Placing it over my head, I feel his warmth and smell still woven in the material. It’s soft and oversized on me, and I imagine for a moment what it would be like to be surrounded by him. Surrendered to him. And another shiver shudders down my core. “Let’s keep moving so you stay warm.”
We spend forty minutes doing a few track laps. Riley and I catch up to the rest of the crew, stopping when Cole needs to tend to Otto with water or picking up after him. “Ok, I am going to take this doggo back to the motorhome. Catch you lot at training tomorrow.” Cole waves off with a chorus ofgoodbyesfrom us.
“Where do the bikes go?” I ask.
“My pit,” Fleur replies as she leads the way back. She and Javi break away in front again, doing wheelies and seeing who can pedal the furthest with their front wheel up. Riley stays back with me. Going at my pace, staying by my side.
Stacking the bikes up in the back of the pit, we head back to Javi’s pit so I can pop over and grab my laptop from Rayna’s office. Then we all make our way to the track exit and into a cab. Fleur sits in the front and Javi, Riley, and I squish into the back.
Riley takes the middle seat and puts his arm across the back of my seat.
“Might give the wrong impression if I did this to Javi.” He smirks and winks at me.
Javi pushes Riley’s shoulder, causing his face to come close to mine. His other arm whips around and braces himself on the door to my side. Caging me. So close to him the tips of his overgrown hair brush against my cheek.
“Sorry, Jav’s a dick.” He sends his elbow backwards, and theomphfrom Javi confirms it was a direct hit.
“You're both dicks. Like annoying brothers.” I can hear Fleur roll her eyes in the front.
Riley rights himself, but he's still impossibly close to me. His body presses mine into the door. Feeling pinned between his body and the hard frame. His vanilla scent engulfing me.
I’m no longer cold. I feel like I am sweating through his hoodie, pressed up against him, his hot breath down my neck.
Looking up, I expect him to be staring at me from this close proximity, but he is peering out the window.Does he not realise he is a middle seat passenger?
“Oh, we should hit that kebab place up on this street. You’ll love it, Mabs.”
“Why don’t you give her some breathing room, Rye,” Javi offers.
“Shit. Sorry. Didn’t realise.” Riley looks down meekly at me.
“No worries,” I reply. But he doesn’t move. He's still looking at me. Eyes locked.
I breathe in deeply, pushing my chest against him, making him realise he hasn’t moved, to which he moves back. Giving me space. The stark removal of his presence is now abundantly clear in front of me. I can breathe freely. Not under tension.
Getting to the hotel, I'm quick to open the cab door and almost fall out on the steps of the hotel.
“Easy there.” Fleur steps by my side and steadies me.
“Thanks. Must have mis-stepped,” I fob off.
She smiles and squeezes my arm.
In a daze, as we all head up to our rooms. Riley is also unusually quiet while Javi and Fleur continue to talk non-stop the trip up the elevator.
Goodbyesare thrown around as we part ways. Riley opens the door for me and I head in.
“I’m jumping in the shower if you need to get in there before me?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Head on in.”
He nods and organises himself while I go into my room.
Sitting on the bed, I catch sight of myself in the wardrobe mirror, wearing his hoodie. His name running down the side of the arm and his number, 26, on the chest. I lift my arm, bringing the sleeve material to my nose, and inhale. It has the slight smell of petrol and burnt rubber from being on track with him today, but the undertone of him still lingers; vanilla. I hear the shower turn on and my mind starts to race, thinking of Riley standing on the other side of the wall. Thinking of the water beading down his hard body. I’ve seen him at the gym. His body is magnificent.
Shaking my head, I don’t allow myself to continue down that thought process. I’ll look forward to another sex dream featuring him tonight, I’m sure.
“Alright, what is our final decision here? Chilli chicken and rice or chilli beef burritos?” I ask, holding up a packet of rice and burritos wraps in each hand. I alternate lifting them up and down, weighing the options in front of Riley.
