Scott: Full Throttle Series Read online

  I crossed my arms and stood over her sternly. “For cheating on Mike?”

  “I didn’t cheat on him,” she defended, though her face crumpled again when I didn’t budge. “Fine, maybe I was planning to. But nothing happened, okay? The man I wanted rejected me, and it was the most humiliating experience in the whole world.”

  That was an exaggeration, and I forgot Mallory had a tendency for theatrics. With a sigh, I sat on the bed with her. I also tended to forget that Mallory was young—younger than me at twenty years old and still in college. But she and Mike had been together since eighth grade, and I guess when they announced that they were engaged, no one really batted an eye. They were old news.

  There was a bigger issue here. I was pretty sure of it.

  “Mallory?”

  “What?”

  “Did something happen with Mike? Did he do something bad?”

  She looked so shocked at my question that I immediately knew the answer. Mike was a sweet guy, and I shouldn’t have doubted him.

  “No,” she said firmly.

  “Then why would you do that?”

  I kept my tone gentle, really wanting to understand. Something warred in Mallory’s expression, and we were both quiet for a while. Finally, she looked at me guiltily.

  “I just…we’ve been together forever, you know? And we promised each other we’d get married right after I graduate. It just occurred to me…what if there’s something bigger for me out there? Something I’d been missing out on? I just wanted to experience something else…in this case, someone else. Scott seemed like the perfect candidate.”

  At the mention of the name, blue eyes filled my mind. I frowned, not liking how I remembered their exact color. Yeah, he definitely seemed like the perfect candidate. I knew enough about the man to know he was always featured in the media for his car racing prowess and his good looks—and in pictures and videos he always had a different woman on his arm.

  But he rejected Mallory because she wasn’t single.

  Moral integrity amidst all the womanizing. Imagine that.

  “He’s good looking,” I conceded, waiting for Mallory to look me in the eye. “But are you really going to throw away everything with Mike just for a one-night stand? Imagine how hurt Mike would be if he found out.”

  Her shoulders slumped at that, and a sad look filled her face. I knew I’d gotten through, which was a relief. “Yeah. He’d be crushed. Jules, what should I do? Should I tell him what I did now?”

  Sticky ground. “Well…nothing happened, so we can keep this one to ourselves. But at your next…urge I do hope you think about Mike before making any rash decisions. The fair thing to do is to ask for space if you’re really not ready and want to explore.”

  Mallory sniffed, her blonde hair falling all over her shoulders. She hugged me and thanked me for listening to her, then smiled. I left her room and went to mine, exhausted. My black dress was still on the bed where I originally tossed it, and I went to it now to toss it in the laundry basket. Then I crashed in bed and just lay there, thinking the night over.

  Scott had been charming onscreen when he was often interviewed after his every win—which was a lot—but it hadn’t prepared me for how potent that charm was in person. I felt like I’d walked through the middle of a tornado, my body bruised from trying to resist being completely sucked in. But I’d come out alive.

  Not only alive, but kicking.

  I was pretty proud of myself for resisting him like that—but I was absolutely certain it was a one-time thing. I didn’t think I could handle a second encounter.

  Not that I was in any danger of that. I wasn’t planning on returning to that club ever again.

  Just as I was about to go to sleep, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and smiled as I picked it up.

  “Hey, dad. What’s wrong?”

  “Can’t a father call his daughter without you thinking something’s wrong?”

  I laughed at his question. “Yes, yes, a father can. How are you?”

  “Doing good, sweetheart. You?”

  Exhausted, but vibrating with energy from an encounter with a blue eyed, sensual stranger.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “What’s up? How’s life treating you?”

  There was a sigh on the other end. “Life’s boring. And you?”

  I stifled a laugh. That had been my dad’s standard answer since he’d retired from the racing world. It had always been his first love, and he was famous for it—unfortunately, age had gotten to him, just like it did to all old men.

  “My life’s boring, too,” I replied. “You know you can always come visit us here in Florida and we can go out. Mallory and I will keep you entertained, and you won’t be saying your life’s boring ever again.”

  He laughed. I grinned. He said he would love to someday, but still wanted to enjoy his vacation in Hawaii for now. We caught up on each other’s lives before he finally got to the subject on why he called.

  “Are you still on your work hiatus, honey?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Why?” After having recently graduated from college, my father had given me some of his savings and told me to invest it somewhere nice. I initially refused, but he was adamant that it was mine. Wanting to invest it somewhere good and productive, I decided to hold off on applying for a corporate job in New York for now and spending the next few months searching for a good investment. Florida seemed as good a place as any.

  In the meantime, I needed a temporary job—something to get me by while I made my decisions.

  And it was almost like my father read my mind.

  “How would you like working in a pit crew for one of my driver pals?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SCOTT

  The weather was beautiful—not too sunny, not too cloudy, and no sign of rain, which was just perfect for my race today. I arrived at the race track early, where I found my crew chief and some other drivers already there. The race would be starting in an hour, and there was already a sizeable crowd gathered in the stands.

