Carolina King (Drive Me Wild Book 2) (4 page)

I sat there feigning interest, still unable to believe that I let Tayia talk me into going to The Spot. Partly because I’d already searched for Mack’s car, and it wasn’t here. I knew that it probably wouldn’t be, but I’d hoped anyway.

This place no longer had the appeal that it used to. In high school it was the place to be. Having brothers who raced made me pretty popular among the kids in my class, so imagine being the only person whose parents forbade her from being here. Of course I had my ways around it and even my brother’s weren’t aware of how often I was here. I got very good at hiding and evading. I knew most of the racers. Many had come and gone. Mostly wannabes who focused more on the appearance of their cars but not the performance of them. Those guys liked to sit with the hood open, music blaring, and engine revving. And completely oblivious to the guys with the cars that looked like old beat-up clunkers who were smart enough to put their money into making the car fast, not pretty.

One of my favorite things to do was to watch races where flashy cars were outrun by cars that were real sleepers, which meant they looked boring on the outside but had a whole lot going on under the hood. Especially the cars no one thought could win. And flashy cars never made it on Mack’s list.

Racers were also some of the cockiest men around, especially when it came to women. I’d gotten pretty good at turning them down, that was, until Dylan. He was my first love and the only real boyfriend I’d ever had. When I was sixteen I’d lost my virginity to him on a secluded area of the beach while we watched the Fourth of July fireworks. He was sweet to me, and my family seemed to like him. Dylan’s father was a prominent and well-respected doctor who ran the small hospital on the island. He had high expectations that his son would follow in his footsteps. Dylan loved cars and confessed to me that he didn’t really want to be a doctor, but wanted to get into serious racing. He never had the guts to stick up to his father. I told him that if he went off to start the premed program at his father’s alma mater when it wasn’t what he wanted to do, then we would be over. I refused to even consider being with someone who couldn’t stand up for himself. Dylan didn’t fight for himself or for me. He went off to school at the end of the summer and crushed my heart. A year later and with Dylan nearly a thousand miles away in Maryland, I’d realized that the choice I’d given him wasn’t fair. I looked him up online and saw that he was in a relationship with someone else and seemed happy. Letting him go was the only thing in my life I’d ever regretted. It’s funny how you don’t realize you’re making a mistake until it’s too late.

Speaking of mistakes.

“Jonna, oh no. There’s Travis,” Tayia whispered next to me, and I immediately turned my head in the direction she was looking. Travis Frye was my rebound guy. I’d hooked up with him for a little while after Dylan left. He was cute and cocky as all get out. He drove a flashy yet surprisingly fast car, and he was the first to disprove my theory that the two didn’t mix. At first, being with him was a lot of fun. I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and he seemed to want the same. That was until he started developing stalker tendencies.

In the beginning, he would show up unexpectedly at the restaurant while I was working. He and his crew would hang out for hours and be obnoxiously loud, much to my complete and utter embarrassment. Several times my dad or Drew had to make them leave. Travis also had a sweet side. He wrote little poems for me that he would leave on my car or taped to my front door. While I wasn’t a girl who appreciated poems I still thought it was cute until I started finding the poems inside my apartment, obviously left there when I wasn’t home. I’d find them on my nightstand, inside the refrigerator, and I even found erotic poems in my underwear drawer. He’d also started a routine of showing up at my front door usually around three in the morning wanting to do exactly what he’d described in his notes, every night. At first all of these things, while a bit extreme, made me feel oddly special, but the sweetness quickly evaporated and was replaced with feelings of creepiness. Little notes in my underwear drawer? Creepy shit, indeed.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said to Tayia, but it was too late.

“Jonna?” Travis called out as soon as he spotted us.

“Get away, Travis. I have a restraining order against you.” I did my best to sidestep his approach and maneuver around him.

“You know it’s impossible to enforce that thing. We live on a tiny island. Plus I hang out here, and I’m not going to leave because you freaked out over a few notes. You know I would never hurt you.” He added that last sentence in a low voice meant to sound sexy, but all it did was make my skin crawl.

“Yeah, but being loved to death isn’t appealing either,” I mumbled under my breath. “Listen, I’m just going to end this conversation and go.” When I stepped to his left, Travis grabbed my hand, and I tried to tug it out of his grasp.

“Let me go!” I warned.

“I just want to talk to you.”

“No.” I yanked my arm a lot harder this time.

“What’s the problem?” I heard Mack’s voice out of nowhere, and then he stepped right between Travis and me. “Is he bothering you, Jonna?”

