Page 8 of Truck You

“Are you scared?” I tease.

“Not in the least.” He waggles his brows. “Few people can beat me in racing. Not even in bumper cars.”

“We’ll see about that.” I grin, put both hands on the wheel, and hold my foot over the peddle. Moments later, the buzzer signals the start and our cars come to life.

I quickly maneuver my car away from the pile of kids, who are all stuck in an endless circle of bumps and twists as they all turn the wheel too sharp in one direction. It takes Mac a moment to extract himself from the mess of kids as one after another bumps into him, knocking him back every time.

While he looks frustrated, I can’t help but laugh. I slow down slightly, giving him a chance to catch up. This won’t be fun unless we start on an even playing field.

“It took you long enough.” I glance over my shoulder and give him a playful grin. “Are you ready to get your ass handed to you by a girl?”

“You know I race professionally, right?” The slightest hint of guilt hits me at his statement. This would be a great time to tell him I race cars too, but I don’t.

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?”

“No, it’s just a fact.”

We come up on a turn, and I take it on the inside, effectively cutting him off as he tries to pass me. I look over my shoulder and smile. “Then why I am leading?”

He narrows his eyes at me and tries to hide the smile threatening to take over his face. We come up on a straight stretch, and he pulls up beside me. I knock my car into his, pushing him into the wall. He curses as I speed ahead of him and secure my lead around the next corner.

Before he catches up to me, three kids push their way in front of Mac, trapping him in the middle of their entanglement. He tries to move around them, but they keep knocking into each other, making it impossible for him to escape.

Meanwhile, I loop around the track, passing him with a teasing wave.

By the time the buzzer sounds, signifying the end of the race, I’ve passed Mac twice while he fought to get away from the group of kids. The kids continue to laugh and tease each other like their little pile-up was the most fun they’ve had all day. But Mac glowers as he climbs out of his car and stalks toward me.

I bite down on my bottom lip as I fight back the urge to laugh. He’s doing his best to act like he’s pissed, but I can tell it’s all for show.

We exit the gate just as a group of guys yell from across the track. “Hey, Mac! Way to lose to a girl.”

Mac flips them off, but a chuckle escapes him just as he reaches me.

I lift a brow. “Friends of yours?”

“You could say that.” He smirks. Then he tosses me over his shoulder, causing me to cry out in surprise.

“Mac! What are you doing?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” His large hand squeezes my thigh, and I can feel the heat of his skin through my jeans. My heart rate kicks into overdrive. My mouth runs dry, and I’m suddenly wondering what his hand would feel like if he moved it a little further up my leg. “You know, you’re really crushing my ego here, Red. You’ve beaten me twice now.”

“It’s not my fault. I’m better than you.”

He grabs me by the hips and slowly lowers me back down. My chest brushes against his as my feet meet the ground. Our eyes lock and I’m hit with the full force of his intense and heated gaze.

For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me. Instead, he takes my hand and leads me toward another ride. “Let’s see how you handle the Zipper.”

I eye the ominous rotating boom with individual rotating cages with reluctance. This is one of my least favorite rides and the last thing I want to do after the high I just got from beating Mac at bumper cars.

“Do we have to?” I ask, my voice low and hesitant.

Mac squeezes my hand and tugs me close to his side. “Not if you don’t want to.”

I shake my head. “Not a fan of rides that go upside down. I mean, I love a good thrill, but that one, not so much.”

He nods, and to my relief, he doesn’t push the point. “How about the Ferris Wheel instead?”

“The Ferris Wheel is perfect.”

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