Reaction Time Read online

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam’s head whip around to face her. Obviously, he didn’t expect “Highway to Hell” to be the warning—er, ring—for her mother. She smiled and shrugged.

  “Where are you?” her mother asked.

  She’d been so caught up in conversation about handcuffs and spankings—damn it, why did those words make her sex throb—she didn’t know where they were. She glanced at the passing countryside “Somewhere on Interstate Ninety-Five headed north.”

  “You’re driving to the track?”

  “Yeah. It was a good chance to drive my new car.” She glared at the current driver while he flashed a snarky grin. Smiling made him look almost friendly and she wondered why he didn’t do it more often.

  Rather than contemplate the possibility Adam might have a few good qualities, she shifted her focus back to the conversation with her mother. The gaping silence meant her mother was gearing up to drop her bomb and Nikki felt herself growing tenser by the second.

  “I’m coming to the track this weekend.”

  “I’ve heard.” Nikki flinched at her harsh tone and deliberately softened it. “Why would you do that to yourself, Mama?”

  “What? Show my support for my children?”

  Nikki rolled her eyes. “This is a little different than a mom going to a high school play. You hate me racing. And why would you choose this track, out of all of them?”

  “It’s close.” Her mother cleared her throat. “It makes sense to go to the track that’s only two hours away instead of ten.”

  Nikki sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. Her mother’s answer seemed logical, but her instincts told her this decision wasn’t based on logic. “Are you coming up on Sunday morning?” She tried to be hopeful and optimistic but instead sounded desperate and pleading.

  “Of course not,” her mother said, sounding offended. “I’m coming on Friday. I want to have a couple of days with you and Nate.”

  Nikki fought the urge to howl in frustration. “There’s a little bit of a problem. There’s not going to be anyplace for you to stay.”

  “What do you mean? Don’t you and Nate have your motor homes?”

  “Yeah, we do but…” Shit. How did she explain Mama couldn’t stay with Nate because he and his girlfriend were gonna be having wild monkey sex all over the RV? “Nate’s got company for the weekend and you’d probably be uncomfortable staying with them.” Tact wasn’t her specialty but that’d sounded pretty good.

  “What about you?”

  “Me? Ummm…I’ve actually got a—” she glanced to Adam, “—friend with me too. Both my rooms are taken.”

  Adam smiled and shook his head no.

  She frowned and mouthed, “No what?”

  “No,” he said in a low rumble. “You’re not sleeping alone. But she should probably stay somewhere else.” Shrugging, he added, “That way she won’t hear you moaning and begging.”

  Chapter Three

  Nikki was so shocked by his bold statement she barely heard her mother say, “Okay, I can sleep on the couch.”

  His arrogant, overbearing attitude and totally inappropriate statement had Nikki’s palms sweating and her heart pounding to the point she thought it might burst.

  However, she would never, ever allow him to know he affected her like that. She pulled her jaw back up into its socket and glared at him. “Are you threatening me?”

  Her mother gasped. “Wha…what do you mean?”

  Nikki froze. Shit. What had been the last thing her mother said? What was the last thing she’d said to her mother? In a small back corner of her brain, she took note of her mother’s tone. She sounded rankled and a bit defensive and that seemed out of character for her normally mild-mannered and somewhat timid mother. But it was difficult to spend too much time and effort analyzing her mother’s response when ninety-nine percent of her was erupting in flames.

  Nikki scrunched her eyes closed and forced herself to focus. “I wasn’t talking to you, Mama. When I get to the track I’ll see who’s there and find some place for you to stay. Okay?”

  “All right,” her mother quietly said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” It wasn’t a statement, but instead a question. One asked by an insecure person in constant need of reassurances those she loved would still be around tomorrow.

  “Of course, you will. I love you.”

  Nikki snapped the phone closed and laid her head back onto the headrest. She closed her eyes and forced deep, even breaths into her body. Sometimes she got so tired of carrying the world on her shoulders she thought she’d buckle from the weight. How did it all get this out of hand?

