Chapter 19 #2
I needed to sleep, that’s what it was. It had been a long day. The kid drove great and scored us points but it has still drained the life from me, and Ana?s only added to that.
Turning over, I face the window and after what feels like hours, do I settle and fall into a sleep that is filled with her.
Colby is at my side with a coffee as I walk into headquarters. He is talking to me about what we have planned for when we are in Monza. Press release, team talks, briefing, interviews, more interviews. It all blurs into one.
“I need you to have a chat with Royce.” He side eyes me as I swipe my pass through to get to my office.
“About what?” My tone is flat and unbothered.
“He is refusing to do a couple of social media things that Ana?s has come up with.”
I roll my eyes. “And what do you want me to do about it? Can’t Nora get involved? She is pretty good with him.”
“Still refused her too. Ana?s has had a moan at him, but you know Royce…”
“That I do.” I shake my head as I sit at my desk. “Fine, send him in at some point and I’ll talk to him.”
Colby swallows.
“What?”
“He’s already in Italy,”
I sit back in my chair and rub the tension out of my temples. I can feel it building at the base of my neck too.
“The fuck?” I sigh heavily.
“With a girl,” Colby adds, and my eyes widen.
“What?”
I seem to have lost any form of vocabulary apart from the word what.
“Yeah…” Colby is wary as he glances to the side then back to me.
“Get out,” I bark.
Colby doesn’t stick around a moment more. He flees out of the room like a bat out of hell.
Swiping my phone from the side, I type in his name and wait for him to answer.
“Dad.”
“The fuck you playing at?” I growl down the phone as I push up from my seat and begin to pace my office floor.
“I’m in Italy… we have a race this weekend, in case you have forgotten.” He scoffs a laugh and my temper simmers.
“Don’t play fucking smart with me. We all fly out Tuesday. Together.”
“Well, sorry, I didn’t realise daddy and son time was so precious to you.” Sarcasm laces his tone, and I swear he knows what buttons to push. Maybe I am letting this bother me more because a certain red head has me all cut up and twisted inside.
“Don’t,” I warn as I look out the window.
“I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“The big deal is I have had Colby moaning to me this morning because you won’t play ball with the social media team. All the others do it, it’s ten minutes out of your day for them to capture a bit of fun.”
“I don’t want to do it.” He is unfazed and then I hear a giggle. My ears prick. “Who is that?”
“A girl.”
“What happened to I want to focus on my career and my world drivers’ championship. Didn’t think you had time for girls.”
“I have time for this kind of girl.”
I know what he is insinuating. Just a fuck around. An easy lay. Just sex.
“Do the fucking content that Ana?s has asked you to do or I’ll drop you from the fucking team,” I warn him before cutting the phone off. I bring my fist to my lips and close my eyes as I inhale heavily.
Pacing to my desk, I type a message to Ana?s and brace myself for seeing her.
Can you come to my office please, RE: Royce.
She reads it instantly and I see the dots.
Fell for that last night and look where that got me.
Touché.
I type back.
I am being serious. Colby told me about how he has behaved. Can you come to my office, please?
She replies.
No.
Slamming my hand on my desk, I drop my head and squeeze my eyes shut as I inhale heavily. Deep breaths, Creed. Picking my phone back up, I type:
Fine, then I’ll come and find you. I like to play chase.
Pushing from my seat, I am already out of the office by the time it’s sent, and I am focused on finding her now.
I search in all the usual spots—her office, the break room, the canteen, Nora’s office— she’s not there. I see Nora walk out of the bathroom and her eyes widen.
“Is she in there?”
Nora looks behind her and then back at me.
“Is anyone else in there?” I ask again, and Nora shakes her head. “Excuse me.” I lower my tone and drop my head as I push into the restroom.
There she is. Slightly bent over the sink unit, her long legs are on show, cargo skirt sitting mid-thigh and that fucking polo top. I don’t know why it does things to me, but it does. That’s my name sitting above her breast. I own this team. I own her, in a matter of words.
Mine.
“Creed.” Her eyes widen as she looks at me in the mirror and I smirk.
“Ace.” I wink as I stand behind her, tilting my head as our eyes connect in the reflection.
“You can’t come in here.” She tries to spin to face me but my hand grips onto her waist and I shake my head.
“I can.” I nod and her breath hitches. “I needed you to come to my office, but you told me no. So, I had no other choice but to come and find you.”
