Removing my helmet, I debated whether I should ask him about the fight. Maybe I was still high from the race, maybe it was because he’d opened up a little, but I suddenly wasn’t afraid of depth. I wanted something real, wanted an answer to another one of his many mysteries…wanted to risk popping the bubble. “What happened today? With your teammates?” I clarified. “I saw the fight…”
Hayden’s eyes grew so wide, I thought they might pop out of his skull. “You saw that?”
I nodded, my jaw tight. “I’ve never felt so helpless. I wanted to do something, but that damn ban…I was completely stuck there, staring like an idiot.” Shit, why had I confessed that? It felt way too personal, way too intimate, and yet, as I took in the stunned look on his face, I was glad I’d said it.
“You wanted to help me?” Hayden asked, his voice soft.
Staring into his deep green eyes, I couldn’t answer right away. It was like every cell in my brain had simultaneously turned into thick Jell-O from the power of his gaze. Hayden’s smile loosened my tongue. “So what happened?” I asked. “Why’d they go after you?”
His eyes turned steel-hard as he retreated into his memory. “Keith left early for the day. Doctor’s appointment or something. Anyway, when he leaves, the team sort of turns into…well, have you ever seen the movie Lord of the Flies?” When I nodded, he gave me a wry smile. “I’m the newest fly, the easy target, so it’s only to be expected that they’ll turn on me whenever they can. It’s okay, though, I can handle those assholes. I’m not defenseless,” he added with a wink. No. Definitely not. Just alone and outnumbered. He shouldn’t be with the Bennetis, he didn’t belong there. So where does he belong?
That pesky thought made me frown. “Still, it’s not right. You should tell Keith how they’re treating you.” Wow, was I really promoting Keith as some sort of father figure for Hayden? I guess it wasn’t that much of a stretch, since they already lived together. Damn it, just the thought of Keith influencing Hayden made my skin crawl. And made the rumors around him even more plausible.
Hayden let out a harsh laugh. “You want me to tattle? No thanks, not my style. And besides, do you honestly think that would make things any better?” He paused to shake his head. “Trust me, eventually they’ll get bored and move on. I just have to power through until then. And if there’s one thing in this world I’m good at, it’s powering through crappy situations.” Even though he was smiling, there was age-old pain in his features; it was difficult to witness, yet impossible to turn away from. What happened to you?
Too curious to resist, I asked, “Is that how you learned to fight like that? Crappy situations?” I wanted to reach out and touch him, stroke his face…but I stopped myself.
Hayden shrugged, like it didn’t matter. “Foster care kid. I got bounced around a lot, so I learned to adjust.”
“Oh…I’m sorry.” That must have been so lonely. I’d always had family close to me. I couldn’t even comprehend having no one.
His expression softened as he smiled. “Again, don’t be sorry. Sure, it sucked…but I wouldn’t be where I am now without my past. And I kind of like where I am…now.” Seductive half smile on his face, he stepped even closer to me, so that our legs were touching; his eyes blazed with heat, and I knew he was referring to this exact moment. Here…with me.
God, this was the most I’d ever gotten him to say, and there was so much I wanted to know. But the desire to help him was even more compelling than my curiosity. Hayden had made talking slightly more bearable for me; I wanted to make it easier for him too, but there was one more question I needed answered. “Hayden…what did you do to your teammates’ bikes that pissed them off so much?”
Anger instantly filled his eyes, and he immediately stepped away; the loss chilled me. “I didn’t do anything to their fucking bikes,” he snapped. “That damn rumor, the one you asked me about…those dicks all believe it’s true. So when one of the mechanics forgets to change the spark plugs on Rodney’s bike and he has engine problems, naturally it’s my fault. God, I thought I’d left all that shit behind, but I guess not.” He avoided looking at me after his speech, and his hands flexed into fists as he let out heavy breaths. Clearly this was something that really bothered him.
“You okay?” I asked, not sure if he would answer.
He looked over at me with a forced smile on his face. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just, I…” He hesitated, and I could see the debate in his eyes; he wasn’t sure if he could trust me either.