  And when had their relationship flip-flopped so that Nikki acted as the mother and her mother the child?

  “What’s the deal with your mom?” Adam’s tone was quiet and gentle.

  She turned her head and watched the passing countryside. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “She never comes to the races, and why she’d pick this one is beyond me.”

  “What’s wrong with this one?”

  Nikki twisted in her seat and tucked one leg under her. “You really don’t know?”

  His eyebrows knitted into a frown and he shook his head. “No, but apparently I should.”

  “You’re not much of a detective, are you?”

  Grinning, he slanted his head in a confident gesture. “We’ve already established I know more about you than you’d like to admit.”

  Remembering she was supposed to be angry with him, Nikki took a deep breath and glared at him. What made him think she had some suppressed desire to be bound, gagged and beaten into submission?

  The whole notion was ludicrous and if he truly knew anything about her, he’d know she was the one always in charge. Although she and Nate were equal business partners, because she drove the car, the majority of the responsibility for keeping Kincaid Racing afloat fell to her. And then there was the care of their mother. Their father had had a large life insurance policy so, financially, their mother was well taken care of. But emotionally, she was bankrupt. Probably because Nikki was the daughter, she felt the majority of the emotional care fell to her. And taking care of their mother had become a full-time job these days.

  No, Nikki Kincaid did not bow down to anyone.

  And yet, every time he broached the subject, something deep within her stretched and yawned and seemed to be awakening. As a naturally curious person, she did have questions. But asking them would make it appear she was interested.

  Which she wasn’t.

  No way would she let him…what? What did he do to his subs to bring them this supposed pleasure?

  “Why do you keep insisting I have some suppressed desire to be…dominated?”

  He flicked his gaze to her and reached for her wrist. Startled, she snatched her arm away from him.

  “I’m not going to hurt you. Trust me.”

  “Said the lion to the lamb.” But even as she said it, she reluctantly offered her arm.

  He wrapped his large hand around her much smaller wrist and began slowly and sensually stroking his thumb along the sensitive skin of her inner wrist.

  She frowned, disconcerted by the warm and gentle current running along her arm and the warm, fuzzy feeling settling low in her belly. “What are you doing?”

  His utter stillness made him appear deep in thought. Finally, without answering her question, he asked one of his own. “You know what I’d do to you if you were my sub?”

  Oh, God.

  She wanted to yell, “What?” but instead kept her composure and cool resolve in place. “I have no idea.”

  The muscle in his jaw flexed as he continued to stroke her wrist. “I’d have you take off your clothes, leaving only your bra and panties. Then, I’d get you warmed up and ready with a light flogging.”

  She commanded her breathing to be slow and calm. “Ready for what?” she asked, with a forced nonchalance she was far from feeling.

  The corner of his mouth tipped into a grin. “Once I
had you writhing with pleasure, I’d move on to the leather strap…no, my hand. I’d need to touch you.” His voice sounded like it had been roughened with sandpaper. “There’s no way I could have you in that position and not in some way be skin to skin.”

  She swallowed hard and shifted in her seat, trying to squash the persistent throbbing and flood of moisture accompanying the desire.

  His nostrils flared and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath. He let go of her wrist and cleared his throat. “But right now, tell me about your mom.”

  She should have been grateful for the frosty attitude and sudden change of subject, but instead she found herself missing the heat and strength of his hand. Although she was loath to admit it, she’d liked having his hand on her. While his touch had been stimulating, it had also been soothing and reassuring. How did that happen?

  She shook her head to get rid of those unwanted thoughts and to get on board with the change of subject. “My father was killed in a crash at Richmond. Sunday will mark the three-year anniversary of his death.”

  She watched, intrigued as he morphed back into the Tight Ass she knew and all traces of lust dissipated.

  “I’m sorry. I’d forgotten that happened here.”

