I sped up, and at that moment I was flying. Nothing could touch me.
Gravity slammed me back against the seat as I gripped the wheel tighter and rocketed toward the finish line. As I blasted over the line, with Dyson hot on my tail, my laughter met his groans.
With a yelp of pure joy, I pulled off the track. The Ferrari followed, stopping beside me as our doors flew open. As I ripped off my helmet, revealing my full-toothed smile, Dyson’s curses cut loose.
“I had you right until the end.” He shook his head. “I’ll get you next time.”
“Oh yeah? Good luck with—”
Three drawn-out claps echoed through the air. We turned to find a striking woman leaning over the safety barrier, a helmet tucked beneath her arm.
She was petite, with tousled pink hair the color of cotton candy spilling over her shoulders.
“If you boys have finished playing ‘Need for Speed,’” she said drily, throwing up air quotes, “I believe it’s my turn.”She swept a lock of hair back over her shoulder.
“Hi.” Dyson arched an eyebrow. “And what are you driving?” He flashed a smile.
With a stony expression, she pointed at a shiny pink Lotus parked alongside a handful of other cars.
“Whew.” I let out a low whistle. “Nice.”
“My birthday present,” she said casually. “I’ve been wanting to test-drive it. And you boys hit some decent speeds out there. But I can do better. I have a track at home, but I need to race away from my father’s watchful eye.”
“First, happy birthday. I love your hair,” Dyson said smoothly. “Second, you think you can beat the raw power of a Ferrari?” He chuckled.
“My car has plenty of edge.” One corner of her mouth curled upward. “Just for starters, it’s lightweight with plenty of agility. That’s how it achieves superior on-track performance compared with other cars.”
“Oh, really?” Dyson’s chin lifted slightly. “So, you’re calling yourself a lightweight?”
“Let’s race, Brown Eyes. Then we’ll see who the lightweight is.” She checked her watch. “Ten laps, at the stroke of the hour. That’s in four minutes. If the challenge is too much, there’s no judgment here.” She raised her chin.
“Brown eyes, hey?” Dyson’s voice dropped lower. “Okay, Cotton Candy. It’s on.”
She gave a curt nod before her eyes fixed on me. “You will be the timekeeper.”
I straightened. “Understood.”
“Name’s Dyson,” he said, leaning against the side of his car. “And you are?”
Her eyes sparkled. “If you win, which you won’t, you’ll get a name. Otherwise, no names.”
“Cotton Candy it is.” He leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head, watching her every move.
She turned away, strutted toward the Lotus, then climbed in.
“What the fuck just happened?” Dyson asked, blinking in disbelief. “She’s gorgeous. And quitepossibly the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
“Good luck.” I chuckled, my gaze drifting toward the pink car. “That Lotus is nothing short of atomic. She seemsveryconfident… and she has her own racetrack.” I cracked up. “Shit, bro, my money’s on you getting your ass handed to you on a platter.”
“Not going to happen.” With a spring in his step, he walked away.
I settled against the barrier and raised my phone to time the race. The engines roared to life as Dyson lined up beside the mystery driver. She revved the Lotus, pink hair spilling from beneath her helmet as they exchanged glares through the windows.
“Go!” I shouted, slicing my arm through the air.
They launched off the line and disappeared up the track in a blur of speed and engine noise. Dyson weaved aggressively, trying to shake her, but she matched every move like she could read his mind.
He fought hard for the lead, zigzagging across the circuit, but she surged ahead, taking the lead.
