‘Annoying creature seems to have it all together—talent and brains. Told me to get my act together.’
He rose onto his elbows and she saw the uncontained happiness in his eyes.
‘I want to spend the rest of my life at your side, Lily. I want to have this baby and others if you do. You can design a race car and I’ll build it, but onlyif—’ he paused theatrically ‘—you let me choose the livery.’
‘You want final say on the colour scheme?’ Joyous laughter bubbled up and burst free. ‘Is that the deal?’
‘Yeah, that’s the deal.’ He wrapped around her, imprisoning her in the best ever embrace. ‘I want it all with you, Lily. But I promise I will never ask you to marry me again.’
She snuck a breath. ‘You won’t?’
His tender, teasing smile widened. ‘I will marry you anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Whenyou’reready, just say the word.’
‘What word?’ she muttered, rendered brainless by his touch.
Laughing, he pressed even closer. ‘You’ll work it out.’
Chapter Fourteen
Five months later
LILY WOKE WITHa start, seized by the sudden conviction that she’d made an outrageous mistake. She’d been an absoluteidiot.
‘Massimo?’ Rubbing her stiff back, she hurried down the long carpeted corridor.
It was a very long corridor. She’d moved out of the cottage only days after he’d come back to her and into this, his large estate only ten minutes from Hearnshawe HQ. It turned out the cottage was on the farthest end of the enormous property. She had to admit she’d gotten used to his stellar living standards shamefully quickly. In the early months they’d travelled in his jet to all the P1 races, resting at his other properties in between—the lakeside villa in Italy, the apartments in Paris, Venice, Barcelona—until she’d become too pregnant to fly. She’d been thrilled when Hearnshawe claimed second in the car construction category—even more thrilled to see Massimo celebrate with them. In the driver’s rankings, Conrad had placed second and Emiliano fourth. Lily felt certain Hearnshawe would climb to dominate both categories next year. For all Massimo’s pleasure in the team’s ascension, he was still a competitive beast who wanted to win.
‘Massimo?’
She found him in their study where he had a triple screen setup permanently in place. Her computer and notebooks were at the other end of the long table. She’d aced the bridging course for her university prerequisite and would start her first engineering paper next semester. Just the one so she could spend time with him and the baby, too. Some days she went to the factory just to hang out with Shane and the other mechanics, keeping her hand in. But now she felt panicked—contentment had blinded her.
Massimo glanced up and immediately rose. ‘What’s—’
‘Will you marry me?’ she interrupted him breathlessly.
He gaped, then crossed the enormous room in three strides. ‘Lily—’
‘I love you. I want you to be my husband. I want everything official, for our baby to—’
‘Yes.’He swept his arms about her and pulled her close.
‘Can we do it today?’
‘What?’ His laughter rumbled, a heavenly sound that she was too stressed to appreciate. ‘Why the sudden rush?’
‘Because I love you and I’ve been an idiot for—’ She winced.
‘What’s wrong?’ He stiffened.
‘Twinge in my back. I must’ve slept funny.’
He smoothed his strong hands down her spine, drawing her to lean against him completely. She flexed beneath his ministrations, his touch soothing the panic and setting desire alight instead.
‘So can we?’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t care where or how—’
‘Do you know I have a spreadsheet of all the possible options?’ Laughter still threaded his voice, but there was an undercurrent of the deepest sincerity. ‘It’s my favourite thing to dream about—whether we’re by the lake in Italy, or on a beach in the Pacific, or the ballroom here at home. Whether we have caramel or chocolate cake, whether we invite the entire company or just a few, and most of all whether I have a periwinkle or cornflower-blue tie with the ribbon around your bouquet matching—’
‘Cornflower. Always. Matches your eyes.’ She nudged his chest. ‘All those options sound amazing. Which do you prefer?’
