Chapter Ten #2
He leaned over and kissed her. Partly to silence her.
Partly because he could no longer stop himself from doing the one thing he liked more than anything.
But he fisted his hands, battling the impulse to fully stake his claim, to clamp her to his side so she couldn’t ever escape.
She was so tempting, more powerful than the most addictive drug.
Damn it, he needed to regain his self-control.
But she kissed him back. She didn’t just kiss—she gave and he couldn’t help but take.
‘You wore this to deliberately torment me.’ He succumbed and fingered the siren-red silk strap.
His anger, his need, rose. He would torment her as she tormented him.
If they weren’t driving, if there was no need for damned safety belts, he would have her astride him, riding him to oblivion in a heartbeat.
Instead, he swooped over her, stroking, sliding his hands beneath her dress and over her hot body.
The damned safety belt was suddenly useful for it kept her in place—hot and open to him.
He teased her nipples to tight little peaks.
‘This is madness,’ she panted.
Ah, but she was close and that pushed him on.
Lust-hazed need swept over him. He savoured her scent, sliding his tongue over her silky-smooth skin and nibbling at her sensitive tips.
It was only this—only explosive, undeniable desire.
But her little sob broke him wide-open and suddenly, all he wanted was to see her.
He pressed his forehead against hers. Locked his eyes on hers.
While her thighs locked on the hand he’d slid between them.
But he could flick his fingers and he knew just how she liked him to.
He needed to see pleasure smash over her in that unstoppable wave.
‘Let it happen, sweetheart. Let me see you.’
He ached for her to take what little he could give her.
Her hands threaded through his hair, holding him close.
‘You always see me,’ she whispered. ‘Always please me.’
Her words reverberated so deeply within him that he had to kiss her to stop their impact.
But then her kiss sliced to his soul. And as he stroked, euphoria shuddered through her.
He watched, ripped apart as she came hard, treasuring the vulnerability she displayed with him.
This wasn’t just sex; this was…impossible.
He couldn’t let this matter this much. And he couldn’t hold her like this forever.
Silently, he held her as the violence of her orgasm eased. Then she pushed back, tugging the silk back down.
‘I can’t believe I have to face people.’ The flush in her cheeks deepened.
‘You look stunning.’
There were more cameras than he expected.
Members of the public with their phones up, video on.
She bit her lip and stepped behind him. He wrapped his arm around her and drew her closer to mutter almost angrily in her ear.
‘I’m not ashamed of you, Lily. I don’t care who your parents are or what they have or haven’t done. ’
And he’d bought their silence to ensure her security. He would tell her that when they were alone again. She probably wouldn’t be pleased. But she never ought to want to hide. She deserved so much more than that.
He was the one stained in everlasting shame. He grabbed her hand tightly, hiding his own shaking fingers.
Lily wasn’t sure quite how she got up to the venue. Her legs had stopped trembling, but her heart was racing faster than a roadster on a hot lap. What had just happened? Why had that just happened? What was he thinking?
Bad things happen.
Had he actually meant that her leaving would be bad? Had he been that bothered? Because it seemed like he had. It seemed as if he’d suddenly dropped his facade and shown he cared. Did he, though? Could she believe that?
‘Please, meet my partner, Lily.’ Massimo smoothly introduced her to someone.
‘Partner?’ Lily echoed as they moved deeper into the room, trying to make light of it when in reality the prospect struck too deep. ‘Is that you soft launching us?’
‘That dress is no soft launch and you know it.’
What she’d thought she’d known was that there could be no us. Except within the past hour something seemed to have changed within Massimo. There was something wild and reckless about him and she couldn’t quite keep up.
‘Are you ready to dance with me?’ He ran his fingers lightly down the side of her face.
Maybe it was only a thoughtless movement from him, but it felt like so much more for her.
He pulled her straight onto the dance floor and into his arms. Because of course she followed.
And of course he could dance—how was that possible when all he did was work?
But he was lithe and graceful and quick.
She was instantly lost in the heat, the fast beat, the glittering intensity in his eyes and that flash of a too-rare wide smile.
She didn’t want the moment to end. Dancing high enough to almost touch the sky, it was what dreams were made of.
But it was hot. Too hot.
‘You need a drink?’ he asked.
‘Please.’ She nodded, breathless. ‘I’ll wait here.’
By a fan funnelling blessedly cool air in her direction.
She gazed across the skyline, taking in the light show flickering across several buildings and the vast expanse of water stretching for miles beyond.
Then she turned and took in the polished and stunning dresses so many of the women were wearing.
Distracted, she wondered why Massimo had reacted as weirdly as he had when he’d thought she’d left.
Why he’d suddenly seemed to cut loose now.
Very hot and dangerously happy, she was just getting her heart rate back to normal when Emiliano materialised in front of her.
‘Ciao, Lily!’ He beamed at her.
‘Hi.’ She gaped, then stammered thoughtlessly. ‘I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.’
He nodded affably. ‘I holidayed in Japan, then came back for this before heading home.’
She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to stop her heart from thumping right out of it.
She’d not expected anyone from Hearnshawe to be present tonight.
Massimo can’t have known, either, or he would have warned her, right?
