I wanted to pull away from Felicia, but Keith snapped, “Stop fidgeting and smile. Half this job is showmanship, Hayes, and I’ve just guaranteed that people will be talking about you. Both of you. Even people who don’t watch the sport will want to know all about the golden couple of racing.” Over my shoulder, he winked at Felicia. “Give him a friendly little kiss, dear, something to fan the flames.”
My face was flaming red as rage surged through me. This was absolutely ridiculous. I turned to Felicia to tell her not to touch me, but she took the moment to make her move. Lightning fast, her fingers cupped my cheek, holding me still, and her lips firmly landed on mine. My world spun as two very different realities pummeled me. Was I still in the present? Because the past was crashing all around me as her familiar taste and smell filled my senses.
I came back to myself almost instantly, but it was still too late. Pushing Felicia away, I searched the room for Kenzie. I didn’t see her—just the spot where she had been. Myles was glaring at me, Nikki was fighting her way through the crowd, chasing after Kenzie. Fucking Keith. Twisting back to him, I growled, “Make a spectacle of me like that again, and I’m through.” He raised his hands in the air, like he was completely innocent, but he flashed a victorious glance at Felicia. Asshole.
When I found Kenzie, she was in the hotel lobby with Nikki, who had her hands on her shoulders, calming her down, but Kenzie still looked like she was having trouble breathing. Fuck. She was going to kill me. Inhaling a deep breath, I headed their way. Might as well get to the hard part. “Kenzie…”
Nikki stepped back, and Kenzie lifted a finger at me. “Don’t. Nikki is going to give me a ride home. I’m leaving.”
Sighing, I looked over at Nikki. “Can you give us a minute?”
She nodded, then patted Kenzie on the shoulder. I waited a second after we were alone. Kenzie wouldn’t look at me, and I could feel the rising tension between us, sliding across my skin like a wet snake. “I know you’re mad,” I finally said.
Kenzie snapped her eyes to mine. “Mad? No, why would I be mad? Your ex-girlfriend is only trying to seduce you back into her bed, and your boss is trying to help her. Why the hell would that make me mad!”
“That’s not what’s going on…” I let my weak defense die. Yes, in a way, that was exactly what was going on. Felicia wanted to reconnect with me, Keith wanted the buzz that came from two sort-of celebrities getting it on. It was a win-win for them. “I would stop them if I could,” I whispered.
Kenzie crossed her arms over her chest, not at all relieved by my words. Wishing I could do more to ease her fears, I asked her, “What did Myles say to you?” Her cheeks heated and she averted her eyes. It was bad then. “Tell me.”
Peeking up at me, she said, “Nikki told me you were being good at the track. You and Felicia, she said I had nothing to worry about. But Myles…” Pausing, she swallowed an emotional lump in her throat. “Myles told me that wouldn’t last. That no man could resist temptation forever. He said you’d eventually cheat, you’d eventually leave me…”
She started crying, and I instantly pulled her in for an all-consuming hug. Pulling back, I began kissing every inch of her face. “No, I won’t. She’s not what I want. You’re what I want, you’re all I want.” Cupping her cheeks, I made her look at me. “You’re my life, you’re my everything. Don’t throw us away, Kenzie. Please.” Don’t be like her. Don’t run.
Her tears had stopped spilling, and her watery eyes stared at me so unflinchingly that fear began to crawl up my spine. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Was she going to end us…over this? I hadn’t made it happen, hadn’t wanted it to happen. I would give anything to be able to go back in time and stop it from happening. But I couldn’t…it had happened.
Kenzie finally closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. When she opened them again, she quietly said, “I want to leave. Please take me home.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I nodded in her shoulder. “Okay, sweetheart.” She couldn’t run if I was with her. And she wouldn’t. Kenzie didn’t bail; she faced things head on.
Hours later, we were lying in her bed, both fully dressed. I couldn’t sleep. Keith wanted Felicia and me together, to hurt Kenzie and her father and to generate buzz for the team…so why had he given Kenzie a job? And what was she going to be doing? What was Daytona going to be like for us? Damn it. How did things go from being so good, to so convoluted, so fast? Fucking Felicia. How could one woman fuck up my life twice? And why were her lips still on my mind?
