I capture her mouth before she can spout any more nonsense. Her hand finds my sweater, crushing us together so there isn’t a single gap between our bodies. I cradle her head like it’s the most valuable thing to me. Her mind might argue, but her body doesn’t.
She rests her forehead against my chest and mumbles something ever so quietly. I’d hear it if she were standing on the other side of a packed stadium. She has to be listening to my heartbeat, it’s pounding like I’m heat training.
I lift her chin with my index finger. ‘What was that, Mouse Butler?’
I hold my breath as she bites her bottom lip. ‘I said I love you too, you annoying menace.’
Good enough for me.
I’m about to go in again when her finger lifts to the space between us.
‘My career comes first,’ she says.
I shrug. ‘That’s fine. Mine doesn’t.’
She nods seriously and drops her gaze, thoughts twisting behind a guarded expression. I run the backs of my fingers softly across her cheek.
‘Wait.’ She pulls apart and goes to her drawers, pulling out a very familiar sheet of paper. It’s much smoother than my copy, having not been crumpled and shoved in a pocket. ‘We won’t be needing this anymore.’
She holds the contract out ceremonially and I can’t help but grin when she rips it down the middle.
‘In the spirit of openness,’ I scratch the back of my neck, unsure why I feel the need to be honest about this, ‘I lied about my side of the bargain. I didn’t know Tom.’
‘I know.’
‘Like, I didn’t know him at all. I’d barely spoken to him in my life.’
She tongues the inside of her cheek, amused. ‘It didn’t work out so badly, did it?’
Well this is going better than I thought. ‘Also… When we first met, I didn’t sabotage your chances with Tom because it was a slow party. I wanted you to pick me.’
She winds her arms around my neck. ‘I did pick you.’
‘I was an insecure asshole back then. I don’t blame you at all.’
She flutters her eyelashes at me. ‘Any other lies you want to get off your chest?’
‘Nope, I’m done.’ I tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ‘I know this doesn’t conform to your new era, but we can keep it between us. Hell, we’ve been doing it for months.’
A little piece of me wilts at the thought but if this is the only way I can have her, so be it. I was grateful she was partnering with F1 Academy; now I’m grateful she wants me at all. It’s probably too much to want a real, public relationship right away. Who knows, next year, when the dust’s settled, things could look different. Watching the race from Leone’s garage. Running onto the track when I win a podium. Dinners. Vacations. South Beach. Medellín. Cartagena.
She shakes her head slowly. ‘I don’t want to lie anymore. It doesn’t look great, but I’ll get through it.’
I try not to show the full extent of my relief. ‘We,’ I correct, trailing a hand down her arm to take her hand. ‘We’ll get through ittogether.’
A true smile lights up her face and I can’t hold on any longer. I scoop my girl over my shoulder.
‘Stop!’ she shrieks, and I freeze. ‘Do you likeSelling Sunset?’
‘What?’
‘The reality show,Selling Sunset.’
‘It’s not my favourite – I don’t love LA.Selling the OC’s more my bag because I used to live there and I recognise areas of it, but I’ll watch both.’
‘You’re not scared of all the yelling?’
‘Yelling? Julie, I’m South American. My family speak in all caps.’
