I start to back away from the fence, knowing he’ll call me as soon as the world stops wanting a piece of him. And I’ll be waiting. I’m not going anywhere.

“Willa!”

I hear his voice and jerk around, catching sight of him as he pushes through the adoring crowd around him. He’s scanning the track, the grandstands, frantic gaze finally meeting mine. He starts running, dodging cameras and people asking for autographs. I press up against the fence and wait for him to reach me. Laughing and crying at the same time. I take in every detail of him. His sweaty hair, dark and twisted on his head from being kept inside his helmet. The way he looks in his racing suit, the way he’s looking at me. As if I’m the only thing he can see even though an entire city now knows his name, or is currently throwing a party in his honor.

“Shane.”

“Willa.” He muscles past a few more cameras and reaches over the barrier to slide his hands under my arms, before dragging me over it and into his waiting arms. That quickly, being held against his chest, I can breathe again. He’s strong and familiar and we fit together in a way that makes me wonder how I even envisioned us parting ways. It would have been like trying to separate a heart from a body, expecting that body to go on living. Impossible.

I want to hold on forever, but he’s pulling away to shake me. His blue eyes are full of intensity and hope. I’m so thankful I didn’t crush that part of him, my knees want to give out. “Tell me why you came. Tell me you’re here because you love me as much as I love you.”

“I love you. I love you.”

His eyes squeeze shut and he crushes me back against his chest. “Thank God.”

“You did it,” I whisper in his ear. “You won.”

“Dammit, I just wanted to finish the race so I could make sure I didn’t imagine you standing there,” he rasps at my temple.

“I’m so sorry.” Tears are coursing down my cheeks, soaking into his racing suit. “I didn’t mean those horrible things I said. It all happened so fast. Took me a while to catch up.”

“It’s okay, love. Everything is going to be fine now.” He pushes my hair away from my face, eagerness transforming his expression. “We’ll figure this out together. If it means splitting time between Dublin and Chicago—”

“What about racing?”

Slowly, he shakes his head. “It’s not worth it, Willa. Not without you standing there when I win.”

“Exactly.” When he only stares, I push up on my toes and kiss his lips softly, pulse racing when he moans in response. “You’re not giving this up. I can take pictures anywhere. I’m coming with you.”

His hands clench in the material at the back of my shirt, but his face gives nothing away. “You would do that? Give it all up for me?”

“You’re not listening. I’d be giving everything up if I walked away from you.”

Shane’s throat works with emotion. He starts to speak and stops, leaning down to mold his mouth to mine instead. We both groan in our throats at the contact, lips pressing and opening. Around us, flashbulbs go off and cameras roll. People shout questions in Italian and English. Ignoring them all, he lifts me off my feet, deepening the kiss for a moment before pulling away.

“You won’t regret it a day in your life. I won’t let you. Do you hear me?”

I press my forehead against his and nod. “Yes. I’m listening now.”

“Good.” He lays one more hard kiss on my lips, then sweeps me up into his arms. “Let’s go home, then.”

“Where’s home?” I ask, laying my head on his shoulder.

“Wherever you are, girl.”

Epilogue

Shane

I glance down at Willa as we climb the stairs to Ginger and Derek’s Chicago apartment. It’s Thanksgiving, a holiday I’ve never had cause to celebrate before, and the first time I’ll officially meet her family. And the first time she’ll meet her niece, Dolly. Willa thinks I’m nervous, I can tell by the way she keeps squeezing my hand comfortingly, smiling up at me, teeth showing and everything. If she does it one more time, I swear, I’m going to kiss the bloody breath out of her. She’ll never even see it coming.

In reality, I’m not nervous at all. I’m damned relieved I’ve finally been given the chance to bring her home for a visit. Relieved I’ll finally have the chance to look her sister and brother-in-law in the eye and reassure them I’ve been looking after her properly. If she knew that was my intention, she’d probably swing right for my jaw.

Hell, now I’m smiling, too.

In the last three months since Willa showed up in Italy and turned my world from black and white to color, we’ve been all over the world together. Singapore, New Delhi, São Paulo. In between races and training, we’ve been in Dublin, making sure the pub survives in my absence. Our absence, really. It hasn’t been the same since the day she walked in. I didn’t want to see it at first. It was difficult to withstand all of her beauty when I’d never witnessed anything like it before. My first instinct had been to push it away. Pretend I didn’t see.

A surge of panic finds my stomach, the way it always does when I imagine where I’d be if she’d never won that contest, never walked into my inn. Or if I’d managed to push her away before I saw underneath her fear to the courageous girl beneath. A man walking around without a heartbeat. Going through the motions. That’s who I’d be.

Her hands tightens in mine again and she smiles up at me, with teeth and everything.

Right. That does it.

We reach the top of the landing, and I drag her up against me. “Are you trying to drive me mad, girl?”

Her lips part, and I have the urge to nip the bottom one, so I do, loving the way she gasps when I lick the spot to soothe it. “What gave you that idea?”

“You’re smiling up at me like I’m some kind of hero for bringing you home. Dammit, Willa. I should have had you here months ago.”

She slides her fingers into my hair and the world steadies itself again. “We’ve been busy. They understand. And you’re forgetting it’s just as much my decision as yours.”

“It’s my racing that’s kept you away. Racing, the pub—”

“I’ve loved every minute. Being with you, taking pictures. You know I have.” She settles her taut, little body against mine and we both sigh. “Every.” Kiss. “Single.” Jesus, tongue this time. “Minute.” I want her now, here. I always want her. But I know it will have to wait. She’s sacrificed everything for me, and now it’s my turn to step up. Her family is waiting for her. I don’t do well being away from her more than a day. I can only imagine what nearly four months was like for them.

Reluctantly, I set her away from me and take her hand. I can see excitement curling the corners of her mouth as she leads me to the door.

“Ready?” she asks and I nod, finding it difficult not to smile when she looks so happy. I’m going to bring her home more often. Every month until racing season starts again. If she can fit it into her school schedule, that is, which she’s registered to begin in the spring. In Dublin. To be with me. She’ll tell me I’m being ridiculous, planning the frequent trips, but I’m going to insist. It’s the least I can do since she’s given me a reason to wake up every morning. A reason to rush to bed every night. Good Lord, I really need to stop thinking of taking her to bed, or I’ll never make it through this meeting.