Race to the Top: Book one in the Racing to Find Love series (9 page)

Anna felt giddy with happiness. She and Erik had been
e-mailing back and forth for weeks, and she felt like she was floating around
on a cloud. She often went back and re-read their conversations, finding some
other small detail to pore over. When Erik’s first reply had come over with a
kiss, she had taken a picture of it on her phone and texted it to Jules, who
had phoned her immediately and squealed down the phone.

Her column had gone down well. James O’Hare had seemed happy
with it, Stella told her, and that was all that matters. To her surprise, Anna
had received a few letters and e-mails too from readers telling her how much
they had enjoyed it. She had still been glad, though, to get back to her usual
bread and butter and pursue some more serious stories.

She smiled suddenly, thinking how different her weekends had
become of late. Instead of the usual round of shopping, meals out, going to
bars, she found herself sitting in her Willis Mechanical shirt at all hours
watching all the races – and not just the races themselves, she watched all the
practice sessions, qualifying, even the analysis programmes afterwards. She
loved when Erik came on the screen, or when he gave an interview, although it
did make her realise that she missed him in a way she never would have thought
she could miss a man she had only spent a handful of days with. She hated when
Devlin came on, and had been known to throw things at the screen when his cocky
face appeared.

Chatting with Erik had made time seem to pass more quickly,
and as she lay in bed one night, she realised it was less than a week until she
would see him again. He had mentioned in one of his latest emails that his
parents would be at the next race; she remembered him telling her about that in
Australia, too. She hadn’t been sure what to reply – it wasn’t like they were
dating or anything, so it would be weird to meet his parents, right? But then,
he seemed to be hinting that she would. Did that mean he wanted to get their
approval? She felt very excited and hoped the remaining days at work would pass
quickly.

***

To her surprise, when Anna arrived at the airport – suitably
prepared for the private charter, this time – Erik was there. She had assumed
he would make his own way there as he did to most races, and nothing in his
emails had led her to believe that he would be there. Although she was
delighted he was there, she felt a bit ambushed and wished she had worn
something a bit more attractive than her loose-fitting travelling garb.

She saw him first, and hovered awkwardly, wondering whether
to go and say hello. Even though they had been chatting via email, she still
wasn’t sure what stage of a relationship they were at or if there was any
relationship at all. Maybe he’s just bored, she had mused to Jules at dinner
that week. Jules had shaken her head.

‘Anna, he’s a millionaire. If they’re bored, they buy a
yacht or go to the Riviera with a host of models.’

Erik spotted her and waved, striding over to her. When he
reached her, Anna wasn’t sure what to do in greeting, so she ended up giving
him a sort of half hug. Argh, she was such an idiot. Why couldn’t she be one of
those cool women who could just give a little nod or a smile?

‘Good to see you’ve travelled a bit lighter than last time,’
Erik said, lifting her suitcase.

Anna laughed.

‘I think I learned my lesson. You should have seen me trying
to get my case to my car when we arrived back last time. It was like a comedy
sketch.’

Erik laughed and they started walking.

‘I thought you’d make your own way to the race,’ Anna said,
wondering why he was here.

Erik shrugged.

‘I was back at home for a few days so it made sense just to
fly with everyone else.’

‘Devlin’s not here is he?’ Anna said, looking around
cautiously.

Erik shook his head.

‘I think he’s been in the Caribbean,’ he said.

‘Oh, with his wife?’

Erik scoffed.

‘I doubt it.’

They reached the airfield and boarded. It seemed natural
they would sit together, so Anna just walked to the seats they had occupied
last time and sat down. Erik sat beside her.

‘Thank god this is a short flight,’ Anna said. ‘I don’t
think I could cope with ever doing another Australia trip.’

Erik shrugged.

‘You get used to it. Sometimes you’re so busy, it’s nice to
have the flight time to actually relax and read or get some sleep.’

Anna thought Erik looked particularly gorgeous today. He
looked better in flesh than on TV, and he already looked pretty damn good on
TV. Her heart felt like it was skipping as they sat and chatted.

‘My parents will be arriving not long after us,’ Erik said.

‘They must be looking forward to seeing you.’

‘And the cars, in my dad’s case.’ Erik laughed. ‘You’ll like
them I think, although they can be a bit…what’s the phrase? Full-on, that’s
it.’

So she
was
going to meet them.

‘They sound great.’ Anna thought for a moment. ‘Where will
they watch the race from?’

