The elevator pings our arrival on our floor. Carrick lifts me, so I wrap my legs around his waist on instinct. He carries me out of the elevator and down the hall. Key card in his door, we’re in his suite and then in the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed.

Leaving me there, panting and horny as hell, he stands at the foot of the bed. He kicks off his shoes and removes his overalls. Not wanting to be left out of this race, I quickly remove my shoes and clothes.

Then, we’re both naked, and he’s on top of me. Skin on skin. I start to burn up like a fever.

There’s no need for foreplay here. We’re both more than ready because it’s been way too long. Hands pinning mine to the bed above my head, he thrusts his cock inside me.

“Carrick!” I cry out, my eyes closing on the feel of him.

“Fuck,” he growls, stilling inside me.

I open my eyes to his. They’re fierce on me, his face austere, tight.

“Never again, Andressa. I’m not going without you ever a-fucking-gain.”

“No,” I whisper, swallowing down, my throat thick with emotion.

“Now, tell me you love me while I fuck you.”

“I love you.”

He pulls out and thrusts back into me hard. “Again.”

“I love you!” I cry out.

His mouth comes down to mine, and he kisses me with bruising force as he thrusts in and out of me, his movements desperate, urgent, and hard.

“Don’t…ever…fucking…leave…me…again,” he pants, his forehead pressed to mine.

“I won’t. I promise.” Feeling and seeing the hurt I’ve caused him brings tears to my eyes. They run from the corners like a tap as a sob escapes me.

Halting, he pulls back, seeing my tears. Concern laces his eyes. “Jesus, Andressa, what’s wrong? Have I hurt you?”

“No.” I touch my hand to his face, reassuring him. “You’re not hurting me. I’m just so…so-sorry for hurting you.”

“Shh, babe.” Turning his face in, he presses a kiss to the palm of my hand. “Don’t cry. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” Wiping my tears away, he tenderly kisses me. “I love you, Andressa.” He starts to move inside me again, slower this time. “I love you so much.”

We keep our eyes locked together during the whole time he makes love to me. Even when our orgasms rush and collide almost violently and it nearly becomes too much to bear, we don’t break eye contact.

After we’ve come down from our high, framing my face with his hands, he kisses me softly, reverently. Then, slipping out of me, he moves, lying on his side. He brings me over to face him, and hooking my leg over his hip, he holds it there.

“I’ll clean you up soon,” he says. “But right now, I just need to be with you.”

“I need to be with you, too.” I can’t ever imagine not being with him again.

He’s staring into my eyes. I watch as he pulls in a deep breath and exhales it.

“Look, I know you said in the elevator that we should talk, but I don’t want us to rehash all that bad shit. I want it to stay in the past where it belongs. All I will say is…being apart from you, was the hardest fucking thing that I’ve ever had to do. Those were the worst two fucking months of my life. I wanted to come after you so many times. I can’t count the times I had my phone in my hand, ready to call you. I was even at the airport once, ticket in hand, ready to fly to Brazil and beg you to take me back, but I realized it would never be right between us if I did. You had to come back to me. I needed you to come back to me because I had to know that you wanted to be with me. That you feel as strongly for me as I do you. I had to know that you loved me, and the only way I would was if you came back. But I swear to God, Andressa, if you ever fucking leave me again, I’m chasing you, to the ends of the fucking earth if I have to. I’ll never be without you again.”

I touch my fingertips to his cheek as tears prick my eyes again. “You won’t ever have to chase me. I’m not going anywhere, I swear. I’m so sorry I hurt you, that I let my fears get the better of me. But…you have to know that it’s not going to be easy. Those fears I have over you racing…they haven’t gone away. They’re still here. I just finally realized that I couldn’t be without you, fears or not. So, now, I just need to find a way to live with them. And I will,” I promise him.

Cupping my cheek, he touches a thumb to my lips. “We’ll find a way together. We’re a team, babe. Don’t ever forget that.”

“We’re a team.” I love the sound of that.

I smile as he brings his mouth back to mine, brushing his lips softly over mine.

“It’s me and you, babe. You have to conquer something, we do it together. Okay?”

“Okay.” I smile again before curling my fingers into his hair and crushing my lips to his. I softly whisper over them, “Team Ryan and Amaro forever.”

WE’RE HERE FOR THE FINAL RACE OF THE SEASON.

To win the championship, Carrick needs to win this race. He’s on pole position as he came in first in qualifying, but everything rides on today.

I’m nervous for him. And about the race itself.

But I’m dealing. Kind of.

Okay, I’m shit fucking scared. But I’m forcing myself to stay calm. I will not freak out.

I’m not working today. Carrick wouldn’t let me. I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or not, but he said to let Pete finish up this last race, so I’m not worrying over the mechanics of his car. He said he wants me to be relaxed. Well, as relaxed as I can be.