I look down at the tee I stole from Joemar, grinning like I got away scot-free from a bank robbery. Wonder if he woke up smiling like I did. Hope so since it’s race day. “Though it’s nothing big, I did . . .” I stop speaking when I lay my eyes on her. Her knuckles whitening, her eyes fixed forward, and a weird vibe fills the car. “What’s going on, Paula?”“You’ve missed the news this morning.” She glances at me and then back at the road again.I push up to right myself and take a deep breath. My stomach twists in knots from the thought of my private life becoming gossip. “Did the story about Carlos Pirrote come out?”“Um. No.” She cringes and hands me her phone. “I know you don’t have social media for all the right reasons, but you need to get online.”Taking the phone, I’m nervous about seeing what I’ll find. “I had all my notifications like Google Alerts off as well. What is it? Just tell me.”“Open my phone.”“I don’t think I want to,” I joke, but my laugh is riddled with nerves. I
“We understand, Madonna.” Harry saves me the pain of having to spell it out in front of my parents.I slide forward in the chair and pick the phone up again. Taking it off speaker, I hold it to my ear. “I’m sorry about the sponsors.”“Sponsors are like skittish kittens. They thrive on threatening to pull out their money. It’s their way of feeling like they have control of the situation,” Harry says with conviction set in his tone. “Unfortunately, I need to go and deal with this mess.” He pauses, and for some reason, it concerns me. “Hello?” I say, making sure they’re still there.“Madonna,” he says, “you need to keep your distance from Marco and the races in general until this settles down.”I’m being grounded? Well, this is humiliating. I dip my head and rub my temple that’s starting to throb. I gather the strength anyway and ask on an exhale, “Are you asking me?”“No.” The answer is blunt, though I know it wasn’t said maliciously.Why does it feel like I just had the rug pulled out
“It will be a constant reminder of how I was right, and you were wrong.” Her giggle populates like champagne bubbles through our connection.“I bought the phone so you could see the mess we made online like I have to.”“It’s quite the mess.” As our laughter dies down, she adds, “I’ve been banned from the track.” Her tone is softer, her words more forgiving.The punch comes with the admission. I’m not surprised, but it’s bullshit. “Forever?”“For now.”I nod, though she can’t see me. Sitting up, I say, “Good thing we don’t exist in each other’s worlds.” Nothing about that feels genuine. Even I don’t believe the lies I’m spewing.“Yeah . . . good thing.” A quick pause is cut short. “I should let you go.”“You don’t have to.” No adjustments. Life is smooth right now. Don’t wreak havoc on your career over a woman. “I didn’t mean it how it came out.” “How did you mean it, Marco?”“You’re there, and I’m here, and . . . we’ve just not run into each other before.”I can’t see her, but I’m no
Joemar Russo's POVWho is this?Staring down at my phone, I send the text with a grin, knowing full well who it is. I finish filling the two glasses with ice, then check for her reply:Very funny.My phone rings.I’m both surprised and impressed by the bold move of her calling me, and answer, “Hello?”“I don’t think Russo is your real last name.”“It’s not.”“What?” The shock in her voice resounds through the connection. “It’s not? Do people know this? Is it public knowledge?”“It’s not a secret, but it’s not something I advertise either.”There’s a pause, but then she asks, “What’s your last name?”“You don’t do any research, do you?”“I do plenty for characters or restaurant reviews. Research on people I know is something I avoid if I can. I’d rather know the real them.”“Sounds like you’re catching on to the manipulation of the media.”“If I didn’t prior, I do after the other night. Today is the first time I feel like I can breathe a little.” The sound of her breathing rushes forwa
Thursday . . .I hate Thursdays.Four days with my son isn’t enough.He’s had me serving him ice cream well after bedtime and jumping in puddles because who cares about expensive shoes when I can ruin them with Cullen. Watching him go-kart at an indoor track in Jersey was the highlight. He’s going to be better than I’ve ever been.I wish he could see me race, at least once, in person. I can already hear Terry arguing that it’s too disruptive to his schedule. I could challenge that argument, but that won’t change the fact that I need to respect her as his mother.“Hop up, buddy.” My mom takes his backpack while I lower down so Cullen can jump onto my back. As much as I love his curiosity, I don’t think I can have another thirty minute conversation about the cracks in the sidewalk.We start walking again. “We’re booking it today,” she says, eyeing me with a reserved smile.“I can slow down.”“You don’t need to do me any favors. I can keep up with you kids.”I chuckle, knowing she’s the
Returning to the other block, my mom is nowhere to be found, and Madonna sits on a stoop waiting for me. I approach. “Hey there.”She stands on the first step when she sees me, dusting off the back of her jeans. “Hi. Your mom said she was tired and caught a car to her place.”“She runs 10ks,” I say with a chuckle. “She wasn’t tired. She wanted to give us time alone.”“Well, you shouldn’t out her like that. Next time, just play along.”It’s the late afternoon cool air, the light that always seems to find itself shining in her eyes when she looks up at me, and a lot about her that has me gravitating closer. I want to rub her hip and hold her close with the other hand. I want to caress her cheek and kiss her.That would cause a real scandal if anyone caught us. I can’t say that dissuades me though.When I move a little closer, she asks, “So you like to be called Daddy?” She bites her lip while her eyes stare into mine, insinuating everything.Damn . . .She’s going to be the fucking deat
It’s a bummer that the tone has changed, that we’re both on guard more, and all conversation has ceased to exist. If there are eyes, ears are listening in as well.The pizza finally comes out the window, and we hustle away from the crowded pizzeria and down a block before we stop. She looks across the street and then at me. “Your place or mine?”When our eyes connect again, I think we both know that question is loaded with more than dinner plans. But she doesn’t hesitate. “Yours.”XXXMadonna Saint Elise POV“Why are you in the city if you’re filming in Vancouver?” Joemar asks before devouring the last of his fourth piece of pizza.The man can eat. It’s actually impressive. Even if this is the most divine pizza that has ever touched my tongue, I fell out of competition after two large slices. Joemar is still going, reaching for another.“I had an audition this afternoon.”“For a movie?”It felt like home on that stage today, the feeling still soaring through my veins. “For a play on Br
Although I’m amused by the rambling, I won’t make her suffer any longer. I cross into the room and go straight for her, running my hands around the base of her neck and bending to kiss her. It’s gentle at first, the tension still felt in her shoulders. But when I encourage her lips apart, and our tongues meet, her body loosens under my touch.I walk until the back of her legs meet the bed, then stop everything. “I want you to take your clothes off. Will you do that for me, babe?”A thousand thoughts cross through her eyes as panic sets in. “Like, just strip right here with you staring at me?”“Yes.”“Whew,” she exhales loudly with her hands planted on her hips. I expect her to start pacing at this rate or throwing jabs in the air. “I can do that. Yep, no problem.”As entertaining as this is, it’s not exactly what I intended. “You psyching yourself up there, champ?”Her eyes find mine again. “Sure am.”“If you’re not comfortable—”“No,” she starts, on the verge of another run-on senten