  “Yeah, well, it gets even better. Remember last year when I had that bad, freak accident?” She waited for him to nod. “That also happened at Richmond. We definitely have bad luck at that place and I almost hate going there each year.”

  A weight settled in her chest at the full realization of what her mother was about to put herself through. She dropped her head to her hands and ground the heels of her palms into her eyes. “Why would she want to do this?”

  After a long period of silence Adam sighed. “Nikki, I’m sorry I didn’t put it all together. And you’re right. I’m not very well prepared.” He gave her a smile that appeared almost sheepish—almost. “Certainly not as prepared as I should be. It’s no excuse but Nate and I played phone tag for a few days and I didn’t get copies of the letters until late last evening. I’ve only briefly looked at them and didn’t have a chance to ask questions or dig deeper.”

  “Hot date kept you from doing your job?” Damn it. She was gonna have to cut out her tongue.

  The sheepishness slid away and an egotistical male smile took its place. “Something like that.”

  She stiffened as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Shifting in her seat, she stared out the window. “I wasn’t prying,” she said, acting bored and disinterested. “I‘m wondering, though, how are you going to protect me and figure out who sent the letters when you’re not prepared?”

  “Tell me what to expect when we get to the track.”

  “We’ll go straight to the garage and have a team meeting. I have a couple of interviews to do and after those we’ll go eat. In order to make sure my guys take good care of me, I feed them well.”

  This time she got to smile as his fingers tightened their grasp on the steering wheel. He apparently didn’t like the idea of another man taking care of her anymore than she wanted to think about what he did to his subs.

  “After dinner we’ll go back to the motor home. Nate and I can catch up on general business stuff, go over last minute details for the car and—” she let out a big sigh, “—figure out where we’re gonna put Mama.”

  “I understand the difficulty for all of you in being at this track. But I don’t understand why you’re opposed to her being there if it’s what she wants to do.”

  Nikki struggled for an answer that wouldn’t betray her mother, yet would explain their concerns. “She didn’t handle my dad’s death well. And she’s never wanted me to race. After my wreck last year she got even worse. Nate and I are worried about her but we don’t know what to do. I’m afraid coming here will be her breaking point.”

  Adam nodded but didn’t comment and eventually they were wrapped in a comfortable silence. Nikki wondered if he was considering her and the case or reflecting on his hot date from last night.

  And why the hell did she care?

  Chapter Four

  Adam watched Nikki step into La Paloma’s private dining room and jerk to an abrupt halt. She frowned and then, as she looked around the table at her limited seating options, her expression turned mutinous.

  There were four seats on one side of the table, five on the other plus the two seats at each end of the table. Adam was sitting in the last seat on the left side. The seat to his left, at the head of the table, was open as was the seat directly across from him.

  When Rob and Joe, two of Nikki’s crewmen who he knew from the local BDSM group, had invited him to ride to dinner with them, he didn’t realize they had ulterior motives. He thought he was giving Nikki an opportunity to have some time with Nate and a break from being around him.

  It wasn’t until after they’d arrived at the restaurant that he’d realized Rob had other plans in mind. Over the past year, Adam had made no secret of his interest in Nikki. And Nikki had made no secret of her desire to avoid him. Rob had immediately picked up on the cat-and-mouse game the two of them were playing and had taken matters into his own hands.

  The other members of the crew didn’t know anything about the Dom and sub dynamics. They only knew Nikki had been a true bitch throughout the day and had decided she needed to get laid. Lucky for him, they’d unanimously voted him the man for the job.

  Consequently, the crew had taken it upon themselves to arrange it so Nikki only had two choices. She could sit beside him, or she could sit directly across from him.

  Adam took a drink of water to hide his smile and watched as she tried to get her mouth in working order. She opened and closed it a few times then clenched her teeth tightly together, causing her jaw muscles to pop and twitch. He found her absolutely adorable when she was mad, and right now—arms crossed, hip cocked, toe tapping—she was royally pissed.

  Zeke, the youngest and greenest of the group, made a mistake of flicking a quick apologetic glance in Nikki’s direction.

