Years after a summer fling with up-and-coming racing driver Drew Jaymes ended in heartbreak, Nicole Bennet returns to Peach Valley to attend her grandmother’s funeral. The young lawyer falls for Drew’s charms again almost immediately, and even agrees to represent him when he is arrested for attempted murder. But Nicole’s reconnection with Drew does more than reawaken long-dormant passions, and the trial puts her on collision courses with her family’s murky past, the town’s criminal underbelly, and the ruthless Carmichael Corporation.
Age Rating: 16+
Racing Hearts by Ryleigh Renee is now available to read on the Galatea app! Read the first two chapters below, or download Galatea for the full experience.
Subgenres:
Contemporary, Crime Fiction, New Adult, Police & Law Enforcement
Similar to:
Criminal Minds, Emily in Paris, Me Before You
Read the full uncensored books on the Galatea iOS app!
Chapter 1
Years after a summer fling with up-and-coming racing driver Drew Jaymes ended in heartbreak, Nicole Bennet returns to Peach Valley to attend her grandmother’s funeral. The young lawyer falls for Drew’s charms again almost immediately, and even agrees to represent him when he is arrested for attempted murder. But Nicole’s reconnection with Drew does more than reawaken long-dormant passions, and the trial puts her on collision courses with her family’s murky past, the town’s criminal underbelly, and the ruthless Carmichael Corporation.
Age Rating: 16+
Original Author: Ryleigh Renee
ELEVEN YEARS AGO…
“Nicole, you just have to come to the party,” Dixie pleaded.
“I don’t know, Dixie. I’m not sure Grandmother would approve.”
“You’re not a kid anymore. Y’all don’t need your gramma’s permission on everything you do.” Dixie gave her a concerned look. “Besides, it’s only a birthday party. You’ll get to meet people your own age.”
“But…”
“But nothing. If you’re gonna be in Peach Valley for the summer, you’re gonna make some friends.”
“Dixie…”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” Dixie tugged on Nicole’s arm and led her into the house and up to her room. “Now let’s see what we can find in this closet of yours.”
Nicole dressed in a light cotton sundress with an asymmetrical skirt in a soft apricot color.
She sat before the vanity while Dixie pulled her long, black hair that reached her waist up into a French braid, weaving an apricot-colored ribbon throughout.
Once her hair was done, Dixie applied earth-tone shadows to the lids of her aqua eyes.
“I think you’ll do,” Dixie teased, standing back and taking in the sight of her creation. “What’s wrong, Nicole?” she asked when Nicole’s face remained serious.
“I’m nervous. How do I act around these people?”
“Y’all don’t act. You be yourself and have tons of fun,” Dixie told her.
Nicole envied how carefree Dixie was. Nicole was as shy as they came.
Buggers. Nicole felt as out of place as her British accent. Nicole may have been eighteen years old, but certainly didn’t fit in with American girls of the same age.
***
They had been at the party for an hour. Nicole was meeting many of the guests and was amazed at how different it was from the atmosphere at school.
Because she was Elizabeth Bennett’s granddaughter and possessed an accent from her many years in Great Britain, she could sense the falseness of the other girls at the party.
Their immaturity was staggering. All she wanted to do was find Dixie and go home.
She was standing near the punch bowl when she met the man who would haunt her from that day forward, Drew Jaymes.
He was twenty years old, slightly taller than her; his hair was light blond and he had eyes as blue as the bluest skies, with a casual smile that could melt an iceberg.
Unlike the other guests, he dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt. He looked as out of place at this celebration as she felt, but didn’t have a care in the world of how others viewed him.
“Nicole, I’d like you to meet Drew Jaymes. He’s a really good friend of mine,” Dixie introduced them.
Nicole reached for his extended hand, still looking into his gaze. “Nice to meet you,” she managed, her voice almost a whisper.
His hand was soft and warm as it gently shook hers before returning it to his jeans pocket.
“You’re not from around here,” he commented upon hearing her accent and giving her a huge smile. “But Dix tells me you’re here for the summer?”
“Till September,” she answered.
“Drew used to play football in high school,” Dixie told her, not noticing their mutual gazing at each other.
Nicole bashfully pulled her gaze from his. “I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with that American sport.”
“Quite alright. I don’t play that sport.”
She looked confused.
“Drew now finds racing cars more interesting than a football game,” Dixie interjected.
“I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with automobiles either,” she bashfully confessed, looking at him.
“Are you familiar with dancing?” he asked.
“A little,” Nicole shyly replied.
“Well, let’s see how familiar.”
He reached for her hand and gently pulled her toward the other dancing couples. Slow songs were playing as their bodies swayed together.
“I haven’t seen you ’round these parts before,” he said after a few moments of awkward silence.
“I don’t visit Grandmother often. Just on holiday.”
“Who would’ve thought old lady Bennett had such a cute granddaughter.” He smiled brightly.
Nicole could only look at him. She really didn’t know her grandmother all that well.
She was shuffled off to boarding school shortly after her parents’ deaths when she was a young child of five and only visited on holiday.
Yet, her grandmother always seemed too busy with social functions to pay her any mind. She met Dixie when she was nine years old and found an instant friend and someone to spend her time with.
“Do you have plans for tomorrow?” he asked, bringing her from her thoughts.
Her eyes met with his. “Not really.”
“Good. Why don’t you and Dixie come on down to the garage?”
“The garage?” she asked, confused.
“I’ll be working on my car. You said you aren’t familiar with them. I’ll give you your first look at a real race car.”
She saw his eyes dance when he spoke of his car.
“I don’t know…”
“Do you have a tea party or are you just afraid you’ll get dirty?” he interrupted.
She pulled away from him sharply. “I was going to say I don’t know if Dixie has other plans before you so rudely interrupted!”
He smiled at her display of spunk. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I’d really like for you to come.”
***
She’d been in town a couple of weeks. She and Dixie spent many afternoons in Drew’s company. He even taught her how to drive a stick shift, which was quite the experience.
He was working on his car engine when she entered the garage one afternoon. He looked up when he heard her walk toward him. “Hey, Nick!” he greeted.
