Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
?? MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
“ T he hotel’s the other way,” Ava pointed out when Rowan didn’t turn in the direction of the highway.
“I’m aware,” he replied lazily, fingers drumming against the steering wheel to accompany the rhythm of the music.
“So why are we going this way?”
His gaze found hers through the rear-view mirror, eyes narrowing.
She was sitting in the backseat of the Ferrari Portofino whilst Tate was in the passenger seat. Courtesy of Ferrari, both Primavera drivers were lucky to drive a supercar whenever they travelled for a Grand Prix, and would benefit from the vehicle for several days after the race if they were still in town.
“I’m not kidnapping you,” he huffed.
“You kind of are,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. Weirdly, she could still feel the uneven beat of her heart, even though an hour had gone by since her encounter with him in the dressing room. “Where are we going?”
“Brunch. My mum and sister are still in town so we’re grabbing a quick bite with them before they catch their flight to Brisbane.”
“Me included?” Eyes widening, she peered at Tate who was busy selecting another playlist.
“Yes,” Rowan said, clearly not wanting to elaborate on why he would want Ava to intrude on his family time.
“Already presenting me to your family?” she teased to ease the tension building inside her gut. “Take me out on a date first.”
She saw the corner of his lips twitch upwards. “You already know them, sunflower. But we can still go on a date. Tonight? I’ll pick you up at your hotel room.”
“Ugh,” she grumbled, slipping her gaze to the moving landscape. “I’d rather go out with Tate than with you.”
“Don’t get me involved,” Tate interjected impassively.
“Yeah, right,” Rowan scoffed at the same time, passing his fingers through his hair. Gripping the steering wheel with the other hand, Ava observed how his knuckles whitened for a rapid second. “I just want to point out that you were the one suggesting the date, so don’t try to deny your unconditional love for me.”
She huffed out an exhale of frustration. “I don’t want to bruise your ego , but I was just joking.”
“I’m starting to think I’ve rubbed off a bit on you now that you like to tease me and all that cute shit.”
Cute?
“I hope not!” His amused chuckle resonated. “I’d rather fall off a cliff than become as annoying as you.”
“Oh, come on,” he protested with a sly grin. “You’d be so bored without me. You love me. I know you do.”
“You wish.”
He hummed, honey eyes meeting hers again. “Maybe I do.”
Ava was about to snap back when Tate’s voice rose. “Are you two done flirting?”
“Flirting?” Rowan’s echo was full of disbelief. “I think she’s trying to pick up a fight with me.”
Ava decided to look out the window again, hoping he wouldn’t notice the subtle blush blooming on the apples of her cheeks. “I’ll bite harder.”
“I know you will.” She could hear the grin in his tone. “I like that. Turns me on.”
“Jesus,” Tate muttered. “Can you two stop?”
Ava waved when her gaze collided with Rowan’s mother. She and Rowan had just shared a rapid hug, but when Julia saw Ava standing behind her son, her smile formed into a beam.
“You didn’t tell me you were bringing your girlfriend,” Julia teased her son, smacking his chest. Her Australian accent was rich and thick, contrasting slightly with Rowan and Tate’s since they had been living in England for quite a few years now.
Rowan glared at Ava. “Girlf—nah, she’s just Avery.”
Why did her chest tighten?
“And do you bring your press officer everywhere you go?”
Rowan shrugged and took a seat across from his sister. Their table was set on the terrace of the café under the beaming sunlight. “Whenever I have public things to attend, yes. I had a photoshoot and interview with GQ Australia this morning.”
“Poor you,” Riley crooned when Ava approached the table. A toddler with blonde curls was perched on her lap, a piece of bread in her mouth. “You’re going to have to deal with him and his humongous ego when he sees himself on the front cover of the magazine.”
“Nothing I’m not used to,” Ava said, dismissing the remark with a subtle wave. “I’ll be fine.”
He only sent her a dirty look. “Sit down, Avery.”
Naturally, the only seat available was the one next to Rowan.
