I was convinced I still heard him sniggering as he entered the elevator, and once I knew for sure the doors had closed, I turned to Roxiee.
She cut me off before a word could leave my mouth. “I’ll organize that right after this conversation, but first, what ‘meet’ are we working around?”
“A street race.”
I gave her a full five-seconds to close her gaping mouth and get the laughter under control.
“Are you serious?”
I folded my arms. “Is this something I would joke about?”
She shook her head slowly. “Absolutely not. When?”
“Next Tuesday night.”
“Shit,” she hissed.
“Tell me about it. Ihatemy hand being forced.”
“And that’s why I’m coming with you,” Roxiee declared, already studying the schedule for next week. “But I’m telling you now, removing two layers once I’m dressed isnothappening.”
I snorted. “And why’s that?”
“I’m not turning up wearing only one shoe.”
My burst of unbridled laughter took us both by surprise, and I bit down hard to stop more escaping.
“God, I love that you eavesdrop,” I declared, then stepped into my office.
There, I could let my professionalism momentarily lapse without drawing attention to myself.
Once sufficiently pulling myself together, I began to research the street racing scene on L.A.’s streets—starting with the hit and run in the media last week.
Chapter 5
-Raf-
Music was pumping, engines revving, the smell of weed was thick in the air; everything I expected for a race at two AM.
I was surprised Shades orchestrated another so close to the last, yet wasn’t surprised to find myself here; I had needs to satisfy.
Tequila and Stevie tore themselves off my sides when the signal to start the race sounded. Before they stepped completely out of reach, I grabbed a handful of their asses and squeezed for luck.
Smirking at their combined giggling, I stepped away with the intention of heading to my car. A flash of gold in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and a breath-taking smile rooted me to the spot.
A woman like I’d never seen before stood beside her mahogany-haired friend in a tiny black dress. Despite the gathered crowd only giving me fractured glimpses of the mamacita, she stood out as if she was standing on the hood of my car, gold top sparkling and daring me to look her way. Her laughter danced across the thumping music and sung to something deep in my soul. Ihadto find out who she was—I simply couldn’t walk away. Not when she seemed placed here for me to find.
Ignoring the fuck out of Shades calling my name, I set the mamacita in my sights and pushed toward her. The race could wait.
Warm-brown eyes locked with mine and widened when she realized I was heading straight for her. I couldn’t keep the prowl-like manner from my strides because, damn, the mystery woman had me beat before I’d even made it to the starting line.
Toned legs wrapped in skin-tight leather pants teased me, while the golden top with barely-there strings tied around her slender neck lured me closer. To top it all off, the stilettos brought her to the perfect fucking height.
I barely stopped before my chest collided with hers, and I rolled my tongue across my lower lip.
“Haven’t seen you around these parts before, mamacita,” I drawled, looking her over with blatant hunger.
I was coming on strong; it was what I did when I saw something I wanted.