CHARLIE HAD SECRETLY hoped Alessandro would have gone to wherever it was he went that first night, but as she’d emerged from her room earlier that morning he’d been preparing coffee, looking so handsome she’d actually stopped to take in every detail, from his expensive charcoal suit to the shiny black shoes.
Now, enclosed in his car, painfully aware of every move he made as he drove, she wished she’d taken the early morning flight to London. Instead, she’d been lured by the opportunity to be at the test track again, hoping she would find out what Alessandro was keeping from her about Seb’s accident. Because something was, of that she was certain.
‘I have a meeting at lunchtime.’ His accented voice jolted her from her thoughts as they drove. She wanted to look at him, savour his handsome profile, but couldn’t allow herself to. She’d imprinted more than enough images into her mind during their weekend. It was time to stop, to let go of something that could never be and should never have happened.
‘I need to be at the airport this evening, so I will arrange a taxi.’ Her words, though flowing and easy, didn’t feel it. She was sure it sounded as if she was stumbling over each one and she ran her fingers through her hair nervously.
He turned to look at her just at the moment she gave in to temptation to look at him and for a split second their gazes met, then he focused back on the road as they turned into the test track.
‘You said you weren’t running.’ His voice was deep and stern, but she fixed her attention on the workshops as he pulled up and parked. The engine fell silent and her heartbeat thumped so loudly she was sure he would hear it.
‘I’m not running.’ The angry words flew from her before she had time to think. ‘I’m going back to my life, to the things I did before Seb’s accident. It’s what he would have wanted. The only good thing that has come out of this visit.’
She got out of the car, anxious to put some distance between herself and Alessandro. It didn’t matter how much her body craved his, she had to remember what he’d done, how he’d manipulated her to get what he wanted in an attempt to assuage his guilt and clear his name.
She all but marched off towards the workshops, hearing the driver’s door shut behind her then feeling his presence closing the distance as he caught up with her. Her pulse leapt as she reached the door but, before she could do anything, he pressed his palm against it, preventing her from opening it, stopping her from escaping him.
‘That is all? There must be something else you want to accuse me of?’ His voice deepened and she raised her eyes to meet his, determined not to let him know how much he affected her.
‘“Something else” being the fact that you virtually sold me to the press for your own gain?’ She hurled the words at him, indignation spiking her into action. ‘Or is it the fact that you seduced me? You let me believe I was doing all this for Seb, when it wasn’t. It was for you.’
His brows lifted suggestively, his expression of smug satisfaction almost too much to tolerate. ‘As I recall, cara, it was you who seduced me.’
She clenched her hands into tight fists, digging her nails into her palms. Pain made her gasp, emotional and physical pain. It was just what she needed to remind her of what was at stake. Not only her brother’s good name and her reputation, but her heart.
‘Don’t flatter yourself. What I did, I did for Seb.’ She flung the first words that came to mind at him, then bit down on any more. She didn’t want to let him know how much she was hurting, how hard she had fallen for him. He must never know. It would give him the trump card.
‘Not because you wanted to, because you couldn’t resist the fire that leapt to life between us the moment we met?’ He loomed over her, trapping her and forcing her to confront this.
‘Okay. So I couldn’t resist the fire, as you put it. But that fire is well and truly out now.’ She pushed his hand aside and opened the door, thankful to see mechanics and drivers busy at work. He’d never pursue her now, not so publicly.
Behind her, she heard him talking rapidly in Italian, heard his footsteps as he marched across the spotless floor of the workshop. She had no idea what he was saying, but it seemed that everyone was ready to do as he asked, waiting for their instruction.
At a loss as to just what she should do now they were here again and with so many curious glances her way, she went over to a car she hadn’t seen here last time. Obviously it was a new prototype for yet another road sports car. The black paintwork shone beneath the bright lights of the workshop and the elegant curves of the wing of the car caught her eye. It was very different from the flashy red one her brother had played a part in. That had been exactly what she would have expected from Seb.
This had more style, as if designed for speed and comfort. The grille at the front was far more sedate, more classical and looked much less aggressive than Seb’s. It was still low and sporty, its power subtly evident, but with a sophistication that made her immediately think of Alessandro. Was this car all his work?
* * *
As he spoke to his team, Alessandro watched Charlie walking towards the car. He saw her head tilt to one side in contemplation as she stood by the front wing, looking along the line of the car. He could almost hear her mind working, assessing the car’s capabilities.
