Throttled (Dirty Air, #1)

by Lauren Asher

Her smile beams at me once I catch her attention, filling my chest with a kind of warmth I don’t recognize often.

I like how she’s the type to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Reminds me of myself.

I don’t like interviews that aren’t mandatory. But fuck it, if it helps her get new followers, I can go along with it.

A megawatt smile breaks out across my face. I lie and tell myself I do it for the fans, but my di...

What a sick joke on me where I crave attention from the one girl I want but can’t have.

Maya’s eyes darken as she focuses on my hands. Further evidence that she is affected by me too, proving our attraction is not one-sided.

Her head bobs, and small smiles make my heart clench—a new sensation that spreads through my chest, unlike any feeling from winning a race.

Her enthusiasm about her vlogging rubs off on me, uncharacteristically agreeing to this segment despite my usual distaste for these kinds of things. Not to mention how I check out her Instagram daily since she approved my request. My dirty little secret.

At some point, lines blurred as we accepted a new level of comfortability with one another.

He no longer is just a conceited guy who makes my eyes roll into the back of my head. Don’t get me wrong, he still acts smug as hell—that has not changed. But I like it. The more time I spend around him, the more he draws me in.

Imagine my surprise when my usual mantras won’t work anymore. Not even I’m only up to good. Because I want to be really bad.

Noah is a heartache disguised in pretty packaging.

Sophie and Liam have enough sexual tension between the two of them to make me sweat.

“You have a little accent. But it’s cute,” Noah says. My cheeks warm at his comment. Cute? Since when has that word ever left Noah Slade’s lips before? Sophie’s wide eyes meet mine.

Noah unexpectedly wraps his arm around my waist while we wait for the driver to pick us up at the valet area. My body jolts at the contact of our bodies pressing together. What has gotten into him today? The moment I think I have him all figured out, he does something like this, switching up the game on me.

She smiles up at me. Damn my chest tightens at her smile, proof of how much of a sucker I am for them lately.

I look down at my helmet, savoring the moment of representing Bandini’s brand and appeasing my fans. This life is all I know, and it brings me comfort to put on my helmet. Honey, I’m home.

Watching her happy makes my heart clench like a chick.

Usually, when I meet a woman, the first thing that attracts me is a set of perky tits, a tight ass, and seductive lips. But for the first time in my life, I’m interested in someone for a different reason. With Maya, the most beautiful thing about her is how her eyes light up with happiness when she grins, an infectious smile that makes my lips turn up every time. Her beam is hands down one of my favorite things. A bubble of positive energy, dancing in circles without a care in the world. Does she have a great body? Sure. But at this moment, her smile draws me to her. I want to keep them all to myself and bottle them up for the bad days. Don’t get me started on her laughs. I feel them all the way down to my cock, every single time.

Champagne sprays all around me, but I barely pay attention, too enamored by her....

They chant my name, and although it feels great to hear them, nothing beats the smile on Maya’s face as she watches us.

Noah’s dad is a messed-up man who lives through his son.

I hate to admit it feels off without him there, missing how he entertains me while Santi and Sophie are busy. During the party, it hits me how much trouble I’m in. A cardinal sin has been broken. I think I like Noah Slade.

“What are the chances of dying of a heart attack at twenty-three? Seriously, you’re googling this? I didn’t know I had such an effect on you. You flatter me.”

A full throw-your-head-back laugh, and if I weren’t peeved, I’d find it extremely attractive. Who am I kidding? I do. Annoyed or not, this man is fine. Handsome and absolutely fuckable.

How is it possible to get turned on by sunscreen application? There should be a warning label on the back of the bottle for this. Screw damaging rays, this shit with Noah burns me up worse than any SPF below fifty.

Our attraction threatens our semblance of normalcy with one another.

I need time to process, concoct an avoidance plan, set up defenses against the ultimate playboy.

He tugs on my ponytail. I smile up at him because somehow it’s become our thing.

How can he be so hot yet so cute at the same time? Troubling.

I’m so royally screwed, by the F1’s American Prince no less.

I can lie and pretend I’m a mature woman. I can say I’ve kept it cool in front of Noah and my brother. But I haven’t. Why bother lying when I suck at it anyway?

I start a new Avoiding Noah campaign. It goes strong for two days, thanks to Sophie’s obsession with lists and plans. Two long days. If anyone understood the amount of effort it takes to avoid him, they would be impressed.

I can only execute so much control around Noah. And once you add a tux element into the mix, it’s a recipe for disaster.

“All right, I got her a ticket too. But you both have to behave because I won’t be out there protecting you from the old men.” “But I’ve always wanted a sugar daddy!” I whine while throwing my hands up in the air.

I run a hand down the silky material of my blue dress. Looking at it now, I realize the blue matches the color of Noah’s eyes. Fuck me. A fashion equivalent of a Freudian slip.

Guys strut their stuff down the stage, each looking handsome in their different evening wear. I even whistle when Noah comes out. Not my fault he looks beyond fuckable in his tux, which calls out to me.

I nudge Sophie when Liam comes out, his body pressed against the tailor-made suit and his blonde hair slicked back in his usual style. He even points her out of the crowd and sends her a wink. That one is a flirt, and honestly, I have no idea how Sophie resists him because her eyes light up whenever she sees him.

He needs to bottle up his scent and sell it on the mass market. I would buy a few bottles and spray it on my pillows at night, not creepily of course.

“You drive me crazy. I keep thinking about fucking you, wondering how you sound when you explode in ecstasy. The moans you’ll make while you greedily take my cock. Is it breathy? Loud?”

“This isn’t over.” His husky voice hints at a promise. “It is for now, Romeo. Let’s go, Juliet.” Sophie pulls me away, proving herself to be the best cockblocker.

I’m into Maya. Like really into her.

The idea of exclusive fuck buddies for the rest of the Championship can be on the table if our sex proves to be as good as I imagine. Never had a permanent fuck buddy before, but I think we can be that great together.

What would it be like if she wore my number twenty-eight? I envision her in a shirt with my name on it instead of Santiago’s. She screws me all up inside, making me want ridiculous things.

My lips twitch as I think up a plan to get her alone after the race. She can evade me all she wants, but it doesn’t mean I need to. Two can play this game.

“I didn’t think he cared if I was around on Sundays.” Her eyes shine. “Hmm. I don’t know about that. Noah seemed agitated that you weren’t around earlier. At least enough to ask me about it.”

“I came to collect my post-race winnings.” He drags a calloused finger from my lips to my throat. “Uh, I’m pretty sure they already gave you the trophy,” I whisper huskily. Noah’s grin widens as his blue eyes pierce mine.

He’s a hurricane catching me in the eye of the storm, giving me a false sense of security before the winds pick up again. A catastrophic and relentless disaster in the making.

He doesn’t give me another second to think before his mouth is on mine, soft lips pressing against my own. At first, the kiss is soft and sweet—innocent and unexpected from a man like him. He plays, leaving behind gentle pecks.

Kissing him is a mind-numbing experience.