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Ryan stifled a groan as Omar loped over to his Suburban and climbed inside.
“Ready?” Leilah chirped.
No.
“Yep.”
3
Leilah glancedover at her passenger. Most of Ryan’s face was hidden by the bulky helmet, but his gold-flecked hazel eyes were visible. And pinned on her.
“You ready?” Her voice sounded too loud through the two-way communicator. But soon enough, the roar of the engine and the rumble of the car would make the radio necessary.
“Ready,” he confirmed.
She reached over to test the five-point harness restraining him. It was snug. She ran through a mental checklist. Fireproof suits. Restraints. Helmets. Earpieces. All that was left to do was snap on her driving gloves and lock down her focus.
She eased the Nomex material over her fingers, flexed her hands, and then exhaled.
“Here we go.”
The flagger signaled for her to go, the world narrowed to the black ribbon of track in front of her, and she entered the Zone.
When Leilah was in the Zone, time stopped. She was pure speed, a live wire, and, yet, utterly calm. When she raced, she was in complete control. She controlled every minute movement of the car. She controlled the speed. She controlled her breathing (even and slow), and she controlled her senses. Her vision sharpened; her hearing heightened; the faint scent and taste of air, fuel, and burning rubber filled her nose and mouth; and her touch became exquisitely sensitive. The smallest movement of her hand on the wheel led the car to the line she sought. The barest tap of her foot sent a surge of power to the engine. Behind the wheel of one of her cars, hovering near speeds of two hundred miles an hour, Leilah was at perfect peace.
The laps piled up, and Leilah and her car became one. Her sense of command and control grew, filling her lungs, her heart, and her mind. Absorbed in the experience, she forgot about the man in her right seat, until she heard him whooping.
* * *
Ryan whoopedwith sheer unbridled joy, which must’ve amused Leilah because her husky laugh sounded in his ear. He would have turned to give her a sheepish grin, but the G-force had his neck and head pressed flat against the headrest.
The first minutes in the car had been nauseating. His jumpy stomach and the vibration of the rumbling engine had him half-convinced he would get sick all over the interior of what was undoubtedly a several-hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle. But after they took the second corner in a blur of track, tire wall, and distant trees, his queasiness lifted and something akin to pure adrenalized bliss took the place of the nausea.
The speed filled him with a sense of freedom, of power. He was flying. Completely out of control for once, and he loved it. His incessant thoughts—contingency, strategy, and worry couldn’t keep pace with Leila’s Ferrari—and so he slipped their constant grip. His mind was quiet as he experienced the physical moment without his usual cogitation and cognition. He was in the now, and it was freaking amazing.
He’d never truly understood people who chased thrills—sky-diving, bungee-jumping, even riding roller coasters had always struck him as foolhardy pursuits. But as hit after hit of dopamine flooded his body, the allure became clear. He was fully alive.
“Yeahhhh!” he roared.
Leilah laughed again.
A heartbeat later, she slowed the car and turned into pit lane.
“It’s over already?” The twenty minutes had sped by seemingly in seconds.
“Time flies, huh?”
He smiled broadly, still giddy. “I guess it does.”
She eased the car through the mostly empty paddock, brought it to a stop in front of her garage, and killed the engine. She removed her helmet and peeled off her gloves then turned toward him. Her eyes shone with excitement and a faint pink colored her cheeks.
“Seems like you enjoyed your birthday gift after all.”
His voice caught in his throat at the sight of her, flushed and triumphant. So he simply nodded his agreement as he fumbled with the strap on his helmet. He pulled it off and placed it in his lap while he raked his fingers through his hair.
“That was incredible,” he told her when he found the words.
A slow, wide smile bloomed on her full lips, and she unclipped her harness buckle. He was about to thank her for the unforgettable experience when she leaned toward him. The scent of her perfume, an intoxicating mix of spicy, smoky, and sweet, wafted from her warm skin. She drew closer. A damp tendril of dark hair escaped from her scarf and brushed against his cheek.
