“It’s a short walk,” Luca assured Portia, offering her his arm in courtly fashion.
He and Rosalind let them walk ahead. She slipped her hand in his and spoke softly to him. “I’m excited about this.”
“I can tell.” He shook his head. “This is a bad idea. I hope you have someone who’ll bail you out.”
She grinned up at him. “I think I know someone with legal knowledge I can call on.”
He mentally winced. Bloody hell, he was sinking in more and more. He needed to have a talk with Summer again and have her straighten this all out.
They arrived at his house. Luca’s Ferrari sat indolently at the curb behind his Lotus. They went to their respective cars after designating their route, which included a lap around Hyde Park and back.
Luca saluted him. “Leave the windows up, caro, so you don’t choke on my dust.”
Nick shook his head, letting Rosalind in before going around to the driver’s side.
“I like Luca,” she declared as she buckled herself in.
“He has that effect on women.”
“He’s your BFF.”
“My what?” he asked as he fastened his seatbelt.
“Your best friend forever.”
“He’s more like a thorn in my side.” He looked at her. “Are you ready for this?”
“I cannot wait.” She grinned at him.
He pulled out next to where Luca waited for him in the street. The Italian grinned mockingly at him and then tore off.
Cursing under his breath, he zipped off after him. His car woke up instantly, eager to play. He let her loose.
Next to him, Rosalind laughed in delight. He kept his eyes on the road, knowing better than to get distracted while he was going so fast.
Luca had a decent lead on him, but he knew the streets better than the Italian. The other racer hesitated at one corner just enough to allow Nick to downshift and zip around him.
“Yes!” Rosalind laughed, her fist in the air, cheering him on. “We’ve got this.”
Inspired by her enthusiasm, he pumped the pedal and took it home. He glanced in the rearview mirror a couple times, wondering why Luca wasn’t trying to make a move to pass on the straightaways—if he knew his opponent, the Ferrari was modified for optimal performance.
He slowed to a stop in front of his house. The moment he turned the car off, Rosalind threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “You’re a natural racer. Luca was right.”
He winced into her hair, where she couldn’t see him. “Those are words not often uttered.”
She laughed. “That was so much fun! I’m glad Luca convinced you to do it.”
He was going to kill that wanker for opening this can of worms. “You’re more of bad girl than I thought.”
She looked at him with a glint in her eyes. “And I’m going to show you how bad.”
Luca rolled up alongside him. Grinning, he gave them a salute and roared off with Portia.
“Take me in,” Rosalind said. “Bad girls don’t have patience.”
He hoped that wasn’t true—or else he hoped there was enough good in there to forgive him when she found out the truth about him.
Chapter Twenty-two
The man in her collage looked like Joe.
Em frowned at the board. How had she not noticed that before?
No wonder she was having issues. She ripped the man she was supposed to marry from the collage, crumpled him up, and tossed him in the trash. Then she took a cleansing breath.
Better. She’d find someone more like Ben and paste him on, and then everything would be on track again.
The elevator door opened, and a woman walked out. She strode toward the reception desk like she owned the world, each clack of her heels punctuating her sassy attitude. Her clothing was immaculate and moved with her body.
Em smiled at her. Most women would have been jealous, but not her. She’d never wanted power or expensive things. Just a home and a family. “Welcome to Orson & Tomlin,” she said as the woman stopped before her.
“I’m here to see Joe Winslow,” the woman said.
Em’s smile faded. She started to ask why, but she caught herself in time. “Is he expecting you?”
“No.” But the woman’s cat-like smile implied he wouldn’t mind.
Of course he wouldn’t. Wanker. Em punched his number into the phone.
He answered right away. “Miss me?” he said in a sex-me-up voice.
Wanker. “Sir, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“Why don’t you come out and see?” She slammed the phone down and bared her teeth at the woman. “He’ll be right out.”
The woman gave her a strange look and sat in the reception area. She picked up a magazine and idly flipped through it.