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  Her heart pounded in her throat and she couldn’t suck down enough oxygen.

  The car skidded and fishtailed. Aiden steered them around a turn and gunned the engine. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of blue.

  “Take a damn breath already and stop squealing,” Aiden said.

  Madison clamped her lips together. If she was making any noise at all, it was his fault.

  He turned hard and cut off a pickup truck, but in a matter of seconds the irate driver was eating their exhaust.

  “Who was that?” she demanded.

  “Who do you think?”

  “How am I supposed to know?”

  “It was the Eleventh.” He kept glancing in the rearview mirror.

  At the next intersection, he turned, and turned again on the first side street they came across. They pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript building with no sign out front to denote what type of business it was. He shifted into park, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and tapped the screen a few times before holding it to his ear. Every few moments he’d twist this way and that, looking up and down the street.

  “Hey. Something’s up. Eleventh is tailing me,” he said to whoever was on the other end of the line. “Uh-huh . . . Okay . . . That’s not good . . . Keep me posted.”

  “What’s not good? What about my bike? Were you just going to let them shoot me?”

  “What? No.” He frowned at her. “We’ll get your bike later. It’s raining too hard for you to ride that thing now. The tires are practically bald. You need new ones.”

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious. When I can afford new ones, I’ll get them.” She glared at him, but he was just stating the truth. Another paycheck and she’d have the summer semester covered, then she could concentrate on new tires.

  “And your lawyer did what?”

  She laughed. “What lawyer? Dustin scared away the few I could afford. I got nothing from the divorce.”

  Madison stared out of the window. Well that was a mood killer. For several moments neither of them said a word. The only sounds were the idling of the engine and the rain hitting the car. It was kind of soothing, actually. She’d always liked the rain.

  A warm hand closed around hers. “We’re going to get him.”

  She turned her head to face him. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Sorry.”

  “I get it.” He swiped his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand, each movement sending tendrils of awareness curling through her body.

  There was no doubt that Aiden believed it when he said he’d take Dustin down. But one man against Dustin, his boss, and all their thugs? The cops couldn’t even protect her from Dustin. How could Aiden do what a whole police force couldn’t?

  “What’s this?” He pointed at her left arm, one of the last expanses of clean flesh on her arms.

  “That would be a perfect outline of A’thing’a Beauty’s shoulder. She got me in practice last week real good and it’s started to turn pretty colors.”

  He shook his head. “I’m going to have to see this sometime.”

  “I’ll save you a seat in the crash zone.”

  “Crash zone?”

  “It’s one of those things better left experienced.” She grinned and one side of his mouth kicked up. That little dimple winked at her and, man, if it didn’t twist her stomach into knots.

  “Well, guess I’m coming to your next game.”

  “Bout.”

  He shrugged. “Bout.”

  Was it her imagination, or was he closer now than he’d been a few moments ago? It was hard to look at anything except his eyes, but she did like the pleasant twist of his lips.

  She could feel his breath across her mouth, and he turned his hand under hers so that his palm was splayed over her thigh.

  “This is not how this is supposed to go. I’m not supposed to want you. At all.” His gaze flicked from her eyes to her mouth and back again.

  “You can’t control who you want. It just happens.” And didn’t she know it? Her whole life, one hot, bad choice of man after another. But Aiden wasn’t bad, not really, right? He helped people.

  “Do you want me?” His gaze narrowed and she felt the moment stretch tight.

  The air in her lungs turned to ice and her body went hot, then cold. Whatever she said, it was going to change things. He had to know she wanted him, but if she said no, would he respect that? Her gut said yes. Whoever Aiden DeHart was, she couldn’t help believing he was different. Maybe not entirely good, but honorable. He’d respect her wishes if she said no, and once that barrier was in place, she didn’t think it could be torn down.

  “Yes,” she said with a sigh.

  “But you aren’t happy about it.”

  “I promised myself I’d only date good guys from now on.” She lifted her hand and traced a small scar on his jaw. It had grown faint with time, but this close, she could make it out. “You aren’t a nice guy.”

  “Good and nice are two different things. I think you’d roll right over a nice guy.”

  “Maybe.” She chuckled. Hadn’t Lily said the same thing to her before?

  His hand coasted up and down her thigh, but she felt the caress much higher up. The little orgasm, the taste of bliss he’d given her last night, it hadn’t sated anything. It had just made her hungrier for more.

  Aiden leaned as he had last night, slowly, giving her every opportunity to turn away. Well wasn’t that sweet? She cupped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer. Their mouths met in a hard press of skin. Her teeth bit into the inside of her lip, but the pain only made the feel of his lips sharper, more pronounced.

  His fingers slid between her legs and he squeezed. She gasped, needing air, and he deepened the kiss, breathing her in and tasting her. For a moment, she was swept up in his touch, the acceptance of this kiss, this chemistry, this crazy mess swirling around them and she surrendered to it. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she groaned. The sound was loud in the confined space. She shoved her fingers through his short hair, relishing the feel of it against her palm.

