5

When her dad finished the introductions, David Weber, the head of engineering, got up to talk a bit about the new car. Mira chanced a look down the table at Will. He was listening to David with perfect professional interest. There wasn’t even a hint of that smooth-talking seducer from a few minutes ago. He’d had no idea who she was, and in the split second before he’d recovered, it was obvious the news had shocked him. Good. Maybe that would scare him away once and for all.

“Super hot, right?”

Mira startled and looked at Violet. “What?”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Please. You’re allowed to look. Everybody does. I mean, he’s not my personal flavor of hot male. I like them a little scruffier and a lot more emotionally damaged. But I will concede, objectively, he’s a snack.”

“So what’s his story anyway?” Even though she’d done her own research earlier, PR always knew the real dirt.

“Story?”

“I looked him up. The hashtags are … enlightening.

Violet sniggered. “‘F1fuqboi’ is my favorite.”

“Aside from that, it seems like people think he’s the biggest talent the sport has seen in a generation … or he’s a walking train wreck.”

“He’s both, maybe?”

“Come on, Violet. Spill.”

“You never heard about him?”

“I kind of stopped paying attention to racing while I was in college.”

The truth was, it had hurt too much to follow racing while she’d been in exile. As much as she was digging for info on Will, she hoped Violet wouldn’t pry into her reasons too much or go snooping for answers. Her mother had spent a fortune on some specialist to scrub the internet of most of the mentions of her, but stuff was still out there. And people had memories. Ask around and someone was sure to have gossip to share, true or not.

“Glad you decided to stop living under a rock.” Violet laughed. “Okay, okay, Will showed up three years ago driving for Hansbach. They recruited him right out of their junior program. His first test-drive was legendary. For months, all anyone could talk about was this kid, Will Hawley, possibly the best driver the sport had seen since Senna. But he managed to blow it all up in a single season.

“So what’d he do? Drugs, partying, and women?”

“Mmm. Not the drugs, as far as I know. But definitely the partying and the women. You know how these guys are.”

“Yes, I do,” Mira muttered under her breath. Boy , did she know.

“He was young, talented, and famous.”

“And stupid.”

Violet took a sip of her wine. “Yeah. In the end, he was just really, really stupid.”

“What happened during his first season?”

“His only season. He crashed out of a bunch of races. Lackluster finishes in the others. It was so bad that Hansbach cut him loose midseason. Just like that he went from being the next great racing talent to a spoiled posh boy who’d bought himself a ride.”

“He’s rich,” Mira stated. “Of course.” That should have been obvious the moment he’d opened his mouth. That accent was way too smooth for mere mortals.

Violet nodded. “His family owns an entire bank . But if Will was just some nepo baby buying his way in, your dad wouldn’t have given him a chance.”

She glanced at her father, where he sat at the head of the table, chatting with Natalia, all smiles and twinkling blue eyes. You’d never guess at the steel under that surface. Her father had little patience for anyone who proved to be a drag on his organization. Mira knew that from personal experience.

“So how did he get back to F1?”

“He’s been driving solid races in Indy Car and Formula E. Not a breath of scandal, either. Then last year, toward the end of his Formula E season, he had a truly phenomenal race. The track was wet, the absolute worst conditions to race under. Half the field crashed out in the first half. But Will? Drove the ride of his life. He didn’t just win; he put nearly thirty seconds between him and the nearest car, despite nearly skidding out himself half a dozen times. It was hard to ignore what he’d accomplished. Phillipe had just retired and there was a spot open. And from a PR perspective, I can’t deny it’s a good story. Everybody loves a good redemption arc.”

“So you think he’s redeemed?”

Violet shrugged again. “He’s been fine so far, but we’ve been stuck out here in bloody Essex. Not a lot to tempt him.”

Well, that explained why he’d taken such a sudden interest in her. He was bored. And Mira would do her best to be boring. Soon enough he’d be back at the center of the Formula One vortex, with plenty of much more attractive distractions to keep him busy. Doubtless he’d forget all about her. And that, she told herself firmly, would be for the best.

