Page 15 of Close Contact
I didn’t respond. She did deserve better, and I’d do whatever it took to make sure she got it.
When we reached thecafé,Kimi’scar was already waiting.Auréliestepped out and met my eyes as I got out of my car, and something flickered in her eyes—gratitude, maybe, or just relief. Finally, a sign of life in the beautiful golden-green colors.
We swapped places quickly, Marco moving to joinKimiwhile I usheredAurélieto my car with a gentle press of my hand between her shoulder blades. “You’re with me now,” I said, opening the passenger door for her. She got in without a word. Marco andKimigave me a quick wave before heading back toward the city, leaving us alone.
The silence in the car was heavy but not suffocating.Auréliestared out the window, her profile illuminated by the afternoon sun. She didn’t speak, but her shoulders had relaxed slightly, the tension in her body easing with every mile we put between us and Monte Carlo.
I could still feel her mouth on mine, could still taste her. It had been gentle, careful—everything I usually wasn’t, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d let her crawl into my lap and cry herself to sleep. Or kiss me until she forgot. Either way, I’d take it. I’d take anything she gave me.
I drove with one destination in mind. Eventually, the city gave way to open roads, the air cooler and cleaner.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked in a gentle tone.
“You’ll see,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips at the sound of her voice.
We pulled into a secluded spot near a bridge, the kind of place only locals of the countryside knew about. Aurélie’seyes widened slightly as she took in the setup—a bungee jumping platform with harnesses and ropes.
“You’re kidding,” she said, turning to me.
“You said you needed out. This is out. Adrenaline, clean air, no press.” Her lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile. For the first time all day, I saw a spark of something other than despair in her, and it was enough to make me believe that maybe, just maybe, we were on the right track.
I climbed out, rounding the front of the car to open her door. “Come on,chérie,” I said, offering her my hand. “It’ll be fun. Trust me.”
She hesitated for just a moment before taking my hand, her grip firm as I pulled her out of the car. “Somehow, I do.”
Fuck.I paused, gaping at her, because she didn’t know what she’d just done to me with those words. I shook it off, though, and said, “Let’s see if flying clears your head.”
The gravel crunchedunder my boots, the wind tugging at my sweatshirt as I stepped out of the car. The air was crisp, sharper than I expected, but not enough to quiet the noise in my head.
I don’t know what I’d expected when he said he’d take me somewhere, but this? This was… bold. Completely mad. SoCallum.
“Come on,chérie,” he said, his hand outstretched. Not mocking, not performative, but familiar.
My chest squeezed. It shouldn’t have meant so much, that little word. But the way it slipped from his lips so naturally, like it belonged to me… it cracked something open. He’d called memonamourearlier, too. Just a whisper that I thought I had imagined. It was him calling melovebut in my language—and fuck, I wish it didn’t make me melt the way it did.
For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t surrounded by noise—engines, media questions, or the endless chatter of thepaddock. Just silence andCallum’spresence next to me. It struck me how much he’d done for me in the last couple of hours. From sitting with me in that dark, suffocating room to orchestrating a way out of the paddock without making me feel like a spectacle,Callumhad been there in a way I hadn’t expected, one I didn’t know I needed.
A lump formed in my throat as I thought about it. I’d spent so much time convincing myself I was alone in this fight, that I couldn’t rely on anyone without being seen as weak. But tonight, Marco,Kimi, and especiallyCallumhad shown me something different. I wasn’t alone. People cared, and it wasn’t because of some calculated PR move or an obligation—it was real. They cared aboutme.
The sun illuminatedCallum’sface as it began to set, casting shadows that made his expression harder to read. But the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes flicked toward me now and then, told me everything I needed to know. He was worried.
Something inside me shifted as I watched him.Callumhad always been a rival, a challenge on and off the track. A distraction and a wet dream. But tonight, he felt like something more. A protector, a defender, and maybe something else I wasn’t ready to admit yet. My heart ached as I thought about the stupid boundary I’d put between us—waiting until the end of the season, as if that would make anything easier.
The truth was, ifLuminiswas going to cut me anyway, what was the point of waiting? Why not take something for myself, just this once?
I couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped me, the sound surprising even myself. “You’ve done this before?”
“A few times,” he admitted. “It’s freeing, especially when you need to get away from all the noise. You’ll see.”
My legs—still sore from this week’s events—felt unsteady as I followed him, the adrenaline already starting to creep intomy veins.Callumled the way to the registration desk, his hand brushing against mine before he took hold of it. I entwined my fingers with his. The warmth of his palm against mine sent a shiver through me, grounding me in a way I didn’t know I needed until that moment. It felt almost normal, like this was how a relationship was supposed to feel, and when I looked up at him, I took in every little detail. The way his brow knit, the subtle sweep of his tongue across his lower lip. The texture of his callouses against my palm, his thumb drawing soft, absent circles over my knuckles—as if he didn’t even realize he was holding me.
I sighed internally. How was this real life?
We signed waivers, the attendant explaining the process and safety measures in detail.Callumlistened intently, his focus unwavering, while my mind raced with nerves and anticipation. When it came time to gear up, he didn’t hesitate to help me with the harness.
“Stand still,” he murmured as I stepped into the loops so he could slide it over my hips and waist. Fire licked through my nerves everywhere he touched, desire gathering low in my belly. He was so close, I could feel his warmth, smell his cologne—at least, that’s what I thought that dark and addictive smell was. Like bergamot, leather, and whiskey. Danger wrapped in velvet. I could’ve buried my face into his hoodie and stayed there for hours, drunk on the scent that was so unmistakablyhim.
I wanted to pull him into me and tell him how much I appreciated what he did for me, but words failed me once again.
