Page 4 of Driving Force

We head inside when Ryan finishes taking pictures and signing autographs with those waiting outside the divers meeting building. Brad follows Ryan toward the front of the room while Grace and I stay toward the back.

With NASCAR being a new sport to me—yes, I live under a rock, I know. Just because I live in North Carolina, the racing capital of the southeast, I’m told, doesn’t mean everyone watches it— I pay close attention to what is being said about today’s race and what is expected of all the drivers and crew members, so I’ll have something to talk about with my friends and their boyfriends once the race starts later.

My mind drifts to Chase. He came along with James to be my spontaneous plus one. Finding Ryan’s gaze on me sends butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I may never understand how I have not one but two gorgeous men wanting my attention on the same day, but as weird as it is, it makes me feel great about myself. I give myself a mental high five. With the drivers’ meeting finally over, I tell Grace I’m going to meet up with everyone else and that I’ll see her later. Giving her a hug goodbye, I head out to meet the others, looking forward to the beer that Miles promised me. This morning has me kind of off with the looks that I got as we walked around with Ryan, the extra attention is a little jarring, but also, I gotta say I enjoyed it. Plus, the guys are going to be jealous that I got to go to the driver’s meeting because it was a big deal, and only certain people are allowed in.

As I head toward the stands to meet up with the group, I’m texting Mia to let her know I’m on the way. When rounding the corner and leaving the garage area, I slam into what feels like a brick wall. Stumbling back, a strong arm comes around my back. I brace myself for a fall that doesn’t come, thanks to that pair of strong arms. Looking up, I see Ryan standing with me in his arms.

“I am so, so sorry, Ryan. I guess that’s what I get for texting and walking. I can barely walk on flat land without falling.” Laughing, I grip his ripped biceps, trying to get my feet under me.

He chuckles as I ramble on. “Well, I’m glad you slammed into me then and not some other driver,” he says in a low, sexy voice. Is he flirting with me? Was he actually interested in what I had to say earlier?

“Thank you again for letting me tag along today. I’m sure Grace is really enjoying getting to see all this behind-the-scenes stuff.”

Standing straight once again, I turn to walk away. Grabbing hold of my elbow to stop me in my tracks. I look up into those beautiful eyes; anyone would be lucky to get lost in. He asks the simplest question: “Tinley, let me take you to dinner.”

I’m sure shock is all over my face. He gives me a smile that I can only assume works on all of humanity, making me blush. Tilting my head and crossing my arms so that he thinks I’m at least considering turning him down—I mean, come on, I wasn’t, but I can make him sweat a little. Finally, I say, “Umm, why me?”

“Well, to be honest, you intrigue me. You don’t seem to care who I am, what I do for a living, or even what I can bring to the table with my paycheck. I like that you call me out. If I might act cocky, I’m just intrigued. Give me one date. Let me show you I’m not a guy just looking for a girl on his arm or this famous driver who has a massive ego.”

Has he ever had to work for a date? I wonder, laughing to myself, and when I look up, he’s hanging on my answer, just waiting. “Okay, one date,” I say, coming back from what felt like an out-of-body experience.

Curvy girls don’t get the head turns like others, and I learned a long time ago that I’m okay with being in the background, but it’s starting to feel nice to have eyes on me, and I’m embracing the attention more as the day has gone on. But this beautiful specimen of a man has really thrown me.

“Okay.”

“Hand me your phone,” he says.

I smile as we exchange numbers and wish him good luck on the track today.

Turning to walk away, he stops me again. Glancing up, I can tell he wants to say something else but instantly becomes nervous. Me – Tinley, the bookworm, made this famous NASCAR driver nervous.

“Did you need something else, Ryan?” I finally ask, standing by the haulers with my back resting against it. We stare at one another as crew members rush by, preparing for the race day.

“I just want to do one more thing before you leave, Tinley,” he quietly says, bracing his hands on either side of me against the hauler.

Then he kisses me. It isn’t just some friendly goodbye kiss—this is an earth-shattering never want to come back from heaven kiss that happens once in a lifetime. I feel my body heat as I press against him, instantly knowing he feels the same. If we don’t stop, we’re going to be on the front page of every tabloid magazine and internet article with this impromptu make-out session because it could turn even hotter quickly if I don’t back away. Coming up for air, I look up at him with the biggest smile.

“Enjoy the race today, Tinley. I’ll call you later about what time to pick you up for our date.” He smirks.

With a final peck on the cheek, he turns and walks toward his hauler, leaving me standing there with butterflies in my stomach. Wow, talk about a turn of events. Things might just be starting to look up for ole Tinley.

Spinning around on my sparkly chucks, I make my way to the stands to find my friends. The track is loud, and as I get closer to my seat, people are dancing around, and beer cans already litter the stands. It’s early in the day, but I can already tell that NASCAR is a party from the time you wake up. You either watch the race or pass out, but it’s a fun environment. I can’t help smiling, but I need to get it under control, or I will have to answer a million and one questions from my friends the moment I see them. Unless Grace has already texted the girls to tell them, which is very likely, she knows that some things are kept between us.

As I find my seat, my eyes connect with Chase’s, and a smile comes to his face. He’s sitting with our group, laughing and making jokes with the guys, and the girls seem to have embraced him too. A pang of guilt comes over me that I just kissed Ryan, yet here is Chase, excited to get to know me. But now that Ryan has come into my vision, I’m not sure that I can see myself falling for Chase. He may have landed himself in the friend zone before he even got a chance.

“Hey,” Chase says. “Did you enjoy the tour? It must have been pretty interesting to get an up close and personal look at what happens behind the curtain.”

“Yeah, it was neat, even if I have no clue what really happens at these things.” I can’t help but laugh.

“Honestly, it’s easy to understand. I promise it’s straightforward. If you have any questions, I’ll be glad to help,” Chase says with a smirk.

“Thanks. Hey, any chance the boys haven’t drank all the beer yet? Miles promised me one, and I could use it. As you can tell, I’m out of my element.”

“Of course, I made sure to save you a few, and I meant to tell you earlier you look beautiful.”

Blushing a little, I can’t help but stare into his eyes for a beat. How did I get myself into this position with two gorgeous men wanting my attention on the same day? Some girls would just say, “Hey, let’s test drive both and see what happens,” but I’m not that girl. The spark that I felt with Ryan is definitely something I want to explore and see if it actually is something. For once, I’m not going to sit back and be the quiet bookworm that everyone thinks I am. I’m going to grab life by the horns and have fun.

By the time I get back to my hauler, Brad and Grace meet me at the door. The minute I left the drivers’ meeting, I was on a mission to chase her down. I knew I would be met with questions when I got back, but I’m not prepared for the look Grace is giving me right now. She looks at me as if I’ve just done bodily harm to someone, and she is ready to go into damage control mode.

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