Overnight Sensation(23)

Heidi doesn’t say anything. She makes a lane change that’s sudden yet smooth and heads off the upcoming exit. “Hey!” I gasp, grabbing the seat in front of me. I’d be impressed if I weren’t busy preparing for my sudden death.

It’s a short exit ramp, and she has to break hard at the bottom. The tires squeak as she makes a short radius turn, heading away from the highway.

“This is just going to get you into more trouble,” I complain.

“Possibly,” she grunts as we head down a street dotted with low-slung buildings. “But the universe owes me one.”

“It doesn’t work that way for me,” I point out from the backseat.

Although maybe it does for her. Because Heidi pulls into the entrance of an automated carwash and drives around to the back.

This will never work. Those are my thoughts as her sleek arm reaches out of my lowering window, a credit card on offer. She dips it into the waiting instrument panel and the carwash door begins to lift ahead of her.

Heidi taps on the screen several times at top speed. And then my car glides into the bay as she raises the window again. “Now you won’t have those dead bugs on your windshield,” she says as the door closes behind us.

“I’ll be in jail, but at least I’ll have a clean car. There’s a window on that door. See? The cop will be sitting out there waiting when it opens.”

We both stare at that window as the water begins to spray the car. My heart rate is accelerated, and the buzzy feeling in my chest has returned. I feel more alive right now than I have in a long time.

“What do you think the citation is for evading a police officer?” I ask, because I’m a dick. “Misdemeanor or felony?”

“Gosh. Stop it,” she says, reaching back to slap my leg.

But I grab her wrist and hold on tightly. She turns around, fire in her eyes.

I feel lit up and happy. It makes no sense at all. Neither does my next move—reaching out to palm Heidi’s jaw with my free hand, and tugging her closer.

Our mouths fuse before I even realize what I’m doing. But it’s already too late. She tastes like cherry lip gloss and heat. My first kiss is slow, and she makes a soft sound of surprise. Emboldened, I lick her lower lip. She opens on a hot gasp that goes straight to my crotch.

Damn it all to hell. Why does this girl get under my skin? As soapy water rains down on my car, I try to figure it out by weaving my fingers into her hair and exploring her sweet mouth with my tongue.

But there aren’t any answers here. Only the click of teeth as I get even closer. Her hands grasp tightly to my shoulders. She wants this, and yet she shouldn’t. She ought to understand that this is a bad idea.

My kiss turns punishing, my tongue scraping against hers. My grip tightens on her hair. Run, little girl. Or I’m going to hike up that soft pink silk and do you right here on my premium upholstery.

She moans.

So it’s like that? I’ll give you something to moan about. With my free hand, I cup her breast. It’s heavy in my hand. And as I give her one more impossibly deep kiss, I pinch the nipple through the fabric.

“Yes,” she pants against my mouth. “More.” She ups the ante by skimming a hand clumsily down my chest. She’s twisted around, trying to reach me, basically trying to climb into my mouth from the driver’s seat.

Fuck. I’m torturing both of us. I’m the stupidest man alive. With a groan I ease back, breaking our kiss.

That’s when the carwash door opens automatically, revealing the police cruiser outside. The cop is standing there, arms crossed, waiting.

“Oh, fuck,” I breathe.

“Let me handle this.” Heidi hits the dash control to open her door, then hops out.

Still a little stunned, I scramble to open my door, which takes me a second because I’ve never sat back here before. Then I hop out, too.

The cop is ranting. “—and you thought you’d just take a joy ride in the dark, on a public highway?” He takes in Heidi in her strapless silk dress and heels. And his eyes scan me as well. I hate wearing a tuxedo, but when you have to face down a cop, I guess it’s better than a hoodie and ripped jeans.

I open my mouth, but she’s already apologizing. “I’m so sorry, officer. My boyfriend just bought this car, and I wanted to teach him a couple things about torque and traction so he’ll be extra safe when poor weather arrives. But he complained about the dead bugs on the windshield, so I offered to get a carwash, too.”

Wait, what?

The policeman’s eyes widen. He clearly doesn’t know what to make of her. That makes two of us. “Back up, now. Where are you coming from tonight?”

“The East Hampton Beach Club. We were at a fundraiser,” she says sweetly. “I apologize, sir, for going over the speed limit. I wanted to demonstrate the cross effects of acceleration and transient force, and the road was so quiet. Still, I should have waited.” She digs into her pocketbook. “Here’s my license. Oh—and my racing license.”

My jaw is on the asphalt.

He studies both of them carefully. “Let me run your license. One second.” He trudges back to his cruiser and gets inside.

“Your racing license?” I sputter when he’s out of earshot.

Heidi shrugs those smooth, bare shoulders. “I went to racing school one summer. That’s what bored rich girls do when they’re sick of tennis camp. Nashville has a speedway.” She bites her lip in contrition.