“I think I’m going to have to buy a new calendar.”

  “A lifetime supply coming right up,” he teases, and I laugh as I brush my lips to his.

  “I’ll gladly take it.”

  “Good.” He nods resolutely. “There’s one more thing I have for you.”

  “What’s that?”

  He pulls a bag of cotton candy out of his backpack. “I never got to enjoy the last bite. That’s one moment that’s been waiting seventeen years to come full circle. I don’t want to miss the chance to share it with you.”

  And there goes my heart tumbling to my feet, again.

  He holds out the bag and we both take a chunk of the blue. We hold it up, eyes locked on each other and put it in our mouths at the same time.

  “Victory is sweet,” he whispers, emotion thick in his voice.

  “It is. I love you Riggs. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.”

  He chuckles and the sound makes my heart swell. “It is. Good thing we have all the time in the world to figure it out.” He presses another kiss to my lips, the taste of sugar on his tongue. “Victory is most definitely sweet.”

  EPILOGUE

  Camilla

  One Year Later

  “I don’t understand why they’re demanding that I come here to see the ad spot,” I gripe to Elise. “Can’t I see it just as easily from my desk? On my computer?”

  “Someone pissed in your Cheerios this morning, didn’t they?”

  I slide a glare her way. She’s in bright pink today. The color suits her. Her bubbly personality that comes with it a bit too much for me today.

  To say I love her is an understatement, but she’s been buzzing around like a bee all day, hovering.

  “No. I’m just tired. With Riggs in the States, I’m not getting much sleep because we’re up talking with the time difference.”

  “Oh, to be in love,” she says. “I’m still blaming you for stealing my future husband away, but I’ll let it slide this time.”

  “Just this once.” I smile.

  “Did you just smile? Holy shit, everyone,” she says to the empty grandstand at Silverstone. “Camilla Moretti just smiled.”

  “Funny.”

  “Thank you.”

  We walk a bit more and I can’t help but smile as I think back to how different my life was a year ago when I was last here.

  And how it’s changed for the better.

  Moving in with Riggs. Riggs getting a ride for the entire season with Moretti—now a full-blown F1 driver just like he’s always dreamt of. I’m still learning the ropes from my dad, but if there’s one thing being with Riggs has taught me, it’s to enjoy every second I have with my father. My mom is back with a full case of kids to advocate for. And Gia and Isabella have found F1 to have much more eye candy than they thought. They’re now frequent guests of the Moretti Motorsports hospitality suite.

  “Man,” I murmur.

  “What?”

  “Just thinking about what a difference a year can make.”

  She rubs her barely showing belly. “Don’t I know it,” she beams. “Oh, look.” She points to the Jumbotron screen that the grandstands look out at. It flickers to life.

  “This better be damn good for driving me all this way out here.”

  “Is this thing on?” booms from the speakers followed by a tapping sound like on a microphone.

  But it’s the voice that’s talking that has me sitting straighter.

  Riggs’s face flashes on the screen, in much the same fashion as his AITA series we still do, but more sporadically now.

  “What the . . .” I look over to Elise, but she’s nowhere to be found.

  Something is most definitely going on.

  “So, in our normal fashion, I have a very special edition of Am I the Arsehole today. I had a very good friend write in and ask a question I’m going to need your help with.” Riggs pulls the camera closer to his face and widens his eyes. “You ready?”

  Is it silly I have tears in my eyes? Happy tears. Tears, because it’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him, and I miss him desperately.

  “Okay. You’re ready. So here goes. Am I the Arsehole for falling in love with this incredibly intelligent, beautiful, kind woman and for planning our engagement party before I even ask her to marry me because I’m that desperate for her to be my wife?”

  What?

  Oh my God.

  This can’t be—

  “Riggs?” I call out, but the screen goes black.

  I whip around to find Elise to ask her what the hell he’s talking about, but when I do, Riggs is standing there. A smile on his handsome face as he lowers himself to one knee.

  “You’re supposed to be in Austin,” I whisper, afraid to believe what I’m seeing.

  “No, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Here. With you.”

  I take a few steps forward, my eyes blurring with tears as I try to process what’s happening.

  “Yes. This is really happening,” he says, reading my mind. “I’m really here, on my knee, asking the woman I love to marry me. I’m really here, telling her that life hasn’t been the same since my massive fuck up at a bar where I almost lost her before I even knew I wanted her. I’m really here, asking her to take the dare card this time. To marry me. To do this life together with me. To break into private parks for picnics and have a ludicrous, whimsical life together where we never know what comes next but are excited for it because we’ll face it together. Marry me, Gasket. Please.”

  “Ludicrous whimsical, huh?”

  “Not my term.” He laughs. “It’s my wife’s.”

  Wife.

  Chills dance over my skin at the term.

  And at the love in his eyes.

  “Yes. Of course, yes.”

  He rises and presses his lips to mine, before throwing his head back and shouting, “She said yes!”

  A cheer goes up.

  I spin around to see everyone precious to me. How did he manage that? My mom. My dad with his cane. Gia and Isabella. Riggs’s mom, someone I’ve grown so close to over the last twelve months. Micah, Wills, and Junior. Elise.

  Everyone that matters.

  Everyone I love.

  Everyone who I want to make more memories with.

  Victory is indeed sweet.

  Let the ludicrous, whimsical adventures begin.

  THE END

  Did you love Camilla and Riggs’s story in Off the Grid? Do you want to meet the rest of the drivers in the Full Throttle series?

  Be ready for another lap around the circuit in these upcoming books, available for preorder now.

  On The Edge—The playboy of Formula 1, Cruz Navarro, is coming January 2024—preorder HERE

  Over The Limit—The grumpy sunshine of Formula 1, Lachlan Evans, is coming June 2024—preorder HERE

  Out of Control—The bad boy of Formula 1, Oliver Rossi, is coming August 2024—preorder HERE

  Looking for another sexy racecar driver to read until my next one comes out? Have you met Colton Donavan yet in The Driven Series? He’s a reckless, bad boy with a good guy heart buried underneath. You can meet him in this completed series by clicking HERE.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes, who we love to hate but can’t help but love.

  Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over two million copies of her books across twenty different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. (She still wakes up and asks herself how she got so lucky for all this to happen.)

  A mom of three, Kristy finds the only thing harder than finishing the book she’s writing is navigating parenthood during the teenage years (send more wine!). She loves dogs, sports, a good book, and is an expert procrastinator. She lives in Southern California with her family and their three dogs.

  You can find out more about Kristy, her books, or just chat with her on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter or follow her on Bookbub.

 

 

  K. Bromberg, Off the Grid

 

 

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