She put her hand into his and noted how he was careful to let her grip him. Something about that consideration caught her but she tried to hide it. She stepped out and pulled her hand back, feeling more breathless than she should be. ‘Thanks.’
‘Follow me.’
She did, and they went around the building to a thoroughfare that was lined with buildings either side. Cassian said, ‘When the race weekend is on, this is where all the teams have their hospitality and media rooms. We’re going trackside.’
Wordlessly she followed him through one of the buildings and they emerged in the huge arena. The track was there and Lili could see the stands full of seats. Empty now but she could imagine what it must be like when full. Terrifying and exhilarating all at once. And to be the focus of all of that attention? She couldn’t even imagine.
Cassian was greeting an older man and hugging him. ‘Ricardo, good to see you.’
‘You too.’
Cassian pulled back. ‘Please meet my wife. Lili.’
The man’s hands were covered in some kind of oil so he didn’t try to shake her hand but his smile was warm. ‘So you’re the mystery woman who has taken the world’s hottest, richest bachelor off the market, hm?’
Lili blushed. Before she had a chance to answer Cassian was saying, ‘Is the car ready?’
Ricardo nodded. ‘One of the mechanics is bringing it around now. Thanks for doing this.’
‘No problem.’ He turned to Lili. ‘I’ll have to go change, you stay here with Ricardo and he’ll tell you what’s happening.’
Ricardo had someone bring Lili a coffee and after that she was put on a stool near a bank of very complicated-looking computers and screens and machinery. The car arrived with a loud throttle of the engine, a classic motor racing car, in red with a distinctive name and logo that even she’d heard of.
And then Cassian emerged from somewhere in the back in a close-fitting driving suit and she nearly fell off her stool. The suit was molded to his powerful body like a second skin, and she couldn’t look away from him. Watching as he pulled on some sort of protective head covering and then the helmet.
He got into the tiny space of the driving seat, sunk low into the car, and within seconds he was out on the track, engine revving. Lili noticed someone with headphones and a microphone was talking to him and looking at data on a screen.
And then he was gone, starting his laps of the track. The noise was deafening and Ricardo handed her a pair of headphones. It was only when she had them on that she realised she could hear the conversation between Cassian and the engineer. Nothing she could remotely understand, about enabling DRS and other incomprehensible things.
Then Ricardo touched her arm briefly to get her attention and he led her out to walk up into a stand above where the engineers were based. Here Lili could see Cassian’s car zooming around the track at what seemed to be the speed of light.
She was surprised to find it absolutely thrilling. Especially when he passed where they were and every bone in her body seemed to rattle. But then she thought of other cars being on the track at the same time and realised just how dangerous it must be.
‘Okay, Cass, we have all the information we need, you can come back, thank you.’
‘Copy.’
And then Cassian was returning with the car. Lili went back down and saw him contorting himself to get out, pulling off the helmet and snood, a big grin on his face. It was the first time she’d seen him smile like that and it was as if someone had punched her in the chest. It made him look younger. And even more gorgeous.
Ricardo chuckled. ‘You’re looking forward to Monte Carlo, eh?’
Something Lili couldn’t decipher crossed over Cassian’s face and his smile faded slightly. ‘Of course, can’t wait.’
If she didn’t know better she’d almost have guessed he seemed…resigned. Not exactly as joyful as he had been just now, driving the car for no other purpose than to test it out.
Cassian caught her eye. ‘I’ll change and be back in a minute.’
His face was flushed after the activity and his hair was messy, and a little sweaty. Lili found herself battling the curiosity to know if this is what he’d look like after sex. She nodded jerkily. ‘No rush.’
When he’d disappeared again and Lili turned away from the men to try and get herself back under control she wondered if she was thinking like this because of all the stuff the doctor had said:Young, healthy, fertile…no reason why it can’t be done naturally…and now her brain seemed to be helping Lili to redirect itself towards the possibility that she might actually get naked with the man. Her, a woman who had shared only the most fleeting of touches with anyone else in eight years. Still a virgin, and destined to stay that way if they used IVF.
The sound of a throat clearing nearby made Lili startle. She turned around to see Ricardo. She handed him back his headphones with a smile, grateful for the interruption. ‘Thank you, that was fascinating.’
‘You liked?’
She nodded. ‘I’ve never seen anything like that before. It’s exhilarating.’
He made a gesture with his finger to encompass the area. ‘Here, it islife. Everything.’