I smiled, in what I hoped came across as encouragement. “It’s just what?”
Closing his mouth, he looked away before returning his eyes to me. “Do you want to get out of here? Maybe go to a late-night diner and get something to eat? I feel like I could eat half the city, I’m so hungry.”
I was momentarily disheartened that he’d changed the subject, but his suggestion to go out caught me by surprise. Even more surprising, I wanted to say yes. Hayden had revealed more about himself tonight than he ever had before, and I didn’t want to part ways with him yet. But recalling that this was usually around the time when his phone went off made me respond differently than I wanted to. “You mean there are no late-night plans you need to rush to?” I snipped. “The bat phone’s not about to go off?”
There was a lot of bitterness in my voice, but Hayden only gave me a soft smile as he stared at me. “No, you’re my only rendezvous tonight.”
Relief zipped through me so fast, my breath caught in my throat. “Oh, well…I guess I could eat, then.”
Hayden seemed shocked that I’d said yes. That made two of us. “Great. I’ll turn off everything and meet you in the parking lot.”
Now’s your chance to get out of this. Just tell him you’re not feeling well and you’re going to go straight home. “Okay, see you in the parking lot.” Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me?
I felt like I’d recently suffered a blow to the head as I put my bike away, painstakingly making sure it was exactly how I’d found it. Why was my body taking control and pushing away common sense? Was it because I’d seen a crack in the tough-guy façade? Because there was so much more he wasn’t showing me? Because he kept calling me beautiful, talented, cute, and funny? Because I needed the positive feedback so much more than I’d realized? God, was I really that pathetic? Well, it was only food I was agreeing to. This wasn’t going any farther than a Denver omelet. And besides, I could take the opportunity to try to get him to open up to me again.
Rolling my street bike to a stop just outside the inner gate, I sat and waited for Hayden. As I fantasized about fluffy eggs—because that seemed the only safe thing to think about—I saw something strange on the highway in the distance. The bright beams of a car’s headlights were slowing down just before the turnoff to the track. My heart sank to my stomach when the lights turned down the road that would bring them directly to us.
Panic surging through every pore, I shut off the headlight on my bike. Shit! Shit! Shit! Turning my head, I lifted the visor on my helmet and shouted over my shoulder, “Hayden! We’re about to have company!”
Luckily he was close and heard me. Zipping his bike up to mine, his headlight already dark, he peered down the long road to where the lights of a pickup truck were slowly and surely inching closer. Was that my dad’s truck? I couldn’t tell. Goddammit.
Letting out a curse, Hayden quickly ran over to the inner gate, slammed it closed, and replaced the lock. Seconds later, he was back on his bike. “Follow me,” he said, then he sped off. Zipping away from the main entrance leading to the highway, he raced along the parking lot that surrounded a good portion of the track. I immediately chased after him.
The parking lot eventually shifted to plain, unmarked concrete, then shifted again to bare dirt. The wall surrounding the racetrack was high enough that once we got on the far side of the inner gate, whoever was approaching the track shouldn’t be able to see us. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to calculate whether we were visible. If we we
re spotted here at this hour—together—we were both done for. Fired. Possibly even arrested for trespassing. My career with Cox Racing would be over in the blink of an eye. Eli or Ralph would have to save the team…fat chance of that. Nikki would be heartbroken, Myles would never talk to me again. How would I ever be able to look Dad in the eye? Face my family? And Hayden…he’d probably have to go back to the streets. Would anyone else give him the chance Keith had?
Shaking off those dire thoughts, I focused instead on what was actually happening, not what might happen. We were near the back of the track now. Just as I was wondering what phase two of Hayden’s getaway plan was, he pointed toward the fence that ran around the entire facility. Unless he had a bolt cutter in his back pocket, I wasn’t sure what good it would do to head toward the chain-link barrier. Personally, I thought we should stay as close as possible to the track wall. We’d be invisible unless whoever was here decided to do a perimeter sweep—and that was highly unlikely. Unless it was John. He was anal about security and always bugging Dad to install motion sensors. Fuck.
