Page 99 of Start Your Engines

“But?” I fix my jaw.

“But you don’t get to take it out on me,” he says, dropping the tea towel on the counter and walking closer. “I’m not happy with how they try to protect you when you’re excelling at things they can’t do in a mediocre fashion. But I’m not here for you to be annoyed at.”

My arms hang limply by my sides, and my voice cracks. “I’m sorry. I hate how they make me feel. And when I saw Niki calling you, I got it in my head that he didn’t trust me and needed feedback about me.”

“It’s okay.” He reaches me and cups my face. “But I’m not your protector. You don’t need one. I’m attempting to be your equal. I want to speak to your brother about us.”

Panic flutters in my chest. “Not yet. I’m not ready yet.”

“I thought you’d say that, so I didn’t answer his call. It’s getting hard to hide how I feel about you. I don’t need his consent, but I want to tell him. If he’s coming back, then maybe he’s okay, and so it will be the right time to talk to him about us.”

“Okay,” I reply. The need to control the situation itches at my skin. But he’s got this, and he’s got me. “My brother doesn’t deserve a friend-to-friend chat with you about us. But I get it. And if you’re willing to meet with Dad, then we will. I’m sorry for being a brat.”

“You’ve said sorry already. It’s okay. You’ve always had to fight in your family, but you don’t need to do that with me. We’ve got each other’s backs. Always.” His words are saturated withconfidence, but his hands are clammy, and his jaw clenches. “I want to be your boyfriend.”

I do a double-take. It’s like all the air is dragged from my lungs.

“I planned to say all of this on the deck last night, but you were so fucking sexy, and I went all caveman.” His face flushes, and he takes a deep breath.

His smile is broader than his tattooed chest as I lead him into the bedroom.

“I need you close,” I murmur. “I’m not used to these feelings or letting someone in like this.”

We sit on the bed together. I pull off his cap, and he lowers his head and rests it on my belly. I run my hands through his hair as his fingers trip up and down my legs. He draws a heart shape on my thigh.

“We’ve got each other. With the end of the season coming, your dad acting weirdly, and Niki coming back, it’s all about to kick off, but I’m not going anywhere.” I slide down the bed and hold Connor between my arms. He meets my stare. His eyes are soft and his smile gentle. “So will you be my girlfriend?”

My fingers are jittery, but I’m beaming. “Yes. It’s just between us for now, but I want to be your girlfriend more than I want to win the championship.”

“Fucking yes,” he says with a cheer and a fist pump before dropping kisses to my forehead. "You’re mine. All mine.”

He kisses me on the lips and sighs. I sink into his chest as he strokes my skin. I scratch his scalp lightly with my nails.

“As your boyfriend and, therefore, someone who is allowed to care about you.” He clears his throat, and I pause, my hands on his back. “I was wondering, are you nervous about the rest of the season?”

“I’m anxious when I’m not here,” I admit. “I’m terrified that I won’t be in the top six.”

“We’re getting there. You’re a success, Senna.”

What makes my nose itch with potential tears isn’t his words that I’m certain he means but that he cares. He’s listening and respecting me, not because he has to, but because he wants to. He wants me. I still, and he holds me against his bare chest. He smells of pancakes and his natural musk, and I barely resist pressing my lips to his skin.

“I want success for the entire team. I want to do well, for all the staff. Everyone’s worked so hard, and we deserve to do well. You deserve to do well.”

He hums in agreement. “What can I do to help make that happen, then?”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. Your driving is incredible. You were seconds off first this weekend.”

“I was fucking awesome.”

I giggle. “Yes, you were. And driving doesn’t scare you anymore?”

He holds me tighter, his hands stroking up and down my back under my T-shirt. “I love it. I’ve got another meeting with Ric later, but he can see how much I adore it. When I was racing last weekend, I felt so alive, and not just because I knew you were watching.”

“It’s hard to look away. You have such power, control, and energy when you drive now.”

“Because I know the risks, and I’m not scared of them. I couldn’t give up driving now. You made me love it with my pre-race song and sports psychologist mindset. And, anytime I get nervous, I remember how much fun it was to race you at the aerodrome and how sexy you looked on the bonnet of that Hypercar.”

His fingers curl around my back. His chest warms my cheek.

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