Chapter 54
Rosie
Niki chats with Jacs and the pit crew.
“Ganella has spun off,” someone in the garage shouts, referring to one of the drivers. “Safety car.”
I’ve learned over the last months that anything can change during a safety car. Teams you thought had no intention of pitting suddenly change their strategy, and Coulter is no different.
I watch Niki for signs of anxiety over Ganella’s spin into the barriers, but instead of panicking or overuse of sanitiser, he rushes to Senna’s side and points at the screens.
He’s getting better.
Everything from last night’s meal to his idea that he hangs out with me at my flat suggests there’s hope for us.
I remember straddling his face as I sucked his dick before we left the room. He’s giving me everything I want.
“Hey, Rosie,” Jacs says as she stands beside me. “Are you enjoying your first grand prix?”
I nod. “I don’t fully understand it, but I’m loving it.”
She grins. “There’s nothing like it.”
I glance at Niki. He slams his fist on the desk and cheers, making Senna laugh.
“That’s the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time,” Jacs comments.
I slide my hands into my pockets. “What was he like before the crash?”
“He was a lad. He and Connor partied too hard. But he always took the races seriously. He had this fire that meant no matter what, he gave everything to it. Nothing came between him and the chance to win. But it also gave him this unrelenting intensity for driving.” Jacs shakes her head.
“He’d be a bellend about it, but we understood.
Everything took a back seat—friends, his ex-girlfriend, even his family.
They knew they weren’t his priority. But that can be the life of a racing driver. ”
Is that how Niki will look in the future? A shiver hits my shoulders. “Have you dated a racing driver?”
Jacs throws her head back and laughs. “One date once, but never again. My sister’s not like other drivers. She can be a bit of an arrogant madam sometimes, but growing up as a woman in this sport gave her a heart many of them don’t have. Connor’s okay, too, although don’t tell him I told you.”
I chuckle. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“Most of the drivers are arrogant dicks. They must be the best, but some take it too far.” She points at the screen.
“Billy is like that. See how he crowds Tawny? They were teenage rivals. Where she stays safe, he pushes it. His arrogance extends to believing he’s the best and can’t get hurt. He will one day, and he’ll learn.”
“Who’s that?” I point at the car in front of Connor.
“That’s Marco. He drives for Vessa. I used to work for them, low down, but then…well, anyway, Senna wants to beat them, and one day she will. And I can’t wait to shove that in the faces of their staff.”
“Anyone in particular?”
She shakes her head, but she grits her teeth. “Nah, not really. Some of the men are nobs, everyone from drivers to mechanics.”
“But not all drivers are nobs, right?” Niki says, joining us.
“You used to be,” Jacs replies with a wink. “Don’t let Niki tell you otherwise. He was the biggest wanker on the circuit. I’d best go. The safety car is ending.”
She walks off, leaving me unsettled. The sooner Niki’s better, the sooner things might change between us. I want him healthy. It’s my selfishness getting in the way of this. I can’t tell him I want him to be the man he is now rather than the healthy one he should be.
“You okay?” he asks, holding out his hand.
“Yeah, all good.” I thread my fingers with his and let the warmth act as reassurance that things will be okay. “It’s noisy, isn’t it?”
“Hold on.” He grabs ear defenders and gently places them over my ears, then kisses my cheek.
Perfect, he mouths and holds my hand again as we watch the race.
My passion grows for this sport with every passing second, and it’s not because Niki’s touching me and bouncing with each lap.
The thrill I got from sitting beside Niki as he raced energised me. On screen, Billy and Tawny battle. He dogs her as she races down a straight. She reaches a corner, and her car wobbles as she drives over the raised edge.
Niki shakes his head.
My chest bubbles with anxiety as Tawny takes another corner. I glance at others in the garage. Everyone watches the screens. Engineers talk into microphones.
Billy’s unrelenting. Niki leans forward. He grips me tighter as Billy tries to overtake.
Hairpin corner, Niki mouths to me.
Billy isn’t holding back. I understood some of what Jacs said about his inability to see danger.
I glance at Niki.
Can he predict the danger in what we’re doing? Holding me like this is a public declaration of what we are to each other.
A relationship with me has complications he’s not ready for. I don’t want a new dad for Tabi, but I need someone who respects and loves her even when she’s at her worst. Can he be that guy but also the man who drives?
Looking at how he focuses on the screen, I see a man desperate to race again.
On the plane, Niki said cars struggle to overtake at Monaco because it’s a tight track around the city. It’s like Billy hasn’t got the memo. Every chance he gets, he tries to push past.
Niki shakes his head.
The tension in the garage is palpable.
Adrenaline drips through my veins.
The risks are screaming through the silence of my ear defenders.
Tawny gets away, but it won’t be long before Billy fights with her again.
Every race involves risk of injury and possible death. The same fire lighting Niki’s eyes was there when he was inside me last night. I want that again.
I’m shaking as I look between him and the race.
As if sensing my anguish and excitement, he pulls me in front of him and holds me against his chest. His heartbeat thuds against my back.
The screen switches to Connor accelerating down a straight. It’s the power, the risk, and the control. I need that. I need Niki again, because the tension inside me will snap if I don’t have him again tonight.
Niki’s arms tighten around me like he senses something. I’m breathless as I lean against him. This race does things to me because I want the adrenaline-fueled Niki inside me with each lap. How can cars racing around a track be so sexual?
He moves the ear defenders. “Is the race making you horny, angel?”
I nod, and he slides a hand into my jeans. I glance around the garage, but everyone’s fixated on the screen.
He brushes my clit, and I quiver.
“This is my pussy. When I get you on the plane later, I’m going to fuck you deep and hard. Do you want that?”
He places my ear defenders back against my ears as I nod. His hands slide under my shirt. His grip on my hips is hot against my skin. He rocks me gently against him. He’s already hard. I don’t care what version of Niki this is.
I want him.
I need him.
Billy and Tawny are neck and neck as they reach a corner.
His wheel taps hers, and I hold my breath, preparing for the inevitable crash, but instead, Billy’s car spins down an exit lane.
Everyone cheers as Tawny speeds away.
My mouth drops in awe. I wiggle slightly for more of Niki as I count the hours until we’re on the plane.