‘The same VIP bit you did last time.’

‘VIP bit? I thought that was Gary’s version of the naughty
corner.’

Erik laughed.

‘Are you often naughty?’ he asked, winking.

Anna thought she would faint.

Erik knew by the time he got off the
plane that he was in trouble. He thought that the weeks apart might have led
him to remember Anna as prettier and smarter and funnier than she actually was
– but within seconds of seeing her at the airport, he discovered the reverse
was true – she was actually prettier, smarter, and funnier than he remembered.
And she had hugged him. He recalled the way her body felt pressed against him.
He’d wanted to draw her in to him…but then she’d stepped back and the moment
was over.

He was sorry it had been such a
short flight. It had seemed like mere minutes before they were touching down in
Germany, and getting off the plane. They’d lingered in the hotel foyer. Erik
wanted to ask Anna out somewhere, but he had to go and meet his parents who
would be arriving shortly.

Reluctantly, he told her he had to
go.

‘I’ll see you at practice tomorrow,’
she said, smiling up at him.

Erik marvelled at how suddenly less
than 24 hours seemed like an age, when they’d just done two months without
seeing each other.

His parents were in fine form when
they arrived. His dad loved coming to grand prix, and the minute he arrived,
launched into an excited babble about the upcoming days ahead. Erik’s mother
wasn’t particularly interested in the minutiae of racing, but she was always
first in the VIP seating area, hands clasped on her lap, waiting for the race
to begin.

Erik hoped he would win. In the past
two months, it seemed like he and Devlin were trading wins, and they were just
about neck-and-neck in the standings. Devlin had been getting increasingly
aggressive with his driving, and Gary had hauled him aside after the last race
to warn him about his behaviour. Erik didn’t think it would make any difference
– Devlin was determined to win at any cost. He would just have to be extra
careful himself. He couldn’t afford any non-finishes, that could kill his
chances.

By the time his parents had settled
into their hotel room, it was almost time for dinner. He thought of Anna, and
wondered what she was doing. He didn’t like the idea of her being on her own –
but he didn’t want his parents to think there was something going on between
them. His mother would never stop going on about it.

Erik knew that both his parents
would really like Anna. She was the kind of girl his mother had been on at him
to find for a good few years, finally becoming tired and exasperated with the
chain of leggy models he kept being snapped in magazines with.

‘I brought you up to have a brain,
Erik Jonasson,’ she’d said. ‘You need a woman who also has a brain.’

Well, Anna certainly had a brain.
She was much smarter than him, and dedicated to her own career. He thought of
Jack and Elena. Could he have that with Anna?

Erik shook himself. He was getting
carried away – they hadn’t even kissed yet, and he was envisaging Anna
following him round the world. He needed to chill out – he had a race to win
this weekend, and a championship to win, too. He had to stay focused.

His parents had been reluctant to go
out to eat, as they were tired after their journey, so Erik had booked a table
for them in the hotel restaurant.

They entered and sat down, perusing
the menus that the waiter handed out. Erik was facing the door and, with a
start, he noticed Anna walk in. She hadn’t noticed them, and he watched as a
waiter guided her to a table in the corner. She was obviously on her own.

Erik’s mother followed his gaze.

‘Friend of yours?’ she asked, slyly.

Erik wasn’t quite sure how to
answer. He didn’t want to give his mother any ammunition.

‘She’s a writer travelling with the
team,’ he said, carefully.

‘Is she on her own?’ his father
asked, now also staring at Anna.

‘She seems to be,’ Erik said. He
knew what was coming.

‘Oh Erik, invite the girl over. She
can’t sit on her own, it’s not right.’ His mother elbowed his father, who
nodded sagely.

‘Your mother’s right, Erik.’

Erik sighed. On the one hand, he
relished the idea of getting to spend more time with Anna. She was looking
stunning tonight. She’d curled her hair, and it fell in soft waves about her
shoulders. She wore a red fitted dress with matching heels; the dress clung in
all the right places, accentuating her curvy figure. Erik wanted to run his
hands all over those curves. On the other hand, he knew she would be
interrogated by his mother. But what could he do? They were right, she couldn’t
eat on her own.

He crossed the room and tapped her
on the shoulder. She turned and Erik was pleased to see that she looked happy
to see him.

‘I didn’t realise you would be
eating here,’ she said to him.

