Page 85 of Spin Control

“Right now?”

“Yes,” they say in unison. Papers are put in front of me. Adrien points to a number with a lot of zeroes in it. Albrecht hands me a weighty fountain pen. I sign on the indicated lines. “Is that all?”

Five pairs of eyes blink at me.

“No,” David says. “We need to—”

“That’s all,” Marcus says, cutting him off. “Congratulations, Wes.”

My heart lurches at how wrong that sounds right now.

“Go spend time with your girl,” Adrien says, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Give her our best!” Baz calls, but I don’t respond. I’m already out the door.

In my hurry to get to Elizabeth, it didn’t cross my mind to tell her I was on my way.

So when I rush inside her hotel room, I half expect her to berate me for barging in on her. But she’s not at the desk typing furiosly or under the covers reading a book.

“In here,” she calls from the bathroom. She’s sitting on the tiled floor, her back against the tub and her legs stretched out in front of her.

“Hey,” I say softly, unsure of the vibe.

“Hi. How was your meeting?”

“A fucking rollercoaster. Yours?”

“It was that carnival ride where you sit at the top for a long time and aren’t quite sure when it’s going to drop. Or if you’re going to survive it.”

“Shit,” I whisper. “What happened?”

“I dry-heaved on camera and convinced myself I had lost both my job and you in the span of about sixty seconds.”

“Why would you think you’d lose me?” I ask, turning toward her.

“You don’t need another scandal this season.”

“Hey,” I say sharply. “You are not a scandal. This stupid fucking story is, but you aren’t. We’re not.”

“No?”

I shake my head. “I’ve lived through my fair share of scandals. I drunkenly posted a photo that showed my very nude reflection in 4K. I was papped kissing an heiress’s husband—at her behest, but no one cared about that part of the story. I’m best friends with a Russian national who got arrested as an accessory to organized crime. Those are scandals. But being with you? The brilliant crisis specialist who immediately captivated me and challenged me and never let me get away with anything? The woman everyone watches, awestruck by how capable and confident she is? The one everyone is intimidated by and hopes they can impress? That’s not a scandal.”

“Then what?” Elizabeth asks. “A coup?”

“For me? Absolutely.” I reach over and thread my fingers through hers. “But I think most people would call it a love story.” She gasps softly. “I’d say it’s our little secret, but...”

Elizabeth laughs—a melodic sound that warms me from the inside out—and then leans in to kiss me. Joy bursts through my entire body, and I can’t hold back my smile. “I’m pretty sure I knew this would happen the second you asked if I was a media liaison in front of the entire company.”

“No way,” she says, shifting to straddle my lap. “You thought I was an idiot.”

“Not an idiot,” I say, settling my hands at her hips. “Ignorant about motorsports.” She frowns, but doesn’t refute it “Maybe it was when you called me a disrespectful dick. Or when you thought penguins lived at the North Pole.”

“Of course,” she says, nodding, though her cheeks go pink. ”Nothing says romance like realizing a girl can’t differentiate the North Pole from the South.”

“The important thing is that you know pole position.”

She smirks. “Is that a sex thing?”