The Playboy and the Single Mum (Vintage Love Book 2) (15 page)

It was the most logical solution. But Daniel still wasn’t happy about sending Lexy away with his new half brother. The guy was rich and apparently handsome, judging by the star-struck look on Genevieve’s face. What if she fell for him and his less complicated life?

“That’s an excellent idea, Maya. My house has twelve bedrooms—there’s plenty of space for everyone. And I have a doctor and nurse in residence tending to my father … our father,” Santiago rectified, “so if Max has another episode, there will be medical staff on hand.”

Couldn’t argue with that. Although he’d like to. “I’ll go talk to Lexy and see if she agrees,” Daniel said.

Lexy was sitting on the bed, stroking Max’s hair, when he found her. She agreed that going to Santiago’s, as it was closer and where Daniel had planned to go after the race anyway, was the best option.

Now he just had to get his heart on board. Because sending Max and Lexy away was going to hurt.

***

Lexy stepped out onto the terrace, holding her bathrobe closed at the neck. The mountain air was much cooler than in Rio. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, but she hadn’t been able to sleep. She could claim it was the unfamiliar bed and worry over Max, but he’d made a fast recovery and you couldn’t even tell that he’d had an episode a day later. Her heart knew the lack of sleep was due to Daniel not being there.

She’d watched the qualifying with his family yesterday and noticed Jacques’s eyes on her more than once as she’d held her breath. In the end, Daniel had only managed second position on the grid. He’d been upbeat about his chances in the race when she spoke to him on the phone last night, but she still longed to be there. If someone had asked her two months ago if she’d ever leave her son to be with a man, she’d have slapped them across the face.

“You love him, don’t you?”

Lexy swiveled to find Maya leaning against the doorframe. Her red hair fell in disarray around her shoulders, her short satin wrap revealed her gorgeous long legs. The woman embodied sexy. But she was also friendly and natural, and so obviously in love with her husband it made Lexy smile just to watch them.

“Yeah. Didn’t want to but it happened. This has really screwed up my life.”

“Preaching to the choir, sister. Love is damned inconvenient. But also the greatest thing ever. So, what are you going to do about it?”

“I have no idea.” Lexy ran a hand through her hair, which probably just made it stand on end. “I don’t know if I can do this—following Daniel around the world. Living from one heartbeat to the next as he risks his life for his sport. And what kind of life will it be for Max? His health isn’t great, and changing environments can lead to more attacks like he had in Rio.”

“I can’t give you the answers, Lexy. You have to decide for yourself. But if you choose to stay with Daniel then know you won’t be alone. You’ve seen how this family pulls together. Jacques and I would be more than happy to look after Max if you went to races with Daniel in countries where you weren’t comfortable taking your son.”

“I don’t know…”

“Go to Daniel. You’re not going to figure it out sitting here.”

“I can’t. Max—”

“Has so many people here to love and care for him it’s ridiculous.”

“But how am I going to get there? The race is in seven hours.”

“I’m sure Santiago would lend you his plane and pilot. He seems a nice guy. If not, Jacques will arrange something.”

“It’s too much to ask. And Daniel’s coming here tomorrow anyway. Why couldn’t he be an accountant who lives down the street from me?”

“Because then he wouldn’t be the exciting, vibrant man who charmed your heart. Close your eyes.” Lexy complied. “Where do you want to be this second?”

“In Daniel’s arms.”

“Right answer.”

Lexy opened her eyes in time to see Maya stride back into the house. Even in bare feet she towered over Lexy. The woman was a force to be reckoned with. Jacques probably had never stood a chance of resisting her.

Five minutes later a sleepy-looking Jacques appeared at the door. With his hair messed and his jaw covered in stubble, he didn’t look half as intimidating as in the daytime. But then his blue eyes narrowed on her. “I hear you want to be with Daniel when he races.”

She nodded.

“Get dressed then. We’ll be wheels up in half an hour.”

