Текст книги "Hard to Break"

Автор книги: Bella Jewel

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Oh God,” I gasp, arching up.

Tazen is driving his cock in and out of me. We’re both on the bed, his big body is over mine and he’s thrusting just quick enough to spark my nerves, but slow enough to make it sweet and perfect. His hands are in my hair, his lips are roaming my neck and my legs are around his waist.

“Baby,” he grunts.

“Yes, honey,” I cry out, clutching his back.

“Going to come so hard.”

I beat him to it, squeezing his cock with my orgasm. He follows behind, rasping my name as he thrusts into me. As he comes down, he drops his forehead to mine. “Fuck, that felt good. You had me so fucking hard watching you race.”

I press my lips to his neck. “It was amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re an impressive woman, Quinn Peterson.”

He rolls off me and I smile over at him. “Well, I could have told you that. In fact, I think I did.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, you did. Are you excited to see the unveiling tomorrow?”

“Hell yes, I can’t wait.”

“When we get home, I’m fixing that car for you. I need to see you handling them more often.”

“Because it turns it into you having the best sex of your life?”

He grunts. “You know it.”

I roll into him and he tucks me into his arms.

Yes, I think Tazen Watts and I just might be made for each other.

*   *   *

The unveiling is taking place at a racetrack, because it’s a new race car. It’s wild with adrenaline and people, and Tazen is making a speech and revealing the car before the race starts. I’m excited, purely because I’m back at the track and I feel so at home here. This time I get to be by Tazen’s side, watching him in his element, showing the world just what he’s made of.

We get to go into the pit with the pit crew, and watch the cars being prepared for the race. Being a part of that makes me feel right at home, and I can’t stop myself from getting excited. Tazen seems to fit right in, too and I notice he’s more than well-respected around these parts. Drivers come over and tell him how much they love his work, and there are even fans of his.

While we’re going over the engine one last time, a group of girls comes over and they beg for Tazen to get a picture with them. He flashes them his best smile and poses for them, and I’m totally okay with that. When one of the girls slides her number into his pocket, I’m not okay with it. What’s worse, is that Tazen gives her a smile and nods his head, and then she disappears. He doesn’t take it out, tear it into a thousand pieces and stomp it into the ground.

Okay, that’s being slightly dramatic, but still.

“Quinn?”

I jerk and look to see Tazen watching me.

“Ah, yeah, coming.”

I step towards him but stop when I hear the girls talking as they disappear back into the crowd. “I had him last time he was here. He’s amazing in bed. The things he can do with his tongue are incredible. If you get Tazen Watts to fuck you, you’ll never think of another man again.”

“I’m looking forward to him calling, then.”

My back stiffens and even though I know that Tazen has had plenty of women, having one that close and talking about him makes the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head. I force my legs to move anyway, getting closer to Tazen. He studies me, but I force a smile and say, “Yeah, what do you need?”

He frowns.

I pretend I don’t notice and smile at the pit crew.

Tazen sighs and says, “Just want a second set of eyes before we hand it over.”

My heart goes warm at the fact that he’s giving me that chance, because it feels nice that he trusts me enough to give a second opinion.

“Okay.”

I do a once-over of the car, and then the announcers tell everyone that a car will be revealed. I stand against a pole, watching with pride as Tazen goes up to the stand and the microphone is handed over to him.

“This car is a pretty awesome build for my team. It had extra horsepower and some serious custom work on the body. It was a pleasure to be a part of an amazing project. As most of you know, I’ve jumped ship and am now working from Florida, so my building schedule has been doubled. This car, however, was one of the last ones I worked on before I left.”

The crowd cheers, women scream Tazen’s name, and the atmosphere becomes excited. They want to see the car. My heart skips a beat, watching my man up there, doing what he loves.

