"Clara, I like being with you," his eyes wandered to my mouth and smiled gently. "Even like this."
I felt my head spinning as he closed the gap between our lips. He held me close, as if he was afraid I will send him away any minute. But I didn't tell him to leave, not until the sun was rising.
I felt a warm body pressed to mine and my eyes popped open.
"Charles!" I said and sat up in the bed. I realised I'm completely naked, so I pulled up the sheet to my chest. I only got a soft growl as a response from behind my back.
"You need to leave. Don't you have a morning warm up or something to attend to?" I asked him. Still no answer, only his soft, even breathing.
I growled annoyed and hugged the pillow. Charles tightened his grab around my waist then let out a long sigh.
"Good morning to you too," he mumbled and nuzzled his nose against the nape of my neck.
Actually, it was a pleasant feeling - to wake up next to somebody again. I couldn't say last night wasn't fun, even if I didn't plan ending up like this. It almost looked like it could work somehow whatever is this we are doing. I suppressed my satisfied grin when I remembered who is laying next to me and where. A started to feel a sting of consciousness, but I managed to wave away the thought with looking at the young driver laying naked next to me.
"I'm serious Charles! Leave. Now! Or starting from P10 means you are a lost cause and now everyone is concentrating on Vettel?" I giggled. His eyes finally opened, with his face turning into a huffish grimace.
"You know what, I can think about a way to warm up properly," he wiggled his eyebrows and slid his hand to caress my arm.
He gently pulled me back to his side and showered me with light kisses. He started on my neck and as he slowly wandered down his mouth became hungrier on the way. Then he stopped at my breasts to suckle on my nipples he liked so much. I could also feel he was now touching himself with one hand.
A loud moan was torn from the back of my throat on the thought. Then, as if just to torture me he left the sensitive bud and licked his way further down to my stomach.
He almost arrived to his destination when his phone started to ring with an annoying sound.
"Merde," he breathed. He gave a quick kiss on my pussy which he didn't quite reach yet and crawled out of the bed to find his iPhone, still in his jeans' pocket.
"Sí," loathing, he answered the call and started to speak in Italian. Until this time I always thought it's only me and my prejudices but now I could see. Ferrari personnel only know Italian. Poor Vettel.
While he was speaking he fixed his eyes on me, still laying on the bed. I smirked as I had the devilish idea to touch myself. His pupils dilated and glued to watch my hand wandering to my pussy.
Charles gulped, and from then he wasn't able to say complete sentences only words in the rest of the conversation.
He was really sweet, completely lost in my show, his cock was so hard, he had to squeeze it several times.
After a few mumbled words he hung up, and looked back at me, devastated.
"Clara, I am so very sorry, I have to go" he said. I couldn't help but grin at his disappointed face.
"Hey, didn't I say the same?" I asked, and sat up again. "You are not supposed to be here in the first place." My comment made him pout.
"Yeah, but I want to," he said and gave me another, longing kiss.
"Can I see you before the race?" he asked when we said goodbye with a one minute long make out session.
"How could you?" I shook my head in disbelief. "No."
He pouted again and wanted to say something else, but I peeked out to the corridor which - fortunately - was still deserted, so I practically pushed him out of my room and closed the door.
Now, it was the time to pray for all the Red bull team members to oversleep.
It was raining again, or still at the track when I arrived. I rode there alone, everyone seemed to be so excited about the race, that all the team members were already working in the garage. I smiled and greeted some of them I knew from before.
I was in a good mood. I had no idea about whether it had anything to do with the previous night or it was just my rebound happiness after my breakdown from the other day. I tended to have these sudden mood changes, which I knew was not a healthy thing and I probably should have got a course of electroshock therapy or some lithium but whatever.
At least I enjoy it when I am happy and cheerful with no reason.
Anyway, suddenly, seeing Daniel made my stomach clench. When he recognised me he was juggling with some tiny balls, and Michael was standing next to him, giving instructions.
The Australian driver gave me a wide smile, which I tried to return.
"Is your arm OK?" I asked him.
"Ah, yeah," he said but as soon as he opened his mouth he dropped two of the balls. Michael saw that and shook his head with a sigh. I just snorted and left them to hug Max and wish him good luck.
"You are the best, get them," I said and winked.
"Thanks Clara," he said, holding me tight. "I just want these guys to get their reward for all their hard work."
I snorted.
"Yeah, well like you couldn't kill anyone to be a world champion!"
He giggled and released me.
"I love you can always get me," he said and he went on to finish his warmup.
I spent the remaining time until the start in our office with Lee. I still had that feeling that I only disturb the rest of the team if I linger around anywhere near the garage. I checked my phone and I saw I got a new message from a certain Ferrari driver.
Wish me luck. But I feel I don't need any after last night.
I smiled at the text. I quickly responded (Well then, you don't need it.) and put the phone away, I didn't want to start a chat with him either, 15 minutes before the race.
"Girl, be careful with those smirks on your face" I heard Lee mumbling next to me. I looked at him, frowning.
"I know that face," he looked at me behind his glasses. "And it could be dangerous. Hurtful even," he added.
"OK, thanks Dumbledore," I blinked at him. My comment made us both smile.
We went out to the garage to watch the race with the rest of the team. The mechanics gathered around the big monitor on the wall, and the tension was palpable in the air.
I saw the two Red bulls on the front arriving back from the formation lap.
Vicky was biting her nails next to me. I gently removed her hand form her mouth and smiled at her reassuringly.
"If you chew down your hands who will push them to their victory interviews?"
In a couple of seconds all the red lights lit up and went out shortly. The cars launched from their starting position, and for a moment one could only see a huge water splash.
