He looked at Lili. ‘Because my priorities are different now.’ He looked back at the press. ‘I need to focus my attention on the Corti Group and as you all know I’m passionate about making racing more sustainable.’
Cassian left the journalists and photographers spluttering and he and the other drivers were brought over to the podium. He pressed another kiss to Lili’s mouth before he went up and she just managed to say, ‘Cass, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?’
He looked at her. ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’ He went up onto the podium and took centre position above the other two drivers. After the presentations they opened the magnums of champagne and sprayed them over each other. Lili couldn’t help a bubble of laughter and joy rising up.
He found her gaze, raised the bottle and took a big swig. Then after all the photos had been taken, he came back down with the bottle and said, ‘Want to join me?’
Flutters of nerves gripped Lili’s insides. She shook her head slowly and said, ‘I probably shouldn’t.’
Cassian went very still. He looked down at her belly and then back up. She nodded and smiled. He dropped the bottle onto the grass beside them, champagne fizzing out, unnoticed. He put his hands on her waist. ‘Are you sure?’
She nodded. ‘I did a test. I mean, it could be a false positive but I’m late.’
He pulled her into him and said emotionally, ‘Lili, you did it.’
She put her hands on his chest. ‘Wedid it. We saved your inheritance.’
‘None of that means anything anymore, even if we hadn’t got pregnant, as long as I have you I could care less about any property.’
‘I’m glad it’ll still be yours.’
‘Ours,’ he corrected. And then, ‘I want a family there again, which is something I never thought I’d say. I was always too scared to hope I could recreate it without risking losing it all again.’
Lili put a hand to his cheek. ‘I know, my love. All we can do is move forward, dare to dream and live for each day.’
Cassian took her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. ‘Then let’s start living right now.’
Lili grinned at him. ‘Yes, please.’
They left the pit area of the racing circuit, arms wrapped around each other and the following day that was the picture on the front of most newspapers with a headline:Corti finds true love and walks away on a high after winning the race of his life! Is he the luckiest man alive?
When Lili saw the headline she smiled, because she knew she was the luckiest woman alive.
EPILOGUE
Five years later—Lake Como
LILI PUSHED OPENthe big heavy gates leading out onto the lake. It was dawn and the light was pearlescent over the water. A mist hung over the horizon. The heat of the coming day was in the air but it was still deliciously cool.
All was quiet and peaceful, apart from the smallest of snuffles coming from the baby tucked against her chest in a sling, rosebud mouth in a little moue. She had dark hair like her parents and it looked as if her eyes were turning blue.
Fair’s fair, thought Lili as she smiled and rubbed a finger over the downy cheek. Luca, their firstborn, had his father’s eyes.
And as for the twins, in the middle, well, they took after their biological parents who had died tragically after a massive automobile accident. Lili had confided in Cassian that she’d like to adopt, it was something she had always wanted, but thought she might not get to do, if she was going to be a lone parent.
But after they’d had Luca and when he was almost two, she’d found herself feeling increasingly passionate about giving a child the experience she’d never had. Of being fully a part of a loving family. When the twins had come up for adoption—only a year old—they’d taken one look at each other and known they wanted to do it.
The twins’ tragic circumstances, so close to what Cassian had experienced had touched him deeply.
The first year had been beyond challenging but they’d come through it and Luca was a happily doting older brother to Rocco and Nico. And now, they were all doting older brothers to Catia, their baby sister.
And then Lili heard it and looked up. The familiar sound of a boat approaching the pier. And the tall, broad figure at the helm. They were rarely apart for long at all now, but if Cassian had to go somewhere on his own he always came back like this and this was their ritual. Lili waiting for him at the pier.
This pier no longer felt like a precipice to her. It felt like home.
The boat came closer and she grinned at her husband. It had only been twenty-four hours but it had felt like a week. He grinned back. He cut the engine and threw her the rope. She secured the boat to the post.
Cassian leapt off the boat and first, took Lili’s face in his hands and kissed her deeply, before pulling back the sling a little and regarding his daughter.
