Surge: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 1) (37 page)

“We’ve got a lot to celebrate today, don’t we?” I asked.

She nodded, still half groggy from her climax and mine. “Mmm hmm.”

Just then, my dick twitched between my legs, hardening again. In a flash, I rolled over on top of Ava, spreading her legs and positioning myself between them once more.

“Well, then,” I began. “We better get started right away. Check out time is at noon.”

Ava giggled, wrapping her arms and legs around me.

“I already got us a late checkout.”

With my cock hard as stone, I slid it inside of her.

Ava gasped.

“Even better,” I growled. “Even better.”

AVA

Later that afternoon, Dyson and I returned to the racetrack.

Dieter wanted the team to get together one last time before the Formula One circuit resumed in Europe. Over the past few months, in spite of the ups and downs, I’d come to enjoy being around all of them. Theirs was a difficult business and one that required teamwork and precision at its highest level. I felt lucky to be part of it, even if only for a short period of time.

I didn’t know when, if ever, I’d see them again, so after we arrived, Dyson and I spent time mingling and talking to the crew. Things had been so hectic while the races were going on that I hadn’t gotten to know most of them nearly as well as I would’ve liked to. It was nice to change that, if only a little.

The afternoon turned into evening. One by one, the team members began to disperse. Before long only a small group of us remained. The team garage door was still open. While Dyson talked to Darren and Dieter, I leaned against it, looking out over the racetrack.

From behind, I heard footsteps approaching.

“You’re way better looking than Dr. Luca.”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Marco drawing close to me. I smiled at him and a couple of seconds later we hugged. After kissing me on the cheek, he leaned away.

“So are you going to come on the road with us? Back to Europe?”

The sunset at the far end of the racetrack, filling the interior of the garage with electric hues of red and orange. I hooded my eyes with my hand and looked at him.

“No, this isn’t the life for me. Everything I want is back home in Austin.”

Marco nodded for a moment and glanced in Dyson’s direction before turning back to look at me again. “Everything?”

I shrugged and shook my head. “Maybe you should ask him.”

“Or, maybe,” he began, stepping close to me and draping his arm across my shoulder. “Maybe I should mind my own business.”

I looked at him and smiled.

“So is this goodbye?” he asked. “It feels like goodbye to me. Doesn’t it feel that way to you?”

“A little, yeah.”

He pulled his arm off my shoulder and stepped back. “I think you’re good for him, Ava.”

Marco looked in Dyson’s direction and without facing me, continued, “I love him like a brother, and I know there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for me. When you’re with a driver, it’s never easy, but I can promise you—life will never be dull.”

After he finished his thought, Marco looked at me again.

“Well, I must be going,” he said. “We start testing again in Milan soon.”

Before he turned to walk away, we embraced one more time.

“Take care of yourself, Ava,” he began, winking at me. “Take care of him, too.”

I chuckled. “I’ll do my best. You take care of yourself, Marco. I mean it.”

Marco nodded, turned and disappeared through one of the open bay doors. Just then, my cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of my jeans.

Reaching inside, I pulled it out and answered.

“Ava?”

I immediately recognized the voice of Ed, the attorney for child protective services. I snapped to attention, completely focused on the next word out of his mouth.

“Yes? I mean, hello Ed. I mean… Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just a wreck.”

Ed’s reassuring laugh echoed through the phones receiver.

“It’s quite all right. Being anxious and excited is completely understandable. Can you talk?”

“Yes, of course!”

I exited the garage and walked out into the warm evening air.

“Well, I won’t keep you,” he began. “I just wanted to call and let you know that we were able to put things in motion faster than we’d hoped. The bottom line is that Mr. Philo has agreed to waive his parental rights. The only thing that remains is for you to handle a bit of paperwork on your end and finalize the adoption of your nephew.”

I spun in place, covering my mouth with my hand. A torrent of tears streamed down my cheeks out of nowhere. Emotion choked me and rendered me unable to speak. Between sobs of joy, I tried to thank him but nothing understandable came out of my mouth for at least ten seconds.

“Ava, I want to tell you how happy I am for not only you, but Simon as well.”

I did my best to wipe away the tears, but it became impossible to keep up. While Ed talked, I happened to glance in the garage and see Dyson looking straight at me.

“W-What d-do I do next?” I stammered.

Ed explained that I needed to return to Austin and pick up the finalized paperwork at the courthouse. Once it was completed, the adoption would sail through and before long, Simon would officially be my son.

“How soon can this happen?”

Ed paused for a moment. “Um, I can have the paperwork filed first thing in the morning. Is that soon enough?”

Ecstatic, I thanked him, and less than a minute later, I hung up. With the remnants of my tears still drying on my cheeks, I hurried back inside of the garage. Dyson saw me approaching and began to walk in my direction.

