Page 1 of Kiss & Collide
PROLOGUEMonte Carlo
Even the breeze off the ocean felt different in Monaco. Softer, sweeter-scented, expensive.
Violet had been at some of the glamorous parties surrounding the Monaco Grand Prix before, but she’d always been working.
Now she’d be free to enjoy it.
She’d officially handed off her duties at Lennox Motorsport to her replacement, and she wasn’t due to start her new job until the midseason break. Tonight, she was free to have fun, and she fully intended to enjoy every second of it, ineveryway she could.
She stood at the base of the megayacht’s gangplank, taking in the spectacle, as an exclusive selection of the world’s rich and beautiful people streamed past her. The yacht was owned by some billionaire whose company was a sponsor of the Formula One team, and the party on board was supposed to be the highlight of the race weekend at Monaco—a weekend that was already jam-packed with glamorous parties and exclusive events.
As she stepped on board, the man greeting guests smiled broadly at her as he scanned her invite code. “Violet Harper. Glad you could make it.”
“Hi, Simon. Thanks for putting me on the guest list.”
He leaned in to kiss her cheek and she caught a delicious whiff of his cologne. “Have fun tonight. I know you know how.” He winked at her and she felt the subtle ripple of mutual attraction.
“For once, I’m not working the post-race party and I am going toenjoyit.” She paused, her eyes roving down Simon’s body. He was fit, and in his tight navy suit, he looked positively edible.
Yes, he’d do nicely. “Maybe you can help me out with that.”
Simon gave her a similar once-over, and bit his bottom lip. “Yeah, well, unfortunately, Iamworking this party.”
“That’s too bad.”
He shook his head sadly. “Sure as fuck is. Anyway, the hot tub and pool are open. Just ask the attendant for a suit if you want to swim. The helipad’s been converted to a dance floor. Calvin Harris is DJing a set later tonight. And of course, there’s all the alcohol you care to drink.”
“If I’m still looking for company by the end of the night, maybe I’ll come find you.” She tilted her chin.
Simon’s eyes smoldered with interest. “I sincerely hope you do.”
Violet hadn’t taken two steps inside the lounge on the main deck when she stopped short, just a foot away from a very familiar, tall, hot irritation.
“What areyoudoing here?” she snapped.
Chase Navarro also stopped in his tracks, his eyes dipping quickly down her body and then just as quickly back up to her face. “Installing the Wi-Fi? Am I in the wrong place?”
With his golden tanned skin, jet-black hair, and eyes to match, he was revoltingly good-looking, but here he was, in the middle of this glamorous party, wearingjeans. Just ratty, faded Levi’s and a short-sleeve black shirt, like some random American touristwho’d stumbled onto this yacht accidentally. Unfortunately, he was still hotter than nearly anyone else here.
Since the moment she’d met him, Chase Navarro had annoyed her. Beautiful, but careless, counting on his looks and his charm to carry him through this cutthroat world. But since he was just a low-ranking Formula Two driver, she only crossed paths with him at tracks every once in a while.
“All this and a sense of humor, too. You’re a real renaissance man, Chase.”
The grin he flashed at her made something tickle in her belly. It was truly unfair that the universe had chosen to gift a weapon as powerful as that smile to someone who used it so lazily.
“Violet, you’re always so …” He hesitated, narrowing his eyes at her as he considered her. She’d very purposefully worn next to nothing tonight, wanting to look good andfeelgood, but Chase’s once-over was making her feel someotherkind of way.
“Be very careful about the next word that comes out of that pretty mouth of yours.”
“…clever,” he said at last.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve got any number of indiscriminate young women to seduce tonight. Don’t let me get in your way.”
When she brushed past him, he hesitated a beat and then turned to follow her through the crowd.
“You here with friends?”
She scowled over her shoulder. “Yes, I’m meeting Mira.” She might be moving to a new job at a new team, but thankfully her best friend back at Lennox, Mira, would still be at every race, so they could still hang out.
