Page 7 of Speed Trap

Sunny faced me, her eyebrows raised. She pushed one hand through her blonde hair, rumpling the curls that seemed set in place, each one in an exact position. A handful of notes were clutched beneath her elbow as she exuded an untouchable brand of defiance my way.

Damn good thing I had a habit of breaking things that weren’t mine to take in the first place. I wanted to run my hands through those curls and mess them the fuck up.

Paired with red swollen lips and mussed hair, she’d look hotter than hell with thatI’ve just been fuckedlook. Maybe I could pay out on that last part, too.

My cock hardened at the insta-fantasy. I swallowed, sliding my hands into my pockets in an attempt to adjust myself discreetly. Her gaze followed my action, those generous lips parting in a soft intake of breath as she drew her gaze back to meet mine. Her forehead creased a little.

I held her stare, trying to work her out. She had to know how damn good she looked. Right? Sunny Cooper presented an immaculate, coiffed facade I was certain she manicured every day, rising at two a.m. or not.

No one looked like that the moment they woke up, but a side of me wanted to see what shedidlook like before all the makeup went on each day, dozy eyed in a sheer night dress. Or no dress at all.

My new fantasy replaced the old one and I was back where I started. Uncomfortable, aroused and tongue-tied.

“Was there something you wanted, Hawk? I’m sure you have your own team to work with.” Her accent—what was that, Eastern Bloc, Siberian?—thickened as she threw on a haughty attitude.

It was sexy as hell, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

I grinned, back in a game I could play. One where I knew the rules, which ones I could bend, or break. “That attitude's not going to work on me, Princess.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Thedon't you have somewhere else to beact. I might have seen it a few times.”

“Did it work then?” She studied me, her eyes distant, but the corners of her lips curled.

Damn, she looked fine. I needed her on my team—for her skills, not as eye candy—but she’d be an asset either way.

“Hell, no it didn’t work. It never worked. You have to have a weakness for shit like that to let it get under your skin.”

“And you don’t have any of those, of course.”

“Sure I do.” I shrugged as her eyes widened. “Surprised? I work in an industry that’s highly competitive, and the majority of my day—hell, my week, is a mental game. We’ve been prepping for a championship season that won't start for a few more weeks and I’ve been playing out that win and every drive every single day already. Working my ass off to stay in condition. I won’t be giving freebies away in the weakness department.”

“That’s fair.” She nodded.

“Yeah?” I was relieved to see she understood—really understood—every word I said. This was a woman whogotmy industry, not just a track bunny with fake tits ready to pop out of a bikini on command.

“Yeah.” She challenged me, the defiance flaring in her gaze anew. “That mind set is critical. Benson whines about it.” One side of her mouth quirked in a sardonic smile.

“I’m sure that’s not all he rants about.” I grinned, rocking back on my heels, taking her in, all of her. Sunny lived up to her name, full of the sort of energy that was addictive to everyone around her.

“Couldn’t be truer.” She looked down at her handful of notes. Curls tumbled forward to hide her face, shadowing the features I wanted to see.

I took a step into her space, hooked a finger through one curl and gave it a gentle tug. “Hey.”

Her head shot up at the contact, her eyes widening to search mine. “Hawk?—”

She started to take a step back, then seemed to realize I held a hostage and wasn’t likely to release it. Her gaze darted to pit lane and back to me, a flicker of fear present there I hated.

I wound the silky strand around my fingers drawing her closer. “Come work for me.”

“What?”

“Come work for me,” I repeated, my voice rough. “Drop Benson. He’s a dick on the best of days. I want you on my team, Sunny. What have I got to do to hunt you down?” I tucked her hair behind her ear, but I didn’t step back.

“I think you’ve hunted me down,” she said, her tone careful though her focus slid to pit lane again.

I didn’t miss the break in attention, but it did give me pause. “So…?”

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