Free Let Me Go by Michelle Lynn Page B

his chest, ending right before his black belt. Checking out his wrist, I find a shiny silver watch wrapped around it. By the time I reach his eyes, after thoroughly ogling his body, his perfect white teeth surface from his opened smiling lips. “Good?” he asks and I set myself up for failure when I ask.
    “What?” I tilt my head.
    “Am I good enough to eat?”
    “You know I think you’ve been polite for about,” I raise my wrist like I’m clocking the time. “One minute?” I question and he laughs.
    “I tried, doesn’t that count?” he asks, shoving his hands in his pocket, peeking from me to the floor. I desperately want to call him out, but I can’t in good conscious. So, I link my arm through his and tug him to start walking.
    “Yes, it counts.” I wait for his eyes to meet mine. The clearest blue I’ve ever seen, and I can’t help but imagine him as a little boy every time I look in them. The light contrast to his black hair brings out the exotic and mysterious side of him. “Thank you.” His eyes study my lips and then close briefly before he nods.
    Rob and I have small talk and he gives me the low down on the car racing scene among a little about him during our hour trip. After learning Rob is an only child, his parents own a family printing business in the small town he grew up in, I’m wondering what on Earth his demon could be. He’s open with any question I ask and by the time we drive down the long secluded road in the middle of nowhere; I’m stumped to why this guy poses such a persona. The questions of this other Rob that emerges on occasion is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t ruin tonight. I’m enjoying my time with him too much to spoil it with whatever he does fight on a daily basis.
    “This is it?” Car mufflers roar and breaks squeal as we wait in line to pay the fee to get in. Reading the sign that there’s a spectator fee, I reach down for my purse. “Let me,” I begin, but Rob places his hand on my arm and goose bumps shoot up my skin.
    “I have you covered.” When I peer up at him, he retracts his hand back as though my skin was on fire. It is, but he doesn’t know that.
    I straighten back up in my seat. “Thank you.” Did Rob ask me out on a date? I wrongly assumed this was just a friend thing. My heart skips a beat and butterflies fill my stomach that this was his step. He crossed over and allowed himself to have faith in me.
    Shock must fill my face because he chuckles. “I’m not always an asshole.”
    “Oh, no . . .” I try to somehow convey to him he isn’t an asshole. I imagine my eyes glossed over with stars bursting out of them from how happy I am that there is something more to us than just attraction.
    Thankfully, before I embarrass myself further, he has to pull up to the small red shed with a drive-thru window.
    “Hey Wild Card, what’s going on tonight?” A man in his fifties greets Rob while taking the money from Rob’s hand. He leans down to check through the window when he counts the money. “Oh, you got a lady friend with you tonight?”
    Rob looks my way and we share a look of amusement. “Yeah, I do.” He faces the guy again.
    “I’m hoping to be off to see you race at least once. Last week was just . . . fucking spectacular.” The guy continues priding on Rob. He nods, trying to appear cool and nonchalant, but the small sneak of a smile curling at the edges of his lips signals different. He’s clearly proud of his accomplishments here and he’s made a name for himself. Another side of Rob I’m guessing not a lot of people see.
    “Thanks, Jim. See you out there.” Rob shifts his car back into first gear and he’s ready to pull away when Jim places his hand in the car.
    “Hold up. FYI, Xavier’s here tonight.” Rob stops the car and tilts his head up to Jim.
    “When?” Whoever Xavier is, it’s clear this is not good news to Rob from the scowl across his lips.
    “About a half hour ago. The whole group of them.” A