“Hi, Drew.” She walked over and stood next to the car.
He saw her looking about the garage silently. “If you’re looking for Dix, she’s not here,” he told her. She looked at him confusedly.
“She called here earlier and asked me to tell you something came up and she wouldn’t be able to go shopping today.”
How much stuff could women possibly buy? he wondered as he saw the disappointment flow over her.
“Oh,” she said, disappointed.
“You’re more than welcome to stay and keep me company if you’d like.” He smiled.
“I can see you have work to do,” she answered.
He stood straight and wiped his hands on a towel he took from the workbench nearby. “Tell ya what. You can help me work on the car.”
“But I don’t know anything about automobiles.”
“No time like the present to learn now is there?”
She looked at him silently for a moment. “I’m not really dressed for working on cars.”
He took in her appearance. She was wearing light blue shorts and an off-white camp shirt and her usual bobby socks and white canvas tennis shoes.
“We can solve that problem. Follow me.” He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted her to stay.
Usually, when he worked on his car, he wanted total solitude. He spent numerous hours alone with his car on a regular basis. Why was he suddenly not desiring that time?
She followed him to the office area. After searching for a minute, he found what he was looking for. “Here, slip this on over your clothes.”
He handed her a set of coveralls. “They’ll probably be a little big on you, but you’ll keep clean.”
She did as she was instructed. Once she had the coveralls on, he helped her roll up the sleeves to just below her elbow.
“You’d better give me this.” He reached for the clasp of her delicate gold watch and removed it. She felt a tingle run up her arm when his fingers made contact with her flesh.
He looked in her eyes and saw a flash of… anxiety? He placed the jewelry in the desk drawer once he escaped the mesmerizing hold her innocent eyes held over him.
“Are you ready for your first lesson?” He sounded more serious than usual. She nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth.
They worked side-by-side for hours as he patiently explained the procedure to rebuild a carburetor.
“You’re a fast learner,” he said, as her delicate fingers put gaskets and screws in place. No one touched his car, yet here she was, her delicate touch on metal. Part of him was jealous of the car!
“Had a good teacher,” she playfully responded, looking up at him. “What’s so funny?” she asked, noticing the smile on his face.
“Nothing,” he answered. “Just never thought I’d see Elizabeth Bennett’s granddaughter with grease on her face.”
He chuckled when her hand rose to wipe her cheek, only to get more grease on herself. “Here, let me help with that.”
He reached for a clean towel on the bench and began wiping the grease from her face. She was feeling strange at his touches, feelings she’d never felt before.
Her innocent eyes were bright and pulled at him.
His hands cupped her face as his eyes gazed into hers. She felt nervous at his being so close.
Being sent away to an all-girls boarding school hadn’t prepared her for encounters with young men. And definitely not a man like Drew Jaymes. Slowly, he began lowering his face toward hers.
“I’d better get going Drew,” her voice was just above a whisper as she pulled free from his hold. “I’m already late for dinner.” She retreated to the office.
An unexpected emptiness filled the garage after she stepped through the door and left.
***
Dixie couldn’t believe her ears when she heard of Nicole’s afternoon in the garage. “Honey, do y’all have any idea how many girls would kill to spend a day with Drew Jaymes?” she squealed.
She should have realized then that she was falling in love with Drew. She had convinced herself it was only a schoolgirl’s crush.
After all, what did she know about men? Even when he kissed her a few times, she’d have no idea how to react, even though they were only soft pecks on the cheek, just like the ones he gave Dixie.
But she learned a lot that summer.
***
Late August. Almost time for her to head up north to university. Dixie had convinced her to attend one last party.
“Hi Nicky,” Drew greeted her from behind.
“Drew!” Her face lit up when she saw him. “I didn’t know you’d be at this party.”
“I don’t know for how long. Doesn’t seem to be much partying going on,” he answered.
“Yeah, I don’t know why I let Dix talk me into coming to this one.” She tried to cover the excitement running through her at seeing him.
“Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested.
They hadn’t realized how long they had been walking until they heard the rumble of thunder approaching.
“We’d better find some place to ride out this storm.” He reached for her hand and they ran through the fields, trying to outrun the approaching rain.
The rain was coming down heavily by the time they reached the stable on her grandmother’s estate. They were both soaked and laughing.
She nervously climbed up the ladder to the loft and sat against a beam.
“Nick?” he called softly when he entered the loft, seeing her hug her knees to her chest. “What’s wrong?” He sat down beside her. Her eyes were full of fear. “Nick?”
“I don’t like storms,” she replied with a trembling voice. “My parents died when their car ran off the road in a storm.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Her head on his chest sent warmth through him. After a short while, she sat back and looked at him. His smile filled her with a comforting warmth.
He looked into her eyes. The cool breeze made her shiver in her wet clothes. Her eyes stayed with his, hypnotizing her.
She closed her eyes when his hands rose to her face and he brought his lips to hers lightly.
A strange feeling flowed through her at his kiss. One she hadn’t felt before. Pulling free abruptly, she stood and walked away from him, her arms hugging her stomach like a shield.
“Nicky?” He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “What’s the matter?”
She felt the warmth of his hands through her wet clothes. “I’m just not feeling well I guess,” she nervously replied.
He turned her to face him. Lifting her chin with his finger, he looked deeply into her eyes. “Care to tell me what’s really bothering you?” his voice was low, sending a current through her.
How did he read her so easily?
“It’s silly really.”
“If it’s bothering you, it’s not silly.” His gaze intently matched hers. “Did I do something to offend you?”
“No!” She pulled free and walked away. He followed and stood behind her. “I just feel funny.”
He again turned her to face him. “Funny?”
She looked at him with bright eyes. “When you kiss me, I have a funny feeling inside.”
He knew she was innocent, but not this much. She was also the most open and honest person he’d ever met.
“Is it a good funny or bad?” When she tried to pull away, his hands tightened on her shoulders. “Nick, you can talk to me.”
“I don’t know. It scares me.”
“Why?” he probed.
His eyes were reassuring. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to kiss a boy.”
He smiled. “That makes us even. I don’t know how to kiss a boy either.”
