Battle of The Gods

Quarantasette

Once again dedicating this chapter to my best friend Frankie, and officially introducing her character in this story! I'm so excited for her proper appearance in it, and honestly it was so fun to write this chapter! So, enjoy! <3 

Summer break was still in full swing, and Alessandra could easily say this was one of the wildest summers she's ever had. The couple vacations she's been on were a blast, enjoying the time she's spent with her friends, but never in a million years would she have thought that she'd spent a part of her summer sneaking around to see her rival. Her old self wouldn't have allowed such a thing, but she didn't care now, she felt a way she never felt before whenever she was around Toto, made her feel ways she never thought was possible when they were a tangled mess in one of their beds. She knew that what she was doing was risky, but she loved the thrill of it, and she knew that it would never interrupt all she's worked for.

Alessandra was in Italy once again, returning from Monaco after her vacation in Sardegna, having spent the night at Toto's apartment to get her bikini back. She was spending days training in the simulator for the race that was approaching, whilst also working with the team in Fiorano whenever she did training laps and working on her team's car for the upcoming races. She was working and training double the time to make sure that they were entering the second half strong, and to give Toto, who had more experience racing actual cars under his belt than she did, a run for his money in her own little race. And in the midst of all the training, and all the work, she was taking her father to his appointments, and having started a new treatment, she was watching him suffer, and she was suffering with him in the process.

After a whole week of bouncing between her work, training and her father, Alessandra felt that she deserved another good break, and it was perfect timing when Marco Bezzecchi called her up to ask if she was in Italy and wanted to meet up with him, Frankie and Valentino at the ranch. She was quick to accepted the offer, the thought of being back on the bikes at the ranch sent an adrenaline rush through her. And as she did, she thought about bringing Toto along, wanting to show him a part of her she talked about a few times with him.

She thought of a way to bring him around, without arousing suspicion about their situation, and even though there was a risk that someone could realise that they were somewhat involved, Toto was quick to say yes to come to Italy and join Alessandra at the ranch when she called him, and on the other side of the line, Toto was really flattered with her invitation, and he was excited to have another layer of her become unveiled.

She then called Valentino, asking him if she could bring a friend along. Valentino did tell her yes to invite her friend, but he did ask who that friend was, because he knew Alessandra, and he knew that if the friend she was referring to was one of her driver friends, she would have been more front with it, but he heard her hesitation.

When she told him who that friend was, the Motogp legend was surprised, especially when she asked him that if someone asked, he was the one who invited Toto as they could potentially be working on a project with Monster.

"Okay Ale, I will," Valentino laughed as he agreed to his friend's demands, "though, if you don't mind me asking, is there something I should know about you and Toto?"

"Oh Vale," Alessandra said, letting out a nervous chuckle, "what makes you say that?"

"Well, the secrecy for one thing," he replied, "you know I won't judge, and I will gladly play along, but you know you're like a little sister to me, and I just want to make sure that everything's okay!"

"Yeah, everything's more than okay," she smiled. She knew that he had a hunch, and she wanted to tell Vale, because he was one of the people she truly trusted and always went to advice for ever since she was a little girl, "I can't say anything, at least for now."

After the plan was agreed, and a few days passed, it was time for Alessandra to finally head to the ranch, a place where she considered a sanctuary outside of Maranello, a place which gave her an itch for adrenaline that only two wheels and dirt could give her. It was the place she was disciplined on the bike, and broke a couple of bones at, but it only made her return stronger. It was also the place where she met Marco, a person who she didn't know she needed in her life until she watched him enter the academy the first time.

After packing her gear in the back of the Purosangue, Alessandra started her journey to Bologna, where she'd be picking up Toto from the airport before they made their way to Tavullia. Alessandra couldn't help the giddiness that crept through her during the 40 minute drive, thinking about the plans she had in the last couple of weeks left in the summer break, the FIA Summer ball, spending a weekend in Geneva to see the Schumachers', and do the last bit of training before the race.

She kept her head down as she parked the car in front of the main entrance of the airport, not wanting to get recognised as she sent a quick text to Toto that she was waiting for him. The sun glasses and baseball cap were always the way to go for Alessandra, a trusted way of being incognito, even when people took pictures of her car whilst she was in it, no one recognised her. All she had to do was keep her head down, it was surprisingly bullet proof.

She could hear passenger door open, followed by a hand on her bare leg, which was her signal to drive. She made her way out of the airport, enjoying the feeling of his large hand cupping her thigh, something she hasn't felt for a few days and deeply, and embarrassingly, missed. The moment she got on the autostrada, she put her hand on his, turning her head for a quick moment to give him a glance.

"Hi," she smiled, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks when he grabbed her hand, rising it up to his face and placed his lips on the back of it.

"Hi," he replied back, returning the smile before she turned to look at the road, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she admitted, "how's England and Monaco?"

"England? Endured shitty weather whilst I was there," he chuckled, putting his hand back on her leg and let his fingers drum to the beat of the song that was playing against her skin, "Monaco? Boring without you there."

"Well, now you can enjoy the Italian sun, and if you want to get a tan, the ranch is the place to do it," she grinned, "I didn't tell Marco or Frankie that you're coming, and I know they're going to be absolutely shocked when they see you!"

"Oh yeah?" Toto asked, quirking an eyebrow at her, "why's that?"

"For one thing, the fact that my rival team principal joined me at Valentino's ranch, a place where you've never been and don't really have any connection to," she answered, her lips forming in a sheepish grin as her cheeks heated up in slight embarrassment, "and I might have told Marco and Frankie that we were on bad terms back in Le Mans."

"A lot has happened since then," the Austrian grinned, which Alessandra caught when she glanced at him, "do you think they'll realise what we're doing?"

"Honestly, it's a possibility, especially with how quick Marco catches things," she shrugged, "I mean Valentino did ask, the way we planned it wasn't really so subtle."

"Would you want Valentino and Marco to know?" He asked, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know, I mean there isn't really much to know except that we're sleeping together," she sighed, running a hand over her face in wonder, "it's different from being in an actual relationship, you know? I'm not one to air my sexual life, especially when I don't have to."

Toto nodded in agreement, and the topic was dropped as Alessandra hummed to the song that was blasting through her speakers. But he couldn't help himself as he imagined Alessandra sharing to her friends that he was her partner, the man that she was in love with. Because he slowly started to doubt if the feelings he had for her were purely physical, or is he slowly wishing he was her partner because he might be falling in love with her.

A little over an hour later, the Purosangue was engulfed in a cloud of dust as she pulled up to Valentino's bike ranch. She spotted Valentino's BMW and Marco's Cupra parked, confirming to her that they're already there, and then she spotted another Porsche, which she didn't recognise as she parked her Ferrari. When Alessandra killed the engine, she turned towards Toto, who was looking at her with a soft smile. He cupped the side of her face when she leaned closer, letting her lips fall on his as they shared a quick, but passionate kiss to try and make up for each other's absence for the past few days.

When they pulled away, they spent a longing moment just staring in each other's eyes, feeling every emotion that pours out of them when they're together rush through their veins like blood needing its oxygen. They could spend hours just looking at each other, and that was surprising for both of them knowing how their life was so busy that they could not even spend a couple of hours relaxed, and they fact that they loved that lifestyle. It was like parts of them they never considered to have were coming out, just because they were together.

The two got out of the car, and Alessandra walked around the car, opening the luggage booth as Toto held his carry on. He watched her grab her bags, throwing them over her shoulder before closing the booth, taking in her appearance which consisted of denim shorts that exposed her long legs, and an oversized Valentino Rossi t-shirt which looked vintage, having the back of it tucked in her shorts.

"Do you want me to carry the bags?" Alessandra looked up at him, adjusting the VR46 cap on her head as she grinned widely at him.

"I'm good," she replied, playfully bumping her shoulder into his arm, "thanks though!" Toto nodded, giving her a smile as he quickly stole a kiss, which made Alessandra gasp in surprise, then rolled her eyes at the goofy smile he gave her before they made their way inside.

The sounds of bike revving in the barn filled Alessandra's ears as she walked through the estate with Toto, who was taking in his surroundings, trailed behind her. He watched Alessandra push the large wooden door open, which revealed many dirt bikes scattered around, and two men working on a bike each.

