26. Aurélie #2
The room erupted in laughter, Marco throwing his hands up in mock defeat. “See? This is what I get for being polite.”
“You started it,” I shot back as the moderator tried to regain control.
“Fraser, second place,” the moderator continued, turning to Callum. “You had an incredible battle withAuréliefor much of the race. How does it feel to have another podium here in Monaco?”
Callum’slips twitched, his eyes flicking to me for the briefest moment before he spoke. “Like it was meant to be.” Oh, my God . This man was a hopeless romantic. He always knew how to hit me right in the heart.
“Monaco is the pinnacle, and finishing on the podium is always an honor. But today belongs toAurélie. She drove a flawless race. Her strategy, her control in the rain—she was impossible to touch out there.” He paused, and I could feel his eyes on me.
Don’t look, Dubois.
“Watching her command a car like that in the wettest conditions? That’s what makes a champion.”
Okay, I was going to kill him. He could not be saying sinful things like this on a recorded interview. Not when I had to sit on a fucking sofa beside him and keep my body’s reactions in check.
“Aurélie,” the moderator shifted to me, pulling my attention back to the room. “Your first win in Formula 1, and it’s in Monaco. How does it feel?”
I tilted my head. “It feels… overdue,” I admitted. “Winning here, against two of the best drivers in the world? I’m still processing it, honestly.”
“You went through almost half the race without a radio. Tell us what you were thinking in those moments.”
“It was a balance of taking risks and not taking them. I fought with the team’s strategy before thecommswent out about when to pit.
I knew how the car was feeling, the degradation of the tires, and watching the weather.
At the same time, I could seeCallumand Marco starting to struggle on their tires, and while the team wanted me to pit first so I could undercut them, I felt that was the wrong call. ”
Callumshifted beside me, a small smile curling his lips. He really was a beautiful specimen of a man. “It was a smart call. Her instincts—you can’t teach that kind of feel for a car.”
My nipples tightened, the feel of my sports bra suddenly irritating. He wasn’t even trying to sound normal. He said feel like it was the filthiest word in the world. And it was, because I remembered how his mouth was just all over me.
So not the time,Dubois.
“Not many drivers would’ve waited it out like that or disagreed with their team.
The team’s role is to guide you to success, but at the same time, they forget that they’re not in the car.
As a driver, you have little to no margin for error, and you know the car better than anyone.
So it’s also the team’s responsibility to listen to what the driver is saying,” he added.
I swallowed, feeling so fucking validated in my actions. “Not many drivers can afford to do that,” I responded.
The room laughed, and evenCallumand Marco chuckled. “Fair enough.”Callumleaned back against the sofa with that easy confidence of his.
I turned back to the crowd. “Marco is one of the best defensive drivers I’ve ever seen.
Callumis the most aggressive driver on the grid without going over the limit.
There’s a reason he’s a four-time champion, and it’s because he knows how to take control without crossing the line.
How to push you where you need it most—and still leave room for you to breathe. Or beg.”
Callum’shand tightened on the mic, and that was all the confirmation I needed. He was thinking about it. That night in his shower. The moment he’d begged for a taste of me when I told him to be a good boy.
I didn’t look at him. Just reached for my water and took a long, slow sip before finishing my answer.
Revenge, mon amour.
My body was really starting to ache now that the adrenaline was wearing off, and sitting in this position was brutal. My back felt like it was on fire.
The moderator moved on to ask Marco a question, but I tuned it out whenCallumleaned in, holding his microphone away. I did the same, leaning in just enough to be casual, but not enough to be too intimate.
“Later, I’m going to finish what I started. You’re not walking straight tomorrow,” he whispered, quiet enough so only I could hear.
I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. My stomach dropped straight through the floor while he smirked. Sitting there as if he hadn’t just said something that made me want to crawl into his lap in front of all these goddamn cameras and show them what was really on our minds.
I was not thinking about tire degradation. I was thinking about how my thighs were still sticky under this fireproof suit and the man beside me was acting as though he didn’t just leave a new mark on my neck before I’d walked in here.
The moderator cleared his throat to move on from Marco. “Aurélie, there’s been a lot of speculation lately about your future in Formula 1. Care to shed some light on that?”
