Roaring Hot! (Contemporary Romance): A Billionaire Biker Romance (8 page)

She cringed and shrugged, then dropped her gaze to the bedspread.

“You thought I was going to force you? And you wanted to be prepared?”

He dangled a bait, so tempting and easy to take. She could play the victim and place the blame on him.

“No, you’d never force me. It’s just I want so badly to be an actress, and you know what they say.”

“Have you ever slept your way into a part before?” He hated that he had to grill her, but Oba-chan was an amazing judge of character and would see right through her if she wasn’t genuine.

“No, but I’ve thought about it. I shouldn’t tell you this. Never mind …”

He reached over and touched her shoulder, drawing her closer so they were side by side, facing each other. “You can tell me.”

Her lips trembled and she took a deep breath. He wanted to wipe the worry lines from between her eyes, except she was still so cute, looking troubled and scared.

“I want this job badly. If I get cut, my parents will think I’m a failure. The last thing I want to hear is ‘I told you so.’”

“And you were willing to sleep with me? Endure it if possible?”

“Y-yes. I-I’m so ashamed,” she stuttered, her gaze downcast.

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You wouldn’t have gone through with it, and I wouldn’t have pushed.”

“Am I so bad an actress?”

“Believe me, when it comes to sex, I don’t appreciate acting. I’ve thrown women out of my bed for pretending.”

“You can tell?”

Whether he could or not, it was to his advantage to let her believe he could.

“Definitely. Most guys can.” He threw that last bit in as a service to mankind. “So, be yourself and no faking.”

“I wasn’t pretending with the kisses.” She peeked at him through lowered eyelashes.

“I know that. But you’re not ready for me to touch you because you barely know me and you’re not the kind of girl who sleeps with guys you’re not comfortable with.”

“How do you know?”

“You threw up over the script because you didn’t want to tease me. No guy could have resisted that red dress, and you knew I wouldn’t have been able to control myself.”

“You’re giving me a lot more credit than I deserve.” Her face reddened. “I felt it was unfair of me to lead you on and then deny you.”

“Oh, I don’t think you could have denied me. I always get what I want.”

“Conceited, aren’t we?” She gave him a playful push. “Guess that’s what Ronaldo and Mia wanted, a lot of conflict. So, what do we do now?”

“I’ve an idea. For the rest of the episodes, we’ll go with their stupid script. Don’t worry about me. I’ll know you’re acting and I’ll be acting too. But we’ll also get off-camera time together where we can be ourselves.”

Her smile was both sweet and touching. “I like your idea.”

Warm fuzzies bubbled in Teo’s chest. What a big jump from distrusting him just a moment ago. She had a way of giving him credit and ascribing good motives to him, even though she claimed he was a player.

“I like you, Amy. Whatever happens on the show, don’t forget it.”

“Thanks, I honestly appreciate what you’re doing for me. Sorry I blew up the episode.”

He stroked the back of her head, running his fingers through her silky hair. “I’m glad you cared enough about my feelings.”

She swallowed, her eyelids fluttering. Placing her hand on his jaw, she traced his lower lip. “I hate to say this, but I’m starting to like you too.”

Teo couldn’t help the smirk lifting his cheeks. The way her voice wobbled, she wasn’t acting. It had been hard for her to admit it. Tonight had turned out better than he’d expected. If he played it right, she’d be eating out of his hand soon, and his grandmother would be thoroughly convinced at her birthday party that Amy was his genuine girlfriend.

He pressed a delicate kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you after the trials tomorrow. Wish me luck.”

“You’re going to do great.” She hugged him, her precious body fitting into his embrace like she belonged there. “Stay safe, Teo-chan.”

Her use of the affectionate ‘chan’ made his spine tingle. She sure played the part of girlfriend well.

“I will, sweetie,” he said. “I enjoyed our date.”

“Very much.” She dotted a kiss on his nose, got off the bed, and retreated toward the connecting door. With a demure wave of her small hand, she disappeared to the other side, leaving Teo’s blood pounding through his veins.

She liked him. Pride puffed his chest at the same time a twisting pain clenched his stomach. She liked him, for now, but there’d be a day when she, too, would leave.

