“No!” My heart was racing, my limbs were tingling, high on adrenaline. “This is amazing!”
We came out of a long stretch of trees to find open fields on either side. There were more cows grazing in the distance, and on the opposite side of the road was an old barn, its dark wooden roof leaning slightly to one side. Vincent slowed and turned, pulling into the unfenced field and driving toward the barn.
Now that he’d slowed down and I could actually catch my breath, I said, “So Manson and Lucas drag race…and you do this? Rally?”
“That’s right. Rally is pretty varied as a motorsport, but the main difference is that if I compete, I’m not running directly against other competitors on the same circuit. It’s still focused on reaching a destination as fast as you can, but there’s more to it than your typical drag race. Like going off road.” He smiled, taking his sunglasses off as we neared the barn. “That’s my favorite. Remind me to show you the rally competition they hold in the Isle of Man sometime. It’ll blow your mind.”
The barn doors were wide open, allowing him enough space to drive the WRX inside. Sunlight fell in pale beams through the old boards, dust motes swirling in the light as Vincent cut the engine but let the music keep playing.
He settled back in his seat, looking at me with a smile that spoke of wicked things. “I thought you were going to piss yourself by the way you were screaming back there,” he teased, and I shoved his shoulder.
“I wasn’t scared,” I said confidently. “I’m braver than you think.”
He caught my wrist and held it, keeping me drawn close toward him. “You’ve got me there. I should have known you were brave with those nipple piercings of yours. Not even Lucas is brave enough to get that done.”
“Considering Lucas shoved a needle through his dick, I doubt he’d have a problem getting his nipples pierced,” I said. Vincent leaned toward me; his smirking mouth hovering dangerouslyclose to mine as he held my wrist captive.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he said. His thumb was rubbing slow circles on the back of my hand. “You didn’t see him when he got it pierced. He’s actually terrified of needles.”
“Did he freak out?” I laughed. “Come on, you’re messing with me.”
But he shook his head. “Nope, I’m not even exaggerating. He was a mess and I got it all on video.”
Oh. I needed that.
“You have to show me.” I leaned closer and let my exhale touch his lips. Arousal was coiled in my abdomen like a serpent in the sun. Tight, warm, ready to strike.
“Oh, I can,” he said. His fingers brushed my arm and his green eyes fixated on my lips. “For the right price.”
“Price…” I echoed. I brushed his hair back, intentionally keeping the touch of my nails as light as possible on his skin. He shivered, and it made me smile. “I feel like I already owe you such a debt…”
“Trying to play sweet with me now, are you?” He grasped my chin, giving my face a little shake. “You’ll have to try harder than that, baby. Jason is a brat too. I know how you work.”
I tweaked an eyebrow at him in surprise, irritated that he’d seen through me so easily. “Jason? A brat? Mister Straight-A’s with a nice Christian upbringing? I doubt that.”
“When he ate your pussy in the garage, did it feel like the way a good boy would eat it?” he said. The way his lips curved around those words had no business being so erotic. Thinking about Jason eating me out as the rest of them spanked me and fucked my mouth made me throb, my pussy getting far too greedy for her own good.
Every word he said was winding me up, and he smelled so good. I wanted to press my nose against him and inhale him into my lungs, run my tongue over his skin, taste the sweat and salt…
Damn it all, what was wrong with me? For the sake of my pride, I needed to put up at least a little resistance, but when he was looking at me like that…
What the hell was there to resist?
He laughed again as he laid his hand against my cheek. His humor came easily, and I liked the way he laughed — it sounded innocent and wicked all at once.
“Come on,” he said. “I want to show you something.”
He got out of the car, and the distance between us felt like a cruel effort to remind me who was in charge. Damn it, most people would have taken immediate, full advantage in that situation. I was practically fucking him with my eyes, yet he wasstillmaking me wait.
I came to join him in front of the car. The barn creaked softly around us; the rustle of the breeze through the grass and sweet birdsong creating a relaxing ambience. But as soon as I settled beside him, leaning against the car’s warm hood, I spotted something partially hidden in the shadows.
A massive painting covered the barn’s inner wall. I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer, surprised to find a mural of a dark, smiling clown. The character’s eyes bulged from their head, their mouth stretched into a wide, sharp-toothed grin as it stared down at me with one icy blue eye and one bright green.
“Wow…” I stepped even closer, brushing my fingers across the rough, weather-worn boards. Up close, I could see the varying shades of paint used to create depth, shine, and shadow. It was stunningly detailed. I glanced back at Vincent. “Did you paint this?”
He nodded, coming to stand beside me. “I started it when I was seventeen. That was when I first found this old barn. It’s been abandoned for years. The family who owns the property doesn’t even live in the state, so no one bothers to poke around. I used to drive out here when I needed time to myself.”
“Why a clown?” I said. The face paint was almost identical to what he’d worn that night at the Halloween party; dark shapes around his eyes and the lips painted black.