Page 127 of Off the Grid

“Elise, a man can tear you down quicker than shit, but only you can put the work in to feel better about yourself.”

“Uh-huh. So that extra pep in your step and I don’t know, color in your cheeks, had absolutely nothing to do with a man. Got it.” She lifts her eyebrows and I give up the fight to hide my smile.

“It’s not the reason . . . but it might have helped me feel better about myself. Is that a more suitable reply?”

Her grin is enough of an answer. “Well, whatever and whoever it is, it looks good on you. Now if you can whisper something similar around Riggs, maybe he’ll get the subliminal message that I’m the whoever that would look good on him.”

This time it takes everything I have to not choke on my own breath.

* * *

The garage is buzzing.

Like electricity snapping, excitement ready to explode.

And it does—a raucous roar of cheers goes up—when Riggs and Andrew walk into the garage after qualifying for P3 and P4 starting grids for the race.

The highest one-two punch for a start that we’ve landed in two years.

And Riggs missed P2 by two hundredths of a second.

They both pull off their helmets. Grins wide. Hair disheveled. Sweat beading on their skin.

But it’s only one racer I’m staring at from behind the darkness of my sunglasses.

There’s only one person I want to run and hug fiercely.

There’s only one man I’m slowly falling for.

And that was never supposed to happen.

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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Riggs

I don’t even get a second to process my P4 finish.

Just off the podium, but so damn freaking close that I can all but taste it.

Just off the podium because I defended my teammate’s position, so he didn’t have to.

I did what a number two driver is supposed to do. Fight for my team’s overall success rather than just mine.

For a man who is hell-bent on proving he deserves to stay here, would I have liked the podium for myself? Hell yes.

But will showing how much of a team player I am endear me to other teams for a possible contract next year? Definitely.

It’s the long game I’m forced to play in a constricted time frame. Prove I can be successful myself while proving I am a team player. It’s a dichotomy that isn’t always fun to have to weigh against each other.

What it comes down to is the fact that I contributed to Team Moretti in the way they needed me to. When Hank asked me to defend, I did.

And now we’re sitting higher in the overall points standings because of it.

“Brilliant driving, Riggs.”

“Another finish in the points, man.”