“I’ve got a lot of people to thank for this one, but obviously my entire team is the first for my thanks. It’s them that work their asses off to bring these cars together. The racer who will be taking this baby on her journey through life deserves the very best of luck. And to all you fine people…” The crowd roars. “You’ve all watched my show, you’ve all been at my back as I’ve built my business up from the ground, so mostly, I hope you enjoy this.”

He waves a hand and people clap and cheer. The car is in the middle of the track, where everyone can see it. Tazen gives the nod of approval and four men go over and lift the cover, sliding it off the sleek, blue-and-white racing car with all the sponsor stickers covering it. The crowd cheers and whistles and I can’t wipe the massive smile off my face as I watch with pure joy the amazing work created by Tazen and his crew.

As the announcer takes back over, and introduces the car and driver, Tazen makes his way back over to me. He’s got a beautiful big smile on his face, he looks happy, but most of all, he looks proud. So he should be. It’s a beautiful car. When he reaches me he leans in and kisses me hard, then pulls back. “You going to tell me what’s wrong now?”

I study his face, and then sigh.

“That girl gave you her number.”

His brows go up. “And?”

“And you kept it in your pocket.”

He gives me a half smile that I don’t want to admit is fucking adorable. Even for him. “And, baby?”

“You kept it,” I whisper.

He takes my hips in his hands and brings me closer. “I wasn’t about to throw it on the floor. You learn one thing when dealing with fans, you do whatever to keep them happy in the public eye. If it means keeping her number and letting her think she’s going to get a call, I’ll do it. If I had handed it back, she would have lost it and I would have looked like an ass.”

Dammit, he has a point.

“Okay, but when they were leaving I heard one of them saying … she had fucked you.”

He squeezes my hips. “Sometimes you’re going to hear about my past. I had somewhat of a reputation, but that was then, angel. This is now.”

Dammit, he is right again.

I nod and look up at him.

“Besides, you’re all the woman I can handle right now.”

I glare at him, and then slap his chest.

“We good?”

“Yeah,” I say. “We’re good.”

“How do you think it went?”

I grin at him. “They love you.”

“Yeah,” he says, turning us towards the crowd. “It’s a good feeling.”

It most certainly is.

*   *   *

“Stop fidgeting, woman.”

I snort and keep fidgeting. The dress I’m in is the nicest of the three Retro had picked out for me. It still looks like she went into a hooker shop and picked the three classiest dresses there. In other words it’s short, it’s black and it’s tight. I don’t do dresses on a good day, but tight dresses that show this much skin … definitely not.

“I think everyone can see my butt,” I complain.

Tazen, dressed in a tux and looking heavenly, smirks at me.

“If they are, they’re going to be able to die happy.”

“That’s not funny. You should have warned Retro that I don’t wear, well, Retro.”

Tazen bursts out laughing. “I thought she would get the whole charity dinner thing and realize it wasn’t time for short and tight. Not that I’m complaining.”

“You better donate some seriously good cash tonight or I’m going to pop a cap right in—”

“Tazen Watts!”

I’m cut off when a tall, elegant black man comes striding over. He stops in front of Tazen and me with a wide, beautiful grin.

“Hello, Jeremy,” Tazen says. “Good to see you.”

Jeremy takes Tazen’s hand and they shake. “You too, long time. How’s the building going?”

The two start jabbering about building and I stand, like the pretty sidekick and listen. When they’re done, we make our way over and enjoy dinner. I join in some conversation, but mostly Tazen speaks and I just smile. My lips begin shaking after a while, I’m doing that much of it. After dinner comes the charity donations’ recognition ceremony. Tazen and his company ended up donating one million to children’s hospitals around the state.

My heart melts.

When that’s done, Tazen leads me out onto the dance floor and takes me into his arms. It feels amazing being here with him, experiencing his world and seeing the side to him that makes me truly understand why I love him. Tazen Watts is a good, down to earth, kind and loving man. He’s what every man should be. He’s exactly what I need.