Kicking a spray of dirt behind us as we sped along the ground, we finally made it to the fence. Hayden hopped off his bike and started looking for something. When he found what he wanted, he paused, then he started removing links of chain. What the hell? Who had made a door in the fence, and how had Hayden known about it? Feeling a little violated, I watched in stunned silence as he pulled back a segment large enough for our bikes. Hayden ushered me through, then once he was out, he returned the missing links. Unless you really scrutinized the fence, you’d never know a makeshift door was there. He had his own private entrance to my sanctuary? You’ve got to be kidding me.
I couldn’t stop staring at him. When he got back on his bike, he shouted, “Beach!” and motioned for the highway. Now wasn’t the best time to question him, and I knew that. We couldn’t stay here; parts of the highway were visible from the track, especially from the offices on the second floor of the garage. Understanding where Hayden intended us to end up—the hidden beach that I had shared with him—I sped away, kicking up rocks as I went. My heart didn’t begin to settle until I was on the highway, heading back into town. That had been too close. Much too close.
Hayden was nipping at my heels on the dark, empty road. Then he started inching around me. Oh, I don’t think so. Without even thinking about it, I leaned forward and increased my speed. Race me or chase me, 43. Let’s see what you’ve got.
It didn’t take Hayden long to react to my prompt. He was beside me an instant later, and our speed picked up as we fought for ground. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that what I was doing was dangerous and stupid, but it was late at night and the road was clear of traffic, and besides, I was too far gone in the rush of trying to beat him to stop.
I was so caught up in the curves of the highway that I almost didn’t spot the turnoff for the beach in time. My bike slid a full half circle in the dirt as I made the too-tight corner. Hayden darted into the parking area a hairsbreadth behind me. Yes, I got him!
Hayden’s face was practically radiating energy when he took off his helmet. “Holy shit, Kenzie. Holy fucking shit!”
My heart still pounding, I unfastened my helmet and slipped it off. “I know…that was too damn close.” The rampaging adrenaline coursing through me came out in a series of small chuckles. “Thank God you knew about the fence. And how the hell did you know about the fence?”
Hayden chewed on his lip before answering me. “Let’s just say I used to practice there before I was given a key card.” He gave me a grin that was supposed to be endearing, but I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.
“You practiced…? Wait…did you ever break into the Cox garages and ride our bikes? Did you ever ride mine?” The look on his face spoke volumes, and my blood began to boil with rage. My earlier feeling of violation was nothing compared to this. He’d ridden my baby! “Oh my God, Hayden, did you ride my bike?”
He gave me a sexy grin. “A gentleman never tells.”
Hopping off my motorcycle, I chucked my helmet at his chest; he easily caught it. “Gentleman, my ass. I can’t believe you rode my bike. Don’t you know how wrong that is?”
Setting my helmet down, Hayden climbed off his own bike. Hands in the air, he walked over to where I was standing with my hands clenched into tight fists. I knew it was just a bike, but I was ticked. He’d ridden her without my knowledge. Or consent!
“Look, whatever might or might not have happened on your bike…I apologize. It was a long time ago, and I was…a different person then.” He laughed, then quickly stopped when he saw I wasn’t amused. “It’s not like I knew you at the time and did it intentionally to piss you off, Kenzie. It was just a hot-looking bike that I wanted to take for a spin.”
My eyes turned into steely daggers. Was that the way he saw me too? Something fun to practice on? Or just a tool to practice with? “My Ducati is a high-speed work of art, not a toy for your racing pleasure.” And neither am I.
“I know that,” he murmured; his voice was so soft and sensuous, my sudden spike of anger started fading. He stepped closer to me, making my insides squirm with anticipation. “I’m sorry about your bike, but…I don’t want this night to end yet. Do you?”
Oh God…what was he asking? “No…but it has to eventually. And it’s late…I should go home.” Before I do something stupid…like invite you over.
Reaching out, Hayden grabbed my hand; his fingers were still cold from the windy ride, but his touch made me feel like I was standing too close to a fire and about to get burned. “Wait…we could still get something to eat. I have a feeling that after that scare we both need food. And alcohol. And pie.”