I step closer to her, so her ass is right where I want it, pressing my hips forward and her cheeks pinken, my erection against her. Tightening my grip, she tilts forward, hands pressed onto the coolness of the worktop.
“Royce won’t be an issue.” I lean across her back, my lips pressed to the shell of her ear as my spare hand trails up her outer thigh, teasing under the hem of her skirt.
“Okay,” she whispers, her eyes fluttering shut. Her auburn hair is curled and tucked over one shoulder.
“I am trying so hard to stay away from you… trying so hard to stay professional, Ace…” I whisper, her ass rotating over me, teasing me. “But I fear my strength is crumbling with each passing minute.”
“You’re the one that pushed me away.” The sting in her voice is loud. Her hand moves behind her and rubs my thigh in a teasing manner and catches me off guard. “You could have had me in Monaco…”
“Ace,” I rasp but she shakes her head, pushing back and then spinning to face me, eyes bouncing between mine.
“You blew me off. Twice. You will not get the chance to do it again,” she mutters, pushing her hands into my chest.
I stumble back before she walks out of the bathroom, leaving me with a hard on and feeling as horny as hell.
Fuck.
Ana?s kept out of my way, and I kept out of hers. She’s right. I can’t keep toying with her but once she’s in front of me, trying to keep away is hard.
She was forbidden and the forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest.
I had even offered for her and Nora to fly on my jet, but she refused and said they would make their own way.
And by they, I mean Ana?s. Nora was quite happy to jump on the jet but of course, Little Miss Bratty had to stamp her foot and pout.
She infuriates me, but in the best way.
Once we land in Italy early Tuesday morning, we head straight for the hotel.
I have a meeting with the investor I need to jump on and then I have another meeting with Zeus.
I could do without it, but I’m not needed for anything else.
Nora had made sure Royce was on track with his commitments and that Ana?s was busy with her stuff.
Glenn and Pascal head up the team meeting, and I was only needed for briefing tomorrow, which suits me perfectly because I am not in the mood.
I just want to get my head down and focus on the race this weekend.
We need it to be a good one. Royce did amazing last weekend, and I want a repeat of that.
I told them not to touch the car in anyway; I didn’t want to risk us fucking anything up.
The car was epically good; there was no way in hell I was having anything tweaked.
Dressed, I sit at the small desk in the hotel and sign into my meeting.
It’s long winded and not really needed, but alas, these things have to be done.
They put a huge amount of money behind Saint Onyx; I don’t want to rock the boat.
I don’t agree with certain things, but they have a thirty percent share in my business.
I need their money to help tick over, especially when we don’t have a major sponsor.
We cross the t’s and dot the i’s, and I’m grateful when it’s over. My phone buzzes and it’s Royce asking if I can meet him for lunch. I take a glance at the time; I have three hours before my meeting with Zeus.
Tapping back, I tell him I will meet him at Il Morro and to book a table for one.
I shower and change into something a little more casual, then style my blonde hair and grab my phone. Doing my twentieth check of the day of her socials, nothing new was uploaded. Not yet, anyway. It seemed to be the only way to get my fix of her. Sad really.
I have no idea if her and Nora were even here yet. I mean, I shouldn’t give two shits, but I do. Annoyingly.
Closing the door behind me, I duck outside and am greeted with paparazzi. I give them a wave and smile. Once again, the questions about Cowan fly at me like arrows, but I manage to dodge every single one.
Stepping into the waiting car, I inhale heavily.
I was hoping to get Cowan’s deal announced this weekend but one of the things we spoke about on the meeting was holding off another week or so.
I’ve no idea why, but I don’t like it. It’s making me angsty and I hate not saying anything to Kai. If it was up to me, I would have told him and let him down gently… but the way this seems to be going, it’s going to hit him like a damn wrecking ball.
The drive is short, and I probably could have walked, but driving seemed the better option.
Pulling kerbside, the driver gets my door, and I thank him, passing him a small tip before walking into the restaurant.
Scoping the room, I spot Royce straight away as he stands from the table and holds his hand up, waving me over.
I nod to the ma?tre de and walk towards my son.
“Hey.” I smile, as I embrace him, giving him a soft pat on the back.
We have already caught the attention of a few drivers. Well, Royce more so than me. He is in the spotlight, but I am more backstage, making sure everything is running as smoothly as possible.
“Hey. Dad.” He gestures for me to sit down and I do, taking my seat opposite him.