Just as I was dwelling on that, my cell phone chirped on the nightstand. I glanced over at Kenzie, but she was sound asleep. Mentally cringing, I grabbed my phone and unlocked the screen. The text was from the unsaved number that I knew was Felicia’s. In two simple sentences, she had my stomach twisted into knots. ‘I enjoyed kissing you again. Did you enjoy kissing me?’
I typed a response without thinking, and immediately hit send. ‘No, I didn’t.’
She replied with a smiley face, and I knew it wasn’t because of my answer. It was because after weeks of ignoring her, I’d finally responded to her text. I’d cracked open the door. Shit.
***
CHAPTER 7
~Kenzie~
A handful of days after that disastrous Benneti Bash, we touched down in Daytona. I still wasn’t over everything that had happened at that party—and I frequently had nightmares of Felicia’s mouth on Hayden’s—but being here at the track helped. And hurt. The sights and smells assaulted me with memories when I stepped inside the speedway. Everywhere I turned I was faced with ghosts from my past—some from my first and only race last year, some from visiting the track with my father before I turned pro. The bright team colors merging to create a chaotic yet beautiful mosaic. The sound of revving engines underscored by whining power tools, shouts, and laughter. The younger riders showing off wherever they could get away with it, the older crew members shaking their heads at the ridiculousness of youth. The rows of bikes awaiting inspection. The smell of engine oil, grease, popcorn, and beer. The heat, the excitement, the fans, the anticipation. Every recollection was a slash across my heart. God, I missed this.
But at least I was here and a part of the world, although I still had no idea what I was going to be doing—a fact that had my stomach dancing with anxiety.
Hayden held my hand tight as we walked to the area assigned to Benneti Motorsports. Even though I knew there wasn’t a spot reserved for them, I still looked around for Cox Racing; it was so strange to think they weren’t here. That hadn’t happened in…ages. It truly was the end of an era. A fact that Keith was exuberant about. I’d never seen him so giddy as we entered the garage area here at the track; he beamed at everyone who approached him.
Staring at the portly man adorned in an oversized Benneti jacket made me sigh. Hearing the trepidation in my exhale, Hayden looked down at me. “Do you know what you’re doing yet?” he asked.
Shaking my head, I tore my eyes from Keith and looked up at him. “No. You haven’t heard anything either?”
Hayden frowned as he looked Keith’s way; he looked a little worried, which didn’t make me feel any better. “No. He changes the subject whenever I ask.” Shifting his gaze back to me, he smiled. “I’m sure it will be something great, something worthy of your skill.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. Keith wouldn’t waste this opportunity to humiliate me. No, I was going to be doing something menial—Keith’s personal fetching girl or something. But whatever it was, I’d do it with a smile on my face. Being here was all that mattered.
From over my shoulder, I heard a familiar voice say, “Hey guys! Isn’t this exciting! We’re back at Daytona!” I twisted around to see Nikki standing there, dressed in her red and black Benneti jumpsuit. She frowned when she met my eyes. “I mean, we’re kind of back at Daytona. It’s not the same of course, but it’s still kind of fun…right?”
She looked so guilty over the fact that she was enjoying herself that I had to laugh. ??
?It’s okay to love your job, Nikki,” I told her. I’d sure loved mine. And hopefully I’d like whatever Keith had in store for me too.
Nikki looked relieved. Then she brightened. “You guys are coming out with Myles and me tonight, right? He found a speakeasy he wants to check out. Apparently, the front of the place looks like a candy store. You don’t even know you’re going into a bar until they open a secret door behind the counter.”
I had to roll my eyes at Myles’s never-ending ability to find the oddest places. I looked up at Hayden to see if he wanted to go. He shrugged, then nodded, and I told Nikki we’d be there. As Nikki gave us both a thumbs up, I happened to notice Felicia stroll into the room. She was in Benneti racing leathers that matched what Hayden was wearing, and her long brown hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail. The sight of her prepped for a race stung worse than I thought it would. That should be me.
