his pity and he didn’t need complications in his life, but Mia’s injuries had been a massive wake-up call. He’d been easing himself into taking up the reins of a country—the easy way, from a distance. He’d even ordered the building of an eco-palace, which he would pay for with his own money, and where one, as yet unspecified, day he had intended to live…
All that had been brought forward. Seeing Mia again had forced him to confront life’s bigger issues. There was no easy way for her—no long-distance solution. Mia needed close-up warmth and support, just as his people needed him in the country, rather than some distant stranger who issued orders for others to carry out. He would return home and take Mia with him. When he was sure she was healed she could leave and pick up her life—become the old Mia, rather than this theatrical version. It was the only way he could live with the guilt. He should have been there for Mia—for the family—for his best friend, Tom. He’d already been on the phone to Tom, berating him—though that was hardly fair when Mia had sworn Tom to silence. But since when had he been cut out of their lives?
Since he’d cut the ties?
He couldn’t have cared less if Mia had been dressed as a fairy queen, complete with wings and a wand. The salon she worked in was high camp and each member of staff had adopted some gimmick to set them apart. He was only sorry she’d thrown away a promising career in interior design, though he had to admit her new disguise was hot. Mia in Tom’s cast off clothes, climbing trees—Mia in a quaint, old-fashioned ball-gown—these were both images he could live with comfortably, but Mia with the cheeks of her well-formed buttocks just visible beneath a pair of tight black leather shorts—
So much for his good deed for the day! How quickly his thoughts could turn from selflessly helping Mia to selfishly wanting her. He had to turn his mind back determinedly to the accident. She’d handled the fall-out well. He owed her respect. Both of them had always liked to live dangerously and had always played to win. He’d got away with it. Mia hadn’t. He stood by his offer for her to be his co-driver—that was if she turned up for the race tomorrow. And something told him she wouldn’t be able to resist.
He was easing his muscles outside the entrance to the motor racing club when Mia stalked up to him the next day. Wearing banged-up jeans and sneakers accessorised with a shedload of attitude, she was brandishing the fireproof clothes he had arranged for her to wear. He noticed how full her lips were—how kissable—
How firmly pressed together.
He was ready for battle when she stopped in front of him—just as well. ‘You knew what to expect,’ he pointed out. ‘You’re hardly a stranger to the sport.’
‘You should have warned me these came with your logo plastered all over them. I could have hired something plain.’
‘You don’t like naked women?’
She gave him a withering stare. ‘When it’s taken straight from the Kama Sutra, I draw the line.’
‘This used to be a man’s team.’
‘Well, pardon me for having breasts.’
‘Are we done?’
‘You tricked me, Ram.’
‘I tricked you?’ he demanded, dipping his head to stare at Mia intently. ‘It was your idea to help me—and you never asked about the clothes. Just kill the complaints, Mia, and concentrate on doing the best damn map-reading of your life.’
She muttered something unprintable.
‘Just don’t let me down.’
‘Don’t you let me down,’ she retorted. ‘We’re supposed to be a team, remember?’
‘The winning team,’ he called after her as she marched off to get changed.
The helmet she had to wear for the time trial was about as sexy as a bucket with a viewing panel. White with a red stripe and a black visor, it had Ram’s retro logo on the side. Five minutes into his life and she’d have to change that—not that she’d ever get the chance, Mia reflected. The all-in-one suit featured pants with a handy opening panel—
Well, she was used to that from her rallying days. Everything was fireproof, apart from her knickers—the one item of clothing that should have been fire-proofed if she was expected to sit next to Ram for any length of time.
And she had to stop thinking like that. Where had it got her back in the day—other than frustrated? It was time to stop thinking about Ram’s sexual potential and put him in the correct box, which was temporary teammate. He was nothing more to her than that—and she was certainly nothing more to him.
It should get easier, Mia reasoned as she checked everything was zipped up tight. She could feel herself slipping into race mode, and once she was in the zone nothing would distract her from the job in hand. She had been good at rallying and would be again. And the chance to race with Ram, who was a world-class competitor, could only be another building block in her climb-back to confidence.
And those bold resolutions lasted all of five seconds when she emerged from the changing room to find Ram surrounded by adoring women. No surprise there—though he did have the courtesy to tear his attention away long enough to acknowledge her existence. Wearing a black baseball cap pulled low over his thick, wavy black hair and laughing eyes, and kitted out in race gear, he did look amazing, she had to admit—taller, stronger and far sexier than any of the other men in the competition—but it was the knowing curve of his mouth and the wicked glint in his eyes that promised more danger than any decent girl should want to get close to.
Irritated by all the hangers-on, she strode towards him like some warrior queen intent on relieving a siege, but the females currently assaulting Ram’s defences had their radar working too, and perfectly coiffed heads swivelled as she came close—which was where the fantasy scenario faltered. Ram’s glamorous admirers dismissed her with barely a glance—though Ram grinned as she elbowed her way through the scrum.
‘Are you ready, Ram? Or would you like me to leave you here—to sign a few autographs, perhaps?’
His darkly amused gaze held hers for a moment. ‘You’ll have to excuse me,’ he told his adoring fans without once breaking eye contact with Mia. ‘It seems my co-driver needs a little last-minute reassurance.’
‘Ha!’ Mia exclaimed, swinging away.
No wonder Ram had insisted she get a good night’s sleep before the time trials. Pity he hadn’t taken his own advice. She had a good idea of where he’d been last night—clubbing and who knew what else—though, unusually, there had been no mention of him in the newspaper, which had to be a first since Ram had arrived in town. But what did the media know? What did anyone really know about Ram?
What did Mia know?
Nothing.
Except the sight of women slavering round him made her feel sick. Good for him. Lucky for her she wasn’t interested.
She hurried away—not even knowing where she was going—only certain she had to get out of there—
And jumped with shock as Ram grabbed hold of her arm.
‘Time for the technical inspection,’ he said in an altogether far too reasonable voice as he steered her towards the bank of officials.