With a few final instructions, he left his team and walked over to where Charlie was now looking inside the latest prototype. This was his design; everything he’d ever wanted in a car was going into it.
‘This looks like it has the potential to be a car in a league of its own.’ Her voice oozed enthusiasm that no amount of animosity between them could disguise. ‘Who designed it?’
He wasn’t about to tell her it was his work, not so soon after the launch of Seb’s car. He’d never intended for her to see it, worried she’d think he’d moved onto a new project before Seb’s car had even been launched. ‘A team effort.’
‘A good one,’ she said, running her fingers along it, just as she had done with the first car. ‘A really good one. Black suits it.’
He couldn’t listen to her praise for his work, even if she didn’t know it as such. This was the woman he’d done nothing but try to protect, the woman who heated his blood, making him want her more than any other. Now she hated him and was about to walk out of his life. But he couldn’t stop her.
‘I have arranged for Giovanni to take you back to the apartment to collect your belongings and then on to the airport.’ He had to keep the conversation on neutral territory. If she continued to talk about the car, he knew his passion for it would show, just as his passion for her could so easily come out.
‘Yes, of course, thank you.’ Her curt tone reminded him of her earlier anger and he knew he was doing the right thing. If he stayed any longer he would tell her anything to disperse that anger which hovered around them and relight the passion they’d shared at the weekend.
The best thing he could do was go. Walk away and never look back.
‘Arrivederci, Charlotte.’
Before he lost control of his emotions he stalked from the workshop, his footsteps echoing loudly across the floor. He could feel her eyes on him, feel the intensity of her gaze, and he reminded himself of her warning that first night they’d spent together.
I don’t do for ever.
Audaciously, he’d echoed her warning, using his first marriage to back up the claim, but had he really meant it? At that moment he had, but now, as he strode out of her life for ever, he knew that it was no longer true. He wanted for ever and he was turning his back on the one woman he wanted. Truly wanted.
As the sunlight dazzled him and the door shut behind him he knew it was over. Whatever it was between them, it was gone. All that was left was his one-sided desire for a woman who thought he’d set her up and who held him responsible for her brother’s accident.
This really was goodbye.
He got into his car and reversed hastily backwards, tyres squealing in protest, then he sped off, wanting only to get as far away from her as possible. The sooner she returned to England, the better.
* * *
Embarrassment washed over Charlie as she suddenly became aware of someone standing at her side. She was still looking at the closed door, could still hear the screech of tyres that suggested Alessandro couldn’t get away fast enough.
‘Scuzi,’ the man at her side said; thankfully, he seemed unaware of her emotional turmoil. ‘We will leave for Milan in one hour, but you may wait in Signor Roselli’s office.’
She smiled at his heavily accented English, as appealing as Sandro’s, but it didn’t have the same effect on her. It didn’t melt her from the inside, making her want to close her eyes as he spoke. ‘Thank you; I will be ready.’
She turned and walked to the office, nerves cascading over her. This was the one place she hadn’t been able to look for evidence of Alessandro’s guilt. Was this where she could find out the secret he was keeping?
She opened the door and immediately felt Alessandro’s presence. How could he affect her so, even when he wasn’t anywhere near her? She took a gulp of air into her lungs, focusing on what she’d come to Italy for in the first place. Proof of who was to blame for her brother’s death.
She sat in the chair at his desk, unable to shake the feeling of unease, and glanced out at the workshop to see the team working on other cars. Her presence at Alessandro’s desk didn’t seem to worry them and she relaxed a bit.
At first she flicked through some design drawings, spread out and pushed to one side, then turned her attention to the files on the shelf above the desk. One stood out, as if calling for her attention, and she reached for it, feeling more and more like a spy.
The first few sections held nothing but engine reports but, as she flicked through the file, one unmarked section at the back caught her attention. She opened the page and looked at the photo of the car, a grey prototype the same as she’d driven, its specification listed below. With trembling fingers she turned the page.
Accident Report.
The words rushed at her and her stomach lurched sickeningly. She blinked, as if doing so would erase the truth that was set out in black and white before her.
‘Oh, Seb,’ she whispered and closed her eyes, but the words were imprinted there already. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
The question bounced around the office and she glanced at the team beyond the window, sure they would have heard it. Satisfied they hadn’t, she looked back at the page, the words still a shock.
