Page 73 of Downforce

Annalise lowers her fork and knife to her plate. “You’re not going to get over that, are you?”

Chuckling, I wipe my mouth, even though I’ve barely eaten, as she’s pointed out.

“No, I don’t think I ever will.” That’s the plain truth. I’ve relived her words every day for weeks now and I never tire of them.

“I’ll be watching all of the drivers like anyone who’s a true fan of the sport.”

I’m not satisfied with that answer.

“And what do I have to do for you to watch and root for only me?”

She rolls her eyes skyward. My gaze trails down the scope of her neck to the hint of exposed cleavage there. A vision of my hands laid over her skin, exploring, touching, teasing runs through my mind.

“Nothing,” she says, looking me in the eye. “Because it’ll never happen.”

Challenge accepted.

“I think I can change your mind.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Stubborn, are you?” I ask with a lifted brow.

“Once my mind is made up about something it stays made up.”

“That so? Well, when I have a gut feeling about something I’m rarely wrong.”

Her eyes narrow on me. “You don’t have a gut feeling about me.”

“Don’t I?”

“No. You have a … desire to one up my br⁠—”

“Don’t,” I say sharply. “We don’t need to mention anyone or anything that exists outside of this room right now. Here, it’s just you and me.”

Her lips part, and I think she’s going to say something absurd like ‘there is no you and me.’

However, she abruptly shuts her mouth, looking away from me. I wonder what she’d been about to say. Even if I wouldn’t have liked the words, I still wanted to hear them. Simply because I want to hear everything she has to say.

“I should go.”

Almost everything.

Those three words aren’t necessarily welcome.

“You need to get your rest,” she adds. The tone of her voice is genuine.

I know she’s right. I do need to rest for tomorrow, but I also know I’ll be up half of the night with thoughts of her filling my mind.

Instead of telling her that, I rise from my chair, circling the table to help her out of her seat.

“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?”

Her eyes drop to my lips as we stand chest to chest.

“You have a team dinner tomorrow.”

I forgot all about that.