  Nikki made eye contact and smiled. “Zeke, would you please move down there so I can sit here in your seat?”

  Color rose in Zeke’s cheeks and he cast a nervous glance to Rob.

  Everyone else quickly began drinking from their water glasses, playing with their silverware or burying their noses in their menus. Anything to avoid acknowledging the powder keg with the ticking fuse standing in the doorway.

  Rob smiled at Nikki and then, looking more innocent than Adam ever would’ve believed possible, said, “He can’t move. The NHRA has imposed a few new rules that Carl needs to fill him in on before tomorrow.” Nate stepped through the doorway behind her and upon seeing the seating arrangement—and Nikki’s kickass expression—burst out laughing. Nikki faced him with a head-on glare. “I’m glad you think this is funny.” She cast a disgusted look around the table and growled, “Traitorous bastards. Every last one of you should be fired.”

  Even though Adam found the situation and her reaction humorous, a part of him felt bad for Nikki. As he considered how ganged up on she must feel, a twinge of tenderness swept through him and his chest constricted with emotion.

  Nate glanced around the table, eyebrows raised expectantly. When it became obvious nobody was going to give up their seats, he scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “Well?” he said, gesturing to Nikki. “Where are you sitting? I’m hungry and the quicker you park it the quicker we can get some food.”

  Someone sucked in a sharp breath and the tension level around the table spiked as everyone braced themselves for the impending explosion.

  The frustration and anger flowing from Nikki was palpable. Suddenly, her toe tapping stopped and the room fell into an eerie silence.

  Adam found himself holding his breath and cringing, waiting for the blast.

  But it never happened.

  Without saying a word to anyone, she dropped her arms, squared her shoulders and stomped to the seat across from him. Within the span of a heartbeat, her demeanor shif
ted from warrior to preservationist. He’d believed their conversation in the car had left her feeling open and vulnerable and the way she moved now corroborated that belief. She carefully pulled out her chair and gently sat, as if afraid to touch Rob or the table. It was like someone protecting exposed nerve endings that were raw and painful.

  The questions she’d asked only confirmed his belief in her submissive nature, and he suspected she began to question it herself. For someone as strong-willed and independent as Nikki, that alone was a lot to come to terms with. Now, this close-knit group of men, with whom she worked day in and day out, had sided with him. It had to hurt and leave her feeling alone.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and fought the urge to go to her and pull her into the safety of his arms. She’d kill him for embarrassing her and she probably wouldn’t find him as comforting as he’d like to think he could be.

  Instead, he watched and waited and when she finally looked over at him, he offered a reassuring smile. He really did mean it as a show of support but based on her murderous expression she wasn’t taking it as he’d intended.

  Angling into the seat at his left, Nate muttered, “You know there’s going to be hell to pay for this.”

  Adam chuckled and said beneath his breath, “I swear I didn’t have anything to do with it. I can’t say this often, but in this case, I’m totally innocent.”

  The waitstaff began distributing the previously ordered drinks and normal conversation resumed. Right up until the waitress took Nikki’s drink order. Instantly, all conversation ceased.

  As all eyes turned in her direction, Nikki looked around the table. “What?” When no one answered, and only continued to stare, she added, “You guys order drinks all the time. Why can’t I?”

  Nate, apparently the only one willing to step into the minefield, said, “Yeah, well…usually when we say, ‘bottle, no mug’ we’re getting a beer. Not wine. You planning on drinking the whole bottle? Straight out of the bottle?”

  Nikki pulled in a lungful of air and glared at Nate. Yeah, actually, that was her plan. But since they were in a fairly nice restaurant, and not on the tailgate of a pickup truck, she supposed that wouldn’t fly. Once again unable to formulate a smart-ass comeback—dammit, she needed to re-sharpen the edges of her tongue—she shifted her attention back to the waitress and smiled sweetly. “I guess I’ll take the glass too.” And maybe I’ll use it.