CHAPTER 3 (2)

her words a little huskier than he imagined she wanted them to be. Ahead of them, Zion was hopping, skipping toward the car. He looked so happy. Which, Darius was glad to see, made Nathalie very happy, too. They rolled to a stop and he said,

“Let me give you a hand.”

But she didn’t wait for his chivalry, simply unbuckled before he could help her and said,

“I’m fine, thanks,”

then turned to grab the roll bar and hoist herself up. Zion ran over to them.

“Wasn’t it cool, Nathalie?”

“I enjoyed it.”

Her answer was far too tight-laced, but Darius knew that for a few moments out there, she’d been one with the car and the rush of speed. Just as he had.

“But once was enough,”

she added, smoothing her jacket, then her skirt, and finally her hair.

“Once is never enough,”

he said softly. Despite how hard she was working to rein herself in, he heard her breath catch on the slightly sensual undertone to his words. Darius knew that if her brother hadn’t been standing right there, he would have done something crazy, like grab her and kiss her. No, he wasn’t good enough for her. But that knowledge didn’t keep him from wanting her.

If anything, he was even more powerfully drawn to the good in her, to the sweetness and warmth she shared with her brother.

“I don’t have to be anywhere special for another couple of hours. I can show you the Aston Martin at my place.”

In truth, Darius had a dozen important things to take care of today, but Zion was like a bright, mystical sphere that beckoned him closer, a breath of something clean that made him feel young instead of jaded. And then there was Nathalie. Beautiful, unique Nathalie with all that tightly leashed passion inside of her just waiting to be set free...

“We really can’t,”

she protested at the exact moment Zion said,

“That would be way cool.”

The traces of the woman with her arms over her head in his car were disappearing fast. Much too fast, as she said,

“We’ve imposed long enough. This was far more than we expected.”

“Spending time with both of you hasn’t been any imposition at all.”

He grinned at Zion.

“No one has ever enjoyed my cars as much as you have. And the truth is that I like showing them off.”

“Can we, Nathalie? Please.”

Her brother rocked on his toes, hands behind his back, his notebook clutched tightly in his fingers.

“You can follow me over in your car and leave when you’re ready,” Darius added.

“Where do you live?”

Her tone was wary, but at least she wasn’t still completely shutting down his idea.

“Lyrcius Valley.”

Zion's notebook was now tucked under his arm, his palms pressed flat together. He stood right in front of Nathalie mouthing, Please, please, please. Darius knew it was dirty pool to let Zion do all the convincing, but the boy wanted it as much as Darius did. He recognized the moment Nathalie relented. She shot out one sharp breath, and shook her head in a quick move as though she was telling herself she was an idiot—or a softie.

“All right. But we can’t stay long, Zion. Mr. Spencer is a busy man.”

“I thought you were going to call me Darius.”

“Sorry, I forgot.”

But he knew she hadn’t. She didn’t forget a thing, he could easily see that. She was simply trying to put distance between herself and that fast ride in the car. And him, most of all.

“We’ll follow you,” she said,

“but please don’t drive too fast or I might lose you.”

Oh, he wasn’t about to let her lose him. Just like he wasn’t planning on losing her.

“No fast driving on the way over,” he promised.

One thing she’d learn about him was that he always kept his promises. Darius had been anything but honest in his youth—far from it, as he’d done countless things that had given Sally and George gray hairs—but they’d also been the ones to teach him the power of his word. Darius hadn’t broken a promise since he was eighteen. His tattoo burned on his arm as a perpetual reminder of the things he’d done and the people he’d hurt.

“Can I go with Darius?” her brother asked.

“Zion,” she admonished softly.

“You shouldn’t invite yourself along like that.”

“But I already invited myself to see Darius cars,” Zion said logically,

“and he said yes to that.”

Zion certainly had a way about him, Darius thought with a smile. The kid’s great attitude was contagious.

“No problem, buddy, you can drive with me.”

As for Nathalie, he’d make sure she drove with him again, too. Only next time, he’d take her so far and so fast, and make it so good, that she wouldn’t dream of asking him to slow down.