His Ultimate Prize(16)

'Here.' He tossed a bound sheaf of papers at her, which she managed to catch before they spilled everywhere.

'What is this?'

One corner of his mouth lifted in a dangerous little half-smile that  always made her forget to breathe. 'Two articles for X1 Magazine...and  something new I'm working on.'

'Something new? I didn't know you wrote outside of your monthly CEO's Snippets.'

He shrugged. 'Three months ago-while I was trussed up like a turkey in a  hospital bed-I was approached by a couple of publishing houses to write  my memoirs.' He laughed. 'I guess they figured a has-been like me would  jump at the chance to lay it all out there before the moths set in.'

She glanced down at the thick inch of paper between her fingers. 'And  you agreed?' she asked as she started to leaf through the pages.

'I said I'd think about it. I had time on my hands after all.'

She read, then read some more. On the third page, she looked up. 'This  isn't your memoirs, unless you were a girl who grew up in Valencia in  the late forties.'

'Bonita, you're getting ahead of yourself. Por favor, contain yourself and let me finish.'

She stared up at him. Rafael gave himself a mental slap against the need  to keep staring into those mesmerising eyes. 'I started writing and  realised fiction suited me much better than non-fiction. I told them no  to the memoir.'

'And?' she prompted when he lapsed into silence. 'You told them about this?'

'No. I've told no one about this. Except you.'

Surprise registered in her eyes before she glanced back down at the papers. 'Are you sure you want me to read it?'

'It's pure fiction. No deep, dark secrets in there for you to hold over my head.'

Wide hazel eyes, alluring and daring at the same time, rose to lock on his. 'Are you sure?'

'If you're thinking of flipping through the pages for X-rated material, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.'

Her blush was a slow wave of heat that he wanted to trace with his  fingers. For a woman so fierce in her dedication to her craft and so  determined to succeed despite her past, she blushed with an innocence  that made him painfully erect. Despite his intense discomfort, he wanted  to continue to bait her so she blushed for him again.

Unable to help himself, he lowered his gaze to the shallow rise and fall of her chest.

When she cleared her throat delicately, he forced his gaze upwards. 'So  what are you looking for-an honest critique? I'm sure I can read  whatever it is you've written and give an honest view, if that's what  you want?'

He smiled at her prim tone and forced himself to step back before he  gave in to the need to kiss her. Their kiss had only opened up a craving  to experience the heady sensation again. But, aside from the insane  physical attraction, he was feeling a peculiar pull to Raven Blass he  wasn't completely comfortable with.

Keeping his distance from her was impossible considering her role in his  life, but he wasn't a hormonal teenager any longer and he refused to  make any move towards her that reminded her of her sleazebag father.

If anything was going to happen between them, Raven had to make the  first move...or indicate in clear and precise terms that she wanted him  to.

'Gracias, it is. I await your thoughts on my efforts with bated breath.'





 CHAPTER SEVEN

THEIR EARLY MORNING departure to Italy, accompanied by Rafael's  executive assistant and a trio of ex-racers, meant that Raven had no  chance to discuss Rafael's manuscript with him at any point. A fact for  which she was more than thankful.

The story of the young girl was both uplifting and heartbreaking.  Rafael's language was lyrical and poignant, clever and funny in a way  that had made her feel each and every word, every expression.

Reading his work, she'd felt just that little bit closer to him. Raven  wasn't sure if she was more frightened or insane for feeling like that.  It was that floundering feeling that had made her take a seat as far  away from Rafael as possible.

But even though she made the right noises with the guy next to her-whose  name she couldn't immediately remember-she couldn't get Rafael's story  out of her head.

Nor could she deny his talent. She'd learned very early on, after  reading an unauthorised biography on him before accepting the job as his  physiotherapist last year, that Rafael had a magic touch in most  endeavours he undertook in his life. That he'd dedicated his life to  racing had only meant that the sport had benefited endlessly.

His regular contribution to X1 Premier Management's monthly magazine  already garnered a subscription said to be in the millions. If he chose  to dedicate his life to writing fiction his fan base would become  insane.