“Drew!” she laughed. His eyes were so warm and understanding. “What if I do something wrong?”
“Remember that old carburetor we worked on?” he asked. She looked confused. “All the parts had to fit together a certain way for it to work.”
“So.” She was still confused.
“Well, kissing is pretty much the same.”
She chuckled at his statement. “Drew!”
“Seriously. You wouldn’t want to bump noses, would you?”
“No. But…”
“Same rule applies to kissing. Once the pieces of the carburetor match up right, it knows how to do the rest on its own.”
“But Drew, a carburetor?”
His hands rose and framed her face. The warmth from them traveled throughout her body. “Trust me,” he whispered. “Feel. Don’t think.”
He brought his lips to hers. She felt as though her body were made of Jell-O, all wobbly inside. His eyes had a different look to them when their lips parted and he looked into hers.
She felt like she was being pulled into their depths.
His breathing was rapid when their lips parted. “See, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?”
“No,” she hoarsely answered.
He brushed the hair back from her face. “Follow my lead.” His voice was shaky. “I want you to kiss me.”
She nervously licked her lips. “But I don’t…”
“Feel Nicky. Just feel.”
His lips came to hers as his hands tangled in her hair. He deepened his kiss and pulled her close when she tried to pull back.
When her hands reached up to tangle in his hair at his nape, his hold became even tighter.
“Oh, Nick,” he softly called as he began tantalizing kisses at her neck. Her innocent trembling flowing through him.
“Drew.” Her breathing was irregular. “I feel funny.”
“It’s okay,” he reassured her with whispers in her ear. “I feel funny too.”
He raised his head to look into her eyes. “Drew, I’m scared.”
“Shh. It’s alright. I won’t hurt you.” He brushed his lips on hers. “Kiss me, Nick.”
Her trembling lips against his excited him beyond belief. “Oh, Nicky. You are so beautiful.” He kissed her hungrily as he lowered his body to the floor and rested her atop him.
She wasn’t the only one feeling apprehension. How could one woman make him feel this way? What was she doing to him? He couldn’t get enough of her. He rolled their bodies so he was above her.
Her hands tangled in his hair holding him close. She was innocent. As pure as fresh snow. Why was he unable to stop? His body and emotions had a mind of their own.
His hand caressed her throat as their kiss continued. Her soft moan filled him to his core. “Oh my God, Nick,” he called breathlessly.
“Am I doing something wrong?” she asked in a whisper. She hoped not because she was seriously liking this sensation flowing through her.
“No,” he said, his voice shaky. “Oh God, no.”
His lips returned to hers. He couldn’t stop himself from separating her lips with his tongue and exploring.
Her breathing became almost erratic at the feel of him inside her moist cove.
“Drew,” she whispered. “What’s happening to me?” she stuttered. Did she get struck by lightning from the storm outside? It sure felt like it.
He raised his head to look into her eyes. He wanted to see fear in their depths. An innocent need was all that stared back at him.
“Nicky, tell me to stop. Please.” His breathing was as erratic as hers.
“Drew?”
“Nicky, you have to tell me…” Her eyes were drawing him in.
She hiccupped a breath. “But, Drew. This is a good funny I feel.”
“Oh, God.” His eyes looked skyward for strength. “Please make me stop,” he prayed.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she responded, thinking he was pleading with her.
He looked into her eyes. Her lips trembled as her hands pulled him to her.
“Nicky, no.”
There was no turning back when her tongue entered him and began exploring. His tongue challenged hers. She continued trembling.
“Drew,” she huskily called his name as he began tender kisses to her neck. She felt transported to another dimension under his touch.
She didn’t protest when his hand rose and began unbuttoning her blouse. Though a cool breeze blew in, her body was flooded with warmth from his caresses.
Spirals of emotions ran through her at his delicate touch. Sensations she’d never felt before, nor understood, ran wild within her.
He sat up and pulled her to sit before him. Taking her hands in his, he brought them to his chest. “It’s your turn,” he whispered. She nervously licked her lips as her eyes stayed with his. “Go ahead.”
The sound of the pouring rain all around them was no longer scary. It felt right being with him, here, now. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons down his shirt.
She felt him shudder under her touch when her hands swept across his chest to push the fabric aside. He quickly grabbed her hands when she tried to pull away.
“No, Nick. Don’t stop,” his voice hoarsely pleaded.
“Drew?”
“I won’t break, Nick. Trust me.”
His eyes shone brightly in the night. She pushed the shirt past his shoulders and tossed it to the side after removing it. Her hands caressed his broad chest curiously.
His head back as he enjoyed her soft touch. She was branding him right then and there.
She wanted to explore him. Know every inch of him. Feeling brave, she leaned forward and kissed his chest.
His soft moans filled her senses. “Oh, Nicky,” he sighed.
He reached for her and brought her lips to his, filled with a hunger he’d never felt before. When she responded to him, he lowered her body and gently rested atop her.
It was only a short time later before their clothing was completely discarded. He felt her entire body stiffen along with her quick intake of breath and wince when he entered her.
He rested on his elbows, looking into her gaze.
“It’s okay, baby,” he reassured her. He gave tender kisses at her temples, tasting the salty tears that delicately flowed from her eyes while keeping his rhythm slow.
“Drew!” she cried softly. “I can’t.”
He gave her butterfly kisses. “It’s okay, baby. Just relax,” he whispered between kisses.
Her hands tangled in his hair. When her sobs lessened, he brought his gaze to hers. “Trust me, baby,” his voice was low before kissing her tenderly.
When her breathing became more rapid, he knew she was on her way to a more enjoyable place.
“Drew!” she called, not knowing this new emotion flowing through her. “What’s happening?”
Her warmth wrapped around him so exquisitely. “Oh God, Nicky. Just feel. It’s okay.” His breathing labored in sheer delight.
“Drew?”
“What is it, baby?” Her snug fit brought him to heights he’d never felt before.
“This feels better than okay.” Her body taking over, arching, allowing him in further.
Oh God, she is a fast learner, he thought.
“I’m sorry, Nick.” He couldn’t last. Her body took him too high, too fast. He felt her shudder as she reached her summit just before him. Her squeal filled his senses knowing his body had pleased her.
