BONUS
Willow
One year later – New York City
‘Can I please take the blindfold off now?’
I swear I’ve had the scrap of silk over my eyes for at least a half hour, and the sounds of New York City are heightened because of it. Everything’s so loud, and I’m terrified of tripping as Dev leads me down the sidewalk. He’ll probably have permanent nail marks in his forearm from how tightly I’m gripping him.
‘Not yet,’ he answers cryptically. It’s the same tone he’s been using since he interrupted my visit with Chantal and Grace to herd me into a waiting SUV. ‘We’re almost there.’
We better be, or I’m going to say to hell with whatever this surprise is and ditch the blindfold.
This was the last thing I expected today, especially since Dev wasn’t even supposed to be in the city. We agreed to spend the two-week gap between races apart, not because we needed a break from each other, but because our schedules conflicted. I needed to be in New York with Reid while he did a mini press tour, and Dev needed to be in the UK at Mascort headquarters to test new car upgrades on the simulator.
So his appearance in itself was a surprise. But when he showed up to kidnap me for some kind of date? An even bigger shock.
‘Five more steps,’ he announces. ‘And . . . stop.’
An air-conditioned breeze hits me as a door opens, and bells tinkle above my head. It only takes one step inside to know where I am. The scent is a dead giveaway.
‘You brought me to Stella Margaux’s?’ I ask, laughing. ‘You didn’t have to blindfold me for this.’
‘Maybe not,’ Dev concedes, untying the knot at the back of my head. ‘But I did want this part to be a surprise.’
Before he pulls the silk from my eyes, it dawns on me how quiet it is in the building, which never happens. I would know – I’ve been here every afternoon since I arrived three days ago. Each time, the line has been down and around the block. My suspicions are confirmed when the blindfold falls away to reveal that Dev and I and another man in chef’s whites are the only people in the store.
Wide-eyed and stomach flip-flopping, I turn to Dev. ‘Did you rent out the entire place?’
‘I did.’ He grins, rocking back on his heels in smug pleasure. ‘I figured you didn’t want witnesses when you attempted to make macarons again.’
I groan, but my excitement bubbles up and takes over. A macaron baking date is truly the most me thing he could have planned. ‘I fully regret ever telling you about my baking failures.’
‘We’ll make sure they turn out perfectly,’ the chef promises.
‘Don’t underestimate her,’ Dev says, earning an elbow to the gut from me. It only makes him grin wider.
The other man steps forward with his hand outstretched. ‘I’m Antoine. Stella’s sorry she can’t make it, but she said she’ll see you in the paddock next week. You ready to get baking?’
I nod and shake his hand. ‘Please teach me your ways. I’ve been trying to replicate these for years.’
I can’t believe I’m more excited about these than I am about seeing Stella next week. But if there’s one perk to having a boyfriend in F1, it’s getting to meet the celebrities I always dreamed of interacting with.
Antoine waves us back to the kitchen. ‘Come on. I’ll show you all our secrets.’
——
An hour later, I’ve achieved the impossible. I’ve made a perfect macaron.
Actually, I’ve made several. There’s a whole array of vanilla peach masterpieces laid out in front of me. I might be prouder of these than anything else I’ve ever done.
As a testament to Antoine’s amazing teaching skills, even Dev has made a tray full of gorgeous and uniform macarons. The man is a decent cook, but I didn’t know baking was in his wheelhouse. I swear, there’s nothing he can’t do. It’s just another reason why I love him with all my heart.
‘Here,’ Dev says, handing me a classic Stella Margaux’s box. ‘Add your creations in with mine.’
I take the box from him, focused on making sure I pick out the most perfect ones to bring home. When I have my ten selected, I pull the sunset-orange lid off the box and grab the first macaron to place gently inside next to his.
And then I freeze. The macaron slips from my fingers and onto the floor.
Tucked between two stunning strawberry macarons is a ring. A diamond ring. The biggest, sparkliest, most beautiful diamond ring I’ve ever seen.
When I look up again, heart lodged in my throat and lips parted in surprise, Dev isn’t standing in front of me any more. He’s down on one knee and gazing up.
‘Willow Williams,’ he begins. He’s going for serious, but he’s fighting what’s bound to be the world’s widest grin. ‘My sunshine girl. My macaron-loving menace. Absolute love of my life. Will you marry me?’
Holy shit, this is happening. This is actually happening. We’ve been together for over a year, and I couldn’t imagine living my life with anyone else, but still. I’m in shock.
‘Oh my god,’ I splutter, my eyes darting between his expectant face and the massive diamond. ‘Oh my god, Dev, yes. Yes, yes, yes!’
The box clatters onto the stainless-steel worktop, and Dev’s laughter serves as the soundtrack to the moment I throw myself at him.
‘Is this why Chantal told me my nails looked ugly and forced me to get them done today?’ I sob, clinging to him. I’m so happy I could explode. ‘Did she know?’
He holds me to him, his arms strong and warm. ‘Yeah, I gave her and Grace a heads-up. I had to get their approval anyway.’
‘And is that why Oakley called this morning?’ I demand. All the pieces are falling into place. God, how did I not see this coming? ‘He was all sappy and sweet! I just thought he was trying to butter me up to get passes to the D’Ambrosi garage!’
‘It’s a miracle he didn’t give it away,’ Dev says. ‘I told him weeks ago what I was planning and made him promise not to ruin the surprise. Never seen a man so stressed about keeping a secret.’
It’s amazing how far we’ve come since the day Oakley found out about us. I was worried he’d never get over it, but instead, he’s become one of our biggest supporters. Dev and Oakley are partners in crime once again – the only difference now is that I’m not the unwanted hanger-on. I’m part of the group. Never thought I’d see the day when that happened.
I press my face to Dev’s chest, not caring that my tears will ruin my make-up and stain his shirt. ‘I can’t believe you did this!’
‘Figured it was about time,’ he murmurs against the top of my head. ‘I would have done it sooner, but we’re so damn busy all the time.’
I pull back again, something else dawning on me. ‘Wait, did Reid know too? Is that why he kept pushing for me to take today off? Who didn’t know?’
Dev’s grin is sly. ‘Let’s just say there were a lot of people in on this.’ He dips his head once more and murmurs in my ear. ‘By the way, Reid’s not expecting you to work tomorrow either. Or until we’re back on the road again. You’re all mine, Willow.’
I stare up at him, my heart near bursting. He’s right. I’m all his. Just like he’s all mine.
Guess that’s fate for you.