* * *
Back at the hotel,I start preparing dinner while Quinn and Chiara sit in the dining area close to me. My best friend has decided to make me look like the greatest guy on the planet by telling the woman I most certainly don’t have feelings for all the “amazing” things I’ve done. Quinn shares that I was the only one who gave her a chance in Formula One, that I gave her the opportunity to be the first female performance coach in this sport. Then she goes on to tell Chiara all about how nice I’ve been, even if I seem like the distant, grumpy kind most people don’t get along with.
I think about stopping Quinn every few minutes, but I pretend not to hear them as I work in the kitchen, trying to get dinner ready for two of the most important people in my life. My ears go against my wish to ignore their conversation as they pick up every little word. It also doesn’t help that Starling keeps asking my best friend to share more and more stories about me. Shewantsto hear them, probably mesmerized by the fact that I can be a nice person despite the years of bickering and fighting I’ve had with her.
“Did Leonard ever tell you about the time he got locked into his private room for six hours? He had to pee in—” I interrupt Quinn right then by placing the food on the table Chiara laid a few minutes ago.
“We don’t need to hear the end of that story,” I say with a firm voice, but Quinn completely ignores me when Chiara urges her on with a slight head nod.
“In a bucket. He had to pee in the bucket. It was so funny,” Quinn says, and Starling looks up at me to reveal her smile. Of course this fucking amuses her.
“Don’t give me that,” I say because a full-faced smile like that is rare from her and she mostly shows it when it’s regarding something embarrassing that happened to me.
“What? I’m not allowed to smile at you?” she challenges as she fills Quinn’s and my plate with food.
“Not when it’s your way of laughing at me,” I reply, and she shakes her head, filling her own plate now. Fucking hell, I could watch her for hours and not get tired, even when she is doing something so incredibly mundane.Especially when she’s doing something so incredibly mundane.
“What other embarrassing stories do you have about Leonard?” Starling asks, turning to my best friend. I shoot Quinn a warning glare, but she ignores me as she looks at the ceiling, searching her brain for another tale to tell.
“I forgot to bring him a towel once at the track building, so he had to walk out of the bathroom with two small towels covering his privates. Let’s just say, the cloth wasn’t big enough to cover all ofhim, so he turned a lot of heads that day,” Quinn says with a mischievous grin, but I’m not too mad about the story she chose. From the way Chiara’s cheeks go a flaming red, I can only imagine the visuals going through her head. She’s picturing me naked now, and I fucking love it.
“It was a private area, there weren’t a lot of people. I think only one bloke saw me,” I explain, and Chiara clears her throat, taking a sip of water right after. Her face is a bright red, and I can’t help smiling at her a little. “You alright there, Starling?” I ask, and she gives me an irritated look.
“Of course. I’m fine. It’s funny, that’s all, picturing you running around butt-ass naked,” she says with a laugh that sounds more fake than anything else. I continue to smile at her, only bothering her more.
“Disappointed you weren’t there to see me?” I challenge, earning me an eye roll from her. Then, her emerald stones meet my gaze again.
“Relieved, actually,” she spits, and I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Quinn lets out an awkward laugh beside me, so I shift my focus to her.
“I didn’t notice how late it is. I should go get some sleep. We have an early flight tomorrow,” she says, and I furrow my brows. She still has half a plate remaining.
“You don’t have to—” I start, but she stands up and cuts me off.
“It seems like you two need to spend some quality time together. Thank you for the meal,” she says and gives my shoulder a quick squeeze before flashing Chiara a warm smile. “Good night,” my best friend says, and Starling and I both say it back at the same time.
I wait until the door is shut before facing the woman next to me and saying, “You made my best friend leave.” She had the spoon halfway up to her mouth but lowered it as I spoke. Now she’s scowling at me.
“I didn’t make your best friend leave! I like Quinn. She’s a hell of a lot less moody than you,” Chiara replies, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“Moody? I’m not fucking moody.” She snorts at that.
“Yeah, sure.” She fills her mouth with more food, giving me the opportunity to keep talking.
“Are you still picturing me naked?” I ask, and she stops chewing for a moment. She stuffed her mouth so much, I have the opportunity to add more without her being able to make her usual witty comeback. “Because I understand if you are. Many people have done so over the years. It’s a nice visual, huh? You should see it in real life. It’s even better.” Chiara shakes her head, swallowing her bite before pushing her plate away. Heat has moved into her cheeks, painting them a deep red.
“I have no desire toeversee you naked.”Liar.
“Mhmm, I’m sure.” I lean forward on the table, resting my jaw on my intertwined fingers. “Tell me something, little demon, if you’ve got no desire to see me naked, why do I have a feeling your panties are completely soaked from picturing me without clothes?” It should be impossible, but, somehow, her face turns an even darker shade of red.
“Because you’re full of yourself?” she asks, but I smirk at her knowing full well she’s turned on right now.
Her breathing is uneven, goosebumps have covered her skin, and her eyes are fixated on my lips. Not to mention, her pupils are wider than usual and her bottom lip keeps slipping between her teeth when she doesn’t concentrate.
“Tell me you haven’t at least thought about fucking me once, and I will let it go,” I offer, so Chiara stands up, closing the distance between us until I’m leaning back in my chair and her face is mere centimetres from mine.
“I’ve thought about it many times, Leonard. I’ve thought about how unsatisfying it would be. I’ve thought about how terribly you would fuck me. There, does that make you happy to hear?” I tilt my head to the side a little, bringing my mouth upward and toward hers.
“One kiss,” I say, and she cocks an eyebrow. I decide to elaborate. “One kiss and you will be mine forever. That’s all it would take,” I say to her, and she starts smiling at me.