He should feel guilty for taking her innocence. He didn’t. He felt intoxicated by her.
He gently rested atop her feeling the beat of his heart slow. Her perfectly manicured nails caressing his spine, causing him to moan.
“Oh, Nicky,” he sighed before rolling to her side and pulling her into his embrace.
“Drew?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not sorry.”
He held her tighter. Why did his heart feel like it was in a vice grip? He caressed her hair.
“You are an amazing woman, Nick. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” He kissed her forehead.
“I think you’re special too.”
He closed his eyes at her statement. He’d never been called special in a good way before. The town bad boy. The rebel. A man not allowed with any of the high and mighty daughters of Peach Valley.
They held each other, listening to the rain on the roof. She relaxed listening to his heartbeat while he caressed her hair. Words weren’t needed. They simply enjoyed the comfortable silence.
***
The storm had passed. Both knew they couldn’t stop time. They dressed and made their way to his car and he drove her home.
She didn’t want to get out of the car. She enjoyed sitting next to him in the front seat.
“I meant what I said before,” she whispered.
He hooked his finger at her chin and brought her gaze to his. “And what would that be?” His smile filled her with emotion.
She cupped his cheek with her hand. “I’m not sorry tonight happened.”
Her eyes were still innocent. He pulled her to him for a warm, wet kiss. She still trembled under the power of what his kisses made her feel.
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish I didn’t have to go off to university.”
He felt his chest tighten at the thought of her leaving. “You’ll be back on breaks.”
“It’s not the same.” She lifted her head to look at him, a sadness flowing through her. “You’d better send me pictures of that racing trophy you’re going to win.”
“I have to get in the race first. I need a sponsor to do that.” He kissed her again. “You’d better get inside. Your Gramma’s probably worried.”
“Trust me, worry isn’t an emotion Grandmother feels for me.”
He heard the sadness in her voice. He came around and opened her door for her before walking her to the front door.
“Good night, Drew,” she softly said before turning and entering the house.
He stood staring at the closed door feeling an emptiness at her absence. He raked his hand through his hair and turned to leave when he heard shouting from inside.
“Nicole Elizabeth Bennett! What on earth do you think you’re doing getting home at this late hour?”
“I’m sorry, Grandmother. The storm…”
“Child you need to get over your fear of a little rain!” Drew couldn’t believe the lack of sympathy. “Was that Drew Jaymes’ car I saw bringing you home?”
“He was at the party.”
“Surely there were better boys in attendance who could have been more worthy of your time.” Elizabeth was exasperated.
“Grandmother, Drew is nice. If you’d only give him a chance.”
“That boy is not fit to be in the presence of a Bennett. Do you hear me, young lady?”
“No! If I’m old enough to go to university, I’m old enough to choose my own friends!”
“Why you ungrateful child! After all I’ve done for you!”
“What have you done, Grandmother? You sent me off to another country so you wouldn’t have to even look at me!” Drew heard the hurt in her voice.
“I sent you to school to get a proper education.”
“If proper is being a snob like you, I don’t want to be proper!”
He clenched his hands into fists when he heard Elizabeth’s hand connect with Nicole’s face.
“You will show proper respect in this house! Now off to your room!”
He heard her sobs as she raced up the stairs. His anger at what he’d just heard was overwhelming. He took a while to calm down before making his way to the back door of the Bennett estate.
***
“Master Drew!” Emma, the housekeeper, whispered loudly before walking to him. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Em, I need to see Nicole.”
“Oh no. Miss ’Lizabeth has left word with Jennings and me that you aren’t to be let near the girl.”
“Em, please.”
“Miss ’Lizabeth is quite angry. Never thought I’d see the day she’d take a hand to that little girl.”
He reached for her arm. “Em, she’s not a little girl. Please, I just need to know she’s okay.”
“Oh, Master Drew, I don’t know.”
“Please Em. I promise, no one will find out I was here.”
She saw the pain in his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. “Follow me up the backstairs. And keep quiet!”
Emma guided him up the stairs and through the dark hallway toward her room. She opened the door and motioned him to go inside. “Miss Nicole?” Emma called softly.
“Go away!” Nicole sadly answered.
Drew gave Emma a reassuring look. “It’s okay,” he whispered before Emma left the room.
He walked to the balcony off her room and found her sitting on the floor with her legs hugged to her chest. He walked over, knelt down, and stroked her hair.
She looked up at him with a face covered in tears. “Drew!” She flung her arms around his neck and cried.
“It’s okay, Nicky. I’m here.” He held her close and caressed her hair. After a short time, he pulled her away to look at her. Her cheek was still red from the slap of her grandmother.
“I hate her,” she sobbed. “Now I have no one.”
He cupped her face. “You have me.” He looked into her eyes. “And Dix.”
She shook her head. “She won’t allow it anymore.”
He sighed and brought his forehead to rest against hers. “Do you want me to talk to her?”
She pulled back sharply. “No!” She covered her mouth with her hand before continuing quieter. “You can’t,” she said. “She’ll have you arrested if she finds out you’re near me.”
“Don’t worry ’bout me. She can’t do anything to me. It’s you I’m worried about.”
She gazed into his eyes a moment before she lifted her hands to pull his lips to hers. “I can’t let her hurt you, Drew. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She kissed him tenderly.
He held her in his embrace as his back rested against the wall until near dawn. She looked so peaceful in her slumber.
“Master Drew!” Emma’s hoarse whisper woke him. “You can’t be here. Miss ’Lizabeth will be fit to be tied.”
“Shh.” He sternly looked at Emma to keep her from waking Nicole. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. She was pretty upset last night.”
“You best put that girl in her bed and shoo. Miss ’Lizabeth will be here when the sun comes up to check on her. She finds you here and she’ll skin us both!”
***
A few days had passed. Her grandmother had kept her prisoner in the house. Her only companions were Emma and Jennings.
“Emma,” she called softly, entering the kitchen from the back stairs.
Emma’s hand went to her heart. “Child, don’t sneak up on me like that! You scared me half to death.”
