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.
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
