Page 57 of Octane

“Just give me one minute, please? Don’t leave.”

He nods his head, letting me know he’ll stay. Then I grab the ringing phone from the charger.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Are you at the hotel?”

“Yes, we checked in a little while ago. I called and left a voicemail.”

“You don’t have any plans tonight, right?”

“Just a team dinner, that’s all.”

“Call me when you get back to your room.”

“Okay.”

Then the line goes dead. I place my phone back on the nightstand, and suddenly, a wave of sadness comes over me. I drop my head in my hands and start to cry.

“Hey, what’s wrong? What did he say to you?”

Jackson picks my shirt up from the floor and hands it to me. Then he sits on the bed and rubs my back.

“Nothing, really. I just... I was so caught up a second ago.” I look at Jackson through my tears. “I felt so happy. For a moment, I forgot who I was, where I am, and the fact that I’m stuck.”

“You don’t have to be stuck, Sawyer. Let me help you. I can get you away from him. Even if I have to move out of the building and take you with me. I’ll do anything and everything in my power to get you out from underneath him.” Jackson places the palms of his hands together, begging me to let him help.

“That means so much to me, Jackson. But if I’m going to do it, I have to do it on my own.” I place one of my hands over his.

“Promise me you’ll do it. When we get back to California, you need to be firm. Stand your ground and leave his no-good, sorry ass in the dust.”

“I will, I promise.” I smile.

“Good. Then I promise to make you forget who you are every chance I get for the next few days.”

He cups my cheek in his hand and pulls me in for a kiss.

The promise on his lips and desire in his eyes sends another wave of pleasure to my core. I believe every word that he’s saying. I just hope that I can keep my promise to him as well. It’s easy to say you’ll do something when your problems are three thousand miles away.

* * *

Very shortly afterJackson and I were interrupted, Nate called his cell asking for details about dinner. As if on cue, Jackson heard the rumble in my stomach and told him to be in the lobby in fifteen minutes. Then he said he would see me soon and left my room.

We ended up at a steakhouse a short drive from the hotel. Everything was delicious, and we had a good time talking. Well, the guys mostly talked. I just chimed in here and there. They’ve been more accepting of me since the incident at the track the week before our first race.

As we wait for the check, Nate speaks up.

“So, Sawyer,” my eyes shoot to his. “It’s really none of my business, but what’s with that guy of yours?”

“Yeah, what a dick,” Tim adds.

I can’t mask the look of shock on my face. I’ve never spoken ill about Daniel to anyone else. In some way, this feels even more wrong than kissing Jackson.

Because kissing Jackson feelssoright.

“Um,” I don’t know what to say.

“We don’t need to talk about that,” Jackson speaks up.

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