He loved how animated Colby became when she spoke about her love of driving. Liam simply enjoyed watching her talk. “One day, you’ll have to take me on the track. I would love to experience that magic through your eyes.”
She wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “That. Is. A. Great. Idea! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
“Think of what?”
“I’m taking you out on the track. It’ll loosen you up.”
“I’m pretty loose,” Liam said.
“In an uptight kind of way, I guess.” Colby tried to withhold a smile. “I bet you’ve never driven over eighty mph.”
“You would be wrong.”
She didn’t believe him for a second. “When?”
“You’d be surprised at how fast a private plane can go.” Liam couldn’t remember a time he’d ever felt this light-hearted.
Playfully, Colby pushed his shoulder. “That is not the same. I’m taking you out there. There is an extra fire suit in the men’s locker room. Go get dressed. I’ll meet you back here in fifteen minutes.”
Chapter 15
Colby pulled the car out and drove it around to the front of the building. After a few minutes of waiting, she slid out and leaned up against the driver’s side. What in God’s name is taking him so long? Colby folded her arms across her chest as she waited impatiently.
She waited for another five minutes before Liam emerged from the building. It was like something out of a movie. Colby blinked a few times to clear her vision, but it was as if the man was walking in slow motion. The glint of the sun hit at just the right angle, surrounding him in a golden halo.
He wore an old Daughtry Racing fire suit. Colby had always been a sucker for a man in a uniform. Damn. Liam already looked like a sexy treat, but in that outfit, he was downright scrumptious. Her lips parted as he stole the breath from her body. Colby sucked in her bottom lip to keep it from dropping. Liam had no idea that her heart rate had just accelerated outside of its normal levels.
He didn’t need to know.
“This thing is a little tight.” Liam’s head was down as he walked toward her, fidgeting and pulling at the uniform.
Colby swallowed. She slowly inhaled to steady her breathing before speaking. It didn’t matter. She still sounded a little breathless. “You won’t be in it long.” She quickly amended her statement as his baby blues looked up into hers. “I mean, we’re only going to be on the track long enough for you to know what a little piece of heaven feels like.”
Liam was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. Even if the desire in her voice hadn’t betrayed her, Colby’s eyes told the entire story. It was crystal clear that she was attracted to him.
Having that knowledge was dangerous.
Colby pushed herself off the car then turned to lean inside the window to grab his helmet off the seat before taking tentative steps toward him.
Again, their eyes locked and held. Liam couldn’t turn away even if he wanted to. He was reasonably sure she couldn’t either.
Colby’s mouth went dry. She ran her tongue along her lower lip. That very act could also prove dangerous.
Liam followed the movement. It was then that he realized his own gaze had been left unguarded. His eyes probably mirrored Colby’s and most likely revealed more than he wanted them to.
“You’ll need this.” Colby’s voice was raspy as she lifted the racing helmet.
When he reached out to take the headgear out of her hands, the tips of Liam’s fingers touched hers. Colby felt as if she’d been singed, not only by his touch but by the raw and unvarnished attraction between them.
For all of about three seconds, they stood frozen in time until Colby finally broke eye contact. Girl! What are you doing? Be smart. You’ve worked too hard to get to this point to throw it all away. Colby took a step back. She cleared her throat. “We should probably get going. You have to climb in through the window. Doors to stock cars don’t open.”
Her insides screamed, Why, Lord? Why would you have me be attracted to this man?! Quickly, Colby got into the car.
Whatever she was feeling, Liam was feeling it too. He had been struck hard by the force of nature that was Colby James. This is insane, he thought. Liam barely knew her. His reaction to Colby did not make sense. It was so strong that it had him doing the opposite of what he knew he should be doing.
Brian’s words from earlier taunted him. It’s a feeling unlike any other, and sometimes, it just kinda falls on you. You don’t really have a choice in the matter. I mean, you get to choose whether you act on it or not, but you don’t get to choose who you love.
Bullshit, Liam thought. He refused to believe that. Colby was a beautiful woman, and he was attracted to her. She apparently felt the same way. It was sexual chemistry 101. That was the simple explanation for what had just occurred. Then why haven’t you felt this way about other women you’ve been sexually attracted to?
Liam didn’t have an answer, but he didn’t believe in love at first sight. He just didn’t. However, Brian was right about one thing, Liam had to make a decision. It all boiled down to would he act on his desire.
He shouldn’t. That was a fact. But would he? He wasn’t so sure. For now, Liam would pack it all away into the back of his mind and focus on what was in front of him—the track.
Quietly, Liam slid inside the car.
“Are you ready for the ride of your life?” Colby wouldn’t look at him, and her voice was high-pitched. She was going to pretend that whatever the hell happened a few seconds ago hadn’t. Smart. They
