Page 48 of Fast & Reckless
“I guess I wasn’t as ready to deal with it as I thought.”
“Who is it?” His voice sounded tight, angry.
Her voice was still shaky, but she forced a small smile. “No way am I telling you, Hawley.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Are you sure you don’t want me to get your dad?”
“Absolutely sure. I have to find Harry and—”
“Bullshit. You’re going back to the Lennox offices and you’re going to get something to drink and you’re going to sit down in the air con.”
“God, you’re bossy.”
He put the back of his hand on her forehead and examined her face again, as though a panic attack might’ve caused a spontaneous concussion. “Right now I am. There’s no way you’re heading back into that crowd when you nearly passed out a minute ago. Come on, I’ll walk you back.”
Gently, she brushed his hand away from her face. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?” His eyes were as blue as the heat-baked sky behind him as he scowled at her. His thin blue Lennox polo shirt pulled taut across his shoulders and biceps. A few dark strands of his hair stuck to his forehead, and she clenched her hands against the impulse to brush them away.
“Because I yelled at you the last time I saw you. I’m sorry.”
He dropped his eyes to the tarmac and caught his lower lip in his teeth. “You were defending your boundaries. Don’t ever apologize for that.”
She sighed. “Will—”
Abruptly, he lifted his head and she was looking straight into those eyes, fringed by black lashes. She blinked, unable to look away. “Look, Mira,” he said, brushing his fingertips along the side of her hand. “I like you. That’s no secret. And I can’t seem to stay away from you. I want you. I guess that’s no secret, either. I know you have your reasons to stay away from me, and I will respect them. But you should know that’s how I feel.”
Oh.
She could like him. She could like him so very much. But the last fifteen minutes had reminded her why she shouldn’t.Couldn’t.
“Thank you.” Those words felt entirely insufficient, but they were all she had to offer.
“I mean it.”
“Where are you coming from?” She was desperate to change the subject before her heart said something her brain didn’t approve of.
“I had a press event with Velocity. Heading over to suit up now.” Velocity was one of his sponsors, a huge sportswear company. Will had done an ad for them a year ago—a stark black-and-white photo featuring him in a pair of loose-fitting Velocity basketball shorts and nothing else—that had become a minor viral internet sensation even before the buzz of this season had started. Shemighthave it secretly bookmarked in her browser. “Lucky for you, I saw you just before you went down.”
“Lucky for me.” Her voice was far too weak, far too wistful for her liking. “You’d better go. Dad will want you there early.”
“Not without you.” Will stood and reached a hand down to her. “Come on. You need to get out of this sun.”
She took his hand, trying her best to ignore the warmth, the tingles, the desire to grab hold and not let go. He pulled her to her feet and she released him as soon as she was steady.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin, determined to sweep that pesky ghost of her past back into the dark, dusty corners of her memories where he belonged. And to keep this flesh and blood temptation from her present at a safe distance wherehebelonged. “Yes. I’m just fine.”
23
Suzuka, Japan