Travis instantly let go of my hand and shook his head. “No, everything’s good here, man.” He raised both hands and backed away a few steps. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. I hadn’t realized that Tayia was standing beside me until I nearly bumped into her as I tried to turn away. Mack stared at me for a moment before his eyes turned cold as he shifted them back to Travis.

“I thought you wanted to race for the number ten spot? I ain’t got all night.” Mack’s voice sounded tight as the muscles in his jaw twitched.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m here to race. I’ll go get ready,” Travis answered quickly as he tried to cover up his nervousness with a grin, then walked off without looking at me.

“Are you okay?” Mack’s face softened a little as he turned back to me. I nodded just as Tayia wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.

“I’ll just be over here,” she said and turned back to a group of our friends, all of whom were casting curious glances our way.

“What did he want?” I turned my attention back to Mack.

“Me.” I shrugged and lowered my eyes. There was only silence for a several moments, and when I lifted my gaze the impatient look Mack gave me said he was waiting for me to say more. So I told him about the notes, the stalking, and the restraining order. I didn’t know how he would react to my story, but I certainly didn’t expect him to throw his head back and howl with laughter.

“Wait a minute, you dated Cool Guy Frye and he turned into a fuckin’ stalker?”

“Cool Guy Frye?” I asked, but Mack’s laughter was so contagious that my words came out in a giggle.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone’s been calling him. A rich boy with a fancy car, but he ain’t got nothing for my list. He was on it for a week before he got knocked off. Then he wouldn’t stop whining about it so I came out here anyway to give his import another shot. He’s always running his mouth and bragging about all the chicks he pulls, and it’s annoying as fuck. But come to find out he’s been writing love poems and shit. Then putting them in underwear drawers?” His shoulders shook as the laughing subsided. Honestly, I really didn’t think it was as funny as he was making it seem. I mean I could see the humor in it now, but not when I was going through it.

“Well, I’m glad you’re amused.” I twisted my mouth at him and crossed my arms over my chest while I waited for him to collect himself. “It was very creepy, Mack.”

“I know, I get it but oh, that’s just too good.” He looked over in the direction Travis left and shook his head. “The fucker.” He swiped a hand across his eyes and inhaled a long breath as his expression sobered. “I’ve had a taste of you so I can’t blame him. If I were a different man, I’d stalk you, too.” Unsure how to take that comment, I scrunched up my face and looked away, although the idea of Mack King being hooked on me was slightly intriguing. But instead I asked him the question that had been bothering me all week.

“I guess being a different man is also the reason I didn’t get a call from you either?” As soon as the words left my mouth I felt like kicking myself. I had no idea how to be the girl who had casual sex with a guy like him. He stared at me but didn’t give much of a reaction.

“I was going to call.”

“When?”

He shrugged.

“You’re here on the island where you know I live, and I bet you never even thought about it once.” I took a step closer to him. “Admit it.” His eye twitched as he held my gaze, but his expression gave no indication of his thoughts.

“I was going to call, Jonna,” he repeated flatly. “I just had some things come up.” I wanted to ask what sort of things, but I felt like it was none of my business. I decided that it was probably time for me to leave before I said something else jump-offs aren’t supposed to say.

“Right, well it was cool running into you, but I guess you’re pretty busy with everything, so I’m just going to go.”

“No, don’t. I’ve been dying to do this for a week.” He pulled me into his arms and placed his lips on mine. It was a soft kiss with our lips hovering close together. His tongue touched my lower lip, and I opened my mouth and let out a sigh as his slipped inside. I rested my palms against his hard chest while he wrapped his arms tighter around me. Being in his embrace was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. It was as if he had the ability to wipe my mind completely clean of all rational thought, and I would give my next breath in order to remain this close to him forever.
Wait, forever?

When our mouths separated it took me several seconds to gather myself and remember that I was in full sight of curious eyes, but I didn’t care. I knew gossip would most likely get back to my brothers, and I didn’t care about that either.

“Hey. Look at me,” he said softly as he lifted my chin up. “That guy won’t bother you again. I promise you that.” The finality in his words and the serious look on his face made me believe him, so I nodded. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him. “Come on, girl. It’s time to race.”

I followed him to where a large crowd was gathered to start the race. Mack climbed up and stood in the flatbed of a pickup truck, and everyone huddled around him. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and began to read off names that would be pairing up, speaking in a way that commanded attention. I looked around at the group of faces as they listened attentively and nodded their heads. There were a total of three races scheduled.

“First up.” Mack glanced down at his sheet of paper. “The current number ten spot and the sentinel of the list, Jamie ‘Razor’ Risto, and his challenger, Travis ‘Cool Guy’ Frye.” There were snickers from the crowd, and I looked over to Travis, who didn’t look embarrassed at all; he simply nodded his head. He seemed to embrace the name that was given to him. I was also shocked to see Jamie Risto on the lineup, but he nodded confidently at Mack, and then glanced over at Travis.

