Page 38 of Driving the Billionaire Wild

He felt the realisation of how utterly stupid he’d been hit him, his stomach churning with nausea. All the houses in the world, all the world championship trophies and wins, all his businesses, all his success and money: none of it mattered without Astrid. He just hoped it wasn’t too late for him to tell her that and fix what he’d broken.

* * *

London was awash with torrential rain and Astrid was infinitely glad that Jem had offered to take a very cranky Luca out to a museum for the afternoon so she could have some time alone.

She had managed to keep her tears at bay for practically the entire flight. Her heart had ached with loss and abandonment as she’d forced herself to recognise the fact that she had told Apollo she loved him, and it still hadn’t enough. He wasn’t prepared to put them first, the way she needed him to. It was done, and she felt broken once again, but she had survived worse. She had picked herself up before and she would do it again.

As she checked her emails, she spotted one that had been forwarded from Tristan and opened it, feeling her heart pump in her chest. Sure enough, it was the result of the Elite One hearing and, as her eyes scanned the lines of legalese, she felt a mixture of emotions.

Apollo could race again. Not only could he race again, he could also keep ownership of Accardi and still fulfil his contract with Falco Roux this season. He would travel the world as planned, and throw himself into his bid to become the next Elite One world champion, all the while having an entire racing team on his books too.

She closed her eyes. Well…that was that, then.

She watched the grey city day pass by through the window, and wondered how on earth she was going to survive this. Just then, she spotted an unfamiliar car parking outside…and a familiar tall figure running up to the house in the rain, banging heavily on her front door. She went to open it, shock filling her throat as a very wet Apollo stared back at her.

Chapter Seventeen

‘WHY ARE YOU HERE?’ she asked over the roar of the wind and rain. ‘You should be in Monaco right now, celebrating your victory at the hearing and planning for more.’

‘I barely lasted five minutes after the news before I was hopping onto the jet to follow you here.’

‘Why?’ she asked again.

‘Because I never should have let you go. Because it took me being offered every single damned thing that I thought I ever wanted before I realised that it would all be meaningless…without you,’ he declared.

Astrid shook her head slowly, her heart beating frantically in her chest. ‘Is this some kind of guilt trip? Because, if so, that’s not fair. You knew that you had my blessing to stay and race. I just want you to do what makes you happy.’

Apollo stepped forward, gently taking her hands in his. He was freezing, and the wind and rain pounded down all around them, but she couldn’t look away.

‘Youmake me happy. With your bossy attitude and your big heart and your refusal to think the worst of me, even when I make the worst decisions.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t need to race or to own a team. I don’t need any of it, Astrid.’

‘But your vision, your plans…?’

He shook his head. ‘The only plan I truly need is to follow whatever path keeps you and Luca by my side so we can make up for the years we spent apart.’ He stepped even closer, the wind whipping his wool coat around them both as his eyes met hers. ‘You said that I’m trying to have it all…butyouare everything to me, Astrid. Everything. I should have told you that when I proposed. Or when I realised you were the woman I hadn’t stopped thinking about for nearly eight damn years. Or even before that, on that fateful night in a lift in the dark, when our fates intertwined in the best way. I’m head over heels in love with you.’

Astrid felt her body tilt forward, reaching for him, needing to feel his strength surrounding her as tears spilled from her eyes and words completely failed her. Strong hands framed her face, wiping away the moisture but, frustratingly, he held her at a short distance.

‘You’re crying. I didn’t mean to make you cry,’ he said softly.

‘What did you expect a girl to do when the man she loves makes a big romantic speech like that?’ she sobbed, glorying in his low, husky laugh as she pulled him into a kiss. She was consumed with the wild need to reclaim him, as though they’d been apart for weeks rather than mere hours. When he pulled away far too soon, she fought the urge to complain, still reeling at the overwhelming riot of emotions that he had unleashed in her chest.

‘I need you to understand that this isn’t just pretty words and empty promises,’ he said earnestly. ‘This is me vowing never to walk away again. You were the first person to challenge me, to make me see how much my childhoodaffected me. How I chose to latch onto the limelight as a way of being in control, despite deep down craving something more stable. You showed me a version of myself that I never thought I could be: someone solid and dependable, someone real. It’s only been a month, but I feel complete with you. Our time together in Grenada as a little family was true happiness. Being with you, having your trust and your heart…that’s the only victory I want.’

A look of uncertainty crossed his handsome features. ‘You told me that you loved me, my darling, and I froze like a coward. I want the chance to prove that I can deserve it if you choose to say those words to me again, and the chance to prove my own love for you. I want to prove it to you every single day for the rest of our lives.’

Astrid reached up, framing his strong, stubbled jawline in her hands. ‘I love you, Apollo.’ she said, letting the words sink in and glorying in how his eyes darkened with possession.

‘You hurt me yesterday.’ She met his gaze, knowing that, if he could bare his heart like this on her doorstep, she could do the same. ‘I was heartbroken and furious, but I realise now that I don’t want to give up on this: on you, on our future. Real love means giving each other room to make mistakes and grow past them. We found each other again after so many years, after so many obstacles in our way… I’m not going to give you up without a fight.’

‘You really are made for me. My dream woman,’ he murmured against her mouth, his body pressing hers up against the cool wood of her front door. ‘My partner in life, my soul mate.’

‘Your partner in jail if we don’t take this inside and away from prying eyes quickly.’ She laughed as hewrapped his coat around them both, ushering her inside and shielding their passionate reunion from the rain-soaked street.

They barely made it up to her bedroom before he claimed her with a wild abandon she’d never felt from him, leaving a trail of frantically removed clothing in their wake and filling her townhouse with the sound of their passion. As she rode towards her climax, she met his eyes and made her vow to love him and honour him so long as they both lived. He held her as they both fell apart, the beauty and connection of the moment almost too much to bear. And, once both their heartbeats had returned to normal, he whispered the same words against her skin.

He promised to love her, to honour her and cherish her as his, for ever.

* * *