His Ultimate Prize

In another life, at another time...

No! Even in a parallel universe having anything to do with Marco would be bad news.

‘I hear a but somewhere in there. Either you still think I’m poison or it’s something else. Tell me. I can take it.’

He gave a jerky nod of his head in a move she was becoming familiar with. ‘Last night, at the awards, you spoke of Rafael like a friend.’

‘Because that’s what he is. Just a friend.’

His jaw clenched. ‘You’re asking me to take your word over my brother’s?’

‘Not really. I’m saying give us both the benefit of the doubt. See where it takes you.’

He shook his head. ‘As long as Rafael sees you as his there can be nothing between us.’

Despite the steaming coffee in her hand, she felt a chill spread through her. ‘The message has been received, loud and clear. Was there something else?’

For a full minute he didn’t answer. Then, ‘I don’t want you to think that the kiss has bought you any special privileges.’

‘You mean like expecting you to bring me coffee every morning?’ she replied sarcastically, a surprisingly acute pain scouring its acidic path through her belly.

‘My expectations from you as a driver haven’t changed. In fact nothing has changed. Understood?’

Setting down her mug on the bedside table, she hugged her knees. ‘All this angst over a simple kiss, Marco?’ The need to reduce the kiss to an inconsequential blip burned through her, despite her body’s insistence on reliving it.

He prowled to the window and turned to face her. ‘Women have a habit of reading more into a situation than there actually is.’ His raised hand killed her response. ‘While taking pains to state the contrary. But I want to be very clear—I don’t do relationships.’

Her breath fractured in her lungs. ‘I’m not looking for one,’ she forced out.

His whole body stiffened. ‘Then it stands to reason that there shouldn’t be a problem.’

She hugged her knees tighter. ‘Again I sense a but.’

‘But...for some reason you’re all I think about.’

The statement was delivered with joyless candour. Yet her heart leapt like a puppet whose string had been jerked. And when his eyes met hers and she saw the heat in them something inside her melted.

He strode back towards the bed, shoving clenched fists into his pockets. She stared up at him, her pulse racing. ‘And you’re annoyed about that?’

His gaze raked her face slowly. Then slid to her neck, her breasts, and back up again. Molten heat burned in his eyes. ‘Livid. Frustrated. Puzzled. Intensely aroused.’

Of their own volition her eyes dropped below his belt-line. Confronted with the evidence, she felt a deep longing melt between her legs. She swallowed as heat poured through her whole being.

Looking away, she muttered, ‘Don’t do that.’

A strained sound escaped his throat. ‘I was just about to demand the same of you.’

‘I’m not doing anything. You, on the other hand—you’re...’ She sucked in a desperate breath.

‘I’m what?’ he demanded, his voice low, ferocious.

‘You’re all brooding and...and fierce...and angry...and...aroused. You’re cursing your desire for me and yet your eyes are promising all sorts of rampant steaminess.’ Her eyes darted back to the bulge in his trousers and a lump clogged her throat. ‘I...I think you should leave.’

‘You don’t sound very sure about that.’

‘I am. I don’t want you. And even if I did you’re off-limits to me, remember? So you can’t...can’t present me with...this!’

A pulse jerked in his jaw. ‘I never said the situation wasn’t without complications.’

‘Well, the solution is easy. You hired me to do a job so let me get on with it. We don’t have to see each other until the season ends and we win the Constructors’ Championship. We’ll stand on the top podium and douse ourselves in champagne. Then we’ll go our separate ways until next season starts.’

‘And you will have fulfilled this promise you made?’

Surprise zapped through her. He remembered. ‘Partly, yes,’ she replied, before thinking better of it.

His gaze turned speculative. ‘To whom did you make the promise?’

She dragged her eyes from his, the sudden need to spill everything shocking her with its intensity. But she couldn’t. Marco didn’t trust her. And she wasn’t prepared to trust him with the sacred memory of her father.

She shook her head. ‘It’s none of your business. Are you going to leave me alone to get on with it?’