Nicole’s gaze went to the floor. “I’m sorry.”
Emma approached her and hugged her close. “I’m sorry, Miss Nicole. You don’t need some old woman like me yellin’ at ya too.”
Nicole looked up. She smiled at the love she saw within Emma’s eyes. “Will you please do me a favor?” The sadness in her eyes pulled at Emma. “It might get you into trouble with Grandmother though.”
“You let me worry ’bout Miss ’Lizabeth. What can I do for you child?”
Nicole handed her an envelope. “I need you to get this to Dixie. It’s very important.” She looked into Emma’s eyes.
“And please tell her I miss her.” She turned and went back to her room the same way she came.
Emma’s eyes welled with tears. “That poor child. She needs her friends and Miss ’Lizabeth has her locked away like a fairy tale princess.”
Nicole sat on the balcony floor off her room and looked at the vast backyard of her grandmother’s estate. Dixie would get the envelope to Drew.
Looking out through the railing, she softly said aloud, “Please make your dreams come true, Drew.”
***
Nicole found herself completely bored with her grandmother’s latest summer tea party. It allowed her out of her room, so she took advantage.
She was making small talk with some of the older women when a conversation between Cindylou Parker and Katie Nelson caught her attention.
“Can you believe he actually had the audacity to attend the social event of the summer?” Cindylou asked.
“I’m sure the town lothario wasn’t on the invitation list.”
“Just look at how cozy he is with that woman. She must be at least fifteen years older than him.”
Nicole looked in the direction they were. A lump formed in her throat when she saw Drew talking with the blonde woman near the buffet. They were both smiling and laughing.
“I hear he needs a sponsor for his car in the race next month,” Cindylou stated.
“Well, he obviously knows who to cozy up to. That’s Mrs. J.P. Stratton from Atlanta. She’s very well known for taking care of her young men and their needs.”
“It’s really a shame. Drew is a looker. I wouldn’t mind having him back in my bed.”
“Oh, Cindy. He’s a pro. He only beds those he knows he can get the big bucks out of now. Not the casual lover he was in high school.” The two young women laughed and walked away.
Nicole felt as though the walls were closing in. She continued watching them. She felt a coldness run through her. The woman was beautiful and wore a very tight-knit dress.
Drew wasn’t dressed in his usual casual manner of jeans and tee. Instead, he wore dress slacks and a polo shirt with his hair neatly combed instead of the wind-blown look she normally saw.
Their eyes met when he looked away from the woman and saw her. He held up his glass of punch to toast her while sending her a smile before returning his attention to the blonde.
She felt like a fool. It felt as though anyone who looked at her could see the humiliation she was feeling. She made her way up the stairs to her room and locked the door.
She sat on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest when she heard voices outside. Walking toward the balcony, she saw him with Mrs. Stratton below.
“Drew, I didn’t realize you worked on your own car,” Mrs. Stratton’s voice was low and seductive.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else to work on her. She’s won quite a few races thus far.”
“I’m afraid I’m not very familiar with cars.”
“You’re welcome to come down to the garage anytime. Cars really aren’t so hard to understand. Once all the parts are in place, the car pretty much knows what to do from there.”
His words felt like daggers in her heart. She slid down the door frame and quietly continued listening. It was obvious he had a system. It had worked on her the other night in the barn.
“Sugar, you have to come back to the house soon. It’s so lonely there with my husband out of town.”
Her heart broke more as she watched him lift her hand to his lips and softly kiss her knuckles. “I’ll stop by again soon. I promise.”
Later that evening, she told her grandmother she wanted to leave for Harvard a week early.
Her grandmother didn’t protest or question her request. She left for Connecticut early the next morning, leaving Drew behind. If only she could leave the pain behind.
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Chapter 2
PRESENT DAY…
“Nicole, how are you doing dear?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked as the many mourners were departing the cemetery.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Nicole said, her tone polite.
“If there’s anything I can do…”
“Thank you, Mrs. Witherspoon. I’ll remember that.”
She walked about the cemetery while the rest of the mourners left. She found an empty bench under an oak tree. It was a perfect spring day in March. Sunshine. Warm. Singing birds.
“Nicole?” a familiar voice called, bringing her from her thoughts.
“Dixie!” Nicole stood quickly and they embraced.
“I’m really sorry to hear about your gramma.”
“I’m so glad to see you. All these friends of Grandmother were starting to drive me crazy.”
“It’s great seeing y’all again,” Dixie said once they both took a seat on the bench.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been eleven years.”
Dixie still looked the same. Her pale blue eyes were still as full of life as she remembered. Her long blonde hair was still a lovely shade of yellow. The past eleven years had been kind to her.
Almost too kind; she still looked eighteen.
As if reading Nicole’s mind, “That was one crazy summer, wasn’t it?” Dixie chuckled.
Nicole smiled at her comment. “It was a summer I’ll never forget.”
“I wish I had a chance to say goodbye.”
Nicole looked at Dixie. “I’m sorry, Dix. I just had to leave.”
“I know. Your gramma couldn’t have been easy to live with. I can’t believe she grounded y’all for being home late from a party.”
Nicole sighed heavily. “It’s all in the past.”
“And you’re back!” Dixie hugged her again. “So, what have you been up to in Connecticut all these years?”
“Working.”
“I hear you’re a hot shot lawyer with the district attorney’s office.”
“Lawyer yes, hot shot not quite,” Nicole teased back. “What have you been up to?”
“Well, I’m married now.”
“No way!” Nicole couldn’t believe it. “What happened to never letting a boy settle you down?”
“Honey, that was before Bobby came along. He done swept me off my feet!” Her eyes were full of the love she felt for her husband. “We even have two kids!”
Nicole’s eyes grew wide with her words. “Children? You?”
“Nicole, y’all have to come by the house and have dinner before going back up north.”
“I’d love to.”
Dixie noticed the diamond on Nicole’s left hand. “I see you’ve found someone special yourself.” She motioned to her hand. “Did he come with you?”
She looked at the ring on her finger. She pictured Neal’s face in her mind. “No. I had to do this one on my own,” she answered.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Dixie probed.
