If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (20 page)

And what a face it was,
Tyler thought. Drew would be
the perfect poster boy. Sexy, gorgeous. He would have a huge following in no
time.

“Ty.”

Drew’s fingers flexed, tightening on her ass. Was he
supposed to think when she kissed him like that? She asked him questions. She
must be expecting cognizant answers.

“Hmm?”

“You know what you’re doing to me, don’t you?”

She shifted again until his legs opened, cradling her hips
even deeper. He was hard and ready. Just the way she wanted him.

“I have a pretty good idea.” Batting her sparkling
gray eyes, Tyler smiled. “Now, tell me about why you like to race in the
wind instead of going legit.”

“You really want to do this now?”

She nodded, bending for another kiss.

“No.”

He gently pushed her off, giving himself room to think
clearly. He wanted her too much. Right now, the blood in his body could either
flow to his cock or his brain — not both.

“Five minutes. Ask me anything. After that, your body
is mine. Nothing but moans and dirty talk. Got it?”

Tyler’s gaze drifted to the lovely bulge between Drew’s
legs.

“It can wait.” She wasn’t sure she could.

“You started this, Ty.”

“Fine.” Tyler sighed. “Tell me why you race
in the wind.”

“You did do your research. Do you know why they call it
that?”

“I couldn’t find the etymology. Is it because you feel
free when you don’t have rules to follow?”

“I love your brain, Ty.” And I love you. Too soon.
Don’t blow this by pushing her too far, too fast. Drew cleared his throat.

“The no rules is part of it. A big part. But the origin
comes from actually running from the law. Racing out here, away from
civilization, was too tame back in the day. They wanted the police to show up.
The longer someone could elude the cops, or be in the wind, the more of a
legend they became. There were no trophies, no money. It was all about
reputation.”

Fascinated, Tyler leaned closer.

“That’s changed, hasn’t it?”

“There are still street racers. I was never interested
in killing pedestrians so I’ve always avoided urban areas.”

“Tell me what you love about all this. Jack told me
you’d pretty much stopped until a few months ago.”

Jack had a big mouth. Though Drew had to admit, he was glad
Tyler was here. For the first time, he felt her moving towards him instead of
away. That might not have happened as quickly, or at all, if they weren’t
together now.

“I started racing back in college. I was so angry, Ty.
After leaving Harper Falls, I did three things. Worked, went to class, and got
into fights.”

“Drew.” Tyler picked up his right hand. She ran
her thumb over the knuckles, searching for some long-ago injury.

“I didn’t lose very often.”

Or at all. He had been a scary son of a bitch. Taking his
rage out on any jerk he came across. If he caught a guy pushing his girlfriend
around, Drew took him down. Pick on someone who couldn’t defend himself? He
stepped in. He would think of Regina, her cold cruelty, and he would beat the
shit out of any poor sucker who got in his way.

“Jack never mentioned any of that.”

“Jack never knew. I had it pretty well out of my system
before classes started. I met Jack that first week. There was only one fight
after that; my last.”

“What happened?” Tyler held her breath.

“I didn’t kill anybody, so you can relax. I did knock
out an innocent guy, though. I was at a dive bar, as usual. I was already sick
of fighting. Sick of my self-pity. I was calling it a night when I saw what
looked like a big guy beating on a much smaller one.”

Naturally, Drew couldn’t walk away from that. He clocked the
big guy. Knocked him on his ass. Then, when the police arrived thirty seconds
later, he found out the “little guy” had attacked a woman. The
“big guy” had stopped a rape and Drew had rewarded him with a fist in
the face.

“Were you arrested?”

“Nope. I deserved to be. Instead, I made a lifelong
friend.”

The man hadn’t pressed charges. He told the police Drew had
been helping him. That it was the rapist who knocked him down.

“He saw something in me, Ty. Recognized the rage. He’s
the one who introduced me to racing. I don’t know if it saved my life. It
probably kept me out of jail.”

“I’d like to meet him someday.”

“You already have.”

Tyler thought for a moment.

“You mean Tripper?”

“The one and only. He helped me get my first car
dirt-cheap. Showed me the ropes; watched my back. I stopped fighting and took
my aggressions out on the race course.”

