“I know that now,” Siena smiles, laying a hand on mine. “I was silly to ever doubt it. We’re going to have quite the season, the lot of us.”
“That certainly seems to be the case,” I say, catching Enzo’s eye across the yard. Meeting my gaze, he excuses himself from the huddle and strides my way.
“Pardon me, ladies,” he says, cradling a beer in his hand. “I was hoping to borrow Ace for a minute?”
“Oh, go on,” Bex giggles, “I can feel the sexual tension from here.”
“Bex!” Siena cries, laughing, “You’re relentless.”
“Be right back,” I tell them, rising from my seat. “Tell Alec to save a burger for me!”
Enzo laces his fingers with mine, and we make our way back inside the house together. The happy murmur of voices outside dies down as he slides the glass door closed behind us.
“What’s happening, Prof?” I ask, leaning back against the foyer wall.
“You just looked too fucking gorgeous over there for me to not kiss you,” he replies, planting his hands on the wall above my shoulders. I tilt my face toward his, happily accepting his kiss. Though we’re standing in the house I grew up in, it’s kissing him that truly feels like coming home. How about that?
“Wanna see my room?” I ask wickedly, feeling like I’m back in high school.
“Of course,” Enzo grins, following me along the hallway and up the stairs.
I lead him into the space that saw me grow from a child to an adult. I’ve stripped down most of the little girl accents, but a few artifacts from my youth remain. Enzo steps into the room with an almost reverently solemn look. He runs his fingertips along the top of my dresser, looking at the array of pictures there. With a sad smile, he picks up a picture of my parents.
“They would have loved you,” I tell him softly.
“My dad would have gone nuts for you too,” he replies, his voice quiet.
“It was so crazy this afternoon,” I say, sitting down on my bed. “When the race started...It was like I could feel them watching over me. Making sure I was OK.”
“I feel that way every time I get into a car now, since my dad’s passed,” Enzo says, sitting down next to me on the narrow twin mattress.
“But just think of how much good you’re going to do for other families who have lost someone,” I say, taking his hand. “I honestly don’t think you could be more perfect if you tried. But I’ve thought that for longer than is probably cool...”
“What do you mean?” Enzo asks.
“Just look,” I tell him, crossing to my closet and pulling out a big box of childhood memorabilia. I dig through the pile of keepsakes and find what I’m looking for—an F1 racing calendar from ten years ago. I let the well-worn booklet fall open to the centerfold and hold it up for Enzo to see.
“Oh my god,” he cackles uproariously, seeing the photo above the grid of the calendar.
“Hello, Mr. January,” I grin, looking back and forth between the flesh-and-blood Enzo sitting on my bed and the glamor shot of twenty-something Enzo, preserved forever in this goofy promotional calendar. He pouts dramatically at the camera in the picture, and his chest sports far fewer tattoos. The shot is also covered with magic marker hearts that I drew myself. “See? I’ve always had a thing for you, Enzo.”
“You must have been such a little nerd!” he crows, falling back onto my bed.
“At least I wasn’t a male model!” I laugh, dropping the calendar and tackling him on top of the mattress. “God, if my fifteen-year-old self could see me now...”
“To be honest,” Enzo smiles devilishly, “I wouldn’t want any children watching us right about now, Ace...”
He brings his lips to mine, kissing me long and hard. After this insane couple of weeks, culminating in the adrenaline-packed spree that was today, this is the perfect conclusion. But of course, today’s setting sun doesn’t mark the end of anything. This was just the first leg of a very long journey. A journey that I’ll get to make with Enzo by my side.
Epilogue
A few months later...
The steaming water caresses my every muscle as I sink into the hot tub. After a long day of test driving and smiling for the cameras, I’ve earned a bit of relaxation. This is the last week before the F1 season kicks off for the year, my first season as an affiliated driver of Team Ferrelli. And even though this has already been the most important year of my life, I know things are only going to get more intense when this World Championship kicks off. But you know what I say? Bring on the intensity.
I feel a strong hand running down my thigh and pry open my dozing eyes. Enzo sits next to me in the Jacuzzi, raking his eyes all along my bikini-clad body.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he murmurs, his hand traveling dangerously close to my sex.
“Wait a little longer,” I grin, glancing around the terrace of the Lazio family villa, “Everyone’s watching.”
“Everyone will always be watching us, Ace,” Enzo reminds me, “Surely you’ve figured that part out by now.”
He’s got a point. If there’s one thing this off-season has taught me, it’s that the world is going to treat my personal life as fair game, now that I’m famous. But I’ve already gotten pretty damn good at ignoring the haters. I can feel my skin growing thicker with each passing day. But still, that doesn’t mean I want Enzo feeling me up in front of his entire family.