  “Good morning, McCall,” Henry Jones greeted cheerfully.

  “Good morning, Indy,” I greeted in return, grinning. He had gotten into the habit of switching between my first and last name, and I returned it by calling him “Indy” after Indiana Jones.

  “Think we’ll win today?” he asked. It was another habit of his.

  I looked at the weather for a while, then the crowd. Then the cars already lined up at the garage area. My blue car was already there, polished and surrounded by my pit crew. “I have a good feeling about today, Indy.”

  Henry nodded, pleased with my answer. He knew it meant I was in a good mood, and a good mood always meant no cursing or temper tantrums on my end.

  “Any news on Dan?” I asked.

  Henry’s face darkened. Dan was one of our former pit crew members—former because he’d recently been caught making illegal side bets against me. We caught him tampering with the car, and it was just a good thing that Henry had gone to re-check it minutes before the race, otherwise, I could have been in a terrible accident. Piece of shit bastard.

  “No news,” Henry said shortly. “He’s run off. The police are looking for him, though.”

  I nodded. That was good.

  My crew chief looked glum, which made me almost regret asking the question. Given his older age, he’d treated all the crew members like they were his children, and I knew it hurt him to have one of them betray me—and in turn, betray him. To distract him I decided to part with my news.

  “Don’t worry about it too much, Indy. We have a new member today, and you’ll have your hands full.”

  He blinked. “New member?”

  “Remember Jack Davis?”

  His eyes widened. “Who the hell wouldn’t remember Jack Davis?”

  That was true. Jack Davis was a legend, one of the best drivers to ever grace this planet. I chuckled. “Yeah, I knew you would. Anyway, his daughter is looking for a job before she goes to New York. S
he’s gonna be working with us in the meantime.”

  Henry’s brows furrowed. “That little girl who always tags along with him?”

  I nodded. I didn’t really remember much about the girl, my memory hazy. All I remembered was a gangly kid who kept to herself and was fascinated with cars.

  “But she’s young,” Henry said doubtfully.

  “And she grew up on the scene,” I assured. “Jack said she’s damn good, and I’m inclined to believe him.”

  I glanced over at where the crew members were gathered again, finally noticing that there was someone with them that I didn’t recognize—or rather, I didn’t recognize the silhouette, because her back was facing me. And it was definitely female.

  I tipped my head in that direction, and Henry caught on right away. We both approached the area, my gaze noting that the small-looking woman already wearing a pit crew uniform that matched the color of my car. Yes, this definitely had to be Jack’s daughter. Her brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her backside was…curvaceous.

  This surprised me. I guess I was still expecting a little girl. I had to remind myself that it was a few years since I last saw Jack and his daughter.

  When we were near the crew, we greeted each other. One of the newbies, Ulysses, who was working here in between college classes, acknowledged me eagerly.

  “Hey, boss. Did you know we have a new crew member today?”

  I eyed him in amusement. “Yeah. I brought her in. Guys, this is Jack Davis’ daughter. I’m sure you’re all acquainted by now.”

  To my puzzlement, the woman didn’t turn around. Instead, she nodded her head towards the crew, then Henry, who’d joined the front. I was the only one behind her, and I could see her shoulders stiffen. She must be nervous. I let my gaze slide down her backside again, noting down the perky butt and long legs underneath the crew pants.

  Fantastic body so far, but I wasn’t going to flirt with that. I didn’t mess with crew members, no matter how sexy or pretty they were. It just ended in complications.

  And Jack’s daughter? A big, fat ‘hell no’. He’d fucking kill me if I touched her.

  She was definitely off-limits.

  “Hey, there, Jack’s daughter. What’s your name?”

  If anything, her shoulders stiffened all the more. I waited, wondering if she was intimidated. Most people were. Or she was probably just shy.

  Her body moved. She made a turn towards me. My lips slid up into a friendly smile, wanting her to feel welcome and prepared to tell her to feel at home, because this crew was family.

  The smile slid from my mouth when I took in the sight of her face—her familiar face.

  And her oh-so-familiar hazel eyes, which were reluctantly boring into mine.

  “Julie Davis,” she said evenly. “You can call me Jules. And for what it’s worth, I didn’t know my father would put me in your crew.”

  Holy hell.

  It was the fantasy woman from the club.

  *****

  A few hours later, I’d won the race and should have been celebrating, considering my body was still full of adrenaline that needed purging. But I didn’t feel like celebrating right then, so I dismissed the crew early, thanking them for a job well done. Henry shot me a puzzled look before leaving, though he didn’t say a word.

  Julie looked like she was about to make a quick getaway.

  “Julie, can I talk to you for a quick sec?”

  She stopped moving away, her shoulders slumping. Then they straightened as she turned back around and walked over to me, her expression composed and perfectly calm.

  “Yes?”

  “You know you can always tell your dad if this job makes you uncomfortable.”

  Silence filled the garage area, save for the quiet conversation of the other drivers and crew members nearby. Finally, she sighed.

  “I’m not uncomfortable. And I promise I didn’t know I’d be working for you until today. My dad didn’t tell me much.”

