Cockpit: A Second Chance Romance (25 page)

"What's wrong?"

"I can't."

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend."

I couldn't look at him as I knelt there. I started adjusting my bra and shirt. Jace said something under his breath that sounded like a curse.

"I don't."

He looked at me, a question in his eyes.

"Have a boyfriend."

"Then what's the matter?"

I took a deep breath and looked at him.

"I've never done this before."

He grinned at me cheekily.

"Fooled around on the beach?"

I shook my head.

"Fooled around period."

His eyebrows lifted.

"You haven't..."

I shook my head, knowing I was ruining it. He was going to think I was a freak. But I couldn't lie.

"I've never even been kissed."

He laughed and pounced on me, pressing me back into the sand as he lay on top of me.

"Shut the fuck up. You are messing with me."

Slowly I shook my head no.

He blinked, staring at me with a look of surprise. There was something too. He looked... kind of happy about it.

"Seriously?"

I nodded.

"Seriously."

He leaned down and kissed me softly. Then he helped me to my feet and pulled me into his arms again.

"That's okay. We don't have to rush."

I stared up at him, not sure what to say. Finally I just nodded, brushing my hair out of my face. Sand fell everywhere, breaking the tension.

We both laughed.

"Come on, let's find another ride to go on."

"Okay. There's one more thing..."

He tilted his
 
head to the side, waiting.

"I want to pay you for the car."

He blinked at me in the darkness. He had no idea what I was talking about.

"If you thought I was going to pay you like this..."

He laughed.

"How about this, I'll let you pay for the parts since they are my uncles anyway. The sweat is on me."

I exhaled sharply and nodded.

"That would be great. Thank you."

He grinned at me.

"I like the way your mind works though. You can pay me like this for whatever you want."

He grabbed my waist and pulled me back against him.

"Um Jace, that's the exact opposite of what I meant."

He brushed my hair away from my face. The way he was looking at me was hot... and tender.

"I know that, Francine Turner."

I gawked at him.

"How did you know my name?"

He grinned.

"Triple A, babe. That's where I meet all my women."

I laughed. He was ridiculous. I was either blushing or laughing around him non-stop.

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

He leaned in to kiss me as his phone went off.

"Now, where were we?"

We kissed for a moment, our lips and tongues dancing.

His phone beeped again.

"Aren't you going to get it?"

"Hell no."

I shoved his chest.

"Go on, it could be important."

He shrugged, pulling his phone out. It was important. I could tell by the way his eyes changed when he saw the text.

"What is it?"

"Flannery. He wants me to race."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah there's a big pot going. But I'm taking you home instead."

"No, let's go."

He looked at me with that crooked smile of his.

"You're sure?"

I nodded firmly.

"I want to see."

Chapter Eight

Jace

I waved at Frannie through the window of the car. She was perched on my bike with Flannery on the sidelines. Not too close though.

It wasn't safe.

Nothing about this was safe.

Having a girl I liked this much wait for me was new. One I wanted to keep safe. Driving with a raging hard on was also a first.

My dick was still fucking hard from the beach. Just looking at her over there made me get harder. At this point you could cut glass with my cock.

All because of one hot little virgin.

A VIRGIN.

What kind of crazy ass world was this that a gorgeous girl like that could get through like un-fucked?

Not that I was sorry about that.

I grinned to myself as I revved the engine. I was one thousand percent not sorry. It sucked that I couldn't take her home and fuck her till dawn, yes.

But that I would be the first?

That was infuckingcredible.

Maybe it was some caveman shit but the thought of being the first to take her all the way was intoxicating. Fuck, it was hot as hell! So what if it took a little extra time to get there?
 

Not too much time I hoped. A couple of days. I could wait a couple of days but that was it. A week, tops. After that my dick was going to turn to stone.

Or fall off.

I took another glance over at Frannie. Her long legs draped gracefully over my bike. Her posture was relaxed and she still put all the girls here to shame with that rack. Her pretty little face was all lips and eyes.

She looked like a God damn blow up doll.

And she was mine.

Without a doubt, I was going to have her. Not just that either.

I was keeping her.

I turned my head just in time to see the flag drop and I was off. All the built up aggression, all the heat that she'd stirred up, it all went straight out of my cock, down my legs and into the gas pedal.

Zoom zoom motherfuckers.

Frannie

It was chilly out here on the flats.

I wrapped my arms around me and smiled at Jace's uncle. He was handsome, like Jace, with the same green eyes and sturdy build. He had a leg that twisted inward that meant he needed a special car to drive that used his left foot and hands.

He was explaining all the things he did differently to me as we waited for the race to start.

"And of course, when I make love to a woman, there need to be adjustments made."

I couldn't help laughing. The man was incorrigible. He was as vocal as Jace was quiet.
 

"Because of your leg?"

"No, because of my
thir
d leg."

I slapped my hand over my mouth in surprised laughter.
 

"I walked right into that one didn't I?"

He nodded and pulled two beers from his cooler.
 

"Uh huh. You did. Let's see what else you can walk into."

He popped the top of the bottles and handed me one. I took a sip and closed my eyes. I wasn't much of a drinker but the cold beer tasted perfect on a hot summer night.

When I opened them again a girl was standing in front of me.

Not a girl, a woman.

She was looking me up and down with a sneer on her heavily made up face.
 

I realized I was doing the same thing to her, minus the sneering. Of course, she was hard not to look at. She looked like a model from a music video. Her jeans were skin tight and cut open on both sides, held together by black lace. The lace criss crossed up her long, thin legs ending in bows at her ankles.

Her ripped t-shirt was cropped, barely covering her breasts.

