JACKSON Page 9

  “Good luck!” I kiss the corner of his mouth. “Although I’m sure the legendary Hustle won’t need it.” I grace him with a full-blown smile.

  He pulls me to him, nipping at my earlobe. “I love that you’re here.” His eyes latch on mine, sincerity radiating from his gaze.

  “I’m happy I’m here too.”

  He brushes his lips against my brow. “Stay with Hunt and Xavier. Most of the crowd are cool, but there’s always a few assholes, and I’ve picked up a few enemies over the years. They’d love nothing more than to get to me through you.” His eyes flick over my body. “I made a mistake bringing you here looking like that. Every man will want to put his hands on you. Don’t leave Hunt’s side, not even to pee. You hear me?”

  “Stop worrying. I know how to handle myself, and I won’t go anywhere. I promise. Don’t worry about me. Just focus on whipping Comet’s ass.”

  “You can count on it!” Jackson lifts me up, swinging me around, and I giggle. I love seeing him like this. All passionate and excited. And I’m so proud to be here with him tonight.

  He puts me back on the ground, tweaking my nose before hopping up on the wall beside his car, placing two fingers in his mouth, and shrilly whistling. “Listen up, assholes,” he shouts. “Touch my girl, and I’ll cut your dick off and feed it to your mama.”

  A chorus of taunts and catcalls ring out as every set of eyes land on me. I’m grateful it’s relatively dark under the dim lighting so no one can see how red my cheeks are.

  Jackson throws his hands in the air, moving them up and down. “The Hustle is back, bitches! And I’m ready to reclaim my throne!” he roars.

  The crowd goes insane, chanting his name, and Jackson laps it up like a media whore.

  “He’s obnoxious.” Sawyer shakes his head, but there’s a hint of amusement shining in his eyes.

  “He’s fucking awesome.” Xavier grins like a lunatic. “I think I picked the wrong friend.” Sawyer flips him the bird, and Xavier blows him a kiss. “Only joking, my love. I’ve seen Lauder’s cock. Yours is much bigger.”

  I should probably defend my man, but I’m too busy laughing and clutching my stomach to form words.

  Jackson jumps off the wall, dipping me down low as he plants a passionate kiss on my lips one final time before sliding into his car and revving the engine so loud he almost bursts my eardrums.

  Sawyer clasps my hand, and Xavier moves to my other side. “Over here.” Sawyer guides me out of the gas station and across the road. “We’ll have a much better vantage point on the street.”

  We walk for a bit, passing small groups congregated on the sidewalk, stopping halfway down the road and claiming a spot. Sawyer leans back against the wall, pulling me around in front of him. His hands lightly hold my hips as Xavier walks to the other side of him.

  The race cars roll out of the gas station, two at a time, lining up behind one another on the road in front of us, and adrenaline courses through my veins. I wish I was riding with him although I’d probably pee my pants.

  “Bitch,” a girl hisses under her breath as she walks past. Her two female companions glare at me, eyes roaming me with unconcealed envy.

  “Jealous much, skank?” Xavier retorts as Sawyer bores a hole in the side of his skull, urging him to shut up.

  “Forget them.” I touch Xavier’s arm. “I don’t care what they think.”

  I wasn’t always this unaffected. The taunts and insults hurled at me almost daily used to tear strips off my fragile heart, but I’m stronger now, because I’ve come through the hell that was my high school years and I’m out the other side.

  Not untarnished but strong enough that snarky comments from jealous strangers don’t hurt.

  A few more guys and girls walk past us, all of them sizing me up, but I ignore them, focusing on my man. We are almost level with Jackson’s car, and I can’t help the massive grin that spreads over my mouth when Jackson rolls the passenger side window down and blows me a kiss.

  Music blares from a large mobile speaker, and the crowds lining both sides of the road start singing and dancing. Xavier and I grin at one another, and I step out of Sawyer’s protective hold, swaying my body and shimmying my hips up and down to the rhythmic beats.

  A guy climbs onto an upturned crate, holding a loudspeaker to his mouth. He rallies the crowd, getting them more amped up when he announces that Jackson and Comet are up first. Chants of Hustle and Comet ring out around us, and Xavier and I join in, shouting our support for Jackson.