“Ava,” he began, walking up to me and wrapped his hands around my shoulders. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

I wasted no time and explained everything to him - that Simon would finally be my son. In that moment, as much as I wanted Dyson to be part of it as well, nothing was going to stand between me and the joy of adoption. Dyson smiled wide and swallowed me with a strong embrace. Afterward, we kissed for several seconds before he released me, and we turned to face Darren and Dieter.

“You guys!” he called to them, gesturing for the two of them to walk over. “Come quick!”

Since I was far too overcome with emotion, Dyson stepped in and did it for me, explaining everything to the two men.

He’d hardly finished when Dieter raised his hand towards us. “Did you say that the paperwork would be ready tomorrow morning?”

I nodded, finally swallowing down enough of the emotion I’d been experiencing to respond.

“Yes, that’s what I was told.”

Dieter clapped his hands together, rubbing them with a vigorous motion.

“That settles it,” he began, reaching inside of his suit coat for his cell phone. “You and Dyson can use my private jet. It will be ready for you within the hour.”

AVA

Dyson and I arrived home after a late-night flight from New York.

Not only had Dieter arranged for his private jet to fly us back, but when we arrived, a limousine awaited. The driver took Dyson and me to my apartment and informed us he had specific instructions to spend the night in the parking lot, if necessary.

We managed to sneak in undetected.

When the first hint of morning sunlight shined in my room, I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Dyson. Tiptoeing out of the room, I made my way towards Simon’s bedroom. Although it was a school day, I wanted him to be with me more than anything. However, my nephew hated to miss school for any reason.

I hoped this would be the exception to the rule.

After I entered, I walked across the room and sat down on the edge of his bed.

“Simon,” I began, reaching over and jostling him on the shoulder. “It’s time to get up.”

He whimpered and rolled around a bit before looking up at me through one half open eye.

“Aunt Ava?” he muttered. “When did you get here?”

I smiled, leaning over and hugging him close. Afterward, I sat up and looked down at him.

“Late last night.”

He reached towards his face and made tiny balls with his hands, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Simon, honey,” I began, reaching down and rubbing his chest. “You’re not going to be going to school today.”

It took a few seconds for my statement to register. Eventually, however, it did, and he frowned while he looked up at me.

“But, I have to,” he said. “I’ve got a perfect attendance record.”

I smiled down at him. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll talk to your teachers. I’m sure that after today, they’ll look the other way. You just have to trust me. Can you do that?”

His tiny face held an expression of uncertainty.

I smiled at him again. “Simon, you know that I love you more than anything in this world. I would never let anything happen to you, or your perfect attendance record.”

Without speaking, he nodded at me and returned my smile with one of his own.

“Okay,” I began, standing from his bed. “Even though you aren’t going to school, you need to get up and get ready.”

“Why? Where are we going?”

Channeling Dyson, I winked at him. “You’ll see.”

Shortly after, I left Simon’s room and called the school to speak to Mrs. Marberry. I told her what was happening. She couldn’t have been more understanding, not to mention thrilled.

Of course, I mentioned Simon’s concern about his unblemished attendance. She informed me that for some strange reason, Simon’s attendance records seemed to be missing that morning. She wasn’t expecting them to show up again until the following day, and to the best of her knowledge, she wasn’t expecting to mark him absent.

After having a good laugh with her, I thanked Mrs. Marberry for everything, promising her the proof of adoption she needed to keep Simon enrolled at the school. Mrs. Marberry congratulated me and promised Simon would have his place there next fall.

By midmorning, Dyson, Simon, Jillian and I arrived at the courthouse. Overnight, Ed had texted me with instructions to meet him when we got there.

It’s a strange thing when a person’s voice doesn’t match their appearance. When speaking to Ed over the phone, my mind conjured images of a narrow-shouldered man with wire framed glasses and a receding hairline. However, when we approached him after arriving, Jillian walked up behind me and whispered in my ear, “Is that him?”

The broad-shouldered man with a sharp, chiseled jaw line and dark, intense eyes waved at us. I glanced towards her.

“Looks like it.”

“Yum,” she purred.

I looked back at Jillian. “What about Dan?”

“Who?” she joked.

Within seconds, the four of us walked up to him. He looked straight at me.

“You…” the man said, sticking his hand inside of his briefcase. “You must be Ava.”

I nodded and smiled at him. “Ed?”

“That’s me,” he said. Glancing past my shoulder, he continued, “It looks like you have some company.”

I turned in place and introduced all of them, leaving Simon for last.

“That has to be Simon,” Ed began, pointing at my nephew. “You’re a very lucky young man. Your Aunt Ava loves you very much. You know that, don’t you?”