My eyes landed on Adaline’s pleading face. It killed me to see that look of disappointment in her eyes. “Please, let whatever it is go. He’s not worth it.”
I pointed to Malcolm. “This isn’t over.”
Malcolm threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll be waiting whenever you’re ready, Emmit.”
I turned to Waldo. “I’m sorry. I’m headed back to the bus. It’s been a long day.”
With a nod, Waldo said, “I think that’s for the best.”
I made my way over to Jack. “I’m sorry, Jack; he knows how to push my buttons. I’m a little on edge this evening.”
Jack looked over my shoulder and I knew he was looking at Adaline. “I’m glad she stopped you before you did something you would have regretted.”
My hand went through my hair as I let out a sigh. “Yeah, I’m tired and I think I’ll head back to my bus.” Glancing over to Lynn, I asked, “I can stay if you’d like me to escort you back to the hotel?”
With a sweet smile, Lynn nodded. “I’m tired myself, and I think I’ll take you up on that offer right now.” Giving Jack a kiss on the cheek, Lynn said, “Do you mind if I bug out, Uncle Jack? I can probably catch Brandon if I get back in time to call him.”
Jack gave Lynn a warm smile. “Of course. I’m sure this is all overwhelming.”
Lynn lifted her hand and said, “Nonsense! I’m loving it. Night, Uncle Jack. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Welcome to Elliot Racing. Never a dull moment.” Jack kissed her back.
Lynn laughed before glancing my way. “I see that.”
Lynn took my arm as we said goodnight to a few people and made our way to the elevators.
“She can’t keep her eyes off of us. You do know that, right?” Lynn asked me as I hit the down button and waited for an elevator.
Taking a quick look back into the room, Adaline was staring at us. She looked away when I caught her stare. “Well, I’m no longer her concern. She made that clear three years ago when she turned down my marriage proposal.”
“Oh,” Lynn said under her breath. “Did she have a reason?”
I cracked my neck from side to side as I let out the breath I had been holding. “Yeah, she didn’t want to be a NASCAR wife. Seems she didn’t love me as much as I loved her.”
Lynn turned and faced me. “Really? Because the fact that she hasn’t been able to take her eyes off of you all evening says different.”
My heart dropped at Lynn’s comment. Had Adaline been watching me all evening? Shrugging my shoulders, I wanted to change the subject. “She wanted other things. Things I couldn’t give her. It is what it is.”
Lynn was silent as we rode the elevator down and out to the limo that was waiting for us.
We rode to the hotel in silence. The limo pulled up and I smiled at Lynn. “Would you like for me to walk you up to your room?”
Lynn stepped out of the limo and then leaned back in. “No, thank you. Hey Emmit?”
“Yeah?”
Lynn’s face turned serious as she said, “Don’t do something you’ll regret tomorrow morning.”
With a half hearted smile and a quick head nod, I said, “Night, Lynn. See you tomorrow.”
“Night. See ya tomorrow.”
The door to the limo shut, and the driver asked, “Where to Mr. Lewis?”
I pulled my phone out as I searched for the number I was looking for.
“One second please,” I said as I hit her number.
“Hey, Emmit!”
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “You busy?”
Hearing the noise in the background, I knew my baby sister was most likely at a party somewhere in Dallas. She’d been up since yesterday and watched my qualifying run, hung out with Lynn and me for a bit and then took off to hit the nightlife of Dallas.
“Nope! Just met up with some friends, but I’m totally down with leaving.” My sister just turned twenty-one, and I knew she had been looking forward to this trip with her two best friends. “Your girls with you still?”
With a laugh, Ashley asked, “Which one you interested in?”
“Tell me where y’all are and I’ll meet you.”
“Billy Bob’s, so wear your boots!”
I shook my head as I let out a chuckle. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“See ya then, big brother!” Ashley shouted as I hit end.
“Will you please take me to Billy Bob’s?”
“Yes sir, Mr. Lewis. Billy Bob’s it is.”
I leaned back in the booth and scanned the dance floor for my sister. “Fucking hell, this place is huge. And dark.”
Ashley had told the club I was coming, so they reserved a booth toward the back. It wasn’t totally private, but it was good enough and it still allowed me to look out for my sister, who happened to be hanging on some tall cowboy while they danced around on the dance floor.
One of Ashley’s friends gave me a sexy smile as she slid into the booth. “Ashley told me to come keep you company, Emmit. Said you needed to loosen up before your big race tomorrow.”
With a lift of my mouth into a half smile, I knew all it would take was a full-blown smile, one dimple, and one wink of my eye and I’d have this girl riding me right here in the damn booth.
“What did you have in mind?”
Her eyes lit up as she moved closer and I slide a bit further over so that the wall was blocking us more. “Let me just say this, I discarded my panties just now in the restroom.”
Giving her a full on smile, she ran her tongue along her lips and moved her hand across the growing bulge in my pants.
“What do you want me to do for you, Emmit?”
I pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear and then grabbed onto her neck and pulled her closer to me and whispered against her lips. “Make me forget her.” Pulling out my wallet, I grabbed a condom and tossed it on the table.
Her hand moved quickly to the button on my dress pants; she had my dick exposed and was priming it.
Fuck, I hadn’t even caught what this girl’s name was. If she told me, I had already forgotten. “What’s your name?” I asked as I grabbed her hand and stopped her.
“My friends call me Cookie, cause I’m a baker at a popular restaurant here in town.”
My eyes went to her shaking hands. “Cookie. Okay,” I said with a fake smile. “Cookie, do you want to fuck me?”
Her eyes widened. “Yes.”
“Your hands are shaking. I don’t want you doing something you don’t want to do.”
She let out a giggle and said, “My hands are shaking, because I’m about to fuck the best NASCAR driver in the country. Here’s hoping you aren’t fast at everything.”
A memory of Adaline smiling at me after one of my earlier races as she kissed me and whispered, “Let’s not be so fast with our celebration later,” popped into my head. My eyes glanced at the condom on the table and then down to my exposed dick.
What in the fuck am I doing?
I pushed Cookie away from me and zipped my pants back up.
Quickly getting out of the booth, Cookie gave me a funny look. “W-where are you going?”
My hand went through my hair as I sighed. “I’ve got a race tomorrow. I need to get back.”
With a sexy grin, Cookie asked, “You don’t want me, Emmit?”
I glanced back out to the dance floor and searched for my sister. Seeing her dancing with the same cowboy, I turned back to Cookie. “Ashley’s got full passes for each of y’all, so maybe I’ll see ya tomorrow.”
Her face lit up. “You mean I get to see you, like . . . like down on Pit Row?”
With a fake smile, I forced out a, “Yep.”
“Cool!”
I gave her a quick wink. “Yeah, cool.”
Not even bothering to stop and tell my sister I was leaving, I sent her a text.
Me: Heading back. See you tomorrow
Sis: Okay! Did you and Cookie have fun!?
I rolled my eyes as I headed out of the club. I called the limo driver to swing back around and pick me up.