Chapter 3 Craving My Subject

TAYLOR's POV

I masturbated every day to thoughts of the stranger I kissed at Crystal Bar three weeks ago.

My pussy was swollen and probably angry at me, but the ache was just maddening. 

And to think Caleb had called me broken. He made me believe I wasn’t sexy because I didn’t have large breasts like the porn stars he spent his time watching. I also couldn’t get wet or get him off. The emotional abuse started to tell on me and sex became something I avoided. I even feared getting turned on until I couldn’t.

But meeting Zaden did something to me. I had come alive when he touched me and now I was horny every second. 

I wanted him to the extent that I went back to that bar every evening, hoping to find him and hoping he could fuck this feeling out of me and set me free. 

It just hadn’t occurred to me that Zaden not only resembled the famous racer Zay but was the same person.

“I beg to differ.” He was staring at my chest and I was glad I had a bra on today, if not my hard nipples would have given my true intentions away. “Zay is short for Zaden.”  

“You should have made that clearer before I became your employee.” I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling overly self conscious. 

Zay stepped back, his dark brows suddenly furrowing. I followed his gaze and realized he was staring at my necklace.

I shoved it underneath my shirt immediately. It was an old thing, but my adoptive parents, may their souls rest in peace, told me my real dad had wanted me to never take it off. It was also the only piece I had that held my true identity and connected me to my dead family. 

“Where did you get that pendant from?”

My cheeks heated as I tugged together the lapels of my shirt. He was probably wondering what I was doing with an old, broken pendant. Someone of his caliber would be used to wearing designers and the latest trends. 

“I’ve had it since I was a child.”

“I see.” He backed away again and the gap he was creating between us wasn’t lost on me.

Ava had warned me that everything was at stake if I broke the rules or lost this opportunity. 

Zay had probably come to his senses and realized we had to put whatever happened between us behind us. But I gripped the conference table harder to stop myself from seeking his warmth. 

“Have you been living in Manhattan?”

I was puzzled at this point. “Yes?”

“Where are your parents?”

“Are we playing twenty questions or did I miss something… Zay?”

He grimaced. “Answer me.” His voice had deepened and it echoed forcefully in my head.

I blinked rapidly, trying to understand if that had just happened, or if I was hearing things?

“Dead. I was adopted, and they’re dead, too,” I blurted, but then it seemed as if he’d coerced those words out of me.

Romolo Rossi walked in and a sigh escaped me. I didn’t realize my family background had anything to do with my job. 

“Zay, how’s it going?”

“She’s not suitable. Hire someone else.”

“What?!” My jaw dropped and I stuttered, looking between the two men that held my future in their hands. “Why the hell do you think I’m not suitable?”

Zay’s back was to me and he wouldn’t look at me. I tapped him out of frustration, then instantly regretted it. 

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me to him. His eyes were bloodshot and every trace of familiarity had vanished. 

“Zay!” I heard Mr. Romolo shout. 

I thought I would lose a hand if he held on a moment longer. He didn’t and I took many steps back, nursing my bruised wrist. What the hell? What did I miss?

Mr. Romolo stepped in between us. “Are you out of your mind? She’s an innocent woman that came to work for—“

“And I said, get another one, because I don’t want to ever see her again.”

The hate he regarded me with confused me. Was he looking down on my background now that he knew? Did he find me repulsive because I was the kind of the girl that wore cheap, old things. I clenched my fist, biting the inside of my cheek to redirect my pain. 

All men were the same. Caleb never came back to our apartment, nor was he picking my calls. And this one had just tried to hurt me. My therapist would have a lot to say if she saw me now. 

Zay stormed out of the conference hall and as the team principal went after him, I grabbed a chair, sinking into it, breathing hard.

My phone chimed with a text from Ava and I quickly replied to her that the meeting went fine. If Ava caught the slightest wind of this recent development, I would be done for. She’d send someone else from our team ASAP and send me packing. I couldn’t stay here. I had to clear my head, come up with a plan, and keep my job at all costs, because if the star wanted another documentarian, Romolo Rossi was also bound to do everything to please him. 

I made my way outside, observing the mechanics and engineers as they worked. The private track was massive, but it was nothing compared to the real thing I had seen on the TV at the bar. I left the gates.

“Hey! Take this!”

A girl with pink hair and a nose and eyebrow ring handed me an invite and dashed back inside. 

“What is this?” I asked quickly because she was already far gone.

She walked with her back, yelling so I could hear her. “The staff are throwing a preseason bash and I heard you’re one of us now, so be there.”

“Can I get your number? Or a name at least?”

“It’s Nellie! I’ll see you there.”

She turned without bothering to get my own name and sprinted into the property. I flipped the invite in my grasp, an idea sparking in my head. If I got acquainted with all the insiders of Pinnacle Motors, maybe Mr. Romolo would be reluctant to find my replacement despite what his star driver wanted. 

That evening, I came to the docks, looking for the yacht that belonged to Pinnacle Motors. Apparently, this was how the rich partied in Miami. I had even purchased a red dress with a price tag that made my bank account howl in pain. 

I showed the bouncer my invite and in barely a minute, I spotted Nellie’s pink hair on the deck. When I walked over, I noticed a dashing young man had his arm around her possessively. Their outfits matched.

“Hi! You made it!” Nellie hugged me to my surprise. “Welcome to the team! Oh, and this is my husband, Blaze. Blaze meet…”

“Taylor.” I shook his strong hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same. So what does she do for us?” Blaze looked at his wife for help.

“I saw Rom bring her in this morning. She specializes in documentaries. Isn’t that cool?”

Nellie was such a bubbly open book, and here I was thinking every rich person was a snob. 

I waved her off. “Trust me, it’s not all that, I swear. Your jobs are probably cooler.”

“Girl, I’m a mechanic and all my colleagues are men. So, no, it’s not. Though I wouldn’t say the same for Blaze. He’s won the world championship once.”

“Wait, he’s a driver.” My smile slipped and my heart rate quickened. “I didn’t realize the drivers were going to be here…”

My eyes bounced around, searching for the one man that told me he didn’t want me near him. I had hoped to give it time before we saw each other again.

“I think I should go home.” 

“Didn’t you read the invitation? We’re partying for three days straight because it’s Zay’s birthday weekend!”

God, no, no.

Fireworks started and Nellie and Blaze moved to the edge to get a closer look, leaving me all alone. At the instant, the hairs at the back of my neck stood. I turned slowly.

Zay Anderson was glaring at me from across the deck.