Crossing the Line (Hard Driving) by Audra North Read Free Book Online

even realized she was doing it, and he had to curl his hands into fists to keep them at his side instead of reaching out and stroking a thumb over a clearly visible nipple through her smartly tailored shirt.
    There was
something
between them. An attraction, yes, but also something that burned much stronger than that. Maybe it was her willingness to respect who he really was, or maybe it was only because she’d happened to come into his life right when things were exploding all around him and she was different enough to appeal to him in the way that he needed appealing to right now.
    Either way, he
had
to see her again.
    “I—” She opened her mouth, then closed it. Opened it again. “I fly back to Virginia right at the end of the day. I have to skip my last interview, in fact, to make my flight.”
    He was about to do something completely insane and ask her to stay, to change her flight, when Frank poked his head into the room again. “Time’s up, Miss Bellowes, Ty.”
    Thank God.
    Not that Ty wanted this time with Cori to end. But he was making wild decisions right now. He needed someone to stop him. It was as though all reason had fled him, and he was known for having one of the coolest heads on the track.
    Cori rose and held out a hand. “Thank you for your time. I-I really enjoyed talking with you.”
    Was she just going to ignore him, then? Pretend he’d never asked her to spend time alone with him?
    He took her hand and held it, gently enough that she could pull away if she wanted to, but intimately enough that she’d be hard-pressed not to remember the way their knees had been caressing each other like they were already lovers.
    “I’ll call your office,” he murmured.
    Oddly, she looked hesitant—almost regretful, in fact, instead of happy.
    Had he pushed for too much? Maybe that was why she was hesitating. It was clear she felt at least some desire for him, and he appreciated that she didn’t want to muddle things too much. But she was still hanging on to his hand and neither of them seemed like they were about to let go.
    “Okay.” Her voice was raspy, but then she made a sound and shook her head. “Actually, why don’t I . . . I’ll give you my cell number.” She pulled her hand away and rummaged in her bag. Grabbed out a notebook and pen and scribbled her number on one of the pages.
    He suppressed a bemused chuckle. Was
Gold Cup
really such a small operation that they couldn’t even afford business cards? At least she was giving him a better, less public way to contact her. Calling her office might result in more attention than either of them wanted.
    She ripped out the page and handed it to him. “I’m sorry. I, uh, I have to admit that this is the first event I’m covering. I don’t have any cards yet.” The blush that accompanied that statement was fierce.
    So she
was
new.
    He noticed that the hand she held out was shaking, causing the piece of paper to flutter slightly. It was possible that small sign of her nervousness filled him with masculine pride.
Not
that he was that kind of guy.
    He grinned. Not his usual smile, but one full of smug satisfaction.
    Fine. He
was
that kind of guy. At least when it came to this woman. He took the paper.
    “Thanks. It was good to meet you, Cori. I really enjoyed talking to you and look forward to more conversations.”
    She made a strange face at that, but nodded. “You too, Ty.”
    He
did
like hearing her say his name.
    He took her hand again, but instead of shaking it, this time he brought it to his lips. Kept his eyes on hers the entire time. Now he knew what color they were. Gray-green with just a hint of blue around the iris. Complex eyes that were darkening with arousal, reflecting her heat that he could feel coming off of her body.
    What would she do if he kissed her? All the signs hinted that she would welcome it. Her lips were already parted, and he gave a gentle tug on her hand, pulling her just a little bit closer. Her tongue came out