“And you loved it.”

“I did.”

Drew had taken to the world of unsanctioned racing like a
duck to water. Early on, he couldn’t afford to travel very far. Tripper would let
him know when there was a race close enough to college to get there and back in
a weekend.

“And after you graduated?”

“There wasn’t much time for that. Jack and I spent
every waking moment on our computers or being bodyguards. Tripper and that
world became a thing of the past.”

“What made you start again?”

“Tripper showed up in Los Angeles. He looked like hell,
Ty. If you think he’s gaunt now, you should have seen him then. Six feet tall
and I doubt he weighed one-forty. He’d been sick, needed money. I would have
given him every spare dime I had. I just didn’t have any. We poured everything
we earned back into H&W. Jack and I were so close, Ty. Closer than we knew.
Three months later, we sold our first program. We were rich.”

“But Tripper needed the money right away,” Tyler
said. “Even if you had known what was about to happen, he couldn’t wait
three months.”

“He’d borrowed from loan sharks to pay his medical
bills. The money was due and some mean ass dudes were on his trail.”

“Jesus, Drew.” Unconsciously, Tyler squeezed his
hand — hard. “This is like something out of the movies.”

Drew peeled her hand off his. Tyler gave him a sheepish
grin, leaning over to lightly kiss the fingers she had almost crushed.

“Sorry, you develop a pretty strong grip as a sculptor.”

“If you ever get your hands on my dick, I’ll keep that
in mind.”

“
When
that happens, I’ll be just the right kind
of rough. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

Drew swallowed, then swallowed again. The blood he needed
for thinking was quickly traveling south again. Okay, time to move this story
along to its conclusion.

“Tripper needed money. He knew about a race just across
the Mexican border with a big purse.”

“You’re a good friend. An idiot, but a good
friend.”

“Hey, I kind of resent that.”

“The fact that you only
kind of
resent it speaks
volumes.”

“Fine,” Drew grumbled. “The point is, I
entered the race, won, paid off Tripper’s debt. End of story.”

Drew reached for her, his intent clear. Time for sex. Tyler
swatted his hands away.

“Oh, no you don’t. You can’t leave it there. Why are
you still racing? If you still feel the need to take care of Tripper, money is
no longer a problem.”

“Can’t you let it go? I’ve already decided this is my
last race. I’m hanging it up, heading for the stables.”

“Save the clichés, Drew. I’m thrilled, ecstatic, over
the moon.”

“Good, then come here.”

Tyler put a hand on his chest, keeping solid foot between
them.

“Finish the story, Drew.”

“Jesus, Ty.” Drew ran a frustrated hand through
his hair. “Fine. You want to hear it all? I thought it would keep me
young.”

“Vanity?” Tyler thought for a moment she had to
have misheard. “You risked serious injury or worse. Because you were what?
Staring your twenty-fifth birthday in the eye?”

“H&W was taking off. It was grown-up time, Ty.
Racing was my way of putting my responsibilities behind me for a few
days.”

“And Jack? What would he do if you broke your
neck?”

“Jack is the most stable, together person I’ve ever
known. He was going to be fine before he met me; he’d be fine if I disappeared tomorrow.”

This time she knew she heard him, she just couldn’t believe
what was coming out of his mouth. Unable to stay still, she hopped off the car
and began to pace. She didn’t have much room, only taking a few steps before
she had to turn and walk the other way.

“Tyler. Why are you so angry? You didn’t know what was
happening.”

“So if you had died, I wouldn’t have cared? Is that
what you’re saying?”

“I don’t know. Would it have mattered?”

Tyler went from hot to cold in an instant.

“Of all the horrible things you’ve said to me, that is
the worst. By far.”

And he knew it. Drew quickly slid off the car gathering her
close. Tyler didn’t fight, he wished she would. Her body was stiff, her face
turned away.

“I’m sorry, Ty.” Drew tightened his arms around
her. “I said it without thinking. I didn’t mean it.”

“I’ve never wanted you dead. Not at my lowest
point.” She softened — just a little.

“You did want to punch me.”

“I dreamt about it.” She smiled. Then frowned.
“Never anything serious, Drew. I’m glad I didn’t know about all this. I
would have worried.”

