Billionaires: The Playboy

‘Everywhere,’ Matteo said. ‘It was the longest night of my life, changing lanes, swerving, all the lights blurring. I wet myself,’ Matteo admitted. ‘He just kept going faster. He was laughing and shouting. I swear I knew we were going to die that night but somehow we made it home. A few weeks later there was a huge fight and my father got loaded. My mother got in the car, apparently to sort things out once and for all. They say the car skidded out of control but I always wonder...’

‘If she was as scared as you had been?’

‘Yep,’ Matteo said. ‘She’d got clean by then, well, apart from spending...’ He saw her slight frown. ‘Believe me, I almost wish she hadn’t though. I can’t stand the thought that she might have been as sober and as scared as I was that night.’

‘What do your brothers and sisters say?’

‘There are some things that you just don’t discuss. We talk about other things, but the past is there—we all know it. I’m sure they have their own memories and issues. I’ve never told anyone about that night.’ He gave her a wry smile. ‘So, no—tell Pedro thanks but no thanks. I shan’t be taking him up on his offer.’

He tipped the last of the champagne into her glass.

‘Enough of the sad stuff,’ he said. ‘We’re supposed to be celebrating.’

They danced on the beach, a lovely long, slow dance, and Abby was celebrating not just the win, nor that she was out in her sexy silver dress and necklace, drinking champagne and relaxed, but turned on in his arms. But that this emotionally elusive man had told her something about himself.

Something that not even his family knew.

It was, without doubt, for Abby, the perfect end to the perfect day.

Matteo thought it less than perfect. Not the day, nor the night—more what he had found out. What had happened to Abby was criminal, not just the event but the effect that it had had on her.

For the first time that he could remember he wanted to step up, but that would mean offering more than he had sworn to ever do.

He remembered their kiss and could feel the attraction but the cruellest thing in the world would be to let her think he was capable of even a short-term relationship. And so, when the music ended Matteo did as promised.

He took her safely home.

CHAPTER SIX

ABBY WOKE AND stretched and looked over to her lovely silver dress that was draped over the chair and she was more mixed up than ever.

Matteo confused her almost as much she confused herself.

She wanted him.

Oh, my, she wanted him, and last night had been perfect.

Absolutely perfect except for one thing.

Unlike the sensual kiss they had shared after the win, at the end of last night, when he’d taken her back to the hotel, Matteo had briefly kissed her on the cheek like he was saying goodbye to some elderly moustached aunt.

Maybe all that she’d told him had been a bit too much.

And, Abby conceded, Matteo was way too much to be cutting her teeth on. He didn’t do relationships—he had made that blatantly clear—and Abby really was the last person to consider a casual relationship.

Except she was.

She was lying in bed, in pyjamas, and wondering what it would be like to have sex with Matteo.

In fact, since the first night they’d met she’d often found herself lying in bed wondering the very same.

Instead of dwelling on that lovely thought, when there was a knock at the door she pulled back the covers and answered it.

It wasn’t breakfast, just the coffee she had ordered, given that they had an official breakfast starting in less than an hour.

She wondered how the team would shape up this morning.

Abby got dressed. There were several issues being a woman in a very male world and the Boucher corporate wear was one of them.

Bottle-green men’s trousers.

Yum.

A bottle-green shirt and a black belt and lovely flat black shoes.

She headed down to the restaurant and there, looking very seedy but dressed in bottle-green, were her team.

‘How was last night?’ Abby asked.

‘Kedah’s a bad influence,’ Pedro said. ‘I can see pink elephants.’

‘Just keep smiling,’ Abby said.

‘Kedah wants to sponsor us too!’ Pedro told her.

Breakfast was long and there were an awful lot of photos and after that there were even more interviews for poor Pedro.

‘How’s Pedro doing?’ Abby jumped at the sound of Matteo’s voice.

‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning.’

‘We’ll talk in a moment,’ Matteo said. ‘I just want to catch up with Pedro.’ He went over and whatever he had to say to Pedro took ages and then finally he came over to her.

‘Can we go somewhere?’ Matteo asked and Abby nodded; he had his business face on and looked tired.

They found a table and she ordered tea and Matteo did the same.

‘You don’t look like you’ve slept,’ she commented.

