Chapter 6
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
T he frigid, cold air made her skin pebble as she stepped outside, wrapping her robe around herself. She hummed to the melody still dancing across her mind as she walked to the other side of the rooftop, her breath catching at the sight of Miles lounging in the steaming hot tub, arms draped across the basin’s edge as he watched the dark, starry sky.Tanned skin illuminated by the lamps. Sharp, handsome features hidden in the shadows. Long fingers passing through his hair before a lazy strand toppled over his brow.
Shit.
As if she’d voiced the curse out loud, his eyes snapped in her direction, brows rising with surprise.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were already here,” she whispered, gesturing behind herself with her thumb. “I’m going to go.”
There was something predatory in his gaze as his perusal trailed from her face down her body. Something quite dangerous, yet luring Indy towards him, like he was a flashing warning sign and she only ignored it.
“I don’t bite.” That coarse baritone made another shiver roll down her spine.
“Oh, but you should know I do, stud.”
His lips twitched upwards into a small smirk. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Don’t tempt me.” When his shoulders shook with a soft chuckle, she let the victory warm her vessels. “Can I join, then?”
There was a single nod as confirmation. “Step into my office, Miss Bailey.”
She flashed him a grin, because she knew that it was all it took for him to let his guard down. A heartbeat later, his broad frame relaxed, and she stepped forward.
“Thank you.” Reaching the tub, she deposited her wine glass on the edge before untying her robe. Under the intense scrutiny of his green eyes, Indy felt utterly naked and exposed. Hoping he wouldn’t notice the blush rising on her cheekbones, she dropped the piece of clothing on the chair to her right and stepped into the water.
Not once did Miles look away from her legs and the black one-piece hugging her physique. Not once did he try to hide his blatant attraction, perusing from her thighs to her chest to her face, before blinking and making that fleeting desire darkening his eyes vanish.
Yes, this man had been invading her daydreams for years, and yes, he was attractive. But she needed to get a grip. Needed to understand that she was here for work, to forge her place in a competitive world, and to focus on herself.
No man would make her bow. Certainly not her new roommate.
Indy swallowed her moan at the feeling of the warm water lapping around her body. She sank down until her shoulders were under water, her feet accidentally brushing against Miles’. She wasn’t surprised that he retreated them quickly, his expression indecipherable.
She reached for her wineglass and took a sip, roaming her gaze over the stellar sky. It was beautiful, dotted with bright constellations. It had been a cloudy day, so seeing the heavens so clear at night was surprising.
Miles was already watching her when she looked back at him. “I interrupted your peace and quiet, didn’t I?”
“Ever since you became my roommate, but whatever.”
“Charming.”
When he passed a hand through his hair, she couldn’t help but watch his bicep flex. “No, it’s fine. Your company’s tolerable.”
“Here I am, feeling so delighted because of all your genuine compliments.” He scoffed in disbelief at her tone, then glanced at her fingers wrapped around the stem of the glass. “I don’t—Does it make you uncomfortable that I’m drinking?”
Indy was aware that Miles didn’t drink at all, though she wasn’t exactly sure why. Asking would mean trying to peel off one of his thick layers. He wasn’t one to share much about himself, and regardless of her promise to herself to focus on her career, she still wanted to have him open up. But now, as she sat here, at midnight in the tub with him, she couldn’t exactly ignore that weird feeling that had settled inside her stomach.
“Of course not,” he murmured. “But thank you for your concern.”
She nodded, taking another sip before setting the glass down.
The crease between his brows was too deep for her own liking. “Why are you drinking anyway? Got something stressing you out?”
“Work,” she said, somehow surprised by the ease of the conversation he’d started. Miles Huxley was either black or white—no in between. She was honoured to have caught his interest. “First day tomorrow.”
“You’ll be fine,” Miles assured gently.
“I won’t,” she whined before blowing a strand of hair away from her eye. “Have you seen the other journalists?”
Miles shrugged, as if her argument was irrelevant.“I talk to them. I don’t look at them.”
