Gregor sat at a line of tables in the press room, ears still ringing from the boisterous crowd in winner’s circle. He stared at the table as a reporter shuffled some papers, preparing for his next question. His body still buzzed with the high of the win, but plenty of other thoughts shuddered through his mind, demanding his attention.

His gaze flicked over to Kara, who leaned against the wall, her face expressionless. Their strange kiss weighed on him. He’d never had a kiss so bad. Definitely not what he’d expected from the sexy brunette everyone now knew as his girlfriend. He’d think about it later.

“Now, with reference to the engine tweaks you’ve touted,” the reporter began and rattled off a technical question that Gregor answered with enthusiasm. The room murmured at his response, several cameras flashing.

His pit crew manager answered the next question about performance variability, and then a new reporter stood up to question him.

“Yes, I’d like to ask, how long has Kregor been happening?”

Gregor furrowed a brow, unsure what he was being asked. “Pardon?”

“Kregor,” the reporter said again. “You know…your celebrity-couple nickname?” After a tense moment of silence on Gregor’s part, the reporter offered, “Kara and Gregor make Kregor.”

Gregor blinked, glancing at Kara. She looked stunned, shrugging. He cleared his throat, leaning toward the microphone. “I wasn’t aware we had a celebrity-couple nickname.”

“Well, how long have you two been an item? Do you think she might have been your lucky charm today in your unexpected win?”

Gregor glowered, his jaw tensing. He swallowed his initial response, which was to tell the reporter to fuck off, that he didn’t need charms to win—he won because of his hard work and the hard work of his goddamn crew. Luck didn’t exist in Formula One, only blood, sweat, and tears did.

But he wouldn’t give the press an explosion. They didn’t deserve that field day. “Kara is a lot of things to me,” he finally said, measuring his words. “But we won today because we have a high-performing engine and a dedicated crew.”

The rest of the interview proceeded as they normally did, full of technical questions and lots of photos, but Gregor couldn’t shake the offense from that suggestion. To think that Kara had anything to do with his win was...absurd. Furthermore, why would her name figure first in the nickname? It seemed like a usurping of his identity. Why couldn’t it be Gregra or something equally silly?

By the time the interview broke, Gregor was lost in his own world. He wrapped up a few things with the pit crew, snatched up his bizarrely shaped trophy, and then headed down the hallway, Kara hot on his heels.

She was quiet on the way to the car. When they slid into the backseat, silence filled the car. Just as he was about to break the tension, his phone rang. He fumbled to extract it from the deep pocket of his jumpsuit.

It was his younger brother, Alistair. When he answered, Alistair was hooting on the other end.

“You fucking did it, brother!” Alistair screamed again, which made Gregor laugh. “I can’t fucking believe it!”

“I really wish you’d be more excited for me,” Gregor deadpanned.

“Impossible. Now listen, what are you going to be doing tonight to celebrate with that sexy new girlfriend of yours?”

Gregor glanced over at Kara. Her pink cheeks told him that she’d overheard his boisterous brother. “I can’t discuss those details with you. It just wouldn’t be proper.”

Alistair cackled. “Listen, I just hope I can find one as hot as yours.”

“Are you finally ready to settle down?” Gregor faked the serious tone their grandfather had always used when discussing the subject.

“God, no. I’ve tasked my assistant with teasing out the right candidate for the job. Shouldn’t be long. I’ll be as decently settled as one could expect.”

Gregor smirked. Alistair was notoriously rash, often making very large decisions on a whim, which could sometimes succeed…or backfire spectacularly. Handing off this task to his assistant, who knew him better than maybe anyone, seemed to be the best approach.

The brothers chatted for a bit longer, and when Gregor realized they were nearing the hotel, he hung up, pocketing the phone. Kara stared out the window, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Gregor thanked the driver after they stopped at the lobby doors. He and Kara walked through the hotel without speaking.

His brother’s update had broken through his bad mood from the interview. And it was only during the elevator ride up to the penthouse that he realized Kara was…off.

“Hey.” He squeezed the back of her arm. She yanked her gaze up to meet his. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Just…processing, I guess.” She offered a weak smile, crossing her arms over her chest. When the doors slid open, he followed her into the suite. She tossed her sunhat on the coffee table, then turned on her heel, a new energy possessing her.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking.” Her tone made his stomach drop. “I’ve made a mistake.”

He creased a brow, unzipping the front of his jumpsuit as her words clattered against his gut. “About what?”