The sound of the door opening caught the men's attention, all smiling widely when they spotted their honorary VR46 academy member standing near the door, a big grin on her face as she put the bags that were on her shoulder down on the ground. Marco was the first one to drop everything from his hands and came running in her direction.

"Ale!" The curly haired rider exclaimed when he caught Alessandra in his arms, lifting her up from the ground and twirled her around, "finally, the band's back together!"

"We're all finally back at the ranch," she beamed as she held onto her childhood friend tight before he put her on the ground, "oh, I've missed all of this!"

"It was about time we're all back here together," Marco said when he pulled away, "Vale's actually just finishing tuning up your bike!"

"Has he really?" Alessandra asked, looking behind her shoulder to find Valentino stepping away from the black and red bike which he gifted her years ago for the ranch, "let me go say hi and thank him!" Alessandra patted Marco on the shoulder before she ran past him, and the Italian rider's eyes widened when he noticed the man who's been standing behind his friend, not expecting him to be the friend that Alessandra said she was bringing.

"Hey," Marco said as he stepped forward, extending his arm between them, "good to see you again, Toto!"

"You too, Marco," Toto replied, giving his signature smile as he shook his hand, "this place looks incredible!"

"It's our sanctuary for us academy riders," Marco said, "it's the place where we all grew up, including Alessandra."

"Yeah, she did tell me that she came here a lot when she was younger," Toto nodded, "is this where you two met?"

"Yup, her and Vale were the first people to greet me when my dad dropped me off," Marco said, smiling at the memory, "so, what brings you here with Ale? I had the impression that you two hated each other."

"We kind of did, but that's been settled and forgotten now, so we're back on good terms," he explained, trying to fight the smirk that wanted to make its way on his lips as he thought of how good terms he and Alessandra were, "yeah, uh, Valentino and I are in talks regarding something that has to do with Monster and invited me. Alessandra knew about it so she picked me up on the way here."

Marco nodded, although he was not buying the explanation as he watched Toto's eyes wander behind him, and when he turned his head, he knew that he was looking at his childhood friend, who was laughing with Valentino. He had this feeling in his gut that there was something more, but as much as Alessandra shared with Marco, the rider knew that she was private in other personal stuff, and if she was fucking her rival, she wouldn't share it. As curious as he got, he respected his friend's privacy so he didn't dare to pry. Marco then motioned for Toto to follow him further inside the shed to show him the bikes, which the Austrian nodded too, bending down to grab Alessandra's bags from the floor, threw them over his shoulder and followed the young Italian.

"Marco, where's Frankie?" Alessandra asked when him and Toto stopped next to them, "also, who's silver Porsche is that parked outside next to your cars?"

"Frankie's inside with Francesca making lemonade for all of us," Marco replied as he lazily threw an arm around Alessandra, "oh and that silver Porsche?"

"That's my car," Alessandra's head shot to the back entrance of the shed at the voice that spoke, eyes widening when she saw the reigning world champion of Motogp walking inside, "and I don't even need to ask who's red Purosangue is out there."

"I didn't know you were coming too!" Alessandra exclaimed as she pulled him in a hug, "it's so good to see you Pecco! It's been ages!"

"It's been a hot minute, Miss World Champion," Alessandra laughed at the nickname Pecco gave her as they pulled away, "I hope you're not here just to watch?"

"As if I'd miss an opportunity to school a world champion," she shot back, a smirk making its way on her face, "FIM might end up giving me your championship!"

"I have missed those witty comments on these grounds," Pecco laughed, patting her shoulder before looking behind her, "oh Toto Wolff! This is a surprise!"

"Good to see you Pecco," Toto nodded as they shook hands, "How's the title battle? I haven't really had the time to properly catch up on your races."

"It's probably been my toughest," he chuckled, "but it's been a hell lot of fun with this one being my title rival this season!" The group laughed as they watched Pecco nudge Marco in his side, followed by a playful punch from Marco on Pecco's arm.

"You guys should come and watch a race," Marco said, wiggling his eyebrows at the two, but especially to Alessandra, who rolled her eyes at him, "Miss team principal said she's probably attending a race, but didn't say which, so we're going to be expecting her at every race until she shows up!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic," Alessandra laughed, shaking her head, "all you need to focus on is your championship fight, maybe I'll be there seeing you win it."

"And here I was hoping that you'd cheer me on for a third title in a row!" Pecco said, faking his hurt as he put his hand on his chest and expressed a sad look.

"Pecco I supported you through two championships," she grinned, "but it's time to support my best friend for his first one!"

"Ale," Valentino called out, which got the team principal's attention, "do you want to take a quick look at your bike?" Alessandra nodded, making her way towards Valentino as the other two riders went next to theirs.

Toto stood a few feet away, watching Alessandra look tentatively at her bike as she walked around it, then crouched down and heard some mumbling between her and Valentino which he could not understand. It did fascinate him to get a view of the knowledge she had of the bike, and show she was also able to work on it as she did her own tweaks on it. He couldn't help himself as he started becoming aroused over Alessandra in the environment they were in as she got her hands slightly dirty.

When Alessandra and the riders announced that their bikes were ready, the group made their way inside the small house that connected with the shed, which was surprisingly bigger than Toto thought it was as they navigated through the living room before entering the kitchen where the two women who was behind the kitchen island squealed loudly when they saw Alessandra, and barely let the team principal let out a hello before they tackled her in a hug.

"I should be angry at you for not visiting me for over a year," Frankie said as she held Alessandra, "but I know you're a busy and successful woman and I'm just happy to finally see you again!"

"I missed you too, Frankie!" Alessandra exclaimed, "and I know, I've been a shitty friend, and I should have come visit you."

"Don't even worry about it Ale," Frankie said, giving her friend a smile when they pulled away, "I'm just so happy you're finally here an- oh!" Frankie's eyes widened when she saw the tall man standing in the kitchen, and the excited grin on her face turned into an amused smirk. "Didn't think I'd have the pleasure of meeting Toto Wolff on these grounds!"

Toto looked at the woman who stood by his rival team principal, her arm around her as she looked up at him. She was slightly shorter than Alessandra, but her face expressed her striking features, cheekbones sharp, her eyes starting at him with so much intensity it sent a shiver down his spine. Toto was never one to be intimidated by anyone, he was usually the one with the intimidating aura - even though he wouldn't admit to himself, or to anyone else, that Alessandra had her moments where she did intimidate him without trying - but he knew he was about to deal with something the moment he felt Frankie's confidence as she stared him down with her piercing eyes.

"Oh this should be good," Marco muttered to Alessandra, who hit him in his chest as she carefully watched her friend step towards the Austrian, her hands crossed over her chest as she held a strong and confident gaze.

"And I'm assuming you're Frankie," Toto replied, trying to show confidence in his voice although he felt slightly intimidated at the hard gaze Alessandra's friend looked at him with.

"That's me," she nodded, "what brings you here?"

"Came here to watch some biking action," Toto shrugged, "whilst working on something with Valentino."

"Ah uh," Frankie hummed, nodding her head slightly once more, "and you came with Alessandra? I thought she hated your guts."

"Alright, alright Frankie, that's enough interrogating," Alessandra quickly interrupted, stepping between the two as she held her friend's shoulders, "I don't hate Toto's guts, we've worked our shit out. He's good, we're good."

Toto watched as Alessandra and Frankie just held a strong gaze, as if they were sending secret messages with their eyes. He saw Frankie's eyes glance at him for a moment, then back at her friend, then back at him once more, and when Alessandra nodded her head at her, Frankie let out a chuckle, nodding her head as well before taking a step back.

"Alright, if she says you're good, then you're good," Frankie said, wrapping an arm around Alessandra as the team principal turned to face him, "would you like some lemonade?"

The whole room erupted in laughter as the slightly tension in the air disappeared after the short confrontation between the Mercedes team principal and Marco's girlfriend, everyone grabbing a glass of freshly-made lemonade as the riders listened to what Valentino wanted to see from them. Toto couldn't help himself as he let his eyes fall on Alessandra, watching the way she leaned over the kitchen island as she listened tentatively to what Valentino was explaining, and as the minutes passed, he was looking forward more and more to see her on the bike.