“You know there’s a whole guest house right over there,” I remind him, nodding to my quarters. Or should I say our quarters. Enzo has been sharing the smaller house with me for the better part of the off-season.
“Is that an invitation?” Enzo asks, trailing his fingertips across my toned stomach, cupping my barely-covered breasts with his capable hands. Despite the heat of the water, I feel my nipples go hard as rocks the second he brushes his fingers over them. I cross my legs tightly, trying to contain the pulsing need I feel for him.
“Aren’t you sick of taking me to bed yet, Prof?” I laugh, as he lifts me easily into his lap.
“I’ll never get sick of you,” he says ardently, letting me feel the hard length of him through his swim trunks. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I suppose I could have guessed,” I say softly, grinding my ass against his throbbing cock. I never could keep my hands to myself, when it comes to Enzo Lazio.
“The rest of the family is fast asleep by now,” he coos, sliding his hands over the rise of my ass. “Come on...let me have you. I need to blow off some steam before the season kicks into gear. You’d be doing a great service for your team.”
“Oh, is that what you’re keeping me around for?” I tease, breaking away from him and floating across the wide Jacuzzi.
“It was a joke…” he groans, clutching the sides of the tub in a fit of barely contained lust.
“Whatever you say,” I sniff, pretending to be offended. Making a great show of it, I stand up slowly from the hot tub, letting the warm rivulets of water course over my every curve. The cooler spring air tickles my skin, sending goosebumps dancing all over my body. Or maybe it’s the ravenous look in Enzo’s eye that has me so excited.
Continuing my charade of being offended, I snatch up a fluffy white towel and wrap it around my body, gathering my strawberry blonde locks into a messy bun. I turn on my heel and walk across the patio, back toward the guest house. Right on cue, I hear the splashing sound of Enzo bursting up out of the water in my wake. I look over my shoulder and see him striding toward me, his staggering, inked body alive with anticipation and want.
I dash off ahead of him, laughing as our game of cat and mouse commences. The towel falls from my body as I wrench open the door of the guest house, with Enzo right on my heels. We’re dripping all over the place, our skin and hair glistening from the hot tub. But neither of us can be bothered by a few wet footprints. Not now.
“I thought you were supposed to be fast or something, World Champion,” I bait Enzo, standing at the foot of the stairs.
“I’ll give you a head start, kid,” he growls, “But only because you’re a rookie. Five. Four. Three. Two—Hey!”
I race up the stairs before his countdown is finished, giggling as my wet toes slip on the hard wood. I can hear Enzo charging up behind, gaining with every passing second. Just as I reach the upstairs landing, he catches up with me. I feel my feet leave the ground and Enzo catches me up in his arms and carries me into the bedroom we’ve been sharing, of late. He lays me down on the pillowy bed, pinning me there with a smile on his face.
“Looks like I’m still the reigning champ,” he says, running his hands along my body.
“For now,” I counter, arching my back at his touch. “And besides, it looks like I got what I wanted anyway. So who’s the real winner, Prof?”
“I guess we both win,” he says, reaching around my back to untie my damp bathing suit. “How’s that for a perfect arrangement?”
Our banter falls away as Enzo strips off my bathing suit bottoms, taking in my naked body lying beneath him. By now, we’ve had each other dozens upon dozens of times. But he still looks at me with such reverence, such awe. I’ve never felt sexier in my life than I have with Enzo—or more satisfied.
He tugs his swim trunks down over his hips, and I groan as his massive cock springs free. My hands wrap around that gorgeous hardness at once, stroking along its impressive length. I love the feel of Enzo in my hands more than ever. Almost as much as I love the feel of him inside of me. Almost.
Enzo lowers himself to me, catching my hands and pinning them over my head. The tip of his cock brushes against my slick sex, and I can feel my legs begin to tremble.
“I love how wet you get for me, Ace,” he murmurs, kissing along my neck. “I barely have to touch you before you’re ready for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to...”
I gasp as Enzo grabs hold of my hips and flips me onto my stomach. I pull myself onto my forearms as I feel him move behind me, keeping a firm hold of my waist. Just as I’m about to peer back at him, I feel his breath against my sex. Seconds later, his expert tongue is licking all along the length of my slit. From behind, he lavishes my pussy with his mouth, parting my pink flesh with every pass. The illicit thrill of having him his way makes my arms go weak. I fall against the bed, my limbs trembling, as he presses his tongue flush against my clit.
I scream out as pleasure shoots through me, throwing my head back with a wild cry. Thank god I remembered to close my bedroom windows—otherwise the entire countryside would be able to hear us from here. Enzo bears down on my clit from behind, his fingers digging into my hips. The bliss mounting in my core reaches a fever pitch, and I come into his eager mouth. He licks up every drop of me, groaning with delight at getting to taste me.