“About this.” She gestured around them. “I don’t think I can do it. I’m not cut out for it.”

Panic sliced through him, and he stilled, staring at her. “Come again?”

“I’m going to book a flight home. I’ll return all the fancy clothes you sent me out to buy. I just need to get away from this. It doesn’t feel right. This isn’t a good fit.”

Gregor scarcely breathed as her words settled inside him. He searched her face for some sort of sign that she was kidding, or he’d somehow misinterpreted everything she’d said. “I’m sorry…beg pardon?”

She groaned. “Gregor, come on! You can’t actually think this will work, right?”

“Of course I do. It’s why I asked you to do this with me.”

“Yeah, but you would have asked almost anyone. I’m sure you asked plenty of others before me, too.”

Gregor scoffed. “I did not, as a matter of fact. You were the only one. What is going on? Why are you suggesting this?”

She hesitated, her gaze on the floor. “It’s just obvious to me now.”

“But why? How? What am I missing?”

Kara huffed, avoiding his gaze. “I’m embarrassed to even say it.”

“Oh, spit it out already! I need to know, if this is going to work. Or even if it’s not.”

“That kiss.” Her neck flushed, and she gnawed at the inside of her lip. God, she was pretty when that creamy skin lit up.

Realization crept through him. And he didn’t beat around the bush. “It was bad.”

She frowned, picking at invisible lint on her dress. “I think it ruined whatever we had going. Everyone’s going to know this is fake. I just…I’d rather back out now than have this be a thing later on down the road.”

He sighed, unzipping his jumpsuit all the way. Underneath he wore a pair of track shorts and a simple tee, all of which clung to his sweat stained body. He shrugged the suit off, considering his next words.

“I don’t think that sole kiss is a reason to call the whole thing off,” he said softly, searching out her gaze. “Things like that happen to every couple. Especially new couples. Which, for all intents and purposes, we are.”

She shrugged, sniffing.

“Besides, I didn’t even warn you. I was swept up in the moment. I should have prepared you or at least told you beforehand. I promise, the next one will not happen like that.” His gaze fell to her lips, and in his head he added, I want to kiss you and have you kiss me back.

Kara nodded, raking a hand through her hair. “Yeah, but I just feel like the tabloids are going to make a mockery of it. Of me. Of the whole damn thing.”

“Well, they would have eventually, with or without that kiss, I’m sure of it.” He stepped closer, squeezing the sides of her arms. She jerked her gaze up to meet his, and he saw doubt shining in her eyes. “Their job is to pick apart and excoriate. You just can’t take it personally.” He paused, remembering the reporter’s comment from the interview. “Besides, we have a nickname now. You can’t just walk away from that.”

She laughed.

“Listen, I get that you want to back out, but think of the deal. I’m not only buying the theater for you, including all the operational costs for the first year. I’ll also throw in some sort of scholarship that pays for ten low-income students to attend. Wouldn’t that make a difference?”

Kara looked up at him, her eyes are watery. “Are you serious right now?”

He cracked a grin. “Deadly.”

She groaned. “Fine. The deal is on. God, you’re good at negotiating. And consoling, for that matter.”

Gregor tugged her into a hug, and once her arms were wrapped around his waist, he realized he’d done it because he wanted to. The soft pressure of her body against his was comforting in a way he hadn’t expected. And maybe he’d needed it more than she did.

They stayed like that for a few moments, until Kara pulled away.

“We need to work on this,” she said, dragging her hand through her hair again. She headed for the windows along the far wall, walking with quick steps. “I know some exercises we can do.”

“Like what?”

“Trust-building exercises. Ways to get to know one another, work on our…chemistry.” She glanced up at him, then looked away. “Things like that.”

Gregor picked up his jumpsuit from where he’d dropped it. He knew one thing that would help their chemistry. But it had nothing to do with theater exercises and everything to do with sharing the same bed for a night.

“Deal,” he said. “Let’s start tonight. I need a shower first.”

As he headed for the bathroom, Gregor couldn’t rid himself of the idea of inviting her to shower with him. That would be the quickest route to his preferred “exercise.” His heart pulsed faster, and he stopped, turning back toward the large living area before he could think better of it.

“Unless, of course, you’d like to join me in the shower for our first intimacy session?” He winked at her, delighting at the stricken look on her face. She didn’t respond, so he took her silence as his answer. “Another time, then.” He sent her a smile and stepped into the bathroom, the disappointment settling heavily inside him.

He wanted to take it there…badly.

And hopefully in time they would get there.