Or worse, she was a better actress than he thought.

Saturday morning, Teo checked the zippers on his racing leathers as his sister Tasha adjusted his back protector. Claudio, the team manager, swaggered by and gave him a thumbs up. “You’re our best hope today. Weather’s clear, track’s dry. How’d you sleep last night?”

“Like a baby.” Teo grinned, rolling his neck joints. “Feel great. Did my meditation this morning.”

“Good. We need you to achieve the front half of the grid.”

“I’ll try my best.” Teo glanced at his motorcycle. A team of mechanics surrounded it, making their last minute adjustments.

“Humph,” Claudio grunted, his gaze travelling to Amy who’d just arrived. “Just as long as you don’t let that woman distract you.”

“Yes sir.” Teo dismissed Claudio and wandered toward Amy’s direction. Today, she was dressed conservatively, like a business executive, in a dark navy skirt suit. Her hair was pinned back and she held a large golf umbrella for the sun.

Smiling, she sashayed to him in too-high pumps.

Teo grimaced. Nobody wore business suits and heels to a the track unless they were selling something. What made her think to dress so conservatively?

He caught her as she snagged a heel on the tarmac. “Watch your step.”

“Thanks. I bet you thought you wouldn’t see me until tomorrow night.” She leaned as if to kiss him.

“Did you know it’s bad luck to kiss your girlfriend or wife before the race?”

“Seriously?” She popped him a kiss on the cheek. “Did that count?”

“Do you want it to?”

Her mouth twisted and her eyes crinkled. “Trick question. Since we’re out in public, I’m your girlfriend. Guess your luck is half messed up.”

“Then I know who to blame.” He pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her lips. “I’m glad you came. Conditions are perfect. Make sure you’re right up near the starting line.”

“I saved her a spot,” his sister Tasha said.

“Don’t you worry about us.” Amy put her arm around Tasha. “We’ll only be talking about you.”

Since when had his sister and Amy become friends? Tasha was a shrewd operator. Had to be in his large and complicated family. What if she was a double agent sent by Oba-chan to find out about Amy?

“All good things, girls. Later.” Teo tipped a confident smile at them and put on his helmet. It would do no good to appear worried in front of women. Their intuition would latch onto it instantly, then analyze his every move. Amy had better be an accomplished actress to pull the wool over Tasha’s eyes. But then, Tasha was a piece of cake compared to Oba-chan.

Teo turned toward his bike.

“Teo!” Ronaldo’s voice carried across the pit. “Let me ride your bike today.”

“No way, man. What’s wrong with yours?”

“They’re adjusting my suspension for stability over performance.”

“That’s because you’re always sliding out.” Teo punched Ronaldo’s shoulder. “How late did you stay out last night?”

Ronaldo yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Dude, you get any tail last night? I had a foursome.”

Typical Ronaldo to brag about nothing. He was as cut-throat as a pre-med claiming to be out partying the night before the final exam.

“Whatever. Don’t touch my bike or I’ll kill you.” Teo plugged one of his ears with his custom fitted earplug and pulled his helmet over his head.

“Whoa, guess Amy shut you out.” Ronaldo puffed his cheek and blew out with a pop.

“Unlike you, I don’t kiss and tell. Besides, she says she likes me.”

“Score!” Ronaldo high fived him. “Good luck on the track.”

“You too.” Teo pulled on his gloves and walked toward his bike. His mechanic had the bike warming up, its motor burbling on idle. Lowering the visor of his helmet, Teo straddled his bike. He followed the pit line to the track and lined up on the grid. The red light changed to amber to green. Go!

The bike felt good. Smooth and tight. He quickly accelerated through the gears before braking and downshifting at the turn line. Shifting his weight, he leaned down for the turn, his suspension holding as he cornered a right hander. Whoosh, he came out of it fast and immediately banked for the left hander. This track was crazy and convoluted, shaped like a hooked finger. He had to be agile and nimble, more controlled than fast in the twists and turns, some of which doubled back in hairpins before zooming round the curves and finally hitting a few straightaways.

Survival was more important than showboating. Ronaldo should be cautious here. On this track, left-hand turns predominated, which meant the left side of the tire would be hotter going into the downhill section, causing an imbalance in grip. Teo hit all the turns hugging the curbstones which were painted a patriotic black, red, and yellow, the tri colors of the German flag.