Reluctantly, she sat down and sent an apologetic smile to Julia. “I’m so, so sorry for intruding. Rowan dragged me here.”
“Don’t be silly,” Julia replied. “I’m surprised Rowan is willing to introduce you to us.”
“You guys already know her,” he grunted, throwing his head back. Then, he stood up. “I’m going inside to order drinks. The usual for everyone?”
A general “yes” echoed.
Rowan looked down at Ava, his eyes looking like molten gold in the incandescence of the late morning sunlight. “For you?”
She blinked. “I’m good.”
He studied her expression for a heartbeat before disappearing inside the café.
Ava smiled when the little girl on Riley’s lap giggled. Tate had just tickled her side, causing soft laughter to reverberate.
“I believe you’ve never met Nora?” Riley asked. “She’s Rowan’s niece. My baby girl.”
“She has your eyes,” Ava remarked, waving to greet the toddler.
Nora giggled again.
“Rowan has a soft spot for her,” Julia told Ava. “She was staying with some family while we were at the Grand Prix. I think Rowan would have loved having his little cheerleader there, though.”
“She’s precious.”
Ava could sense Julia’s gaze on her. “Something tells me he has a soft spot for you, too.”
The heat creeping up her face set her skin ablaze, scarlet erupting on her cheekbones. A nervous chuckle fled past her lips as she waved her hand. “Oh, no, no.”
Tate snickered as he pulled Nora on his lap. Maybe Ava had mistaken the look Riley gave Tate as longing. “They try to kill each other at least eighty percent of the time.”
Nora peered up at Tate. “Kill?”
“No, I said kiss,” Tate recovered, failing to hide his smirk when Ava glared at him.
Ava’s face flushed. Thankfully, no one seemed to have paid attention to her sudden timidity.
“Kissy?” The little girl pouted her lips, obliging Tate to lean in so that she could kiss his jaw.
“Tate’s, like, her other uncle,” Riley clarified in a quiet voice.
“I see.”
Ava flicked her gaze between Riley and Tate, unable to move past the secret glances and fleeting touches when they exchanged crayons for Nora to use.
Rowan’s shadow loomed overhead like a brooding cloud when he came back, his fingers brushing her shoulder when he aimed for his chair. “Drinks will be out in a few.”
A shiver rolled down her spine when he sat down, a whiff of his cologne swivelling in the autumn air. Not sure if the sudden appearance of chills on her skin was caused by his idle fingers or the cool breeze, she wrapped her cardigan around her torso.
“You cold?” Rowan asked in a murmur whilst the others were engaged in a conversation.
“I’m fine,” Ava replied dryly as she reached for the menu.
“Liar.” He took his jacket off and handed it to her. “Put this on.”
She gaped at his vest and up into his eyes. She wondered how and why their entourage had blurred. “I can’t. You’ll catch a cold.”
“Look at you being so concerned. I’ll be just fine. Sun’s beaming on my skin and I love it.”
She took hold of the jacket because she was starting to get cold. “Thanks. Don’t start making this a habit.”
“Then stop giving me a reason to care for your well-being.”
Ava was thankful for the waitress who arrived with a full tray. She placed cups of cappuccinos and a smoothie on the table, then gave Ava a cup of steaming black coffee. With a packet of sugar on the saucer.
“Ready to place orders?” the waitress asked.
As the others chose their dishes, Rowan leaned towards Ava.
“Black with one sugar. Just like your heart.”
“Ava, I hope that Rowan treats you well at work.”
She swallowed the bite of avocado toast she had taken, and dabbed the side of her mouth with a napkin. Nodding frantically, she let a faux smile spread across her lips.
She felt Rowan nudge the side of her thigh with his knee, though he was focused on cutting his pancakes.
“He treats me really,”—she gritted her teeth and bumped his knee back—“really well. He’s so nice.”
Rowan elbowed her. “I’m an angel.”
“The sweetest.”
“Well,” Julia quipped amusedly as she turned to Rowan. “I love that you’re finally working with someone who keeps up with your shit.”
