Nico
NICO
What the fuck am I doing?
Knowing that today was Rhett’s first day at the track, I’d purposely locked myself in my office, determined to stay away and let Patrick handle the new intake in the younger category. He was better with the little kids than I was anyway. I preferred to work with the older ones, kids who wouldn’t burst into tears if I looked at them the wrong way.
Yet as I’d stood in reception and watched Everly struggle to contain an irate child, an undeniable desire to help had sent me lurching outside, despite the way we’d left things at her house.
As Rhett stilled under my mild scolding, and I looked into his eyes, so much like his mother’s, an invisible string inside me pulled tight. I saw the same crushing pain when I looked into the mirror replicated in this six-year-old boy, a mere child who shouldn’t know that amount of suffering.
And I didn’t have a clue what to do with the riotous feelings coursing through my body. I’d long thought myself incapable of empathy, yet I recognized the emotion well enough.
I walked away with Everly and Rhett in tow, her hot stare burning into the back of my neck, and a tremor of desire ricocheted up my spine.
Off-limits, Palmer, remember?
I felt sorry for her. That was all. I’d seen her struggling, and I’d wanted to help.
Liar.
I didn’t feel sorry for Everly, and a sixth sense told me she wouldn’t take kindly to pity. I fancied Everly. I wanted to strip her naked, kiss every inch of her porcelain skin, and bury myself deep inside her until she came all over my cock and her screams ripped through the air.
That was what I wanted.
Yet she was all wrong for me. Too nice, too kind , too thoughtful and caring. She was all the things I wasn’t, a breakable doll that my shockingly bad moods and quick temper could crush in seconds. If I did choose to fall off the celibacy wagon, it wouldn’t be with a woman like her. I’d pick someone with hard edges, a woman who’d understand the unspoken rule of a quick fuck, a physical release, and a fast goodbye.
I stopped by the main changing area, where we kept the racing gear.
“What are we doing here?” Everly asked, glancing along the rows of helmets, race suits, and footwear.
“Well,” I said, keeping my eyes focused on Rhett. Far safer. “If we’re going to get you inside a kart, we need to make sure you have the right gear, hey, bud?”
Everly took a sharp intake of breath. “Patrick said no racing today.”
“We’re not going to race,” I said, looking at her quickly before I turned my attention back to Rhett. “We’ll just kit you up and let you sit inside the kart. Get the feel of it. How does that sound, buddy?”
“Awesome!” Rhett clapped his hands and then peered up at me, his eyes narrowed. “Why do you talk weird?”
I barked out a laugh while Everly turned a deep shade of red. She muttered, “Jesus,” under her breath, then crouched to Rhett’s level.
“That’s very rude, Rhett. Mr. Palmer is from England. He talks differently than we do. That’s all. Not weird, different.”
She rose to her feet. “I’m sorry. About now, and about the other day. What he said about your… He doesn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that he hasn’t yet learned?—”
“Chill,” I interrupted. “It’s fine.” I knelt down and plunked a helmet over Rhett’s small head. After a bit of adjustment, it fit. I lifted the visor. “How’s that feel?”
“Good,” Rhett said, his voice muffled behind the thick padding.
I removed it. “Okay, let’s get you kitted out.”
By focusing all my attention on Rhett, I managed to quell the growing ache in my balls that having Everly so close caused. She smelled of lemons and peaches and woman.
An off-limits woman.
I helped Rhett into the kart while Everly stood off to the left, nibbling on her thumbnail. I crouched to his level and pointed out all the relevant bits and pieces he’d need to know. Where to put his feet, his hands. Gave him a chance to get a feel for the steering wheel and his sight line from sitting so low down. He listened eagerly, hanging on to my every word.
When the time came to get him out, I held my breath, anticipating another bout of anger, especially given what I’d witnessed earlier on. I needn’t have worried. He jumped out of the kart without a murmur of dissent. Everly shot me a look, her face awash with relief.
Christ, bringing up a kid alone must be fucking hard. To have no one there to share the load, to bounce ideas off, or to check you were on the right path. I couldn’t imagine how difficult her life must have been since her deadbeat husband fucked off.
Careful, Palmer. You’re on dangerous ground.
We returned to the changing area and got Rhett out of his racing gear. On the stroll back to the main office, Rhett hit me with a dozen questions. I answered them as simply as I could, remembering he was only six and a lot of the more detailed answers would go right over his head.
“Where are you off to now?” I asked when we reached the parking lot.
“Home,” Everly said, taking Rhett’s hand. “Before this one gets so hungry that he eats his own foot.”
“I don’t eat feet,” Rhett said, planting his hands on his hips.
Fuck, this kid was too adorable.
Everly slapped her palm against her forehead in an exaggerated fashion. “Of course you don’t. Silly me.”
“I am hungry, though,” Rhett admitted.
“Well, if you won’t eat feet, I guess we’ll have to go for a burger, then.”
“Awesome,” Rhett replied, a grin breaking across his face.
“Right, well, I’ll leave you to it.” I tousled Rhett’s hair. “See you in a few days, little bud.”
“Do you like burgers?” Rhett asked, squinting as he looked up at me. He shielded his eyes from the sun and waited for my answer.
I blinked slowly. Fuck. The kid wasn’t subtle. How the hell did I handle this?
“Come on, you,” Everly said, lifting Rhett and putting him in the back of the car. “Mr. Palmer has better things to do than answer your never-ending list of questions.”
Her easy dismissal fired up my stubborn gene. I gripped the top of the door and bent down, peering in at Rhett. “I love burgers.”
Rhett grinned, his gaze popping from me and then to his mother. “He can come, can’t he, Mommy?”
Everly studiously avoided glancing in my direction as she fastened Rhett’s seat restraints. She also ignored his question.
I’d curse myself for this decision later, but right now I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than to sit down to a burger, fries, and a shake with Everly and her son.
“Well, can I come?” I asked, challenging her to refuse.
She straightened. Her eyes traveled over my face, then took a journey down my entire body, lingering on my groin area. When she lifted her head and caught my eye, a flush inched across her cheeks, and she instantly looked away.
“If you like.”
Well, that answered that question. She fancied me. I fancied her.
Question is, are you willing to do anything about it?
“I like,” I murmured. “I’ll follow in my car. Where are you going?”
“Archie’s,” she said. “It’s Rhett’s favorite.”
I scratched my cheek. “Never heard of it.”
She made a weird sound, then shook her head. “No, I don’t suppose you would. It’s in Wilmington, on McDonald Avenue.” She chuckled. “The irony.”
My lips twitched at her attempt to lighten the atmosphere between us. “I’ll meet you there.”
Her eyes locked on my mouth, and then she cleared her throat. “Sounds good.”