  When the announcer begins a countdown, the crowd joins in. I’m shouting out numbers as my eyes lock on Jackson’s car. Adrenaline weaves a path through my body, and I’m bouncing on my feet, almost overexcited as Jackson and Comet rev their engines repeatedly, their cars chomping at the bit to run free.

  The announcer reaches one, and another guy waves a flag, and then, it’s on.

  Brakes screech and engines thrum as they take off to the sounds of an adoring crowd, leaving wisps of cloudy smoke behind them. The crowd shouts words of encouragement, and I peer forward, cupping my hands as I watch Jackson and Comet speeding up the empty road, side by side. “Go win back your throne, baby!” I yell. Xavier grabs me, spinning me around, and we’re laughing, high on the infectious atmosphere, while Sawyer eyes us like we’re a strange alien species.

  That dude is so fucking uptight sometimes, and it’s not how I remember him.

  Jackson and Comet disappear around the bend at the top of the road, and I switch my attention to the other drivers. They are still lined up, waiting for their cue, revving their engines impatiently.

  Finally, the rest of the cars take off after them, in timed intervals. I am very impressed at how organized it is.

  Across the way, money is exchanging hands as bets are laid. If I had spare cash, I’d put it all on my man, because my guy is a fucking winner.

  The party continues raging while the race hurtles through the streets of Queens. Xavier and I dance and mess around, ignoring curious gazes, and we mainly keep to ourselves. A few guys and girls stop to talk to Sawyer from time to time, and it’s obvious he’s as well-known on the circuit as Jackson is. I hear mention of Cam or Kai a couple times too, which isn’t surprising. Those three were always tight.

  “They’re coming around!” someone screeches from farther back on the road. Sawyer glances down, gripping my hand and gesturing for Xavier to move. We dash across the road just as a car careens around the corner, racing toward the gas station.

  I poke my head out, staring ahead, but it’s too dark to see who it is. I’m on edge, with my stomach in knots and my breath faltering in my throat, as we wait to discover who has come out on top. My heart pumps furiously as a second car appears, and there isn’t much of a gap between them at all.

  The crowd turns insane.

  Like fucking nuts.

  People are jumping around, screaming and hollering.

  Xavier grips my hand, his excited gaze mirroring my own.

  The crowd chants a mix of encouragement for Hustle and Comet. I hold my breath as the cars speed up the road, almost neck and neck. I spot Jackson, just as he edges slightly ahead, and I’m screaming from the pit of my lungs as he crosses the finish line literally two seconds ahead of his rival.

  “He won!” I scream, jumping up and down. Xavier spins me around again. Even Sawyer is grinning, having ditched his grumpy demeanor. I fling my arms around Sawyer’s neck. “He won!”

  “He’s fucking unbeatable. Imagine what he’ll do when he goes pro.” Pride shines in his voice, and I’m glad to hear it, because I hate seeing them arguing so much.

  Jackson is swamped the instant he emerges from his car. Someone lifts him up, and he fist pumps the air as he’s carried around on several shoulders. His eyes seek me out, his body relaxing a little when he spots me safely cocooned between Sawyer and Xavier. I blow him a kiss and mouth my congratulations. His eyes remain locked on mine as he’s jostled around, as if he can’t tear his gaze away, and my heart th
umps to a new beat.

  There is no use denying it to myself anymore.

  Jackson isn’t just the reigning champion of the street racing scene.

  He has also claimed title to my heart.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Jackson

  “DUDE, YOU’RE A legend,” Xavier says, handing me a beer as soon as we reconvene on the rooftop garden of the penthouse an hour later. “I bow at your feet.” He bends from the waist, sweeping his arm out in a typical dramatic fashion.

  “Man, that felt good,” I admit, enjoying the feel of the cold beer gliding down my parched throat. It’s almost three thirty, but I’m too wired to sleep. Nessa isn’t working tomorrow, so we can sleep in late.

  “You were amazing,” she says, circling her arm around my waist. “It was such a rush watching it. I can only imagine how you must feel.”

