Page 47 of Formula Fling

Lex directs me where to park and as I turn off the engine, I realize my heart is racing for another reason now—the prospect of meeting Lex’s parents, of stepping further into his world.

“Ready?” Lex asks, glancing over at me with a grin.

I nod, taking a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

When I agreed to go to his parents’ this weekend, I really wasn’t thinking straight. I mean, he’d just destroyed me with orgasms, but in the bright light of day and far removed from the intimacy of the bedroom, I find myself wracked with nerves. Somehow, meeting a guy’s parents feels… loaded. Even though we agreed it’s just a fling.

“You’re quiet,” Lex says, clearly sensing my unease. “Everything all right?”

I force a smile. “Yeah, just… I don’t know. Meeting your parents feels like a big deal. I mean, it’s not, because we’re just friends, but—”

“Yes, we’re just friends,” Lex interrupts, chuckling. “That’s what I’ve told my parents. They know you’re a reporter shadowing me.”

“Do they know what I really am?” I ask, a touch of panic rising within.

“Of course not,” he replies easily. “So you don’t have to be worried that I’m going to introduce you as my girlfriend because—”

“This is just a fling,” I insert.

“A fling,” he agrees as he opens his door to step out. “And I don’t bring flings home to the parents.”

“Do you bring any girls here?” I ask.

Lex pauses, looks back at me with a wink. “Does sneaking one of the village girls into my bedroom window when I was fifteen count?”

My mouth drops open and I can’t tell if he’s serious or not. But then he’s gone from the car and I’m left with a jumble of emotions. I’m relieved he’s presenting me as a friend, and yet there’s a very tiny part of me that wishes it weren’t that way.

As soon as I step out of the car, the front door swings open. A petite woman I assume to be Lex’s mom walks out. She has crystal blue eyes and graying blond hair worn in a sleek bob, her cream-colored, wide-leg pants, heels and baby blue sweater are quite elegant. I feel completely underdressed in my jeans.

She hurries down the steps with a smile that lights up her entire face. “Lex!” she exclaims, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

He hugs her back tightly, and my heart trips to see his eyes close as if to savor the embrace. “Good to see you, Mum.”

Then she looks at me, and the warmth in her eyes settles my nerves a bit. “And you must be Posey,” she says, stepping forward to embrace me like we’ve known each other forever. “I’m Victoria but you should call me Tori. It is lovely to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” I say, smiling as she pulls back.

“My Lex has been quite complimentary about you,” she says, giving me a knowing look that makes my heart flutter. “Including the fact that you seem to be keeping him out of trouble.”

She shoots him a “mom look” and then turns back to me, linking her arm with mine. “Come inside. I’ve got a tea service set up.”

Lex grabs our bags while I have no choice but to accompany his mother, listening to her gush about how good it is to have Lex visit.

Standing in the great foyer is a tall man with the same dark hair as Lex but shot through with gray. “Charles Hamilton,” he greets, his handshake firm, his smile kind. “We’ve heard a lot about you, Posey.”

My head swivels to Lex, an eyebrow raised. “What exactly have you been saying?”

Lex gives me that patented smirk that makes me want to knock it off his face with a kiss. “Just that you’re totally hampering my lifestyle.”

Lex’s mom waves him off. “Oh, stop it, Lex.”

The twinkle in his eye gives me butterflies. His gaze slides from me to his mother. “Actually… we’re having a fling.”

“Lex,” I exclaim, my face heating from the blatant admission.

He laughs, puts his arm around my shoulders and draws me in. “Don’t get all shy, Posey. A fling is a perfectly acceptable relationship for a hot shot race car driver like me.”

I know my face is now scarlet, and I can barely breathe. “Lex—” I stammer, but before I can finish, his mother laughs.

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