Page 54 of Start Your Engines

“Take care, Connor.”

Why does this feel like a goodbye to what we could have had?

“Always. Laters, boss.” He gives me a wink, and I fist my skirt under the desk so he can’t see my heart breaking as my body breathes for him.

CHAPTER 25

Senna

Jacs paces my office.The team is packing for Hungary for the last race before the summer break.

“Are you sure Antoine confessed to trying to make you crash when you were teenagers?”

I nod.

Connor and I have continued to be professional with each other for the last week. When he sees me, he gives me a head dip or talks with me in a group setting about the car’s performance. It’s for the best, even though my belly is like a fucking tornado every time he’s in my vicinity.

“What are you going to do about Antoine?” Jacs asks before sliding into the seat in front of my desk as I pop an antacid in my mouth.

I lean my chin on my fists. “I don’t know. I can’t trust him. He’s not a team player, and the last months suggest he’ll do it again without caring about consequences.” I rub my forehead with my finger. “Antoine’s dad calls every day asking me when I’ll get rid of Connor. Connor isn’t the problem.”

Well, he’s my problem, but Jacs doesn’t know about the kiss that will never happen again or that I need to protect him.

At his voice outside my office, I close my eyes and fantasise about him walking into my office and pushing me up against the wall, his body between my thighs as his hands undo the buttons of my blouse. “Senna, what is going on with you? Your face is red, and you keep licking your lips.”

I suck in a breath. “I don’t?—”

She turns to the door, and Connor’s eyes catch mine, and for a moment, it’s like the kiss is happening all over again. Heat floods my veins as I imagine his hands brushing my skin.

“Something happen between you two? Is that why you’ve avoided me since our night out?”

“Close the door.”

“He’s acted weird since he came third at Silverstone. I thought that was just what happens with some drivers after a race. I’ve never seen him act so professional.” She squeals in delight. “What happened between you two?”

Connor drops his stare and then looks back up. I nearly fall off my chair when he sucks his lip into his mouth.

“Close the door, Jacs.” My tone has an edge, but her mouth is upturned as she swaggers to the door.

“We’ll have words later, big boy,” she fake-whispers to Connor.

“Jacs, please.”

We’re coming up to the big season break, where no one can work on the cars, do any development work, or touch anything. The drivers usually go away and are surrounded by beautiful groupies, returning at the end of August with tans and models on their arms. Maybe that’s Connor’s plan.

Operational departments like finance continue, so although I’ve got two weeks booked off, I’m not going anywhere.

My phone flashes with a message. It’s from the vet, aka my former fuck buddy, reminding me there’s somewhere I could go. But I won’t. I can’t.

“Okay, something is going on with you. You’ve gone from blushing and grumpy to…well, I’ve no idea, but your brow is so damn furrowed that you’ve got a monobrow. What is going on, and who is that message from?”

“Mr. Vet.”

“Your Australian fuck buddy with all the muscles?” She throws her hands in the air. “The drama! What does he want?”

“He wants me to stay with him for a week during the summer break.” I drop my head, bashing it against the desk. The pain is nothing compared to my distress.

“Are you going? You’d benefit from stress relief. Unless Mr. Vet wants more, because your heart is clearly with a certain bad boy racing driver.”

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