“Listen, man,” he starts, his accent thick, “I could get in a lot of trouble if my boss knew.”
I tune him out and dig my wallet out from my back pocket. From my peripheral, I see his eyes glaze over as I peel several large bills from the stack of cash.
He stops short, his words caught in his throat. The man reaches out a hand, the gesture tentatively hanging in the air as if he’s unsure if he can take the money or not. He licks his lips and sucks in a breath, then meets my gaze again.
“The whole strip. Three hours max.” I hold the bills between my fingers in his direction.
He’s salivating at the sight of the cash, and doesn’t hesitate to claim it. “Yeah. Yeah, man. You got it. I just need your ID to put on file,” he adds without looking up at me.
I drop my shoulders and glance behind me to find Siân watching me from the car. Then I peel another two hundred from the wad and hand it to him. “Identification.”
My eyes trail his frame, taking in his appearance. He’s middle-aged, and based on his accent, I’d say he’s new to the country. The dirt under his nails and bags under his eyes tells me he’s overworked, and the decay on his teeth tells the tale of a man struggling to make it. Then I observe his name badge.
“Take the cash, Bruno,” I order, my fake accent faltering, my Italian tongue rearing its head.
Bruno claims the money and provides me with all the necessary instructions. He offers me a rental, but I decline, opting to hit the track in the Ferrari. Once we’re done, I walk back to the car, the warm Florida air swallowing me whole. It’s not raining today. Thank fuck for that. But it’s also one of the nicer days as far as temperature goes.
I make eye contact with Siân, who jerks her head straight to keep me from being caught watching me. Too late, topolina. The car screams when I open the driver’s side door and sink back behind the wheel.
“Ready to take a risk?” I ask, but don’t really expect her to answer. I already know the answer.
No. Even though she’s dying to break out of her suffocating shell.
“What was all that about back there?” she asks instead of answering me. “All that money you gave him.”
“I rented the strip for the day,” I deadpan.
Siân’s eyes grow wide. “Christian.”
“Siân, let’s settle something right now. Never question how I spend my money. You’re worth every fucking penny.”
She swallows, a smile teetering on her lips. Siân drops her gaze, and she fights to hide that she’s flattered. My guess is she’s never had a man treat her this way because Taj sure as fuck isn’t doing it.
Shifting gears, I pull off, maneuvering my way across the large expanse of field until we reach the tracks. There’s padding all along the sidewalls for added security. Because we’re the only people here today, the track is empty except for a single worker that I can see in the announcement booth. From here, it looks as if we are the furthest from his mind as he appears knocked out cold with his chin to his chest.
I stop the car, place it in park, and reach over to undo her seat belt. Siân grabs my hand, stopping me, confusion riddled in her expression.
“What are you doing?”
I lean in. “Undoing your seat belt.”
“Why?”
“You ask a lot of questions, beautiful.” My eyes drop to her lips, and I notice her shallow breaths. She’s more than nervous. She’s afraid, unsure, and if I had to guess, a little bit intrigued.
“Well, that’s because I’m not always in the habit of leaving town with strange men I’ve known for only a month.”
I’m quiet for a beat but continue to unhook her seat belt. She doesn’t stop me this time, but she doesn’t release her hold on me either. In fact, her pinky finger moves along the veins on the back of my hand.
“Out,” I say once I’ve succeeded in my task.
Her head moves in rapid succession, the fear of the unknown creeping its way on her face. “No. Why?”
“Because you’re going to drive.”
She stares at me as if I’m crazy, and her back falls into the seat. I could sit here and wait for her to wrap her mind around the idea, but I’ve never really been that patient. This month has been the longest I’ve ever gone without taking what I want.
“What are you afraid of?”
“Uh… dying,” she deadpans with raised brows.
My jaw tics, and I exit the vehicle, leisurely making my way to the other side. I can see her watching me, her eyes raking over my frame as her mind and body betray each other. Wide-eyed, lips parted, she peers up at me. Her sultry green eyes carry a silent plea to me, and the pout of her full lips taunt me.