“We haven’t set a date yet. I’m sure we will soon.”
“Nicole, I’d love to sit and chat, but I have to be getting home. I’ll call ya and figure out dinner. I miss our times of girl talk.”
They stood and embraced each other one more time. “I look forward to it.”
***
Nicole sat in the gazebo lost in thought as she looked about the expansive property that was now hers.
She was still dressed in the black sundress with a black shrug she had to convince herself to put on earlier in the day.
Her grandmother’s passing meant the last of her family was gone, yet try as she might, she felt no sense of loss.
Her grandmother was a cold woman in life. She had no time for an orphaned granddaughter when her parents died in a car crash when she was but five years old.
Instead of offering comfort to a grieving child, Elizabeth’s course of action was sending her to a boarding school to be raised properly.
Now, after celebrating her twenty-ninth birthday a week ago, Nicole Bennett sat and wondered how she was supposed to feel and what she was supposed to do next.
She certainly didn’t feel at home in the large house, mansion would be a better description, her grandmother took such pride in.
It had been eleven years since she last set foot on Georgia soil. Georgia had been a different world and she was no longer the same person.
Memories she tried so hard to keep hidden in the depths of her mind from that summer came flooding forward as she stared into the dusky sky above… A summer of learning and a night in a barn.
Someone gently shaking her shoulder brought her thoughts back to the present. Looking up, her eyes filled with surprise.
“Drew?”
“Hi Nick,” he greeted.
She was completely surprised to see Drew Jaymes standing before her. She found herself staring at him.
He was still as gorgeous as ever. His hair was now a darker blond and a little longer as it fell just past his collar, and still thick waves and tussled. And those eyes were as blue as the ocean.
She thought her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, just as it would whenever she would see him that summer eleven years ago.
“Did I come at a bad time?” He brought her from her wandering thoughts again.
She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. “No. Why do you ask?”
“You seemed a million miles away when I walked up.”
“It’s been a long day,” she responded. She couldn’t exactly tell him he was just in her thoughts.
“I’m sorry about your grandmother.”
He stood with his hands in his pockets. He had always done that when he was uncertain of a situation.
She understood his apprehension, she felt the same. Her insides were a tangled mess of the pain she still felt for this man and a desire to match.
“Thank you,” she politely responded.
He could see she felt as awkward as he. Mixed emotions ran through him in her presence.
He took in her appearance. Gone was the long jet-black hair that reached her waist. It was replaced with hair that reached her shoulder blades curled under in a simple bob with bangs.
Gone was the shy, young woman he knew, except when he looked in her eyes. The brightest aqua he’d ever seen. The eyes he was sure could see straight through to his soul.
How many times did he see those eyes in his mind’s eye over the years? Hell, it’d be easier to count how many times he hadn’t thought of them: zero.
“I didn’t realize you were back in Peach Valley,” she said to break the silence. “I’d heard you moved away quite a while ago.”
“I’ve been back for about a month now,” he answered, taking a seat on the bench adjacent to hers. “It’s good to see you again.”
His words stabbed into her. She would imagine what it’d be like if she were to run into him again someday.
Now that the day had come, she found she was at a loss for words. She had wanted to hate him for the pain she had gone through. Wanted to hear him explain why.
Now that he sat before her, eleven years in the passing, it would seem silly and childish to bring it up now.
She felt as dumbfounded and shy as the schoolgirl she had been when they last saw one another.
Only she wasn’t that schoolgirl any longer. She had grown up. Matured.
Then why couldn’t she rid herself of that tinge of pain that ached in her heart? She had made a mistake and paid for it. Why did the sight of him now make that wound feel so fresh?
“How long will you be in town, Nick?”
“I’m not sure, really. Until all of Grandmother’s estate is settled.”
“That shouldn’t take long. You’re the only family she had.”
“Yes, but she was well into her social functions and charities.”
“Have you seen Dixie?” he asked, changing the subject.
“At the cemetery this morning,” she answered. “Can you believe she’s married?”
“Yeah, that took me by surprise when I came back.” He chuckled. “Marriage is pretty much the same as a funeral I guess.”
“Excuse me?” She noticed he had taken on a relaxed position. His arms rested on the back of the bench, his ankle resting on his other knee.
“They’re both endings,” he answered.
Only Drew would think of marriage as an ending, she thought. But then again, Drew Jaymes never would have any use for it.
She cleared her throat. “I’m afraid I don’t agree with you on that one, Drew.”
His eyes caught sight of the ring on her finger, the setting sun causing enough light to make it sparkle. “No. I don’t imagine you would.”
Why did his heart ache just a little at the sight of her ring? Why did his arms feel empty at the thought of her in someone else’s?
She really didn’t want to get into a debate with him on the morals of marriage. Unless something served a purpose in his life or was useful to him, Drew Jaymes wouldn’t believe in it.
“I hear you’re trying racing again,” she changed the subject.
His eyes still lit up on that subject. Why did she still let the warmth of those eyes affect her so?
“I’m doing alright,” he answered. “And I hear you’ve done pretty well for yourself as well. Working for the district attorney”
“It’s a challenge.”
Jennings approached the gazebo. “Pardon me, Miss Nicole. There’s a phone call for you from Connecticut.”
“Thank you, Jennings,” she responded, then took the cordless phone from him. “Hello?”
Drew stood and looked about the yard while being able to hear her end of the conversation.
“Neal, everything went well. It should only be a few days to get things settled here.”
He tried to picture the man in her life. An emptiness he couldn’t explain flowed through him.
“I have a guest right now. I’ll call you soon.”
She disconnected the call and looked up. His back was to her. She stood and walked over. Her heart skipped a beat when he looked at her with a sideways glance.
“I really should be going,” he said, turning to face her. “I just wanted to give my condolences.”
“It was nice seeing you again Drew,” her voice soft.
“Maybe I’ll see you again before you return home.”
Not knowing what else to say or do, “Maybe,” she responded before he gave a quick nod. She watched him as he walked away through the yard to his car.
***
Drew sat in the living room he grew up in that evening, beer in hand. His thoughts were filled with her. Seeing her again had brought back memories of that summer.
