Planting her hands firmly on her hips, Sam stood directly in front of Drew, blocking her shot. “I thought you said you weren’t going to play games with me anymore.” It might only be miniature golf, but Drew was winning, and Sam didn’t like it.
Drew stretched out an arm and nudged her to the side before hitting the red golf ball around the obstacles and into the hole. “What’s wrong? Can’t take a little competition?” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“I can take it, all right.” She swung the putter hard against the little yellow ball. “Damn,” she said, watching it hit a bump, fly past the hole, over the concrete border, and onto the next putting green.
Drew frowned. “You’re putting too much power in your shot.”
She flattened her lips and pulled her brows together. “What?”
“Here. Let me show you.” Drew wrapped her body around Sam’s and covered her hands with her own on the putter shaft.
Feeling the warmth of Drew’s breath on her neck, Sam nervously bumped up against her, and a charge of excitement shook her. Drew shifted closer, slid her chin onto Sam’s shoulder, and took in a long, slow breath. Sam got the message loud and clear, and her body betrayed her again.
“Let the putter do the work,” Drew whispered, then lifted it slightly and let it swing back down to connect. The putter sent the ball rolling easily into the hole.
“Yessss!” Sam swung around and let her gaze dart from Drew’s soft, sensuous lips to her steamy brown eyes. Zing! There it was again, that overwhelming need to kiss her. Flying around this familiar slippery track made Sam’s heart race. In an instant her mouth was on Drew’s, and her tongue was roaming through her lips, feeling, tasting, wanting the victory she’d forbidden herself just a few hours before.
This felt right. It was like she was meant to be linked with Drew. She tingled with the excitement of a first date, yet the kiss rang with the familiarity of old lovers. She’d touched her intimately, felt her long, lean body on hers, twice now, and hadn’t been able to complete the task she craved.
“Hey, do you think you guys could do that somewhere else? Or at least let us play through?” A voice from behind them broke through the fog she’d been immersed in, urging Sam to break away.
“Sure,” Drew mumbled. “We’re done here.” Moving a strand of hair from Sam’s face, she didn’t break eye contact. “Aren’t we?”
“Uh-huh,” Sam managed to say. Still reeling from her own indecision, she took Drew’s hand and let her lead her off the course.
“What do you want to do now?” Drew asked, moving in to kiss her again.
She was caught. Boxed in. Snared in a trap of her own making. Sam knew exactly what she wanted, but Drew was so much different than anyone she’d ever known, and Sam might very well lose her heart. What was she going to do now? The wind shifted, and she caught a whiff of exhaust.
“Go-carts!” Sam grabbed Drew’s hand and pulled her around the corner. “Come on. I know they’re here somewhere.” Spotting the track, she let Drew’s hand go and raced to the first open cart. “Now, I’m going to show you how it’s done.” She lifted her eyebrows and gave her a smile as she slid into the seat and fastened the safety harness.
“Bring it on, baby,” Drew said, taking the challenge and sliding into the cart behind her.
Weaving in and out between the other carts, Sam gave herself a substantial lead, but Drew was gaining. As she took the curve, Sam thought she saw Brad at the end of the track. She jerked forward as her cart bumped the cart in front of her. When she looked up again, he was gone. I must be out of my mind. Brad can’t be here.
She turned to see where Drew was but couldn’t spot her. By the time she circled the track, the drivers had slowed, and the attendant was directing everyone back into starting position.
A surge of panic shot through her. What if that was Brad? He and Drew could be getting into it right now. She didn’t need that conflict. She weaved through the slowing cars, pulled the go-cart into the lane, and screeched to a halt. She popped out of the car and searched the track, relieved when she spotted Drew sitting on the side of the track next to a little girl. Brad was nowhere in sight.
“What happened?” Sam asked the attendant.
“Someone threw this rock onto the track, sending the little girl into the curb.” She handed her a boulder the size of a baseball.
“Jeez—is she okay?”
He nodded, hopping on the back of a go-cart. “She’s just a little shook up.” He gave the starter rope a tug, but the cart didn’t fire.
“Who would’ve done something like that?” Sam tossed the rock into the grass.
“Probably some teenager. Their parents bring them here and just let them loose.”
Sam frowned. “She seems okay now.”
