Page 31 of An Uncertain Road

Jensen seemed to, as well. “How was it living with Clement after that? I can’t imagine it was easy.”

His earnest concern bolstered her courage to continue. “No, it wasn’t. Clement grew angrier with every dollar he lost. Once I reached an appropriate age, he started threatening to marry me off to one of his gambling partners to pay his debts. He reminded me of that possibility any time I tried to do something on my own or said something he didn’t like.”

“What about Owen? Did he stand up for you?”

Flora couldn’t help smiling a little when she thought of Owen’s kindness as a youth, although it was quickly followed by unpleasant memories. “He tried a few times. He was so young, but he would step in front of me when Clement got his angriest. He often took the brunt of Clement’s physical retaliation.”

Silence fell between them as Jensen processed her story.

Flora couldn’t meet his eyes. What must he think of her for allowing her brother to control her that way? Did he now see her as weak, incapable of defending herself and her younger brother?

And why did it matter so much if he did?

* * *

Jensen was struck speechless for a long time. Anger burned in his chest. He couldn’t believe kind, strong, always-hopeful Flora had grown up in such a nightmare. And he wished her older brother was still living so he could go tell the man what he thought of anyone who would treat a young woman and a boy like that.

It was all he could do to put aside visions of a grown man’s hand connecting with Flora’s beautiful face and focus on what she needed right now. After much searching, he found the words he wanted to say. “Flora, I’m glad you told me. And I hope you can see the differences between me and him. I hope you’ll learn to trust me.”

Her eyes flew up to meet his, and Jensen gulped at the vulnerable, unsure look on her face. He’d never seen her so insecure. He longed to wrap his arms around her and replace that expression with a more enthusiastic one.

She responded so softly, he had to lean even closer to hear her. Not that he minded reducing the inches between them in the least. “I’m so sorry I treated you as if you might be like him. It’s been years. I thought I’d moved past the hurt he caused.”

“You’re not the one who needs to apologize.” Jensen skimmed his fingers over her cheek, wiping a falling tear with his thumb. There was no stopping his instincts now. Sliding his hand to her neck, he gently urged her to lean forward and meet him, leaving room for her to refuse. To his relief, she completed the movement without hesitation, and their lips met.

The soft heat of her mouth was enough to drown in. Jensen let his fingers twine in the loose tendrils of chestnut hair that teased her neck, amazed at the silkiness of it. And when she shifted her knees so she could scoot to the edge of her chair and press closer to him, he nearly lost himself in the kiss.

He wrapped his free arm around her but still couldn’t get her close enough. The single shred of reason remaining in his mind warned him they were on a public veranda, where at any moment they could be observed by men whose respect she was trying her best to earn. He couldn’t be the reason they dismissed her as a serious competitor.

Even though it meant losing the most important connection of his life, Jensen ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. His hands refused to break contact with her skin. A little sigh escaped her lips, the breath brushing his cheek, and he froze for a minute as he harnessed the desire to start the kiss all over again.

After a few moments that weren’t nearly long enough, Jensen leaned back, the loss of her touch leaving behind a chill. The world felt different, as if everything had tilted in a way no one else would even notice but Jensen wasn’t sure he could ever forget.

Flora’s eyes fluttered open to reveal a depth of warring emotions. But she didn’t look unhappy anymore, and that—he was pretty sure—had been his goal the moment he’d started leaning toward her.

Her mind seemed to clear all at once. She jumped up out of her chair, knocking it backward so that it almost fell over. “I should go. Retiring early sounds like the wisest choice after such a day.”

Amused at how flustered she was, Jensen stood along with her. “What about your interest in spending more time working on the car together? I planned to do it tomorrow, but it’s a fine evening to give the engine a more thorough going-over.”

As he’d expected, she shook her head, backing away while waving her hands in an obvious display of nervous energy. “No, I need some time to myself tonight. It can wait until tomorrow. When there are more people around.”

Without another word, she turned and hurried across the veranda to the nearest door leading into the building. Jensen dropped back into his chair. He’d kissed her. His amusement over her reaction faded with that realization. What had he been thinking, to kiss her when she’d shown few signs of caring for him in any way other than as her teammate?

All their previous fighting had paled in comparison to the vulnerable expression on her face when she’d told him about her brother. But a kiss? Was that all his mind could come up with to replace her pain with something good?

Jensen let his head rest against the high back of the chair, his eyes on the beadboard ceiling of the veranda. Now he was going to have to spend the next several days gallivanting around Bretton Woods with Flora in awkward denial that anything had happened between them. Because there was no promise behind that kiss. It had been purely impulse.

A rush of worries hit him hard. What if she thought it meant more than comfort? She’d been flustered just now, but if she went to bed and thought it through and came to the conclusion that he must have intentions toward her…what could he do then? And how could he tell her he’d meant nothing by it without hurting her?

He had nothing to offer her after this tour was over. His career at Harrison Goods was as good as done. He refused to continue working for Mr. Harrison’s racing crew after his debt to Fred was paid. If Archie had his way, Jensen would be thrown out of the Harrison family forever, anyway.

His life was stalling like the Decauville trying to run with a fuel leak.

For years, he’d tried to control everything. He’d avoided risky decisions and anything his emotions led him to do. Until he met Flora.

Now he was racing again. His hands reveled in the feel of cool engine metal, and his heart beat a little easier when the wind was blowing through his hair. The thrill of speeding past another car was settling back into his spirit, leaving normal day-to-day activities feeling empty.

And he was impulsively kissing a woman he was coming to care far too much about.