Revved (37 page)

I stare at him for a moment. Damp golden skin, wet hair—God, he’s gorgeous. And he’s all mine.

“What?” He grins.

“Just admiring your hot body.” I smirk.

“Admire all you want.” He drops his towel and then yanks mine from my body.

He picks me up, causing me to squeal. I’ve noticed that he likes to carry me around a lot, and I have absolutely no issues with that.

He pulls back the duvet on his bed and deposits me on the firm mattress. He climbs in beside me. Pulling me to him—entwining his legs with mine, his arm around my waist—he presses his face into my neck and kisses me there.

“Stay tonight?” His lips brush over my skin.

I tip my head back, so I can look into his face. “Like you could get me to leave.” I smile.

That makes him smile, and he snuggles in closer. “I’ll feed you soon. I just want to lie here and hold you for a bit.”

“That works for me because I want to be held by you.”

We lay in content silence, my fingers stroking over his back in a pattern of our names, and it’s not long after when I hear Carrick’s breathing start to even out.

He must be worn out from all the sex.

Then, feeling the most peaceful I have in a long time, I let my eyes drift shut.

When I awake, it’s dark out, a low light in the room. As I turn my head, I find Carrick already awake, head on the pillow beside me, watching me.

“Hey.” I smile, stretching my arms up. “How long have you been awake?”

“A while.”

“You should have woken me up.”

“You were tired.”

It’s then I notice the unease in his eyes. “Carrick…is everything all right?” There’s a slight tremor to my voice.

“Everything’s fine.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “You’re still here, and everything’s good.”

You’re still here.

Still.

He thought I was going to leave. Even after what I said in the garage, he still thought I was going to leave.

And I have nobody to blame but myself for him thinking that. What he needs from me right now is reassurance, and I’m going to give him it.

Turning my body to his, I rest my hand against his chest. “You thought I’d wake up and leave?”

He gives a light shrug of his shoulders, but I see it flicker through his eyes.

“I’m not leaving. And I’m sorry for every stupid thing that I did in the past—pushing you away after we had sex, running out on you, all of it.” Leaning in, I softly kiss his mouth. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

He pulls me close, hooking my leg over his hip, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m being fucking stupid. I know. I just didn’t want to wake up and you be gone. Then, I was scared that you were going to wake up and realize that you made a mistake and leave.”

“You’re not being stupid. I’ve given you every reason to think this way, and I’m sorry. I can’t change the past. But I can promise that I’ll talk to you, explain everything I’m feeling, why I behave like I do.”

“You mean freak out?”

I let out a small sad laugh. “Yeah, freak out.”

Moving back, I lay my head on his pillow, so I can look at him.

“There’s something I need to tell you—about me.”

“Okay.” He gives me a wary look.

“It’s nothing bad about us.” Now that I’m about to say it, it feels like I’m making a big deal out of it. “It’s not crucial to anything. It’s just something that I haven’t told you, and you should know. I mean, I haven’t told anyone here—well, apart from Petra. She knows and Uncle John knows, but he’s always knew because—”

His hand touches my arm. “Andressa, it’s okay. You can tell me.”

Deep breath. One. Two. Three.

“My dad is William Wolfe.”

I expect him to look surprised, but he doesn’t.

Staring steadily back at me, he nods his head once. “Yeah, I know.”

“You know?” Air whooshes into my lungs as my brows pull together in consternation. “How do you know?”

His cheeks redden a bit, and he bites his lip. If I wasn’t so perturbed right now, I’d bite his lip, too, because he looks so goddamn sexy.

He blows out a breath before speaking, “When I saw you there at that car show, looking at his car, and you were crying, I just knew right then that there was something, and it was bugging the fuck out of me afterward. I knew the car was important to you. I just didn’t know why—and that’s why I bought it.”

My chest tightens with so many emotions. Taking his hand, I kiss it. His face warms with his feelings for me. Cupping my cheek, he presses a kiss to my lips.

Keeping his hand on my face, he strokes my skin with his thumb. “I had to get that car, no matter what, so I called up the owner, and I got him to sell it to me. After the deal was done, I got off the phone with him, and I started researching the car, finding more about it, like what I was going to need to get it up and running again. There was no way that car was going to sit pretty in my garage—not after what you said to me. And honestly, it was a good reason to have you with me, to be able to spend time with you again.

“While I was researching the car, I stumbled on this picture of your dad with the car. He was standing in front of it with his wife…and that was when I knew. I remembered your mum from the photo you showed me in Kuala Lumpur. Sure, she looked younger, but it was like looking at you. I looked up your dad’s Wiki page, and it was all there. Spouse, Katia Amaro-Wolfe. Child, Andressa Wolfe. It didn’t take a genius to work out that you’re his daughter, babe. I should have realized before because of John. I knew he’d worked for William and that they were good friends. I just…” Carrick rubs his face with his hand. “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me. Why keep it a secret?”

