Page 99 of Cross the Line
He sighs, almost defeated. ‘I know. Some days I’m amazed people even remember my name. I’m outscoring Lorenzo in the points, but he overshadows me in every other way.’ He slides me a look from the corner of his eye. ‘Is Willow looking for a new contract, by chance?’
I’m struck by the question. We haven’t really talked about what she’s going to do next, but I assumed she’d return to New York. Then again, if Reid is offering what I think he is . . .
Fuck, could this be the solution to our long-distance problem?
‘Possibly,’ I hedge, my brain already working through how we could make this happen. ‘Let me talk to her, and I’ll let you know.’
Reid’s face lights up, activating his golden boy charm. ‘Tell her I’m all in,’ he insists. ‘If she wants the job, it’s hers. Immediate start date. I’ll call up my lawyer and D’Ambrosi tonight. We can get her the necessary contracts by the morning.’
‘You really don’t waste time, do you?’
He chuckles, lifting his champagne glass in a mock toast. ‘I’ve seen what she’s done for you, and I want that. Not the whole “I’m a lovesick sap” thing, but the other stuff.’
I wince and blow out a breath. ‘You caught on to that?’
Reid’s smile is faint but kind. ‘You look at her like she hung the moon, Dev. Kind of hard to miss.’
Thatis exactly why Willow and I need to talk to Oakley very, very soon. There’s no more hiding this.
‘Let me talk to her about the offer,’ I tell him before downing the rest of my champagne.
He slaps me on the shoulder. ‘Be persuasive. I want her on my team. Thewinningteam.’
‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll do my best, asshole.’
Reid’s laugh follows me back into the crowd. My only goal is to find Willow. Now that I know there’s a chance we can truly be together, to not end up separated in the way we expected, I’m desperate to talk to her about it. But will she go for it?
It’s a big ask. She has a life to return to, and this was never supposed to be more than a temporary job. Her goal when we started working together was to land a position at a much bigger marketing team, so would she be up for a little more of this? Especially if it’s with someone she doesn’t know well?
I finally spot her near the edge of the tent. She’s cradling a fresh jalebi in her hands, and by the time I reach her, it’s gone and she’s got her fingers pressed to her mouth in an attempt to hide her puffed-out cheeks.
‘Hey.’ Fuck, I sound rushed, like what I have on my mind is urgent. But in a way, I guess it is. ‘Can I talk to you? In the house?’
She swallows, her brows knitting together in concern. ‘Everything okay?’
I nod, already turning to guide her away. ‘Everything’s great. Don’t worry. Come on.’
She doesn’t question me. She just trails along as I weave back outside, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure she’s following. Once we’re away from the tent and on the grass, I slow and offer my arm to her so she doesn’t have trouble if her heels sink into the soil. She accepts without hesitation, letting me lead her into the house.
When we’re alone in the dim back hallway, she slides her hand down from the crook of my arm, her fingertips brushing my wrist, and presses her palm to mine. I spread my fingers reflexively, and when her fingers slot between mine, I curl my own up to keep her hand in place. It’s a perfect fit.
I draw her to a stop between the door to the bathroom and the home’s impressive library. I can’t take another step until I get this off my chest.
‘Dev, what’s going on?’ she asks softly, her eyes locked on mine.
Her face is so pure and full of love that my throat goes tight for a second. ‘I . . .’ I swallow, trying to dislodge the lump. ‘I have kind of a crazy question for you.’
She tilts her head, red-painted lips turning up at the corners. ‘Okay, hit me with it.’
I pull in a steadying breath, hoping the words don’t come out rushed and jumbled. ‘If you could continue working in F1, would you want to?’
A crease appears between her brows, and confusion swims in her eyes. ‘That’s what’s so important?’ When I nod, she nibbles on her bottom lip and averts her gaze a little, like she’s deeply considering her answer. ‘Truthfully? I never thought I’d say this, but . . .yeah. I really love it. It feels . . . right.’
Relief surges through me, and I swear my heart stutters. She wants to stick around. But I want more confirmation before I lay out Reid’s offer. ‘And that’s not just because you love me, right?’
‘That has a little something to do with it,’ she says with a light laugh. ‘But it’s a fascinating industry so I’d love to see more of it.’
When I don’t immediately reply, her amusement fades away, leaving her searching my face and the crease between her brows reappearing. ‘What are you trying to say, Dev?’