Actually you could see the bottom of her breasts.

She definitely was not wearing a bra.

For a moment I was totally intimidated by this spectacle. And then I realized how ridiculous she looked.

I mean, stiletto heels seemed a bit much for the local race track.

Everything about her was a bit much.

"Oh hey Shannon."

The girl tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder.

"I'm waiting for Jace."

My stomach did a little flip flop. Her... and Jace? How could I compete with that?

"He's busy tonight Shannon. But I am available."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. It would have been cute if I hadn't heard him say 'busy
tonight.'
The word literally echoed around my brain.

Tonight... tonight... tonight...

What did I expect though really? That he was a monk? I was the only freakishly inexperienced person in a hundred mile radius.

"With her?"

The blond's incredulity stung, and not just a little.

"You're a little chubby for him, doncha think?"

My mouth opened. I would have given a million dollars to have a good comeback line at that moment. Instead I just stared at her in horror. I felt it was fifth grade and I was Fat Frannie all over again.

But then I remember who I was. Like Nevada told me over and over again. I was Frantastic, darn it.

What a bitch.

The shot rang out suddenly and the noise of the cars drowned out whatever bile Shannon was spewing now. Thank God for small favors.

Very, very small favors.

I watched the race through blurry eyes. Flannery put his arm around me, which warmed me up a bit. It was also the only thing keeping me from getting up and leaving.

Not that I could walk home from here anyway.

But I was seriously thinking about trying.

I'd never been so humiliated in my entire life.

The race was almost over by the time I started paying attention to it. Jace was in the lead, neck and neck with another car. They banged against each other, sending my heart to my throat.

Even if he was just having fun with me, I didn't want to see him get killed.

Seconds later he screeched over the finish line, pulling ahead at the last moment.

The crowd went absolutely berserk.

I stayed in my seat, watching as Jace was swallowed up by a group of screaming fans. He waved at me as he was pushed toward the table set up with the money counters. He collected an envelope and grinned, holding it up in the air.

That's when Shannon kissed him.

She actually threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

Jace pushed her away just as fast. I saw him wipe his face off and say something to her angrily. He didn't like it I guess.

Maybe cheap blonds weren't his type after all.

He brushed past her, making a bee line for me.

"Congrats man."

He nodded at Flannery, shoving the prize money into his hand.

"I'll see you later. You can give me my half then."

"Yeah okay. Goodnight Frannie. Very nice to meet you."

I was numb as Jace pulled me off the bike, brushing the hair off my face.

"Are you mad?"

I shrugged. What could I say? It's not like we were together. Even if it felt like we were.

"I'm sorry about that. She's a little crazy."

He stared at me, his green eyes serious. I didn't say anything. It wasn't his fault that she'd thrown herself at him. But I didn't have to like it either.

"Listen. I'm here with you."

I sighed and nodded.

"Take me home please."

Chapter Nine

Jace

I parked my bike in front of Frannie's place and followed her to the front door. Damn if she didn't look good on my bike. My heart had turned over when I saw her there waiting for me before the race.

She'd been smiling at me, excited.

Fucking Shannon had to come along and fuck things up.

Frannie should have been mad at me. Instead she just looked tired. Smaller somehow.

Defeated.

Her eyes were impersonal as she looked up at me. I wanted to kiss her until she was happy again. Smiling.

And as turned on as I was.

Yes, even now my little soldier was ready to march.

"Can I come up?"

She stared at me, looking unsure.

"I'm kind of tired."

"I just don't want to end the night like this."

I waited, doing my best impersonation of a puppy dog.

She laughed finally and nodded.

My hands were practically itching by the time I was sitting on her couch. I wanted to touch her that badly. Fuck, I wanted to do a lot more than that!

Easy boy.

She handed me a glass of water and I drank it slowly, watching her over the rim. She was looking around the room, at her lap, the ceiling. Anywhere but at me.

I wasn't going to try and explain what a skank Shannon was. Or how I didn't like girls like that. I wasn't going to say a word.

I was going to show her.

I put the glass down and reached for her.
 
She melted into me as I yanked her against my chest. The feel of her breasts against me was enough to send me from zero to sixty in five seconds flat.

"Hmmmfff...."

I inhaled her lips and tongue. I felt like I couldn't get close enough, fast enough. She kissed me back so sweetly. Her hands were holding onto my shoulders for dear life.

I knew the fucking feeling.

"Lay back."

I didn't wait for her to obey. I took matters into my own hands. It was time to get horizontal.

Right now.

Yesterfuckingday.

I pulled her legs down and climbed on top of her, grinding into her softness. My hands found her tits and this time I wasted no time getting her shirt and bra out of the way. I feasted on her, my hands holding her tits in the best position for my mouth.

She whimpered and I smiled. It was the sexiest fucking sound I'd heard in my life.

And before tonight, she'd never made that sound.

Before tonight, no one had ever seen what I was seeing. Tasted what I was tasting. Touched her the way that I was...

It was fucking indescribable.

My dick lurched, feeling like it was going to poke a hole through her couch. Hell, it felt like it could break a hole in the God damn floor. I lifted my head, staring up at her.

"Bed. Now."

She nodded breathlessly and I stood, lifting her up and carrying her down the hallway. I kicked open her bedroom door and lowered her to the soft quilt that covered it. Then I stared down at her, breathing heavily.

"Take that off."

Her chest rose and fell with each breath as she did as I asked.

"Jeans too."

Her mouth opened in surprise but she reached for her jeans without hesitation. Good girl. My mouth literally started salivating at the sight of those white cotton panties. I could see her plump little lips through the thin fabric.
 

I growled, pulling my shirt off.