Page 100 of Fast & Reckless
“Deloux finally dropped that piece of trash.”
After ignoring racing for over twenty years, her mother was now obsessively following racing news. Well, following one specific story in racing news—the destruction of Brody McKnight’s career. She hadn’t intended for her interview to be a weapon, but it seemed to have had that effect. In the weeks after it dropped, so did Brody’s sponsors, one by one. Without them, it wasn’t at all surprising that Deloux had pulled the plug. And without sponsors, it would be impossible for him to get a ride anywhere else in auto racing. He was toxic, and now everyone knew it. Violet had been hard at work making sure every shady thing Brody had ever done … and there was a lot … was getting maximum press attention.
“What happens to him isn’t my concern anymore.”
“That’s what mothers are for, baby girl. Now it’smyconcern. I’m loving every minute of this.”
Mira laughed. “So is Violet. Give her a call and you guys can cackle about it together. Hey, Mom, can I call you later? We were about to head out for lunch.”
“Sure thing, baby. Love you!”
Mira tossed her phone back on the chaise and turned back to Will. “Now, where were we?”
When they left Tahiti, they were heading straight to LA for Christmas with her mother. Then she’d pack up the rest of her stuff for her permanent move to Chilton-on-Stour. Will had just signed a new contract with Lennox, so he was looking to buy a place there, too. On the flight to Tahiti, he kept showing her real estate listings, hinting not too subtly that hewas hoping she’d be living there with him. She was hoping that, too.
Leaning in, she kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’m done,” she whispered.
His eyes slid closed and his hands came to her hips. “Good, because if your dad called next, I was going to walk into the sea.”
She kissed the side of his neck, then nipped at his earlobe. “No more phone calls. Just you and me.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Lifting her head, she looked into his face. His gaze met hers and she felt it all over again, an overwhelming rush of love for him—love for his patience, dealing with her past and all the complexities that came with her; love for his generosity, making the people who were important to her important to him as well; love for his passion, because it woke up the passion in her, too, the passion that had nearly been snuffed out. And she loved him for loving her, for holding her as tightly in his heart as he held her in his arms.
She took his face in her hands and looked into the blue eyes that had possessed her from the minute they met her own. “I love you, Will. I love you so much.”
The soft, wondrous smile that spread across his face was one only she ever saw. It was his smile when he looked at her. “I love you, too, Mira. I didn’t know I could love anyone this much until I met you.”
There were moments when it all seemed too good to be true, more happiness than she ever dared hope for. But perhaps she didn’t need to hope for it anymore. Maybe her happy future was already unfurling from this blissful present. All she had to do was to keep living it and see where it led her. Where it ledthem, because Will was going to be at her side for every moment of it.
