Page 107 of Red Flag
No.
Abso-bloody-lutely not.
Originally, I’d planned to fly out to our next race in Austria and blame my absence on work.
If I didn’t go, though, there would only be hell to pay later.
With Nix there… it might be bearable.
“Yeah, of course,” I said as I stood again and went to change.
In the pit box, Nix eyed me back in the original top.Thankfully,Salihahad got me one that actually fit instead of the huge oversized one I’d started with.
“What a beautiful stand-in we have,”Lucasaid and kissed my cheek before following his bike out.
“You’re with me,” Nix said with a coy smile.
“Has Clara said how late she’s going to be?” I asked. “What if she’s already in the building? I don’t—”
“Don’t have time,”Crissaid, already shooing us off to pit lane.
Abbe offered me his arm to hold. “I’ll escort you to the grid.”
The walk was short and a little cart took us down the side road behind the barrier to the track. There, waiting, were all the riders, their top mechanics and analysts. And I was to hold the umbrella high for him.
Nix smiled at me from his bike as we walked over to where he was in pole position, having qualified first yesterday.
At Nix’s side, his fingers twitched in my direction. He listened to Abbe talk about the eleventh corner but I could feel him lean back in my direction.
“All good,” Nix said, dismissing Abbe. The second the mechanics were done, he turned to me. “You have no idea how hard it is for me to keep my hands off you right now. I’ve never wanted to kiss a grid girl.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I laughed, pressing myself closer to the bike, my thigh against his. Cameras were everywhere for this part, but I couldn’t stop myself from innocently touching him.
“Mmm,” he mumbled, looking me over. “Let’s drive straight back to yours tonight. We can get the last few boxes over tomorrow and then spend the weekend in the newapartment? We can make it yours.”
Mine orours?
“This week… my brother’s saying I need to go to my mum’s for her birthday. But… you’re welcome to join us.”
“Yeah, sounds good,” he said with a smile. “Meeting the family properly.”
“But before then, did you want me to decorate and furnish the spare rooms as well? Or… your room? I was going to order some things when I get my deposit back next week.”
“My room?” he laughed and shook his head. “Livid, unless you want me elsewhere, I’ll really struggle to sleep so close and yet so far away from you. And — wait, what? You’re not spending a penny on that place. You want something? I’ll buy it.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me or I’ll kiss you right here right now to shut you up.”
I bit my lip.
He lifted his hands in front of him. “Do you see my fingers twitching? Genuinely, they are fighting me to touch you, remembering how they’ve touched you on this bike before.”
Thankfully, no one was close enough to hear our conversation, much too focused on their bikes.
The green flag was raised, calling all of us extras off, and it took all my might not to reach over and kiss him.
“Good luck,” I said and closed the umbrella. “I’ll probably spend some time in the lounge with my brother.”
