Chapter Fourteen
ASTRID AWOKE TO sunlight on her face and an unfamiliar weight draped across her midriff. The ache in her muscles was a pleasant throb as she slid out of bed, careful not to wake the very virile man spread out on his stomach alongside her.
The ring on her left hand sparkled in the dawn light as she stood in the open doorway of the treehouse and stared out at the beauty of the ocean beyond.
The decision to return and spend another romantic night here had been taken out of their hands once Leona and Jem had spied the massive ring on her finger at breakfast that morning.
Something about the silence and the earthy scents in the air had called to her so much more than Apollo’s suggestions of a luxury resort or a night on one of his yachts to celebrate their engagement.
She didn’t need all the frills his wild billionaire life could offer but she knew that, when she eventually became his wife, she wouldn’t be able to refuse them for ever.
She would promise to love and cherish him as long as they both lived…
even knowing that it was a union born of convenience.
It was fine; it was better than fine. They both knew where they stood and that was a lot healthier than being promised the sun and stars, only to feel devastated when it all came crashing down.
They had amazing sexual chemistry and mutual respect, and they had a love for their son and a desire to raise him well. The rest is just details, right?
She worried her lower lip, zoning out as the sun rose higher in the sky, creating a watercolour of pinks and oranges on the calm waves. She jumped a little when a throat cleared behind her and she turned to find Apollo wide awake.
‘Morning, fiancée,’ he said huskily. ‘Come back to bed.’
‘Fiancée… I don’t think I’m used to that yet.’ She laughed, sliding back in under the covers and pressing her body tightly against his.
‘We have the entire day and night for me to get you used to it,’ he said thickly, sliding himself down between her thighs. ‘I intend to show you exactly why accepting my proposal was a great decision…starting right now.’
‘We are going to have to eat eventually. And maybe take a walk to avoid muscle cramps after last night’s efforts.’
‘I did miss my training session yesterday.’ He feigned thoughtfulness. ‘I’ll have to be extra-vigorous to really work all my muscle groups.’
‘Speaking of training, why did I just get an email from Tristan saying that they look forward to seeing us at the testing track in a few days?’
‘I hadn’t intended on talking business, not when I have much more interesting plans to debauch you in every position possible.
’ He sat up against the headboard. ‘I haven’t said anything to you yet, because it wasn’t certain, but my lawyers have been working to break the terms of the will.
To allow me to hand the team over to my cousins.
’ He met Astrid’s gaze. ‘With everything that happened with my grandfather, Accardi Autosport doesn’t hold the best memories for me.
I wanted to be able to put my feelings aside, to put things right for the team, but I’ve been increasingly feeling that my time will be more urgently needed elsewhere—with Luca… and with you.’
‘Apollo…that’s a very big decision to make.’ She sat up straight, her eyes widening. ‘Are you sure you can trust your cousins to manage the team as you’d want?’
‘I’ve put measures into place where my cousins will not be able to deal in corrupt practices.’ A slow smile curved his lips. ‘I emailed Tristan last night to update him. I told him that I’ll be finishing the season with Falco Roux as planned.’
‘You are?’
‘I am.’ He laughed as she launched herself into his arms. ‘Are you upset that you’ll have to keep on top of my scandalous reputation for a bit longer?’
‘Of course not. It’s just… Apollo, if you are doing this just because of what I said…’
He shook his head, trailing his hand up the soft skin of her wrist to her shoulder, needing to touch her. ‘I made a commitment at Falco Roux that I intend to keep. That’s just who I am. I think part of the reason why I was tempted to accept the inheritance was because of my own guilt.’
‘About your estrangement from your grandfather?’
‘Yes, but…not in the way you think.’ His jaw seemed to tighten at the memory, ‘I had the opportunity to expose him for cheating against Grayson in my final year at Accardi. The season was already over, and I had won the drivers’ championship.
Then I found out what he’d done. I confronted him, of course, and he threatened to ruin me.
That’s why I left.’ He added softly, ‘And, after some investigation, I now know that’s why your efforts to find me never got anywhere. ’
‘Your grandfather knew about me? About Luca?’