When Valentino finished, Marco and Pecco all rushed up the stairs, shouting to each other betting who was going to be out on the field first. Alessandra rolled her eyes at their childish behaviour, and walked towards Toto, who still had her bags on his shoulder. Toto quickly handed the bags over to her, their hands grazing over each other for a split second, but their bodies felt electrified at the touch, and Alessandra nibbled on her bottom lip as she glanced at his eyes, giving him a small smile as she took the bags and left the kitchen as she went in a spare bedroom downstairs.

Frankie was quick to catch on the tension that was felt in the kitchen right until her friend left, along with the looks Alessandra and Toto exchanged, and even from the silent conversation they had before, she could tell that something had shifted drastically between the two team principals since Le Mans, and it wasn't just settling their differences. She had the hunch that there was something brewing between the two rivals, something intimate, but she wasn't going to pry, knowing that if her friend wanted her to know, she'd tell her, but she decided to be a good friend and keep Toto company until her boyfriend and best friend came back ready to get on their bikes.

Valentino went back in the shed to bring out the bikes as Francesca, Valentino's girlfriend, and Frankie showed Toto out to the large patio where they will be spectating their friends and loved ones. The three took a seat, spotting Valentino drag the bikes one by one, putting them under the large white tent that was set up right next to the patio. Francesca then excused the two, telling them that she saw from the baby cam that her daughter woke up and she was going to bring her out.

"I have to be honest," Frankie started, which got Toto's attention as he turned his head in her direction, "I'm quite surprised Ale forgave you for what you did, especially because I know how she's like."

"What do you mean?" Toto asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he wondered what Alessandra told her.

"Alessandra's a person who will wear her heart on his sleeves for the people she loves and those she consider important in her life, will go to the ends of the world to make sure they're happy," Frankie started, "but she's also a person who will not hesitate to no longer bother about you if you fuck it up badly with her. She won't waste her time and energy on those people, and considering the shit you called her, you would easily be on that list." She then put a hand under her chin, her finger tapping on her chin as she looked at Toto in curiosity, "what did you do to get her to even forgive you and give you another chance?"

The question took Toto by surprise, because he didn't really have an answer as to why Alessandra decided to give him another chance, especially when he knew that he didn't deserve it. He knew what Frankie was talking about, he knew Alessandra well enough over the past few years to know how she deals with people, and how one horrendous move from a person would put them in Alessandra's book of non existent. Toto thought that maybe the fact that they're physically involved was a factor, but he knew that Alessandra did not work like that, not even a personal and private relationship could cloud her judgement.

"I'm still working to get her forgiveness. I did fuck up horribly a few months ago and only realised weeks ago how much I fucked up," he admitted, "but honestly, I don't have an answer for you, cause I don't know myself. I'm just glad that we're getting back on good terms and maybe one day, she'll forgive me."

"You better not fuck it up Toto, because you're insanely lucky that she's given you another chance," Frankie said, giving him a stern, but gentle look as she smiled, "Alessandra's too precious to get hurt, and whoever's in her life should be lucky they have a place there."

Toto nodded, returning the smile as he sipped on the rest of his lemonade, knowing very well how damn lucky he was to be in the situation he was in with Alessandra. He was slowly coming to realisation that the feelings he get whenever he's around her just grow strong, and he doesn't care how confusing they are, how much they fucked with his brain because he didn't know what those feelings meant, but he'd rather feel them for her than not being around her so he wouldn't feel them, especially because those feelings are slowly becoming clearer.

Francesca came back out on the patio with her daughter in her arms, taking a seat next to Frankie as she held the little girl on her lap. A short moment later, the door burst open, and the reigning Motogp world champion and his current title rival walked out dressed in their suits, the top part hanging on their hips, and their upper body covered by a sleeveless protective vest, both chatting as they made their way under the tent.

"Bez!" Frankie called out, quickly getting her boyfriend's attention as he turned his head towards her, "where's Ale?"

Before Marco could answer his girlfriend, the door opened once more, and Toto's eyes widened behind his sun glasses when he watched Alessandra walk out on the patio, the black leather suit with patterns of red flames tight around her legs, the top part hanging over her hips, which moved side to side with every step she took. Her helmet, which was a mix of red and black, was under her bare arms, and his breathe hitched his throat when he realised that the vest she had on, just like the other riders, was unzipped and he could see a red bikini top peaking under it, her breasts perked up. The Austrian tried to take silent deep breathes, in hopes he calms his heart rate which spiked the moment he saw her, watching her stop next to Francesca, her eyes widening in adoration when she spotted the little girl.

"Oh Giulietta," the Italian team principal cooed, crouching down and took the girl in her arms, "you just get even more beautiful every time I see you!"

Giulietta's giggles filled the air when Alessandra lifted her high up before putting her on her hip, and that sound, along with seeing Alessandra be so good with the kid, made Toto's heart swell up, and he couldn't help the smile making its way on his face. He'll never get over the sight of Alessandra with children, especially watching her be so good with his, and he knew she'd make an amazing mother.

"Alright!" Valentino exclaimed, also in his race suit, clapping his hands as he went under the tent, "are you guys ready to jump on the bike?" The riders let out a cheer as Alessandra placed a kiss on Giulietta's cheek before giving her back to Francesca and jogged in the tent.

As Alessandra stood next to the guys, she turned her head slightly, and her eyes met Toto's, which he revealed as he pushed his sun glasses over his head. His eyes fell on her hand, which was holding the zipper of the vest, watching as she slowly pulled it up, and the subtle smirk on her face made him quickly realise that she was taunting him, and that she knew that she was having an effect on him.

She pushed her arms through the leather sleeves of her suit, averting her attention away from Toto to focus on what Valentino was explaining. The talk was brief, and the guys asked a couple of questions, and when Valentino answered them, they all headed on their bikes. Alessandra looked at Toto once more, giving him a quick wink before her face disappeared under the helmet, and the sound of the 4 dirt bikes revving filled the air, along with clouds of dust they left in their path as they sped away.

Toto's eyes were solely on the bright red bike that was flying past the house every couple of minutes, watching they way Alessandra manoeuvred it, her knees getting really close to the ground in the corners. The competitive atmosphere was in the air, and it showed how neither of the riders were showing mercy against each other, even if it was just training, and the Ferrari team principal was showing nothing less.

He was seeing a different version of Alessandra on the bike, different from seeing her ride the Ducati on the road, or drive a Formula 1 car. She was going to the absolute limit, and he realised that her banter with Pecco earlier about how schooling the reigning world champion wasn't just banter, because she was ahead of the pack by quite a margin after overtaking the three professional riders. He knew that she preferred working on cars rather than racing, but he wondered how far she would have gotten if she decided to race professionally instead, because he could see how talented she was on four wheels and two, and he knew that she would have made it to the top.

"Is this the first time you're seeing Alessandra race on bikes?" Toto was taken out of his thoughts and fixation on his rival team principal by her friend, turning his head to look at Frankie, who had a wide grin on her face.

"Yeah it's my first time," Toto answered, nodding his head, "I've never seen her race anything before, really. Just driving the F2004 in Monza last year, and breaking the track record, but she was alone on track."

"She's insanely talented," Frankie said, which earned her another nod in agreement from the Austrian, "if only she can compete whilst being team principal, her talent is wasted!"

"I agree," Francesca joined in, gently bouncing her two year old on her lap, "I know she always said that she'd rather do the sports she love for fun instead of taking them up professionally, which I understand completely. At least she has the leisure of joining the guys during training whenever she wants and be a racer herself."

"It's just a shame we won't see her in an actual race," Frankie sighed, "but hey, at least we get to see her give our guys a run for their money, because she never takes it lightly with them." The three turned their focus to the track once more, watching the four riders rush through, with Alessandra leading the pack, "this is what I mean! Just look at her!"

"If you guys want to see her race, you should come to Zandvoort," the two women looked at the Mercedes team principal in slight confusion, "there's going to be this whole competition event for us team principals that race weekend, some are going to race each other down the main straight on foot, others are doing it on bicycles, and Ale and I are racing each other for 10 laps in the F2004."

