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Mason exhales. “I’m so relieved to hear you say that. When you first started going through this list, I thought you were going to say we couldn’t let that happen again.”

“No. Not after hearing what you said. Not after kissing you like that. Not after having something I thought could only happen in my dreams. I want this.”

“I want this, too. I would only take this risk for you, Catherine. But you’re worth this risk.”

“So how do we do this?” I ask.

“We date. But privately at first. To see where this goes. I don’t see the point of letting everyone know our business until we know we want them to,” Mason says seriously.

“I agree. We need to get to know each other. Figure out what we want this to be. I honestly don’t know what my family would think, and we have a history of relationships being exposed in the media. I don’t want that to happen to us straightaway. I would want my family to get used to the idea of us first.”

“Our experience would be different. I mean, yes, I work for your family, but it wouldn’t be a scandal like your parents had. I know there would be an interest, though, and the internet would have thoughts.” Mason pauses. “And your grandfather would have serious thoughts.”

A chill runs through me as I think of the implications of that, and painful memories come to the surface, along with worry over what my grandfather—who lived through tabloid drama before—would think about his F1 team once again being splashed across gossip websites.

Mason must see something in my expression because he squeezes my hand. “Hey. This is why we’re doing this our way. Right now, it’s between us. Let’s just date and see where it goes.”

“And if we determine this is what we want?” I ask.

“Then we’ll tell people what we found with each other and we won’t ask permission. If we want to be together, we’re going to be. We’ll fight for us and for what we want.”

This is happening. I’m going to date Mason.

“Can we tell Caleb and Isla?” I ask.

Mason is silent for a moment.

“We don’t have to if it will make you uncomfortable,” I say.

“Your brother will hate this.”

“Don’t worry about Caleb. I know he’s your rival on the track, and that makes it hard to be close friends. But you two get along well enough and I know if circumstances were different, you might even be close mates. You’re more alike than you think.”

He scowls. “Um, I respectfully disagree.”

I giggle at that. “Okay.”

“How can you even compare us? First, I’m a better driver. Second, Caleb doesn’t even like mango chutney—and those are two out of a million things wrong with him.”

Now I laugh. This is how I started crushing on Mason. I love his energy and his sense of humour.

“We can tell them,” he says. “Caleb is more than your brother; he’s like your best friend. I’m sure he’d figure it out. I also trust he’s not going to run me off the track for dating you. Causing damage to both Collings Motors cars would be a big bloody no.”

“He won’t do anything to you,” I say. “And thank you. Do you want to tell Luke?”

Luke Larson is an Australian driver for Eclipse, and Mason’s best friend in the paddock. They often share jets, travelling to and from race locations together.

After thinking for a moment, Mason says, “I’ll tell him. He already knows I think you’re hot.”

“He does?” I cry. “You told him that?”

“Um, yeah, I told him that.”

“So Caleb, Isla, and Luke,” I say. “That’s it.”

“That’s it. And we’ll see where this goes.”

I can’t contain the somersaults in my stomach from his words. We’re going to do this. We’re really going to date and see what we can be together.