“Yeah. Your girlfriend got her calmed down for me.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” she said, then moved close enough to hear Drew soothing the girl with her calming voice.
“Whatever,” the attendant said, yanking the rope harder. The engine fired, and he raced it around the track.
“She’s just a…” She started to protest but realized it didn’t make any difference what the attendant thought.
Watching Drew gently wipe the tears from the little girl’s cheeks made a rush of warmth hit Sam. She was so attentive, so loving. Paddy would’ve yanked her up by the arm and made her get back in the cart. She would have given anything for that kind of attention from her father when she was young. Hell, she’d give it now.
“Is she all right?” Sam said, kneeling down on the grass next to Drew.
“Yep. She’s a tough one.” Drew took the little girl’s hand and helped her up. “How about some pizza?” she asked, leading her to the track exit.
“Pepperoni?” the girl asked, staring up at her with innocent puppy-dog eyes.
Drew scrunched her nose and smiled. “The only kind.”
“Where are her parents?” Sam whispered as they walked.
“Apparently, she’s here with her older brother and his girlfriend.”
“Where are they?” She took a quick sweep of the area.
“Don’t know.”
Sam snapped her head back to Drew immediately, widening her eyes. “They left her here to ride this alone?”
“Looks like it.” Drew scratched the back of her head. “I told the kid manning the ride, if he comes after her, we’ll be inside.” She stopped, seeming to second-guess herself. “Is that okay with you?”
“Of course.” Sam nodded, surprised Drew thought she had to ask.
“Here.” Drew handed a few tokens to the little girl. “Why don’t you go play a couple of games while we order the pizza?”
“Thanks.” She grabbed the coins and raced across the room to the arcade games.
“You like pepperoni?”
“I’ll just have a salad.”
Sam stood behind Drew, watching the little girl play a video game. It seemed the big, bad racecar driver had a soft spot for kids. Suddenly Sam found herself wanting to wrap her arms around Drew and never let go. Suppressing the urge, she took in a deep breath and touched her lightly on the back instead.
Drew turned slightly. “Everything okay?” Her hand brushed around Sam’s waist, and she melted into her.
Sam nodded. “Everything’s good.”
Seeing Drew soothing the little girl until her tears had subsided made Sam’s heart twinge. Sam was gradually learning that behind the thick crust of arrogance was a sweet, gentle woman, which made Sam want her even more.
“One pepperoni pizza coming up.” Drew took the plates from the counter and handed her one. “Salad bar for you, my dear.”
Sam stared into Drew’s warm chocolate eyes and felt herself sinking again. “That was awfully nice of you. Helping her like that.” Why did she have to be so blasted nice, and funny, and cute?
“Nothing more than I would expect from any average person in the same situation.”
Drew didn’t realize Sam saw her as much more than average and found herself hoping for things in the future that would never happen between them.
“So how about we find a table?” Drew handed her a soda. “It’s root beer,” she said before Sam asked.
Sam gave her a soft smile. Drew must have noted her drinking habits. She didn’t order soda very often, but when she did it was always caffeine-free. “I’ll be right back,” she said, setting her drink on the first empty table.
Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers—not the best salad bar in town, but it would satisfy her appetite. After filling her plate, Sam returned to find that Drew had moved them to a booth by the window.
“What was wrong with that table?”
She stood up and motioned to the arcade games. “I thought it might be a little quieter over here.” Drew offered her the seat next to her, but Sam opted for the other side of the table, sliding in just far enough to force Drew to remain in the seat across from her.
Visibly amused at her need for distance, Drew slid in facing her and sat staring at her.
After slipping the wrapper off her straw and plunging it into her soda, Sam shifted uncomfortably. “Stop it.”
Drew grinned. “Stop what?”
“Staring at me like that.”
“The pizza isn’t here yet. What should I do instead?”
“Talk or something.”
“All right. Tell me how you got the nickname Slick?”
“What do you think?”
Drew closed her eyes as though she were deep in thought. “Because you like to get naked, pour Slick Fifty motor oil all over your body, and slide around on the garage floor?”
“No.” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. The woman was impossible.
