Thrust: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

left to right, I swiveled my head, taking in the view of the sparkling lights of Monte Carlo far below. Tasteful contemporary designs and straight lines mixed with hues of white, gray and black filled my gaze. The open concept and sleek lighting seemed consistent with someone who drove more than two hundred miles an hour for a living.
    I continued to turn my head, nearly covering the entire length of the windows when something unexpected caught my attention. I stopped dead, my vision frozen with what I saw. Not more than twenty feet in front of me, I noticed a woman, seated in the middle of an expansive black suede couch. A striking brunette, she had her hair pulled high. Pricey looking earrings dangled like icicles, matching the wintry expression on her face.
    From behind, I heard the door to the penthouse close and then, nothing. It was the calm before the storm.
    Without a word, she stood and began to walk in my direction. The woman made long strides. Her green dress, like the kind you might wear to an awards gala , fit like a glove and sparkled, shimmering in the ambient lighting. Her heels click clacked like a metronome, riveting my attention.
    And then she stopped, only a few feet away, glaring at me.
    “What are you doing here?” I heard Marco say.
    Immediately after, he appeared in my peripheral vision. The woman fixed her eyes on me for another moment or so until at last, she stopped, and instead turned her focus to Marco.
    “What am I doing here?” The woman began, crossing her arms and glaring at him. Her voice carried the hint of a French accent. “Can you see how I’m dressed? What do you think I’m doing here, Marco?”
    I swallowed hard and looked away. My skin crawled with goosebumps and not the good kind. All I wanted to do was leave, just turn and get the hell out of there. Mercifully, Marco stepped between us. For whatever reason, she hadn’t yet said anything to me. Judging by her increasing anger, I figured it was just a matter of time.
    “You need to leave,” Marco said. “Now.”
    I peeked around him, hoping my eyes wouldn’t catch hers.
    “No, Marco, I’m not going anywhere,” she began, keeping her gaze fixed on him. “I want to know why you stood me up for the gala.”
    What?
    Marco casually slid his hands in the pockets of his pants, waiting a few seconds before responding.
    “By my count, Serena,” he said, pausing for emphasis. “This is the sixth time I’ve had to tell you this. We aren’t together anymore.”
    Girlfriend?
    It was the only thing that made sense. I’d never seen any mention of him being married. While I thought about it, I noticed him turn in my direction.
    With a subtle nod of his chin, he continued, “As for tonight, I found someone else to take instead. Someone I knew I’d have a good time with.”
    Oh no. No, no, no…
    The absolute last thing I needed right now was to get in the middle of whatever was going on between them. I forced a hard swallow down my throat, and before either of them could speak, I jumped in to fill the silence.
    “I’m sorry. I’m going to go.”
    Right away, I tried to turn and walk towards the door. Before I got a single step in, Marco curled the fingers of his hand around my upper arm.
    “No, Dani. Stay. Serena was just leaving.”
    My eyes shot towards her. She still hadn’t said a word to me. If the situation were reversed, I would’ve had no problem telling another woman exactly what was on my mind. But Serena didn't seem threatened or the slightest bit angry with me. In fact, when I looked at her, just the opposite seemed to be the case. Far from an expression of rage, Serena’s face held a look of profound sadness.
    “This man,” she began, lifting her hand to her mouth and struggling to get the words out. “He is incapable of true love. It is not in his nature.”
    Chills ran down my arms. Although he probably had no idea this woman would be here waiting for us, what did it say about him? On the other hand, I