  Aiden’s hand grazed her breast and she gasped, arching slightly. His mouth stilled against hers, as if her reaction had surprised him. If he had any idea how long it had been since someone touched her outside of derby practice, it wouldn’t be quite such a shock.

  She kept her eyes closed, unable to look at him. He shifted and cupped her breast. His lips grazed hers and she could hear his breathing along with the pounding of her heart. He lifted her breast, swiping his thumb over her nipple. The thin lace did little to inhibit the feel of his firm touch.

  “We don’t have time for this right now.” His voice was deeper, the frustration real. Well at least she wasn’t alone in this.

  Aiden cupped her face and crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her hard and fast. Her body thrummed with arousal. He sat back in his seat, staring at her with brows drawn down. He might not like the attraction, but she wasn’t alone in it. At least he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  Chapter Nine

  Aiden pulled out onto US-1, watching his rearview mirror closely.

  “Will you tell me what’s going on?” Madison asked.

  She hadn’t spoken since he’d backed off earlier in the parking lot. A little fancy driving and they were free to cruise for a bit. He did his best thinking behind the wheel of a car, so a little joy ride wasn’t a bad thing.

  “Canales is encouraging his boys to harass me. It should be harmless, but we can’t risk them interfering with what we have going on.”

  “Harass you? That’s harmless? I’d hate to see what you do to someone who actually threatens you.”

  “The gun was to warn him to back off. For the record, I’m always armed.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes.”

  She stared at him.

  “Where?” she asked.

  “There’s one under my seat and another in the glove box.”

  “Holy hell
.” She drew her legs up, as if the gun by itself might hurt her.

  “Canales hasn’t got any proof it was me.” Though he was beginning to think Canales wasn’t interested in proof, just retaliation.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I just do.” He glanced in his rearview. A silver Scion sports car zipped between an ice truck and a minivan, changing lanes like the Devil himself were riding his bumper. “Shit.”

  “What?” Madison twisted in her seat.

  “Company.” Aiden slid a little lower and felt under the seat and flicked the leather strap holding his Glock in place. He prayed he wouldn’t need it, but neither would he hesitate to use it.

  “Who is it?”

  “Two of Canales’s boys.”

  A second, lime-green STI with a spoiler that stuck up like a fin swerved through traffic, following the silver car closely. Did he try to outrun the two cars, or did he play it cool? The road stretched ahead of them with little opportunity to outmaneuver the other two, not to mention the slick conditions would make any fancy driving more difficult. He eased off the accelerator and slid into the right lane. The two cars broke free from the pack of vehicles and zoomed up behind him, one in either of the other two lanes.

  “What’s going on?” Madison asked, her voice pitched high.

  “Play it cool.” Inside, he was ready to throw a wrench at these idiots. It was one thing to race, to want to smell the rubber burn, but it was something else entirely to do it on a busy street with pedestrian traffic at every intersection. Hadn’t the Eleventh learned anything?

  The two cars drew up alongside him. The silver Scion had its windows down. Aiden recognized the driver. He was one of the Eleventh’s fastest and cockiest drivers. He was young, maybe midtwenties, with short hair and a lanky, Cuban build.

  All three cars eased to a stop at a red light. The road ahead of them broke free from the urban sprawl, and for about the span of a half mile, cut through a stretch of lowland with little to no other traffic. Belatedly, Aiden realized just where they were. The short distance was prime sprinting ground for short races. But those were usually at night, when the streets were empty.

  The silver Scion revved his engine and Aiden sighed. Well, at least they weren’t trying to shoot holes in his Chevelle. The windshield wipers squeaked over the glass. The rain was letting up.

  “Hold on and don’t scream.” He found the sweet spot on the accelerator, that point where the engine purred, waiting to be let loose on the open road, but didn’t quite burn her tires.

  Madison gripped the door and braced her feet on the floorboard, as if preparing herself for a wreck.

  Aiden ticked down the seconds, watching the light for the cross traffic, waiting for it to turn yellow. The green STI squealed, fishtailing at a standstill, while the silver Scion wheezed. Julian might like the foreign makes, but to Aiden they all sounded nasal and high-pitched.

  The cross-traffic light blinked to yellow.

  Aiden pressed his accelerator a bit more and the car began to vibrate.

  Madison gasped, but whatever else she might have said or done faded into nothing.

  It was Aiden, his car, and the road.

  He could see the other two cars in his peripheral vision, but his focus narrowed on the lights.

  The cross-traffic light flipped to red.

  He locked his gaze on the light above his lane and shifted.

  The light blinked green.

  His Chevelle shot forward, the good ol’ American-made engine roared, but his start wasn’t fast enough. The green STI swerved in front of him while the silver Scion bolted forward, taking the lead.

  Aiden gritted his teeth and took the center lane. The STI moved with him, cutting it so close Aiden lost sight of the car’s license plate. He shifted once more and jerked the car to the left. The STI lurched into the left lane, while Aiden pulled back into the center and slammed his foot on the accelerator. Too late, the green driver realized his error as Aiden cruised past.

  The Scion driver hung not too far ahead of Aiden, waiting for his turn.