She reached over and rubbed a strand of Sam’s hair between her finger and thumb. “Hair’s clean, you probably wash it daily, so it couldn’t be that.” Letting her finger trail down her jawline, she pinched Sam’s chin softly between her thumb and forefinger. “Maybe it’s because you’re so slick, no one can catch you.”
She was doing it again. Sam cursed herself for letting Drew affect her this way. She cleared her throat. “None of the above.”
“Then, how?”
“I’m not sure I want to tell you after all that.” Sam gazed at her through long, lowered lashes. “It’s going to ruin my mystique.”
Drew took her hand and swept her thumb across the back of it. “At this point, I don’t think anything could ruin that.”
The touch unnerved her. She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Samantha Louise Kelleher. Initials SLK. Aka—Slick.”
The vinyl crackled as Drew shifted in her seat. “Not so mysterious after all.”
“When I was a kid, Paddy always put Slick on the entry form instead of Samantha. Some races weren’t gender friendly. It wasn’t officially in the rules, but ‘no girls allowed’ was a common bias. Sometimes they would find ways to exclude me. After a while they caught on and accepted the fact that Paddy was going to enter me, whether they liked it or not. We didn’t have to pretend anymore, but the nickname stuck.”
Drew raised an eyebrow, and her gaze swept down to her breasts. “Couldn’t they see you were a girl?”
Sam followed her gaze and smiled back. “I was a late bloomer. I didn’t get these until I was about seventeen.”
“Why aren’t you driving now?” Drew’s brows pulled together. “I can’t be the only reason.” She leaned forward, plucked a cherry tomato from Sam’s plate, and popped it into her mouth.
“You’re only part of it. Since Tommy’s accident, Paddy is suddenly acutely aware of the dangers of racing.”
“From what I saw today, I think you can handle it.”
Drew stretched her arms across the top of the booth, and her shirt tugged up. Sam couldn’t help but notice the flat belly and defined abs. Her gaze fixed and she couldn’t move. Damn, she was trying so hard to be cool, but all Drew had to do was stretch a little, and her hormones topped out.
“One large pepperoni.” The waiter slid the pizza onto the table between them.
Her eyes darted to the pizza, then to Drew. Saved, she thought, catching a glimpse of her smile.
“Bobbie.” Drew waved the little girl over. “Pizza’s here.”
“My name’s Barbara,” she shouted, hurrying across the room to the table.
“Didn’t you tell me Bobbie is your nickname?”
She scowled. “I did, but I don’t like it. Bobbie’s a boy’s name, and I don’t want to look like a boy.”
Drew let out a chuckle. “You’re not going to look like a boy if you don’t want to.” She smiled broadly at the ten-year-old, who hadn’t even begun to develop into her true beauty. “Take Samantha, here. She’s gorgeous.” Drew reached across the table, curling a strand of Sam’s red hair around her fingertip. “And everyone calls her Sam.”
Bobbie perked up quickly. “They do?”
“Yep.” Sam nodded, unwinding the strand of hair from Drew’s finger before forcing her hand to the table beneath her own.
“Wow. Then Bobbie might not be bad. It’s not as much a boy’s name as Sam.” She grabbed a slice of pizza and stuffed the end into her mouth.
Drew chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll be even prettier than Sam.”
“I’m going to be beautiful,” she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She took another bite of pizza, dropped it onto the plate, and ran back to the video games.
“Beautiful. Where did she get that?” Sam laughed.
* * *
Drew let her gaze flash back to Sam and could see she was serious. She had no idea how many heads turned when she passed.
“My God, woman. Don’t you know how sexy you are?” Matted, windblown hair, and all, that fact was undeniable.
“Not me.” She seemed surprised. “I’m just an average technician trying to make a living.”
“Just watching you eat that salad would send any woman reeling.” She had methodically separated out the vegetables and cut each one into equal parts.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never seen anyone eat with such structure.” Drew grinned. “I mean, one piece at a time.”
“Each one of these has its own unique flavor.” She set her fork down, picked up a piece of lettuce, and tore it in half. “Open your mouth.” She put half into Drew’s mouth and then half into her own. “Lettuce can be leafy and flavorful, depending on the kind you choose.” She took a slice of cucumber and bit a piece off before feeding Drew the rest. “Crunchy, yet somewhat bland.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Am I right?”