Shaking, I pull myself onto my hands and knees. Gazing back at Enzo, I watch as he kneels behind me, his cock massive and pulsating with need. With a grin, I let the tip of his cock rest against my dripping wet slit, but only for a moment. I can’t wait to feel him any longer. With a groan of delight, I press back against his throbbing member, spearing myself on his sturdy length. Enzo moans as he drives into me, thrusting hard and deep. I swear, it feels like he could tear right through me as he rears back and takes me again. And again. And again.
I bury my face in one of the pillows, hoping to stifle my ecstatic screams as Enzo drives his cock further into my tender body. I love how deep he gets when he takes me this way, love the primal feel of it all. Biting down hard on the soft cushion, I feel Enzo’s grip tighten around my waist. He’s right on the edge. I can feel it.
With one final, powerful thrust, he’s toppling over the edge. I feel his hot, surging desire fill me up as he holds me fast, emptying himself into me. We press into each other with all our might, savoring the thrill of this moment. The only thing that’s anywhere near as good as this feeling is the moment your car revs to life, flying away from the starting line.
And even that is a very far second.
Enzo collapses into bed beside me, pulling me against his heaving chest. I curl into him, my reddish hair sprawling across the pillow. Our breath comes hard and fast as we lie there in silence, our skin flushed with exertion. Though we’ve had each other every which way over the past few months, he still manages to surprise me every time we sleep together. And something tells me that isn’t going to change any time soon.
“I knew that F1 life was going to be exciting,” I manage to say, finally catching my breath, “But this is a whole other level than I was expecting, Enzo.”
“Tell me about it,” he laughs, “I feel the same way, and I’ve been at this for years. F1, I mean. Not—”
“I know, you perv,” I giggle, rolling onto my side to face him. “I just can’t believe sometimes that you’re as into all this as I am.”
“You can’t? Really?” he laughs, “God, Ace. If you had any idea how amazing it feels to be with you, you’d have no trouble believing it at all.”
“Guess I’ll just have to take your word for it, Prof,” I smile, running a finger down his firm chest.
“Can’t you always tell when people are lying?” he asks, catching my hand in his.
“With 100% certainty,” I reply, swinging my gaze up to his.
“Then you’ll know I’m telling you to truth now,” he says, his voice growing more serious. “I’m absolutely crazy about you, Ainsley Vaughn. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I doubt that I ever will again. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and I hope that you’re a part of my life for as long as you care to be.” He pauses, looking deeply into my eyes. “What do you say to that?”
“You really do mean it,” I whisper, my smile spreading across my face.
“Every word,” he assures me, catching my chin in his hand. “And if you ever want to make what we have more...official...Well, that’s a conversation I’m ready to have whenever you are, Ace.”
“Enzo Lazio, I hardly know what to say,” I tease gently, taking his scruffy face in my hands. “Are you asking me to go steady with you?”
“More or less,” he laughs, closing the space between our naked bodies. “You’re the only woman I want in my life, Ace. And I want to be the only man in yours.”
“It’s only been you since the moment we met,” I say softly, “It’ll only ever be you.”
“That’s...exactly what I was hoping you’d say,” he murmurs, kissing me gently on the forehead. “You’re amazing, Ainsley.”
“Right back at you,” I giggle, burrowing against his hard body.
My heart swells to the point of bursting as he wraps his arms more tightly around me. I can feel the joy radiating from him, doubled by my own deep happiness. We certainly aren’t the most conventional couple, nor will we ever be. Our status as teammates, public figures, and die-hard athletes means that we’ll never get to do the “regular relationship” thing. But you know something? I don’t really care about any of that. I know how to spot the truth when I feel it, and nothing has ever felt more true than lying in Enzo’s strong, supportive arms.
It’s impossible to say what this next World Championship will be for us as a pair. We’ll certainly have our highs and lows, our victories and defeats. We may even find ourselves at odds with each other, now and again. But what we feel for each other is too strong to be shaken, no matter how high the stakes. After what we faced down at the very start of our relationship, we’re too strong to fail. It’ll take a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of honesty to keep this thing afloat through the trials and tribulations of a long F1 season, but I know that we can do it.
Getting drafted to Team Ferrelli was a dream come true for me, the realization of a hope I’d had since childhood. But finding Enzo was something very different. I’d never dared hope for a relationship of passion and trust like the one we’ve built. But would you look at that—I found it anyway. Who knows
what else is lying in store for me, out there beyond my wildest dreams? All I know is, I can’t wait to find out.
And I have the feeling I won’t have to wait for long.
THE END
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Faster Dirtier (Take Me...#5) (A Team Ferrelli Novel) Page 18