He strode back into the house and Lexy raced to get ready. She was throwing a few things into her bag when there was a knock at her bedroom door. Without waiting for an invitation, Maya entered holding a gorgeous pair of shoes and a small gift bag. “I noticed we have the same shoe size so I’m lending these to you for Daniel’s private victory celebration tonight. Tell him I said, ‘Happy birthday.’”

“It’s not his birthday.”

“I know, but we were in hiding for his last one and didn’t send a present.”

“Okay, but I’m not sure the shoes will fit him,” Lexy said. She peeked into the bag and heat infused her face. It was going to take a drink or two before she could wear that without going red everywhere.

Maya laughed and left the room. Twenty minutes later, Lexy was strapped into the leather seat of Santiago’s private plane and heading back to Rio. To surprise her man.

I am not my mother.

Daniel sat in his trailer with his eyes closed, waiting for the knock to call him to the garage. He tried to focus on the track, to see every curve, anticipate every braking point and shift change in his mind. Except all he could see were Lexy’s eyes smiling at him.
Merde
, this shouldn’t be hard. He’d managed every race alone for almost two seasons with the exception of the last three, so why did he feel so bereft now? He’d always figured it would be having a woman in his life, not her absence, which caused a distraction.

The knock on his trailer door came and he got up, glancing briefly at the clock. Ten minutes early. Had the mechanics discovered something wrong with the car? It’d been fine this morning in final practice.

Expecting the burly, bearded face of his chief mechanic or even the practiced smile of the press relations woman, he was shocked to find Lexy standing outside the door. Had he begun to projecting her face on other people?
You’re losing it, man
.

“Daniel.” No, it was her voice, her sexy way of looking at him that sent his blood rushing around his body at twice the speed.

“Lexy. What are you doing here? Where’s Max?”

“Still in Argentina with your family. He’s fine. But I couldn’t let you race alone.”

A tsunami of emotion rolled over him, weakening his knees. Now was not the time to realize how much he needed this woman.

“Come in.”
Dieu
, she was still standing on the pavement, three feet below him.

“I wasn’t sure—”

He didn’t wait for her to complete her sentence. Lexy and her doubts. He’d hoped she’d be over them by now. “I will always want to see you. Anytime, anyplace.” He swept her into a kiss that lasted until the knock came, calling him to his car.

“Do you want to watch from here or with the team?” he asked as she straightened her clothes, which had become somewhat dislodged during their embrace.

“Garage. I promised Max I’d wave to him if I was on TV.”

He escorted her down pit lane. How would he be able to concentrate, knowing that Lexy had voluntarily left her son to be with him? She must love him. Was now the time to tell her how he felt? The questions whirled in his mind until he pulled on his helmet. Then a peace descended and the track came into sharp focus. He was going to win; he felt it in his fingertips.

It was a hard-fought battle; several times he’d been wheel-to-wheel with Robert. After the last two races, he’d worried he’d be hesitant, second-guessing his instinct, but the racing adrenaline took over and he made lightning-quick decisions that paid off in the end. Best of all, he knew Lexy was waiting to congratulate him when it was all done.

She wasn’t hard to spot from the podium in her bright orange jumpsuit. What was harder was hiding his hard-on in his racing overalls when her breasts bounced as she jumped for joy with the rest of the crowd. No need to practice his media smile today, it was genuine happiness coursing through his veins. He congratulated Robert, who had taken second place. There were now only four points between them, so the winner of the next race would take the championship. With Lexy staring up at him, her face glowing, he felt like he’d already achieved it.

***

Lexy bustled through the lobby of the Grand Hyatt, forcing down the panic at the reminder of the last time she’d raced through there, Max barely breathing. He was fine. Genevieve had sent her a video of him dancing around the room when he saw on the telly that Daniel took the checkered flag.

While Daniel was busy finishing up interviews, Lexy wanted to get ready for their private victory celebration before the party tonight. She wasn’t quite brave enough yet to don the PVC outfit Maya had sent—that might take a couple of drinks. But maybe a little sexy librarian role-play would do to start. She was just figuring out what to wear, or not wear, when a man’s hand grabbed her arm.

