Heat floods my face. "Don't."
"Don't what?"
The corner of his mouth lifts in that way that always makes my stomach flip.
"Don't make me say it here."
Blake hits a particularly high note, and EJ whoops in appreciation. Neither of them are looking our way.
William's hand slides up to my wrist, finding my pulse point. "Your heart's racing."
"Shut up," I mutter, but there's no bite to it.
He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. "I think about you, too. All the time. In meetings, when you're being all Team Principal and intimidating everyone. In the garage, when you're checking with the engineers. At night..."
I turn my face slightly toward his, our noses almost touching. "William."
"I know we can't. Not with Dominic watching our every move. But god, Violet, I miss you."
William moves his hand to my knee, just resting it there. A simple touch that shouldn't seem so important.
"It won't be forever," I say, unsure if I'm reassuring him or myself.
"Feels like it, though." His gaze is gentle, filled with a longing that matches the ache in my chest.
I allow myself to really look at him—the curve of his lips, the stubble on his jaw, those hazel eyes that see too much. He's beautiful in this light, shadows playing across his features, making him look both older and somehow more serious.
I'm vaguely aware of the music changing, of Blake and EJ starting another song, but they might as well be in another room. William reaches up to brush a strand of hair from my face, and the simple gesture nearly undoes me.
"You're doing that thing," he says quietly.
"What thing?"
"Where you're thinking too hard. I can see it in your eyes."
I smile despite myself. "Someone has to think for both of us."
He laughs, the sound low and warm. "There she is."
For a moment—just a moment—I let myself forget about Dominic, about the board, about all the reasons we've been keeping apart. I let myself just be here, with William's fingers threading through mine beneath the table, with his gaze holding mine in the dim light of this karaoke room halfway across the world from home. Sometimes, I just want to say "fuck it" and not care about the pressure we have and just… be together. But I need to protect us both—and Colton Racing.
The final notes of Blake's performance fade, and he takes an exaggerated bow as EJ applauds enthusiastically. I shake the tambourine next to me, grateful for the distraction from William's hand that's still somehow touching mine. Blake's face is flushed from the exertion, his smile wide as he catches his breath.
"My turn!" EJ reaches for the microphone, but Blake holds it away playfully.
"Give an old man a minute to recover, would you?" He collapses onto the couch opposite us, wiping his brow. "Last time I sang karaoke was with your father, Violet."
I straighten up, surprised. "Dad? At karaoke?"
Blake nods, chuckling. "After the '92 Suzuka win. He couldn't sing to save his life. Absolute tone-deaf disaster."
William breaks eye contact with me, his hand slipping away. The loss settles over me immediately, but maybe it's for the best.I need to cool down, to remember all the reasons we've been keeping our distance. I grab my Yuzu soda and take a long drink, hoping it will calm the heat that's spread through my body.
William glances at me, cocking his head with that playful smile that makes my heart skip a beat. It’s too much; I need to get away from this couch, from his proximity. Now.
"I'll go," I announce, setting down my drink with a little too much force. "EJ can go after me."
EJ looks surprised but nods. "Sure, boss."