“Alright, get your shit to the starting line then,” Mack called out, and then jumped down from the truck. He grabbed my hand again and walked us over to the race master and gave him instructions. Then he dialed a number on his phone and spoke to a guy who was posted at the finish line. I picked up from the conversation that his job was to pay attention and choose the race winner. Then he made more calls to each of his security guards who were set up at both entrances of the secluded road in order to look out for cops or unsuspecting motorists heading our way.

I did my best to ignore several pairs of eyes on us as we made our way through the crowd. I knew they were all wondering who the hell I was and why I was walking around with Mack’s hand in mine. Hell, I would have been wondering the same thing. I’d seen Mack here with other girls occasionally, but never the same ones from what I could tell, but then again they were never where my attention was focused.

After he’d made his rounds we moved to stand on the side of the road just in time for the race to start. The race master, a retired racer who went by the name Jungle Jim, walked to stand in front of each car, and then waved both drivers forward until their cars were perfectly even with the crack in the asphalt that served as the starting line. When he seemed satisfied with the position of each racer, he turned, walked four paces forward, then spun around and clicked his flashlight on. Both cars immediately peeled off.

The smell of burned rubber and exhaust fumes filled the air. It was clear that Jamie was the faster car because he gained the lead instantly while Travis struggled to keep his car straight, his front tires lifting off the ground while his car bounced up and down. However, the time it took for him to gain control of his car cost him big time. Jamie’s pass was flawless as he shot down the road with expert skill. Before he even made it to the end of the road, his crew was already celebrating. Mack gave no reaction other than to pull out his sheet of paper and scratch Travis’s name off the challenger column.

“Like I said, nothing to see there.” He winked at me, and I smiled back. I was just excited to be witnessing the action this close up with the king himself. The rest of the races followed suit. Feeling pumped up from his win, Jamie immediately called out the number nine spot and won that race also, pushing a racer named Nitro from number nine to number ten, thus making him the new sentinel of the list, meaning that is was his job to protect the lineup. If a new racer wanted on the list, they had to at least be faster than Nitro, which was a tough thing for most newbies to accomplish. Jamie was the only one this year to make it.

I looked around at the crowd of people, observing the way several race crews were moving with efficiency as they prepared their equipment for competition, and the way everyone seemed to respect Mack. His rules were law here. All racers had to wear helmets and race jackets. He also required that all vehicles be equipped with a rollover bar.

He also carefully vetted his racers. They all had to have experience and skill on the road, not just be able to get their car down the street the fastest. It was one of the reasons his racers could claim to be the best in the Carolinas. A smile formed on my lips as I watched the activity a little while longer, and when I looked up, Mack was staring back at me with the corner of his mouth turned up in amusement.

“What?” I asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

“Nothin’.” He shook his head and slowly looked away. “But I need to talk to you later.”

“About?”

He didn’t answer, but his devilish grin made my insides flip with anticipation.

****

“That’s it. Fuck, that’s so good.” Mack groaned as I rolled my hips forward, increasing my pace. His hands grabbed on to either side of my waist, and he moved me up and down on him. Even as wet as I was, his girth was so large that it was difficult to take all of him without feeling stretched to my limits. He was touching every part of me, and it felt amazing.

He pushed up my shirt and pulled the cups of my bra away from my breasts, then swirled his tongue over each tight nipple. I threw my head back and moaned. I didn’t care if anyone could hear us. Most of the crowd was gone, and Mack had pulled me into the front seat of a pickup truck he said belonged to him so that we could
“talk.”
The windows were heavily tinted, but we’d fogged up the glass so much that tint wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

“You have gorgeous tits,” Mack murmured as he pinched a nipple between his teeth causing me to cry out.

“Mack,” I gasped.

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to come.”

“Yeah, come for me, Firefly.”

“Mack,” I moaned just as the sensation was reaching its peak. He pushed upward as deep as he could go while he pulled my hips down onto him, and I fell over the edge. I bucked wildly and rested my palms on the roof of the truck for support. Mack’s thumb rubbed circles on my clit, prolonging my orgasm. He pulled my mouth to his and plunged his tongue inside. Soon I was climbing my way to another climax. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my body move the way it wanted to. His lips were at my ear, his words hoarse as he spoke.

