Page 70 of Brick

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

Liv

The smell of freshly cut grass mingled with the thicker scents of motor oil and exhaust, and Liv held back a sneeze. The bright sun, the loud rumble of the engines filling her ears…everything about the race track assaulted her senses.

She surveyed the open space. Busy, huge, and raucous, Carol would have absolutely loved it.

Jonathan stepped up beside her, his deep voice drowning out the noise. “I’ve got our helmets. They also sell something called head socks. I grabbed those too.” He held a bright blue racing helmet in each hand, the fabric from his additional purchase stuck inside.

She accepted the headgear he offered, then threaded the fingers of her free hand with his. “You know where we’re going?”

His palm radiated warmth; his fingers, strong against hers. Tugging her gently, he led her to the starting line. About a half-dozen other racers already waited to begin. She swallowed against the rising butterflies in her stomach and climbed into her go-kart. They’d chosen the single-seaters, though a few people sat in karts for two.

He settled into the kart in front of her, then slid the fabric covering over his head, followed by his helmet. Lifting his arm in the air, he shot her a thumbs-up.

The heat beat against her as she donned her own headgear. The backs of her legs stuck to the seat. But she had no time to give much thought to any discomfort, because suddenly, Jonathan’s kart moved, and the guy who worked there beckoned her forward and through the aisle created by a plastic guardrail on one side and a wall of tires on the other.

Then she was moving. She couldn’t tell how fast she sped along the course, but she put her foot down hard on the pedal. The kart responded like a dream, zooming forward, beside Jonathan.

His head turned slightly, taking her in, then he gunned ahead of her, and tried to hug the inside of the track as he took a curve. It didn’t quite work. His kart skidded to the very edge, but somehow, he stayed on the pavement.

She eased off the accelerator long enough to take the turn, then darted back in front. Her heart raced, her grin so wide, her cheeks hurt. She wished she could feel the wind in her hair. The exhilaration pumped through her like a drug.

She finished a hair’s breadth ahead of Jonathan, the ten minutes on the track passing more like ten seconds. He lifted his visor, revealing the laughter in his eyes. “Rematch,” he growled, as they got into position again.

He beat her the second race. She won again in the third.

Why had she never done this before?

His face was flushed when he pulled his helmet off, then reached out his hand to help her out. “Holy shit. That rocked.”

The cool air against her damp skin when she removed the helmet was the only reminder of how hot she’d been. She could smile forever. Once clear of the track, she threw herself against him in a tackle hug. “I loved it.”

She felt more than heard his laughter as he indulged the embrace for a few seconds. “C’mon.” He pulled back and retook her hand. “I’m starving.”

Me too. I could eat you alive. Adrenaline fueled her jacked-up libido. Now, she wanted to climb him like a tree.

Two teenage boys streaked past them, howling like a pair of monkeys.

Okay, obviously this wasn’t the place. She followed his lead back to the truck, forcing herself to calm her breathing and take in their tree-lined surroundings.

A sub taught her fourth-period students at school right now. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d played hooky from work. Sure, she’d missed some days last year when she’d been sick, but she never blew off her classes.

When Jonathan called her last night, though, there was something in his voice she couldn’t refuse. Besides, she didn’t want to say no. He’d promised her a real date, a day with only the two of them—no distractions. A day out of time. And she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

He held open the door for her to climb in when they reached his truck, then he walked around the front before settling in behind the wheel.

“Not bad for a first date.” The corners of his lips tugged up at the word date. “No girl’s ever asked me to take her to Motorsports Park before.”

“Not what you expected, huh? You don’t mind, do you?” She searched for a sign he might be disappointed, but his expression gave no hint of displeasure.

If anything, his eyes twinkled. “Do I look like I mind, sweetheart?” He winked, and her worry melted away. “You like ribs?”

“Wha—? Uh, yeah. I like ribs.”

He nodded toward the sign for a barbeque place, and within minutes, they had their orders wrapped up and back with them on the road. Though she did like ribs, she opted for the BLT. Easier to eat in the car.

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