Page 102 of Start Your Engines

Now they’re all chuckling at me. Senna bends over, shaking with laughter.

“That’s not helping,” I shout, turning their laughter into belly wobbles.

A grumble from across the car park stops us. “When you’ve finished, some of us are hungry.”

“Sorry, Dad,” Senna shouts back. Fuck. My whole body tightens, and I hug myself. “We’ll meet you inside. I’ve got one more bit of business.”

“That was your dad? Do you think he heard what we were laughing about?” Tawny asks, yanking at the sleeves of her jacket like she’s been told off at school for wearing the wrong blazer.

“Nah, but get behind me, Connor, until your cock goes down,” Senna says, which sets Jacs off again. “And you made a good point about the upgrades. I’ve examined the timings and how it’s changed performance, and you’re right. It didn’t work. We’ll change the cars back in time for the next race. Thank you for being patient about our experiment.”

Jacs and Tawny walk ahead as I tightly hold Senna’s hands in mine.

“You let us work our rants out and then cut through the bullshit and made the decision. You’re amazing. It’s one of the many reasons I love you,” I whisper as we walk towards the hotel. She freezes. “I mean…”

“You love me?” Her voice drops and is filled with a wonder that makes me want to kick myself for saying it right now.

Her hazel eyes dance with gold and blue, and her smile grows, creating little lines near her eyes.

I gulp loudly. “Coults, I love you. I love you more than I believed possible, and I really would go to the end of the universe just to see you smile.”

I get an elbow in my back as someone jostles us.

“Oi,” I grumble, turning on my heel to face Ralf.

“Good for you, Connor. But I’m hungry,” he replies.

He moves me to the side and tucks Senna’s arm in his. “Your dad invited me to dinner.”

They walk into the restaurant. Senna gazes back at me, standing like a dickhead in the car park, but I quickly catch up.

As we’re led to the private dining area, her mum rushes to hug her as everyone seats themselves. Her dad stares at her and doesn’t even say hello to me.

As I sit, I can’t stop myself from looking at her. Her shoulders are hunched so high that I want to kiss a line down her back to ease her before she gets a headache, but I can’t here.

I brush her little finger under the table, and she hooks hers with mine. I will look after her as best I can, and maybe later, I’ll learn if she loves me.

Ralf clears his throat and stares at me. Fuck. That he knows about us makes the fact that we’re about to have dinner with her dad, who already hates me and wants to sell the team, more awkward.

Here goes nothing.

CHAPTER 50

Senna

He toldme he loved me, but I didn’t get to say the same. Hearing those words as I was about to enter the restaurant was like putting on the armour I needed.

We get through most of the dinner in the private room unscathed. Dad is his version of politeness, which means he doesn’t start fights, but the knowledge that I need to confront him means I’ve been picking at my food. Tawny and my mum have found a shared love of cute dog videos. When Ralf isn’t talking to Dad about what former drivers are up to, he and Jacs are covering the greatest hits of races they’ve both loved, sharing secrets about the engineering of those cars.

I look between my dad and Connor.

“You look well, Senna,” Mum says softly, studying my face. I smile at her. “I was worried when you became team boss because I know what it can do to people.” She observes my dad, but he’s speaking to Ralf about the “good ol’ days” of track girls and cocky drivers. I glance at Connor, who winks at me. Okay, cocky drivers still exist, and the sport is better for it.

“Thank you, Mum. Jimmy and Connor ensure I eat every meal and take breaks, too.”

Jimmy deals with lunch. Connor makes breakfast, organises dinner and texts me to ensure I walk around the building and go for a run. At night, depending on when I make it home, he runs me a bath, and we watch movies or have the kind of sex that makes me forget all my worries.

“Then I’ll thank Jimmy another time. And thank you, Connor, for being a good influence on my girl. You cared about her when she was a teenager, too.” There’s a twinkle in Mum’s eye as she eats the last spoonful of her tiramisu. The more I speak to Mum and Dad since he retired, the more I realise he’d be nothing without her. I hope he realises that, too. “I remember how you two danced in the kitchen when you thought you were alone, and you sang, too, Connor. You had a lovely voice.”

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