  Adrenaline pumped through Aiden’s veins. The next light was in sight, less than a quarter mile to go. He drew even with the silver car, the STI hanging at his bumper. There was no way any of them could punch it to their top speeds and not barrel through the intersection.

  He could shift and push it—but was it worth it?

  Aiden took a deep breath and eased off the accelerator. The Scion driver matched him, and together the three braked at the light, engines hot.

  Madison sucked down lungfuls of air.

  He glanced at her. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted. Was that fear? Or excitement?

  “Who won?” she asked.

  “No one won anything.”

  The light changed to green and the Scion turned right, while Aiden and the STI continued along US-1. At the first opportunity, Aiden turned off the road and into a gas station.

  “I feel like a broken record here, but what the hell are you doing?” Madison asked.

  He held up a finger and pointed at the squad car that flew by. “Cops like to hang a few blocks over sometimes. We used to race this strip, then the police started showing up as soon as we did. I bet someone around here called the cops. Works in our favor.”

  “Wow.” She stared at the cruiser, watching it close in on the green car.

  Thunder nearly shook the car. Overhead, lightning zigzagged through the sky. A new wave of heavy rain began pelting the Florida coast.

  “What about the silver car?” she asked.

  “He’s long gone.” Aiden shifted into park and turned toward Madison. She was a problem, a complication he didn’t need and yet he had to face the uncomfortable reality that he wanted her. She hadn’t rejected him when he’d gone in for a kiss, but she also seemed to be caught up in the same web of attraction as him.

  Madison licked her lips, and damn him if he didn’t track that movement, remembering the feel of her tongue tangling with his.

  “I want to be straight with you,” he said.

  “You mean you aren’t normally straight?”

  He shook his head and she chuckled. Damn, she had a mouth on her. And he liked it. With Madison, he didn’t have to sugarcoat things or tone down who he was. She just took it in stride. He dug that.

  “Sorry, sometimes stuff just pops out of my mouth. You scream heterosexual,” she said.

  “Thanks, I think?” The momentary tension was broken. He relaxed by degrees.

  “You’re welcome. Now what are we doing?”

  “We’re going to work together, for how long, I don’t know.” Aiden had approached Madison with the truth, so it was the only way to proceed, even if he felt like a monster truck barreling through this. “I never intended . . . what I mean is we’re clearly attracted to each other. I don’t want you to think I’m playing you.”

  “You would do that?” Her eyes grew round and her jaw dropped.

  “People use all sorts of means to get what they want. I’m telling you that’s not what this is.” Why did she look so innocent in her shock? After what Madison had lived through, nothing should surprise her, and yet he’d clearly just opened her eyes to a new kind of deception.

  She sat back in her seat. “That never occurred to me.”

  “Maybe not right now, but at some point you’d have thought about it. You’re a smart girl.”

  “Could have fooled me.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping.

  “I just told you I can’t help myself around you and you’re—disappointed?”

  Madison’s mouth opened and closed. She shook her head and her cheeks grew pink. “That’s not what I meant.”

  He reached across and took her hand—because he wanted to and hell, he needed to touch her, to see some of that spunk back in her gaze. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye, and he could see a glimmer of the girl she’d once been. The cute cheerleader who’d just wanted what she’d never had. He rubbed his thumb across her p
ulse and the corners of her mouth curled up in a slight smile. She was the reason he did this job. Madison and others like her he helped extract from sticky situations. He’d let go of the idea of revenge as best he could. His sister wouldn’t want him to get caught up in it like Julian had.

  There’d been a time in his life when he’d expected to return to the States, get a job and turn it into a career with cars, and somewhere along the way, he’d meet a girl. Probably one a lot like Madison with sass, someone who’d brighten his days until the horrors he’d seen were a distant memory. He’d always wanted a family, kids who would play with the nieces and nephews his sister would have. But that was in the past. It wasn’t the future for him now.

  “I can’t offer you anything except that I will make sure Dustin is never a problem for you again. What happens between us—I can’t promise anything. Dates, normal stuff, I can’t do that.” Aiden wanted Evers put away, he wasn’t stupid enough to think it was a slam-dunk case. This was a long-haul war they were waging, and Madison could be a casualty—but not if he got her out of it and far away from him.

  Her smile faded though she continued to study him. For several moments she didn’t speak, which bothered him. She was a mouthy, chatty thing. Her silence irritated his nerves.

  “I’m not sure what made you think I was looking for more, but I’m not. I just got divorced. I’m not interested in relationships. Not now, at least.”

  It was a reasonable reply, and yet he didn’t like it. She deserved more.

  “The only thing I am in the market for is some fun, but since you clearly don’t know what that word means, well”—she shrugged—“you don’t have to worry about that.”

  The way she purred the word fun, he knew exactly what she meant.

  “Maybe you should show me?” Toying with her and the lust making his dick throb was not his brightest idea, but bottling it up would be worse.

  “Me? Oh, I don’t know if you can handle it.” She placed her hand against her chest and batted her eyelashes. It was outrageous, a little silly, and yet he wanted to pounce on her, devour her, and spend the rest of the rainy day showing her exactly how much fun he could be.