Page 21 of A Billionaire's Secret

Maybe, it was my guilt speaking, overpowering all my other emotions. Or, maybe, it was a genuine protective feeling toward the daughter of the man who had filled my thoughts since I first laid eyes on him.

Nonsense!

I shook my head, hoping to discard those pathetic thoughts. I’d known both of them for a little over a week, and there I was, deeply involved in all their drama. This had to stop. And it would start with me paying Christian off every cent of his charitable donation. My ego wouldn’t have it any other way.

10

Christian

Victoriahadwarnedmethat she’d be off the grid until the next race, but I didn’t expect her to entirely fall off the face of the Earth while I went to Nashville for a few days. My phone rang endlessly, but none of those calls were from her, even though I had left more voicemails than I cared to count. More than I’d ever left for anyone else, that is.

To make matters worse, Diana had also declared to me that she’d be racing alongside Victoria. The thought of them coming neck in neck again made me feel queasy. I called my daughter to check in on her training and hopefully get some news on Victoria.

“Hey, Daddy, how’s Nashville?” Diana answered in a tone lower than usual.

“Boring. How’s my little jockey? You training hard?” I inquired.

“I wasn’t gonna tell you anything till you came back, but—” Diana paused, and my anxiety escalated. “I fell off a horse over the weekend.”

“What? Are you OK? Is it bad?”

“Not too bad, but it’s still slowing me down.” Diana sulked. “Guess who came running to my rescue, as if her life depended on it.”

My daughter’s snarky comment made my blood boil. Mainly because I had a feeling I knew who was there to help.

“Victoria,” she confirmed my suspicions. “She was probably rejoicing inside, knowing that I won’t be in top form this time.”

“I doubt that,” I defended Victoria. “It’s sportsmanship, that’s all.”

Diana remained silent on the other line, contemplating whether to keep dwelling or drop the subject.

“When are you coming back anyway?” She finally asked.

“I have regional directors coming in for meetings daily, so probably by Thursday of next week.”

“OK.” She agreed. “By the way, Mom is on her way to see me and staying until after the race.”

I couldn’t think of a worse time for Amelia to visit us in Louisville. But I had to agree, knowing that Diana was hurt and probably needed help. I’d figure something out once I got back there, and luckily the estate was large enough so we wouldn’t have to bump into each other.

Like a necktie, my anxiety wrapped around my neck for the next few hours while I sifted through my options for the near future. My business and most of my life was in Nashville. But so was my ex-wife. My heart and passion had taken an unexpected turn toward Louisville. But so had my daughter. If I wanted to spend more time in Louisville, I’d have to come clean to Diana about Victoria. And even worse—I’d have to tell Victoria everything about Diana.

I miss my boring life.

I shoved my depressing thoughts away, poured a 50-year Balvenie scotch, and let the liquid calm my nerves. I stared at my phone again but resisted the urge to dial her number and endure another voicemail greeting.

***

Upon arriving in Louisville, I instructed Daniel to take me straight to Barrington Downs. Diana had informed me that she had left a little bit ago and hadn’t missed the opportunity to mock Victoria for still being there. Alone.

I didn’t see any cars in the parking lot beside hers, but I also scoped out the place to ensure no one else was there. I heard her horse galloping around the well-lit rink and smiled at the sight of her bouncing muscular body on top of it. She heard my footsteps and slowed down with a shocked look in her eyes.

“Um, Christian? I didn’t know you were back,” she said through her escalated breath.

“I wasn’t. I just arrived and came straight here,” I confessed. “Don’t mind me. I don’t mean to interrupt you.”

Without responding, a subtle smile escaped her lips while she instructed the horse to turn around and start the gallop again. The silence around us and the dim lighting of the stalls, combined with Victoria’s graceful moves on the horse, lit a fire in my groins. I couldn’t wait for her to step down and into my arms. My desire for her had escalated tenfold while I’d been away.

“You look more than ready for tomorrow,” I yelled, indicating my existence while she was engulfed by training.

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