The Price of Success Read Online Free

conviction.
    ‘I’m sure my lawyers can find something. Inappropriate enthusiasm?’
    ‘That’s a reason you should be keeping me on—not a reason to fire me.’
    ‘You’ve just proved my point. Most people know where to draw the line. It seems you don’t.’
    ‘I
do,’
she stressed, her voice rising right along with the tight knot in her chest.
    ‘This conversation is over.’ He glanced pointedly at the door.
    She stepped into the corridor, reeling from the impact of his words. Her contract was airtight. She was sure of it. But she’d seen too many teams discard perfectly fit and able drivers for reasons far flimsier than the one Marco had just given her. X1 Premier Racing was notorious for its court battles between team owners and drivers.
    The thought that she could lose everything she’d fought for made her mouth dry. She’d battled hard to hold onto her seat in the most successful team in the history of the sport, when every punter with a blog or a social media account had taken potshots at her talent. One particularly harsh critic had even gone as far as to debate her sexual preferences.
    She’d sacrificed too much for too long. Somehow she had to convince Marco de Cervantes to keep her on.
    She turned to confront him—only to find a short man wearing a suit and a fawning expression hurrying towards them. Hehanded Marco a small wooden box and launched into a rapid volley of French. Whatever the man—whose discreet badge announced him as Administrator—was saying, it wasn’t having any effect on Marco.
    Marco’s response was clipped. When the administrator started in surprise and glanced towards the reception area, Sasha followed his gaze. The nurse who had let her in stood behind the counter.
    The administrator launched into another obsequious torrent. Marco cut him off with an incisive slash of his hand and headed for the lifts.
    Sasha hurried after him. As she passed the reception area, she glimpsed the naked distress in the nurse’s eyes. Another wave of icy dread slammed into her, lending her more impetus as she rushed after Marco.
    ‘Wait!’
    He pressed the button for the lift as she screeched to a halt beside him.
    Away from the low lights of the hospital room Sasha saw him—really saw him—for the first time. Up close and personal, Marco de Cervantes was stunning. If you liked your men tall, imposing and bristling with tons of masculinity. Through the gap in his grey cotton shirt she caught a glimpse of dark hair and a strong, golden chest that had her glancing away in a hurry.
    Focus!
    ‘Can we talk—please?’ she injected into the silence.
    He ignored her, his stern, closed face forbidding any conversation. The lift arrived and he stepped in. Sasha rushed in after him. As the doors closed she saw the nurse burst into tears.
    Outraged, she rounded on him. ‘My God. You got that nurse sacked, didn’t you?’
    Anger dissolved the last of her instinctive self-preservation and washed away the strangely compelling sensation she refused to acknowledge was attraction.
    ‘I lodged a complaint.’
    ‘Which, coming from you, was as good as ordering that administrator to sack her!’
    Guilt attacked her insides.
    ‘She must live with the consequences of her actions.’
    ‘So there’s no in-between? No showing mercy? Just straight to the gallows?’
    Deep hazel eyes pinned her where she stood. ‘You weren’t on the list of approved visitors. She knew this and disregarded it. You could’ve been a tabloid hack. Anybody.’
    His eyes narrowed and Sasha forced her expression to remain neutral.
    ‘Or maybe she knew
exactly
who you were?’
    She lowered her lids as a wave of guilty heat washed over her face.
    ‘Of course,’ he taunted softly. ‘What did you offer her? Free tickets to the next race?’
    Deciding silence was the best policy, she clamped her lips together.
    ‘A personal tour of the paddock and a photo op with you once you became lead driver, perhaps?’
    His scathing tone