Or perhaps he had known and hadn’t said anything because then she wouldn’t have agreed to come.
She glanced across the bar. She didn’t see any other Hearnshawe people about, and an imperious-looking trio of businessmen had Massimo cornered.
‘Congratulations on your podium.’ She made herself focus on Emiliano. Honestly, she was curious about him. He’d spent his entire teen years under Massimo’s roof and she wondered how close they were. ‘May it be the first of many in P1.’
‘Yes, indeed.’ He nodded, all confidence. ‘You arrived with Massimo, sì?’ His smile broadened. ‘Now I know why I’m not allowed to talk to you in the garage.’
‘What? You’re not what?’
‘You never saw that video of us talking in the garage? It went viral.’
Did he mean them talking tyres in Singapore? Had someone filmed that?
‘I’m not on social media,’ she muttered.
No one had said anything to her about any viral video clip. Massimo certainly hadn’t. It must’ve happened so quickly.
‘Very wise.’ Emiliano nodded. ‘It set off the alarms because I got involved with an older woman a couple of years ago.’
‘Oh?’ Lily almost choked.
A couple of years ago Emiliano would have barely been seventeen. And why alarms that he’d talked to her? Surely, no one would have considered Lily to be a threat?
‘It’s embarrassing,’ he said chattily. ‘I fell for her but she had ulterior motives that I was too young to see through. But Massimo was right and I learned from it.’
Massimo was right? So he’d stopped whatever unfortunate affair Emiliano had gotten involved in?
‘I’m focused on nothing but racing now.’ He smiled at her good-naturedly.
‘Massimo is very protective, but very soft on the inside. He stays in the office so his anxiety doesn’t infect me.
But you know this.’ He lifted his glass towards her.
‘Life is full of risk and uncertainty, but it must be lived.’
Emiliano was only a few years younger than her, but he had an innocent candour about him.
‘Those are awfully wise words for a nineteen-year-old.’ She couldn’t resist lightly mocking him.
‘They’re my sports psychologist’s words.’ He sent her an oversize conspiratorial wink. ‘He’s ancient.’
She laughed and he laughed, too. Open and honest, he lacked the brooding intensity of his cousin. In fact, he was surprisingly balanced for a highly ambitious athlete.
‘Truly, he is wise,’ Emiliano added. ‘Massimo got him for me.’
Of course Massimo had. That was what Massimo did.
He sat at his triple screen setup and fixed everything from a distance.
Got in all the experts anyone could ever want.
But surely, Massimo had never thought Lily was any threat to Emiliano in Singapore.
By then he well knew how serious she was about her job. It didn’t make sense.
‘It’s evident you adore each other.’ Emiliano smiled over her shoulder. ‘He can’t take his eyes off you other than to frown at me now.’
Lily barely breathed. If Emiliano saw it, everyone would see it. Her love. His lust. And as mortifying as that was, she suddenly had the sinking feeling worse was to come.
‘When did that clip of us chatting go up?’ She tried to keep her tone light, but her throat tightened.
‘Oh, it was weeks ago now.’ Emiliano shrugged.
Not Singapore, then.
‘Don’t worry.’ He reassured her. ‘They swamped it with my latest Hearnshawe clothing campaign.’
Of course they had. Massimo would have used the PR team and taken care of every last little detail.
She suddenly remembered the conversation. It was the only time she’d talked to Emiliano beyond a polite hello. In Canada, weeks ago, about tyres again. Only hours before she’d flown back on the cargo plane and met a sexy stranger on the plane.
Only he’d not been a stranger, had he? Massimo had planted himself there deliberately. Because—as he’d acknowledged—he would do whatever necessary to protect Emiliano. To protect Hearnshawe. But wow, hadn’t it blown up in his face this time? Now he’d had to do even more to protect his heritage.
She’d been a strategy. Entirely. He’d never been interested in just her. She couldn’t even delude herself that irresistible sexual chemistry had drawn them together and fate had thrown a curveball. He was an actor. She’d been a passion-starved pushover. He must think her pathetic.
And the worst of it was, it had almost worked.
Tonight she’d been revealed as Massimo’s lover and so it would be normal for Emiliano to laugh and talk with her.
Of course they would be friendly. But Massimo had overplayed his hand.
Emiliano himself had let the cat out of the bag.
The whole thing had been a setup. She’d been nothing but a chess piece.
He’d thought so little of her, didn’t even see her as an actual person, just a threat.
‘That’s a great campaign.’ Lily’s mouth gummed up. ‘I loved the long-sleeved tee.’
‘Massimo will get you one, won’t you, Massimo?’
‘Won’t I what?’ His low voice was right behind her.
She turned, rocking back on her heels at the brilliance in his astute blue gaze. The wave of betrayal was overwhelming. She’d never felt as unwanted in her life. She didn’t take the drink he offered her. She couldn’t fake it, not even in front of all these people.
‘Are you okay?’
Of course Massimo noticed. He was so damned observant, seeing everything and ready to swoop in and save the day. But it wasn’t heartfelt concern for her; she was merely another of his many details to take care of.
‘No.’ She eyeballed him. ‘We need to leave. Now.’