He was on his fifth bottle and still couldn’t wipe her from his thoughts. He rested his head on the back of the sofa as that summer came rushing forward in his mind’s eye.
He remembered the last time he’d set foot on the Bennett estate…
“I’m sorry, Master Drew, Miss Nicole isn’t here,” Emma told him as he stood on the front porch.
“Emma, please. I need to see her.”
“You’d best be on your way Drew Jaymes,” Elizabeth Bennett’s voice came from behind Emma. Both turned in her direction. “As Emma has told you, Nicole is not here.”
Drew knew he was especially disliked by Elizabeth Bennett. More so than the rest of the prominent in this town, and for the life of him, he didn’t know why.
The Bennett family had been founding members, and Elizabeth still reigned as the queen. Because the Bennetts had dwindled in size, many gave Elizabeth respect out of sympathy.
Nicole was the family’s only hope of bringing the Bennett family back to its glory, and she was expected to follow the mold Elizabeth had set for her.
That life didn’t include someone like Drew Jaymes.
“Mrs. Bennett,” he began, “I know she’s here. I saw her at the party yesterday.”
“Of course, the girl was at the party. It was a sendoff tea before heading to Harvard,” Elizabeth coldly responded.
“I’ll only be a minute…”
“However, young man, my granddaughter was quite distressed last evening. No doubt from your presence at her party, to which you were not invited.”
“I’m sorry I crashed your little social. May I please see Nicole?”
“Mr. Drew,” Emma said, “Miss Nicole has left for school early. She had an early flight this morning.”
“You’re lying!” he shouted. Nicky wouldn’t have left suddenly with no reason or pressure.
“I didn’t approve of my granddaughter’s friendship with you, Mr. Jaymes. But I can assure you, Emma is telling the truth. Nicole is safely on her way to school as we speak.”
Elizabeth turned and walked away toward the sitting room.
Drew bolted past Emma to catch up with her. “What have you done to Nicky?” he demanded.
“Mr. Jaymes! I do not tolerate trespassers in my home.”
“And I don’t tolerate being lied to, Mrs. Bennett!” he shouted. The older woman was getting angry at his presence. “If you’ve filled her head with some of your prejudice…”
“That is quite enough young man!” Elizabeth’s temper was rising. “I did not fill her head with such nonsense. Nicole knows the man you are. She doesn’t wish to have anything to do with you any longer!”
“Pardon me if I wait to hear that from Nicky!”
Elizabeth gave him an angry glare. “You are to stay away from my granddaughter.”
“Or?” he countered, not backing down.
“Or, you’ll have Sheriff Brown to deal with.”
“Your threats mean nothing to me, Mrs. Bennett.”
“I assure you, it’s a promise.”
Emma was in the front garden when Drew stormed out of the house. He stopped to speak to her before leaving. “Emma, did Nicky really leave early?”
Emma saw the pain in his eyes. She’d watched the boy grow up since being placed with his aunt as an orphan when he was seven.
Unlike Nicole, his aunt provided him a loving home as best she could. And the boy sure came with a lot of charisma. Many misinterpreted that charm.
“I’m afraid so,” she said with her grandmotherly tone. “Like Miss ’Lizabeth said, Miss Nicole was quite upset. She asked if she could leave for school early and get settled before the first semester.”
They both looked at the house and saw Elizabeth standing in the front door.
“You’d best be on your way, son. Miss ’Lizabeth has a terrible temper.”
After a week passed and he still hadn’t heard from her, he contacted the dorm she was staying in. The switchboard was answered with a cheery voice.
“Miss Nicole Bennett’s room please.”
“Who’s calling?”
“Drew Jaymes.”
After a few seconds of silence, “I’m sorry Mr. Jaymes. Your calls are not being accepted.”
“Under whose instructions?”
“The message is from Nicole herself. I’m sorry, I can’t connect you.” He held the receiver in front of him as if it were a strange object.
“Nicky, what happened?” he asked the silent room.
Returning to the present, his arms imagined her in his embrace. He could feel her hair in his hands holding her lips to his.
Her innocent trembling flowing through him as though it were yesterday and not eleven years ago.
He envisioned lifting his lips from hers and when he looked at her, she wasn’t the young woman from a summer, long ago.
In his embrace was the woman she had become. A woman who, in his mind, was as innocent as she’d been eleven years ago. She still had the ability to excite him.
His body yearned for her in the darkness that filled the room except for the small light on a corner table.
His eyes closed again and he experienced the most erotic scene unfold.
He looked into her eyes a few seconds longer before bringing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. He felt the trembling flow through her, slamming a desire through him he hadn’t felt in years.
Not since her all those years ago.
He began sweet kisses at her neck. “Drew, please. I can’t,” she said, her voice was a breathless whisper.
“Can’t what, baby?” he softly asked between kisses.
He stopped his soft kisses to gaze into her innocent eyes. His hands lightly caressing the pulse points at her throat, feeling her rapid heartbeat from his touch.
“I can’t feel this way with you,” she stuttered.
“Oh, baby,” he whispered before giving her another slow wet kiss. “Kiss me, Nick,” he softly pleaded before his lips returned to hers.
Her knees felt weak from his kiss. His arms wrapped around her to hold her close. Her breathing was erratic as he entered her mouth. His hand was at her throat, feeling her heart race.
He began seductive kisses near her ear, her quick intake of breath exciting him. Her innocent trembling flowed through him as he lowered her to the bed and rested beside her.
Her breathing was nearly hyperventilating as her hands tangled in his hair. “Drew, please don’t do this.”
“I’m not doing anything you don’t want me to,” he replied before tracing her ear with his tongue.
“Drew!” she called not believing the current racing throughout her being.
“That’s it, baby. Just feel.” He kept with his tantalizing kisses at her neck.
She couldn’t take the pure bliss he was inflicting on her. She reached for him and gazed into his eyes.
“Please, don’t make me feel this way,” she begged before pulling his lips to hers. She traced his lips with her tongue before entering him. Her hands hungrily tangled in his hair.
He challenged her as their kisses went on forever. He couldn’t believe the heights she was bringing him to.
