Page 15 of Touch Me Not

Just the thought of anyone but him driving his car gave him hives. “That car is my baby, Lily. You said yourself, you haven’t driven a racer…”

“She’s a racer?” Lily burst out. “I didn’t see any modifications.”

Nikoli stopped breathing for a second. Before him now sat the sexiest woman he’d ever known, even dressed like a high school teenybopper. She knew cars, she knew racers, and her eyes lit up like Christmas when she talked about them.

“I removed them last year. She’s street legal now, but there are still a few modifications that aren’t noticeable at first glance. She’ll run faster than the average ’Cuda.”

“Maybe not drive, then,” Lily hedged. “Could you take me for a ride, show me flat out how fast she runs?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” He smiled, his own excitement shining through. He loved to drive fast, and he sensed a kindred spirit across from him. For the first time all night, the thought of being just friends crossed his mind. Then she shifted and her breasts bounced slightly, and that thought flew out the window. Nope, sex, and then maybe just friends. Or friends who have sex a lot? He’d never done the whole friends with benefits thing before. Hell, he’d never done the female friend thing in his entire life.

Lily was gentle and shy at a deep level, and an enigma. She had the courage to stand up to him but blushed and looked down at the smallest compliment. Her innate submissive tendencies were calling to all sorts of his own dominant ones, including some serious protective urges. Very few women had ever struck that chord in him, and Lily was the only one he’d ever contemplated keeping. He frowned. When had he started to think about keeping her?

His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. Luther wanted to know how the date was going. He made a face at the phone, well aware his friend couldn’t see it, but it made Lily chuckle.

“So, you race cars?” Lily asked, pulling his attention back to her.

He nodded. “Yeah. Luther and I got into it when we were seventeen. Been racing since. We do a lot of rally races, as well as a few underground ones.”

“Underground? Can’t you get into a lot of trouble for that if you get caught?”

“That’s the point, Lily Bells. It’s all about the risk you take.”

“You do seem like a risk-taker,” she said, her smile infectious.

“You have no idea.” He winked at her and leaned back, letting his leg touch hers. She immediately scooted over. He frowned at the movement, and she glanced away before a look of relief crossed her face.

“Food’s here,” she murmured as Joe and a server came over.

“Here we go.” Joe beamed at them as he set Lily’s plate down. Nikoli chuckled at Joe’s obvious attempt to impress Lily. He never brought food out himself.

“Thank you.” Lily smiled shyly up at him. “It looks wonderful.”

“Only the best for Nikoli and his lady,” Joe said. “You let me know if you need anything at all, beautiful lady.”

“Go on back to the kitchen.” Nikoli gave him a good-natured shove as best he could from where he sat. “You’ll end up stealing her before I even have a chance.”

Joe turned to face him, and the censure in his eyes made Nikoli very uncomfortable. Joe was well aware of his one-night stands and other peculiarities when it came to sex. The two of them ran in the same circles. It was how he’d met Joe.

“Be careful with her,” Joe warned. “Slow, my friend, and you’ll keep her. She’s worth keeping.”

Nikoli nodded his understanding, aware Lily took an entirely different meaning from that statement. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“If you don’t, I might,” Joe warned him.

Nikoli bristled and actually stood up.

“Just warning you, friend to friend.” Joe may have said it with a smile, but the warning was clear. The man was only twenty-six and handsome. If he wanted to charm Lily, he could, Nikoli realized. He didn’t like the thought of Joe with Lily, not one little bit.

“Stay the hell away from her, Joe,” he growled. A wave of rage he didn’t quite understand hit him hard. “She’s mine.”

“Uh, girl sitting right here,” Lily piped up, “and I don’t belong to anyone except myself.”

“Things change, Lily.” Nikoli’s voice went cold, and Joe finally got the message. He backed off and left them alone. Nikoli refused to let Joe anywhere near her, especially knowing what he did about him. If that meant Nikoli letting Joe believe Lily belonged to him, then that was what he’d do.

“Care to explain that?” Lily asked once Joe had left.

“Joe’s worse than I am,” he said after a minute. “I wanted to make sure he left you alone.”

---