  “Good. I tried to seduce you. You were affected. Nothing happened. I think we’re good.”

  The reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes narrowed into slits. I would have laughed, except I knew that was going to just aggravate her further. She didn’t need to know that what I was doing was deliberate.

  “I wasn’t affected,” she clipped out.

  I shook my head. “Yes, you were,” I said cheerfully. “But that’s okay. You’re Jack’s daughter. I wouldn’t dare touch you even if you were bare and begging me.”

  Her eyes frosted over.

  “Hey, no animosity now,” I added. “You need work, and I need a capable crew member. Are we good?” She was more than capable actually, as I remembered how she did her job at the pit stops earlier with no hesitation in her movements. Yep, she definitely grew up on the scene and knew her cars. I held out a hand in truce. I waited. She looked at the hand like it had sharp teeth and it was about to bite.

  But I didn’t have to wait for long. After a short pause she reached for it and shook it. Her hand was calloused but warm and small against mine.

  There were sparks.

  I looked over her face again, unable to believe that this gorgeous woman—the one I’d been searching for a few days now—was Jack’s daughter. Just my luck. Maybe it was fate telling me something.

  Like keeping your self-control in place.

  Right.

  “Fine, we’re good,” she finally replied. “But no funny business.”

  “No funny anything,” I promised.

  “And no stupid come-ons.”

  “Fine.”

  “And no—”

  “Haven’t we already established that I won’t be coming on to you?”

  “Fine,” she said. I smiled.

  Her eyes widened when she realized that we were still holding hands. I stifled a laugh when she snatched it away as if burned. Then she nodded her head.

  “Good day. Congrats,” she said. Then she stalked off before I could respond.

  Rude.

  I grinned at her back and the energy practically vibrating from her. I knew I was going to see a lot more attitude from her, and somehow I was looking forward to the challenge.

  It was going to be fun.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  JULIE

  Being back in the car racing world was a rush in itself, and I hadn’t felt this much excitement in a long time. I’d always been my father’s tag along during his glory days, and I remembered the first time he took me to a race track: all the gathered fans, the loud cheering, the sleek cars, and of course, the drivers who competed against each other for the trophy and the title. It was an eye-opener to an adrenaline rush like I’d never experienced before, and I couldn’t begin to imagine just how much more exciting it was for the drivers.

  I was also fascinated by the pit crew and the job they did, and I’d taken to going with my father just to watch them working on their driver’s cars. Soon I was asking questions about functions and fixes, reading up on them as well, until I knew the basics. I was already doing my own fixes on cars and such and was considered an expert with tinkering by the time I was a teenager.

  College took me away from the track and kept me busy, but I hadn’t stopped missing it. Dad, however, wanted me to take a course that took me to the corporate or business path, knowing it would secure my future more. Still, the money he gave me was enough to get into one business and see where it went, then spend more time with what I really loved—cars and books, to name a few.

  This temporary job as part of a pit crew was practically a gift tossed on my lap, and I’d have been rejoicing with happiness already had it not been for one tiny bump.

  Not that Scott could be considered a bump, considering how…big and manly he was; arrogant too. I was used to arrogant men as they came in spades in the racing world. But I hadn’t come across someone like him yet, whose arrogance was riddled with insane charm and the ability to get people to stop being angry at him. It was amazing how it worked on m
e a few days ago—enough for me to accept his declared truce and actually focus on the work rather than the person I was working for.

  Still, I wouldn’t say we were going to be best friends.

  Today’s activity was a minor car racing event for charity, one sponsored by a retired driver who was older than my dad. I knew Scott volunteered for these kinds of events, but I hadn’t realized how much his presence would be expected. There were already banners bearing his name on the stands, as well as sponsors shaking his hand on his first five minutes coming on the tracks.

  The pit crew was already there by the time I got there, and we all focused on checking and re-checking his car and getting the pit stop needs ready. The youngest crew member, Ulysses, was obviously so in awe of Scott that his accomplishments were all the kid could think about, as well as how lucky he was to be working here. There was mention of the new business Scott co-owned too, and I deduced that it was the club I went to. Smart investment. Most drivers I knew—other than my father—wasted their earnings away, which was just sad.

  There were twenty total pit crew members in Scott’s team, and I was the last one. Because I was new, I wasn’t one of the six usually allowed outside the wall. I didn’t mind, so long as I got to work closely with the team during events. The adrenaline rush was still the same.

  Ulysses asked about my father, and I did my best to answer what I could without revealing where he was. Dad was very private about his location, particularly this vacation. He didn’t like media taking pictures of him. When conversation went on, I tuned it out and admired Scott’s car, a gorgeous Camaro that had one of the smoothest engines I’d seen. I noted with amusement that it was blue, matching the color of his eyes perfectly.

  “I haven’t seen you around.”

  The male voice came from behind, sudden and unfamiliar. I turned around and found a blond man with the grayest eyes I’d ever seen studying me curiously. He was tall, broad, and handsome—and he was wearing driver’s attire.