And you would probably be his adoring number one fan.

Without warning, Rafael's gaze swung towards her. The sizzling knowledge  in that look sent sharp arrows of need racing to her pelvis. Her pulse  hammered at her throat, her skin tingling with the chemistry of what she  felt for Rafael.

'...you ever been to Monza?' The German ex-racer seated next to her-Axel  Jung, she remembered his name now-stared at her with blatant interest.

She shook her head but couldn't tear her gaze away from the formidable,  intensely charismatic man whose gaze held her prisoner from across the  aisle. 'Um, no, I was Rafael's physio last year but Monza wasn't on the  race calendar so I missed it.'

'You're in for a treat. It's one of the best racetracks in the world.'

She swallowed and tried to dismiss the intensity of Rafael's stare.  'Yes, so I've been told. The old track was even more spectacular, from  the pictures I've seen of it.'

Axel's chuckle helped her break eye contact with Rafael but not before she saw his gaze swing to Axel and back to her.

'If you liked danger with your spectacular view, that was the track to race on,' Axel said.

She made an effort to turn her attention to him and almost regretted it  when she glimpsed his deepening interest. 'I suspect that's why it's a  thrill for most drivers?' she ventured.

He nodded eagerly. 'I don't know a driver who hasn't dreamt of driving  at Monza, either on the old or the new track. The tickets for Monza's  All-Star event sold out within minutes of going online.'

Raven had a feeling it had something to do with Rafael's presence, this  being one of his first public appearances since his accident. 'That's  great for the charity, then?'                       
       
           



       

'Yes, it is. I'd be honoured if you'll permit me to show you around  Monza.' He drew closer. His smile widened, lending his blond-haired,  blue-eyed features a boyish charm.

'I'm there to work, I'm afraid. And you'll be driving I expect?'

Axel, a two-time world champion twenty-five years ago, nodded. 'Rafael  and I have a friendly rivalry that seems to draw the crowd.' He laughed.  The fondness in his voice was clear. 'He's a special one, that one. The  playboy thing is just a front. Don't let it fool you. Deep down, there  beats the heart of a genius forged in steel. A fierce leader who would  fight to the death for what he believes in.'

Having her instincts confirmed that there was more to Rafael than met  the eye made her slow to respond. A quick glance at him showed him in  deep conversation with a member of his All-Star team. 'I...'

'He single-handedly brought the board members to his way of thinking two  years ago when they tried to put off new safety measures for drivers,'  Axel said.

'Safety?' Raven asked in surprise. 'But I thought...'

'You think because we love speed and hurtle around racetracks at two  hundred and fifty miles per hour we think less of safety? Ask any  driver. The opposite is true. We manage to take the risks we do because  of people like Rafael and the work they do to ensure drivers' safety.'

Feeling wave after wave of astonishment roll through her, she glanced  again at Rafael, only to find his attention fixed on her, his blue eyes  narrowed to speculative slits. He glanced away again and resumed his  conversation.

The floundering feeling escalated. 'Excuse me,' she murmured to Axel  when the stewardess entered to take drinks orders. Standing, she made  her way towards the large bedroom and the en suite bathroom.

After splashing water on her wrists, she re-knotted her hair in a secure bun and left the bathroom, only to stumble to a halt.

Rafael stood, back braced solidly against the bedroom door. His presence  in the enclosed space, larger than life and equally as imposing, dried  her mouth.

Heart hammering, she stayed where she was, away from the danger radiating from him. 'I...is there something you need?'

He folded his arms and angled his head. 'Need? No.' He remained in front of the door.

Raven licked her lips and immediately regretted it. 'Can we return to the cabin, then?'

'Not just yet,' he rasped, then just stood there, watching her with a predatory gleam that made her nape tighten.

Silence stretched for several minutes as he stayed put, seemingly in no hurry to go anywhere, or speak, for that matter.

She searched her mind for what he could possibly want, and felt her  heart lurch with disappointment. 'You're not in here because you want to  make sure your playboy status is intact, are you?'