Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Athena
I’m cautious. Something has shifted, and I’m not sure if it’s just me that is feeling it. Dinner was strange and to watch how jealous Royce got over me speaking with Cowan, well, it felt pretty real.
He opens his suite door and ushers me inside before him. Silence crackles around us, the tension thick in the air.
A loud sigh passes his lips, his eyes trailing up and down my body. “I’m sorry about tonight,” he mutters, walking across to the bottle of water that is sitting on the table, unopened.
I tiptoe behind him, fingers linked together.
“Cowan just…” He turns to face me and I step closer, cupping his hands in my face as I hold his eyes to mine.
“Don’t worry about Cowan,” I whisper, my gaze volleying with his.
“He just…” He sighs, face tilting down slightly.
“Shh.” My lips purse. “He gets a reaction from you, that’s why he plays up.”
“Funny you should say that.” His voice is muffled as he speaks. “My dad said exactly the same.”
“Then listen.” Slowly, I drop my fingers from his face.
Turning my body away slightly, I don’t have a chance to step away as his hand curls around my arm, pulling me back to him. His chest rises and falls quickly, his erratic stare bouncing around my face.
“What?” I whisper, my heart jolting in my chest, my stomach in knots, silently begging that he kisses me, if only once.
I have no idea why I want this, but I do. To be in the arms of a man when it has been so long, to be held tight and loved all through the night. I want it. I want him.
He is silently battling with himself, and I wait with bated breath for something to pass his lips, but his fingers slowly uncurl from my skin.
“Nothing.” A shaky breath exhales as he walks into his bedroom.
I am standing there, wondering what the hell is going on. I feel ashamed almost, but there is no reason. Maybe it’s because we’ve grown close, and in a way, I know this is going to end at some point. The truth is, I don’t think I want it to.
The sound of his footsteps echoes around the large room as I watch him walk in with a square box in his hand.
“I was meant to give you this in Australia.” His voice is quiet as he stands in front of me, passing me the box.
“Royce.” I blink up at him.
He stuffs his hands into the front of his pockets, a boyish grin slipping onto his lips. Pulling at the lid, my eyes mist when I see the top of a snow globe.
“I didn’t think you would have had a chance to grab one, so...”
My trembling fingers grip the side and delicately slide it out. Tipping it upside down, I watch the snow fall over The Langham, the hotel we stayed in. Glints of glitter catch my eye as they tumble down, and I feel the lump swelling inside my throat.
Gliding it back into the box, and gently placing it on the floor, I throw myself into Royce. His arms hook around my back, looping me against him.
“Thank you,” I whisper into the crook of his shoulder, my arms locked around his neck.
His grip tightens. “Can’t have you breaking your tradition now, can we?”
His voice sounds lighter as I push back, but he is still holding me. My trembling hands slide down and rest against his chest.
“I love it.” Tears tease my lashes.
“Good, I’m glad.” His smile deepens. “And if you didn’t, I wouldn’t have been too gutted. I grabbed it in their Christmas clearance sale.” He laughs, his head tipping back as I watch his throat bob.
“Dick.” I giggle, tracing small circles on his heavy tee.
Slowly and almost reluctantly, he lets me go and we’re back standing in the room.
“Just an FYI,” he says before he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, “if we ever, somehow, manage to fuck this up and cross the forbidden line…” He trails off and the blood burns as it courses through my veins.
“I want you wearing one of your little skirts and those fucking boots.” His voice turns into a growl.
My skin flushes. “Noted.” I twist my lips as he moves towards the mini bar. “Whilst we’re on the conversation of clothes.”
He looks at me, confusion painted over his face. “We were talking about fucking.”
I roll my eyes, ignoring the way my heart jumps inside my chest. “I need something to sleep in,” I say, nibbling on the bottom of my lip as I stare at him.
“Ah.” He lifts his chin and strides towards me.
I don’t know if it was just me, but he seemed to walk in slow motion, his fingers grabbing the hem of his tee as he drags it over his head in a torturing manner.
It’s been years since I have been with anyone and here I am, drooling over a man ten years younger than me whilst he undresses himself.
His toned arms flex, muscles on show. I linger on the abs that look as if they’ve been painted by an expert.
He doesn’t look real. I know he is, though. I can see him.
Toe to toe, he curls his neck as he looks down at me and drops the white tee into my grabby hands. “Sleep in that.” He winks before making his way back to the mini bar.
I find myself standing a while longer whilst I watch him, the muscles rippling through his back as he moves. A stupid smile presses against my lips as I turn and head for the bathroom. Lifting his tee and bringing it my nose, I inhale his scent. He smells like oil and leather mixed with cotton.