I let out a sigh. “Because I didn’t want people thinking that Uncle John gave me the job because of who my dad was, because Uncle John was my dad’s best friend.”

“No one would’ve thought that.”

I give him a look. “They would have so thought that. I’m a moderately attractive young female mechanic—”

“Moderately attractive?” He raises a brow. “I’m more inclined to say you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you that first time, bent over my car with your long legs and sexy arse stuck up in the air.” He squeezes my bum with his hand. “Jesus, I almost came in my pants. Hottest fucking thing ever, babe.”

Laughing, I lightly slap my hand to his chest. “If everyone knew who my dad was, they’d have thought that was the only reason I was there. I just wanted to prove myself before people knew I was his daughter.”

“You’ve proven yourself more than enough times. You’re brilliant at your job.” He slides his hand down over my bum and along my thigh. “You do realize, now that I have you, I’m never letting you go, right? From my garage or my bed. You have to stay forever.”

Forever
.

I ignore the little ripple of fear in my chest. “Works for me.” I smile. Running my fingers down to his abs, I start to trace them, loving the feel of him shuddering beneath my touch.

“It’s because of your dad, what happened to him…that’s why you didn’t want to be with me?”

That jolts me back. Emotions flood me, stilling my hand.

“I didn’t…I still don’t want to go through losing someone that I care about again.”

“You won’t lose me, Andressa.” He tips my chin up with his fingers, so I’m looking him in the eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t promise that.” There’s a broken edge to my voice.

“No, I guess no one can. But things are different now, safer than they used to be when you lost your dad.”

Carrick drives at speeds close to three hundred and seventy-five kilometers an hour. There’s nothing safe about that.

“I just…the way I feel about you, Carrick…it terrifies me. That’s why I tried to stay away for as long as I did. When I think about losing you…the panic consumes me, and I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s the fear of losing you that makes me run.”

“No more running, babe.”

He presses the sweetest kiss to my forehead. It brings tears to my eyes.

“You terrify me, too.” His lips brush over my skin. “I’ve never felt this close to anyone in my life. The way I feel about you…it’s beyond anything I’ve ever known. But we can do this because we’re meant to be together.”

And as he wraps his arms around me, holding me tight, I try to ignore that tiny debilitating voice nagging away in the very recess of my mind that’s telling me that it’s only a matter of time before the fear takes hold again.

I WAKE UP TO THE FEEL OF CARRICK
. His body on mine, his mouth pressing soft, sweet kisses to my lips.

I moan my acquiescence, my lips parting, and he deepens the kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth, bringing me to life in an instant.

My body feels deliciously sore in the only way it can be after having copious amounts of sex, but even still, I’m ready for more with him.

Last night, Carrick ordered us dinner in. We had pizza, which we ate in the living room. We also started to watch a movie, but I couldn’t tell you a thing about it because I only saw the first ten or so minutes of it. We went at it again on his sofa, which ended up with me bent over the coffee table while he took me from behind.

After we caught our breath and cleaned up, Carrick suggested going to bed, which I was ready for—tired from all the sex. We made it to the staircase before we were going at it again. Clearly, I wasn’t that tired.

He took me right there on the staircase. I didn’t know you could have sex like that on the stairs, but apparently, you can.

I’m pretty sure I have carpet burns on my arse, knees, and elbows. Like I care though.

We’re doing it like horny teenagers, and I love it. Sex with Carrick is like nothing I’ve ever known before.

He likes to screw me in lots of different positions. I try not to think about how he’s so experienced in having sex in so many different ways.

Instead, I focus on his sexual appetite for me and how insatiable it is. And how I’m the same for him.

We can’t get enough of one another. I’ve never been like this for a guy before.

But then Carrick’s not exactly your average guy.

His kiss starts to slow, letting me up for air, and I blink open my eyes.

“Is this my wake-up call? Because I could seriously get used to this every morning.” Stretching my arms up, I wrap them around his neck.

“Well, get used to it because I intend on waking you up every day like this.” Another kiss. “You just looked so fucking sexy. I couldn’t help myself.” His hand slides down my side to my thigh.

“What time is it?” I ask, seeing the dawn light, knowing I have to be at work.

“Early. Now, shush, and let me kiss you again.”

Obliging, I offer my mouth up to him, which he gladly takes.

It’s not long before things are getting hot and heavy. Carrick begins kissing his way down my body. Pressing lingering kisses to my belly, he starts to lick a path downward.

Pushing my legs apart, he lies between them and puts his mouth on me.

“Oh!” My hips jerk at the feel of his tongue on me, my fingers curling into the bedsheet.

“God, you taste so good,” he growls against me, the vibration of his voice hits all the right spots.