“And that would have pissed you off.”

“Yes, because I wouldn’t have wanted to care. I told
myself often enough that I didn’t. Finding out in such a dramatic way that I
was just kidding myself? It might have sent me after you just so I could kick
you in the ass.”

“Now I wish you had found out.” He took a deep
breath. Might as well get everything out on the table.

“The race before this one? That was the first time I
thought of you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Drew turned, lifting her so she sat on the trunk. He stood
between her legs, hands on her waist. His eyes were dark, a little sad.

“Regina pulled that crap ass move.”

Tyler nodded. “I still can’t figure out how she knew
which were my designs. I thought I was getting around her by submitting entries
under four different names.

“She has eyes and ears everywhere,” Drew said with
disgust. “If you really want to know, I’ll find out.”

Tyler thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Isn’t knowledge the ultimate power? If we ferret out
Regina’s moles, we become better prepared for whatever crap she’ll pull
next.”

They both knew that was bound to happen. Regina couldn’t
leave well enough alone. And if Drew and Tyler took this home? If they were
seen together around town? Who knew what might happen in that twisted mind.
This time the top of her head might finally blow completely off.

“I’ll start asking around — discreetly. Now,” Drew
looked at his watch, “I said five minutes. It’s been more like half an
hour. Prepare to start moaning.”

Laughing, Tyler held him back. There was one more thing she
had to know.

“How did you get her to back down?”

“You deserved a fair shot. I reminded her of that —
from a distance.”

“Drew.” Tyler sighed with exasperation.

“I was livid, Ty. That sculpture is supposed to
represent the best of Harper Falls. I read the contest manifesto. Open to
anyone? Come on. How many people in that town are qualified to do a sculpture
of any kind? And on the scale they wanted?”

“It was almost like they had me in mind from the
start.”

“You don’t think they did? Or at least Regina did. She
had a plan in mind from the very beginning.”

“She was never going to let me or anyone else in Harper
Falls do that sculpture.”

“Like I said,” Drew lightly tapped the side of her
head, “smart. Still, you submitted your designs.”

“I had to try.”

“And she shot you down.”

“I didn’t take the news well. I told myself I was
prepared. That it didn’t matter.”

“In other words, you lied to yourself.”

“Big time.” Grinning, Tyler thought about the day
she got not one, but four rejection letters.

“I threw a bit of a fit. Happily, there were no
witnesses. Dani and Rose let me vent.”

“What are friends for?”

“Exactly. And I have two of the best. It was bitter,
Drew. Knowing my design was perfect. I know that sounds egotistical.”

Drew smiled. “Maybe. Just a little.”

“A whole lot. But if I don’t believe in myself, who
will? That design was good.”

“I know.”

“You saw it?” That was a surprise.

“It wasn’t hard to find a sympathetic member of the
selection committee.” A couple hundred bucks slipped under the table
hadn’t hurt either.

“Regina didn’t just back down. She completely removed
herself. Tell me what you did.”

He pulled out the big gun.

“I threatened to throw her out of Harper House.”

Tyler was speechless. She, Rose, and Dani had spent a lot of
time speculating. What was there that would make the Ice Queen blink? What
leverage did Drew have? Eviction had never occurred to any of them.

“You can do that?”

Drew nodded.

“My father left Harper House to me. I own every brick,
every piece of furniture. She can’t sell a piece of silver without my
consent.”

“Oh, that has to sting.”

Tyler didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy. She didn’t feel
satisfaction, either. That surprised her. Years of resentment, even hatred.
Knowing Regina Harper’s wealth was now a paper lion should have had her doing a
jig.

“It’s an empty feeling, isn’t it?”

Drew recognized that look on Tyler’s face. It mirrored how
he felt when the lawyers told him the contents of his father’s will. He should
have rejoiced in Regina’s downfall. After all her machinations. Her scheming to
marry a man she didn’t love or even respect just so she could have the money
and power of the Harper name. To discover you’ve been left with nothing but
your stacks of designer clothes and a few pieces of jewelry. The Harper
Diamonds, the ruby necklace, emerald earrings. They were Drew’s to give to his
wife if he ever married. They were his to throw into the Columbia if the whim
hit him.