Racing The Alpha (Dirt Track Dogs #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

also said… it was… divine.”
    Neither of them made a move. Not even a blink.
    “H-he got real close, and I thought maybe he was going in for a kiss. Which would’ve been weird since we’d just met but… then he put his face to my neck and said… said… yeah…” She let her voice trail off because repeating the words was humiliating.
    “Then what?” Annie asked, her brow scrunched in confusion.
    “Then nothing. He just left.”
    “Huh.” Punk picked up the towel and used it to clean the counter. The one that was already clean.
    “Yeah,” Ella mumbled. “Weird, right?”
    Annie nodded, tapping her finger against her lips.
    “Babe,” Punk sighed, “I think you’ve got you a freaky one. The man likes dogs. As in… likes dogs, if you know what I mean. That’s my only conclusion.”
    “What? That’s silly.” Ella glanced at Annie for help.
    “Of course he doesn’t like dogs, El. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never noticed you smelling like a canine. Most likely he was just messing with you. He’s a joker, that’s all.”
    Drake didn’t seem like much of a joker, but Ella was clinging to it. Because Punk’s explanation was just too much.
    “Whatever,” Punk muttered, going to unlock the doors.
    Within an hour, the place would be full. Red Cap was the best watering hole in Clark County. It which was the only way Ella had managed to make enough stayed busy all week, money working one job. She was thankful for the bar. It had given her friends and kept her afloat through one of her toughest times.
    About an hour into her shift, Ella felt a strange zing in her chest. She rubbed at the spot, hoping it would fade.
    Punk caught her eye from across the bar and let out an obnoxious bark. Then she nodded toward the door.
    Drake stood in the opening, scanning the room. When his eyes settled on Ella, he pursed his lips in the sexiest way. Like he was deciding which part of an ice cream cone to lick first.
    She swallowed, cursing her hormones as he approached.
    “Hey,” he husked, settling onto a stool.
    “What can I get for you, Drake?”
    He cocked his head causing the sunglasses perched on the top to slide to the side a bit.
    “So professional,” he whispered. “As if I wasn’t right up against that beautiful neck of yours last night.”
    She whimpered inside. He was so blunt. He couldn’t be a gentleman and pretend that whole embarrassing moment didn’t happen, could he?
    Ella bent across the counter so she could lower her voice. “Yes, sniffing me , as I recall.”
    His lips turned up in a grin. “You have a fantastic memory, mate.”
    Okay, mate ? When did he go all Australian?
    Ella shook her head. “What are you drinking?”
    “Uh…” He glanced at the back wall. “Just a Coke.”
    She filled an iced glass and set the drink in front of him, then went to check on another customer. As she refilled shots and refreshed the pretzels, she felt Drake’s eyes on her.
    “How come I’ve never seen you in here?” she asked him.
    “I don’t do alcohol.”
    “Oh? Is that a club thing?”
    He shook his head. “Sorta.”
    “So, none of you drink?”
    “Nope.”
    “Why is that?”
    “We all have our own reasons, but mine specifically…” He let out a sigh. “I let the bottle have control of my life at one time. Getting that control back was important so I cut out the drinking completely.”
    “You’re an alcoholic?”
    Drake shook his head. “No. I don’t need it, like some people think they do. It’s more like, I chose to give it too much power. I regret it. Wasted a lot of years living in a fog.”
    “What made you change?”
    The side of his mouth tipped up. “My boys. Racing. They made me not want to blur through life anymore.”
    She could see how much the club meant to Drake. Surge had said they were like a family. The thought was comforting. Eventually, maybe they’d feel that way about her too.
    Ella smiled. “That’s really great.”
    His eyes seemed to glow as he