A scream stuck in her throat as she looked into the blue eyes of her ex-husband. What was it with the man and hotel lobbies?

“Alexandra, I’m glad to catch you alone.”

“I’m not. I thought I made myself clear; I never want to see you again, Wesley.”

He let go of her but didn’t move away. “I’ve done some thinking, and the best solution is for us to get remarried.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? Our marriage was a disaster the first time. No way in hell would I put myself through that again.”

“Not even for our son?” She hesitated for half a second and he pounced on that. “Hear me out. I’ve got a court order for a paternity test, and we both know what it’s going to reveal. I’m Maximillian’s father. I’ve gone over the photos of him, and there’s a strong resemblance to me as a child. And think of the benefits for him and for you if we remarry. I’ve got money and a large house. You’ll never have to work again, and Maximillian will have every advantage in life, get into any university, do anything he dreams. I have staff so you don’t even have to clean. And you can do anything you want, even go back to school if that will make you happy. You wanted to be a research scientist in the neurological causes of food addictions, if I remember correctly. My family would fund your own research team. Imagine what you could do to help people like your mother. There would be no custody battle, no messy and expensive court proceedings. It would all be neat and tidy.”

“But I don’t love you,” she protested.

“You did once; you can again if you try. I’ve grown up in the past four years, darlin’. I made mistakes the first time we were together, but I know I can make you happy. And you’ll have our son and any other children you want to have.”

A shudder sliced through her at the thought of Wesley touching her again, and her stomach roiled. She needed to buy time, make him think she was considering his offer while she worked out what to do, where to go. “Can I think about it? I’m contractually obliged to Destin Designs for the next three weeks. Can I give you an answer on December first?”

He searched her face then finally nodded. “Just make the right decision, Alexandra. I don’t want to fight you for custody of my son, but I will if I have to.” Wesley put his Stetson back on and sauntered out of the hotel.

Another tremor wracked her body. Say goodbye to the man she loved or give up her son? No matter what she decided, she lost. It would hurt to let go of Daniel but kill her to lose Max.

***

Daniel glanced over at Lexy as the plane landed at the small, private airstrip in Mendoza. She’d been distracted since he arrived at the hotel last evening. Sure, she’d tried to put on a brave face and pretend nothing was wrong. But there was. He knew it. She was shutting him out again.

She’d eaten her dinner and his, then followed it with a huge ice cream sundae. And she’d drunk way more than usual. At first he thought that perhaps she was just enjoying the freedom of not having Max near, letting loose and being herself. But as her behavior got more desperate and her attempt to out-party even the most diehard hedonist became apparent, he’d picked her up and carried her back to his hotel room. There he’d held her through the night as she battled her personal demons in her sleep.

“I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong,” he said as they made their way from the airport to his brother’s house.

The smile she gave him was so tight it was virginal. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired.”

Her lie slapped him across the face. Was it because he hadn’t told her he loved her? Their initial relationship term was coming to an end, but surely she knew he wanted them to continue being together. Did she need some kind of commitment from him? Was he ready?

As the car drew up in front of a large Spanish-style mansion, half a dozen people stood out front and cheered. When he’d won his first championship, only Jacques and Grand-Papa had welcomed him. How many would be there to celebrate with him when he won the next? Because damn it, he was going to win.

Santiago stepped forward. “Welcome, Daniel. Our father wanted to be here as well, but he’s having a treatment in his rooms. He’d like to see you as soon as you’re ready.”

Daniel nodded. Was he ready to meet his father? First he’d greet those he did know. He hugged Grand-Papa, who was much frailer than the last time he’d seen him. When he eventually let go, Jacques put his arm around his grandfather.

“Move out of the way, Daniel. I’m happy to see you, but it’s your woman I really want to meet,” Grand-Papa said, his blue eyes twinkling. At least some things hadn’t changed.

Daniel turned to find Lexy climbing the stairs to enter the house. “She’s not feeling great. Later, okay, Grand-Papa? I promise you’ll love her as much as I do.”