  “It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” I admit as Hunt appears with a couple bowls of chips and dips.

  “You belong out there,” Hunt says, chinking his bottle against mine.

  His praise is a welcome reprieve from the tension marring our friendship in recent weeks. “Thanks, man.”

  I sink another beer, and then, we call it a night. Nessa is fighting a yawn as I walk us to my bedroom. “Tired, babe?” I murmur, pressing a kiss to that ticklish spot just under her ear.

  “Nope,” she lies, her eyes lighting up as she stares at me with expectation. “I could party for hours.”

  I chuckle. “Good,” I whisper into her ear as I open my bedroom door. “Because you’re going to need lots and lots of stamina.”

  She visibly shivers, and my heart jumps around a little. I close the door and pull her into my arms, needing to feel her close. I press kisses into her hair. “I’ve never brought a girl to a race before, and I fucking loved having you there.” Being a couple has come a lot more naturally to me than I expected. I thought it’d be a chore to act the part of a loving, affectionate boyfriend, but the truth is, I haven’t had to force anything.

  And it’s all because of her.

  She’s getting under my skin, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned.

  “I loved it. Thank you for taking me.” She snuggles into me, and her tiny hands wind around my waist. My cock thickens at the feel of her pressed up against me. “I’m so proud of you,” she adds, and a lump wedges in my throat.

  “Thanks, babe,” I choke out.

  She looks up at me through hooded eyes, and I’m a goner.

  Every part of me wants every part of her.

  I couldn’t halt this train wreck even if I wanted to.

  “Do you want to race? Is that what you plan to do with your life?” she asks.

  I nod. “More than anything, but Dad wants me to get my degree first.” The usual aggression bubbles up my throat at the thought of Dad. We’ve been estranged since I moved to Rydeville. Because of the things I discovered. I feel bad for Mom, because she’s caught in the middle and she doesn’t understand why. I can’t tell her why I’m so pissed at him, because I know how much it will hurt her to hear he’s known who was responsible for Dani’s murder all along.

  And he did nothing.

  Disgust trickles through my veins.

  “And you don’t?” Nessa asks, trailing her fingers up my chest and pulling me out of my head.

  “I’d rather race,” I admit, smoothing a hand up and down her back. “But I get why he wants me to get a degree. He wants me to take over the business once I retire from racing.”

  “Is that what you want?” She wriggles against me, making my cock throb with need.

  “I suppose so.” I shrug. “I mean, I’m interested in managing the racing teams, but he has tons of other businesses and investments I know nothing about, and he works all the fucking time. I don’t want that for my life.”

  “You could always hire people to help you manage it all,” she suggests.

  “I can,” I say, lifting her, “but that’s not something I need to decide now.” I flash her a panty-melting grin. “Especially when I have a sexy woman in my bedroom dying for a ride on my cock.”

  She giggles. “I love your dirty mouth.”

  Her legs automatically wrap around my waist as I walk us toward the bed. I lay her down, hovering over her. Brushing hair off her face, I ask, “You still want to do this?”

  “Fuck, yeah.”

  Is it wrong that hearing her cuss cranks my arousal up a few levels?

  She reaches a hand down between us, cupping my boner. “I want your cock inside me, Jackson.” She rolls her hips. “I need it like I need air to breathe.”

  “Then, it’s so on, babe.” I rock my hips against her, and the guttural moan that escapes her lips has precum leaking from my crown. “Get naked, sexy. I need to devour you.”

  We pull our clothes off like it’s a new Olympic sport, grinning at one another as expectation pulses in the air. “Leave the heels,” I demand when she moves to take them off. “I want to fuck you with them on.” She’s sitting on the edge of the bed, bending down, her fingers lingering at her ankle. She looks up at me with flushed cheeks and a certain something in her eyes. “What?” I ask, kicking my jeans and boxers off, standing before her totally nude.

  “I had a fantasy about this moment.”

  Well, damn. I like the sound of that. Wrapping my hand around my cock, I slowly pump my shaft. “Oh yeah?” She nods as I reach around and unclasp her bra. It falls away, and I cup her tit with my free hand. “Tell me.”