I look up into his eyes as we move across the dance floor and my heart expands with raw, unadulterated love.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asks, as we move.

“I’m having a great time. I love seeing how you live and work.”

He smiles, running his hand up and down my back. “It’s always a good experience to see a car being revealed and then being able to give back to the community through these functions.”

“You did a really great thing. Those hospitals could use some serious donations.”

“Nothing better than helping kids.”

I reach up, touching his cheek. “I think there’s a big softie in there, Tazen Watts.”

He grins. “Don’t tell anyone, it’ll ruin my reputation.”

I chuckle. “Your secret is safe with me.”

He reaches up, running his fingers through my straightened hair. “I’m glad I found you, Quinn. I’m sure whatever reason you were sent to me, it was a good one. Even if you did drive me up the wall.”

I laugh and lean in, kissing his lips.

“You have plenty more years of me doing just that. Better get used to it.”

His eyes twinkle with love, humor and admiration. “I plan on it, baby.”

I look forward to that.

EPILOGUE

I smile at my father who is sitting on a lounge chair across from me. He’s wearing a white tee and a pair of grey sweats. His hair is washed and has life back in it, and he no longer has dark rings under his eyes or sunken cheekbones. He looks healthier and resembles the man I remember. He’s been in rehab now for three months, and he’s doing really well.

“That’s wonderful, Quinn,” he says, as I tell him about rebuilding my new car.

“It’s been a long road. The girl that was driving it was a hard racer, but it’s finally starting to come back to life.”

“It’s nice when you see a car coming together. How’s Tazen?”

“He’s doing really well. He just signed a five-car contract for a major racing mogul. That’s going to keep us busy for a good long while.”

“That’s great. Is he thinking of moving into racing?”

He is. Tazen is making more money and expanding his career with the racing industry.

“Yes, it’s getting bigger by the day and he gets better contracts.”

“That’s great.”

“It is. How are you doing, Dad?”

He smiles. “Well. Some days are harder, but I’m finding it’s getting easier and easier to cope.”

“And how do you think you’ll do when you get out?”

His face loses its happiness and he stares at me. Really stares. There’s so much guilt and shame behind his eyes. I know he’s seeing the very best counselors and therapists, to help him through, but I also know he needs my forgiveness to truly heal. That’s why I’ve been visiting each week now, because I want him to know I forgive him.

“I won’t go back to it, Quinn. Every time I even think of having a drink, my stomach twists in pain over what I did to you. That memory will forever be linked to my drinking, so the very thought of it is gut wrenching.”

My eyes soften too, and I say in a gentle voice, “Dad, you were very sick and I don’t blame you for what you did. I know you have to work through that at your own pace, but I want you to know I forgive you. I love you and I’m so happy you made the choice to get better, because I know you did it for me.”

His eyes sparkle with tears. “I would do anything for you, Quinn. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that.”

I beam. “I hope so, because I want you around for it.”

He smiles and I stand, rushing over and throwing myself into his arms. He holds onto me tightly, and we sit like that for a long time. When I pull back, he kisses my forehead. “I don’t say it enough, but I’m so incredibly proud of the woman you’ve become, Quinn.”

“And I’m proud of you.”

“I love you, Pixie girl.”

My heart explodes and I smile up at my father.

“I love you too, Dad.”

Things are finally coming together for good.

It’s about time.

Three Months Later

“Keep your eyes closed, Quinn,” Tazen orders, with his hands over my eyes.

“You know I hate surprises, Taz. Where are you taking me?”

He chuckles. “It’s a surprise, remember? If I tell you, I think that might just destroy that.”

“You’re probably right.” I laugh.

“Just keep walking forward.”

“Did you buy me a pony?”

He laughs. “A pony? Woman, don’t insult yourself.”

I giggle. “Okay, a truck?”

He chuckles. “That’s more like it, but no. I got you something much better.”

“It’s not my birthday.”

“No,” he says, his voice dipping low. “So can you imagine what you’ll get for that?”

