Page 56 of Speed Crush

Easter Egg!

Chapter 11

Strategic Surrender

June

Iavoidhim.

For exactly one day.

Twenty-four hours of strategic silence. Not because I'm mad.

It's because I need time.

Because I know what will happen the next time I see him.

And I need to be ready.

I feel like I’m walking on clouds with lightning strikes. A restless energy I haven’t known until Noah. He’s etched himself under my skin, a brand of desire that tingles from my toes to the roots of my hair. Never have I craved a man like this, a hunger that claws at my insides, demanding to be fed – and Noah? He's a feast.

And after that whole 'simulator stimulation' make out session as he called it, I’m closer than ever to tossing caution out the window.

But I’m not naive. If I’m walking into a torrid fantasy with a walking international temptation wrapped in Italian leather and F1 fame, I'm going in with my eyes wide open—even if my legs,ahem, are already parted in my mind.

More importantly, my heart is on lockdown. I’ve got enough sense to know what I can give, and what I need to protect.

And speaking of protection... let’s be clear—we are not getting pregnant. That part’s non-negotiable.

I even took my pill that morning—and considered a double dose, but I Googled it just to be sure, and learned, one dose would do. Because responsible can still be sexy, especially when you’re plotting a full-body meltdown with a man who looks like sin.

I’ve been cautious about a lot of things, and being protected? That one’s carved in stone.

People say my birth parents were just a fling. No names, no details—just enough whispers to plant doubt. I never got the full story, only the part that said I was left behind.

Maybe that’s why I flinch at anything that feels temporary. Because when I was a child, I thought I was a mistake until my adoptive parents Mack and Vicky, bless their hearts, set me straight.

If I ever have a baby, they’ll never wonder if they were wanted. That’s a promise I made to myself a long time ago.

June, you got this. You’ve thought it through.

Is this reckless? Yeah. Is it fast? Absolutely.

Is it insane? Maybe. But this is me saying yes—on my terms.

Noah Verelli may be a cocky, charming hound dog with a Ferrari engine, but I’m not exactly innocent here. I’m no saint with a halo, because I want him just as bad. Probably worse, since he’s going to be my first!

I used to tell myself I didn’t want temporary. That I needed certainty. But I know wanting Noah isn’t some reckless whim.

There’s something disarming about the way he looks at me, a vulnerability flickering beneath the bravado. It’s confusing, this mix of alpha arrogance and… unexpected gentleness.

He told me he’d prove it—if I’m willing to trust him. So yeah, maybe I don’t know what this is yet—but I know what I want. Him. And I’m not walking into that without a little strategy.

I want to be responsible. I want to look back and know I didn’t just fall—I chose. Even if it’s reckless, it’s still mine. And if the only way to feel safe is to be over-prepared? Then I’ll take over-prepared every time.

Which is how I ended up spending my one-day Noah Verelli avoidance window at the most intimidating store in Cedar Falls.

Amour & Lace.The town’s high-end adult lingerie boutique that’s rumored to be frequented by Levi and Lily.

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