Page 41 of Speed Trap

“It’s what I would have done. I need my laptop and?—”

“Cutthroat.”

“Probably. Marketing is fun. Hawk, I’m sorry, we have to get you out of here. You need to?—”

“What did he mean about the track, Sunny?” Hawk’s knuckle lifted my chin.

I stopped fluttering about the desk, everything broken I had on it. “I’m banned. That’s the deal. My contract names you, specifically, but if I date or deal with any of his competition in a ‘less than a professional manner’ I’m banned from the circuit—” Breath lodged in my throat. “From the track, for life. That’s what fucking you cost me, but I did it anyway.” I glared at him, defiant.

It was so much easier to be angry than to feel the catastrophic level cataclysm opening beneath my feet. I swallowed hard and breathed out through my nose.

“Is that all,” Hawk asked, still holding my gaze. His thumb brushed over my cheek in a tender motion. “Damn, girl. I do love you.”

“You, too.” I hiccupped and tried to swallow that but the tremors started. “Help me, please. Grab my personal things. Forget the mug. And the cactus.”

“Why do you have a cactus? And why is it pink?” Hawk touched its tip gingerly and drew back fast.

“Because it was a big, spikeyfuck youto anyone who walked in here with a problem.” I gathered the broken remains of my career in my arms and carried them to my office door, surveying the room for the last time.

Things I hadn’t noticed before stood out at me. The dusty blinds, the carpet tattered at one end of the room. The chipped desk. Everything about Benson was a facade. It was a surprise he didn’t recognize the false smiles that surrounded him, or maybe he didn’t care.

“Let’s go, Sunny.” Hawk’s voice filled with distaste as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and drew me out of the office. “You don’t belong here.”

A week ago or even yesterday, those words might have hurt.

Today, they meant freedom.

The next weeks passed in a blur, but my ban wasn’t as painful as I’d expected. My personal clients appreciated the time I spent on their projects and began to recommend me. Hawk took my contract straight to his lawyer and sent a copy to his mentor’s legal team, assuring me they would find a loophole and use it.

I was glad of his company and my sister was relieved I wasn’t moping around the house anymore, or working myself stupid for a worse reason. Which left me time to spend with her.

“Are you sure you want to work in the kitchen today? Aren’t you still in the honeymoon period? The night shift probably runs into midnight with set up for the weekend, and I have a meeting so you’ll be closing up alone,” she warned me.

I smiled, the first genuine one since walking away from Benson. “It’s fine. I like to work. It makes me happy.” I shrugged, knowing how mad it sounded.

But surrounded by a mad keen driver and my equally determined sister and her charity, that wasn’t as silly as it sounded.

Honey kissed my cheek. “See you in a few hours then,” she called as she dashed down the stairs.

“Does she need a lift?”

“I gave her my car.”

Hawk raised an eyebrow. “Are you being serious?”

I grinned. “Yes. It looks amazing. Ryan and your team did an incredible job. Though they still won’t let me pay for it.”

“Never going to happen. Ryan’s a gentleman.”

“You definitely needed one on your team.”

“Damn straight. I can’t be perfect all the time.” Hawk struck a stoic pose at my breakfast table.

I rolled my eyes. “Give a girl a lift?”

“Always.” Hawk settled me on his lap and cupped the back of my head in his palm, angling me the way he wanted. His mouth grazed over mine in a possessive kiss that rippled all the way to my toes. “But if you have a few hours first…” His fingers trailed along the inside of my thigh tugging them apart.

I wiggled my ass against the hard ridge of his jeans. “I think we might be able to fulfill that.”

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