Page 63 of Double Apex

“Cos!” I flop back on the bed. “Fuck, Reece has no choice now but to tell Klaus, and this is just the excuse he needs to toss me out the air lock.”

Cosmin scoffs. “He would do no such thing. Why do you—”

“The hell he wouldn’t! This is the perfect excuse to muscle me out. He’ll use this to convince Mo to sell. This whole…entanglement—it doesn’t make me look professional.” I cover my face with both hands. “I want to yell at you for blabbing to Guillaume, but this is really my stupid fault for starting shit with you in the first place.”

I stand and stride to the window, and Cosmin follows, winding his arms around my waist. “This isn’t a disaster. We can fix it. Reece may have gossip, but no proof.”

“I wish it were that simple.”

“Itis. We deny everything.” He kisses my neck. “Deny, deny, deny,” he whispers against my skin, his tone playful in an effort to ease my anxiety.

Despite his attempt at distraction, the reality hits me that this time bomb is going to go off eventually. We might stay under the radar now, but what about next week, month, year?

My shoulders sag. “I should just quit now and have the dignity to jump before I’m pushed. Lars can take over as your race engineer—Emerald doesn’t need me. This all ends with Edward J. Morgan. Not his daughter.”

Saying it out loud hurts more than I expected it to.

“What the shit?No,” Cosmin insists. “Emerald needs you, as do I.” He turns me in his arms and cradles my face. “Not only as the woman I love, but as my race engineer. Yes, Lars could man the comms during a race if necessary. But you and I have a specific dynamic.”

As Cosmin’s words catch up, my eyes burn with unexpected emotion. “Wait, did you say ‘love’?”

“You live in my head on track, and in my heart everywhere. Phaedra Morgan, my beautiful girl. When I get to that podium, we will be there together.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard that smooth, deep voice form my name, in the lilting accent I’ve imprinted on.

“Say it again,” I urge, weaving my fingers into his damp hair. “I’ve never liked my name, but it sounds so right on your lips.”

“Phaedra,” he whispers. “Phaedra.”

I devour his mouth in response, and the warmth of him dizzies me. Overwhelmed, I tuck my face into the crook of his neck, savoring our combined scent in a deep breath like I’m waking from sleep.

“Te iubesc atât de mult… ah God, I love you,” he says, picking me up and carrying me to the bed.

I want those fucking words like oxygen.

My heart pounds loud in my ears.

“Cosmin?”

“Don’t ask me to rescind what I’ve said.” He lays me on the bedspread and kisses me hard, as if afraid to free my lips and hear my rejection. “I won’t fucking take it back.”

“Cosmin.”

“No—we don’t need to speak of it.”

I cradle his jaw. I know every curve and angle, and my heart trips over the crowded landscape of all his details I’ve come to treasure.

“I love you too,” I confess.

The inevitability of our love closes around me like I’ve fallen into a pool of it.

I take a deep breath and let myself sink.

Cos and I agree to confess nothing for now. After our mutual declaration, I think we both see this has become too big to keep under wraps indefinitely. But an admission of contract violation—while Emerald’s upcoming transition is still unstable—could torpedo everything for me.

I wanted a sexy secret, and… yeah, be careful what you wish for.

I feel selfish for being relieved that Nat’s spark with Klaus fizzled, because otherwise I’d worry that she’d let it slip.

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