Her hands held him tightly to her when his hand reached beneath her top to her taut peak.
His thumb and finger kneaded her nipple tenderly.
She threw her head back in sheer delight from his touch. “Oh God, Drew!” she called.
His tongue swam tenderly about her neck as he continued his pleasure at her nipple. “Oh, baby, I want you.”
“Oh, Drew.” Her voice was a passionate whimper.
“Nicky, I need you.” The passion in his whisper filled her as his hand reached beneath her waistband to her tiny silky curls.
He lightly brushed against her feminine core when the intense intake of breath she made filled him. “Drew, I can’t.”
He felt her wet readiness. “Oh, baby, you can. I can feel you’re ready for me.” She whimpered beneath his touch. “That’s it. Let me take you there.”
Her aqua eyes were filled with desire when he looked into them. “I can’t.” He heard the apprehension in her voice.
“Trust me, baby.” He removed his jeans and her pants before his fingers returned to their seductive dance. “Oh God, Nick, what you do to me.”
His lips returned to hers filled with the hunger she made him feel.
Her body shuddered under the intensity of her orgasm. Her response to him was overwhelming.
“That’s it, baby,” his passionate whisper showing his excitement building at his ability to pleasure her. “Yes, keep coming, Nicky.”
“Drew, please,” she called, not knowing how much longer she could go through this.
“Oh, baby, I’m just getting started,” he promised in a soft voice as his finger went inside her.
He couldn’t believe her response to him. He knew she was ready for him. His ego was stoked as he saw how hard she was coming.
Payback, he thought to himself remembering the ecstatic torture she put him through their first time. Now it was his turn to show her all her body could experience.
His hand kept her at the height of passion as his mouth took her breast to suckle.
The pleasure she was experiencing was causing his erection to build, but he wasn’t even close to being done with her.
He’d dreamed of this over the years. If he came right then and there, so be it. She was going over the edge, and he was going to take her there.
“Drew, please!” she begged over and over.
He could tell she’d never been pleasured like this before. He lifted his gaze to hers. His fingers slowing to give her time to come down. The passion in her eyes thrilled him.
“Baby, I haven’t even begun with you,” he told her in a soft, husky whisper.
“Drew, please. I can’t…” His fingers went back to their torture.
“Nicky, you have no idea. But you will,” he promised before hungrily kissing her.
Her hips began bucking as another orgasm overtook her.
He was so hard. He wanted her. But it would be after he took her to paradise.
She was squirming uncontrollably. “Drew, please. Stop,” she begged him.
“Tell me, baby, does this feel good?”
If she could think, or even put a comprehensive thought together, she could answer. She could tell him she’d never felt this good before, ever. “Yes,” she passionately hissed.
“Good,’ he answered. “Let’s see if I can kick it up a notch.”
“Drew, no.” She was certain she couldn’t take another notch—or anything else he might have in mind.
His fingers continued their dance as he again suckled at her breasts. Her breathing was still labored, almost like she was getting used to this height.
“Oh no, you don’t, babe. You’re not coming down yet,” he told her, kissing her abdomen and going further down.
“Drew?” she called. “What…”
Then he took her.
His mouth replaced his fingers and suckled her. The shock of what he did rocked her to her core. The core he had his tongue all over. The core that was producing explosions within her.
“Oh my God,” she cried out.
His tongue moved in circles at her excited bud. He’d never known a woman to come as hard as she was right then.
Her hips bucked uncontrollably. When she arched, he took the invitation and put his fingers inside her wetness, continuing to taste her.
“Oh, Drew, don’t…” she was barely audible.
“Don’t what?” he asked, continuing with his blissful torture.
She couldn’t comprehend anything. The real world didn’t exist. She fought to try to make words form. “Don’t stop,” were the only words she could say.
He moaned in delight. She accepted, finally, the pleasures within her body. Pleasures he was causing.
He responded to her request by suckling at her harder, vowing to find the greatest height she could physically find.
He felt her body stiffen when he positioned himself above her, his hands tangling in her hair as he rested on his elbows above her. The apprehension in her eyes showed him her innocence.
He gave her slow wet kisses as he slowly entered her.
She held her breath at their union anticipating a wave of pain.
“Breathe, baby,” he said between kisses.
Her body relaxed, but her snug fit was the same as before. “Nicky,” he breathlessly called before taking her lips in his.
Her hands held his lips to hers as she returned his hungry kisses with her own. When her body arched, his quick intake of breath excited her.
His rhythm stayed slow and steady, his manhood taking her to an unknown place. She pulled free from his kiss, her hands grasping her quilt in fists as her head went back and she arched further.
“Drew, I can’t do this!”
He saw the passion in her eyes and knew she didn’t understand it. He took her hands in his and raised them above her head. “Let me take you with me, baby,” he said between kisses.
“Drew, I can’t breathe,” her head was spinning.
“Come with me, Nick. Just let it happen.”
His pace became quicker and deeper. “Oh God!” she called, her hands squeezing his.
“That’s it, baby.” His excitement was building. “Just feel.” His lips hungrily came down on hers, absorbing her squeals. His pace was becoming faster and faster.
Her entire body shuddered beneath him.
He lifted his lips from hers, not yet reaching his summit. “Yes, Nicky. That’s it.”
She threw her head back and called his name as tears slowly slid from her eyes. Seeing the pure delight she was experiencing drove him to his height of passion.
“Oh, Nicky!” he called before his pace slowed and he collapsed atop her. Their bodies were sweaty from the explosive feelings they both experienced.
***
Standing under the stream of cold water in the shower, which had always been able to extinguish the fire within him whenever he thought of their night together, he now found it fruitless.
He discovered seeing the beautiful woman she had become was now the vision to excite him.
Womanhood had given her curves in all the right places. She was still sensuous with those full lips and electric eyes. To feel those dewy soft lips on his hot flesh. To lose himself within her.
He turned off the freezing water. All it was doing was making him turn blue. It had no effect on the fire within.
Why did I go to see her?
The memory was hard enough to deal with. Now, she was very real again. And so was the fact she had a man in her life.
“Did you think she wouldn’t?” he asked his reflection in the mirror.
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