Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Creed
The evening was perfect. Not only did I manage to sign Cowan, I also managed to get Ana?s to agree to spend the day with me.
I wasn’t sure why I was so insistent, but there is something about her that intrigues me.
Leaves me wanting more. It’s not like I haven’t spent time with her before, but there was always Royce in the way.
I would be lying if I said I never found her attractive, I did.
Always had. But I always knew she was out of bounds.
But now, she was there, teasing me in a way that only she could.
I have never been one to be tempted to take a bite of something I know I shouldn’t, but she left me practically drooling.
To sink my teeth into the soft flesh of her skin…
to feel the way her tongues dances with mine, to trace my fingertips over her body to mark a trail that only I can see.
My stomach twists as we ride back to the apartment in silence.
I direct my gaze to her occasionally, she is facing the window, watching the world go by.
We haven’t spoken since we left. She thanked me for dinner after I wouldn’t let her get the bill, pouting and sulking which only made me smile harder than I already was.
I’m only here for a short while, but I want to make the most of it before I head home after the break.
It’s never long enough, but for some reason, it felt even worse this time.
I love my job, love my team, and I’m grateful to be in the position I am, but sometimes you crave for something a little less.
The car rolls to a halt and I thank the driver before stepping out and walking to her side.
Opening her door, her wide eyes blink at me as I hold my hand out for her to take.
After a moment of hesitation, she does, her hand fitting perfectly inside my palm.
I hold onto her but as soon as both feet are on the ground, she slips her hand from mine.
I ignore the disappointment that swirls in my stomach but push the feeling as far down as possible.
It’s not a new thing to me. Disappointment or pushing feelings to a place where they can no longer reach me.
I know it’s not healthy, and sure, one day it’ll bubble to the surface but today is not that day.
Walking past Alexandre, he tips his head, and I give him a soft wave. Ana?s smiles tightly as she follows me into the building. Opening my mouth, I shut it again. I don’t know what to say to her, and for some reason, it feels a little more awkward now.
Pushing the button to call the lift, I fold my hands into the pockets of my suit trousers and watch as the lights count down.
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven…
“Thank you again for tonight. Thank you for asking me to join you for dinner.” Her voice is quiet and I stay silent for a while, trying to keep my mind busy as I continue to watch and count.
Four, Three, Two…
“You’re welcome,” I breathe as the lift doors open, and I step inside, twisting I watch as she cautiously steps inside.
Her eyes sweep over mine, but I tug them away by dropping mine to the floor. She is next to me, close but not close enough. Her scent engulfs me.
Sweet. Floral. Clean. Fresh linen mixed with daisies.
Subtle.
Letting my hand fall from my pocket, I flex my fingers slightly, but she isn’t close enough to even be able to let the tips brush.
Sighing, I tilt my head back and watch as the numbers climb and I am ready to get back into the room.
The feeling in my gut intensifies as we reach the penthouse floor and there is no reason except that I have managed to work up that something is wrong between us when in fact there is nothing.
I don’t want to say the wrong thing or freak her out.
To her, I’m her ex’s dad. Over twenty years older than her.
And that’s just it. I am older.
She was with my son.
It’s all kinds of weird and yet I am desperate to find something more than what it is.
I fancy her, no doubt about it. But, at the same time, I have to tread cautiously.
Something may come of this, or it is what it is now, a fuck up, a cross over on a booking—on her part, not mine—and I fly home in a few days, and she goes back to her solo vacation in Monaco.
Nothing will change.
I’ll still be her ex’s dad.
She’ll still be my son’s ex.
And we will both go about our lives exactly the way they were.
Walking towards the door, I unlock it and pace towards the bar at the back of the room. Reaching for a crystal glass, I pour myself a whiskey on ice and glance over my shoulder at her standing inches behind me.
The low light frames her perfectly, her auburn hair a little more red from the warm tones, her eyes dancing with the stars, almost looking turquoise. I pull myself from the depths of her soul and place the decanter back in its place.
I bring it to my lips and take a large mouthful, wincing as it burns my throat.