“Hopefully you’ll be more of a gentleman with me.”
“No need to worry about that.” When he fluttered his fingers atop the bubbly surface, Indy found herself enthralled by the size of his hands, the veins and tendons adorning them. Yeah, she was a shameless slut for men’s hands. Especially Miles’.
Indy had met her new coworkers a couple of times. She was the newbie on the team, the girl straight out of her master’s degree with nothing but a podcast as baggage to prove that she was worthy of being an F1 presenter. Two of her male colleagues were retired racing car drivers, and the rest of her teammates had experience in the motorsports industry. Obviously, she was Zachary Bailey’s daughter, but she did not want this to be the reason why she’d gotten the job—it wasn’t, anyway.
“Just a heads up,” he added wryly, “I hate interviews.”
“Aw. Don’t worry, I’ll be kind and gentle. I promise I’ll make it enjoyable for you.”
He gave her a bored look. “Thanks for the reassurance.”
Make him smile and be comfortable during interviews? Challenge accepted.
“Anyway.” She circled back to his initial question. “My room’s a mess?—”
“Always is.”
She arched her brow. “Did you look inside my bedroom? Snooped around? Did you open the drawer on my nightstand?”
He narrowed his gaze. “What’s in there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Curiosity danced along the edges of his irises, but to her disappointment, he didn’t voice his answer. “Why did you make a mess?”
“I couldn’t find the perfect outfit. Narrowed it down to three and had Kam help me pick.”
“You invited her over?”
“No, I showed her through the window.”
Miles threw his head back and laughed. His smile was a thing of savage beauty, with a dimple popping in his left cheek. But his laugh… Such a unique, rare melody only a few people had the honour of hearing once in a while.
He quickly glanced at the building across from theirs, noticing that the blinds at Thiago’s penthouse were closed.
Warmth danced inside Indy’s chest as she observed stars shining in his eyes when he looked back at her. She wished the butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t flutter. Wished she was immune to his dazzling looks. Slowly, he shook his head. “I never know what’s going to come out of your mouth.”
“That’s exactly why you like me.”
He lifted his hands in semi-surrender. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“You tolerate me?”
“Sure. You’re my roomie. And my best friend’s sister.”
“How could I forget?” It was a constant reminder so that she wouldn’t cross the line. “So what do roommates do? Watch movies together? Play board games?”
A hum rumbled in his chest. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
“I’m sure you’d be captivated by the chick-flicks I watch.”
“Undoubtedly,” he said with a soft chuckle.
A peaceful silence fell. She didn’t enjoy the quiet that much because she would start getting lost in her own head. But as she sat there with Miles, she thought about how she didn’t mind his company, even if no words were being exchanged. Even if they simply stared at each other as though they had forgotten what the other looked like. She’d sought his attention and companionship for so long, but he was obviously off-limits for numerous reasons.
He interrupted the silence after clearing his throat. “I heard you talking to Lisa on the phone earlier.”
Indy rolled her eyes. “My mother is thrilled that I’m living under your roof. You’re definitely her favourite.”
“She makes the best lasagna.”
“And you keep kissing her ass for it, which is exactly why she loves you.”
When he and Kai became friends during their karting days, Miles instantly became family. Whilst Miles pursued his career in motorsports, it was snowboarding that had lured Kai in, a ski trip on his fifth birthday determining his future.
His beautiful smile made her heart thump faster. His sheer adoration for her family was precious. “True. How’s she doing?”
Indy shrugged. “She’s fine.”
“Just fine?”
Indy wanted to tell Miles about the words her mum had told her. Lisa was a good parent, one of the best, but she’d always been hard on Indy. Always wanted her to be the best, to keep her chin high and never allow other people to glimpse at her vulnerability. She knew that her parents were this way with her and Malakai to help their confidence be steady and powerful, to remind them they were good and talented and worthy of their careers.But sometimes, a scrap of affection was all she craved and needed.