“Absolutely. And the tomato?” Drew asked curiously.
“The tomato,” she took the knife and cut the petite, shiny-red globe in half, “is the kicker.” She slid half into Drew’s mouth, then held her half up in front of her. “On the outside you have the smooth skin to glide around in your mouth.” She slid it down her tongue. “And on the inside you have all these different shapes and textures to explore.” She turned it upside down and raked it across her teeth, capturing the pulp just inside her mouth. “If you mixed all these things together, you’d never get to experience all that.” She smiled mischievously and chewed the remaining piece of tomato.
“Are you sure you’re just a technician?” Drew relaxed, letting herself feel everything she’d just heard. She smiled, strangely contented to sit across from this woman who could totally turn her on with one look, and who might also be a cold-blooded killer.
Bobbie came running back to the table. “I got three hundred thousand on Space Invaders.”
“Wow! That’s great,” Sam said. “Why don’t you sit down and have some more pizza.” She scooted over, letting her slide into the booth next to her.
“There you are.” A straggly-looking teenager approached the table. “I’ve been searching all over for you.”
“You just went off and left me. I could’ve been killed. Wait ’til I tell Mom.” Bobbie squeezed her lips together tightly.
Drew noted the sudden flash of panic on the boy’s face. He wasn’t sure if it was because his sister could’ve been hurt or because she was going to make sure he got in deep trouble when he got home. “We had a little accident on the go-carts, but she’s fine now.”
“I only left for a minute,” the boy grumbled, his voice filling with concern.
Drew frowned. “She’s ten. You shouldn’t have left her at all.”
He dropped his shoulders. “My girlfriend wanted a soda.”
Drew held her temper. “Next time take her with you.”
“I know, I should’ve, but my girl doesn’t like having her tag along.”
“Where is the old crab anyway?” Bobbie spoke up before jamming another slice of pizza into her mouth.
He glanced back over his shoulder. “She got mad and took off with some friends.”
Drew’s demeanor softened. “Want some pizza?”
“Sure.” He sat down, grabbed a plate, and pulled half the pizza onto it.
* * *
Sam slid back in her seat, and Drew could see her watching as she gave the teenager a lengthy lecture on the responsibilities of being an older brother. The boy nodded and continued to wolf down piece after piece of pizza, staring mindlessly at her through the gel-stiffened strands of hair hanging across his eyes.
After finishing off the pizza, Sam and Bobbie hit the ladies’ room before they all walked to the parking lot. Bobbie’s brother pulled opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. “Thanks for taking care of my sister,” he said, glancing up at Drew.
“No problem.” Drew pushed the car door closed. “Just remember what I said.”
Bobbie rolled her window down and waved wildly as they drove off.
“The boy looks pitiful.” Sam threw her arm up, returning her wave with just as much enthusiasm. “What did you say to him?”
“I told him he would have many girlfriends, but only one sister.” She spoke in a rhythm as though she were Confucius.
“Ah, the philosophic racer.”
“That’s me.” Drew took her hand and pulled her toward the Jeep. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Sam glanced over her shoulder. “The kid can’t be too bad. He drives a sixty-nine Chevelle.”
“I’m sure when it comes to women, he’ll make his mistakes just like every other teenager.” Or adult, Drew thought as she tugged Sam close, slipping her arm around her waist.
Sam seemed to hesitate, then let her arm curl around Drew’s waist. This reaction, coming from any other woman, might lead Drew to believe she didn’t want to be this close. And she shouldn’t. Drew shouldn’t, but God help her, she wanted it. She wanted it more than anything else she’d ever wanted before, and something about the way Sam touched her told Drew she wanted it too.
When they reached the Jeep, Drew caught the steamy, impassioned glint in Sam’s eyes and tingled, and she urgently wanted to explore it. Drew hadn’t been with a woman who could make her want to do that in a very long time.
“Where are we going—” A fleeting touch of Drew’s lips to her mouth interrupted Sam’s question.
Drew opened the Jeep door for her. “To get some real food. I’m starving.”
Sam hopped up onto the seat. “You should’ve stolen that last slice before that malnourished teen got it.”
“Malnourished.” Drew let out a short grunt and slammed the door. “Bottomless pit is more like it,” she said, rounding the Jeep to the other side.