‘I haven’t,’ Matteo admitted. ‘And neither has my lawyer.’

Abby frowned.

‘I’m in,’ Matteo said.

‘Officially?’

‘Yes.’ He handed her a very thick contract. ‘In a nutshell, I’ll be your sponsor for the next eighteen months. You can back out at any time. I can’t. Take your time to go through it though.’

She skimmed the first couple of pages and saw the figures he was talking and, no, she couldn’t imagine backing out.

‘What do you get out of it?’ Abby asked.

‘The Di Sione name on your car and Pedro, as well as your disgusting shirt...’ He looked at her attire. ‘Can we add a clause about your clothes? You’re wearing the same as the men.’

‘We can!’ Abby smiled. ‘What else?’

‘That’s pretty much it. Abby, I love the racing world. I can see why you’re completely hooked.’

‘It’s not always this good,’ she warned. ‘In fact, it’s never been this good till now and it might not be again.’

‘I get that,’ Matteo said. ‘I’ve just spoken to Pedro and when we’re both in New York I’m taking him shopping for a car. I’ll deal with his ego,’ he said and Abby let out a breath of relief. ‘You can concentrate on the cars.’

It felt too good to be true and she waited for Matteo to reveal the catch as he carried on speaking. ‘Now, go through the contract and flag any concerns that you have but when you read it, know that I’m in, no matter what happens between us.’

Abby looked up from the contract she was reading.

It had been business but now he had sideswiped her.

‘Us?’

‘Do I have to spell it out?’

‘I think so.’

‘I don’t do relationships,’ Matteo said. ‘I never have and I never will but I think we both know we’re heading for bed.’

‘I don’t know that,’ Abby flustered.

‘Of course you do.’ Matteo stated it as fact. ‘And, as I said the day we met, I am very patient. So, don’t stress about cup-winning performances on that front either. We’ll take it slow, get you enjoying it. Just know that when we’re miserable exes, and loathe each other, I’ll still be here for the team.’

He meant it.

For the best part of the night and well into the morning he had been speaking with his lawyer and playing email ping-pong with him.

In between all of that though, he had been thinking about Abby.

A future for the two of them was impossible but a future for Abby he could envisage, and he knew that much he could help her with.

‘Matteo...’

‘I have to go,’ he said. ‘I’m heading back to New York. I’ve got a big meeting tomorrow. I know no one thinks I do anything but I do work...’

He’d just offered her millions in sponsorship and a few sex lessons to boot and now he was dashing off.

‘Get yourself on the pill,’ he said. ‘I’ll do all the health checks.’

‘Health checks?’

‘They’re not really necessary,’ Matteo said. ‘I always wear a condom but I shan’t with you.’ He gave her a smile that had her thighs squeeze together at the top. ‘We don’t want a break in proceedings,’ Matteo said and in the most awkward of subjects still he made her smile. ‘No pit stops to change the rubber. We’ll just keep the momentum going.’

Pedro came over then. ‘Are you okay, Abby?’ He checked, no doubt, because her face was on fire.

‘I’m fine.’

‘Well,’ Matteo said in his best business voice. ‘I’ve given you a lot to think about, Abby. I’ll see you in Milan.’

It was a month away!

‘As I said,’ Matteo carried on. ‘I shan’t be breathing down your neck.’

He shook her hand, shook Pedro’s and then he was gone.

‘Matteo said I could have his jet at my disposal for a week if I bring in the Henley Cup,’ Pedro said. ‘He’s my man crush.’

Abby shot Pedro a look. ‘Hands off,’ she said and they both laughed.

It was the first time she’d laughed with a friend about something so basic and nice.

CHAPTER SEVEN

MATTEO DID EXACTLY as he had said he would and was completely hands off.

Abby was the recipient of several emails from some virtual assistant with flight itineraries and suchlike.

The contract was signed and countersigned.

Sheikh Kedah wanted to sponsor them too, but of all the amazing things that were happening, the one that had Abby reeling the most was that she was ankles in stirrups and having a pelvic exam and that she left the clinic with six shiny packets of contraceptive pills.

She still didn’t know what would happen between them.

And that wasn’t Abby being coy or naive. She was seriously crazy about Matteo but she was also seriously crazy about her work. Yes, the contract might be watertight but sniping at her sponsor she didn’t need.

