Lily blushed and Nikoli laughed. Leave it to Joe to try to schmooze his date. “Down, Casanova, she’s here with me.”

“You’ve never brought a girl in before.” Joe winked at him. “She must be very special.”

Lily laughed, but refrained from saying anything, much to Nikoli’s astonishment. He assumed she’d make some wisecrack about their date, but she didn’t. Much to his chagrin, he was glad she didn’t. He sighed and ushered her into the dining room.

“We’re starving, Joe,” Nikoli said. “Where’s the table?”

Joe led them to the back of the small eatery where an empty booth sat. Lily slid in, and Nikoli debated about sitting down beside her. Remembering her earlier reaction, he opted for sitting in the opposite seat. As much as he would have really liked to trap her, he would give her some space for now. The small sigh of relief she let out told him he made the right decision.

“The usual for you both?” Joe asked, and hurried off when they both agreed.

“Pigtails?” Nikoli smirked. “Going for the cute schoolgirl look?”

“Nope,” she said. “I was going for comfortable. Your jeans and t-shirt make me glad I didn’t go all out for a dress and heels.”

“I figured you’d pull something like this,” Nikoli admitted. “I came prepared for war.”

“War?” She laughed. “It’s just a fast dinner so we can go our separate ways and not have to think about each other again.”

Nikoli frowned. Fast was not going to cut it. He needed to get her talking again. “So, your dad was Martin Holmes?”

She nodded, her expression sad. She must miss him a lot.

“What was that like, growing up on the racetrack?”

“Awesome. There is nothing like being in the pit on race day. My dad had a special headset made for me so the noise wouldn’t hurt my ears. I lived for those days. We’d always get there early and talk to some of the other drivers. Dad liked to go over his car himself before the start of the race, and we’d run through the checklist together. Then I’d get to watch the race from the pit. Seeing them fly by lap after lap, it’s the most amazing rush.”

“You were allowed in the pit?” Nikoli quirked an eyebrow. He and Luther had tried to sneak into the pit at one of the smaller tracks once, and security had escorted them right back to the stands.

“My dad was Martin Holmes. What do you think? I lived in that pit thanks to my dad’s crew. They always snuck me in. Being there, feeling the rumble of the ground beneath my feet as the cars sped by, the rush of the trail of wind they left behind them…there is no other feeling in the world like it.”

She sounded like him, Nikoli realized. That was exactly how he felt every time he got behind the wheel for a race. The adrenaline rush was almost better than sex. Almost.

“You never thought about driving yourself?” he asked, curious.

“No. I was there the day my dad crashed. I saw them have to cut him out of the car. I haven’t been behind the wheel of an actual race car since that day.”

“I get that.” He nodded. “Do you still like racing, though?”

“Sure, I grew up on it. I’m still a huge NASCAR fan. My dad loved rally racing too. He used to build cars just for those races. He never took me to any of them, but it was his passion.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl who knew so much about cars.” Nikoli shook his head. “It’s new for me.”

“Well, that might not be true.” Lily smirked. “You admit yourself that you don’t talk to the girls you sleep with, so how do you know they didn’t know cars?”

“Well, I’ve never had a girl completely ignore me to lust after my car, either.” He laughed. “I’m guessing that’s a dead giveaway.”

Lily blushed. “I think lust is a strong word.”

He grinned. “You were caressing the car like a lover, Lily Bells. I know lust when I see it.”

“You are going to let me drive her, aren’t you?” Her eyes lit up with excitement.

“That car is my baby, Lily.” He frowned. “You said yourself, you haven’t driven a racer…”

“She’s a racer?” Lily burst out. “I didn’t see any mods.”

Nikoli stopped breathing for a second. Before him now sat the sexiest woman he’d ever known, even dressed like a high school teeny bopper. She knew cars, she knew racers, and her eyes lit up like Christmas when she talked about them.

“I removed them last year. She’s street legal now, but there are still a few modifications that aren’t noticeable at first glance. She’ll run faster than the average ’Cuda.”

“Maybe not drive, then,” Lily hedged. “Could you take me for a ride, show me flat out how fast she runs?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” He grinned, his own excitement shining through. He loved to drive fast, and he sensed a kindred spirit across from him. For the first time all night, the thought of being just friends crossed his mind. Then she shifted and her breasts bounced slightly, and the thought flew out the window. Nope, sex, and then maybe just friends. Or friends who have sex a lot? He’d never done the friends with benefits thing before. Hell, he’d never done the female friend thing in his entire life.

Lily was gentle and shy at a deep level, and an enigma. She had the courage to stand up to him, but blushed and looked down at the smallest compliment. Her innate tendencies were calling to all sorts of his own dominant ones, including some serious protective ones. Very few women had ever struck that cord in him, and Lily was the only one he’d ever contemplated keeping. He frowned. When had he started to think about keeping her?

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. Luther wanted to know how the date was going. He made a face at the phone, well aware his friend couldn’t see it, but it made Lily chuckle.

“So you race cars?” Lily surprised him by asking.

He nodded. “Yeah. Luther and I got into when we were seventeen. Been racing since. We do a lot of rally races, as well as a few underground ones.”

“Underground? Can’t you get into a lot of trouble for that if you get caught?”

Nikoli grinned. “That’s the point, Lily Bells. It’s all about the risk you take.”

“You do seem like a risk taker,” she said, her smile infectious.

“You have no idea.” He winked at her and leaned back, letting his leg touch hers. She immediately scooted over. He frowned at her, and she glanced away and then looked relieved.

“Food’s here,” Lily murmured as Joe and a server came trudging over.

“Here we go.” Joe beamed at them as he set Lily’s plate down. Nikoli laughed at Joe’s obvious attempt to impress Lily. He never brought food out himself.

“Thank you.” Lily smiled shyly up at him. “It looks wonderful.”

“Only the best for Nikoli and his lady.” Joe grinned. “You let me know if you need anything at all, beautiful lady.”

“Go on back to the kitchen.” Nikoli laughed. “You’ll end up stealing her before I even have a chance.”

Joe turned to look at him, and the censure in his eyes made Nikoli very uncomfortable. Joe was well aware of his one night stands, as well as his other peculiarities when it came to sex. The two of them ran in the same circles. It’s how he’d met Joe.

“Be careful with her,” Joe warned. “Slow, my friend, and you’ll keep her. She’s worth keeping.”

Nikoli nodded his understanding, aware Lily took an entirely different meaning from that statement. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“If you don’t, I might,” Joe warned him.

Nikoli bristled and actually stood up.

“Just warning you, friend to friend.” Joe may have said it with a smile, but the warning was clear in his voice. The man was only twenty-six and handsome. If he wanted to charm Lily, he could, Nikoli realized. He didn’t like the thought of Joe with Lily, not one little bit.

“Stay the hell away from her, Joe,” he growled. A wave of rage he didn’t quite understand hit him hard. “She’s mine.”

“Uh, girl sitting right here,” Lily piped up, “and I don’t belong to anyone except myself.”