The question that really rattled him was if she loved him at all. Was she already pulling away?

“I’ll go see if she needs anything,” Maya said, and followed Lexy into the house.

Genevieve mentioned a special snack and both Max and Santiago’s niece, Miranda, went with her. Grand-Papa joined them and Max grabbed his hand and chatted to him as they walked.

Which left him, Jacques, and Santiago standing in the drive. Brothers, but not.

Time to get it over with. “I’ll see my father now,” Daniel said. The word “father” felt strange on his tongue.

Santiago led the way into the house, down a long corridor, and then stopped in front of a set of double doors. “The doctor says it may be a matter of days before he passes. Thank you for coming. This means a lot to him.”

His half brother knocked on the door then opened it without waiting for a reply. Inside, a hospital bed was surrounded by every hi-tech piece of equipment Daniel had ever seen. On all flat surfaces, at least two or three books were stacked. Finally, he forced his eyes to connect with the man lying in the bed. Daniel’s knees wobbled before he locked them, unable to take another step into the room. It was like looking through a time warp, where he saw himself fifty years from now, the resemblance between him and his father startling.

“Papa.” Santiago’s voice broke a bit. He clearly loved his father. What would it have been like if Daniel had met him years earlier? Would they have shared a similar bond? “Daniel’s here.”

His father opened his eyes, the same shade of green as his. Daniel swallowed. Everything he’d planned to say, all the clever quips he’d thought of, fled. He blinked a couple of times and then forced his legs to propel him to the bedside.

“Hello, Mr. Alvarez.”
Dieu
. Who greeted their father for the first time by using his last name?

“Please, call me Luis. Tiago, you don’t need to stay.” His father’s voice was raspy but otherwise strong.

Santiago nodded. “Jacques wants to see the winery. Do you want us to wait for you, Daniel?”

“No, I prefer the product to the process. You go ahead; I’ll catch up with you later.”

Santiago kissed his father on the cheek before leaving the room.

“Please, come sit down.” Luis pointed at a chair next to the bed. “I have been following your racing career since I realized you could be my son. But I would like to know a little about you personally.”

“How did you come to think we were related?” It was the question that had been bugging him since Santiago’s first email.

“You look just like me when I was younger. I pray you don’t look like me now when you’re my age. Don’t worry; the cancer is not hereditary. I smoked until a few years ago. When you won your first world championship, there was a big article on you in one of the magazines, your photo on the cover. Someone pointed out the likeness to me, and so I looked you up. It took a bit of digging, but eventually I found a photo of your mother and recognized her as the woman I’d had a weekend affair with around the time of your conception. There was never any mention made in your bio about a father.”

“My mother never told me who my father was. She was married at the time you met her, but due to her husband’s inability to procreate, she knew I wasn’t his.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was married or I would never have… Anyway, I was in Paris for business, my wife had died, and I was lonely. Your mother approached me and one thing led to another. I tried to contact her, but she said I’d been only a fling; she wasn’t looking for a relationship.”

“Sounds like my mother.”

“I’m sorry, Daniel. If I had known you had resulted from our affair, I would have asked for custody or at least access.” A tear trickled down his father’s face. Due to his mother’s indifference, he’d missed out on a lifetime of paternal love.

“I had a good childhood. My half brother’s grandfather did an excellent job of raising me. Have you met him?”

“Yes, briefly. He’s a good man. I am so glad you were loved.” Luis’s eyelids closed and he opened them again with effort. “I need to rest now. Perhaps you could call the nurse to read to me?”

“May I read to you? If you have an English or French book, that is. My Spanish is not worth listening to.” And something he’d probably need to work on if he was to keep in touch with his new brother.

“You like to read?”

“After Lexy and racing, it’s my next greatest passion.”

Luis smiled. “Now I know you are my son.”

Daniel searched through the books and found a copy of
The Great Gatsby
in English. He read until his father’s head lolled to one side and the nurse came in to check his vitals.