“If you’re referring to our brother, yes. I didn’t think he would come to the race.”

He laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“You still don’t know him, don’t you?”

“All I know is he hates me and is probably never getting over it.”

“Yes. What’s with that, by the way? I thought he would burn you alive the moment he saw you again and yet you two are working together.”

“We had something the other wanted.”

“Is that so? You truly have changed Emilia Harris.”

By the time we got to our booth, Ax was there, sitting in the chair at the end. I took the one in the middle and Santiago sat on the other end.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Tiago said.

“Not when I can cakewalk into a million dollars,” he said without looking away from the race.

“You care too much brother.” Santiago put his arm over my chair. Ax whipped his head, eyes on where his brother’s hand made contact with my back. He whipped his head back to the race and Santiago removed his hand soon after. Suddenly, I was feeling like there was another game being played that I wasn’t aware of. The race, apart from how dazzling the cars looked as they sped in the nighttime, was just watching cars going around in circles. Mercedes, as Ax had predicted, was pulling ahead the rest of the pack, and I was feeling a little sorry for Tiago.

I stood up from my seat and went to look for some refreshments. I could feel Ax’s eyes on me the entire time until I was out of his sight. I hated how he still could affect me after all these years.

I was at the bar deciding on which cocktail I should drink when I felt his presence behind me.

“Aren’t you watching the race,” I said without looking at him. I had to take a deep breath. I was feeling a little breathless suddenly. His scent enveloped me like a blanket, arousing my senses.

“I’ve already won,” he said.

He kept standing there, and I kept to myself, pretending to look at the cocktail menu. I felt him move and thought he was about to leave when I felt his hand on my wrist. I glanced back at him.

His eyes were heavy-lidded and dark. “Come with me.” I could do nothing else but obey the command. He marched us through the crowd of people until we reached a stairwell. It looked like we were in the back part of the building. He opened the door, and we went down a few steps. We were outside, but there was no one where we were. It was dark, and the only sounds were those of the cars and the cheers of the crowd. My heart raced. I knew what he was doing. What he wanted, but when he paused, thrust me against the wall with his body, and kissed me, I was still shocked.

His tongue delved into my mouth, and I welcomed him by leaning into his body. He groaned and brushed his lips over mine. Tiny tendrils of electricity sparked inside me as he continued to kiss me like there was no tomorrow. I responded to the kiss, flicking my tongue against his lips and joining his, letting our tongues dance to a rhythm so familiar. One only we knew and understood.

His hands were all over me, leaving my nerves electrified everywhere they went. I couldn’t get enough of him. I didn’t want him to stop. The atmosphere. The sound of cars drowning our moans and the tropical night was more than enough to make it feel illicit and magical. My dress, a long sheath that looked conservative, but had easy access if you slid your hand in one of the holes at the side, was a piece of cake to a man as experienced as Ax. His hand found the hole in my waist and it slid in. He went down, caressed my thigh as he slid to my butt, and grabbed it hard, using his hold on me to push me into his erection. I moaned again. This time desperate for him to do anything to me. I didn’t care where we were. The thought of being in a foreign country whose laws on public indecency I didn’t know, never entered my head.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt like this, only by being kissed. Was it the last time I was with him? It couldn’t possibly be.

When his lips left mine, I felt disappointed. Then he continued his trail down to my neck and to my chest, exposing my chest as his head went down until his lips reached my breasts. He licked my nipple through my lace bra, and it felt too much.

Faint sounds of footsteps trudging inside jolted me to the present.

“Ax.”

He bit my nipple.

“Ax someone is coming.”

He trailed back up to my lips, crushed me against the wall, and kissed me even harder. I forgot what I wanted to say. My anxiety melted. I became intoxicated by his heady lips. It was too much to bear. When he finally let go of me, I almost crumbled on my noodle legs. When I opened my eyes, a smirk was on his face. He looked pleased with himself.

The sounds were no longer distant. The cool night air doused all residual feelings.

“What was that all about?” I said.

“I wanted to know if I was the only one affected. I think I have my answer.”