"I already got a good hit in," I laugh, "I think we're all squared up."

"I know you can protect yourself," Harrison says, running a hand down my arm, "But I can't help but want to protect you too, Siena."

"I know," I say, laying a hand on his hard chest, "But only if you'll let me protect you, too. Deal?"

"Deal," Harrison smiles.

"By the way," I say softly, laying my lips against his throat, "Nice first place win, Mister."

"Proud of me?" Harrison asks, his eyes closing blissfully as I kiss all along his neck.

"Very," I tell him, running my hands along the firm panes of his pecs, my fingers dancing along his sinfully defined abs.

"You think you're safe now? No one's going to try and pin all this s.h.i.t on you?" Harrison asks, pulling me onto his lap.

"They can sure try," I tell him, running my fingers through his hair, "But I'm not going to lie down and take it."

"I love it when you lie down and take it though..." Harrison grins.

"Is that so?" I ask, grinding my hips lightly against him.

"Mhmm..." Harrison mutters. It's all he can manage, for the moment.

"In that case...why don't you take that shirt off so I can see that ripped body of yours?"

Harrison obeys, lifting his black tee up over his shoulders. I lower my lips hungrily to his chest, moving down along his collarbone, his sternum, over every crystal clear muscle I find there. I press against his broad shoulders.

"Lie back," I command.

"Gladly," he says, "But only if I can pull you down with me."

"Of course," I grin.

Harrison takes me up in his arms, cradling me against his bare, rock hard chest. We sprawl across the bed together, pulling and ripping each other out of our clothes. I kiss every inch of Harrison's body that I can reach. If we had three lifetimes together, I couldn't get enough of each little bit of him. There's not a thing I would change, a thing I don't love with every fiber of my being. He may not be the perfect man, but he's perfect for me. And I'll take that to cookie-cutter perfection any day.

We finally slip out of our underthings and wrap our arms around each other. The feel of his skin against my own will never get old, I know. We tumble and roll, losing track of who's on top and who's below. After our spat, I'm ravenous for him. I guess this is what they mean when they talk about makeup s.e.x...

I find myself straddling Harrison once more, my wet slit poised just above his hard, pulsating manhood. Our eyes lock as I let the very tip of him brush against me. His hands find my hips, grabbing on tight as I slowly, surely, lower myself down onto him. Twinned groans of bliss rise from our throats as he sinks deeper and deeper inside of me. You'd think I'd have gotten used to the sheer size of him right now, but it's still a surprise each time I feel him. He just fills me up so totally, so completely. More wholly than I could ever have imagined.

My hips rock gently as Harrison presses up into me. I let my head fall back, my curls cascading down my back. I've given up commanding Harrison, I'm too high on the bliss our bodies incite to bother with words. But Harrison has a request of his own.

"Turn around," he breathes.

"What?" I gasp, leaning into him as his staggering member parts the flesh within me.

"Let me see you...from behind..." He pleads.

A thrill of antic.i.p.ation runs through me at the thought. I want to feel Harrison every way I possibly can. He's made me adventurous, daring, comfortable in my own skin. I give him a wicked little smile and swing my legs around, executing a perfect 180 while balanced on his gorgeous manhood. I'm rather impressed with myself, to tell the truth.

I glance back at Harrison, delighted to see him in this whole new way. He runs his hands down my back, over my shoulder blades, along my spine. He cups my firm a.s.s in his hands as he draws back and drives himself up into me once more. I gasp as I meet his pa.s.s, astounded by how deep he goes. I arch my back, leaning into our most intimate point of contact. Again and again he rocks his stiff length into me, opening me up in a way I've never known.

"Siena," he breathes, "I just want you to feel good..."

"This feels amazing," I tell him, burying my hands in my hair.

"I want you...to touch yourself..." he tells me.

"Wh-what?" I stammer, looking back over my shoulder.

"Touch yourself," he says again, "I want you to come like wild."

The very suggestion has me rocketing toward the edge, but I'm more than happy to oblige. Keeping my curls bundled up in one hand, I loose the other to that place between my legs. Now in this, I know exactly what I'm doing. A lady's got to know how to take care of herself, after all.

