He waved to the boisterous crowd, his heart slowing as he did a cool-down lap, waving to the Vasquez fan club grandstands,then headed for pit lane. He received an electronic message from the officials on his dash,‘Top Independent. Go to parc ferme.’Fourth. His best race result in three years. Pulling up in parc ferme, where the victors were parked, he threw himself off his bike and hugged his brother.
“Great race.” With pride oozing through his pores, Isaac squeezed.
Vince pounded Isaac’s back as he said, “Great job yourself, little brother. Nice to have you here with me. Dad would have been so proud.”
It was true. There hadn’t been many post-race celebrations of this kind, with them both in the winner’s area. They posed for photos, first with Luka and Fabiano, then just the brothers. When Vince released him, Isaac turned to Angel, standing by the fence. The older man grabbed him by the back of the neck and tugged him closer.
“Terrific race, Isaac. Fantastic focus.” He released Isaac but leaned in to speak in his ear. “I brought your good luck charm down here to celebrate.” The older man nudged Anna toward the barrier of parc ferme.
Her eyes glowed and her grin stretched across her entire face. His heart filled that someone could be this happy for him. He wanted to kiss her, though he didn’t want to scare her with his enthusiasm, nor did he want their first kiss to be so public. Instead, he vaulted the flimsy barrier and caught her up in a hug. For an instant, he was worried he’d overstepped her boundaries as her body stiffened in his arms.
Then, she threw her arms around his neck, “You were fantastic. Congratulations. That was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
He lifted her from her feet and spun her around in a circle, giving her a squeeze before putting her down. He wrested his gaze from her full lips. Not yet. Instead, he said, “Let’s go cheer for Vince at the podium.”
Isaac looked over to the camera crews. They didn’t care about him anymore, but the top three were giving TV interviews. Then there would be trophy presentations and another set of autographs, at least for the winners. Taking Anna’s hand, they followed Angel to join the rest of the team in the area on the track below where the podium presentation and celebrations would be. Everyone spilled out of the boxes, the track becoming crowded with Honda crew—three of the top four riders today had ridden Hondas. He kept ahold of Anna’s hand, making sure not to lose her in the crowd.
If his brother had noticed his marked preference for Anna’s company before today, he hadn’t mentioned it. He might have seen them holding hands again, so Isaac would bring it up tonight. Tomorrow at the latest—before they arrived home. He couldn’t bear the idea that he might create bad blood between them for stealing the girl Vince had claimed, though there’d been no sign that Vince was still interested in her by the time they’d flown to Qatar.
Isaac watched Anna as the Spanish anthem played and his pride swelled. Her small hand seemed the perfect fit for his. His fingers laced together with hers seemed right, satisfying.
After their duties and the crush of celebration with the crew, Isaac’s head swam from drinking champagne. He hadn’t overdone it, but the bubbles had gone straight to his head, and his skin tingled all over. Anna had been quiet but nearby. The room narrowed once more to a single focus, the way it had during the race, but this time, to the beautiful woman at his side. It was almost time to make his move.
“When’s the bus back to the hotel arriving?” he asked Angel.
“The boys are getting ready right now,” the older man said. “You want to say a few words now, so they won’t be looking for you later?” Angel was no dummy.
Isaac grabbed another glass of champagne from the table and raised it in the air, and Angel banged a wrench against a metal table to get everyone’s attention.
When they’d turned to Isaac, he said, “A toast to my fabulous pit crew.” Cheers erupted. “Thanks for finding the perfect set-up this week. This was my best race in years, and I couldn’t have done it without all of you.” They cheered. He took one sip and put the glass back down. He didn’t want to lose what clarity remained.
“Ready to talk about the book,” he whispered to Anna on the bus ride back to the hotel. He hadn’t relinquished his hold on her hand and didn’t want to. His thumb traced the back of her hand as if getting her used to the feel of him.
“You want to talk about the book tonight?” Her eyebrows arched.
“I’m not ready to say goodnight,” Isaac half-whispered. “I want an excuse to see you to your room.” His fair skin flushed with warmth. It might be the alcohol or residual heat from the exertion of his race. Or it could be from being near her all night. She rested her cool fingers against his lips, and his skin broke out in goosebumps. Did she know how desperately he wanted to kiss her?
“You can make sure I get to the right place.” The sweet candy scent of her seemed intoxicating. He couldn’t wait much longer for a taste.
Once the door to her hotel room closed and they were alone at last, the daring feeling subsided. He didn’t want to mess this up. “Will you go out for dinner with me later this week in Cervera?” He wanted a plan in place for the future. So, she’d know this wasn’t about just tonight—that he wanted more.
Her hand caught his again. “Of course.”
He tugged her closer with light pressure on her lower back.
She offered no resistance and looked up at him with trusting eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” He struggled to keep his voice lighthearted and moistened his lips, shuffling one foot. He hadn’t been this nervous about the race.
Anna put her arms around his neck and looked him straight in the eye, something she seldom did. “Please.”
The one word was all he needed.
His thumb brushed against her jaw and her breath caught, which was nearly his undoing. Her skin was so sensitive. The first touch of his lips to hers was soft, but sure. He’d thought about this for days. She seemed more certain of this than he’d given her credit for as she kissed him back, teasing his lips as the kiss deepened, her tongue darting to meet his. A groan escaped his throat, and she kissed him harder.
He tangled his hand in her soft hair, clasping the back of her head as he tugged her closer. His body seemed electrified from their contact. He had no idea how long they stayed together, but when they stopped, he rested his forehead against hers. He’d never experienced a kiss like this—one that emptied his head and took his breath away.
“I don’t want to scare you. But I’m really hoping I can get to know you better.” His chest constricted. What if she didn’t want something serious?