My cheeks heat and I grind my ass against him as we walk.

“Enough of that,” he murmurs into my ear.

“Why? Will you get hard in front of the surprise?”

He nips my earlobe. “Too late for that.”

Oh boy.

“All right,” he says, making me stop. “Are you ready for this?”

“I don’t know.”

“You are.”

He takes his hands from my eyes and I blink to get my bearings. I see my old team, as well as Tazen’s guys, and my dad all standing around a covered car. My heart starts pounding as I stare at it. It couldn’t be … could it? Tazen surely hasn’t managed to finish my car without me. I mean sure, I’ve been so busy at work I haven’t even checked on it in his garage but …

“Quinn,” he says, turning to me. “I’ve been wanting to fix things for you since the day I bought this garage, but I have never been able to figure out a way to do that. I took something from you, and I wanted to give it back.”

“Tazen,” I say gently. “You didn’t take anything, you made it better.”

“Just let me finish,” he says softly.

I nod.

“You loved that garage for what it represented in your life. It was your mom, and your dad, and everything beautiful that you had left.”

Tears spring to my eyes.

“So, with your dad’s help, your old crew and my crew, we managed to finish your car for you.”

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Tazen,” I rasp.

“But before I show you, I have some other news to share.”

Oh gosh.

“The first is that I’ve given everyone in your old crew a job in the garage. We need more men with the workloads we’ve taken on.”

A tear leaks out and I take his hand, bringing it to my mouth and kissing it, rasping, “Thank you, honey.”

“The second piece of news, is that your dad also has a job. He’s working as head of the new mechanical team, which is your guys.”

He gave my dad a job. Oh God, he gave my dad a job.

“Taz,” I croak.

“Now, for the best part. I thought about so many ways I could make this car true to you, but in the end there was really only one way that could happen. So, Quinn baby, this is your car, it’s your family, and it’s all your memories right back where it belongs.”

He nods and everyone pulls the cover off the car. As it slowly appears before me, my tears go from drops, to a waterfall. My heart burns. My throat clogs up and I let out a loud, piercing sob. The car, which was originally orange, has been fully repainted. It’s now purple, which was my mom’s favorite color in the world. That’s not the best part, though. No, it’s not even close.

The best part is the pictures that have been incorporated into the paint, and then glossed over. Pictures of my childhood, pictures of my family, pictures of everything that was once amazing in my life. My sobbing turns into thick, heavy crying when my eyes move to the hood of the car and there, in perfect bold letters are two words, two words that have always meant the world to me.

Pixie Wheels.

I spin and throw my arms around Tazen, clutching him and sobbing loudly. He holds me tight, and then he leans down to my ear and whispers, “I can’t give you back your mom or the past, but I can give you back every beautiful memory you’ve ever had.”

I lean up and I kiss him, I kiss him with such ferocity my throat burns, my lips ache and my heart feels like it’s bursting with love.

“I love you, Tazen Watts.”

He swipes a tear away with his thumb. “And I love you, angel.”

I look back to the car, filled with all my happy places and then I smile at each person in the room, because they’ve all come to mean so much to me. I never had many friends, never had any family, and now I have it all because of one incredible man.

“You asked me if I had a car that I loved enough I always wanted to keep,” Tazen says, tucking me into his side.

“I did,” I croak.

“Well, I finally found it. This is it, Quinn. This is that car for me. It’s the best thing I’ve ever built and it’s like that because of you. You brought passion back into my garage, you brought pride but most of all you brought spirit. You gave us back exactly what we needed.”

“My mom would be so proud of this car, of me, of Dad, of all of this.”

Tazen squeezes me close. “Angel, she would have been proud of you no matter what.”

“Thank you, Tazen,” I say, looking up at him.

“For what?”

I smile, and it’s the purest, most real smile I’ve given in a long, long time.

“For bringing back everything beautiful.”

