Page 107 of Green Flag
He gave me his pinky finger. “Promise.”
“I’m having a flare-up right now,” I said, voice confident despite the fact that he might be the only person I had ever told since Pedro told me to cover up. “It’s always on my stomach that it starts. That’s why the pigment on my arms is patchy. I hate all the marks it leaves.”
“I think they’re beautiful. They show how strong you are, how your body heals.”
I inhaled deeply, taken aback by that. People pretended not to see them. But not Luca. “When I said I looked adorable, I didn’t mean it. I know I’ve got about a week until it covers the whole of my back and thighs too. Hence the shorter-than-short dress tonight.”
“Does it hurt?” he asked softly, his strokes on my skin soothing.
“It itches. It’s sore. Especially on my palms. But I have an ointment— a steroid cream that helps. I didn’t want to put it on in front of you. Sorry if I was a bit over the top not wanting to share a room…”
“Not at all.” He shook his head sincerely. “Where’s the ointment?”
I pulled out the bedside drawer and he leaned over me to get it, pressing his chest into my hips.
“Want a massage?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye. “I can get your back for you.”
I nodded, grateful that it was relatively dark in the room, even with his bedside lamp on.
He worked over my stomach and lower back carefully, massaging out my knots and making me suppress a moan here and there.
He was gentle and loving.
As I’d always expected him to be.
Even in just my underwear, for the first time since I’d met him at that bar months ago, the air between us wasn’t sexually charged.
We didn’t talk. I let myself enjoy his hands and the fact that this man was everything I wanted, even if it was a drunken thought.
I didn’t know if I’d ever been looked after like this.
“You’re the best,” I told him, wiping my eyes when he sat back on his heels.
His grin was soft. “As your biggest fan, I’m telling you thatyouare the best. And you should be proud of yourself, Everly. You are so beautiful outside and in.” He settled back into the bed beside me as I threw my pyjama top on over my bra. “And you handled that conversation with your sister really well.”
“As did you,” I said, rolling over so our faces were inches apart.
“My sister and I aren’t anywhere near as close,” he said, pulling our bodies flush, just my bra between our chests.
“I love Fia.” And I had to protect her. Against anything and everything. “Which is why whatever we find on my dad… it gets you out of your contract, but that’s as far as it goes.” I didn’t mention my dad losing his job anymore, because I no longer wanted that.
Even though Luca hadn’t cheated on me, Dad’s strong reaction had pulled at my heartstrings a smidge. He was also the best director across StormSprint, and my love for Ciclati had grown so much that I wanted the best for the team.
But the best for the team also meant Luca.
And he deserved better than being trapped in something fake.
21
Chapter 21
Everly
My head was thundering. Last night, we’d celebrated the final race before the Christmas break, and once again, I’d ended up in bed with a hangover. Luca treated me the same as our first night sharing a room, four days before: an iced coffee, a bottle of water, and a line-up of vitamins. He’d offered for me to come to the gym with him and join his training session with Marco, but I refused. That simply wasn’t happening.
But it meant I had some time alone in the hotel room and… it had been a while since I’d been able to touch myself.
Though it was an intrusive thought every ten minutes in his presence.