His first lap was a respectable minute thirty, not bad, but he had to speed up if he wanted to place in the front line of the grid. The twisty turns were upon him. Teo subtly shifted his weight and flowed with his bike. At the speed he was going, in excess of one hundred fifty miles per hour, every movement had to be subtle. Controlled power, smooth, like a rolling thundercloud. His bike roared in and out of the turns. It was a lot easier going alone on the track than during a race crowded with other competitors.

Teo did not fight the bike, he blended into it. He was on the lighter side, but strong enough to wrestle the bike when he had to, but most of the time he finessed it. Like the fine lines of a woman’s body, Teo stroked the Suzuki, coaxing her into horizontal leans, flowing like a ribbon. Every race, he rode like it was his last, overtaking in unexpected places. He only had to think and his machine responded like an extension of his body, roaring into the corners and flying down the straightaways.

He was on his fifth lap, his splits improving when his bike slipped on a turn. Teo’s padded knee bounced off the track. No sliding, no, no, no. He wiggled just enough to keep the bike rolling. It jiggled and popped, zooming toward the opposite side of the track. His heartbeat skyrocketed at the whoosh of green in front of the tire wall. He couldn’t crash now. He had to get traction.

He gritted his teeth and eased off the throttle until he felt the tires grip. Righting himself, he powered through the curve and accelerated into the downhill straight. One more hard left and he roared through the finish line.

He was within reach of placing in the front line, depending on how the others did. Had it not been for the slide at the end, he would most likely have gotten close to pole position.

Teo brought his bike back to the pit. Five laps was nothing compared to the thirty laps of the race, but he was already broiling inside his leathers, sweaty and hot.

* * *

Amy watched Teo zoom around the track. The roaring whine of his motorcycle set her adrenaline pumping. She’d always been afraid of speed. As exciting as it might be to have the wind on her face, it was also fraught with danger—hard to control.

Beside her, Teo’s sister entered lap times into her electronic tablet, her eyes glued to the monitors. The track was a twisty one with wicked turns.

Amy gasped as Teo leaned so far over he seemed to drag on the ground. Was he okay? Her heart skipping, she gripped the rails tightly. He regained control and whirred around another corner.

Amy clutched her fingers until Teo was safely across the finish line. She exhaled and wiped her forehead.

“He’s finished,” she said to Tasha. “Did you see that slide?”

Tasha’s lips pressed together with a slight shake of her head. “He lost time on that skid. Almost went into the crash barrier.”

“That was so scary. My heart was pounding out of my ribcage.” Amy held her hand over her mouth, her pulse prancing.

“That wasn’t the worse I’ve seen. The multi-bike smashups? It’s like kapow, and a chain reaction. You never know who’s left standing after the dust settles.”

Strange, Tasha seemed to enjoy the dangerous action, or she was used to it, immune to the terror of seeing her brother wipe out on the track.

“You must watch a lot of races,” Amy said.

“I do.” Tasha’s smile brightened her face. “I’ve always looked up to Teo growing up.”

“Is he your favorite brother?” Amy figured she’d get information from Tasha about Teo’s family situation. It could only help win the proposal, assuming it was to be sincere.

“I have a lot of brothers and sisters. But I’m closest to Teo. We’re almost twins.”

“Really? That’s pretty cool. My brother’s seven years younger than me and my sister’s five years older. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have someone closer in age.”

“We’re only two months apart.” Tasha entered data into her tablet. “He did well. According to these rankings, he should get the front row, or at worst, second.”

“Two months? But how?” Amy knew she was prying, but she was getting close to pay dirt since she couldn’t find any information about Teo’s mother on the internet.

Tasha’s lips twisted. “Teo’s mother was my mother’s maid. Isn’t that sickening?”

“Oh, wow. It must have been hard. Whatever happened to her?”

“My mom fired her when she found out. Unfortunately, it was three years after we were born. All along, my mother thought her maid was pregnant by her fiancé in the Philippines. They went through morning sickness together, bought baby clothes, picked names, went to Lamaze class together. Teo and I slept in the same crib because I was attached to him. I wouldn’t calm down unless he was there. We learned to walk together, talk together. Imagine how shocking it was when they found out he was my half-brother.”