“Ah, Jonna. You’re close. I can feel how fucking wet you are for me. I love the way you respond when I touch you. Don’t hold back. Let me have it.” His panting increased, and I watched the cords of his neck strain as he held his breath. “Let go,” he commanded, and I did. My body exploded around him as our eyes locked. His lids fluttered closed briefly, as I felt him swell and pulse with his own release. He covered my mouth with his as we rocked together, riding out the sensations.

When our breathing returned to normal, I lifted myself off him and slid over to the passenger’s seat. I slipped my panties back on and struggled to pull my tight jeans back up, which was difficult in such a cramped space. Mack was also fixing himself and taking care of the condom. I flipped down the visor and tried to fix my wild hair. I rubbed a thumb under my eye to remove the smudged mascara. There was an awkward silence, or maybe it just felt that way to me. So I decided to lighten the mood.

“So, how much was that worth?”

“What?” Mack replied, clearly confused.

“You said I owed you about fifteen grand. I was just trying to check my balance.” I giggled, very pleased with myself for playing it cool, except, my words only seemed to make Mack angry.

“Don’t ever say that again.” His tone was low but clear. It was my turn to be confused.

“What? But I thought you said—”

“I know what I said,” he interrupted me. “It’s just when you say it like that, it sounds like I meant something else. Something you don’t deserve.”

“Mack, I’m sorry. I didn’t . . . I just don’t know how to do this the way you want.” I looked down and chewed on my lip.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what I want half the time.” He shook his head and looked away.

“Is this because of my brother?” I had to ask the question because I couldn’t help feeling like maybe things would be different between us if this weren’t an issue.

“No.” He rubbed a hand over his face before looking over at me. “Listen, I’ve got a lot going on right now. Shit that I don’t need to get other people involved in. Especially you, Jonna. You’re different. You damn sure deserve so much better than me.”

“Mack . . .” I started to speak, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. He swiped a thumb over the screen and put it to his ear.

“Yeah,” he barked, then turned his face to the window. He listened intently for a full minute before he spoke in a low tone. “I don’t care. No more excuses. Handle it, or get handled.” When Mack ended the call he never looked my way. He cranked up the truck and put it into drive.

“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.” I wasn’t in the mood to go home, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know where I lived anyway, so I gave him directions to Tayia’s house. I really needed to talk to her. She’d already gone home a while ago, but I knew she would be awake. The entire way to her house, Mack and I drove in silence. I couldn’t stop my mind from going over our conversation. I felt so out of my element and didn’t know what to do.

Handle it or get handled.

What did that mean? I had a feeling that Mack was into things way out of my comfort zone, and that getting mixed up with him was something I should avoid at all costs. Except all I could think about was how he told me I was different. How was I different to him? And why did the very idea of it make my heart speed up with giddiness? Something was seriously wrong with me.

Just as we pulled up to Blake and Tayia’s, Mack’s phone rang again. I placed my hand on the door handle of the truck as I waited to see what he would do. Of course, he answered it in his usual abrupt and slightly annoyed tone. I glanced in his direction, but he was staring straight ahead, so I pushed open the door handle and hopped down. When I turned Mack was looking at me, this time with the phone to his ear, but not speaking. It felt like he wanted to say something to me, but either couldn’t or wouldn’t. Or maybe it was me who wanted him to speak. He started talking into the phone, and it was clear that the moment passed. So I closed the door and started up the walk to the house, and I heard him drive away. He didn’t even wait until I’d safely made it inside. My heart sank as I listened to his engine fading in the distance.

I’d sent Tayia a text earlier letting her know that I was coming over, but she never responded. I hoped that she was awake to let me in; otherwise I had no idea what I would do. I couldn’t call my parents or my brothers. I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with them right now so I knocked on the door and waited.

Nothing.

I knocked a second time, a little louder, and waited.

Still nothing.

I rang the doorbell quickly as a last resort. Finally, I heard noises on the other side. Then the door swung open to reveal a shirtless Blake glaring down at me while Tayia peeked around him.

“Jonna?” Tayia called out. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She stepped forward and nudged Blake to the side, however he looked like he didn’t really want to move or let me in. I’d always gotten along with Blake, which was why his actions surprised me.

Once inside, Tayia and I went up to her room and I filled her in on my night with Mack. I’d never been so unsure about anything in my life. The one thing I did know was that I’d connected with Mack in a way physically that I never had with anyone else. The rest of it was completely foreign. I had no idea what sort of things he was involved in, but I knew they weren’t good. Here I was, a girl who could throw attitude with the best of them and had no qualms about going after what I wanted, yet when it came to Mack King, I was at a loss. I’d never experienced anything like this before, and suddenly I felt nineteen. And Tayia, just like me, had no idea what to make of this situation either, so instead we watched a movie until we both fell asleep.