And Abby would snipe.

Oh, the giddy high of being with Matteo would be wonderful, Abby knew, but she’d been clearly warned that it would only be temporary.

Abby was a sore loser; it was the reason she’d got as far as she had in the racing world.

Losing Matteo, or rather the flirting and friendship and fun of them...well, it was something she treasured and Abby wasn’t completely sure she wanted to mess with what they had.

And he was reckless.

The more she knew him, the more she read about him, the more debauched Matteo’s lifestyle appeared.

Still, it was bliss to know that the flights were covered, and with that weight off her mind the race ahead had never had greater attention.

Abby even found the time for coffee with her friend Bella one morning, while Matteo took Pedro out for that shopping spree. Given that Bella was an engineer on the Carter team they had a very strict no-inside-info rule, but it was lovely to catch up.

‘Are you still walking on air after Dubai?’ Bella grinned.

‘I think we’re all just trying to get our head in the game for Milan, but yes,’ Abby admitted. ‘It still feels brilliant.’

‘And how on earth did you land a Di Sione as a sponsor?’ Bella couldn’t help but pry. ‘I’m not sharing details but you must surely know that everyone is put out? Who wouldn’t want a Di Sione sponsor? Even one as wild as Matteo.’

Abby smiled. ‘Just luck. I think he likes taking risks and, given our new status, we’re the biggest risk of them all.’

‘I think he’s the risk rather than you,’ Bella said and rolled her eyes. ‘Front page again.’

Abby frowned and Bella groaned. ‘Sorry, I thought you would have already seen the news. It’s everywhere,’ Bella said and handed Abby her phone.

There was Matteo, staring at the camera, but instead of his regular suit or slightly bleary-eyed look as he came out of a casino, this image told her that he came in just under the six-foot-three line.

It was a mug shot.

Abby briefly scanned the article and found out that Matteo had been arrested last night after a fight in a very exclusive restaurant broke out and management had had no choice but to call the police.

Patrons were shocked and distressed.

‘That’s Matteo.’ Abby shrugged and handed back the phone, and she managed a wry smile and a roll of her eyes while on the inside her heart sunk.

He was supposed to be picking up Pedro now and her young driver had been looking forward to the day with Matteo so much.

It wasn’t just that he had let down Pedro that upset her. Matteo created chaos; a night in wasn’t enough for him, nor a nice meal by the looks of things. It had to be drama; it had to end on a dangerous high.

That was the man she was considering sleeping with!

Well, not any more.

Abby truly didn’t know what to say. She could hardly tell Bella how crazy she was about him, nor how disappointed she was in him too.

Instead she called Pedro but, unable to get hold of him, she gave up and Abby did her best to forget about Matteo and whatever the latest trouble he found himself in. They chatted about some of the other teams, leaving their own out, and Bella also told her that she was serious about someone.

‘In the racing world?’ Abby asked.

‘Oh, no!’ Bella shook her head. ‘I had to change the battery in his car.’ She laughed. ‘He hasn’t a clue and that suits me fine. I’m keeping romance well away from work—I’ve had my fingers burnt way too many times in the past.’

It would serve her well to remember that, Abby thought as she drove home.

Tomorrow they flew to Milan. Once there, the car, which had been pulled apart and shipped after the Dubai race, would be meticulously put back together again and training would begin in earnest—fine-tuning the car and ensuring it was perfect for the practice race, and then she would make the final modifications for the race itself.

Now though, there was one brief night to relax.

Not that she could.

Damn you, Matteo, Abby thought as she turned on the news and sure enough the first thing she saw was his mug shot.

Abby switched it off and, when the doorbell rang, she hauled herself from the sofa and there at the door stood Pedro.

A very different-looking Pedro.

His hair had been cropped and he was wearing a sharp suit and, judging by the set of keys he was waving, he was the new owner of a car fit for a soon-to-be racing legend.

‘Matteo made it to take you out?’ Abby put her own anger aside and smiled as she let Pedro in. ‘How was it?’

‘It was brilliant.’

‘I tried to call you,’ Abby said.

‘I left my phone at Bernadette’s. I’m just on my way there now.’

‘So what happened with Matteo?’ Abby couldn’t stop herself from asking. ‘I saw on the news that he’d been arrested...’