‘My parents were tired,’ Erik said.
Now up close, he could savour the scent of her. It was intoxicating and he
breathed her in. ‘Would you like to join us?’

Anna looked uncertain.

‘I don’t want to intrude,’ she said,
hesitantly.

‘You won’t be – they suggested it.’

He regretted saying that in case she
thought he didn’t want her there.

‘And I would you like you to,’ he
added.

She beamed at that, and he smiled
too.

‘Sure, then, that’s very nice of
you.’

Anna followed Erik across the room
to the table where his parents sat.

Erik introduced them as she sat
down.

‘So, Anna. Erik says you are a
writer. Do you just do sports?’ His mother was wasting no time.

‘Oh no,’ Anna laughed. ‘I guess Erik
didn’t tell you I know barely anything about sports. I usually write human
interest and political pieces, so this is a bit of an education.’

‘Oh that sounds fascinating. What
are you working on at the moment?’

‘I’m writing a piece about austerity
measures and how they are impacting on the everyday lives of normal families.
It’s been quite an eye-opener, meeting some people who are really struggling to
make ends meet.’

Erik felt a bit of a hypocrite for
being a millionaire sitting in an expensive hotel.

‘That sounds like a very worthy
cause,’ his dad said, smiling at Anna. ‘So how did you end up getting sucked
into the race scene?’

Anna laughed, and Erik felt a swell
of pride. Her parents liked her, he could tell already. His mother had already
shot him a few looks over the table to indicate that
this
was the kind
of woman he should be involved with.

‘Basically,’ Anna said, taking a sip
of wine that Erik had poured her, ‘The magazine I work for is owned by James
O’Hare, who owns Willis Mechanical. He wanted a bit of free promotion and the
end result is me being sent off around the world a few times to report on
celebrity spottings, fashion, that sort of thing.’ She pulled a face.

‘It sounds like a bit of a change
from your usual stuff,’ Erik’s dad said.

‘It is,’ Anna admitted, ‘But I have
to say, I really enjoyed my first race. I was amazed by the speed of the cars
and the drivers…’ She looked at Erik and he thought he detected a little blush.
‘The drivers have so much skill, it’s incredible.’

Alfred was nodding enthusiastically.

‘You must sit with us tomorrow,’ he
said.

Anna seemed surprised.

‘I wouldn’t want to intrude,’ she
said, again.

‘Don’t be silly,’ his mother chipped
in. ‘We’d love to get to know you a bit.’

Erik wanted to roll his eyes at her.
She was being incredibly obvious. It was time to step in.

‘So, Mama, what happened with the
conservatory you guys were building?’

Anna had fallen in love with Erik’s parents. They had
chatted long after the meal had been finished, and she had learned lots more
about the sexy racing driver who sat next to her. His parents were full of
hilarious anecdotes about Erik’s childhood and Anna had listened with pleasure.
She had laughed when Erik blushed at some of the stories, amused that a
millionaire superstar could still be embarrassed by his parents. So he was
human, then.

They had eventually broken up at around 11pm, when Mrs
Jonasson’s yawning had got too much to ignore and Erik had sternly told her to
go to bed. Erik had walked Anna back to her room, and they stood outside the
door, neither one wanting to be the first to say goodnight.

‘Thanks for dinner. It was really nice of you and your
parents to let me sit with you.’

‘Not at all,’ Erik said, and Anna gazed into his piercing
blue eyes. She could lose herself in those eyes, she thought.

‘I guess I’ll see you at practice tomorrow morning,’ Anna
said, reluctantly withdrawing her key.

Erik was staring at her, and she wasn’t sure why. He didn’t
speak for a few seconds, and she wondered, suddenly, if she’d offended him
somehow. And then, suddenly, his arms were round her, pulling her tight against
him.

She responded immediately, her lips seeking out Erik’s. He
tasted divine, and she couldn’t get enough of him. She pressed herself into him
and felt his breath quicken as he gripped her tightly. Anna didn’t know how
long they stood there like that, it could have been seconds, it could have been
hours. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.

She stood, waiting for Erik to say something. She hadn’t a
clue
what
to say after that, wasn’t sure she even still had the power to
speak. Her heart was thudding in her chest, and there was a warmth spreading
through her body. She wanted him to lift her up and carry her into the hotel
room, throwing her onto the bed.

‘I’m sorry,’ Erik said, eventually.

‘Don’t be,’ Anna said, shaking her head.