"Wait seriously?" Francesca asked, eyes widen, "I know how much Ale loves that car! I cannot believe that she's going to race in it!"

"How are you driving a Ferrari car when you're a Mercedes team principal?" Frankie asked, quirking an eyebrow, "do you race too?"

"I used to race many moons ago, and tend to get in a Mercedes GT car from time to time," Toto chuckled, "we wanted to have an equal level playing field, and due to Mercedes having rejoined F1 in 2010 after many, many years, and we weren't familiar with the modern cars or the cars from the 50s, Alessandra offered to lend me Barichello's F2004." Frankie nodded in understanding, thanking the boss for the information as they continued watching on.

After the third hour - which surprised Toto immensely that they spent so long out on the bikes under the intense summer heat, but the partners of 2 of the riders explained that this was quite normal and they enjoyed intense trainings, even Alessandra - the riders made their way back to the tent by the porch, stopping their bikes as they supported their weight on one leg which they put to the ground.

The Austrian stayed seated where he was whilst Frankie went back inside to get the riders cool refreshments, as his eyes were fixated on his rival once more as she pulled off her helmet, placing it on the bike as her long curls fell free on her back, pushing it away from her face as she leaned her head back, eyeing the couple of veins that popped out under her prominent jaw. He was glad he had his sunnies covering his wide eyes as he watched her pull the zipper of the leathers down and shake her arms out of the sleeve, letting it pool around her hips as she also unzipped the protective vest, revealing the bright red bikini top once more.

"Ale you actually killed us out there," Pecco breathed as he leaned on his helmet that was resting on his bike, "I genuinely felt like I was in the last laps for the title decider, God I hope that won't be the case."

"Speak for yourself man," Marco playfully scoffed, "I was stuck battling Valentino whilst you were trying to catch Ale!"

"There was no catching Ale," Valentino chuckled as he got off the bike, gently placing it to the ground as he took a seat on one of the chairs, running a hand through his damp curls as he glanced up at the Austrian, "I'd worry for Zandvoort, if I were you!"

"What's happening in Zandvoort?" Pecco asked as Frankie came back out with bottles filled with the lemonade she made earlier, handing one each to the riders.

"Alessandra and Toto are doing a short race during the race weekend in Zandvoort," Frankie quickly replied as Marco wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in his side, "she's lending him the F2004, so they're both racing the same cars."

"Seriously?!" Marco exclaimed, eyes widened in surprise as he gave a quick glance to both team principals before looking at his mentor, "Vale, can we please go to Zandvoort so we can watch them race?" The two team principals and Valentino chuckled as they listened to Marco and Pecco practically beg Valentino to take them to Zandvoort, like little kids asking their dad to go on a trip.

"We need to check if there's going to be a race for you two that weekend," Valentino replied, shaking his head at his riders' excitement, "if there's no race, I don't see why we can't go!"

"I already checked," Francesca called out, a wide grin on her face, "you guys have a two week break after the first race of the second half of the season, we can attend Zandvoort!" As the riders let out a loud cheer and quickly started planning the trip, Alessandra shook her head at them, but smiled widely, feeling extremely lucky to have her friends so excited to watch her race.

She turned to look at her rival, her heart fluttering in her chest when she saw the soft smile he had on his lips as he looked at her. She was glad that she asked him to join her today, and that he accepted her invitation. She was happy that she got to show him another part of her, and she was looking forward to hear what he thought of her race.

She got off her bike and made her way up to the porch, taking Frankie's vacant lounge chair and Toto could see her body relaxing on it, leaning her head back as she closed her eyes for a moment. His eyes fell on her chest, only covered by the bikini top, rising and falling in a calming rhythm. Before he can look away, Alessandra opened her eyes and turned her head towards him, a knowing smirk making its way on her lips as she caught him looking at her barely covered chest, and his cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"I'll send you guys the passes for the race," Alessandra called out, "I'll arrange everything when I get back home and will send them to Valentino in the next couple of days!"

"I love you Ale!" Marco beamed as he ran up the porch, tackling Alessandra in a hug, which earned him a loud squeal when he fell flat on her, practically squishing her.

"You're insane," Alessandra exclaimed, letting out loud laughs as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Ale," Pecco started when he also made his way on the porch, crouching down next to her seat, "can I see if Domizia wants to come with?"

"Domizia wants to come," Francesca replied, "I've been sending her videos of you and Ale, and told her about the race and she wants to come! She's already gutted that she missed her today."

"It's a no brainer that Dom's invited too," Alessandra replied, grinning at the reigning Motogp champion, "I haven't seen her in quite a while, plus it would be rude of her bridesmaid not to invite her bride!"

"You're the best," Pecco smiled widely, managing to squeeze himself between her and Marco to hug her, "she's got the best bridesmaid!"

"Uh, hello?!" Francesca and Frankie asked, playfully acting offended, "we're her bridesmaids too, you know?!"

"You guys are amazing too," Pecco chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he stood up, "I'm going to shower and call Dom. I'll see you guys in a bit!"

"I don't know if you guys are up for it," Valentino started when he joined the group after Pecco disappeared in the house, "but I was thinking of getting the grill on and have an early dinner, who's in?" The group quickly agreed with Valentino's idea, as Marco quickly got off Alessandra, who was chuckling when she saw him look at her with excited eyes, blowing her a kiss before stepping next to his girlfriend, wrapping his arm around her and pulled her in his side.

Toto could see the way Alessandra beamed up at the couple, who were cosying up in front of her, and he couldn't help the small smile making its way on his lips as he listened to them talk about a memory that Frankie brought up from a few years ago which the three of them went through. There was something about seeing her around a different group of friends for the first time, almost seeing a different side of her, but at the same time she's the same way as when she's with her group of driver friends, especially away from track. He couldn't explain it, but he was enjoying seeing her around this group of people, watching them bring out another best version of her, absolutely carefree and happy.

"I'm going to get myself a beer," Marco started, "do you guys want one?"

"You are going to take a shower, cause you smell like absolute ass!" Toto's eyes widened in surprise at Frankie's tone towards her boyfriend, but then chuckled along with Alessandra and Valentino, who were laughing at the way Marco groaned, but nodded, the couple making their way inside after Frankie said she'll grab the beers. Francesca followed in behind the two, telling her partner that she'll take out the food from the freezer.

"I'm also going to take a shower," Alessandra said as she stretched her arms over her head before glancing up at her mentor, "are you okay with keeping Toto company, Vale?"

"You know I can take care of myself, right?" Valentino glanced at both team principals, watching the way they gave each other challenging looks as their lips turned up in a smirk. He suddenly felt the air become heavier as a hot tension hovered over them, and he unwillingly ended up stuck between the two.

"Not on these grounds," show shot back, quirking an eyebrow at him as she pushed herself off the lounge chair, trying to fight the smugness making its way on her face when she felt Toto's eyes on her bare upper body.

"He'll be fine," Valentino chuckled, putting a hand on the shoulder of the man who was distracted by the woman in front of him as he eyed the way the leathers hung on her hips, "he can help me on the barbecue before you come and take over for me." Alessandra nodded, grinning at the two before disappearing inside the house.

After taking a nice long shower, and changing into a pair of dark blue linen trousers and a slightly oversized white linen button up, finishing off her outfit with a pair of baby blue nike dunks and her black reading glasses, she packed up her race suit and helmet, then checked her phone to see if she had any messages that she needed to answer.

She tucked her phone in the pocket of her pants, and rolled the sleeves of her shirt up her elbow as she made her way downstairs, and as she walked through the living room to get out on the porch, she could see Toto and Valentino standing in front of the lit up barbecue at the end of the yard, a smile was making its way on her lips as she watched them laughing together.

Valentino meant the world to her, a man who always guided her through the best paths she could take, was a pillar in her life and gave her some of the best life lessons and advice which she carried with her for so long, and made her the person she is today. So seeing him being so at ease with Toto, her rival, the man she's been secretly psychically involved with, and made her feel a type of way she hasn't felt before, it all made her heart skip a beat.

