Ignite (Speed Series Book 1) by Kelly Elliott
VICTORY LANE, TEXAS
With a smile, I crawled out of my number thirty-seven car and stood on the window as champagne and beer hit me from all sides. “Yes!” I called out as the crowd went wild. I turned and jumped into the arms of my pit crew as the celebrations started.
Quickly setting me down, my eyes scanned everywhere for her.
Adaline Morgan.
The love of my life ever since the day she pushed me on the play ground in elementary school for pulling her pigtails.
We both had called Marble Falls, Texas home. Adaline was my best friend and biggest support of my racing since the first time I crawled into a cart.
“Emmit, how does it feel to win your first NASCAR race and here in your home state of Texas?”
Still searching the crowd, I smiled bigger when her blue eyes met mine.
Adaline.
I pinned her with my stare. “No words could describe it. I feel like I’m in a dream. Nothing is better than this.”
I did my duty and answered all the reporters’ questions. The second they cut out, Waldo Morgan, my crew chief and Adaline’s daddy, came up and gave me a bear hug. He had been my crew chief since I first started racing stock cars.
“You did it, son. I always knew you would,” he said as he slapped my back.
I shook my head. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Waldo.”
“Go celebrate,” Waldo said with a laugh as he shook my body and smiled.
With a quick smile, I made my way to Adaline, picked her up and spun her around as she laughed. Setting her down, I stared into her eyes. “We did it.”
Her hands went to my chest, causing a rush of excitement to race through my body. “You did it. I’ve always known you would.”
I cupped her face as I brushed my lips across hers. “I’ll meet you on the bus.”
With a quick kiss, I gave her a wink and turned to head back out into the crowd. Everyone was talking about how the nineteen-year-old newcomer had dominated the entire race.
Hell yeah I did. And I’m just getting started.
Nothing in the world could ever knock me down from this high.
As I stepped onto the bus, I grinned from ear to ear as my eyes fell on the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. Tonight was going to be perfect. The ring was tucked under my pillow safely, and I had practiced what I was going to say about a hundred times in the mirror over the last two weeks.
“Hey,” I whispered as I moved toward Adaline. Standing she gave me a smile back.
“Congratulations, Emmit. I’m so proud of you.”
Adaline gazed up at me through her long eyelashes as her hands went to my chest. My body was exhausted, but I knew I couldn’t wait to be with her. My body craved hers. Adaline snarled her lip and shook her head. “You smell like beer.”
With a laugh, I kissed her quickly on the lips. “Yeah, that was insane. All the pictures and interviews were f*cking amazing though.”
Adaline gave me a sweet grin. “You must be tired.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to go take a quick shower. I have one more interview and some pictures. Then it’s just me and you,” I said as I placed my hand on the side of Adaline’s face. Something passed over her face before she gave me a warm smile. I knew this was hard for her. It felt as if we fought for alone time together.
I stripped out of my clothes and I jumped into the hot shower to clean up as fast as I could.
With a towel wrapped around my waist, I made my way over to Adaline. Her eyes roamed my body as she bit down hard on her lower lip.
Fuck the interview.
I dropped the towel and pulled Adaline to me and moved my hand up her dress.
Adaline dropped her head back so that I could kiss her neck. “Emmit, your interview.”
My lips moved across her soft skin. “It can wait.”
With one swift move, I pushed her panties out of the way, lifted her and slowly sank her down onto me as I let out a moan.
Adaline wrapped her arms around me as she said, “Emmit, condom.”
The knock at the door caused me to let out a frustrated sigh. “Ignore it,” I whispered against her lips.
Adaline kissed me like it was going to be our last kiss as her hands pushed through my hair and pulled. “Emmit, condom or interview,” she breathed into my mouth.
Another knock. This time louder.
I kissed her deeper.
Another knock. “Emmit! Dude, everyone is waiting to talk to you.”
I let out a frustrated sigh as I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, Addie.”
“It’s okay. Go do what you have to do and then we’ll grab something to eat and relax for a bit.”
I pulled out of her and slipped on some jeans and a T-shirt and headed out to finish up the day.
By the time I made it back to the bus, Adaline had arranged for dinner to be delivered to us. Taking her hand in mine, I led her back to the bedroom and slowly made love to her. Dinner could wait.
My hand reached under my pillow as I took the box holding the ring out and looked Adaline in the eyes and smiled.
“Adaline, you mean more to me than anything. My life is nothing without you in it. Will you marry me?”
I smiled as I opened the ring box while Adaline stared at it. A tear rolled down her cheek as she pressed her lips together.