I lay two fingers against that hard, throbbing spot. A moan escapes my throat as I roll that aching b.u.t.ton under my deft fingers. Harrison's grip on me tightens as his thrusts come hard and fast. My legs tremble beneath me as ripples of pleasure collide and roll all the way through me. My entire body lights up with sensation as I rub and stroke my c.l.i.t, riding Harrison's powerful, driving c.o.c.k all the while. A delicious pressure billows up in my very core, And I know that I'm seconds away from release.

"Come with me," I gasp, locking eyes with Harrison over my shoulder.

His mouth falls open into a perfect "O", and the very sight of him pushes me over the edge. He slams up into me as my fingers lay a perfect nudge against the most sensitive inch of my body. We soar together beyond the reach of this world, bucking and writhing as o.r.g.a.s.m takes hold of us. A rush of sensation scorches along my nerves, illuminating every cell in my body. For this moment, we're invincible.

I lower myself down from Harrison's lap and curl up in the nook of his arm. For a long while, we just lay there catching our breath. Everything around us is rushing forward, spiraling out of control. But as long as we have this, as long as we have each other's arms, nothing can truly hurt us.

"You know I love you, right?" Harrison asks.

"Oh sure," I grin, cuddling closer, "You know it too?"

"You bet. Just wanted to make sure we have a unified message for when the press starts to hound us."

"That's your statement to the press? That you love me?" I ask, amazed.

"Well, naturally," he smiles, "Might as well tell them the truth every once in a while."

"I'm not sure how interested the media is in the truth," I remind him.

"Well, they're always interested in a good love story. So at least we can give them that."

Harrison and I lay together for as long as we dare, but soon it's time to rouse ourselves again. We have to be off to Dallas, after all, for the final race for the championship. As we dress ourselves once more, I steal a look at this unlikely companion I've found. His muscular back ripples with strength as he tugs his shirt back over his torso. As many times as I've seen him without a st.i.tch on his body, every little glimpse still thrills me.

"What do you think it will be like?" I ask him.

"What's that?" he replies, walking around the bed to where I'm sitting.

"Life after the tour," I tell him, "Will I still be exciting enough for you, once all of this is over?"

"Siena," Harrison laughs, kneeling before me on the carpet, "You were in the room just now, weren't you? You're about all the excitement I can take."

"OK," I smile, "Just making sure."

"Don't start worrying about that now," he tells me, "We've still got quite the s.h.i.t storm to weather before we get to start thinking about who will wash and who will dry the dishes."

"Moving in together, are we?" I ask, c.o.c.king an eyebrow.

"I...uh...may have a.s.sumed..." Harrison mutters.

I take his face in my hands and kiss him deeply. I know in my heart they'll be a life for us together after this final race is through, but it's so hard to see now. Having him believe it too means everything to me. I don't know how we're going to get out from under the world of trouble we've landed in, but if both of us wish for it hard enough, maybe that will do the trick.

"I've always preferred drying to washing," I tell him.

"Now who's trying to domesticate whom?" he laughs.

"Fine," I sigh, "Cross that bridge when we get there."

With one last kiss, I let Harrison go off to pack his things while I do the same. I gather my bags and head down to the hotel lobby, where my team is already cl.u.s.tered and waiting for me. Bex catches my ear as I approach the group.

"Everything OK?" she asks.

"It will be," I tell her.

"Let's get a move on, folks," Gus says, "We've got to get to Dallas in a jiffy, get our boy a little extra time on the track before the last big shebang."

We move as a pack out into the warm sunlight, made all the warmer by the dozens of flashbulbs that spark and sear before our eyes. Enzo and I trade a glance and don matching elated smiles. G.o.d knows, we're old pros at this by now. We make our way through the gathering crowds, trying to dodge as many questions as possible as we head for the fleet of Ferrelli town cars. But these reporters are of the super-persistent variety, it would seem. As calmly as I can, I turn to face the onslaught of questions with Enzo by my side.

"Enzo, are you disappointed in the outcome of the race?" a reporter cries.

"Disappointed?" Enzo replies smoothly, "Third place is a d.a.m.n decent place to finish. I'm very pleased with my performance here today. And I look forward to racing my best yet in Dallas in a few days' time."

"But you've fallen from grace since the first days of this championship," another reporter says, "Are you losing your touch as you go along?"

"You can't win them all," Enzo reiterates, "What fun would it be if I just came in first every time? No one would bother to watch the races!"