  “I was sitting on the edge of the bed, just like this, naked except for these shoes. My legs were spread, and you were crouched in front of me, feeling my legs and…” Her cheeks flare up.

  I play with her tits as I continue to stroke my cock. “And what, babe. You can tell me.”

  She lifts her chin, staring me in the face. “You were eating my pussy.”

  I drop my hands to her panties, and she lifts her hips letting me pull her underwear down her legs. I kneel before her, spreading her gorgeous legs wide. “You want me to make your fantasy come true?”

  She nods eagerly. “So damn much.”

  I stretch up and kiss her mouth. “You never have to beg. Anything you want, you got it.” I thread my fingers through her silky hair. “You feel me?”

  “I do.” She grabs hold of my hair, pulling me to her. Our kiss is savage and needy and blistering with weeks of curtailed longing.

  I pull back, sitting on my heels, grinning as I start running my hands up her shapely legs. “Were you sitting or lying back in this fantasy of yours?” I ask.

  “Sitting.”

  “Okay. Hold still.” I move my hands up higher and higher, rubbing my thumbs back and forth across her inner thighs, licking my lips at the prospect of tasting her pussy. She tastes like heaven on my tongue, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eaten her out, each time even more delicious than the last.

  We’ve done everything except fuck, but that changes tonight.

  I put her out of her misery, ravishing her with my fingers and my tongue until she’s a writhing mess on my bed. She comes with a scream, and I’m hoping Hunt hears this. God knows I owe him payback.

  Nessa is lying sated, with a dreamy smile on her face, as I lift her farther up the bed. She reaches for my cock, but I push her away. “I need inside you.” I snatch a condom from my bedside table and roll it on. Precum is oozing from my tip, and I doubt I’m going to last very long.

  I position myself over her, parting her legs and lining my cock up at her entrance. She looks up at me with glaring trust and adoration in her eyes, and I hold myself still, battling a sudden attack of conscience.

  This is wrong.

  I squeeze my eyes shut.

  “What’s wrong?” she softly asks.

  Everything.

  I’m not supposed to want this. Or care about her feelings or feel guilty for abusing her trust. This should be like countless other meaningless fucks.

  But it’s not.
<
br />   It’s going to mean something to both of us, and for the first time, this feels so fucking wrong.

  “Jackson, please don’t stop. Please don’t have second thoughts.” She reaches up, caressing my face, and my eyes blink open. I don’t like what I see in her gaze. Disappointment, hurt, and a multitude of other things I can’t decipher. “Don’t you want me?” Her voice cracks, and her eyes well up.

  Ah, fuck. No.

  “Of course, I want you.” I peer deep into her eyes. “I just don’t want to hurt you.” That’s the only truth I can give her, and it is the truth. I don’t want to hurt her even though I know I already have.

  “You’ll do that if you reject me,” she quietly admits, and she might as well have stabbed me straight through the heart. Her body hums with need as her eyes plead with me, and I can’t ignore that.

  No matter what decision I make, I’m going to hurt her. I can at least give her some pleasure before the inevitable pain.

  Fuck it. I lean down and kiss her softly. “Tell me if you want me to stop,” I whisper, pressing the tip of my cock inside her.

  She grabs hold of my ass cheeks, pulling me in deeper. “I don’t want you to stop,” she moans, rocking her hips against me. “I don’t ever want you to stop.” Her eyes penetrate mine. “Fuck me, Jackson. Please.”

  I can’t take it anymore.

  This is happening.

  Consequences be damned.

  I slide the rest of the way in, holding myself still as I kiss her. “You’re sure?” I ask again.

  “Yes,” she says, through gritted teeth, jerking her hips up. “Now, fuck me.” Her hot walls grip my cock, and I lose the last vestiges of guilt, giving in to the pleasure waiting in the wings.

  I slam in and out of her as I devour every inch of her with my lips, my tongue, and my cock. I fuck her mercilessly, and she takes it all, revels in it, and I can’t get enough of her.

  Nessa is consuming me, bewitching me, and I’m feeling things I’ve never felt before.

  Everything is breath-stealing and new.

  The way she feels hugging my cock.

  The way my skin tingles in every place her fingers touch me.