When I walk out of the bathroom, he is already lying on the bed in just his boxer shorts, and my eyes dive before I even have a chance to stop them.
“Didn’t fancy wearing shorts?” I say with sarcasm, shaking my head as I walk cautiously around the other side of the bed.
“You’ve seen it before, what’s the point?” He smirks as I pull back the duvet cover. “Fuck, you look good wearing my tee.”
“You have a dirty mouth.”
“You haven’t seen dirty.”
I snort a laugh, more so because I have no idea what to respond.
Snuggling down, he rolls on his side, elbow propping his head up. Again, my eyes dive and I squeeze them shut.
“You’re distracting.”
“That’s the point.”
I ignore the dull pulse between my legs. “What time do we have to be up in the morning?” I roll on my side, facing the wall. He is such a bastard.
“Four a.m.” The bed shifts as he closes the gap between us, his arm landing over my body.
“Royce,” I whisper, flicking my eyes at the time, my breaths shallow.
“Athena.” His breath dances across the base of my neck causing goosebumps to sprinkle over my skin. He nuzzles himself into my neck, inhaling heavily. “I just want to cuddle.” His voice is slow, heavy almost.
“Okay,” I answer after a minute or two, but I am met with soft snores.
Tucking my hand under my face, I watch the clock hand move and after a while, my eyes grow tired and I give in to sleep.
Glancing around the team jet, we all look just as exhausted as each other. I sit with Royce and Nora. Ana?s and Creed sit over the other side of the plane. Dane is opposite, and Cowan is tucked behind us with some other man who I haven’t met.
I’m dressed in Alo leggings, a tee, and an oversized jumper that swamps me.
Thanks to the viral video of me and Royce, sales spiked and I got a pretty penny in royalties.
Ana?s also took a whole day out of her schedule to rebrand my social media and with a lot of persuading, she agreed to take it over and post on my behalf and my God, she is phenomenal.
My agent Maria has called me a few times, but I have dodged her calls and managed to pacify her with text messages.
“Is Rue meeting us over here?” Nora asks Ana?s and my ears prick up.
“Not sure, she said she was hoping to get out, but I know she is super busy.”
“Does Rue work for the company?” I ask. I know the answer, but don’t want to admit that I did some heavy social stalking before I flew to Australia.
“She does some bits when she can get away from her book shop, but they’re expanding, so she is grounded in Monaco mostly.”
“I see.” I nod, sensing Royce’s eyes burning into me.
“You would love her, she’s great.” Nora nods and Ana?s laughs slightly. “What?” Nora snaps.
“Nothing, just love how close you both are now. Once upon a time you got a little jealous over me and her, didn’t you, Nora?” She rolls her eyes in response and my lips twitch.
“Seems a few of you like to get jealous,” I mutter, my gaze locked on Royce.
He scoffs, his large hand rubbing up and down his thigh.
My mind drifts back to this morning; I woke before the alarm went off and he was still curled behind me. I gently rolled on my back, head turning as I watched him sleep.
The want for something to happen between us grows as the minutes slip by, but we both signed a contract and I cannot afford to fuck this up. Neither can he.
We both want the end game; I want a successful career, he wants World Drivers’ Championship. Both very different. Both career opportunities. But that doesn’t mean I can’t fantasise about what I would like to happen.
Royce clears his throat and brings me around from my thoughts. The only way I will get my fix is writing these dreams into my words. Reaching down for my laptop, I inhale heavily as I open the lid, the word document blinking at me.
“You feeling inspired?” His brow raises and my cheeks turn pink.
“Maybe.” I shrug, letting my eyes fall to my keyboard as I begin typing.
“We’ll have to share a bed more often.” His voice lowers, but not enough for Nora’s supersonic hearing to pick it up.
Her nostrils flare, eyes wide as she looks at the both of us.
“No, no, no.” I shake my head, swallowing. “We just shared a bed.”
Royce laughs and I kick him in the shin. “Ow!” he whines.
“Well, tell her nothing happened.”
He rolls his eyes. “Nothing happened,” he groans, leaning forward and rubbing his leg.
“Good, make sure it stays that way.” She tuts, turning her attention to Ana?s and falls back into conversation.
“Idiot,” I mutter and he scowls at me.
“Swap places with me,” he says to Nora. he blinks at him a couple of times. “Please.”
“Fine,” she snaps, unbuckling herself.
They switch out and my heart thumps in my chest.