“I’m honestly surprised you're not angry with me and throwing me out of your car right this second.”
We both heard the clapping from the crowd as the last race must have ended, but neither of us broke our gaze.
“Why are you here, Piper?”
“Because—”
“Nope. Do not say because it’s your problem. We’ve been down that road before.” Ollie leaned over the center console, invading my space. “Tell me the truth. Why are you here? Why are you here in my car, about to race down this gravel road like you aren’t scared out of your mind?”
I licked my lips and turned my body even more toward his. I felt the slit of my dress open, the cool air conditioner blowing over the bare skin on my thigh. “Oddly enough, I don’t feel scared at all.”
“No?” he asked.
I felt the car moving forward a bit, knowing it was almost his turn to race. Shaking my head, my eyes dipped down to his perfect lips. The ones that had been on mine almost a week ago. Heat coated my skin. The tension in the car was charged with electricity, and I swore, if anyone were to stick their hand through the window, they would have been electrified on the spot.
I had no idea when things changed between us, but somewhere along the way of us being on the same team, I let my guard down.
“No,” I finally whispered. “I don’t feel scared when I'm with you, Ollie. Not even a little bit.”
His Adam's apple bobbed as he traced along the side of my face and down my chest. His lips parted, and I felt the flame in my core burn brighter. It was like he was trailing a finger over my most sensitive spots, except he wasn’t touching me at all.
“Did you pick out that dress knowing I’d see you in it one way or another tonight?” He kept his attention on my thigh peeking out between the purple fabric.
I gulped, my heart hiccupping in my chest. “No.”
His face twitched. “Liar.”
I glanced at his mouth again, but he quickly looked away and pulled himself back over to the driver’s side, looking straight ahead. “I’m throwing the race tonight.”
I rushed out. “What? Why?”
Ollie kept his attention in front of him, and I felt the thunder of his Charger’s power. We were seconds from racing. “Tank asked me to come over last week to discuss a plan. He’s betting against me, whereas everyone else is betting on me because they know I have the turbo. I’ll lose, and Tank will get a shit-ton of money.”
My jaw fell. I watched as a girl who was wearing a short dress came in between the two cars. She had a bra in her hand, which I was assuming was her version of a flag.
Ollie cracked his neck, preparing for the race, as I stared at the side of his smooth jaw. “I mean, it’s a good thing. The more money he gets, the closer we are to paying back what Jason owes. But…”
The nervous jitters were back. “But what?”
“But he’s shady, and this just proves it. He’s using me to cheat, and I don’t like that.”
There was a ping in my chest, and I knew exactly what it was. Guilt. There it was. The guilt that came crashing down on my shoulders as I sat in the passenger seat of Ollie’s Charger as he continued to get wrapped up in shit he should have never even stepped foot in. Ollie had all kinds of things going for him—a promised football scholarship being one of them—and I’d drug him into this.
“Ollie,” I whispered, watching the girl in front of us as she raised her hands above her head. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you for this.”
He revved his Charger and so did the guy beside us.
Right before the girl dropped her arms and we took off speeding down the road, Ollie whispered, “Piper, you repay me by breathing. Now, shut up and enjoy the ride.”
And that was exactly what I did.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ollie
“Oh my God, Ollie!” Piper shouted as I came to a sudden stop. Her glossy red hair fell out from her loose bun, framing her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her green eyes wild with excitement. “That was so much fun!”
There was a sudden surge of energy inside my car, and I was certain it had to do with her and nothing to do with flying down a gravel road.