Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Cam exhaled, tension draining from the muscles he hadn’t realized were clenched. For the first time since the race, his mind was quiet.
“There you go,” Scott murmured. “You were still holding it, champ. The tension.”
“I always hold it,” Cam said into his shoulder.
“That’s precisely my point.” Scott pulled back only enough to look at him, then guided him toward the couch with a hand on his wrist. Cam went without protest, sinking heavily into the cushions.
Scott sat down close—of course he did—and after a brief pause, reached up to loosen the collar of Cam’s team shirt. “You’re practically vibrating.”
“That’s leftover adrenaline.”
“And stress.”
Cam gave a harsh chuckle. “Occupational hazard.”
Humming, Scott placed his hand on the back of Cam’s neck and began rubbing slow circles with his fingers.
Cam’s eyes slipped closed. He groaned.
“Good?”
“Yeah. Keep doing it.”
Scott laughed softly and shifted closer until their thighs pressed together. His touch stayed unhurried, confident, like this wasn’t a strange thing to do to a man he hadn’t known all that long. The strangest part was it didn’t feel strange at all.
For a while, neither of them spoke, the silence settling between them, broken only by the distant hum of traffic outside and the soft rasp of Scott’s fingers against his skin.
After a few minutes, Cam leaned sideways unconsciously. His temple brushed Scott’s shoulder. Scott didn’t comment. He just adjusted, angling himself so Cam could rest more comfortably.
“Careful,” Scott said lightly. “At this rate you’ll fall asleep on me.”
“Don’t tempt me.” Cam shifted again, this time deliberately, until his head rested fully in Scott’s lap. The move surprised even him, but once he was there, it felt too right to undo. He felt too comfortable.
Scott’s hand slid into his hair. “Oh,” he said softly. “Comfy, are we?”
“Shut up,” Cam said, but there was no heat in it.
Scott began combing his fingers through the short strands, his nails barely grazing his scalp. The sensation sent heavy warmth down Cam’s spine.
“You did good today, Cam,” Scott said.
“I didn’t win.”
“You drove brilliantly. Those are not the same thing.”
Cam cracked one eye open to look up at him. Scott was already watching him, his lashes casting ridiculous shadows on his cheeks.
“Do you have a—a boyfriend?” Cam said.
Scott blinked. “Why are you asking?” he said with a small laugh.
“Just curious,” Cam said roughly. “I imagine guys who look like you don’t stay single.” He remembered the phone call he’d overheard during their first meeting, but he hadn’t seen Scott speaking to a boyfriend during this weekend at all.
Scott returned to running his fingers through Cam’s hair, a small smile curling his lips. “I generally don’t, true. But I’m currently between relationships. Had a bad breakup a week ago, actually.”
“Why?” Cam said.
Scott shrugged a little. “The spark was gone, I guess?” He smiled sheepishly. “At least from my side. He didn’t want to break up, so things got pretty ugly.” He scrunched his nose up. “I love twinks, but I hate how clingy they get.” Something flickered in his eyes. “Or maybe I’m the problem. My cousin Will says I’m terribly fickle and fall in love every month.”
The subject made Cam uncomfortable, but not as much as it would have just a few days ago. Maybe this touching thing was working.
“What about you?” Scott murmured. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Broke up with mine a few months ago,” Cam said indifferently. “The season started, and... we drivers don’t exactly have much time for a personal life. One-night stands here and there are more convenient than trying to maintain a relationship.”
Scott’s expression softened. “That’s pretty sad,” he said, squeezing Cam’s shoulder. “Not having anyone to come home to after a stressful weekend.”
Cam didn’t say anything.
“So,” Scott said, his thumb stroking Cam’s temple. “Is the exposure therapy working? I think it is. You don’t flinch away from my touch anymore.”
Cam met his eyes. “You simply desensitized me to it.”
Scott grinned. “Just admit my idea was genius!”
“I admit no such thing,” Cam said, but he couldn’t quite suppress a smile.
They fell silent and stayed like that for a long time—Cam half-sprawled across the couch, Scott absentmindedly playing with his hair.
Eventually, Scott spoke again, his voice low. “Thank you for inviting me. I think this was my favorite race weekend so far.”
Right. The weekend was over.
Cam tried not to frown. “When are you leaving?”
“At noon,” Scott said, threading his fingers through Cam’s hair. “You?”
“Have a flight to Monaco in the morning,” Cam said, closing his eyes and wondering about the restless feeling in his gut.
“Right, you drivers all live there,” Scott said. “Tax haven, huh? Naughty.”
Cam didn’t rise to the bait.
“I’ll send you a VIP pass to the next Grand Prix,” he said instead.
Scott chuckled. “Careful, champ, or people will think you want to be friends with the clueless American.”
Opening his eyes, Cam met his gaze. “Maybe I do.”