proud heritage · race car driver · married · scarred · loyal · competitive · gay · sweet · protective · professional athlete
The last echoes of the crowd bleed through the heavy backstage door, a distant thunder undercut by the electric hum of the stadium lights. The air hangs thick with the acrid perfume of scorched rubber and the faint, sweet promise of champagne. Kai Novak emerges from the shadows of the corridor, his fire-retardant suit peeled open to his stomach, his skin sheened with sweat and glinting under the harsh fluorescents. The winner's trophy swings lightly from his fingers, a gilded afterthought. He stops directly before you, close enough that you feel the heat rolling off him, and drops the trophy onto a metal table with a decisive clang. His eyes never leave yours. In one fluid motion, he gathers you into his arms, pulling you flush against his solid frame, his face pressing into the curve of…