The heat wave that had scorched Vegas during that photoshoot had come and gone. So, it seems, had that spark of good vibes between her and Rocco.
She’d expected things to be different after the photoshoot. She’d expected something to be different.
Not that we would be buddies.
A shiver coursed through her body as she remembered his flesh grazing her nipples when he’d raised his arm just before jumping up on the hood of that car. And then what he’d done with her hair.
She shook her head as though this might shake the memory from her brain.
No, definitely not buddies. But at least less antagonistic.
When she’d arrived at the paddock, she waited for some sign, some indication she’d been right. But he wouldn’t even look at her. Not even during the team meeting. And when they’d accidentally bumped into each other once, he’d mumbled a gruffsorrywhile looking the other way.
Maybe it was better. She’d been nervous about seeing him again and not just because of what had happened at the photoshoot but because of her dreams—yes, dreams, plural—because now she was having more than one.
In one, he was up on the hood of that car. That in and of itself wouldn’t have been so bad. But she was up there with him. Under him. And he was—doing things. Things she shouldn’t be thinking about. Things she didn’t want to be thinking about. Things she kept telling her brain to stop thinking about.
Especially standing here in the paddock.
Now that she thought about it, it was better she be invisible to him. She just had to work on making him invisible to her.
If he could do it, then so could she. Okay, so maybe it was a little more difficult because of those dreams. Still, she was every bit as much a driver as he was. He was focused on one thing and one thing only—winning. And so was she.
There he is, she thought as she saw him swiftly approach and fly down the track.
Nico had been thrilled when she was sitting behind the wheel. The car was creating some definite buzz. It was fast. The owner had spared no expense and had poached some of the best engineers, technicians, and mechanics from some of the premier F1 teams, including Blue Jet Lightning and Elegante Racing—the two teams that had finished first and second last year, for the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championships.
In only twelve days, I’ll be on that track—the first race of the season. MY FIRSTFormula 1 race.
“Nico Angelini?”
She swung around at the sound of a woman’s voice. She was stunning—tall and elegant with auburn hair that was sleek, shiny, and straight and still managed to fall in a graceful wave to just past her shoulders. Her skin was translucent, her features delicate.
Nico found herself wishing she could see the woman’s eyes, but she was wearing dark sunglasses.
The woman smiled. “I’m Carolyn Wickham.”
Wickham, Nico thought.Right. Wife of the owner of Blue Jet Lightning.
They shook hands.
“Nico Angelini. You and your husband must be very pleased. Your car and your drivers look very fast.”
“They do, don’t they? Especially Ian. We’re hoping he can win us both trophies again this year. But, of course, Leo Clarke will be in contention as well. Perhaps even Rocco. He doesn’t look too bad out there. Maybe he can recapture some of his old glory. I’m just glad to see he’s racing this season. For a while there, it looked as though he might—not be.”
Nico remained silent. She had her opinions about the man—plenty of them—but she wasn’t about to share them with anyone who was connected to another team.
Carolyn sighed. “Hopefully, he can find a way to contain his emotions. I mean, he looks pretty good now. But that’s always the case at the beginning of the season. It doesn’t take much for his emotions to get the better of him. He’s very sensitive.”
The conversation was making Nico feel uncomfortable. Something about it felt … strange.
There was a moment of silence as they gazed at the cars that passed before them.
“I know it can’t be easy for you,” Carolyn went on. “It’s not easy for any woman in this F1 world, in any capacity. But then, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. It will only get harder from here.”
She paused.
“I’m not sure how well you know your teammate. Maybe I’ll fill you in on some details one of these days.”
