Page 51 of Drive Me Wild
I shrug like it’s no big deal, even though it’s been eating at me. It’s not unheard of for athletic teams to manage their drivers’ or players’ social media, especially if their antics tend to attract public attention, but it is unheard of forme. Half of my brand is my outgoing personality and candidness. I have hundreds of thousands of people tune into my Twitch streams and weekly workouts.
“Is that even,” she pauses to sneeze into a tissue, “legal? Because that’s major bullshit, babes.”
“It’s complicated. But yes, it’s technically legal.”
Formula 1 contracts are under strict lock and key—not even the media knows the details of them. Hell, if you Google my name, I make anywhere between eight million and forty-five million. I earn seventeen million a year, excluding performance bonuses and personal sponsorships, although McAllister is trying to slash those.
“Is this because of you-know-who?”
“Hmm?” I tilt my head before putting two and two together. “Oh, Avery? You can say his name; he’s not Voldemort, angel.”
She shakes her head. “If he put that clause in your contract, he most definitely is.”
Can’t disagree with her there. If Avery was out of the picture, then my contract would already have been signed, sealed, and delivered.
“Have you showed these to Rhys?” I ask, desperate to change the subject. There’s no need for Avery to occupy any more of my headspace.
Josie pulls the blanket tighter around her shoulders like its protective armor. “Not yet. Waiting for the right moment, I guess.”
Giving her a taste of her own medicine, I belt out the chorus of Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This.” Serenading a woman isn’t my usual go-to, nor should it be based on the way Josie’s trying not to laugh at my nails-on-chalkboard singing voice.
She sticks out her hand and wiggles her fingers once I’m through singing. I hand back her notebook, despite my urge to get into the working mind of Josie, going through and analyzing every page.
“Back to cleaning,” I announce. “Time to make this place sparkle and shine like a goddamn gem.”
Josie rolls her eyes, but her lips curve into the smile I’ve come to know so well. Considering the size of her flat, it doesn’t take me too long to sanitize and sterilize to my completesatisfaction. Taking off my mask and cleaning gloves, I toss them into the trash before joining Josie on the couch. After an extra-lengthy workout with Russell this morning, my tight muscles sing in joy as they sink into the comfy material of her couch.
When Josie still hasn’t curled up into me after five minutes, I grab the clicker and pause the movie. “Excuse me, miss. Why aren’t you cuddling me?”
Josie tilts her head up at me and laughs. “I didn’t know if you wanted me to. I’m trying to be respectful of your boundaries since I’m under the weather.”
I reach out to brush a stray piece of hair away from her face. It’s warmer than usual, probably due to a low fever. “I appreciate it, but I definitely want cuddles.”
“Good,” she says, snuggling up against me. “Thanks for coming over. And cleaning. I know you prefer to not be around people when they’re sick.”
“You’re not people,” I say simply. “You’re you.”
I’ve always been super vigilant about not being around germs, viruses, infections… anything that could trigger a flare-up of my dad’s MS. After he suffered a particularly bad relapse when I was sixteen, my dislike for germs spiraled into a neurotic fear of any sort of illness-inducing exposure. My parents strong-armed me into therapy for it so it wouldn’t impact my career and I’ve gotten better, but if given the choice, I tend to err on the side of caution. Except with Josie. None of my usual rules apply to her.
Josie presses her warm lips against the underside of my jaw, rewarding me with a few quick kisses. My dick still stirs in my pants at her touch. It’s like I’m eleven-years-old again and unable to control a boner that’s popped up at the most inopportune time. I shift my position to try to hide the fact that I’m getting semi-hard, but Josie’s quick to take notice.
She swallows back a smirk. “Looks like someone wants to say hello.”
Fuck. I didn’t come here with sex or seduction in mind, but my brain seems to have forgotten to relay that message to my nether regions.
“I swear I’m not here for anything but PG activities. My dick just has a, uh… very unhealthy obsession with your body. But don’t worry, he’s going in a time-out.” I point a finger at my crotch and scold it, “Bad, Theo Jr.,bad.”
Josie giggles at my weirdness. “According to my mother, orgasms are actually very good at boosting your immune system while you’re sick.”
Maybe Theo Jr. doesn’t need to go in a time out after all.“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm. She dropped off a vibrator earlier with a lovely little note.”
My jaw drops. “No, she didn’t.”
Josie nods and sighs, motioning to a small notecard tucked beneath a candle on her coffee table. I pick it up, bouncing my legs as I scan the card.
Josephine,
