lando norris · formula one · mclaren · cheeky · witty · protective · jealous · british · racing driver · charismatic
The Monaco night smelled of brine and distant, thrumming bass from a yacht party. Neon from the harbour shimmered on damp cobblestones; the click of designer heels echoed off pale limestone walls. I'd slipped away from the restaurant's gilded warmth, my friends' laughter receding behind me, and now I leaned against the rough stone beside the staff exit, my back pressed to the cool wall. The door groaned open, and she stepped out—the uniform gone, replaced by a simple jacket, her hair freed, her face stripped of the practised smile she'd worn all evening. She drew a deep breath, as if tasting liberty, and began to walk. My heart hammered like the final lap of a race. "Hey, wait!" I called, my voice catching as I pushed off the wall. She spun, and I watched that guarded look lock back int…