“Let’s hope he can keep his shit together.”

“For all our sakes,” Violet said.

“What do you mean?”

“Your dad took quite a risk bringing him back to F1. If Will blows it in one season again, it won’t look good for Paul, either. Especially at this particular junction in Lennox’s history.”

The details of Mira’s past at Lennox might not be common knowledge, but the team’s struggles for the past several years certainly were. After everything had blown up, there’d been years of upheavals and personnel changes, and only now were they starting to hit their stride again, fighting to reclaim the status they’d had before everything had gone so wrong.

Considering everything on the line for Lennox, she didn’t even blame her dad for saying no the first time she’d called him and lobbied for Pen’s job. Or the second and the third. But she’d stuck it out, because this job was more than just an incredible career opportunity. It was her chance to fix everything she’d messed up seven years ago, and that included her relationship with her father.

She looked back at Will. He was leaning forward, his shirt pulling taut across his shoulders and biceps, and his teeth glinting in the candlelight as he laughed at something Matteo said.

“I’m sure Dad knows what he’s doing,” she said with more confidence than she felt.

“Let’s hope so,” Violet replied. “Because this whole team is depending on him.”

Lennox deserved to come back strong, which meant that charming hothead at the other end of the table needed to keep it together. So no matter how much he flirted, and no matter how that flirting made her feel, she was going to stay far, far away from him.

After dinner, she caught a ride back home with her dad and Natalia. Natalia had invited her to stay in their guesthouse, and with the Formula One season kicking off in less than three months, it made more sense than trying to find a place of her own in the tiny village near the Lennox factory.

From the back seat, she stole a glance at her dad’s face in the rearview mirror. He had the same intensity behind the wheel of his personal car as he’d once had behind the wheel of a race car, where he’d gotten his start. That’s when her mother had met him. The British race car driver and the American supermodel had a whirlwind romance and wedding, but shortly after Mira’s birth, they realized a baby was about all they really had in common.

The split had been amicable, though, happening while she was still a toddler, and now they were on very good terms. Her mother and Natalia had even become friends, which made sense, considering how alike they were. Despite her lush Italian beauty, Natalia was no trophy girlfriend. She was a respected attorney. And Mira’s mother might have gotten famous for her beauty, but after retiring from modeling, she’d worked herself to the bone building her successful organic skincare line from the ground up. She and Natalia definitely had a lot in common.

There’d been a time when Mira had resented Natalia’s place in her father’s life, but seven years ago, when she’d desperately needed help, Natalia had been there for her without reservation, so now she adored her. Besides, she suspected her father might have ultimately relented and given her Pen’s job at Natalia’s urging.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, her father glanced up at her in the rearview mirror and smiled briefly. He was in his midfifties now, with graying hair and lines bracketing his eyes, but he still exuded the energy of someone half his age.

“How did your first day go, Mira?” he asked.

Her face warmed remembering that scene with Will before dinner. If her dad found out about that, he’d have her on a plane back to LA by midnight. Thankfully, she seemed to have scared Will off. He hadn’t come anywhere near her for the rest of the night.

“It was very … intense,” she said at last.

“It’s a shame Pen’s not here to help with the transition.”

“I’ll get up to speed quickly, I promise. I’ve already started going over the passport and visa requirements, and I’ve updated the online employee calendar with all the pertinent deadlines for documents to be in, so everybody should have received an email notification about it this afternoon, and—”

“Don’t let your father scare you, Mira,” Natalia said, reaching out to lay her hand on her partner’s arm. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“There is a lot to learn,” she conceded. “I know the sport, but it’s different from this side.” Her father met her eyes again in the mirror, and she didn’t miss the concern in his gaze. “But I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity. I won’t let you down, Dad.”

“Mira …” he began, then paused. “I’m sure you won’t,” he finished. She didn’t quite believe him, but she’d prove it to him—and herself.