‘Driver error.’ She whispered the words, then paused before continuing. ‘The driver was found to have significant levels of alcohol and drugs in his system.’
She leant her elbows on the desk and pressed her hands against her face. Could this be true? Could she believe it? She read the rest of the report, each point stating the car was in good working order.
With a heavy heart she closed the file and pushed it away from her, not wanting to read another word of it and wishing Alessandro was here to explain why he was using her brother as a scapegoat.
Alessandro had already shown how calculating he could be with the photo of the launch. Had this accident report been fabricated too?
The man she’d spoken to earlier knocked on the office door, dragging her from her thoughts. ‘Now we shall leave.’ He’d discarded his overalls and was every inch the Italian in his jeans and leather jacket, but he was far from the Italian she really wanted. The one she hated and loved.
Did that mean it wasn’t hate? Or did it mean it wasn’t love? Two powerfully strong emotions and they were tearing her apart. So what did she want it to be? Hate would mean staying in the past, never moving on, and she couldn’t do that any longer. Love would mean forgiveness.
She stood and smiled, pushing her jumbled thoughts about all she’d just read to the back of her mind. ‘Yes, I have a plane to catch.’
‘Sì, sì,’ he said as he walked towards the same door Sandro had left from an hour earlier. Where was he now? In his meeting, not giving her a second thought? Or was he relieved she would now be about to leave Italy and his life?
She pondered those questions as the car left the test track and within a few minutes they were on the busy roads and heading back to Milan. Charlie sat in silence, watching the countryside flash past, so caught up in her emotions she didn’t even give the car they were in any thought. Her mind was with the man she loved. A man she should never have fallen in love with.
‘Goodbye is hard, no?’ The driver spoke, dragging her from her despondent thoughts.
‘Yes,’ she said before she’d realised it, adding quickly, ‘but only because it is also saying goodbye to my brother.’
She hadn’t expected this personal conversation and was glad to see they had reached Milan. Very soon she would be on her own, which was what she craved more than anything right now.
Thankfully, the traffic congestion took the driver’s attention away from the conversation and she smiled at his exasperated sighs as they negotiated the streets towards Alessandro’s apartment.
‘I will get a taxi from here,’ she said as she got out of the car outside the old building that she still couldn’t believe was home to such a modern and powerful man.
‘No, my instruction was to bring you here,’ he said as he pressed the required numbers into the keypad, obviously used to letting himself in. Was this Sandro’s right-hand man? Could he tell her the truth about the accident report? ‘Then we go to the airport.’
She sensed he wanted to deliver her to the airport as soon as possible. Maybe that would be for the best. Alessandro had obviously asked that she be escorted all the way, to ensure she had actually left. ‘Thank you. I will only be a few minutes.’
The driver handed her a key and she rushed up the stairs, into the apartment, trying not to think of all that had happened there in such a short time. Not wanting to linger, she grabbed her already packed case and left. As she shut the door, she closed her eyes briefly, pushing memories of being with Sandro to the back of her mind. But it wasn’t easy. Even though she knew she shouldn’t, she loved him. How did you switch that off? Finally, she went back down to where the driver was waiting.
Moments later they were once again in the traffic, heading towards the airport. She kept her eyes firmly fixed ahead of her as she thought of all that had happened. Would Seb have approved of her and Sandro—would he have been happy they were together?
‘Did you know my brother?’ She asked the question casually. This would be the last chance she got to talk to anyone from the test track and she wasn’t going to waste this opening, no matter how small.
‘Sì, he was a good driver, a very good driver, but things got too much for him. We tried to help.’ His attention was kept on the busy road, his words had been said in such a distracted way, he obviously hadn’t thought about them.
So it was true. She tried hard to keep her voice normal when all she wanted to do was scream and shout, but she couldn’t. It was obvious this man thought she knew all about it.
‘I didn’t realise you’d helped him too,’ she said as calmly as possible, luring him into divulging more of the truth. Each word he said confirmed all she’d seen in the report.
‘Alessandro helped most, but I was also there that night and it became my secret too.’
What kind of sister had she been, not to have noticed Seb’s problems? Guilt spiked cruelly at her. Not a hint of what she’d read had reached the press. Part of her clung desperately to the hope that this was because it was all part of an elaborate fabrication by Alessandro. She didn’t want to believe it of Seb; it was too painful.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,’ he said and she opened her eyes to see him looking at her whilst they’d stopped at a red light.