Closing the gap between me and the floor-to-ceiling window, I look down at a peaceful Monaco.
It’s so quiet here. It’s not hustle and bustle, certainly not this side.
My rival teams are my neighbours here. Sure, we’re enemies on the track, but off the track, they’re like my family.
They’ve picked me up more times than I would like to admit.
Pieced me back together again when she destroyed me for the last time.
She. My ex-wife. I worshipped the ground she walked on but she didn’t do the same back.
Should have known when I got with her. She caught me hook, line, and sinker. I was a goner.
I always said I would never love a woman the way I loved her...
I hear the sound of Ana?s’ wedges click along the tiled floor and I find myself holding my breath, her scent consuming me as I inhale as deep as I can, taking her into my lungs.
“May I help myself?” Her tone is cool and quiet, and I nod to her question.
She didn’t have to ask. But I suppose she feels she needs to.
Once I know she has her back to me, I let my eyes fall to her and marvel at the way her dress clings to her curves. The way her wavy auburn hair cascades over her shoulders.
I shouldn’t be looking at her in any other way than an acquaintance, but here I am, staring at her as if she is the only woman in the world in this moment.
Which is stupid.
She grabs her own glass and fills it up just under halfway.
I watch her with intent and when she turns around, I give her a tight smile and focus on the sleeping city beneath me.
She stands next to me, and I can feel the way her eyes are tracing my side profile. My lips twitch because I know she is looking at me. I cover them almost instantly as I take another mouthful of the amber liquid in my glass.
She mirrors me; I can see her out the side of my eye and she focuses on something out of the window.
Moments pass before she is turning on her heel and reaching for her phone. She places her glass on the bar, moving herself back in front of the window and snapping a photo of the view.
“Pretty, huh?” I ask as I continue looking. You can see the marina in the distance, the reflection of the moon bouncing off the water, with the stars bright in the violet sky.
“Very,” she agrees, snapping another photo then dropping her arms as she posts it to her social media, or so I assume.
Her fingers dance across the screen quickly, a small smile on her lips. Placing her phone on the bar, she replaces it with her whiskey.
We stand for a moment more in silence, watching the way the stars sparkle against their backdrop. Once she has drained her glass, she wishes me good night and tucks herself into her bedroom.
Sighing, I finish my own drink and leave it on the bar. Locking the doors, I grab a glass of water and shut myself in my room.
After a shower, I slip into my bedsheets, arm around the back of my head as I scroll through her feed, trying not to like any photos as I nose.
She really has made a career out of this.
I eye the comments that roll in on her new post, my lips pulling into a smile as I read them.
The odd sly comments is there, some about Royce, but most are kind and genuine.
Some tell her how proud they are of her after everything she has been through, and some tell her how happy they are to see her happy.
She documents her life on here, Royce included. They worked well together, but I totally get why he wanted out. His dreams are not her.
It’s sad. But it’s the truth.
He wanted different things, and he could have gone along with it to appease her, or, do the right thing and walk away.
It’s brave.
She could have shrunk back, shut herself from the world and lost herself in heartbreak, but she picked herself up and showed the world what she was about.
Both of them have eyes on them for different reasons. They have to still show up, whether they want to or not.
I know Royce is also hurt, but his career means more to him than she ever will. I get it. I was once like him. Hungry for the world drivers’ championship, and I got it, twice. After that, I let the ball drop. I began to slip because I wanted more. Needed more.
I fought hard to progress in my career, but I also wanted a partner, a family, so I sacrificed all of that for her.
I can’t be too mad. She gave me Royce. A precious gift, but she also left me shattered on the floor.
Sighing, I swipe up and close down the app before placing my phone face down and picking the remote up instead. Turning the television on, I flick through the sports channels to see Cowan.
My lips lift at the corner as they hound him for answers. He says nothing, keeping his lips firmly locked, but he does give the odd smile now and then.
His manager looks anxious as fuck. Walking on eggshells, waiting for Cowan to drop the news by mistake. But he doesn’t.
He remained professional and said he would see them in Zandvoort.
Top boy.