Rather than letting it sour her mood, she jutted her chin at me, where I’d mindlessly begun cutting vegetables for a salad. “You cook?” she asked, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’m full of hidden talents.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”Auréliestood and rounded the island, joining my side to assist. She reached for a cutting board, and our shoulders touched—barely. But neither of us moved. The contact was small, fleeting, but my skin heated. She didn’t pull away. Not immediately. And that did something to me I didn’t want to name.
We worked in quiet harmony, the rhythmic sounds of chopping and stirring filling the space. We made something light and healthy—grilled chicken with a side of quinoa and a simple salad. Nothing fancy, but enough to refuel without weighing us down beforeFP1tomorrow.
I turned just as she did, both of us reaching for the same damn drawer.
Our chests brushed.
She froze. I froze.
For one suspended breath, we just stared at each other. Her lips parted. I felt her exhale against my skin.
“Callum…”
I backed away first. Just barely. Just enough to keep from doing something we’d both remember forever. “Not tonight,” I murmured, even though everything in me begged for the opposite. “You’ve been through enough.”
Her eyes held mine like a dare. “That’s the only reason you’re not kissing me right now?”
I swallowed, throat thick. “It’s the only one I’m clinging to.”
Her mouth curved—not in surprise, but in something darker. Knowing. Teasing.
She leaned in, slow and deliberate, her voice barely more than a whisper against my neck. “Good boy.”
My stomach fucking dropped. My grip on the drawer handle went white-knuckle as every ounce of control I’d been clinging to teetered. My cock throbbed instantly, a gut-punch reaction Ihadn’t expected, and holyhell—the way she said it? Confident. Soft. Like a command dressed in silk.
I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Couldn’t.
Her hand ghosted over mine where it still braced the counter, her fingers sliding just barely against my knuckles.
“Guess we both have our reasons,hm?” she murmured, as though she hadn’t just destroyed me. Then she stepped away, so casual and unbothered, to take our bowls to the other side of the island. As if I wasn’t about to drop to my knees just to hear her say that again.
I couldn’t look at her. If I did, I’d forget the entire fucking reason I hadn’t kissed her already. I’d press her against the counter and let her tell me what to do next. Eat her pretty little cunt like it was my last meal and then fuck her until we both passed out. I didn’t—but God, I wanted to. More than I’d ever wanted anything.
When we sat down to eat, we made small talk—thank fuck. I needed some distance from that whole situation. It was a good thing, too, because as the meal went on,Auréliebegan to open up, her voice soft but steady as she talked about the pressures she’d been facing atLuminis. I listened, my focus entirely on her, offering the occasional nod or reassuring word.
By the time we moved to the terrace with glasses of wine in hand, the weight on her shoulders seemed lighter. The spring night air brushed against us, carrying the faint scent of the ocean and muffling the distant hum of the city below.
Aurélieleaned forward on the railing, her gaze drifting over the twinkling lights dotting the horizon. “It’s strange,” she said after a long pause. “How peaceful it is out here… compared to everything else.”
“Sometimes you have to step away to see things clearly,” I said.
She gave a small nod, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. “Maybe. It’s just… hard to imagine this kind of quiet when the paddock feels like it’s constantly swallowing me whole.”
Hearing her admit that made me ache in a way I couldn’t explain. I wanted to tell her she was more than the paddock, more than the gossip and the politics. She wasAurélieDubois, and the world didn’t deserve her fire.
Her confession was heavy but honest, and I realized just how much she needed this moment to breathe, to let go.
“It doesn’t have to swallow you,” I murmured. “Not if you don’t let it.”
The terrace was quiet,the kind of stillness that let everything fade into the background. I leaned against the railing, the cool metal biting into my skin as I took in Monaco’s glittering skyline. The lights twinkled like stars, their reflection shimmering on the water below. It was beautiful, serene, and made it easier to breathe.
It was also a view I recognized from his Instagram posts.
“So, this is the view 50 million a year gets you?” I teased, glancing over my shoulder atCallum. His laugh was soft, low, and it sent a ripple of warmth through me.