Inadvertently, I found myself squeezing Hayden’s hand harder and harder. He glanced down at me, then looked over to see what had my attention. I heard him sigh when he spotted Felicia. She was walking over to Keith now. Cool and confident, she looked like she’d always been a part of this world. It made me wonder, if she hadn’t left town a few years ago, would Keith have brought both her and Hayden onto the team? Probably. They would have come on as the king and queen of Benneti Racing, and Hayden and I never would have happened. But she had fled town, and now that she was back, things weren’t the way she’d left them.
Keith and Felicia suddenly both turned my way. Straightening my stance, I raised my chin. You don’t worry me. Keith smiled like he knew what I was thinking, then he turned back around and reached into a box in front of him. Curiosity killing me, I watched as he grabbed a few things and handed them to Felicia. When she took the items, she tossed me a small smile. I had no idea what that meant.
Keith jerked his thumb my way, and Felicia started sauntering over. Great.
With Hayden on one side of me and Nikki on the other, I felt like I had bodyguards. I didn’t need them, though; I could handle Felicia. Since it was obvious she wanted to talk to me, I squeezed my way through Hayden and Nikki, so I was standing slightly in front of them. Felicia’s eyes swung Hayden’s way and she gave him a charming smile. “Ready for the race tomorrow, Hayden?”
Hayden frowned, like just her talking to him irritated him. “I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced to my girlfriend yet. This is Mackenzie,” he said, ignoring her question. I loved the fact that he’d used my full name.
I could almost see Felicia inwardly sighing as she slowly turned her head my way; her smile now was clearly forced. “Right…your girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you…I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Disliking that she’d heard anything about me, I murmured, “Likewise.”
Felicia flashed a glance at Hayden. “All good, I hope?”
I could feel my jaw tightening. “Not really,” I answered truthfully. Kiss my boyfriend again, bitch, and I just might rip that smile off your face. Was that smugness I was seeing? Or longing?
She brought her eyes back to me, and they grew heated with an emotion I finally understood. Anger. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Hayden cut her off with a gruff voice. “Keith gave you something for Mackenzie?”
Felicia glanced at him before returning her eyes to me. “Yes…your new uniform.”
She handed me a small bundle of black and red material. Confused, I unfolded the pieces—one was a bikini top, the other a very short pair of spandex shorts. “What the hell is this?” I asked, my eyes snapping to hers.
Felicia shrugged. “Keith said you were the new spokesmodel for Benneti Motorsports. Congratulations, I hear it’s a very competitive market.” From her voice, I couldn’t tell if she was being serious, or insulting me.
My jaw dropped to my chest as my heart fell to the floor. I could not wear this here, around people who used to be my peers and rivals. It was a blow within a blow, and that was exactly why Keith had done it. I should have known the humiliation would have come in this form. Keith knew how hard I’d worked to be seen as an equal in this sport. Of course he’d want to lower me in the eyes of my ex-competitors. I should have known.
Crumpling the material, I debated throwing it on the ground and walking away. I couldn’t possibly do this. But I refused to let Keith win, and I refused to let Hayden’s ex see me defeated. If this was the task I’d been given, then I would do it to the best of my ability. Even if it meant strutting around the track with Benneti Motorsports plastered on my ass.
“Great, thank you,” I muttered. My cheeks felt hot, and I prayed she didn’t see how flustered I was.
With a quick flick at Hayden, Felicia softly said, “No problem.” Hayden’s eyes were daggers, but Felicia only smiled in response, then walked away.
The second she was gone, Hayden turned to me. “You don’t have to do this. Give the outfit back to Keith, and tell him to go to hell. I know you want to tell him that anyway,” he added with a smirk.
While that was true, I was already in too deep to back out now. “The sad truth is…this is the only way I can be a part of racing now, Hayden. And I want that so much.”
Hayden’s eyes grew soft. “You nearly ripped my head off when I assumed you were a model…and now you’re willing to pimp Keith’s team with your body?” God, was I really going to give him what he wanted?