‘And released without charge.’ Pedro shrugged as he walked into her lounge. ‘Some guy was arguing with his wife and got heavy. Matteo stepped in and the guy took his mood out on him. Hey, Abby...’ Pedro said to his very distracted manager, who was blowing out a guilty breath at her own presumption. ‘I wanted to ask you something—can Bernadette come to Milan?’

Abby guessed Matteo had suggested that Pedro ask her.

Pedro had wanted to bring Bernadette last time but things had been so incredibly tight that there had been no room for wives and girlfriends.

Things were different now.

‘Sure.’ Abby nodded.

She wanted Pedro to linger, to tell her all about his day, or rather anything else Matteo had even loosely mentioned, but he was soon heading off to show Bernadette his new clothes and car and to tell her the news. Abby spent the rest of the night wondering if Matteo would call.

He didn’t.

And so, by the time the team were due to fly to Milan, Abby was in a state of high anticipation at seeing him.

She felt a bit like a schoolmistress at an all-male school as they boarded the Di Sione jet. Everyone was in high spirits, everyone except Abby, because there was no sign of Matteo.

Abby sat in a plush leather seat and rolled her eyes as Pedro looked around the jet.

‘Who gets the suite?’

‘You do!’ The attendant smiled.

It was then, Abby knew, Matteo wasn’t joining them.

* * *

Milan she glimpsed from the inside of a luxurious coach that took them from the airport to the hotel.

Abby knew the hotel the Lachance team stayed at and she had chosen another one, as she always did, which gave her one less thing to worry about.

Everyone was checked in but Abby lingered till they had all headed off to their rooms and then she asked the receptionist if there were any messages for her.

There weren’t.

‘Is Matteo Di Sione here yet?’ Abby made herself ask.

‘No.’

‘Do you know when he’s arriving?’

‘We can’t give out that sort of information.’

‘I’m a colleague,’ Abby attempted but she was no match for the tight security around the Di Sione name. ‘A close colleague.’

‘Then ask him.’ The receptionist’s smile did not waver. ‘Is there anything else that I can help you with?’

It was a busy week with little waking time to dwell on Matteo and when and if he would arrive.

Despite their amazing win, Abby did know it was unlikely to be replicated.

Pedro had raced the Dubai course but never Milan and, though they went over and over it and watched endless recordings of previous races, she could feel Pedro’s tension.

‘I shouldn’t have brought Bernadette,’ he admitted to Abby before he put on his helmet for the practice run. ‘She’s going to see me place last.’

‘Don’t think about that,’ Abby said.

‘I just got a text from Matteo, wishing me luck...’

It was more than she’d had.

‘I’ve a feeling I shan’t be getting his jet for a week.’

‘Listen,’ Abby said to Pedro. ‘You won last month. Nothing can take that away.’

‘Yeah, but I’ve got a whole lot more to prove now. Hunter reckons it was a fluke—he was talking in Reception loud enough for me to hear.’

Abby took a steadying breath. Apparently there had been a problem with the Lachance team’s hotel security and yesterday they had moved to the one Abby’s team were staying at.

Still, her own nervousness as to that wasn’t the issue now.

‘Don’t listen to anything Hunter says.’ Abby spoke firmly. ‘Don’t even look at him. Just give him the finger in your head any time you pass him. Maybe not today, but any time in your career that you pass him, then that’s what you’ll do.’

And so, too, would she.

The practice run didn’t go particularly well and Abby spent ages trying to soothe Pedro, who was seriously rattled, but finally at six he headed back to the hotel for an early dinner and then bed. Abby worked till late making modifications to the car.

By the time she got back to the hotel Abby was hungry, tired and certainly not looking the way she would want Matteo to see her, but there he was checking in at Reception.

Abby kept walking.

A month of no contact and she didn’t know where they were at and so she made her way to the elevator and pressed the button and stood.

‘Don’t you say hello?’ Matteo asked and she turned and smiled as he came and stood beside her.

‘I didn’t know if you’d just wanted to go up to your suite and crash,’ Abby admitted.

‘I do.’ Matteo yawned. It had been a very long day. ‘So, how’s the race preparation going?’ he asked as their elevator arrived and they stepped in.

