Page 106 of Dream Chaser

I captured her lips in a chaste kiss. “Kitchen. Brought you water.”

She curled a leg around my hip. “It’s still night, right? We still have time.”

I kissed her again. Longer. Deeper. “Yeah,” I whispered, heart cracking. “We still do.”

***

Two days later, we were back in Valencia. Everything was like it’d been before the getaway in Pradollano. No touching. No kissing. No sex. We stuck to the agreement and redrew the invisible line we’d erased.

But each time I looked at Nova, the night she’d let me have her came rushing back. Our first kiss on the deck with snow falling around us. Her curled up in the armchair with me while I was dying to finally get her to myself. And later—warm skin, long, drugging kisses that ruined every kiss before her.

Tonight, we were dining with a prospective sponsor in downtown Valencia. Solara Atelier, a designer eyewear brand. I took a sip of wine, observing Nova, who was telling Andres, their marketing director, about the success of several marketing campaigns we’d run over the last six months.

Tasteful makeup. Silky hair I still remembered slipping through my fingers. She was radiant. Stunning. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Andres hung on her every word, lips stretched in a smile meant to charm.

Closer to her age. No ring. Most likely single. Frustration clamped around my stomach, making the steak in front of me as appealing as cardboard.

“Alejandro?”

My eyes darted to Nova’s. Smiling, she nodded to Carlos, Solara’s PR manager on my right. He must’ve said something I’d missed. Fuck.

“Sorry,” I said. “Could you repeat that?”

“I said an athlete with a reputation as stellar as Asher’s will be a valuable asset for our brand.”

Relief siphoned the tension from my shoulders. Back when Asher was just starting, we’d had some publicity hiccups—like that time he punched his ex-teammate for disrespecting Kaia. Since he’d started racing for Vortex, his record had been spotless. I’d make sure it stayed that way.

“Absolutely,” I said, toying with the corner of my linen napkin. “It’ll be a fantastic partnership.”

The conversation continued, mostly questions Andres and Carlos lobbed at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nova press her fingertips to her temple, wincing. Shit. Was she okay?

After we finished the main course and the server took our coffee order, Andres excused himself to go to the bathroom, and Carlos went out to smoke.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked Nova.

She smiled—barely a twitch of her lips. “Just a bad headache. The trick I showed you isn’t helping.” She wiggled her dainty fingers. Then she sighed. “Do you think I could bow out of drinks later? Sleep would help for sure.”

“Of course,” I said. “I’ll entertain them. Let’s wait for them to get back, and I’ll call you a cab.”

“Yeah. I’d love to say goodbye.”

When both men returned, Nova stood. “Gentlemen, I apologize, but I need to head back to the hotel. Have a wonderful rest of the night.”

Andres surely didn’t look too fucking happy to see her go. I’d much rather go with her, but this was work.

I rose, giving Andres and Carlos an apologetic smile. “I’ll accompany Nova to the cab and be back.”

“Vale. Buenas noches, Nova,” Carlos said.

After the goodbyes, I followed Nova outside. Cool air hit me, clearing the buzz from the wine. I’d hardly eaten, too annoyed with Andres’s flirting.

“Sorry for bailing,” Nova said. “I just don’t think I’d be good company.”

Even in the faint glow of streetlights, her beautiful face looked pale. Unable to help myself, I cupped her cheek, stroking her jaw with my thumb. She leaned into my touch, then straightened, glancing away.

It fucking killed me.