Memories of our near-discovery that ended with that dangerous flight down the highway rushed through my head. That had been so stupid of me, but at the time, it had felt completely right. “I don’t drink all that often. And I definitely don’t eat pie.” I glanced down at our fingers. Why hadn’t I pulled away yet?
Hayden stepped closer to me; his face was just inches away now. “Are you sure? You seem to be doing a lot lately that you probably thought you’d never do. Maybe you need to reevaluate just where your guardrails are.”
God, right now I wasn’t even sure I had any. Take me over the cliff. I’ll tumble all the way down with you.
His eyes scanned my face. Could he tell I was breathing harder? “You’re gorgeous in the moonlight,” he murmured. “I wish the lights on the bikes were off and the moon was the only thing on you.” From his tone of voice it was clear that he meant that literally. Naked under the moonlight. With him. Desire flared inside me, electrifying me. That sounded…amazing.
Running his tongue across his bottom lip, Hayden started leaning toward me. Slowly. Like time meant nothing. His fingers came up to cup my cheek, drawing me in. My lips parted, ready. And just before we touched…his fucking cell phone blared that goddamn annoying siren ringtone, breaking the magic of the moment.
Gritting my jaw, I hissed, “If you don’t change that goddamn setting, I’m chucking your phone into the goddamn Pacific.”
Hayden pulled back, and reality rushed into the void of his absence. What the hell had I almost let him do? I couldn’t kiss him, and I definitely couldn’t let him kiss me. There were too many unanswered questions hovering around him—including who was calling him every night. And why didn’t he ever answer the call? Or even look at the phone to see who was trying to reach him? That ringtone was obviously for one specific person, and I really wanted to know who it was. “Who keeps calling you at this hour anyway?” I asked, quickly taking a step back.
Reluctantly letting his fingers drop from my cheek, Hayden shrugged. “A…friend.”
Yet another mysterious friend. He seemed to have no other kind. “At almost two in the morning? Is something wrong?”
Hayden gave me a smooth smile. “Of course not, Kenzie. Everything’s fine. I will have to take a rain check on pie though.” After he cancelled
our plans, he suddenly leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to my cheek. Before I could catch my breath, he whispered in my ear, “Good night, Twenty-Two.”
Chapter 10
Around eleven, I almost had myself convinced that I’d dreamed the early-morning meeting with Hayden. I hadn’t actually done that, had I? Gone behind my team’s back and made a peace treaty with the enemy? But like it or not, he was the key to our future. Within him was the power to unlock what was within me.
As time mercilessly ticked forward, I paced my living room. Getting ready to go to the track at this hour felt all wrong. I should be fast asleep¸ resting and recharging my batteries, not planning to disobey every single rule my father had all in one fell swoop. Wearing a path in my light-blue carpet, I debated just not showing up at the track. After a couple of hours, Hayden would get the message that I’d changed my mind. But then…what would I do? Accept my falling times with grace? Fuck. That.
Raking my hands through my hair in frustration, I begged my mind to shut off, to relax, to take the night off. Let instinct take over for once. Just as my brain was telling me where I could shove instinct, my cell phone chimed.
With a sigh, I walked over to the coffee table and picked it up. The number wasn’t one I recognized, but the message made it clear who it was from. See you at the track in twenty minutes, 22. Don’t be late. Damn it. Why the hell had I given Hayden my number again?
After programming his number into my phone under the name Major Asshat, I tucked my cell into my pocket and grabbed my coat. Might as well get this over with.
A little while later, the headlight of my motorcycle was splashing across the recently repaired COX RACING/BENNETI MOTORSPORTS PRACTICE TRACK sign. It was odd to be arriving here at night. Even odder to be meeting up with a Benneti…with Hayden, a very single Benneti. It was almost easier when I’d believed he was taken. That mystery woman and her child had put some sort of buffer between us, and now that it was gone, I felt exposed. Being alone with him here was such a bad idea, but desperate times…