Rowan huffed. “Thanks, Mother.”
Brunch, so far, was going well. Between chuckling at Rowan and Tate’s bickering and chatting with Julia, Ava felt at ease and delighted. Having this close insight into Rowan’s private life was certainly a prize she’d never let go of. That man had been so intent on pushing her away and not opening up about his family, that she hadn’t expected him to be so soft and gentle with his mother and sister.
Nora reached for Rowan. “Uncle Wawa—”
“Wawa?” Ava chuckled.
“She can’t say my name,” Rowan explained amusedly. “Cute, right?”
Adorable .
“Hold me,” Nora begged.
Instantly forgetting about his food, he pulled his niece on his lap and kissed the crown of her head. “You want a bite?” he asked softly, planting his fork in a small piece of pancake.
“Yes!”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, please.”
Ava’s heart burst into flames and instantly melted like molten lava. She was just speechless at the scenery deploying before her eyes.
“Rowan,” Julia started, “I know you have three weeks of break until your next race. How about you spend an extra week here and come back to the ranch?”
His mood shifted in a heartbeat—his soft smile drooped, his features hardened, and his fingers curled atop his thigh. Ava saw everything, even when he tried his hardest not to appear affected by whatever storm was brewing inside his head.
“I don’t know.”
“But Tate is flying back. You should, too. Might be a great occasion to say hi to his parents and spend some time on the farm.”
He exhaled. “I’ll think about it.”
Everyone seemed to sense the shift in his demeanour, the silence nearly becoming uncomfortable and the tension growing thick.
Riley cleared her throat. “Did you guys hear about the Smiths selling their estate?”
“Seriously?” Tate roared. “You’re joking.”
As gossip started spreading around the table, Ava nudged Rowan’s thigh. He was absently cutting his pancakes in small bites for Nora as the latter was busy drawing.
“Hey,” she whispered.
He didn’t reply, only tightening his jaw.
Ava sighed. She truly disliked seeing him shut himself off from the world. She leaned towards Nora and pointed to a crayon. “Can I borrow this?”
Nora smiled brightly. She had a dimple on her chin—just like Tate. Subtle, but unique in their features. Strange . “Yes.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Nora laughed. “It’s not ma’am! I’m just a baby.”
“And how old are you?”
Nora lifted three fingers. “Two.”
Ava tutted. “I think you’re a big girl, Nora.”
“Yes.” She puffed out her chest and nodded vigorously. Her mother smiled from the other side of the table before returning her attention to Tate. “Big girl.”
Grabbing a sheet of paper, Ava wrote down: You okay? Want to talk about it?
She slipped it to Rowan, and he chuckled. He grabbed another crayon and scribbled his response down, pressing his thigh against hers.
Nothing to worry about.
A secret for a secret?
I want to make a truce.
Make a deal with you after this three-week break.
What kind?
You’ll see. Your secret?
I like your little family.
Their eyes collided. “They like you, too,” he whispered.
But it was when her phone chimed that reality struck her face like a whirlwind, reminding her that all those secret glances and brief touches couldn’t happen again.
“Shit,” Ava mumbled. “I’m sorry, but I need to get going. I’ll catch a bus to the hotel.” She turned to the rest of the people surrounding the table, all watching her with perplexed expressions. “It was lovely chatting with you outside of the paddock. Thank you for brunch.”
“You don’t have to go,” Julia said, frowning.
Ava tore Rowan’s jacket off her shoulders, her lungs tight and her mind spiralling. “I do.”
Tate’s deep voice filtered through. “What happened?”
Ava sighed, gesturing towards Rowan. “We were spotted eating together, and I can’t be seen with him outside of work.”
“Nikki texted you?” Rowan asked, anger now woven into his tone.
She nodded. “She’s not happy.”
“I’ll drive you,” Rowan announced, standing up. “And I’ll deal with that woman. She has no right to interrupt your free time outside of work. She wants to mess with you? She gets to deal with me.”