Trackside Temptation

Chapter Thirty-One

FRANCESCA

After all the events in Brazil, I was almost certain we would have all the eyes on us. I was bracing for the nastiest comments to be made about me, considering we were no longer bothering to hide our moments together. But fortunately, the snarky articles and rude social media comments were outshone by the kind ones. I swear I even saw someone edit the both of us on TikTok and I had to laugh. Was this what it was like to be a WAG?

Matt and I woke to the insistent buzz of his alarm. We had spent the night in his hotel room, as mine was next to a couple who seemed determined to make their presence known.

I glanced over at Matt, who had already sunk back into sleep after hitting the snooze button. He looked so serene, his breathing deep and even, and I was hesitant to disturb his rest.

But it was the day of the final race of the season, and the results were close. Everyone knew this year would be competitive, but I didn't think they realised how competitive it would be. Matthias was going into Abu Dhabi leading the championship, with Romain in second and Theo in third. But the points were so close that whoever won this weekend would win the Driver's championship.

De Rossi had already secured the Constructor's Championship, which we had celebrated last weekend with plenty of spirits. Now, all eyes turned to the individual drivers. Would De Rossi win both trophies this year, or would Santoro take the Driver's win? I chuckled to myself, realising I sounded like I was narrating a Netflix documentary.

"What are you laughing about," Matt asked groggily. He wore a cute smile as he lay facing me.

"I'm just doing the math in my head to calculate where you need to finish today to win."

Matt frowned; his head still pressed into the pillow. "First. Otherwise, I've lost it."

I snuggled my body into his and he squeezed me tight. "You've done so well this year, regardless. Especially after missing a few races because of your hand."

Matt sighed. "I know. But I want to win—no, I need to."

I nodded. He had a good chance at winning today, and I had a feeling his determination would be enough to push him past the chequered flag first.

Matt's alarm went off again, and he groaned.

I grabbed a pillow and gently whacked him on the head. "Come on, that's not the mindset of a world champion."

I began to hop out of bed, but Matt grabbed my waist from behind and pulled me in.

"Hey," I chuckled. "We need to get to the track."

He nestled his nose into my neck. "I know, but I prefer this."

"Even over winning?" I asked.

He paused for a second before saying, "Yes."

My face warmed. I wasn't sure if he said that because we were having a romantic moment, but a lingering part of me yearned for the possibility that he felt something more.

My chest ached with a feeling I'd truly never felt before. It was as if it was tightening up and refusing to relax. I didn't know what to call it except for one word. And it was a word I was absolutely terrified of.

I applied my makeup in the bathroom mirror as Matt showered behind me. I couldn't help but stare at his body in the reflection. His flushed skin from the heat. The water running down his hair and onto his face. His cock, that was definitely awake this morning.

I had to look away and take a deep breath. As much as I didn't want to let the media reports affect me, I was still insecure about being a distraction. Matt may have reassured me a thousand times, but that still didn't stop my brain from creating scenarios in my head. Of course, I had to keep that to myself... or else I'd be distracting him with my issues. Gosh, it really was a cycle.