‘I do still find it upsetting, sorry.’ She dabbed the corner of her eye with her fingertips, glad when the lights changed and they moved off, taking his gaze from her. Did he know he’d walked into her trap?
‘The airport,’ Giovanni said as the terminal buildings came into view and the relief in his voice would have been comical if she hadn’t been so strung out by his conversation.
He pulled into a space and got out, but she wasn’t done yet. Whatever he knew, she had to find out. Good or bad, she just had to hear it. Could it be any worse than all she had just read?
‘Please—’ she put her hand on his arm, using all her feminine charm, bombarding him with questions. ‘You said you were there too. How bad were Seb’s problems? Did they really cause the accident?’
He looked at his watch. ‘You will be late for your flight.’
‘Please.’
He sighed and then put his hand over hers as it clutched at his arm. ‘He’d been drinking heavily that day—and the drugs...’ He shrugged, his face apologetic. ‘They made him wild, irrational. We couldn’t stop him.’
‘We?’ she whispered, scared to let go of his arm in case she fell to the floor with shock.
‘Sì, Signor Roselli and myself. Of course, we said nothing after the accident that would blacken your brother’s name.’ He took her hand and held it between both of his and looked at her, genuine concern in his face. ‘I thought you knew.’
‘I did,’ she bluffed, not wanting to tell him she’d only just discovered what now appeared to be the truth. ‘It hurts to hear it again. I’m sorry.’
‘Now you must go; you will be late for your plane.’ The relief on his face only cemented the bad images of her brother, under the influence of drink and drugs, driving the car. How had she not known he had problems? How had he managed to hide it so well from her?
‘Yes, my plane.’ She forced the words out slowly. They sounded hollow to her ears, but she picked up her small case and walked away from this man and the truth that had shattered everything she’d held dear.
Once inside the building she ran to the Ladies, her insides churning alarmingly. She splashed cold water over her face, not caring about her make-up, just wanting to stave off the nausea. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, as if for reassurance.
Could it be true?
She didn’t want it to be, but certain things were slotting into place, suddenly becoming much clearer. Seb had dropped out of the final races of last year’s season, claiming injury, but had dismissed it as they’d spoken on the phone, telling her to stop mothering him. Had he had a problem even then?
‘No, it can’t be true... Sandro would have said something.’ She spoke aloud to her shocked reflection.
Then it hit her like a brick being hurled through the air. Alessandro Roselli had been covering for her brother, not to keep Seb’s good name but to save his own damn reputation. To do that he’d dragged hers through the mire too. That photograph of them kissing backed it all up.
She pressed her palms to her face and took in a deep breath. There was only one person other than Alessandro who could confirm this.
Her father. He’d flown out to Italy as soon as news of the accident had reached them. Seb had died just hours after he’d arrived, but her father would know if drugs and alcohol had been the cause.
She frowned at herself in the mirror. Why hadn’t he told her? Why had he kept it a secret and then still supported Alessandro? There was only one answer. It wasn’t true and he knew nothing of the cover-up story that was being used. The report must be a cover-up. It had even been left in easy view, just waiting for her to find it.
Frantically she searched in her bag for her phone and with shaking fingers pressed call on her father’s number.
‘Hello, Charlie.’ Her father sounded cautious and not his usual self.
‘Is it true, Dad?’ She didn’t waste any time on pleasantries.
On the other end of the phone her father sighed, then horrifyingly she knew it was. She clutched the washbasin with her free hand, watching the colour drain from the shocked face with hollowed eyes which looked back at her from the mirror.
‘Oh, Dad, why didn’t you tell me?’ She shook her head in disbelief, feeling ever more disconnected from the woman staring back at her in the mirror.
‘You didn’t need to know. Where are you, Charlie?’ She could hear the restrained panic in her father’s voice and her heart clenched.
‘On my way home. We’ll talk soon. I have to check in or I’ll miss the flight.’
‘Charlie?’
‘Yes, Dad.’
‘See you soon.’
Her heart constricted as if a snake were torturing her, squashing every last beat from her, and she couldn’t say anything else. Instead she cut the connection before she cried, before she lost complete control. That was something she had to save until later. Much later. Right now she had a plane to catch.