“Poor Teo.”

“It wasn’t his fault his mother was a lying snake. My mother felt so used. She thought of her as a friend, gave her money, clothes, privileges. After that, we had no female servants. Even my nanny was a man.”

Across the pit, Teo got off his motorcycle and took off his helmet. He was talking to his team manager and looking at his motorcycle, pointing things out to the mechanics.

“I’m glad he has a sister close to him,” Amy said. “Whatever happened to his mother?”

“My father told her she wasn’t getting a dime, son or no son, so she left.”

“She left Teo behind?”

“Something like that. Shows how little she cared about him. Saw him as a meal ticket.”

Amy’s stomach soured thinking about Teo. He lost his mother at age three. Compared to him, she was fortunate. No matter how much her mother interfered with her life and how much she wished her mother would leave her be, she could never understand a mother abandoning a child, especially one so young and vulnerable.

“Do you know her name?” Amy asked. “Where she ended up?”

Tasha sniffed and leveled her gaze at her. “Are you a reporter? I don’t see why it concerns you. I’ve already told you too much.”

Amy placed her hand on Tasha’s arm. “I’m not a reporter. I’m his girlfriend, and you know how he is. He won’t talk to me about her.”

“He’s better off without her.” Tasha sneered before her eyes brightened. “Oh, look, he’s coming our way.”

Teo waved at the pit crew and ambled toward them, busily peeling off his leather racing clothes. A blond pit girl dangled a towel in front of him, but when he went to take it, she didn’t let go.

He smiled and she looped it over his head, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He seemed to enjoy her attentions, taking time to chat with her.

Tasha nudged Amy. “Don’t even worry about it one second. The pit girls are supposed to take care of the racers.”

Another one looped her arm around his neck and brought the spout of a squeeze water bottle to his lips.

“I’m not concerned. He can do as he pleases.” Amy fanned herself with the race program. “I wasn’t supposed to show up here anyway. Is it true, kissing a wife or girlfriend before the race is bad luck?”

“Only in some teams. Teo’s team suffered a loss last year. I think you met one of the race widows already?”

“I did.” Amy’s chest tightened. “I don’t see how a guy like Teo with all that money wants to risk his life on the track.”

Tasha’s eyebrows flew up. “You really don’t understand him, do you?”

“I care about him, that’s all.” Amy recovered quickly. “He’s very important to me.”

“In that case, you’ll have to accept his racing. After his mother disappeared, he stopped talking. He turned into stone, refused to interact with anyone. Only when Oba-chan, our grandmother, bought him a little dirt bike and put him on it, did he come back to life.”

“I wouldn’t think to interfere.” Amy waved at Teo when she caught his eye. “Thanks for telling me.”

Teo was a lot more complicated than she’d given him credit for. Here she thought he was an arrogant billionaire’s son who had everything going for him, a womanizer, player, and spoiled brat whose father could fix any problem by throwing money.

But money never bought anyone happiness, or true love for that matter.

Teo thanked the blondes and sauntered toward Amy, closing the last few steps in a jog. He swooped her into his arms and pressed her against his soaked T-shirt.

“Did you enjoy the view?” He kissed her full on the lips.

Never mind that Teo was getting sweat all over her Armani suit, or that he smelled of leather and rubber. Amy reveled in the attention. He was so freaking sexy.

“You were awesome,” she mumbled into his lips. “I got such a thrill watching you.”

“I don’t have much to do the rest of the day but wait around. I can warm up some more, take some practice, or spend time with you.”

“Definitely with me.” She smacked another kiss on him and pouted. “Your girlfriend’s feeling neglected.”

“Oh, are you? Then I better do something about it. How about we take a ride up the mountains and visit the Black Forest?”

“Is this part of the reality show?” Amy made sure from the corner of her eye that Tasha was occupied talking to another one of the racers.

“It’s part of the show, but why don’t we pretend it’s not?” He stroked her cheek and swept the loose strands of her hair over her ear. “It’ll be our little secret.”

“No script?”

“None.”