"Has something been distracting you these past few weeks?" someone asks, "Your father's condition, the revelation of your sister's affair with Harrison Davies?"

"My sister's private life is her own business," Enzo says shortly.

"But all that ugly business with the press conference that ended with you punching a member of the press-"

"That man had the audacity to insult a member of my family in a threatening manner on my property. I was well within my rights-"

"But you've moved on from Harrison to Rafael Marques now, haven't you Siena?" someone asks.

"That is absolutely untrue," I say decisively.

"But the picture-"

"A misleading photograph has been circulating, yes," I allow, "But it is just that: misleading. Far from the truth. The truth is that I barely know Rafael Marques and have never had anything approaching a romantic encounter with him. And furthermore, it's very true that Harrison Davies and I are in love. Exclusive. And that's all I have to say on that matter."

But of course, the "l" word sets the entire crowd of reporters into an uproar. Enzo stares blankly at me as we charge through the crowd and into the back of a waiting town car. We take off toward the airport in silence. Enzo's known how I feel about Harrison, but making it public like that has only made it all the more true for him. I think that part of him is still hoping that Harrison will prove to be just another tournament fling. But of course, it's not. Just as I can tell that his thing with Shelby isn't as fleeting as I'd hoped. Siblings. What are you gonna do?

"This should make for some pretty interesting Christmas dinners..." Enzo says dryly.

"That's for sure," I laugh, "We can have a McClain table instead of a kids' table, maybe."

"G.o.d, I wonder what it will be like," Enzo muses.

"Having our better halves around?" I ask.

"No," Enzo says, "Think about it, Siena. By the time the seasons change again, we won't have Dad anymore."

My brother's words catch me like a swift kick in the gut. Wordlessly, I scoot toward him in the backseat, resting my head on his shoulder. He takes my hand, and I feel like a little girl once again. Enzo used to comfort me if I'd get picked on at school or come home with a bad grade, but I don't know how I'll ever be comforted when Dad is taken from us.

"Does it feel real to you yet?" I ask him.

"No," he admits, "I think that's why Dad wanted to stay at home for the rest of the season. So that we remember him as the picture of health. It's crazy, of course, but you know Dad and his ideas, he's a proud man..."

"I wish there was something we could do," I say, feeling a knot rise up in my throat.

"All we can do is try and be happy. That's what he wants for us," Enzo says.

"But if I do what makes me happy, you're going to be hurt," I tell him.

"I don't know what to tell you, Siena," Enzo sighs, "The thought of you with Harrison..."

"What is it you can't get over?" I ask.

"I just don't know how to trust him with you," Enzo tells me, "He just seems to be out for himself, Siena. How do you know he has your best interests at heart?"

"I just know," I tell my brother, "And one day you'll see it. Even if it takes forcing you guys to carve the Thanksgiving turkey together-"

"That'll be the day, Sis," Enzo scoffs. "I wouldn't get your hopes up about life after this season. We have a lot to sort out for this team. And that won't end when the championship is decided, you know."

"It'll end when I end it," I say, "I know that for a fact. Between the blackmail, the accidents, the lies...something's tying all of it together, Enzo. I know it."

"You realize you're a PR manager, not a detective, right?" Enzo laughs.

"Well. Maybe I'm thinking of a temporary career change," I sniff.

"Whatever you have in mind, you'd better work fast. Whoever's on your tail isn't going to let up now."

Our conversation falls by the wayside as we arrive at the Ferrelli private jet. We join our teammates and pile into the sleek airplane, off again on the final leg of this journey. We take off, and Detroit falls away below us. Everything we've been working and hoping for, the culmination of all our triumphs and struggles, has led us to Dallas. Who knows what surprises this next city has in store? h.e.l.l, who knows if anything can surprise me at this point?

Before the winner crosses the Dallas finish line, I need to figure out who's behind all the madness that's been gripping this season, what they want, and how to stop them. I need to clear my name, expose the real criminal, and secure my place on Team Ferrelli's board. I need to shape the narrative of this year in a way that's honest but uncompromising. I need to find a way to get Enzo and Harrison to like each other, and come to terms with saying goodbye to my dad. And all while keeping a perfect PR smile painted on my face.

No sweat.

Chapter Fourteen.