The cool breeze gently hit her skin when she got out on the porch, glancing at the sun that was slowly descending, creating a gorgeous setting of the bright oranges and pinks pained over the sky, and she grabbed the beer that Marco handed her when she walked passed him as she headed towards the barbecue.

"Alright dottore," Valentino chuckled at the nickname Alessandra dropped on him every once in a while, as Toto's eyes quickly went on her, his lips curling in a small smile, wondering how the same woman who looked so sexy and daring in her leathers moments ago could look so gentle and soft right in front of him, "time for the take over, you stink worse than Marco!"

"Watch it Ale," Valentino shot back in a playful tone as he pointed the spatula at her, "or I'll drag you back on the track, and see who comes stinking from the two of us!"

"I promise that it will still be you," she laughed as the Italian legend rolled his eyes at her, throwing the middle finger, which made her laugh harder as he handed her the spatula, "now go! Or I'm gonna tell Marco to get Rubik so he'll take your steak, and you know how fast he'd get him." Valentino shook his head as he looked at her with a wide smile, patting her shoulder before walking away.

Alessandra glanced up at Toto as she took Valentino's spot, taking a sip of her beer as she tried to ignore the flutters in her stomach when her eyes locked with his, watching the reflection of flame from the barbecue dancing in his hues. She shook it off, trying to ignore it by taking another sip of her beer.

"Have you got one?" Alessandra asked, raising the bottle slightly as she flipped the meat over.

"Yeah, Marco gave me one earlier," he answered, grabbing it from the table next to the barbecue and showed it to her, pausing for a moment to take a sip, "do you guys do this often?"

"Do what?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow at him slightly.

"This!" he exclaimed, motioning with his hand around him, "3 hours on track without stopping, battling each other until the very end like it was the title decider, and then you guys just unwind together, laughing and joking with each other, have a barbecue to close off the day."

"Well, the barbecues mainly happen in Summer," she grinned, "but yeah, we push each other to be better, and the competition just comes naturally between us, even if there's nothing to compete for really." Toto nodded at her in understanding, the smile on his face never leaving as he saw how content she looked talking about the group of friends she has here away from the Formula 1 world, "the academy's a really close bunch, we've always been, even when the rest of us aren't here."

"Yeah, I was wondering that," Toto said as he looked around slightly, "I expected Luca to be here too."

"It's been a bit different with Luca, he doesn't come as often from what Marco and Valentino told me," she explained, taking a short moment to look at the food and make sure they're still cooking well, "he's been on a different training regime since he's joined Honda, I guess. But today was mainly for Bez and Pecco with the title fight being so close between them, and me and Vale giving them an extra push, to remind them that the competition isn't so far behind them and everything can change in a season."

"Yeah, that's understandable, and from the looks of it, you really put the pressure on them," Alessandra rolled her eyes when she saw the smirk making its way on his lips, "is that what I should expect in Zandvoort?"

"Today was nothing," she teased, matching the smirk he had as she cocked her head to the side, "expect worse." Their gazes locked as they looked at each other challengingly, whilst Toto's hands itched to grab her and pull her towards him, and give her a kiss to tell her that he's ready for her, both on track, and behind closed doors.

Alessandra tore her gaze away when she felt their tension hover over them heavily, focusing on the barbecue and announced to everyone that the food was ready. Toto chuckled when he saw the riders racing each other as they ran towards them, playfully pushing each other to try and gain an advantage, whilst Frankie, Valentino and Francesca rolled their eyes at their childish behaviour.

Everyone filled their plates and made their way back to the patio as they got another round of beers in hand. They all sat around in a circle around the small fireplace that Valentino lit up, the two team principals sat close to each other on the chairs, with Valentino on her other side, who had his daughter on his lap, already munching on the piece of bread she grabbed from the burger. Francesca was at his side, and Frankie, Marco and Pecco completed the circle across from them.

"Can I just make a toast to something I I've been dying to say for ages now that I've reunited with you lot?" Alessandra asked, which got Toto curious as to what she was saying, whilst everyone gave her the go ahead to do so. She grinned as she grabbed her beer bottle and raised it in the air, "cheers to Pecco, who FINALLY has a wedding date set and happening in a few months! Cause I was starting to think that we might get a Marco and Frankie wedding before yours happened!"

The whole group erupted in loud laughter, with Marco letting out one of the loudest snorts as he almost fell off his chair, whilst Pecco rolled his eyes at her as he chuckled. Pecco and Alessandra might not be as close as she is with Valentino or Marco, but they've been very good friends for quite a long time, she's one of the few who's seen his relationship with his fiance blossom up close, and she's been asking him about the wedding since he proposed well over a year and a half ago, and always gave him shit (in a loving way) when he told her that a date hadn't been set yet.

"Yeah yeah," Pecco said, shaking his head as the laughter had started to die down, "so you waited three months to tell me that?"

"It wouldn't have been fun if I told you over the phone," Alessandra replied with a shrug of the shoulders, giving him an innocent grin, "but seriously, I'm so excited to see you and Dom get married, and I'm truly honoured to be a part of the wedding." Pecco smiled widely at her, standing up from his chair and walked over to her, thanking her for her kind words, and her teasing ones, with a tight hug.

"What about you Ale?" Alessandra turned to look at Frankie, and from the mischievous smirk her friend had on her face, she knew that the table's turned to her, "any chance we're going to hear wedding bells from your side any time soon?"

Toto had to hold back the choke that almost left his mouth, the mention of wedding in Alessandra's direction taking him by surprise. He tried to discreetly clear his throat, not wanting to get any attention from the rest of the group and give them anything to wonder or conspire about. His heart was racing in his chest as he slowly glanced at Alessandra, his mind creating an alternate universe where he proposes to her and watch her walk down the aisle to him, starting the rest of their lives together.

He didn't want to admit to his wonders, but he was realising that whatever he had with Alessandra was much, much more than just physical attraction. He wasn't imagining a whole new life with her because he was going crazy, but it's because he's starting to realise the meaning of the underlying feelings he's always felt around her, and he's felt them for well over before they slept together the first time, he just shook them off for attraction.

He couldn't believe that he was letting himself admit that he's falling in love with Alessandra, his arch rival, at Valentino Rossi's ranch, surrounded by her friends in another motorsport world. And yet, it felt so fitting, because he's seeing her in a different dynamic he's used to seeing her in, the one he was also part of and was really the only one he was familiar with. And seeing her in this dynamic, it was almost another confirmation that Alessandra is who he wanted, he wanted her as a rival, and most of all he wanted her as the one he wanted to be with away from track, from the madness of his job.

But then, the fear started settling in as he admitted to himself that he's finally let his walls start to fall down, walls he built up around him after he found his ex wife cheating on him. He had promised himself he wouldn't fall in love again, he didn't want to go through the excruciating pain he felt the moment he saw Susie in bed with another man. But now, he's scared that he's falling in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way for him, and he's scared to know, scared to go through more pain. He didn't know where Alessandra stood, for all he knew it was all physical and no emotions or feelings involved, just like he's showing to her, but he did now wonder if she felt more than she's leading on.

He pushed all the heavy bearing thoughts and feelings away, not wanting them to dampen his mood or create castles in the air with the fear of them crashing down due to something he has no control of at that moment no reason to think otherwise, as he, along with the rest of the group waited for Alessandra to answer.

"The only kind of silver I want anywhere near my hand is the championship trophy," she said, a smug smirk on her lips as the group rolled her eyes at her, "I'm already married to my team, the wedding bells rung January last year, and they only ring again whenever the team wins the championship, like they did last November."

"Well then," Toto said, smirking down at her as she glanced at him, "may no wedding bells ring in Maranello in November, and start blasting through Brackley."

"May the best team win," she grinned, "but I'd recommend getting ear plugs when the season finishes."

"And why's that?" Toto asked, quirking an eyebrow at her in curiosity.

"For when I call you from Maranello," she shrugged, "and all you'll hear are the church bells being rung cause we won the championship!" Toto shook his head at her confidence as the group laughed along, but the smile was still prominent as he looked at her, watching her send a wink his way before they all continued eating.

