Now #2
He smirks at that, a little too proud of himself.
“We’ll be there in four hours,” he explains as we’re exiting the airport grounds.
“You really are insane. I could have gotten on a bus or something. You didn’t have to come pick me up in person.”
“And pass up an opportunity to spend four hours alone with you, princess? Never.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Won’t the FIA be mad at you for missing media day?”
“Eh, I told them I had a personal emergency. They’ll fine me and get over it.
What the hell was I going to say, anyway?
Yes, I’m pretty sure I’ll win this one too.
Not just because I’ve won all the races so far this season, but because I’ve won in Monaco five years in a row. They all know this shit.”
I laugh at his cockiness. “And there I was, thinking you had such powerful neck and shoulders to withstand the 5G turns, but it was to hold that big head of yours all along, wasn’t it?”
“That, and so you can’t choke me with your thighs when I’m feasting a little too good.”
Heat immediately blooms within me, starting from my core all the way to my cheeks. When I meet his eyes, they’re full of mischief and promises.
This won’t be a restful vacation, will it? I’ll be going home more tired than when I left.
“What did you tell your boss?” he asks as he pulls onto the highway.
“That I was visiting relatives out of state. I took my laptop with me, so I’ll get to work. But I couldn’t tell her I was hopping on a plane to Italy to spend time with my almost ex-husband.”
“And why not?”
“Because she doesn’t know about you. None of my friends do. And I don’t want to explain everything that happened. Plus, she’s obsessed with Formula One.”
“Is she a fan of mine?” he wonders with a cocky smirk.
“She’s a forty-five-year-old lesbian who once said she’ll have your children if you ask. So, she might be your biggest fan, actually.”
“Bigger than you?”
“I’m not a fan. I’m a victim of your charms, that’s all.”
He laughs at that. “Let her know I’m touched by the compliment.”
“That would imply I tell her about you, which, again, I’m not doing, Jax.”
His version of whatever it is we’re doing is more involved than mine. I know he wants to get back together, and coming here probably makes him think I feel the same way.
Staring outside at the Italian landscape, I try to remember why this can’t happen. Everything used to be so clear in my head when I left him. It was still clear months ago, before I went to that hotel to meet him again.
But the more time I spend with him, the less I can remember why I had to leave.
“Can we … can we be discreet about this?” I hesitantly ask.
“About you being here?”
“Yes. Journalists are all over you—especially during the European season—and I don’t want my face plastered everywhere on some crappy tabloid.”
“Yeah, I understand. I’ll get into the hotel through the underground parking lot, and we’ll be sneaky the whole weekend.”
I’m not really sure why, but the sleeping arrangements never crossed my mind. It seems pretty obvious what he has planned, though. “Are we sharing your room?”
He gives me a confused glance. “Of course. Did you want your own room?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think this through.”
After a long moment of pondering, he hesitantly says, “Every single hotel is fully booked at this point. But there’s a couch in my room, I guess I could—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I chuckle. “We can share a bed. But we will be reasonable. The next three days will be intense enough for you as it is. No need to make your nights physical as well.”
“Let me be the judge of that, princess.”
His hand comes to my thigh, warm and familiar, and I allow myself to relax a little. This is fine. We can make this impromptu trip work. As long as we’re discreet, everything will be fine.
The playlist he has on throws me back to our days together. There are some new songs in there, but also a lot of old favorites. When the song I lost my virginity to comes on, I sense my face warming up a little.
“You know, I still can’t hear a Kendrick Lamar song without thinking about you,” I confess.
“Really?”
“Every single time,” I confirm with a nod.
The revelation brings a proud, satisfied smirk to his full lips. “I actually met him a few times.”
It shouldn’t surprise me. I know how famous he’s become, and the kind of parties or events he gets invited to. But all I can think of as my head whips around to look at him is the kid who got to meet his idol.
“Seriously?!”
“Yeah. Told him I was a big fan of his work. And he returned the compliment right back to me.”
“That’s insane.”
“I know. I was shaken for hours.”
I can tell he’s still not over it. No matter how well he has adapted to his new life, his humble origins are still there, still shaping him.
Time passes, just like the scenery outside. Jax explains he’s scored me a Paddock Club ticket for the weekend. Although he makes no mention of the price, I know enough to realize it must cost around twenty thousand dollars.
I’m not comfortable with that, but it’s not like I have much of a choice.
Three hours into the drive, I’m actually looking forward to sharing a room with him.
His hand keeps grazing my thigh, and his fingers sometimes venture a little too close to the apex of my legs, driving me mad with small, pleasurable shivers.
I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, and I should probably dislike the slight manipulation.
But as long as he plans on doing something about it once we’ve arrived, I won’t complain.
I’ve been thinking so much about that night he spent at my place. How good it felt to have him inside me again, to share such intimate and raw moments together. That’s the reason I ended up giving in, why I caved and hopped onto a plane to come here.