Laughing out loud she spun a doughnut in the next patch of mud, just because it was exhilarating and she knew Gator was roaring down the highway on her bike. She felt him. The connection between them was strong, strong enough that she knew if she reached, whispered, called to him, he would hear her.
She was in the risky area now, the Jeep slipping around turns as she let up just a hair on the gas going into the curve and punching hard, sliding nearly sideways through the turns. The Jeep was decked out for all terrain and she used every bit of skill she possessed to drive at breakneck speed along the faint trail. The Jeep caught air and slammed down, the front end tipping to the left and throwing her forward, only to catch air a second time, this time tilting to the right. She braced herself using the steering wheel, but the seat hit her back several times as she was thrown back and forth. Mud sprayed the air be hind her, throwing up a dark trail and covering the Jeep in rich goo.
She didn’t dare let up on the gas; in the heavy mud she’d be stuck immediately, so she pushed the Jeep to its limits, powering through the spongy ground and bumping over the nearly invisible road. Twice she dared the lower creek beds. Wyatt had a snorkel on the Jeep, but she didn’t want to take a chance using it in deeper water because it would definitely slow her down so she only went for the shallower beds, crossing fast and driving hard up the bank before shooting onto the frontage road that would take her along the canal leading to Burrell’s island.
The Jeep was black with mud even with the speed she was going, the wind spraying the dirt behind her. She smirked and waved as a car tried to stay up with her only to back off when mud spattered it. A black town car was heading in the opposite direction, and she recognized it as Parsons’s private vehicle. There was a certain satisfaction in seeing mud spray up and over it as she blew past. As she sped along the frontage road, she glanced toward the highway and her heart slammed hard in her chest. Gator was low over the motorcycle, his shirt rippling in the wind as he raced toward the exit to the extensive waterway system.
Flame couldn’t believe how excited she got just spotting him. Her stomach did a series of little flips and her heart began to beat wildly. She hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. He was just as determined to win as she was, his jaw set, his mind focused. She knew it because he was a competitor through and through, just as she was. They were so alike in so many ways, yet so different where it counted.
She tore up the frontage road along the canal, glancing back to see the motorcycle already exiting. Raoul had to have seen her even with the dust flying. She bent low over the steering wheel, her foot hard on the gas, urging the vehicle to greater speeds. The engine screamed at her, but over the top of it, she could hear the purring of her beloved motorcycle. The bike flew past her, tearing into the small dirt parking lot just moments ahead of the Jeep.
She parked next to her bike, leaping out, laughing, because she couldn’t help it. He sat on the motorcycle, swinging one leg, looking lazy and cool despite the humid heat of the swamp.
He pulled off his dark glasses and winked at her, holding out the keys to her bike. “I do believe, Ms. Johnson, I kicked your pretty little ass.”
She took the key chain from him and dropped the Jeep keys in his palm. “I do believe there must be at least ten cop cars chasing after you.”
“I lost them somewhere near the bridge. If they’re coming after me, they’re mighty slow. What’s my prize?”
“You think you deserve a prize for speeding? You were breaking the law. That was cheating.”
“I’m a rule breaker, cher. You’ll have to get used to it.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. There were flecks of mud on her clothes and some on her face, but all he could focus on was the laughter in her eyes. Everything male in him responded to her, but when she laughed because of him, he felt almost as if he could fly.
“I can’t imagine you as anything but a rule breaker. You were a little outlaw as a child and you’re still one as an adult. You get away with too much because you’re so charming. It isn’t good for you.”
His grin widened and he poked her with his finger. “A-ha! I knew you found me charmin’. Even the toughest ones fall eventually.”
“You’re not nearly as charming as you think.” She started back toward the Jeep.
Gator trailed after her. “Yes I am,” he teased. “You’re trying to escape me now, but I’m going to say hello to Burrell and declare my honest intentions so he won’t be comin’ after me with that shotgun of his.”
She stopped so abruptly he ran into her and had to catch her shoulders to keep both of them from landing on the ground. “Your only intention toward me is to get me back to Whitney’s little laboratory,” she reminded.
“Well now, I wouldn’t say that was true,” he denied, heat gathering in his eyes.
“Hello, you idiot. I’m not pregnant. We haven’t slept together. We’re not engaged to be married. You’re here to drag my ass back to Whitney.”
He tilted his head to inspect the curve of her bottom. “And a nice ass it is too. You’ve got me wondering again about those pretty little panties of yours.”
“Stay on track here, Raoul. I think you have ADD.”
His hand slipped from her shoulder to slide the length of her arm, trailed to the curve of her hip. She glared at him. “And keep your wandering hands to yourself.”
“You like my hands.”
“Not that much.” She faced him squarely. “You’re making this hard.”
“Well, that’s fair. You make me hard.”
She threw her hands into the air in sheer exasperation. “Go home, Raoul.”
“Not a chance, cher. I introduced you to Grand-mere. Why don’t you want to introduce me to Burrell?”
“You already know Burrell. And don’t give me your puppy-dog look. It isn’t going to work. I’m not taking you home to him. If you give him your ridiculous story about pregnancy and engagements I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He grinned at her. “Of course he’s going to hear about it, Flame. This is the bayou. We have our own newscasters. Grand-mere has announced to all her friends and they’ve called all their friends. The news has traveled throughout all the parishes by now.”
“Great. Just great.” Her eyes met his. Sober. Penetrating. “Why did you insist on me going to see your grand mother? She’s a lovely woman and I really enjoyed meeting her, but why would you do that?”