From the conversations being held amongst everyone, and the trips down memory lane taken, Toto was learning more about Alessandra, and her life around bikes. He got to know about her first interaction with Pecco when he joined the academy, which was really awkward at first, but after his first day of training Pecco and Alessandra bonded over making fun of Vale for burning the pizza. He also found out about her and Frankie's first interaction, which was at her university in Bologna when Frankie came to study there for a few months, how they instantly bonded and became good friends, and that Alessandra was the reason for her and Marco being together, having introduced the two when Marco visited Alessandra in Maranello and she brought Frankie to show her around her hometown, joking that she felt like a third wheel from the moment the two laid their eyes on each other, but she couldn't be happier that they're together, and have been for well over 7 years and the three have been on endless crazy adventures together, especially when they were younger. He felt sheepish for a moment when he remembered how jealous he felt when he thought that her and Marco were dating back in Le Mans.

The sky had well darkened, the stars settling above them as everyone was laying back on their seats, plates empty on the floor and lazily sipping on their beers as the soreness started settling on the riders. Pecco was the first one to announce that he was heading back home. He made his round to say goodbye to everyone, telling Toto that it was nice to see him unexpectedly, before stopping in front of Alessandra, who stood up to give him a hug.

"We'll see you in Zandvoort," Pecco said, "I better see you in our paddock soon!"

"You never know," she shrugged, giving him a grin which he chuckled too, "but I'll see you in a couple of weeks, and give Dom a big hug from me, yeah?"

"Always," he smiled, giving her arm a gentle squeeze before disappearing in the house.

"Ale," Frankie started as she put the empty glass bottle near her chair, "wanna grab one more and go for a smoke?"

"Oh yeah," Alessandra grinned, nodding her head as she stood up, "grab the cigarettes, I'll grab the blankets and meet you on the hill."

"Oh can I co-"

"No!" Alessandra, Frankie and Valentino told Marco sternly at the same time, making the young rider look at them wide eyes.

"Why?" He whined, crossing his arms over his chest like a child whilst Alessandra went in the shed to grab the blankets and Frankie grabbed the beers and the cigarettes.

"Oh come on Marco," Valentino scoffed, rolling his eyes at his rider, "because you know I don't permit smoking on these grounds!"

"But Ale and Frankie are literally going for a smoke right now!" Marco exclaimed, pointing towards the slightly elevated hill in the middle of the track, where the two women were heading to. Toto couldn't help but chuckle at the scenes that were unfolding in front of him, whilst stealing glances towards his rival, who put the blankets on the ground before settling down on them.

"I'm only allowing it because the two have not seen each other in over a year," Valentino said, putting his daughter down on the ground and let her run around the chairs, "plus, they don't need to keep track of their physicality as much as you do. If you want to smoke with them, do it somewhere where I won't see you, but I'd prefer if you didn't do it at all." Valentino stood up, walking towards his rider, placing a hand on his shoulder, "you know what you can do? You can help me clear out the barbecue."

"Let me help you with that!" Toto quickly said as he stood up, following the men as they walked towards the barbecue, chuckling under his breath at Marco's grumbling.

Alessandra and Frankie were sat shoulder to shoulder on the blankets, beer in one hand, and a cigarette between their fingers in the other hand, looking at the team principal and the Italians in amusement as they could hear Marco's grumbling from where they were sat.

"I feel bad for Marco," Alessandra chuckled, "I'd say let's go for a quick drive and smoke together, but Valentino's right, and plus I don't want a tell off from him either."

"Let him be a baby, he'll get over it," Frankie shrugged, the two taking a synchronised sip from their beer bottles before the South African woman looked at her friend, "so, are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Alessandra asked as she turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You and Toto's deal," Alessandra gave Frankie a confused look, pretending not to understand her question, when really she understood it perfectly, but she knew that she couldn't say anything about it. And when Frankie saw the face her friend gave her, she rolled her eyes at her and gave her an annoyed look, "oh don't look at me like that Ale! Am I really supposed to believe that you brought Toto here because him and Vale are talking about business? I haven't seen them speak once!"

Alessandra knew Frankie well enough to know that nothing goes past her, and she can easily analyse a situation for what it is. It's one of her traits which made her so good at graduating in psychology. And Frankie was one of the very few female friends that Alessandra had that she's known for a very long time, in any other circumstances, she would probably be the first person she'd share her adventures with Toto with. But her circumstances didn't allow it, she couldn't risk having it out, even if the guilt was eating at her for having to lie to her friend, it was already risky as hell that Charles and Mick knew, and she wanted to keep it at that for as long as she could. She knew that bringing Toto along with her today was a risk, can almost be considered as a very careless and uncalculated risk, but it was a risk that she was willing to take, because the alibi she created was sound, well as sound as it could be.

"I know what you're insinuating, but it's absolutely not that," Alessandra said, shaking her head, "Valentino had been wanting to talk to Toto for a while, but never found the good opportunity to do so. And he knew that him and I were on good terms, so he asked me if he would come along with me to the ranch, so I did. Toto and I are friends outside of the track, so I didn't have a problem with it. Plus, we've been in contact to discuss the car we loaned him for the race, that's it really."

"But have they talked about the Monster thing?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow at her, trying to push in hopes that she could crack her, even though Frankie knew that Alessandra would never crack, no matter how much she's pushed, "he's been here watching all day, and like I said, I haven't seen them talking!"

"The two talked when we got here," she quickly replied, taking another sip of her beer, followed by a drag of her cigarette, "and Toto told me they talked near the barbecue earlier. I mean, the talks weren't really going to be formal, Valentino also wanted him to visit the ranch, apparently they had talked about him coming down quite a few times the past few years, but never got round to it, until today."

All Frankie could do was nod and accept the story that Alessandra was giving her as she sipped on her beer. She knew it was useless to push to get the truth out of her, knowing her very well enough to know that if she doesn't want to say something, not even a gun on her head would make her say it. But she watched Alessandra, who fell quiet as she glanced at the group by the barbecue, watching Toto laugh along with the riders as Marco was removing the scraps off the grill before Giulietta came running towards them and stopped right by Toto. The Austrian looked down when he felt the little girl hug his leg, removing the dish towel from his hands and lifted her up.

Her high pitched giggles echoed through the open space of the ranch when he threw her up in the air, quickly grabbing her and putting her on his hip, and her laughs wouldn't stop. Frankie caught the way Alessandra's lips curled up in a smile at the sight of Toto holding Valentino's daughter, and making her laugh as he tickled her stomach, hiding that smile as she brought the glass bottle to her lips. She was at the edge to point it out at her, because from the years she's known and been around Alessandra, never has she seen the Italian team principal be so captivated by a man, even when men tried to get her attention, but she never spared them another glance if they weren't worth her time. But from the way she saw her glance at her rival, she had a hunch that he's got her attention, and not just because he's her main rival. She wondered if she was watching her best friend falling in love in front of her eyes, and also wondered if she knew if she was falling in love.

"I cannot believe how much Giulietta's grown," Frankie said, "you'd think about how old she is, and how much we've been through since then!"

"I'll never forget the day we found out that Vale's gonna become a dad," Alessandra chuckled as she watched Valentino wrap his arm around Francesca as the couple talked with Toto, who still held their child, "we couldn't stop crying that day!"

"The man really decided to invite all of us for lunch at his house for no apparent reason," Frankie laughed, "and then decided to drop the two biggest bombs of his life on us in one breathe!"

"He really went oh yeah, so I've officially decided to retire at the end of the season, but guess what? I'm gonna be a dad!" Alessandra exclaimed as she imitated the legendary rider, "I was crying so hysterically that no one knew if it was because of his retirement announcement or because he was going to become a dad!" Alessandra paused to take another sip of her beer as she smashed the cigarette butt on the ground, "my emotions were so over the place that one moment I'm crying happy tears because we're gonna have a mini Rossi running around and get raised with us, and I'm crying because my favourite rider of all time is retiring from the sport we all love."

"No one knew what to do with us we were an absolute mess," Frankie grinned, shaking her head slightly, "don't forget when we bawled our eyes out when Valentino showed us the pink helmet to tell us that they're having a girl!"