‘It hasn’t been the best day.’ Abby sighed. ‘Pedro’s convinced that he’s peaked too soon, though he seems a bit calmer now.’

‘Yes, I saw the press conference,’ Matteo said. ‘He looked like he was about to throw up. What have you been doing?’

‘I’ve been working on the car.’ The elevator stopped at her floor. ‘Do you want to get dinner?’ Abby suggested.

‘I’m just going to get room service,’ Matteo said. ‘Do you want to come up...?’ He stopped. ‘Sorry, that was thoughtless of me.’ It had just seemed a natural solution—he was tired and hungry and he guessed, given the late hour, that Abby felt the same. He just didn’t want the bother of going down to the restaurant.

He thought she’d be offended but Abby just smiled at his discomfort.

‘Matteo, it’s fine,’ she said. ‘Room service sounds great. I’m starving.’

It was actually the nicest thing that he could have said to her, Abby thought—part of the difficulty of revealing such sensitive secrets was the aftermath.

She had been worried that he might look at her differently or think of her in different ways, but clearly it wasn’t at the top of his mind and that suited Abby.

They went straight up to his floor and to his suite and everything was better in Matteo’s world. Abby had thought she’d ordered the best suite for Pedro but clearly there were others tucked away for the likes of the Di Siones.

It was huge, more like a stately home than a hotel suite. The shutters were open to a stunning view of Milan at night but Matteo went straight over and closed them. ‘I’m sick of views,’ he said.

Matteo’s cases had already been brought up and the butler was putting his stuff away but stopped what he was doing and asked if he could get Matteo a drink.

‘Please.’ Matteo nodded.

Unlike the bar fridge in Abby’s room, here there was a crystal decanter, presumably filled with Matteo’s preferred cognac, but Abby shook her head when offered one. ‘I’d love a cola.’

‘And me,’ Matteo said, and before too long they had been served their drinks and were alone, Abby with a lovely iced cola, Matteo with both of his favourite brews. He drained the cola and then took the cognac more slowly as he asked about the practice run.

‘I have to say I’m not expecting a repeat of Dubai.’

‘Pedro knew that track,’ Matteo said and Abby gave a relieved nod, glad that he understood.

‘I am worried though. Now that we’ve had a win there’s so much expectation...’

‘Not from me,’ Matteo said. ‘I just called Pedro before and said he’s got the jet for a week whatever happens on Sunday. I suggested that he tell Bernadette that after the race, wherever he places.’

Matteo took off his jacket and kicked off his shoes.

‘You look tired,’ Abby commented.

‘I am. It’s been one hell of a week.’ Matteo yawned. ‘Family stuff.’

‘As well as getting arrested. How was lockup?’

‘Same old.’ Matteo shrugged.

He didn’t want to think about that night. Not the arrest, but the fight that he’d been privy to as he’d gone to the restroom.

Would he have turned away, if Abby hadn’t told him what had happened to her?

No.

He might have called management or...

Matteo didn’t know. All he did know was that he had seen red and pulled an angry man off his partner and told him to take his temper out on someone who stood a chance.

The bastard had taken him up on the offer.

Still it wasn’t just the other night and his family that were on Matteo’s mind though—even with an arrest and many nights out it had been a very long month.

A very tame month.

On many occasions he had wanted to pick up the phone and call Abby or step on a plane. He was walking a very fine line because sex was the easy part for Matteo.

Business he had taken care of through his lawyer and the contract was watertight.

It was the feelings he didn’t know how to handle. It was Abby he couldn’t get off his mind, Abby who he wanted to spend time with. Matteo knew his own reputation though, and he didn’t want to give mixed messages—such as how much he’d missed her, how she stayed on his mind.

Instead he stood up and flicked through the restaurant menu but looked up when Abby, who was wandering around the suite, caught sight of her reflection in a mirror and let out a little yelp—her face was streaked in oil.

‘I think I should go have a bath and get changed before dinner,’ Abby said.

‘Have a bath here...’ Matteo said and then grimaced. God, every time he said something it came out wrong. ‘I meant...’

‘I know,’ Abby said. ‘And I know, given all I’ve told you, that being in your hotel room should be awkward, but honestly, Matteo—’ she gave a tight shrug, unsure just how to voice it ‘—it isn’t.’