Di Sione's Innocent Conquest (The Billionaire's Legacy 1)

Abby hesitated and then nodded.

‘He retires this year. I want my revenge,’ she admitted. ‘I know it’s supposed to be healthier to forgive...’

Matteo snorted, which told her what he thought of that!

‘You’re going to do it,’ he said. ‘But if not this year, there’s still next. Don’t make your life about him.’

‘I know.’

‘Concentrate on keeping Pedro sweet,’ Matteo said. ‘Spoil him. You’ve got winnings now.’

‘He placed fifth here last year,’ Abby said. ‘It was our first race and he should have been way back but, like today, something happened. He’s a genius and now everyone really knows it.’ She told Matteo something. ‘The next night, after he placed fifth, he took me out for dinner. He was just twenty then and I’m his manager and yet he got the bill and I knew that I was being served notice. He told me that he’d already been approached by the Lachance team. We came to a deal and I asked for this year, for the Henley Cup.’

‘Things are different now,’ Matteo said. ‘He’s part of a winning team and it is a team—a progressive one. The Lachance mob are sticking to the same old formulas. Remind him of that.’

‘I shall,’ Abby agreed. ‘Pedro wants to take you for a spin when we get to Milan.’

‘No, thank you,’ Matteo said, and Abby raised her eyes in surprise. She had thought, given his daredevil nature, that he would jump at the chance, but he’d shaken his head at the offer.

‘Thanks for today.’ Abby addressed what she had to, glad that it was getting darker and so he hopefully couldn’t see that her face was on fire.

‘For what?’

‘I’ve never had a panic attack before, not a full-blown one. I th

ought I was going to die.’

‘I told you that you wouldn’t.’

‘You said that your sister got them?’

Matteo nodded but said no more.

‘I didn’t expect to react like that. I’ve seen him around before, of course.’

Matteo didn’t like that and he frowned.

‘We’re on tour at the same time,’ Abby pointed out. ‘I always make sure that we’re in separate hotels. I only really see him trackside and usually I’m fine. Well, not fine exactly but I’ve never had that happen to me.’

‘He was angry today,’ Matteo said. ‘Even if he was trying to hide it.’

‘Yes.’

‘And I would expect that brought some stuff up for you.’

‘I guess,’ Abby said. ‘I hate how he’s messed me up.’

‘Messed up?’ Matteo checked. ‘Hardly! Your team just won—you’re coming into your own.’

‘You know what I mean.’ She had said way more than she had wanted to today but she had said it—there had been no one since Hunter.

‘It’s just a matter of time,’ Matteo said.

‘It’s been nine years!’

He actually grinned. ‘How the hell do you sleep?’ he asked. ‘I need a drink or sex, preferably both.’ He thought for a moment. ‘You’re not frigid. Had there not been one hundred thousand people watching on, I could have had you this afternoon.’

‘Exceptional circumstances!’ Abby said.