Page 83 of Hot Lap
He still can't believe that happened. The last time they woke together seems like ages ago, a distant dream that almost became a nightmare.
This time, the dream is real.
He kisses the top of her head and exhales, but doesn’t get out of bed. It’s early, and pre-dawn darkness still holds the room. Outside, the city stirs as the distant, haunting call toFajrdrifts across the desert. It’s the first of five daily prayers that mark time in Qatar. Inside, there's only Maiken’s steady breathing and the rhythm of his heart finding its pace beside hers.
Reece watches her breathe. He memorizes the softness of her mouth and revels in the warmth of her body mingling with his. Gratitude rises hard and fast in his throat.
I won't fuck this up again. That’s a promise, Mai.
He closes his eyes and drifts off, awakened two hours later by his phone vibrating on the nightstand. It’s probably Claudia with updates, or Ona reminding him about hydration protocols, but he ignores it. For once, the world can bloody well wait.
When Maiken finally stirs, stretching against him with a low, sleepy sound, he slides his hand down her body and wakes her with his fingers and his mouth. Her sighs and gasps echo off the hotel walls and that’s the morning prayer he wants to hear every day for the rest of his life.
Afterward, she presses her face to his neck and murmurs, "Morning." Her breath is warm against his skin.
"Morning, honeybee." He brushes hair from her face, then rests his fingers on her cheek.
She blinks up at him, still hazy with sleep and satisfaction. "What time is it?"
"Early enough." He feathers a kiss across her forehead. "Late enough."
"Helpful."
He grins. "Aren't I always?"
She laughs, and the sound spreads warmth through his chest. He could get used to waking to her laugh and her body against his, to the way she looks at him like he's both the complication and the solution.
"Sprint day." She’s not asking a question.
"Sprint day."
"Worried?"
Reece shakes his head. "Determined."
Maiken studies him, those blue eyes sharpening as the last hints of sleep disappear. "Yesterday?—"
"Today." He kisses her nose. "Yesterday's gone."
She smirks. "Is that your racing mantra? Very Zen."
"It's my everything mantra." He trails his hand down her arm, enjoying the goosebumps that follow. "Especially today."
"What's so special about today?"
"You'll be watching." He’s sure.
Her expression softens, and she traces a finger along his jaw. "Pressure or motivation?"
"Both." He nods. "Always both."
“Then I’d better start prepping my armor.”
He chuckles, kisses her again, then reluctantly disentangles himself from his wife. The day's obligations won’t wait. Reece leads the way to the bathroom, turning on the shower as Maiken brushes her teeth at the sink.
They shower together, laughing under the spray. She puts her mouth on his cock, and fuck, that’s the best way to start a race day. Afterward, Mai steals his towel and he lets her because what’s his is now hers, including his heart.
Steam clouds the bathroom mirrors and mutes all the sharp edges. Reece wraps his arms around her from behind as she smooths moisturizer over her face. He rests his chin on her shoulder and watches her through the fog.
