Page 75 of Full Throttle

“There will be four Lockwood cars on that track come race day. Jordan and I will have your back. We couldn’t let our favorite James go into battle without us,” Chris stated firmly. She ran over and hugged each and every one of them.Lockwood Racing.They were her family.

“C’mon, girl, check this baby out!” Cyrus said. “You designed one helluva car, and we made sure to build it exactly to your specifications.”

Colby had experienced absolutely every emotion imaginable in the last few hours. She couldn’t understand how she was able to go from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs in such a short period.

Like a giddy child, Colby almost skipped over to her car. Slowly, she walked around it, caressing the cold metal and admiring all the sponsor decals. “Wow. How were you able to get all of these sponsors in the past couple of weeks?”

Brian pointed to Liam. “The man can be very persuasive when he believes in something or someone.”

“I told you.” Liam stared lovingly into her eyes. “I have faith.”

Colby held his gaze before coming to stand face-to-face. She stood up on tiptoes in front of everyone and kissed him.

It was a slow, passionate, and soul-stirring kiss.

At the sound of Cyrus clearing his throat, they slowly pulled apart.

“I thought you wanted to keep us a secret?” Liam asked.

“If you can take a chance, then so can I,” Colby said softly.

“I know it’s a big ask, but I hope you can bury the vengeance and use this car, this moment, to build on what I know will be an incredible future.”

Colby couldn’t respond. Her hatred for Lorene had been a part of her for so long that she wasn’t sure she could let it go. The emotion in Liam’s eyes almost made her believe that she could.Almost.

“Okay, okay . . . can we hurry up with all the mushy shit?” Gonzo had a twinkle in his eyes.

“You knew about this?” Colby asked.

“Yep. We all did. So, I wasn’t going to let you punk out. We can discuss all of that later. Right now, we have the track for another thirty minutes. So, Ms. James, I need you to suit up and take the old girl out for a spin.”

Chapter 27

Colby’s day had been a God awful, hot mess, but her night ended magically. Liam made sure of it, and she couldn’t have been more grateful.

She held his hand as they walked back to her room.

As much as Liam wanted to come inside, he was fully prepared to leave Colby at her door. He put his hands in his front pockets to keep from touching her. It had been a long time, and he missed Colby like crazy. But he wasn’t a selfish bastard. Instead of thinking about his needs, Liam put Colby’s first. He leaned in and touched his forehead to hers. After another few moments, Colby turned and opened the door to her room. She started to walk inside, then looked back over her shoulder and grinned cheekily. “Are you coming?”

His eyes darkened. “I would like nothing more. But I’m going to put your needs above my own.”

Colby reached for him. “What I need is you.”

Whatever little resolve Liam had, it left him the moment she uttered those words. He didn’t waste another second before crossing the threshold.

Liam pulled Colby close and cradled her face in his hands. He brushed his lips across hers before fully capturing her mouth with his. This kiss was filled with so much more than just passion. Liam couldn’t pinpoint the moment, the minute, nor the hour, but sometime over the past couple of weeks, he had fallen madly in love with Colby James.

He pulled back slightly. Colby opened her eyes and looked into Liam’s to see what was wrong. He held her gaze and whispered, “I need to go get a condom.”

Colby placed her hands over his. “I-I’m on the pill and healthy. You?”

Liam hadn’t been with a woman without protection his entire adult life. “Same.”

“Then you don’t need it, unless—”

Liam swept Colby up into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

This night was special, and he wanted to cherish every moment. It would be the first time he made love.

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