I watch him go, but panic propels me forward. I bump into his back, and he spins around to peer down at me. I rise on my tiptoes and hesitantly wrap my arms around his neck.
He pulls me in close, and we both exhale.
Like neither of us could breathe without the other.
“Tess…”
His warm whisper coats the side of my neck, and I pull back to look into his eyes. The blue is glossed over, and he glances at my mouth.
The smallest smile pulls at my lips. “Congratulations, Rome.”
He sniffs. “Thanks, Princess.”
I grab onto his scruffy jaw. “Now kiss me so we can really celebrate.”
He presses me closer and kisses me heatedly, and for the first time, neither of us cares who’s watching.
Epilogue
TESSA
Rome
Where are you?
I pursemy lips and roll my eyes.
Me
You know where I am.
Rome
Come to my tent.
Me
This sounds familiar…
You know, like that one time his dad spied on us before a race and used it as a way to threaten him.
Rome
If I can’t have your voice in my ear while I drive, I at least need it before. The fate of this race is in your hands, Princess.
I slip my phone into my back pocket and grab Van’s attention.
“I’m going to get a Diet Coke,” I tell him. “Want one?”
He holds up an energy drink.
“Where’d you get that?” I ask. “And it’s rude that you didn’t get me one, but I digress.”
Dylan leans past Van with a smirk, holdinghisown energy drink. “Vivian’s nanny.”
I glance at my brother, and Iswearhe blushes before turning away to put his headset on.
He recently hired a live-in nanny for Vivian, who now travels with them race to race. She’s a former teacher with a kind smile and full of energy, who had zero reservations about traveling from country to country. And although it’s only been a couple of weeks, Vivian is so much happier.
