Page 51 of Kiss & Collide (Racing Hearts #2)
Five months later Sakhir, Bahrain
A s twilight descended across the desert and the stadium lights came on, flooding the track in bright white light, Chase attached his HANS device to his helmet.
“Let’s go.” Leon clapped him on the shoulder.
He started rattling off a laundry list of things the engineers wanted feedback on tonight, the first race of the season.
Chase half listened while he scanned the cluster of Pinnacle staffers at the back of the garage.
His mom and dad were there, chatting with Imogen, and beside them he spotted Violet, a vision in a fitted dark red suit.
She was talking to Carter Hammond, pointing out different things in the garage so he’d understand everything he was seeing.
Carter nodded along, eyes sharp, expression focused.
Since he’d committed to ownership, he’d proved to be a quick study, learning the ins and outs of high-end motorsport engineering and aerodynamics in a remarkably short span of time.
He and Rabia had been having lengthy phone calls nearly every day during the offseason.
But now they were back for the new season, with a new team principal and a brand-new, fucking awesome car.
Testing last week had been good, but Rabia was never satisfied with good.
The factory had worked day and night since then on a list of improvements, and qualifying yesterday had been fucking fantastic.
His starting position tonight, fourth, had thrown down a gauntlet.
Pinnacle was back, and this year, they were in it to win it.
He took a second to run his fingers down the elegant sweeping side of the car, the surface glittering like graphite in the stadium lights. There were more sponsor logos than open paint.
“You ready?” Leon asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
He looked back at Violet. This time she was watching him and when their eyes met, a slow, sexy smile curled her blood-red lips.
She couldn’t really see his expression under his helmet, but he winked at her just the same.
She touched a finger to her bottom lip, the little gesture she made when she was thinking about him, but one or the both of them was busy with work.
He felt the touch of that finger on his own bottom lip and he smiled. He had a good feeling about tonight, this car, and the rest of the season, but no matter how it worked out, he had her , and in the end, that was all that really mattered.
Turning his attention back to the job, he climbed into the cockpit and slid down until he was settled in his custom seat. A couple of guys from the crew reached in to tighten his straps. There were a few more bits of business to get through, adjustments to be made, and words of wisdom from Leon.
“Okay, out for your reconnaissance laps,” Rabia said over headset. “Let’s see how she does.”
“She’s gonna kick ass, Rabia, because you built me a brilliant car.”
Rabia laughed. “She’s only as good as her driver.”
“Then you better clear some space for that Constructor’s Championship trophy, because I’m winning it for you.”
Then it was thumbs-up from Leon and he fired the engine.
The smooth roar vibrated through his bloodstream like the beat of his heart.
This was the magic the simulator could never capture.
Rabia and the engineers would be judging the car based on stats and algorithms, but he always went with his gut.
Maybe it wasn’t science, but his gut was telling him this car was a winner.
On his recce laps, the car felt flawless, lithe and sleek through the corners, poised and easy in the braking zones …
alive with the sense of barely restrained power.
The engineers and aerodynamic specialists liked to tout the fact that Formula One cars generated such downforce at full speed that they could theoretically drive upside down, defying gravity.
He’d never felt the truth of that until he’d driven this car. In this car, he felt like he could fly.
He rolled to a stop at his spot on the grid, in front of the lights that would signal the start of the race. They had a break now, and the pit crew surrounded his car like a swarm of insects to make a few last-minute adjustments. Violet sauntered up to him, all long-legged grace and sexy sway.
“The media chatter is that you might be on the podium tonight.”
He hiked one eyebrow. “Did you maybe start that chatter, Violet?”
She laughed. “Well, it is my job to talk you up, but in this case, I didn’t need to. You’ll get there.”
He looked out across the track, right now just an empty strip of asphalt, soon to be full of engineering masterpieces battling it out at top speed for a spot at the summit.
He’d made it there in Miami, and that felt great, but there was that asterisk .
Tonight he wanted to win it fair and square, up against the best drivers in the world.
And tonight, he really felt like he could. “You know what? I think I will.”
Violet touched her bottom lip again. “I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
He grinned and touched his own lip. “Guess I better hurry back then.”
“Good thing you drive fast.”