Off the Track Series Book 2
Elsa has been alone nearly all her life. Thrown into a career she didn't choose out of sheer need. But now, for the first time in nearly a decade life has given her the chance to take up her dreams and join the Ferrari te...
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I wake to an empty hotel room.
Blinking away last nights sleep, Daniel has left a note and hoodie on the side of the bed where I'd expected to find him.
His chicken scratch handwriting is barely legible but it's the first thing I go for. 'Something to keep you from getting cold. Call me if you need anything, D.'
Short and sweet.
But with his phone number attached, something I haven't had since I changed phones in the peak of my dark days last year.
We didn't sleep together last night, but somehow it was still one of the most intimate times we're ever spent together.
I wonder if he treats all his friends this way.
Probably.
He's a kind guy. But I don't really imagine him climbing into a bubble bath with most of them.
Either way, no time to dilly dally because it's race day! One of last nights brownies in hand and feeling safety undercover between his hoodie and my sunglasses I skip out of the hotel to my uber.
I've got work to do today.
When the lift doors open my heart sinks all the way to the lobby ten floors below.
Pierre and his team crowd the lift already. He glances up from his phone, then back down. Then back at me again as recognition flashes across his face.
"Elsa?" He asks, surprised to be running into me here. As he should be, he knows I'm not staying here. But race weekends are quite busy and require a million errands so I'm hoping - praying he'll think nothing of it.
No place to go but in the elevator I slip into the back by him "Top of the morning!" With a chirp.
Top of the morning?!
Fuck Elsa, couldn't have thought of anything better than that?
Apparently not.
"Morning." Pierre locks his phone, giving me his full attention.
"Excited for the race today?" I ask, giving him my best before coffee smile. A smile he matches until his eyes drift down to what I'm wearing.
Daniel's sweatshirt.
It's unmistakable with the 'Ric 3' just over my heart. "It's not what you think." I blush, feeling like I need to explain myself. He says nothing. Eyes glazing over and his lips pulling into a straight line.
He pushes closer to me, hand on my arm. "So you weren't fucking him last night?" Every inch an accusatory tone.
Heads swivel back towards us, unable to stop from watching the train crash unfolding before them.
"No." I promise, searching his eyes.
Stone cold, no emotion crosses them. "Sure." The word dripping with sarcasm.
He doesn't believe me.
We aren't exclusive. I don't owe him anything but still somehow I feel like the kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And I didn't even get a cookie!
The elevator door dings open and we stay standing there, eyes locked on one another. He's waiting for me to crack. Not sure I'm actually being honest.
Lovely. Just how I wanted to start my day.
A challenge I don't back down on, matching his eye contact. Hoping for him to see the truth behind it. I could launch into an explanation but I'd really rather him just trust me. I've never given him a reason not to... Although this does look exactly like what I'm saying it's not.
The doors start to close and someone on his team grabs the door to keep it from closing. "Pierre, we need to head out." He says but Pierre doesn't look away from me.
"Can we talk?" I try, hopeful since he ignored his team. His blue eyes are boring into my own and starting to make me squirm a bit. I love eye contact but usually words are good too.
"No time." He breaks the trance and cooly exits the elevator.
Fantastic.
Not even had my coffee yet and I'm stirring chaos.