I sat back, a smile playing on my lips as I thought about my conversation with the Ferrari team principal. “I think my future is looking pretty bright right now,” I said cryptically. “My future inF1is certain. It’s nice to finally silence the noise.”
“Speaking of noise,Aurélie, you’ve been the subject of a lot of scrutiny on social media. Some have accused you of?—”
“Sleeping my way to the top?” I cut him off, my voice sharp but steady. “Being a whore? Yes, I’m aware. It’s hard to miss when every other comment on my own social posts is some variation of that.”
The room went uncomfortably quiet, reporters shifting in their seats. I saw Marco glance at me, his brow furrowed, andCallum’sjaw clenched beside me.
“But let me make one thing very clear,” I continued.
“I didn’t get here because of who I’ve dated or who my brother is.
I got here because of my talent. Today isn’t just a win for me; it’s a reminder that I’m more than my brother’s shadow, more thanCosta’sprotégé, and definitely more than what a bunch of keyboard warriors think of me.
I know myself better than they do, and I let my driving do the talking. ”
The moderator cleared his throat. “Aurélie, let’s try to keep the language?—”
“Respectfully,” I interrupted, turning to him, “you can review this later if you’d like. But if you think silencing me is the move, you might want to consider how wise that is when I’m addressing systemic sexism that’s been festering in this sport for decades.”
Marco lifted his microphone to speak. “Well, she’s not wrong.”
That earned a ripple of laughter.
“Aurélie,” a reporter behind the moderator jumped in, eager to shift the tone. “You mentioned systemic sexism. Do you think today’s win will change perceptions?”
“I hope so. But change doesn’t happen overnight.
Winning is one step, but there’s a long road ahead.
And let’s be honest, there are still drivers on this grid who will play dirty.
Whether you choose to believe that or not is your prerogative, but I hope they’re happy with the race result they deserved. ”
Callumlet out a soft chuckle beside me, his voice low. “Subtle as always.”
I smirked, and moments later I caught him watching me while Marco talked about his battle withKimi.Callumdidn’t even pretend to hide it—eyes dragging down my body, lingering on my mouth.
My cheeks burned. My thighs clenched.
Focus, Dubois.
The questions kept coming—about the rain, the strategy, the overtakes. I answered each one with a mix of honesty and sass, keeping the reporters on their toes.
When the moderator wrapped up the conference, the room erupted into a flurry of activity as reporters gathered their things and prepared to leave.
Marco clapped me on the back as we stood. “You might just be the most entertaining winner Monaco’s ever had.”
I looked out at the crowd one last time. “Just wait till the next one.”
We filtered out of the media pen, cameras still flashing in our periphery. I felt high—on adrenaline, champagne, and the fact thatCallumhadn’t taken his eyes off me in forty minutes.
As we stepped into the corridor, Marco clappedCallumon the back. “Drinks tonight? Monaco’s already throwing a party for her.”
“I need to change first,” I cut in, my voice cool but pleasant. “And shower. I smell like victory and sex.”
Callumchoked beside me. I said it just to fuck with his head, but I didn’t look at him. Worth it.
Marco glanced between us, face contorting to a look of disgust. “When the fuck did you two have time to make that happen? Actually, you know what? I don’t want to know.
I was wondering why you both made driving sound like foreplay in there.
Gross. Try to keep it in your fucking pants during the party, why don’t you? ”
“Wow, what a speech,”Callumteased. “You done now?”
Marco laughed. “I’ll text you guys the details.” He turned and strode off, whistling like a man who hadn’t just unknowingly interrupted the most sexually charged silence inF1history.
The second he was out of sight, our shoulders brushed. I didn’t think—I just hooked mypinkyaroundCallum’s. It was stupid. Reckless. But it said everything.
He didn’t let go. “You really said sex.”
“You didn’t deny it either,” I murmured.
His voice dropped to that low, dangerous murmur I felt everywhere. “You keep talking like that and I’ll take you right back to that wall.”
I pressed my thighs together to give myself a little bit of friction. It didn’t work. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
Callumsucked in a breath just as voices grew closer to the door of the press room we’d just been in. We yanked our hands apart just as the door opened, andCallumgrabbed my shoulder to casually guide me away from the reporters who were now watching us like hawks.