He stepped over and pulled her in for a hug. As he began to release her, he leaned in, thinking he would kiss her on the cheek and then staring at her lips, suddenly changed his mind. But she looked surprised and had already turned her head partway so that his lips landed clumsily, half on the edge of her lips and half outside them.
They quickly pulled apart.
Rocco was grateful for one thing. It had happened so quickly, given all the excitement and commotion, no one seemed to have noticed.
Afterward, there were dozens of press interviews.
When they were finished, they headed back to the Maverick complex. It was just the two of them. And neither of them had said a word. Should he say something?
That kiss.
They were both acting as though nothing had happened. But something had happened, even if that kiss sucked.
It irked him. A part of him wanted to right that wrong. Now. But then someone might come around that corner up ahead. And just as he had the thought, someone did.
Carolyn.
She smiled. “Congratulations! I’m not sure which is more of a surprise—you, Nico, on the podium, or you, Rocco, darling, not only back on it but in first. A pleasant surprise, of course. But a surprise nonetheless. I thought it might never happen again, dear,” she said, placing her hand on Rocco’s cheek.
“Surprise? Really?” Nico sneered. “I findthatsurprising.”
Up until then, Rocco had avoided looking over at Nico. But now he turned. He only caught her profile, but by the look of that lifted chin and determined jaw, he would bet anything those dark eyes were blazing.
“Do you?” Carolyn said, more statement than question.
“Well, yes. Rocco has, what, three championship trophies? Not only that, but he’s the only driver on the circuit who’s shown that he can master Monaco in the rain. I mean, he’s done it before—fivetimes.”
“Right,” Carolyn hissed, her words spitting from behind clenched teeth. “Well. I’m sure I’ll be seeing both of you tonight at the party.”
Before Rocco could stop her, Carolyn leaned in and planted an intimate kiss on his mouth. He was just grateful he’d had the foresight to keep his mouth shut and so had she.
She turned to Nico. “You see, dear. That’s how it’s done. Just a little pointer in case you ever make it back up on the podium and try your hand at it again.”
“Hmm. Looked tepid to me. I was thinking something more like this.”
Suddenly, Rocco felt her hand around his neck. She pulled him down until his lips met hers, her lips slightly parted so that her breath, hot and sweet, entered him, and like a bolt of lightning, shot straight through his veins. She opened wider, and her tongue, slow and sultry, shattered that bolt into shards of electricity that sparked throughout every square inch of him and then suddenly lit a fire while that scent of hers, thick and viscous, landed heavy in his groin. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer, squeezing tighter and tighteruntil he could feel her heartbeat against his own and her breath falter in his mouth.
“I can’t,” he heard her whisper, their lips still locked.
He felt her hand on his chest.
“I can’t,” she whispered again, “breathe.”
He finally released her. She looked stunned and then blinked.
Carolyn was gone.
“Well, we showed her,” Nico said before turning on her heels and walking away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
NICO AND ROCCO
What do you think?” Nico asked Charles as she stood before him in a dusky violet-gray one-shoulder floor-length gown.
Charles didn’t say anything. Not exactly the reaction she’d been hoping for.
“What’s wrong with it?”
