Author: Jaci Burton

She cried out as pleasure speared her.

“Okay?” he asked, leaning over to press a kiss to her back.

“Better than okay. Keep doing that.”

“This?” He rubbed her butt, using soft, circular motions.

“That’s . . . nice.”

He laughed. “Yeah, you don’t want nice though, do you?”

Not particularly. So when he gave her butt cheek a light tap, her pussy clenched hard on his cock.

“I didn’t think so. You like it a little harder.” He smacked her again, this time on the other cheek, and a little harder.

The sting made her wet, made her buck back against him.

“Yes,” she said, grinding against him. She reached between her legs to rub her clit, and he spanked her again, then reared back and began to thrust deeper.

She liked it—more than she thought she would. Her butt cheeks tingled, which only made her pussy quiver and clench around his cock. And as she thrummed her clit, she careened closer and closer to orgasm.

Gray leaned over and kissed the back of her neck, then teased her with his teeth, making her quiver and teeter on the very edge of reason. And when he sank his teeth into her flesh, she went over, crying out and rocking back against his cock.

“Fuck,” he said, roaring out his release as he went with her. He gripped her hips and shoved his cock in, shuddering as he came.

He wrapped an arm around her and held her, gentling his kisses over her neck and shoulders as they both came down from that incredible high.

He finally withdrew, lifting her with him. They went into the bathroom and cleaned up, then climbed into his bed. He pulled her against his chest and stroked her hair and her back.

“I should head back to my hotel,” she said.

“Why would you want to do that?” He still moved his hands over her. All over her.

It was quite distracting, but in a good way.

“Well, you’ll be packing up and leaving tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I need to pack, too.”

“You can do that in the morning.”

“I suppose.” She was running out of excuses not to spend the night with him.

Except spending the night—at least to her—meant a relationship, and she was trying her best to keep this sex only.

“Evelyn.” He tipped her chin so she was looking up at him, their faces so close their lips would touch if he moved a little.

“Yes?”

“It’s okay to have sex and stay overnight. I promise not to ask you to marry me in the morning.”

She laughed, and some of her tension dissolved. “Okay, but only if you promise.”

He made a cross sign over his heart. “You have my word.”

“Then I’ll stay.”

She snuggled back against him.

This whole sex-with-no-strings thing? Not too bad a deal.

As long as she kept her heart out of the equation.

FOURTEEN

GRAY LOVED DAYTONA, AND NOT JUST FOR THE RACING, though this was one of his favorite tracks. He loved the beach, loved the long stretches of highway where he could take one of his cars and head out on a drive. Which was why he’d bought a house out there and stored several of his cars.

He was happy to be home, happy to get out of the trailer and stretch out at his beach house for a while. Before they’d left Kentucky, he’d had a brief meeting with his team to go over the previous race and talk about the upcoming one. They’d reconvene down here after the Fourth of July holiday. He’d told them to be ready to get down to work, because the schedule for this race week would be short and intense. But for the next few days, everyone would have some time off to enjoy their families.

For now, he was content to let his team take care of his race car. He’d rolled in late last night and the first thing he’d done was fall face-first into his bed and pass out.

Evelyn had told him she’d be flying down in the morning, so he took the opportunity to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

He’d hesitated in asking her to make the drive down with him, though he didn’t know why. Maybe because that was time for Ian and him to catch up and strategize on race stuff. And maybe part of it was his and Evelyn’s relationship—or non-relationship, since that’s what they’d both agreed it was—was still new, and he didn’t want the whole damn team knowing about it. Because once the team knew, it would only be a matter of time before everyone knew. And that meant media involvement, which he’d prefer to keep to a minimum.

But for the next few days, he wanted Evelyn at his house, and in his bed, so he got up and took a quick shower, then dressed and went to the garage, deciding on his ’67

GTO, since it had been a long time since he’d pulled her out for a spin. He folded back the cover, smiling as he smoothed his hand over the sleek black finish. His staff did a great job taking care of his cars while he was on the road, knowing as soon as he came home he’d want to take one—or more—for a ride.

He grabbed the keys and slid into the leather seats, inhaling the sweet smell of eras gone by. When he fired her up, the rumbling engine roared to life, exciting him at the thought of taking the GTO out on the roads for a little action.

Too bad the U.S. had speed limits. With a grin, he slipped on his sunglasses and pulled out onto the street, then hit the highway, letting out the clutch as he gave it some gas.

It was still early, so the sun hadn’t risen high enough to heat him up. Not that he minded, since nothing could be as hot as when he was in his race car. Plus, in the convertible, the wind blew through his hair and his mind went blank. He gripped the steering wheel as he and the GTO became one.

There was nothing that made him happier than being behind the wheel of a car, whether it was competitively or just out for a joyride.