‘I should be focusing on the race,’ he said, sounding
rueful, ‘but I couldn’t resist. I’ve been thinking about doing that for
months.’

Anna was dancing inside. So he
did
like her.

‘I have too,’ Anna said, deciding honestly was the best
policy.

They stood in silence for another second.

‘I suppose I’d better let you get some sleep,’ Erik said,
but he sounded pretty reluctant to Anna.

‘Unless…’ Anna said, trailing off.

‘Unless what?’ Erik was looking at her, keenly.

‘Would you like to come in for a drink? It’s ok if you have
to get to sleep, I just thought…’

Erik was inside the room within seconds.

Anna closed the door, her courage suddenly evaporating.
Racing megastar Erik Jonasson was in her hotel room – and she couldn’t remember
if she was wearing matching underwear.

She was wondering what to do, when Erik strode over to her
and started kissing her again. It got more intense, his hands starting to
wander over her body. Anna allowed hers to do the same, feeling the hard
muscles under his shirt. As her hands moved downwards, she found that he was
clearly enjoying himself. She grazed the bulge in the front of his jeans and he
gasped, pulling her into him and continuing to kiss her intensely.

Was this really happening? Were she and Erik about to have
sex?

Erik peeled off the straps of her dress.

Yes, Anna thought, they
were.
She briefly considered.
Could she live with being a notch on his bedpost? She liked him, liked him a
dangerous amount, and the thought he would have sex with her and then cast her
aside was awful. But not as awful as not having sex with him, she decided.

Erik was kissing her neck and Anna squirmed with the
pleasure of it. Her hands roamed over his muscles, and she could tell from the
quickness of his breath that he was enjoying it.

Suddenly he lifted her, pressing hard against her, and
carried her to the bed, laying her down. She felt exposed, suddenly, as he
drank her body in, but he clearly liked what he saw. He pulled her dress off in
one fluid movement, so she was lying there in just her underwear, and began
kissing her all over. When his lips grazed her thighs, her body jerked, out of
her control.

‘You like that, huh?’ Erik whispered, his eyes meeting
Anna’s. She nodded, mutely.

She gasped as she felt Erik flick his tongue out and
teasingly trace circles on her inner thigh – so, so close to the wet material
of her underwear. She twisted and turned, trying to angle herself so that his
tongue would slip inside and touch her skin. She heard Erik chuckle softly – he
obviously knew what she was trying to do.

‘Please,’ she murmured, gripping onto him.

She moaned as he pulled off her underwear, and his tongue
finally touched her clit. It was intense and she gasped loudly as his tongue
started to gently twirl around it. His hand had worked its way up her body and
he cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple. Anna moaned again, the
pleasure almost too much to bear.

‘Please,’ she murmured again, most desperately this time.

Erik listened, and started sucking gently on her clit, his
fingers playing with her entrance.

Anna wanted him inside her, now. She reached down for his
penis and found it easily. It was rock hard, a slight drip of moisture at the
top. She stroked and Erik groaned, losing the rhythm of his licking and
sucking. His hand groped wildly around beside him, and Anna heard the sound of
a condom packet being torn open.

Suddenly, he was inside her and the sensation was
overpowering. Anna arched her body, willing him to push in deeper and deeper.
Erik obliged, on top of her now, his breath hot and urgent in her ear. Anna
could hear little moans as he thrust, and she responded in kind. She could feel
her orgasm building – it had been ever since he had started teasing around her
thighs.

‘You’re going to make me come,’ she panted, and Erik
groaned, loudly. It seemed he quite liked being talked to, so she continued.

‘I’m going to come all over you,’ she said, as Erik’s
thrusts got wilder and less rhythmic. ‘And I want you to come inside me, I want
to feel you coming.’

‘It’ll be soon,’ Erik moaned, as he thrust ever deeper.

Anna couldn’t hold back any more, and she let her body go.
She let out a cry and felt her body grip onto Erik, inside of her. Her cry and
the feel of her muscles contracting pushed him over the edge too, and he
shouted something in Swedish as he came. Anna could feel him throbbing inside
her during his last, desperate thrusts, and gripped his shoulders, pulling him
in as far as he could go.

They lay, bodies intertwined, both dripping in sweat, for a
few minutes. Anna was breathing heavily. Erik, clearly fitter than her, had
regained his breath easily and was breathing deeply and evenly. Anna wondered
for a moment if he had fallen asleep, but then he spoke.

‘That was worth the wait.’