GREENE | CS55

18 - The Aftermath

Pierce felt that there was nothing like the extraterrestrial pull from the gravitational forces as she'd accelerated into the higher gears in a Formula One car.

The worlds axis shifting, tilting, transforming to mold to her every desire in that moment. Her thumb would flick across the steering wheel, activating the drag reduction system and lunging her into a bend. The rapid, heart-stopping moment of downshifting rapidly at the fifty meter mark— as late as she could cut it.

The pull on every inch of her trained body as the acceleration began again. Over, and over, and over. Until it was over.

Blink, and you'd miss it.

Miss the turn. End up in the wall, in a pile of tires, rolling around in the gravel and kicking up rocks into her cockpit to be dusted off as she'd clamber out of it and into Maylanders heated safety car of doom and despair.

Blink, and you'd lose all common sense and end up making out with your best friend on the edge of a curb in Melbourne.

Blink, and Carlos' hands would be pawing their way across the cotton seams containing your waist, squeezing and torturously winding lower, lower, lower still.

Yet, it wasn't enough. You'd find yourself wishing you picked the soft tires. The shorter dress that extended up the length of your thigh. That bared more skin. That gave him more of you to pull tightly against him.

There was no safety car for that one!

She did little to hold back the gasp that escaped her as her lips lost his. Her head swirled and spun like a merry-go-round of disbelief, one that existed in a horror fun house. One that left Pierce with the sinking, pitted weight as though she were drowning in the lingering scent of him. The indescribable taste of Carlos Sainz Jr. left on her lips, the vibration left by the lingering human desire for more of him.

While her body was begging and pleading, her mind had come to and was doing the exact opposite.

What were you thinking!

It was like emerging out of the banked left of Eau Rouge into the unknown crest of Radillion, whirling at an unthinkable speed with the utmost trust in herself that nothing would go wrong. That she'd made all the right moves leading up to it, that she had the ideal racing line for the conditions. Lined herself up to land blindly. So trusting in the certainty that she had done everything she possibly could to not mess things up.

However, Pierce knew that this would mess everything up. She knew it before she stood on the ball of her feet, pushing up from their entwined hands to eagerly meet the object of her unknown desire for the past few months.

Letting curiosity kill the cat.

You weren't! You weren't thinking!

Carlos chuckled, the smooth movement of his eyes blinking in slow motion knocking Pierce out of her daze. Wide-mouthed and staring up at him. She stuttered, her internal engine puttering its way back into this dimension.

"That— was..." Carlos trailed off in the same moment Pierce cursed under her breath.

She took a step backward, a foot landing off the curb. The world rushing from underneath her, her foot making contact with the lowered level of cobblestone in a hardened manner. Her hand flew up to her forehead, unable to wipe the look of disbelief off of her face as she spun her body away from Carlos. Craving space, wanting to put as much distance between them now as possible. Hoping that the passing breeze would be sufficient to extinguish the heat left by Carlos' touch.

It was a mistake. She knew instantly she shouldn't have done that.

Carlos held back, taking a moment himself to let what just happened sink in. She kissed him. Pierce Greene kissed him— Carlos Sainz! What a good day to be Carlos Sainz.