Don’ miss the Alpha’s Heart Series

BellaJewelBooks.com

Have you read them all?

Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next book in the series

HARD TO FORGET

PROLOGUE

The rain is cold against my skin, each drop sinking in slowly, as if torturing me. My hair is plastered to my face and I’m furiously blinking back the droplets that insist on invading my eye space. My clothes are soaked and I can feel the chill right down to my bones. My shoes squish every time my feet hit the pavement, which is a lot.

Considering I’m running.

It’s barely past five a.m. and yet here I am, pounding the pavement. Most people think I’m crazy—the truth is I probably am. I’m twenty-eight years old and instead of acting like most normal girls, I’m out training for my job. A job I’ve studied for and fought for since the day I left high school—it’s been nothing but a constant battle, especially considering it wasn’t always what I planned on doing.

I’m a bodyguard.

Well, I’m trying to be. I have a job, I have a boss, I have a team, and it took a good long time for them to accept that I could do the job as well as them. I was constantly battling against the other members, proving my worth, and it seemed no matter what I did, they just didn’t think I had what it takes. It took me a solid two and a half years to earn even a snippet of respect.

Lucky me.

The man running beside me both loves and hates me. I’ve come to this conclusion on my own because he can’t seem to decide which one it is. One moment he’s barking orders at me, and then he’s staring at my breasts longingly. It’s alarming and kind of flattering all at once. Still, he trains with me every single day and I’m grateful for that.

I hate running alone.

When I got out of school, I was going to join the armed forces, it was something I’d always wanted to do. I can’t say there was an exact reason for it, but sometimes you feel you are just born to do something. Then came the test that changed my life. Turns out you have to have exceptional eyesight to join the forces. Mine was shit, and eye surgery improved it a bit, but not enough to make the cut.

Originally, I was crushed, and for months I couldn’t figure out what to do. It was something I’d planned from day one, and to have it taken from me seemed almost cruel. Then there was a day when I was out with my uncle, and we saw a drive-by shooting. A man, dressed all in black, single-handedly saved a person’s life. Turns out that person had hired him to do just that. My passion was reborn. I could do it. I could still protect and serve.

So last year I officially became qualified to protect someone’s life. And a second experimental eye surgery worked better than I’d ever hoped.

“Where’s your head at this morning, Delaney?”

Kyle yells this through the pouring rain, snapping me from my thoughts. I turn and glare at him, trying hard not to notice how good-looking he is all wet and panting. Kyle might drive me bonkers, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s considered a fairly good-looking man—well, to most. He’s not really my type, and I think he hates that.

His usually brown hair seems darker in the rain and it’s pressed to his forehead. His strong jaw is covered in a few days’ growth and his blue eyes seem gray beneath the mist. He’s over six feet tall and built like a stone, which I’m grateful for, considering I stand at five ten. Yes, five foot ten. I’m as tall as a man. This makes dating particularly difficult since I’m bigger than most of the guys who take me out.

“Jesus, Delaney, wake up!”

I blink and realize I zoned out again.

“I didn’t realize our running was a chance for us to happy chat and tell life stories,” I reply bitterly.

Kyle snorts. “It’s not, I have no interest in your life stories.”

I flash him a grin. “Sure you do.”

“No, I don’t. I’m just making sure you’re with me.”

“Well, Kyle, last time I checked I was right beside you. I think you need to get your eyes checked.”

“Shut it, Delaney. Just run.”

I grin and run. I love taunting Kyle, more than I love my job some days. Okay, maybe not more than my job, but it is entertaining. I don’t think Kyle will ever come out and admit he likes me, but I know he does. How can he not? I mean, come on, I’m pretty badass.

And I can outrun him. “You’re falling behind, old man,” I call, running ahead. “Better keep up or you’ll be the laughingstock of the team.”

“Bite me, Delaney,” he barks, running harder.

Ah yes, I do love running with Kyle.