her out?”
“The same reason Sam didn’t wait for them to get Tommy. In some freaked-out, puppy-dog sort of way, he loves her.”
“From what I’ve seen, it’s always been platonic.” Jade let out a breath and smiled as though it all made sense. “Until yesterday. When he asked her out.”