“She’s busy with work,” was all she said. “Getting everything ready for the Milan Fashion Week.” Lisa Bailey was a popular designer, specialised in bridal couture.“So she didn’t have much time to chat.”
See the picture? Growing up with a Formula 1 driver and a talented fashion designer was not only resourceful, but there was no place for failure. A Bailey didn’t fail—a Bailey kept climbing the mountain to reach its peak, no matter how long and hard it’d be to pass the obstacles. And a Bailey did not disappoint their parents—ever.
“Right, right.”
Indy tied her hair into a bun on top of her head, observing Miles’ eyes follow the slope of her shoulders and linger on her collarbones. “So… Is the hot tub the equivalent of pottery and painting to you?”
She was fully aware that Kai had told Miles about her anxiety and that only making art could soothe her nerves. She wasn’t particularly mad at Kai for revealing her secret, but she wished she could have been the one to tell Miles. Although speaking about it terrified her. She hated speaking about her anxiety because people saw it as a weakness.
A small smile ghosted over his lips. “I guess so. That, and music.”
“Music?” Craning her neck to look inside the penthouse, she pointed to the piano. “You play?”
“No, it’s just part of the décor.”
She rolled her eyes at his sardonic tone.
“Yes, I play. I’ve been playing since I was four, I think. Music is a big part of my life. It helps me centre myself, it grounds me. I listen to music every chance I get, but playing is another thing. I don’t get much time when it’s not the off-season, but I try to bring my guitar with me on the road.”
She couldn’t help but guffaw. “You play the guitar too?”
Miles hummed, looking amused by her flabbergasted expression. “And drums. A bit of saxophone. The bass too. Piano will always be my favourite, though.”
“Wow,” she breathed out. “Women must be piling at your feet. F1 driver and musician? That’s incredibly sexy.”
Miles ran a hand across his jaw, trying to hide his grin. “They can pile over there all they want, but I’m not interested.”
“Really?” She pinned him with a look. “You seriously don’t date?”
“You know I don’t.”
“What about hook-ups?”
“There’s only been you.” He cleared his throat as she tried not to let her pulse quicken. The admission, however a simple reminder she had forgotten about, set her skin ablaze. “I’m really not interested in women.”
Indy reached to the side to grab her glass, her torso sliding out of the water. Miles dropped his gaze to her chest, his jaw becoming taut at the sight of her breasts nearly spilling out of the swimming suit and the nipple piercings straining against the fabric.
Indy smiled behind the rim of the wine glass.
“Men, then?”
His heady gaze locked to hers. “No,” he said again, more gruffly this time.
“Why, though? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to speak about it. It’s just hard to believe someone like you is single.”
“Someone as good-looking and talented as me? Maybe it’s because I can’t have the person I want.”
His eyes didn’t flicker away from hers. Didn’t drop her gaze. Indy’s chest rose and fell, her breathing nearly becoming laboured because of the shift in his stare.
“Or maybe because you’re conceited.”
He scoffed. “You know, when you’re someone like me who’s got a couple of championships under his belt, who is not even thirty and a multi-millionaire, the people who want your attention don’t want you for you. They want the money, the free vacations, the cars, jewellery or watches or expensive clothes. They want fame, the camera flashes and news headlines. Can you blame me for not trusting anyone? Whether these people want to become my friends or more? I’ve had my fair share of shitty dates. Shitty friendships. I’m happy sticking to the core four”—him, Kai, Romeo, and Ezra—“and I’m not looking for anything. Just trying to focus on F1.”
At least he was clear and honest, and maybe, deep down, she was grateful that they were on the same wavelength—success and career before love.
There was something painful prodding at her chest. “I’m sorry about your past relationships. No one deserves to be taken for granted. To be used like you’re just a walking wallet. You’re so much more than that.”
Miles swallowed, his throat bobbing, before nodding.
“I appreciate it.” He nudged his chin towards the flat. “Let’s get going. It’s late, and we have busy days ahead of ourselves.”
