Chapter 28 Then…
Then…
Their visits became more frequent. Dominic sought her out between classes, and they stumbled into supply closets or abandoned classrooms, their hands roaming and greedy.
In the evenings, Juliette snuck into his lodgings in the north tower; they ordered Chinese food and played endless rounds of Trivial Pursuit, although they rarely made it past the spring rolls before she was on his lap.
They never slept together. Oh, she was tempted—good lord, was she ever—but it was the one thing she was firm on. “Not while I’m a student at the academy,” she told him. “I’ve worked too hard for people to think I’ve slept my way to the top.”
Dominic nodded. “If I have to wait another week, or a month, or a year—”
“A year?”
He smiled. “Then I can do that.”
One evening, Dominic lay on his side, tracing an invisible racetrack over her bare shoulder blades.
A summer breeze filtered through the castle window, smelling heavily of Scottish wildflowers.
They’d biked through the woods that day, a picnic basket strapped to Dominic’s back, and he smelled of coconut sunscreen and something like sparkling wine.
She propped her chin on the pillow, raising her eyes.
“Why did you come to the academy?”
Dominic’s finger paused. “You’ve never asked me that before.”
“I’m asking now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re part of that betting pool, aren’t you? The one that all the older students are in.” She couldn’t deny it, and he tapped his mouth. A sign, she’d learned, that he was trying not to smile. “You’re abusing your privileges, Marchmont. Some would call this insider trading.”
Juliette looked up through her lashes. “Please?”
Dominic groaned. “That’s playing dirty.” He went back to tracing lines on her back, and she shivered. “You really want to know?”
“I do.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I was caught robbing a food truck. Team wants to rehab my image.”
She was surprised into laughing. “Burgers?”
Lord only knew Dominic ate enough of them. Not the fast-food version, but elaborate homemade creations, like Wagyu beef with crispy onions. She regularly took the piss out of him for it.
“Poutine, actually,” he said. “I can never resist those little cheese curd things.”
“Come on.” She rolled onto her back. “Be serious. I have twenty pounds riding on this.”
He sighed. “What are the bets so far?”
She ticked them off on her fingers. “Jasper thinks they’re paying you. Teddy thinks you’re bored. And there’s a bloke in my engineering class who swears you’re about to launch a protein shake brand and that you need the publicity.”
“And you?” Dominic poked her stomach. “What do you think?”
“Oh, I have the most controversial theory of all.”
“And what’s that?”
She smiled. “That you have a good heart.”
Something flickered across Dominic’s face. But it was gone in a second, replaced by the lazy amusement that she’d grown so accustomed to.
“Well,” he said lightly. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to let those twenty pounds go.”
Juliette closed her eyes. “It’s the protein shake brand, isn’t it?”
“That’s the one.” Dominic smiled, but it was softer somehow.
“But I’ll help you recoup your losses. I’ll buy you dinner.
In Paris.” A jolt went through her and she made to sit up, but Dominic held up a hand.
“Hear me out. We can spend a few days together in the city, and I’ll show you all my favorite places.
Then we can fly out to Zandvoort. You can watch my race from the team garage. ”
Her shoulders tensed. “You want to go public?”
“Don’t you?”
Dominic’s gaze was searching. The evening light pooled on his shoulder, melting like rich French butter, and something caught in her throat.
God, he really was handsome. And thoughtful.
And surprisingly kind for someone so grouchy.
If she were anyone else, she would have been jumping up and down to tell the world that she was dating him.
But.
But.
She was quiet for a moment. Long enough that she wondered if Dominic was hurt, although it was almost impossible to tell with him. She had the sense that he’d spent so long shoving down his feelings that they’d hardened into sedimentary rock. You’d need a drill to excavate.
Dominic’s gaze was steady. “Are you ashamed to be with me?”
“Of course not,” Juliette said quickly. So he was hurt.
But at least he’d told her, in his own roundabout way.
“You’re brilliant and handsome and incredibly talented.
Not to mention that you make a delicious coq au vin.
” She was joking, but he didn’t smile, so she nudged his shoulder. “I’m proud to be with you.”
Dominic waited. “But?”
“But…” She pulled a pillow over her chin. “I’m not there yet. And I don’t know when I will be. Is that okay?”
He rolled onto his back, absorbing this, and a pang of guilt filled her.
It was a conversation they’d had a million times before, although she was no closer to an answer.
When would she be ready to go public? When she graduated the academy?
When she drove a Formula 1 car? Truthfully, she didn’t know.
And she couldn’t ask him to wait forever.
Dominic lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Okay. New plan. Fly to Paris, and I’ll show you off to absolutely nobody, except for maybe my houseplants.”
A pang of relief filled her. “That sounds nice.”
“And come to Zandvoort too.” Clearly anticipating her reluctance, Dominic added, “We can take my private plane. Nobody has to know. I promise.”
Juliette hesitated. It was still a big risk. There would be cameras everywhere. But if it made him happy…
“Okay.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m in.”
At the time, Juliette could recall believing it too. She’d had faith that they could avoid the cameras. She’d held that summer in her cupped hands like a glittering, golden bubble: It was something just for them.
Neither one knew that she’d never make it to Zandvoort.