“It’s a means to an end, until I can find something else. But look on the bright side,” I said, holding the “uniform” up to his face. “I’ll be strutting around in basically a bikini all weekend long.”
Nikki snorted, then walked away. Fire danced in Hayden’s eyes. “Well, that certainly is a bright side…although, I don’t think I’m okay with every other guy around here seeing you like this.” His gaze shifted to where Keith was standing, laughing with Maxwell…probably about me. “I’m going to go talk to Keith. This is going too far.”
I put a hand on his chest. “This is the job he has for me, Hayden. If you tell him this isn’t okay, then he’ll just fire me and send me on my way.”
Hayden put his hand over mine. “That’s fine with me. If he fires you, then you’ll be here as my guest, and not as his…trophy.”
Smiling, I stroked my thumb over the coolness of his leathers. “I need to be a part of this world, Hayden. Not as a fan, not as a guest, not as a third party who is just in the way. I need to be an active part, with purpose. And as meager a role as this is…it is advertising, so at least there is a small amount of purpose to it.” Hayden opened his mouth to interject, but I interrupted him. “Yes, maybe this isn’t a role I ever thought I’d play, but it’s better than nothing, so I’m going to do it.” Not much better than nothing, but I didn’t want to tell him that.
He again looked like he was going to object, so I leaned up and kissed the rough stubble along his cheek. “I’m going to go change. There’s a fan walk soon, and I’m sure Keith wants me there to entertain the crowd.” Hayden’s jaw tightened with my words, but he didn’t say anything, and I knew his mind was spinning with reasons why I shouldn’t do this.
My smile was joyful as I clutched my outfit tight and left Hayden to find a bathroom, but joyful wasn’t how I felt. I was fuming, burning with an anger hotter than the sun’s core. Fucking Keith. I made a vow as I watched him while I walked. He would never see my pain. All he would see was happiness—happiness that I was here, happiness that I was with Hayden. And in that way, I would come out of this the winner. Keith’s team might claim the championship this year, but I was the one who would be victorious.
Felicia caught my eye as I walked through the door, and a surge of acid-filled jealousy hit me. She was an equal to the men around me—a competitor, a rival. And I was about to be strutting around in my underwear. Fuck my life.
After finding a bathroom to change, I took a hard look at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t the most buxom person, but I was practically spilling out of the tight top. And the shorts??
?Jesus, there were going to be kids at the event, and they should not be subjected to this much skin. But it was what Keith wanted, so it was what Keith was going to get. Jerk off.
Gathering up my belongings, I trudged back to the Benneti camp. I felt more and more eyes on me with every step. It was hard to not hunch over and hide, difficult to stand as tall and straight as if I had on a shimmering ball gown, but that was what I made myself do. Keith wouldn’t destroy my spirit. Not now, not ever.
When I stepped back inside the garage, Maxwell and Rodney spotted me first. They let out loud cat calls that echoed throughout the room. I flipped them off. Since I was technically an employee, could I sue them for sexual harassment?
The noise got Hayden’s attention, and I spotted him stepping away from the bikes to see what was going on. When he saw me, his reaction was a mixture of approval and disgust—like he wanted to hide me away…by shoving me into his bedroom. Keeping my head held high, I ignored the stares and whistles around me and strutted his way. Holding my things out to him, I calmly said, “Is there somewhere I can put these?”
He hesitated before taking them, and I could tell he wanted to wrap me back up in the material. “Yeah, I’ll just…stash this with my… Are you sure about this, Kenzie?”
I nodded as firmly as my courage allowed. “Yes. Now, I need to find some boots. My Converse aren’t going to cut it with this outfit.” Hayden’s eyes slowly drifted down my overly exposed thighs to my comfortable shoes. His gaze washing over me made a rush of excitement dull the embarrassment. Maybe if he mentally undressed me the entire time, I might actually make it through this.
It took every ounce of determination I had to survive the autograph session, and when it was over, I had a newfound respect for what models had to put up with. I was openly leered at, crudely hit on by men who had their children in tow, and once or twice I felt a palm on my ass. I couldn’t even tell the creepers to get bent. I had to smile, wave, and offer them 8x10s of the Benneti racers.