Read Surge: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 1) for Free Online Page B

bad. Only when I’m racing. It’s way worse in Europe where Formula One is bigger. But here, in the States, I can get around without too many people bothering me.”
    I smiled and looked away from him for a moment.
    “So it did bother you?” he said, confident he’d figured me out.
    I shook my head. “It didn’t bother me. I suppose I wasn’t prepared for it.”
    “Yeah, you get used to it.”
    “You might. It seems to suit you.” I replied.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Oh, I just mean that you seem like the kind of man that would constantly love to be the center of attention.”
    Dyson remained motionless for a couple of seconds. Eventually, he leaned in towards me, bracing himself against the edge of the table with his elbows.
    “Well, I suppose if you were the one dispensing the attention, I’d like that quite a bit.”
    He lingered there, looking at me.
    I sensed a rush of heat flash across my face and neck, thankful it stopped there before going any lower. I hoped he hadn’t noticed. With any luck, the restaurant was just dark enough. A few seconds later, he eased back into his chair without comment. If he did see it, he seemed content not to mention it.
    As for me, I realized a part of me was… interested.
    Oh no.
    Just then, the waiter returned to the table and uncorked the wine. I used the opportunity to compose myself. The server paused, offering Dyson a chance to taste.
    Dyson waved him off.
    “You can just go ahead and pour it, man.”
    The waiter nodded, and a few seconds later, he’d filled both of our glasses halfway. Dyson wrapped his fingers around the stem of the glass and nodded for me to pick mine up as well. He lifted his and moved it towards me. I touched the thin glass against his, clinking them against each other.
    He smiled, pausing before he drank. “To new friendships.”
    I smiled in return and lifted the glass to my mouth. Seconds later, the heady aroma of oak and fruit filled my senses. I swallowed the thick liquid down, allowing it to linger on my tongue for a few moments.
    “Delicious,” I said, placing the glass down on the table.
    “Yeah,” he said, nodding and returning his to the table also. “A lot better than the cheap shit I grew up on.”
    Just then, I realized I hadn’t considered much of anything about Dyson’s background. In the time since I’d met him I’d been so focused on fending him off, I hadn’t spent any time thinking about him in that way. But now, with a bit of wine settling in on my brain, I eased back into my chair and allowed the idea into my mind for the first time.
    “Where did you grow up, Dyson?”
    “Pomona,” he replied, picking up his wine glass once again. “You know where it is?”
    I shook my head. “No, I’ve hardly ever been out of Texas.”
    Dyson took a big gulp of his wine. “It’s in California… East of Los Angeles.”
    “Does your whole family still live there?”
    “Yep,” he began. After placing his glass back down on the table, Dyson continued, “They’ve been there for three generations now. It’s a great place to grow up, especially if you are a racer. I’m looking forward to getting back there.”
    “Oh, are you going for a visit while you’re here?”
    He nodded. “One of the races on the U.S. tour is in Los Angeles, so I’ll get to see them.”
    “What about you?” he said. “How did you wind up becoming a nurse?”
    As much as I didn’t want to do it, I really felt as if I had no choice but to lie to him.
    “I had to take care of my nephew, provide for him.”
    Dyson listened intently. “The nephew with no parents, right?”
    I looked at him in silence, swirling the wine in my glass.
    “He’s a good kid,” Dyson said, pointing at me. “I guess he has you to thank for that.”
    I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, I’ve raised him since…”
    Stopping short of telling him the rest, I closed both hands around the top of my wine glass and glanced away.
    “Didn’t mean to pry, Ava. Again,