Gambling It All

Chapter Twelve

"I'm sad you will not be in Catalunya with us for the race weekend," Javier said, his voice low and gravelly in her ear. "I was so looking forward to being together in my home country, among my people with you."

Dixie sighed and snuggled further into the crook of Javier's arm, her legs splayed out across the sofa in Javier's motor coach. "Me too," Dixie said. "But I promised a client I would be there to do their physical therapy after a surgery they scheduled months ago."

"How long will you be gone?" Javier asked, sipping from his nearby wine glass.

Dixie shrugged and took her own sip. "I'm not sure, honestly. I hope not too long – I don't want to be away from you. And I can't neglect my client here on tour, either."

Javier sighed slightly. "Ah yes. The mysterious Mr. Gamble."

"Mysterious?" Dixie asked on a laugh. "How so?"

It was Javier's turn to shrug. "He's just a very... how do you say? Elusive person. I do not deny his riding ability, and I know he is very popular with Americans..."

"I'm pretty sure a European or two probably likes him too," Dixie interjected, feeling the need to defend her rider – and her country.

"But he's not a very open person," Javier continued and Dixie nodded.

"That's true. He's very... private. I sometimes wonder if it's shyness, rather than reticence or disdain. I like to think it's shyness."

"In this business, there is no shy. If you are not open, you do not have fans. Without fans, we are nothing," Javier said seriously. "You must be good ambassador for the sport with the fans, the sponsors, the teams. I cannot imagine Gamble being very good at that. Without fans, we are nothing," he repeated.

"Without fans, you're not a gazillionaire," Dixie teased and Javier tickled her in the ribs for a moment, before pressing his lips to hers in a deep, lingering kiss.

"You only want me for my money, yes?" Javier asked against her lips and Dixie sighed.

"Absolutely," she whispered into his mouth, making him smile even as he kissed her again.

"I knew you were a... what? Lynx? Is that the right word?"

Dixie laughed. "Minx. And I'm no minx, mister. Just a nice American girl who joined the circus."

"Too bad you joined the wrong team."

"Hey!"

Javier put up his hands as she playfully shoved him away. "I just wish... I just wish for you to know everything about Nicky Gamble, so you don't get hurt."

"How would he hurt me?"

"He's... he's not always honest. He is what I would call dis... disingenuous," Javier sounded out the word. "You know this word?"

Dixie nodded. "Sure. But what makes you think Nicky's a liar?"

Javier sighed. "Mi tesoro, I didn't want to tell you about our mutual past, I didn't want it to affect things between us."

"But?" Dixie prompted, pulling away so she could meet his gaze fully.

"A year or two ago, I had been on the circuit for a few years, but Gamble had moved up more recently. I was dating; no, I was in love with a girl who was part of the publicity team on one of the other teams. She was an Italian who embraced art and music, could debate politics or television shows, and who loved fully and openly. In fact, when I met you, you reminded me so much of her spirit."

Dixie was willing to bet the Italian women was probably a foot taller than her, stacked like a dishwasher with long dark hair and olive skin, but wisely kept that observation to herself.

It's always nice to be compared to that, at least, she mused, focusing her attention back on Javier.

"I was in love with her, so strongly," Javier said, sounding so sad. "So, you can imagine it broke my heart when..." he sighed, then continued. "When she told me she had to break it off."

"Why?"

"She was sleeping with another man," Javier said. "And thought she was pregnant with his baby. She was in love with him, and he was going to take care of her. As often happens, he didn't take care of her; she vanished and I never heard from her again."

Dixie sat, transfixed, before finally putting two and two together. "You mean to say... you mean... she was sleeping with Nicky? Nicky was the father, the girlfriend stealer?"

Javier nodded sadly, his eyes downcast.

"I don't believe it," Dixie said. "I don't. I know I don't know Nicky that well, or even as well as you, but I don't believe that of him."

"It's true, mi tesoro. Why would I lie to you?"

Why, indeed, Dixie mused as the conversation tilted away from such dark topics and towards lighter fare.

Several hours later, Dixie glanced at the clock and stifled a yawn. "I should go," she said reluctantly, and Javier gave her a long, searching look.

"I think it's time you stayed over, yes?" he said, his voice low and sexy. "It's time, mi tesoro."

Dixie felt her stomach flutter, unprepared for him to suggest they sleep together. She knew most women with even half a chance at Javier De Costa would have bagged him on the first date, but that wasn't Dixie's style.

Plus, she was afraid.

Afraid that once he saw all of her, he might reject her, and she couldn't stand that. She really liked this man...

Dixie cleared her throat. "Javier, I want to stay, but... I promise you, I'm almost ready, but... there are still things about me you don't know."

"Tell me," Javier said, pulling her into his arms and tugging her close. "You can tell me anything."

Not this, Dixie thought. Not tonight. Once he knew she wasn't perfect... she knew that Javier valued perfection, and she wasn't it.

"Soon," she whispered, going up on tiptoe to kiss him softly on the lips. "I'll see you soon."

"When?" Javier asked. "I still don't know when you will return to me."

"No later than the Netherlands, I hope," Dixie promised. "Until then..."

"Yes, the Netherlands, we meet again," Javier repeated softly.

It was impossibly hard to tear herself away from his arms, from his lips, but after several minutes she did, pulling the coach door shut behind her and looking for the team car to return her to the hotel.

Her flight back to California was the following afternoon, so she had one more workout session with Nicky before she left.

After the news from Javier, she wasn't sure how she was going to feel about that session...

But she was a professional, so professional she would be.