"Oh but remember Valencia that year?" the Italian asked, giving her friend a sad smile as the two remembered the last race of the 2021 season, "all of us in the back of Valentino's garage, I was sat on the floor and I lost it in the end when someone said that it was his last ever lap in Motogp when he started it."

"Yeah the three of us were bawling our eyes out against the wall of the garage," Frankie nodded, blinking her eyes when she felt tears pool in them, "but that memory of all of us on track at the end of the race, in a group hug with him and just celebrating his magnificent career, that was just beautiful."

"That will be a core memory I'll forever look back on with a smile, no matter how much the reminder of his retirement from Motogp breaks my heart," Alessandra said, "but at least we still enjoy him racing, we take what we can get!"

"You've got that right," Frankie grinned, "but we've really come a long way, eh? Valentino's retired from his sport, has a gorgeous daughter, and is racing and smashing it on four wheels. Marco's in a title fight with Pecco, you went from leading one department within Ferrari to becoming a double championship winning team principal..."

"Luca and Marta getting married, Pecco and Domizia are getting married really soon," Alessandra continued, giving her friend an amused grin, "who knows, maybe you'll be telling me that you and Marco are getting married next!"

"Honestly I don't care if we get married or not, I just want to spend the rest of my life with him," Alessandra's grin changed to a soft smile as she looked at her friend in a caring way, "don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind getting proposed, married and the whole shebang, but as long as I'm doing life with him, I couldn't care about anything less." Alessandra nodded at her in understanding, letting her head fall on her friend's shoulder as the two looked at the guys.

Next to the barbecue, Valentino asked if they wanted some gelato, which his partner, the team principal and young rider all nodded their head to. Valentino told Marco to go tell the girls, which he nodded to before running in their direction. Toto turned his head, watching him stop in front of the girls, who nodded at him before standing up, grabbing the blankets and followed behind the rider.

"Awh," Frankie cooed when the girls stopped next to Toto and Francesca and saw the little girl asleep in his arms, "someone got tired from all the running and giggling!"

"Looks like she did," Toto chuckled softly as he glanced down at Giulietta, who felt comfortable enough in his arms to fall asleep on his chest, "and I assume it's past her bed time too."

"That you're right," Francesca grinned, "I'll take her up in the room when we get back inside."

Next to Frankie, Alessandra's heart melted when she saw Giulietta sound asleep, snuggled up in Toto's chest. She knows how good he is with children, having seen him with his son, and her niece and nephew, but every time she can feel her whole body warm up, almost like it was a weakness seeing him be so good with children, and how they love to be around him.

Toto glanced down at Alessandra, smiling at how softly she looked at the little girl before she looked up at him. Their gaze locked, and they gave each other a soft smile, their hearts beating rapidly in their chests at how closely they stood with the little girl in his arms, having no idea that they were both, once again imagining holding their child together.

They all went back inside, being greeted by the warmth of the cosy home as they settled down in the living room as Marco and Valentino came out with ice creams and a mug of coffee, which everyone took the liberty of pouring in the mugs on the coffee table.

"I don't know about you," Marco started, "but I might spend two days laying in bed and not leaving it."

"Are you that sore, Marco?" Francesca chuckled, "you're usually the least to complain about soreness!"

"Yeah, but I always end up pushing way more when I have Ale in front of me," the Italian team principal chuckled when she saw the way Marco cocked an eyebrow at her, "so you're telling me that after getting back on the bike after god knows how many months for three whole months, you're not sore?"

"Oh I am, I can barely feel my legs," Alessandra answered, nodding her head, "but I have to jump back into work and in the sim when I get back home."

"Oh, so you're not taking a break then?" Valentino asked, looking at her softly, knowing how much she pushes herself into her work, even when she should take breaks.

Toto looked at her the same way, especially because he had hoped that he'd get to spend some time with her when the two return to Maranello, since he's spending the night in the country. They hadn't really planned out what the two were going to do after spending the day at the ranch, but he had assumed that they'd have some time for each other, so he wondered what she's going to say.

"I've got a couple of things planned for the last two weeks of Summer break," she said, "but in between, I have to make sure everything's ready for the second half of the season, so when I get back home tomorrow, it's head down and back to work."

"What have you got planned?" Frankie asked.

"I'm visiting Mick's family in Geneva, spending some time with Michael and Corinna since I don't see them so often and miss them terribly," she answered with a soft smile on her face, "and next week we have the End of Summer Ball organised by Formula 1."

"Oh is that becoming a thing now?" Valentino asked, quirking an eyebrow in amusement, "I know you guys had one last year, I just thought it was a one time thing!"

"Apparently it is," Toto replied with a chuckle, "to be fair, last year's was better than I expected, so I guess it wouldn't be too bad if there was a summer ball every year!"

"Unless this year's ball turns out to be a shit show," Alessandra shot back, looking at Toto in amusement, "you'll be the first one to complain and say you won't attend another ball organised by Domenicali ever again!"

"And why would I do that?" Toto asked, his eyes dropping slightly as he looked at her challengingly, his lips turning into a smirk. The other three looked at the team principals in amusement as they watched how easily they can challenge each other, even if it was over something that didn't need challenge, but they quickly noticed that it was part of their dynamic.

"You seem to have forgotten the eye rolls whenever Stefano reminded us of the ball," she said, cocking an eyebrow at him, "and you saying that balls aren't your thing?"

The group erupted in laughter when they watched the Mercedes team principal roll his eyes at her whilst she smirked at him triumphly, knowing that she has won the argument. He shook his head at her before looking down at the girl in his arms as she started to stir, rubbing her eyes.

"Zia Ale," Giulietta's soft mumble caused Toto's heart to melt as she called for his rival, realising the strong bond she has with the Italian team principal, "where's Zia Ale?"

"I'm here stellina," Alessandra said, her voice gentle when she called the little girl's nicnkame as she moved closer to Toto on the sofa, tickling her stomach gently. "Do you want me to take you up to bed?"

"Yes," the little girl said, barely opening her eyes as she nodded her head whilst stretching her arms up towards her, "can you read me a story?"

"Of course," Toto just stared at Alessandra, watching her smile down at Giulietta as she put her hands on the side of her body, "come here stellina mia." Toto helped as he put his hands on Giullietta's back to support her as Alessandra took her in her arms, their eyes meeting for a moment, sharing a quick moment as they smiled at each other whilst the Ferrari team principal stood up and held Giulietta on her hip as the little girl laid her head on her shoulder.

"She's got her pyjamas in the closet," Francesca said, giving her friend a smile, "you can put the clothes she's got on in the bathroom." Alessandra nodded at her before making her way upstairs, her cooes fading when she disappeared from the living room.

The rest of the group engaged in quiet conversations as they finished their ice cream and sipped on their coffee, and Toto listened as Valentino expressed how Alessandra's always been so good with Giulietta, asking about her once a day and face time to see her whenever they can. Francesca also said that even though they don't see each other so much because of their busy schedules, Giulietta;s been obsessed with Alessandra, always asking for her, and just wants to be around her when they're all together. Toto easily believed it, because Alessandra had this captivating energy around her, and everyone was interested in her whether if it was teams poaching her, or partying with her, or kids just wanting her attention, and when Alessandra had love and attention to give, she will give every ounce of it to the people who deserve it. He's seen it first hand, and he feels like the luckiest man alive that he gets her attention.

Later, Marco and Frankie expressed that they were heading back home soon. Toto took the last sip of his coffee, placing the mug on the coffee table, then glanced at Valentino, asking him if he could use the bathroom. Valentino told him that it was upstairs, and Toto thanked him before making his way up.

After he used the bathroom and made his way out, he spotted a door opened slightly, with a dimmed light on and whispers coming from it. He slowly made his way towards it, opening the door a bit more, and as if his heart couldn't melt more, his eyes were met with Giulietta tucked in her bed, and Alessandra laid next to her, arm around her as she held her in her side, holding a small book in the other hand, her glasses falling on the tip of her nose as she read the book.

