Racing Hearts (Hollows Garage Book 3)

By the time Jax came back over, I was already waiting on the tailgate. He was smiling as he carried everything to the truck.

“You’re smiling pretty hard at me,” he said as he set the drinks and snacks down. “It’s making me a little worried.”

“No need to worry. Now get in the truck.”

He gave a quiet laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”

I moved up to the makeshift bed he had made as he pulled the tailgate shut, closing us into our own little oasis. The stars were already out, and the night was cold enough that snuggling up in all these blankets would be perfect. The movie started, and I sank back farther.

It was heaven. I moved pillows around and he pulled me in.

“Mine,” he whispered, coming closer until he was kissing me.

“What?”

“The night of the party, I said that you were mine, and you agreed that I was yours. I am yours. You are mine.”

“You know that I’ll be leaving. I can’t —”

“Stop, Carly. I told you. Don’t talk to me about leaving or ending this. Not tonight. Give me that at least. The only thing you’re allowed to end tonight would be this date, and that’s only if you decide you really don’t like me.” His hand trailed down my stomach to my leggings, sliding in and finding how wet I was. “But it seems like you might like me a little.”

“I might,” I said. His face lit up again, his smile deepening until dimples showed.

“I think you would like staying with me longer.”

He slipped two fingers in, the sudden touch making me gasp. I loved how he touched me. How he always knew when to take over. How he gave in to anything and everything I wanted. It felt like he would do anything for me.

“Maybe,” I whispered. “And maybe not.”

“Then stay. Even if it’s only a maybe. I want you to. I need you to. You give me so much that you don’t even know about. I hadn’t slept well for months before you came and now I sleep every night next to you. I didn’t care about the world around me, and now I want to do everything and give you everything I can.”

He was still fucking me with his hand, the slow, methodical movements working perfectly as my body ached for more and more.

“Asking me this while you’re working on giving me an orgasm doesn’t seem fair.”

“I don’t want to be fair right now. I want to do whatever I have to do to make sure you see that we are perfect for each other.”

“We aren’t. You’re perfect. I am far from it. Maybe you haven’t had good luck in the past, but you need someone else. Someone bubbly, happy, romantic, perky.”

He froze, his hand pulling away as he pulled me hard against him.

“Who are you to tell me what I need, Carly? Maybe I need you. Your grumpy, dark self that likes to talk back until I’m touching you. I like that you’re bossy and maybe a little mean sometimes. I like that you’re sweet and soft and kind to me when it matters. I don’t need you parading around in pink with a smile plastered on your face. Plus,” he said with a groan. “I can’t get over how much I fucking love the things you wear. I wouldn’t even be able to tell you how hot it is and how much I look forward to seeing what you pick out each day. No frills or pink are necessary unless you want it.”

“I don’t know.”

“But I do. I didn’t know what I wanted. I really didn’t even know what I needed, but I do now. It’s you.”

I didn’t say anything, too scared of what my answer would be.

“Fine,” he said. “Then, for tonight, let’s have our date.”

“Does our date include sex in the back of the truck while the movie is playing?”

“Yes, it does,” he said, pulling off my pants and rolling me onto my side. “But only if you can be good and stay quiet.”

I nodded, and he moved, curling himself around me, his chest pressed hard to my back.

“All mine,” he said as his cock pushed into me.

I pushed back, taking more, and groaning as he filled me.

“Take it for me sweetheart, I know you can. It’s all yours.”

I relaxed as he moved, taking it easy with slow strokes.

“You’ve never been anyone else’s. No one else has ever had you the ways I have and I hope to the entire fucking universe they never will. I want it all for myself.”

He picked up the pace, fucking me harder while I tried to stay quiet.

“Jax,” I breathed, trying not to moan.

He slowed again, drawing out my orgasm as I stayed so close to the edge of it.

“If you don’t give me an orgasm right now, I’m going to tease you for days again,” I said.

“You are terrible with threats. I like the torture. I like dying with need for you,” he said, laughing as he picked up the pace again.

Then his hand wrapped around me, rubbing my clit as he fucked me. Every part of my body caught fire until it engulfed me. I’ve done both of these things now, but putting them together was more intense than I would have imagined.

In seconds, I was falling apart, and there was no way I could hide my moans as I came. Jax’s hand came up, covering my mouth as I quietly moaned into it.

“You’re so fucking perfect. Do you know how good I get off with you? Your body was made for me.”

I couldn’t control anything that was happening, my body melting against him.

I didn’t move, didn’t say anything as he held me, neither of us pulling away.

“I want you to stay,” he finally said. “Stay for me. Stay because I want you too, and because I promise to make it worth it.”

It wasn’t really a hard decision, but saying I would stay indefinitely was too scary to face.

“I can stay for another week.”

“Just one.”

“That’s all I can say right now.”

“I’ll take it. Now, I’m going to watch this movie and hold you the rest of the night because I can finally breathe again now that I know this isn’t the last night.”

“Finally breathe?”

“I’ve been dying knowing you would leave. Knowing that the second I handed over the keys to this, you wouldn’t need me anymore. It’s selfish and I know it, but I really didn’t want to go back to my life before you. At least I have another week.”

I didn’t say anything, trying to take in the words. I knew Jax said whatever was on his mind, good, bad, or ridiculous. He didn’t mince his words or really seem to lie.

I didn’t know how to react to someone wanting me to stay with them so openly.

“I’ve never had anyone that wanted me,” I said, the words quiet with the movie echoing from cars around us.

“Never? What about your family?”

“No, I think most of them are fine that I’m gone. Aside from the concern I might snitch or go against them. I know they don’t care. Honestly? They probably haven’t really noticed in their day-to-day life. I spent most of my time locked in my room. My grandpa was the only one that wanted me around, really.”

“You’re wanted here, with me, with the crew. You’re wanted, Carly.”

I pushed back into him, not able to say anything else for the fear of tears spilling over.

We watched the movie for a while, his hands never leaving me.

“Thank you,” I finally said quietly. “For this date tonight and for fixing my truck. And for telling me that you want me to stay, for being so clear about it. Thank you for that.”

“I will always be clear about wanting you.”

I spun around to face him. “And you understand that I won’t? That I would never be so open and careless with my feelings?”

“I know. My little witch has a black heart and won’t let anyone see it bleed.” He kissed my nose and pulled back. “As long as you play along with my ideas, I’ll be romantic enough for the both of us.”

“I have a feeling that’s a dream job for you.”

He laughed. “Kind of, yeah. Even convincing you that romance and love do in fact exist has been a dream come true.”

“Alright Prince Charming, let’s just watch this movie now and stop talking about feelings.”

“Finally,” he said. “I made it to Prince Charming status. I’m still putting you in the seductive Snow White category.” He was quiet for a second. “Damn,” he mumbled.

“What?”

“Now I’m getting turned on by thinking about you being a villain style Snow White.”

“Alright, now it’s really time to watch the movie. Come on, knock it off,” I said, moving until I was propped up in front of him, facing the screen. “I’m flattered though,” I added.

And I was. Flattered that he always thought of me in such nice ways, flattered that he always made it clear he wanted me, and flattered that someone so perfect could think so much of me.

I didn’t know what I was going to be looking for in life, but I was starting to worry that finding anything better than this would be impossible.