Page 81 of Head Over Wheels

‘You could just say “hello”, Lori. I was worried you wouldn’t be happy to see me. You’re so much like your father.’

‘Are you here to see Dad?’

She looked away. ‘Not exactly. Your brother invited me to come. It’s his first tour as lead rider. I’m not sure what your father will say about me turning up, but we’ll see.’

‘What do you mean you’re not sure what Dad will say?’

‘I don’t think Colin told him I was coming either.’ I expected her to look sheepish, but there were tight lines at the corners of her mouth. ‘You know your dad and I haven’t been…’

She gulped before she could finish the sentence or I could process anything about what she’d said that I wanted to understand. I already knew anyway, somewhere deep and dark inside me where I stuffed things I couldn’t deal with.

Over the loudspeaker, the announcer bellowed in French and Italian and although I could get by in both, that day it sounded like a bunch of gibberish, until he said with a flourish, ‘Harper-Stacked!’

I made out Colin across the square, doing wheelies, the charming idiot, for the cheering fans. The rest of the team filed out after them: Nellie and Derek, Amir and Lars and the others.

I recognised Seb as soon as he rolled out – last. Despite the helmet and sports sunglasses, the gloves and the team kit, I knew his shoulders, the way he sat effortlessly on the bike, as though he operated it with his thoughts.

Mum continued, oblivious, ‘I assume your father’s blaming me for everything. I don’t expect you’d understand, the way you gravitate to him. I’ve only ever tried to guide you to what’s best for—’

‘Mum!’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘Maybe I wouldn’t gravitate to him so much if you gave me the tiniest indication that youlikedme as a person and not just a winner!’ Her jaw dropped, but I didn’t waste time enjoying it. I shoved my fingers into my mouth and whistled as loudly as I could. ‘Seb Franck is a smoking hottie!’

He looked up and that was all it took. I melted on the spot. The crowd would be picking bits of me off their shoes all evening and I might never reach a solid state again after he’d looked at me as though I was the sight he’d most wanted to see in weeks. I knew the feeling.

Next to me, Mum was gaping, but I ignored her, taking off in the direction of the barriers.

‘How can you say that?’ she huffed, bustling after me. ‘I love you, Lori.’

‘You’ve got a funny way of showing it!’

‘I just want you to meet your enormous potential.’

‘What about how I am right now? Is that good enough for you?’ Recovering from injury, messed up over a guy, restless as usual and belligerent as hell. But a mother should be the one to fucking love me. ‘Are you going to watchmyTour as lead rider?’

Her hesitation spoke volumes. ‘I didn’t think you wanted me involved.’ She had a point, but I didn’t want to concede it. ‘I know you’re struggling now, but you can be so much more. What is going on with that boy?’

With an indignant snort, I hurried ahead. Nothing wouldstop me finding that ‘boy’ and Mum knew nothing about how I worked inside.

The presentation had wound down, the announcer still speaking over the chaos as the crowd milled at the barriers. I pushed through, not caring what my elbows connected with or whether I should wait until the team arrived back at the crappy hotel.

Finally, I caught sight of him signing a child’s autograph book. I leaned over the barrier and, as though he knew I was there, his gaze connected with mine and there was that smile again. As soon as he came close enough, I grabbed at him, my fingers slipping on the Lycra as I wrapped my arms around him.

Thankfully for my dignity, he snaked an arm around me and lifted a hand to my hair. And he kissed me without hesitation as though he’d thought of me as often as I’d thought of him, as though he’d spent the past two months waiting for this, picturing it with a dreamy smile, even though I wasn’t sure if we were still just faking it – if we’d ever been faking it.

The gloved hand in my hair tightened and a shiver shot through me. His mouth moving, hot and deep, on mine wasmorethan I’d remembered. I brushed my thumbs over his cheeks and noticed he’d trimmed his beard short. Rubbing my thumbs in the bristles, a grin grew on my lips and I planted another kiss on his mouth, a big, wobbly, smiley one.

Tilting his head, his kisses grew softer as well and I wasfalling to pieces, right there at the barrier, while the sun set over the Adriatic.

‘Hey, you,’ I said, with rare eloquence.

‘Hey.’ His voice was soft, curling around me.

But then I heard my brother calling, ‘You can stop now! The camera crew left before their footage could only be shown on adult websites!’

That made Seb pause, his fingers gentling. With a sigh, he stepped back, fumbling under his chin to unclip his helmet and sweep it off. Glancing around, I located the camera crew, chatting as they packed up their equipment. Then my gaze settled on my mother, standing a few metres away, her expression frozen. Ouch, I should have kept a better hold of myself.

‘Lori, are you going to introduce me to your—’

Fake boyfriend? Fuck buddy? Casual lover? Text-message bestie?Inappropriate distraction?I took a deep breath and gave the only answer I could.

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