‘He did. I’ve been having the lawyers do some targeted digging and discovered that he paid off your private investigator, and had documents prepared to pay you off in the event you got close to finding out my identity.
Allegra was the only one he’d told; Enzo had needed her to know in case he ever had to blackmail me.
With Enzo dead and leaving me the team, Allegra went straight to the press with the story. ’
She felt shocked, then sad, at the lengths Enzo had gone to just to keep them all apart.
He held her close, seemingly determined to get their evening back on track. ‘This was meant to be a celebration, Astrid. I will not have it ruined by the ghosts of the past, not when we have an entire future to look forward to.’
‘We haven’t talked much about that future yet.’
‘We will. I have so many things I want to discuss with you…plan with you…but first, I want to make you forget for a little while.’
He kissed another path up her neck and she felt her legs weaken.
This man…this persistent, seductive, beguiling man…
She knew that they had so many things they needed to discuss and that holding off on them was only delaying the inevitable.
But, as his hands began to work their magic, followed by the touch of his lips against her core, she pretty much forgot all thoughts as her mind relaxed into his worship and he made good on his promise.
For the final night of Spicemas in Grenada, a grand drone display was planned in the bay.
The pounding music was playing further on down the beach but still Apollo adjusted a set of noise-cancelling headphones over Luca’s ears as the first light began to ascend from the collection of boats a short way out in their private bay.
As vibrant bursts of colour fell from the sky all around them, Apollo’s lips found hers and Astrid felt the last piece of protection she’d had in place over her heart fall away.
Jem had now gone home to spend the rest of the summer with friends, and prepare for her part-time university course, and Astrid would usually have been run off her feet.
But that morning she’d awoken at ten to the sound of splashing in the pool and the smell of freshly made coffee.
Her fiancé—she still hadn’t got used to that word—was taking her advice seriously and was taking a proactive role in their son’s life without fear of rebuttal.
They’d gone back to the karting track almost every day over the past week and Astrid was slightly worried she’d created an obsessive coach in Apollo.
Luca, it turned out, had a natural talent for the sport as well as a keen interest. And, with both a father and godfather who were world champions, she rather feared she’d set the tone for the future.
She wondered if her over-protectiveness and caution had held her son back from his potential, and if his risk-taking father was exactly what both of them had needed in their lives.
They’d been up early, and spent the day on the beach with Apollo’s family, so it was no surprise to her when Luca’s head began to droop on his father’s shoulder immediately the drone show stopped.
They walked in pleasant silence up the steps to the villa and Astrid whispered goodnight, opting to slip away to her dressing room to begin getting changed for the more grown-up celebration she had planned for the stroke of midnight.
When she emerged a short while later, however, she could hear low voices coming from her son’s bedroom and popped her head in the door to see a sight that melted her heart.
Apollo lay on the bed, ankles crossed as he talked his way through an album of his racing wins, one of Luca’s new favourite pastimes.
‘This was the first track where I placed on the podium,’ he said softly. ‘It’s one of the older Italian tracks, and they don’t hold premios there any more. And here I am, at my first win in Monaco…that was a really close one. That’s where my work is, with a big karting track you can practise on.’
‘Papa’s track in Monaco,’ Luca repeated.
‘That’s right.’ Apollo said. ‘You can come and see me race there next weekend when we’re back in Monaco. You and Mummy can cheer me on.’
‘Luca loves racing.’ The little boy nodded.
Apollo smiled and Luca tried to hide a yawn with his little fist, determined to keep watching as his father flipped the pages to show him the milestones he’d worked so hard for.
But all Astrid could hear was the pounding of her own heart as she processed the meaning behind Apollo’s words.
They hadn’t yet discussed any long-term plans for their return.
To take the rest of their vacation as a chance to be together away from the various pressures that awaited them once they returned had almost been an unspoken agreement between them.
‘Luca loves Papa,’ the little boy whispered, one small hand reaching up to cradle his father’s cheek for the briefest second, his eyes still focused on the photo album.
Astrid felt her chest constrict as she inhaled a soft breath. Apollo’s eyes locked on hers in the low light, his look of shock and emotion equalling her own.
‘Papa loves Luca too,’ he replied, emotion thickening each syllable. ‘So, so much.’