He knew for a fact that driving—racing—was what he was supposed to be doing with his life. Evelyn’s question about law school had made him pause, but only for a second. He was most comfortable, most himself, most at home, behind the wheel.

That’s where he belonged, and that’s where he was going to spend the rest of his life.

The whole law school thing had been born out of guilt because he hadn’t done what his parents—what his father—had wanted him to do.

Funny how that guilt still nagged at him, even after all these years. And he didn’t buy that his father was a changed man. Men like Mitchell Preston didn’t change. They played at changing, so the public would vote for them.

He knew his father better than anyone, knew he was one of the best actors out there. He knew what his dad was capable of—and what he wasn’t capable of.

Shaking off dark thoughts that had him tensing on the wheel, he blew out a breath and took the exit leading to Evelyn’s hotel.

The valet whistled as he came around to Gray’s side.

“GTO? That is one sweet ride.”

Gray pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his pocket and waved it at the wide-eyed valet whose name tag read Oscar.

“Oscar, park it like you own it and this’ll be yours when I pick her up.

Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Oscar said. “She’ll be in bubble wrap until you’re ready for her.”

“Thanks. I won’t be long.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Evelyn, who gave him her room number. It didn’t take him long to figure out she’d scored a bungalow down on the beachfront.

Smart woman. He headed down the front steps of the hotel and toward the left. She was waiting for him at the fountain.

“Afraid of taking me to your room?”

She smiled at him. “I’m enjoying the beach way too much to spend much time in my room.”

She looked beautiful, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. He slid his hand in hers. “Then let’s go to the beach.”

She looked down at his jeans and tennis shoes. “You’re hardly dressed for a beach walk.”

“I have stuff in my car.”

“Where are we going?”

“Lots of places. You have a swimsuit?”

“Yes. Let me grab my bag.”

She started to turn away, but he grasped her wrist. “You might want to grab some clothes for tomorrow, too. Just in case you don’t make it back tonight.”

Her brows raised. “Are you intending to kidnap me?”

“The thought occurred to me.”

“All right then. I’ll pack the bag accordingly. You can come with me to my room if you’d like.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just watch the ocean here and wait for you.” If he went to her room, they likely wouldn’t get anything done on his agenda today, and he had a lot of plans.

She gave him a knowing smile. “I’ll be right back then.”

One thing he liked about Evelyn was her efficiency. She was back in about five minutes, a small bag slung over her shoulders. He took the bag from her.

“Nice view.”

“I splurged on my budget a little. Okay, a lot. Normally, I wouldn’t care what kind of hotel room I stayed in, because after a while they all look the same to me. But here?

I love the idea of taking an early morning walk on the beach. So while we’re in Florida, I decided . . . screw it. I’m going to take advantage of every spare second I have to indulge my love of the ocean.”

He laughed as they headed up the stairs toward the front lobby. “I didn’t know you were an ocean lover.”

“Almost all of the places we moved to when I was a kid were landlocked, so any chance I have to be near the water is a thrill for me. I can’t get enough of the beach and the ocean.”

He signaled for Oscar, who nodded and went on the run to retrieve his car. “I actually have a house here.”

She turned to face him. “You do not.”

“I do. I love it here.”

“I’m so jealous.”

“Since we race here twice a year, I’ve grown accustomed to the beach and ocean myself. I’m a big fan.”

“I’ll bet you have a house on the beach, too.”

His lips curved. “I’ll take you to my house later.”

“God, I’m so going to hate you if you have a house on the beach.”

He grinned at her, then heard the rumble of the GTO. Oscar, smart boy that he was, didn’t abuse the privilege of driving it, so it was a tame rumble as he drove it up to the front of the parking area.

“Oh, my God,” Evelyn said. “This is your car?”

“One of them,” Gray said as he held the door for her.

Gray paid Oscar, who grinned and pocketed the money. “Man, it was fun just to drive it and park it. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. Thanks for taking care of her for me.”

He slid in, pulled down his sunglasses, and turned to Evelyn, who was running her fingers over the seats. “I love muscle cars. I might not be as in the know about racing, but I do love muscle cars.” She ran her fingers over the GTO symbol on the dash.

“God, Gray. This car is so sexy.”

He grinned, put it in first, and headed out.

She pulled her sunglasses out of her purse, not seeming to care when he hit third gear and pulled onto the highway, her hair blowing in the breeze. She grabbed a ponytail holder and wound her hair up into it. “Where are we going?”

“Just for a ride along the ocean highway right now. I figured I’d give you a little tour, and give me a chance to blow the dust out of her carburetors.”

She dragged her gaze away from the view of the ocean and to him. “One of the cars. So this isn’t your only one.”

“No.”

“How many do you have?”

“Right now I have six.”

“Good lord. I’ve got to see them.”

He loved a woman who got excited over a muscle car. “You will. But first, we’ll hit the water.”