I wrap my arm around her, keeping my stride slow to match pace with her small steps as we ascend the hill. When we make it to the top, we look down at the rainbow of neon colours, glinting chrome and headlights flooding the bitumen. The cars rev their engines, and Gianna clasps her hands together.
‘You’re right, the view is better up here. C’mon, Jace.’
Revs boom through the sky before the tyres squeal and the cars take off. Gianna’s body tenses, and I can feel she’s holding her breath.
I’ve both raced in and watched these rallies a thousand times. Behind the wheel, it feels like things happen in slow motion. You feel every hair stand on end and every breath burn through your lungs. But watching, it happens so fast. The cars scream past in a blur, cutting through the air.
Peeling my gaze away from Gianna, I look back in time to see Jace a single moment ahead of the other drivers. But that’s all he needs. He wins.
Gianna screams at the top of her lungs. ‘That’s my brother!’ she squeals. ‘That’s my big brother! So he’ll race two more times?’
‘This one’s out of three, but he’ll just need to win one more to claim the title. There’s a small break in between for NOS reset.’
The energy teeming from her is infectious. My cheeks hurt from how big my grin is. Excited screams echo from across the track as people crowd Jace’s car. Gianna tips her face skyward as a few drops of rain begin to patter across her cheeks, glistening on her skin as her mouth pulls up in a smile.
So fucking beautiful.
‘Do you think I could ever do that?’ she asks, closing her eyes.
‘You can do anything.’
Her lashes flutter open, whirlpools of glowing chestnut.
‘Yeah.’ She nods as if she’s made herself a promise. ‘I’m gonna race with my big brother one day. He might not think I belong here yet, but he’ll come around. We’ll never lose a race.’
‘Well, Jace is actually still undefeated.’
‘And it’ll stay that way,’ she says with a confidence I’ve never seen from her before. ‘We willalwayswin.’
Circling behind me, her arms wrap around my neck and she jumps onto me for a piggyback. I catch her legs as she dips her head to my shoulder. My chest swells – aches – and everything about her washes over me. Her smell, her warmth, her body. Everything. I need her everything.
Hoisting her up higher on my back, I walk us further up the hill, the noise fading away, till we meet the edge of the cliff. She lets go, sliding down my body to the ground.
‘It’s like two totally different worlds,’ she breathes, coming to stand beside me.
She’s right. The cliff drops to the ocean crashing below, but back down the crest, The Lost Tropics is in full swing.
Gianna tilts her chin to the sky and sighs. ‘The last two days have been the best,’ She turns to me. ‘Who knew you could have fun running from security and learning how to drive?’
‘You say it like it’s over. We still have all night. And Lucifer’s Dream—’
‘No.’ Her soft voice cuts me off. ‘I don’t want to push Jace. If we bring that up again, he’ll be madder than he already is. Getting to see all this—’ she gestures to the cars below ‘—is enough.’
She looks down at her shoes. Her curls fall around her face; I brush the soft strands behind her ear. Then she looks up with bright eyes full of wonder.
I can’t help it. That fire in her sucks me right in. I lean in, feeling her body against mine, our lips hovering an inch away from each other. I give the nape of her neck areassuring squeeze and she moves toward my lips. A smirk crosses my mouth before I dive in and claim her as mine. Her lips are soft, and she tastes so sweet.
I start slow. Her body turns pliant in my arms. I take her bottom lip between my teeth and swallow the gasp that leaves her mouth. I pull back to look at her, her pouty lips pink and cheeks flushed. With her eyes closed, her lashes fan across her cheeks and I have the urge to count every one of them. My chest tightens. I’d do dangerous things to make this girl happy.
Heat consumes my body. My cock twitches. I want her. I know it’s not the right time, but goddamn, I want her now.
Her fingers bunch up my shirt and my hunger for her only builds. I grip her hair and guide her head back as I trail kisses, licks and bites down to her neck. I taste her. Devour her. Lifting the backs of her thighs, I wrap her legs around my waist, wanting to be closer and completely lost in her. My cock grows painfully hard as she moves her hips against me, making me groan.
‘R-Ryker,’ she breathes, letting a little moan past her swollen lips.
Fuck. Say it again.
I get lost in her. Liquid heat hits low in my stomach and my dick throbs. A growl leaves my mouth as I try and clear my head. I feel my control starting to slip, so I peel my lips from hers.