“Sure.” She stood up, water splashing around her body, despite being thoroughly disappointed they had to cut this moment short.
His perusal followed the route of her legs, lingering at the apex of her thighs, travelling to her torso and the slopes of her shoulders. Repeating. Photographing. Admiring. The intensity of his scrutiny felt like sparks upon her body. Indy blinked when he rose to his feet, intrigued by the tattoo on his thigh. Had he gotten it recently? It wasn’t there the last time she’d been with him, and that was merely two months ago.
She was already attracted to him enough as it was, and he was just making everything worse.
She missed him. His hands. His lips. The way he knew how to make her pant, how to pleasure her until she saw stars. And even if he was at arm’s length, she couldn’t touch him.
“You’re staring,” he commented, chest glistening, muscles contracting.
“Can you blame me?” she retorted unapologetically.
“I guess not.”
Miles got out first, extending his hand to help Indy out before draping her robe around her shoulders.
“These are nice,” he commented huskily, referring to her nipple piercings. She’d caught him staring at them a couple of times now. “Weren’t there the last time I saw you.”
“I got them recently.”
“Nice.” He glanced down at her chest once more, a blush rising on his neck.
She contained her amusement. “You already said that.”
“Right.”
She wrapped the robe around herself, tipping her chin up. “If you want to see or touch them, all you have to do is ask.”
“I’m not going to be home this week,” he said, ignoring her remark as something flared inside his pupils. “Going back to London for a seat fit at the factory and to get ready for pre-season testing. Will you be alright on your own?”
“Do I look like I can’t take care of myself?”
He gave her an unimpressed look. “Literally not what I said, Indy.”
She sighed. “I will be fine.”
His eyes tracked her movements as she tied the robe, his palm rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m kind of leaving on your first day at work.”
Her shoulders dropped as a smile touched her lips. Miles Huxley could pretend all he wanted, but he bore a tender heart. “That’s sweet of you, but again, I’ll be okay.”
Miles nodded, exhaling.
“Are you taking Rosie with you?”
“That was the plan. Unless you want to take care of her?”
“I’d like that. I’ll feel less lonely.” She despised solitude. Being alone and caged in with her own thoughts. “I can invite Kam over before she has to leave for London too.”
“Of course.”
She tugged at the elastic band enveloping her hair, letting the blonde locks cascade down her back. “We’ll have a girls’ night. Baking. Movies. Maybe a pillow fight. With just our underwear on.”
“Goddamn it, Indigo.” Miles threw his head back and passed wet fingers through his hair. He took one step forward, the distance between their bodies minimal. “What do you think you’re doing? You’re my best friend’s sister. I promised not to touch you, so for the love of God, fucking help me. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
Ever since she’d stepped inside his home, she thought he was indifferent to her presence. Thought he was no longer interested in seeking her out. This revelation made her heart jump until annoyance overpowered her senses because she hated that he’d made a promise to Kai. Hated that he was depriving himself from having fun because he respected Kai a little too much.
She gestured around. “Do you see Kai anywhere?”
“That’s not the point.”
“It’s never stopped you before.”
A scoff rose from his throat. “We can’t let that happen, okay?”
“ You can’t or won’t?” Looking at his heaving chest, she shook her head. “Be selfish for once.”
For way too many heartbeats, he simply stared at her, but she couldn’t help but think there was something like grief in his eyes, like he was saying goodbye. It punctured a hole inside her chest, but still, she admired his self-control and the utmost respect he had for Kai’s wishes.
Indy looked at his lips. Watched the heat darken those forest green eyes. Watched as he struggled to fight the obvious temptation. The tip of her nose brushed against his, making his breath hitch, her voice becoming that sultry murmur that had once brought him to his knees. “I fucking dare you, Huxley.”
The pulsing in his jaw’s muscle was perceptible as it tightened. “I’m not playing this game with you.”
Only his cologne whiffed in the air when he spun around, walking away from Indy—creating an immense, obliterating distance.