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I got as far away from him as fast as I could, but Finn stuck around Pittsburgh to be there in case Palmer, our stepsister, needed anything. Our father has never hit Palmer or her mom. Not as far as I know, anyway, and I would hear about it. Finn wouldn’t stand for that, and Palmer’s new husband wouldn’t either. Hell, I bet the whole Eye Candy Ink and Kings Gym family would go after my dad if he ever even thought about laying a finger on Palmer.
I push thoughts of my fucked up father out of my head as we hit the dirt road, slowing down to turn onto the Stud Farm property. There’s already a steady line of cars headed over to the track, and we join them. Rock music is blaring from the field, and I smile as we round the last hill and see the rows and rows of cars lined up and people milling about.
Thorne, Kade, and I line up at the end of the second row and climb out. It doesn’t look like any of the races have started yet, so we have time to place our bets and mingle with everyone.
The track at the Stud Farm is a mile-long dirt track. We’ve been racing – and winning – for the last two years, and I know this year won’t be any different. I’ve been using my winnings from racing here to pay my bills and save up for after we graduate. We all need to be able to put money up for the garage. Thorne won’t have to worry since his parents are loaded, but Kade and I are on our own. That means that I need to save every penny that I can.
“I’m going to place my bet,” Kade says, and I nod, handing him a stack of bills so that he can do mine too.
Thorne passes him some money, too, and we watch as Kade heads off into the crowd toward Malachi. I glance at Thorne, rolling my eyes when I see how bored he looks.
“Want to grab something to drink?” I ask, and he shrugs.
He’s been a shell of himself since his high school girlfriend dumped him right after graduation. They were all set to go to college together, but she broke up with him and then ghosted him. He changed his plans then and came to Sequoia with us, but he hasn’t been the same since.
He hasn’t looked at another girl since then either, so I don’t bother asking him if he wants to check out the crowd or the group of track bunnies dancing on the makeshift stage over to our left. He’d only get more annoyed if I suggested it.
Not that I’m interested in the track bunnies or anything. Far from it. No judgment for the racers who indulge, as long as everything is consensual, but I don’t want a quick lay. I want something meaningful, and I haven’t found it yet.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the racetrack!” Malachi says into his microphone. “The bets for the first race are still open but place your bets soon! First race starts in five minutes. Come watch as Hendrix Calter faces off against Simon Jones!”
The crowd cheers, and I clap Thorne on the shoulder before I head back to my car to get ready. He follows me, leaning down and resting his elbows on my open window as I climb behind the wheel.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Of course,” I say with a nod. “I’m actually a little annoyed that they paired me up against Simon.”
“I know. It’s not going to be much of a race. I wonder if it’s too late to ask Kade to switch my bet to Simon,” Thorne says, and I flip him off.
“Hilarious.”
He grins, the smile there and gone in the blink of an eye. I wish I could do something or say something to make what happened with his ex-girlfriend better, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I’ve never had a girlfriend. I’ve never even been out on a date. I knew I wasn’t sticking around after graduation, so I never even bothered looking when I was in high school. Besides, it’s not like I could have brought anyone home, and I imagine at some point, a girlfriend would ask to meet my parents or to come hang out at my house. Now that I’m on my own, I’ve been focused on school and racing.
Kade comes ambling back over to us and grins as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Good to go?” he asks, and I nod, turning the key in the ignition and revving the engine.
He taps the hood of the car, and I smile as I pull out of the line of cars and head over to the starting line. Simon is already parked there, and he looks like he wants to throw up. I smirk as I look back to the track.
Malachi is finishing the last bet, and some half-dressed girl saunters into the center of the track, a black and white checkered flag dangling from her hands. She grins at me, pointing the flag in my direction, and then does the same thing to Simon.
I can see Kade and Thorne leaning against the wooden fence, cheering for me, and I take a deep breath. My Mustang purrs as I hit the gas and my heart starts to race as the girl raises the flag into the air. I watch it as it blows slightly in the wind. Then she slams her hand down, and Simon and I take off.
I hit the gas, spitting dirt and gravel as I take off. I have Simon beat from the very first second, and I grin, shifting into second and then third as I near the first turn of the track. Simon’s Nissan is firmly in my rearview mirror as I grab the parking brake and drift around the turn.
As soon as I’m past the turn, I shift again, hitting the gas as I race toward the finish line. Three minutes after the start of the race, I’m crossing the finish line, well ahead of Simon and his Nissan.
I grin, letting out a whoop as the crowd cheers. I pass by Thorne as he gets ready to head to the starting line, and he flashes me a quick smile before he gets prepared for his race. I park back in my spot next to Kade’s car and climb out, letting the crowd congratulate me and clap me on the back as I pass.
I’m almost to the fence to watch Thorne’s race when I look up and lock eyes with her. I have no idea who she is, but man, do I want to.
She’s half hidden in the shadows and the crowd, but my eyes are instantly drawn to her. Long, light brown hair hangs halfway down her back in gentle waves. It looks so soft, and I get the urge to run my fingers through it. I want to wrap those locks around my fist as I taste her lips. Jesus, it’s so inappropriate, but I get an image of her sinking down on top of me, her hair falling forward and cocooning us as she rides me hard and fast.
Her bright green eyes lock with mine, and the noise from the crowd fades away until it’s just us, frozen in time. Everything about this beautiful creature is soft and precious, from her pink lips to her generous curves. My chest grows tight as my dick hardens to the point of pain. I want to fuck her as much as I want to hold her gently and tell her how gorgeous andmineshe is.
That’s my first clue that this girl is meant to be mine. No one has ever made me feel like that. No one has ever made me want to try with them. Not until this girl.
