Rivals - Charles Leclerc

Stolen Moments

Chapter 15

Ava's POV

– Dutch GP –

Even with my back turned, I could decipher the raspy sound of his voice on any day. The detail in the way that he speaks made it clear to me exactly who it was.

"Miss me?" Charles teased catching me by surprise while still making a smile creep up unbeknownst onto my face. I set my folded clothes down on the bed and turned around to see him standing in the doorway with a mischievous look on his face.

Charles's racing suit clung to him like a sort of second skin, each sponsor logo and patch a testament to his journey through Formula 1. It accentuated the contours of his physique, hinting at the strength and agility that lay beneath.

As my gaze swept over him, I felt a flutter in her chest, a sensation I couldn't quite name. It wasn't just admiration for his skill or respect for his dedication—it was something deeper, something I couldn't deny. His helmet, cradled loosely in his hand, seemed almost insignificant compared to the aura of confidence he exuded.

I hadn't seen him in what felt like a while, and now here he was standing in my doorway. Wait...standing in the doorway of my room in the Red Bull garage?!

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I asked frantically, rushing up to him as I pulled him inside the room, shutting the door and locking it before anyone could see the two of us. "Someone could have seen you, are you crazy?!"

I could hear a chuckle coming from him, making me turn back around to face him as I crossed my arms over my chest. Doing my best to look at him with a stern expression. He tilted his head to the side teasingly, his lips sliding up slowly into a smug smile as I fought every urge inside of me to break my firm expression.

"Oh come on, don't give me that look," Charles responded, his head falling back in defeat as he took a step towards me. Even though his presence had a sort of melting effect on any of my attempts to play it cool, I still did my best to put up the act.

Charles grinned, his eyes alight with excitement. "I couldn't stay away," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I missed you too much."

My eyes wandered up toward the top corner of the room to avoid his gaze which he found amusing. Taking another step towards me again, he spoke. "Even after I ninja'd my way here, you're giving the silent treatment now?" His eyes locked into mine as his hands touched my elbows gingerly, teasing me in just the right way to warrant a response from me.

"We have to be careful," I insisted, my voice tinged with worry. "If anyone finds out..."

Charles nodded solemnly, his hands whipping up to cup the sides of my face. Our eyes locked to let me know that each one of us was perfectly aware of the mess we found ourselves in. "I know," he murmured. "But seeing you again, it's worth the risk."

The rawness of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. I had heard him tell me that he cared for me before, like that night up in the hills, but there was something about the tone of his voice that made my heart beat at a thousand miles per hour. I couldn't help but have a smile creep up onto my lips, something that he instantly noticed.

Even without saying a word, I knew that he was teasing me in his mind, laughing about how easily I folded under his touch. "Oh shut up," I teased, grabbing the collar of his shirt as I pulled him towards me. Our lips crashed together, melting away the world around us for a few moments as the two of us held each other in our arms.

Kissing Charles wasn't something that I felt like I could ever get used to or enough of for a matter of fact. There was something addictive about the way that he kissed me that had me yearning for more every time we pulled away. My mind couldn't get the feeling of him holding me out of my thoughts no matter how many times I tried to distract myself.