Slowly the picture cleared, and looked like only a Racing point failed to make it to the first corner. It was Stroll who slipped and smashed his car to the tyre wall. Raikönnen nearly hit him, but managed to maneuver away in the last millisecond.
Safety car. It took three laps to remove Stroll's car from the track, by that time Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo also slipped but he was able to come back to the race - last.
After the safety car came in it only took five laps to Charles to take over five cars and arrive to fifth place, finally overtaking Bottas with a stunt the commentator called a truly outstanding performance.
"Fuck, he is good," Vicky mumbled next to me, chewing on her nails again. I looked at her as I felt the guilt tightening my throat. I gulped and looked back to the television to see Vettel's car hit a bump on the side of the track. His suspension broke immediately. We could hear him cursing on the radio, and saw the Ferrari team members burying their faces in their palms or shaking their heads in disappointment.
Charles in the other car was now fourth, and only Hamilton separated him from our boys. I was never this grateful for the English Mercedes driver just to exist.
My eyes were glued to the television for the next half an hour, but nothing particularly happened except Grosjean DNFed - again - and the safety car hit the track - again. That helped Charles a lot to catch up with the Mercedes.
Also it was the perfect time for pit stops. Otherwise, our boys planned to come out in three laps but Grosjean's accident created the perfect opportunity. Sadly, everyone thought the same.
Max came out first. Something happened, it seemed like the front éeft tyre stuck and he nearly lost ten seconds already when it finally came off and he was good to go again. The guys in the garage were devastated.
"What the fuck was this?" Max asked through the radio. Gianpierre informed him about his tenth position in a sad voice.
"Sorry Max, we are all so sorry. Push hard and we can get some good points." There was no answer.
The other struck came shortly afterwards. Daniel pitted. Everything went smoothly, tyre change was fast as a lightning. He was released, and headed back to the track. Maybe because of the rain, maybe because of sheer disregard but the Williams crew let out Kubica too early. They collided in the pitlane as the Williams hit the side of Daniel's Red bull.
"Fuck!" I could hear that at least from three directions. Then the garage went insane. Half of the guys ran to the car to guide it back to the garage and see if anything can be done to make it return to the track. The other half shook their head in disbelief. Vicky was silent next to me.
"I'm so sorry" I said to her. She looked at me with tearful eyes.
Daniel could return to the race, but he was absolutely last one with minutes of disadvantage.
There were only five laps remaining. The broadcast was now focused on Hamilton and Leclerc, as the Ferrari driver slowly but surely worked off the time gap between the cars. Bottas was third but his tyres were used and was nowhere to mean a threat. In the next lap Charles arrived to be in the DRS zone. Everyone agreed it's completely insane to even try to overtake Hamilton in the last three laps, especially in a race where half of the grid DNFed and it rained so heavily that the onboard cameras stopped working laps ago.
Nevertheless, he tried. He tried so hard. In lap 54 in the chicane after turn 10 and 15 but Hamilton's defense was flawless. Then, he tried again in lap 55. He was so close the commentator was afraid these two cars would collide as well in the next act.
But they didn't, and in the last lap Hamilton's Mercedes slipped on a puddle. It was only a couple of centimeters but it was enough for Charles to take advantage and flew the Ferrari across the finish line.
I wasn't the only one who couldn't believe the Monégasque just won this insane race, starting from P10.
Our engineers were shaking their heads, mechanics were brokenly lingering around, not really finding the words to talk about what just happened.
"OK, guys, debrief at 6," I heard my uncle's clearly disappointed voice over our heads.
I didn't know what to do. The guys haven't returned yet from the scaling and reporting to the stewards, and I wasn't sure if they do I should find either of them or not.
Every monitor showed Charles smiling on the podium between the Mercedes drivers - soaking wet but so happy and proud. I felt even more guilt because I was happy for him. I felt like I betrayed a team I wasn't even part of yet. Maybe it was childish, but I was convinced they would think the same if they'd find out about our little affair. Especially Max, who would probably kill me if he'd know I'm shagging one of his biggest rival.
I looked to the big screen again, sighed and walked to our office, Lee was already there, packing like everybody else.
"I'm really sorry," I sighed. And started to gather my things laying around the place.
"Yeah, me too," he looked at me. "Maybe in Baku. You know Leclerc has a thing for Baku."
I stopped and snapped my head maybe a bit faster up than I wanted to.
"What's his deal?" I asked, tried to sound uninterested.
"Last year. He crashed his car and with its nose he also smashed the very likely pole position," he explained. "It's his boggart. Luckily, our boys love it!" He added with a smile.
I thought about the two Red bull drivers. I remember both of them so excited about the race, I was wondering how could they feel now.
"I hope they are both OK," I said my thoughts out loud.
"Well, they'll be," he nodded. "Eventually."
Maybe he saw me pouting, because he gave me a gently, fatherly smile.
"There's nothing to treat now, doctor. Not medically at least," he winked.
I only saw the two Red bull drivers after leaving the debrief room. None of them said anything, Max only looked at me and shook his head while he stormed along the corridor, Daniel was talking quietly with his engineers and also headed to his room without saying anything.
Vicky - also exiting the debrief room - saw me standing in the corner, and stepped next to me.
"Well, that went awful," she sighed. "Christian went nuts and our boys are just broken."
I couldn't say anything to respond, also my phone beeped in my pocket.
I am so happy. Also, I can't wait to see you tonight.
I felt a tightness forming in my throat as I read Charles's text. I didn't answer.
"Anyway, we decided not to go to the party tonight, so we fly out around 10 this evening," Vicky said, still standing next to me. I looked up to her and nodded. I completely understood that they didn't want to watch the Ferrari and Mercedes teams celebrating a win they were supposed to have.
In the hotel room, during packing I composed a message to Charles.
I'm sorry, we fly back to London asap. Congrats on your win.