Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Maeve chews on her bottom lip and then nods. “Okay. I can do that. And I’ll figure some way to spin it. If you’re going to be part of this world, it’s going to come to light that you’re not a reporter but a novelist. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not overly dramatic. I mean, you could have been a mafia princess or something. Now that I think about it, it’s quite a dull story.”
I blink at her, not quite sure if she’s being serious.
Then her smile breaks wide again and she leans in to give me a hug. “I understand, I forgive you and I’ll keep your secret.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, gripping her tight. “I’m glad to have made such a good friend these last few weeks. It’s why I had to tell you.”
She pulls back and jerks her head toward the garage. “Come on… let’s go see your man.”
The garage is a flurry of activity when Lex pulls up to it, parking perpendicular to the opening. Ronan’s car is already in the bay.
I stand back a little, watching as Lex unhooks himself from the safety harness and then pulls off the steering wheel, which is not a circular wheel at all but a complex shape of buttons, switches and paddles. It has to come out before Lex can rise from his seat, and once he’s up and free, he bends over to reattach it.
He exits the car, standing tall in his race suit covered in sponsor logos, pulls off his helmet, then his balaclava. Several of his crew members give him backslaps and Harley is there to say a few words of congratulations before she heads into the garage.
Lex’s head swivels, looking around the area as people hustle about. His eyes sweep over me and Maeve but then slam right back to lock onto mine. I smile and flash a thumbs-up to show my happiness, knowing I can’t run and fling myself into his arms the way I want to.
Something fires in his eyes, an intensity I only ever see when we’re in bed together, and he strides toward us. Helmet tucked under his arm, his long legs eat up the distance and I have the feeling he wants to crash into me.
But then his hand is behind my neck and he’s pulling me up to my tiptoes to lay a blistering kiss on my mouth. My first instinct is to push him away because there are dozens of people around who could be watching but the minute his tongue touches mine, everything fades away and there’s only Lex.
When Maeve politely coughs, I pull back, although Lex is a little slower in letting go.
“That was hot,” Maeve whispers under her breath, and Lex shoots her a pleased look.
I’m back in reality though and I look around to see a couple of people staring at us in surprise but then they go back to doing whatever it was they were doing. I don’t see Harley anywhere, and I’m relieved because tomorrow is soon enough for the tough conversation we’re going to have with her.
I give Lex a tiny push on his chest but he doesn’t budge. “Don’t do that,” I hiss. “You could get in trouble.”
He taps me on the nose with his gloved hand. “It’s cute that you think so, but didn’t you know? My days of getting in trouble are over.”
I roll my eyes at him as he laughs and walks back to the garage.
Maeve giggles. “You got your hands full, Posey. That man is crazy about you, but you’re never going to be able to tame all his bad boy ways.”
“I know,” I murmur, watching him retreat. “But I like some of those bad boy ways.”
CHAPTER 21
Posey
It’s nearing five p.m. when I pull up to the Bahrain Global Circuit in a Careem, a car service similar to Uber. The race starts at seven, so I stayed at the hotel today working. Lex left just after breakfast.
I could see he’d withdrawn into himself, his focus on the day ahead of him. I’d even say he was a little testy when I asked, “Will I get to see you before the race?”
“I don’t know, Posey. Not really something I can worry about right now.”
I was taken aback and wanted to snap at him, but I held my tongue.
He did plant a small peck on my cheek, so that was something, and then he uttered a terse farewell. My feelings were hurt for all of about ten seconds, but then I convinced myself that this had to be race jitters. Not everything was going to be easy in this life with him and I made a note to be extra gracious with him on race days.
The sun is already beginning its slow descent, casting a warm orange glow over the desert landscape. The sky is a gradient of deep blue fading to amber, and in a short while, darkness will fall completely. By then, the floodlights around the circuit will kick on, bathing the entire track in a dazzling white glow. It’ll be a sight to behold—the cars glinting under the lights as they fly by, the desert heat still lingering in the air but cooling slightly as evening takes hold.