"And little Valentino got on the bike for the first time," Alessandra said as her eyes followed the words on the book, whilst Giulietta's eyes fluttered as she snuggled on the Italian team principal's chest, "his colourful helmet brighter than the sun compared to the others, a wide smile on his face as the bike made a loud vroom. And off he went when horn blew! Everyone cheered for little Valentino, who was super, super fast, and the rest tried to catch up, but it was no use, the little boy from Tavullia was too fast! And off he went to win the big trophy, little Valentino crossing the finish line to win the race! He stood on the podium, at the top step, everyone cheering his name as he held a trophy bigger than he was! And little Valentino was on the road to becoming the greatest rider, the world has ever seen!"

Alessandra looked down at the little girl in her arm, smiling softly when she saw that she had fallen fast asleep, the bed time story about her father doing the trick. She glanced up, her heart beating faster when she saw Toto leaning against the door frame with arms crossed over his chest, looking at her with a gentle glance that made her feel like the world had stopped, and it was only the three of them left in it.

The Italian team principal gently pulled her arm out from under Giulietta as she slowly got off the bed, making sure that she was still asleep as she put the book on the bedside table. She secured the little girl's surroundings with a few pillows around her as barriers, making sure that the baby cam was on her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before tiptoeing towards the door. She stopped in front of Toto, looking up at him as he placed a hand on her hip, moving it up and down the side of her body as the two glanced at the little girl once more before Alessandra dimmed the lights and the two left the room, closing the door behind them.

"I don't think I need to tell you how good you are with children," Alessandra felt her cheeks flush at the complement as she rested her back against the wall.

"She's just so adorable," Alessandra said softly, "I do wish I can spend more time with her, she just keeps on getting so big every time I see her, she's growing up so fast!"

"Yeah, it's beautiful watching your children grow, but when you're apart from them for long, you feel like you're almost seeing a totally new version of them," he replied, and Alessandra smiled up at him, knowing that he was referring to his children, "Marco and Frankie said that they're leaving soon."

"Yeah, I think we should start making a move, too," Alessandra said as she walked in the room where her stuff was, with Toto following in behind her, "I just need to bring my stuff down, and we'll tell them that we're heading home."

Toto's heart skipped a beat at the way Alessandra said they were heading home, almost making him feel that Maranello, her home, was his home too. He knew that she didn't mean it that way, but his mind couldn't help wondering if Maranello could be his home too, how she could be his home. And in all honesty, as he started accepting his feelings for her, he wanted Maranello to be his home, with her.

Toto just nodded, not able to form words as he watched her check around the room, making sure that she didn't leave anything behind, and packed the last bits of her items in the bags. He walked towards her, grabbing one of her bags and threw it over his shoulder. Alessandra smiled up at him at the gesture, not bothering to tell him that she could carry it, because her body was sore, and she could barely carry the other bag, so she thanked him as she threw the bag on her shoulder, and the two made their way downstairs.

"Giulietta's fast asleep," Alessandra said when the two team principals entered the living room together, "that bed time story of yours Vale always knocks her out so easily, it's so adorable!"

The group hid their amusement with smiles as they watched the team principals enter the room together, and spotting Alessandra's bag on Toto's shoulder. They wanted to say something, especially Frankie and Marco, but they didn't, even though they all shared the same thought about the possibility of something happening between the two, and how good they were together, even though in reality nothing happened in front of them.

"I'm assuming you guys are heading off too?" Valentino asked as he stood up from the sofa, with the rest following suit.

"Yeah," Alessandra smiled, "but thank you for inviting me for a ride, always my favourite time out here with you guys!"

"And I'm always happy to have my Stella out here with us," Valentino grinned as he pulled her in a tight hug, which she quickly returned, "drive safely, and message me when you're home. And say hi to Michael for me when you see him?"

"I will," she replied, leaning her head down slightly as Valentino placed a gentle kiss there before they pulled away. The Ferrari team principal gave Francesca a tight hug, whilst Toto thanked the rider for his invite and for the good time today.

Alessandra was then pulled in a tight hug by Frankie and Marco, the three promising each other to update each other on the rest of their summer, whilst wishing the young rider a good luck for the start of the second half of the season.

"And I'll see you guys in Zandvoort," Alessandra smiled widely when she stood next to Toto, "Vale, I'll let you know when the passes get in!"

"Yes ma'am," Valentino replied, "we're looking forward to see you in action!" The group chuckled, giving each other one last hug before Alessandra and Toto made their way out, with Frankie and Marco behind them.

"Are you not going to tell us which Motogp race you're attending?" Alessandra chuckled at Marco's question when the four reached the Purosangue and the Cupra parked next to each other.

"Nope," she said, a wide grin on her face as she shook her head, which earned her an eye roll from the rider, "you just need to be patient and find me in the paddock somewhere!"

"You're annoying, you know that?" Marco jokingly asked.

"I try my best," she shrugged, "but you love me anyway!"

"And that we do," Frankie grinned as she stepped towards her, giving her a hug, "try not to give Toto a hard time on the way back?"

"No promises," she laughed as they pulled away from each other, "same goes for you at Marco, yeah?"

"Now that is impossible," she smirked, giving her friend a wink as Alessandra opened the trunk, "all for Zandvoort, then?"

"Oh yeah," Alessandra replied, throwing her bag in the back, followed by the bags Toto was holding. She turned towards the Austrian, giving him a small smile when she saw him standing near the passenger side, "ready to go?"

"Ready whenever you are," Alessandra nodded, making her way towards the driver's side as the two team principals slid in the car. When her phone connected with the car, Alessandra opened the music app and handed the phone to Toto, bringing the V12 engine to life.

Pino D'Angio started blasting through her speakers as she felt a hand on her thigh, glancing down at her lap and saw his large hand on her leg, giving her a couple of gentle squeezes. She gave him a smile when she looked up at him, which he returned, knowing that she enjoys whenever he hold her leg during drives, having learned that her language was physical touch, and he was more than willing to communicate with her that way.

Trying to get back her focus as his touch started sending her in a trance, she glanced at the car next to hers, giving the couple in it a wave before she left the premises belonging to the legend. Alessandra let out a sigh when she stretched her arm on the passenger seat, placing her hand on the back of his neck, letting her fingers run through the ends of his hair, earning her a content sigh from him as warmth ran through his veins.

"What a day, eh?" Alessandra asked, turning her head to look at her rival for a moment, "what did you think of the ranch?"

"I knew that Valentino had created a state of the art track, but it honestly exceeded any expectations I had, seeing it up close," he answered, resting his head on the seat as he looked at her, "especially seeing you race around it, I might have to come again to watch the action."

"Well, I guess you need to plan another meeting with Valentino then," she grinned, twirling his hair between her fingers, "on a day when I'm riding, of course!"

"Well, my main reason is to watch you on the bike," he smirked, "how the hell are you so good on bikes when you don't even train so much?"

"I stopped training constantly during my last year as chief track engineer, before, I used to make sure I got at least two sessions at the ranch before heading for a race weekend, and on the free weekends that link up with the Motogp calendar, I'm training with the guys, arriving a couple of hours before to make up for the time I missed cause of work," she explained, "I guess the rest of it is muscle memory. I've only been to the ranch once this year, and last year I only went a handful of times."

"Do you feel the difference?" He asked, "you know, from training a few times a week, to a few times a year?"

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed, letting out a chuckle, "my body's screaming at me for pushing on the bike for 3 hours, and I know I'm gonna feel it for a few days. I used to be sore for a couple of hours after the session and then could get back on the bike no problem. My body's no longer used to the excessive g forces from the bike."

"Fair enough," he replied, "well then, rest as much as you can, I'm expecting you to be on your top game on the dance floor next week!"

"Oh, that you can count on," she said, throwing a wink at him, before her features looked at Toto softly, "I'm glad that you came with me."

"And I'm glad that you asked me to come along with you," Toto replied, grabbing the hand that was at the back of his neck, holding it in front of his face, "always a pleasure to come visit you in Italy, and get to see a new part of you." Alessandra's cheeks turned crimson at his complement, and from when he brought his hand up towards his face, placing his lips on the back of it.

The rest of the drive to Maranello was not a short one, but it was a blissful one of for the two team principals as they chatted about anything and everything, and in some moments they just sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and the music that was playing softly in the background. It only needed one hand on each other to feel the warmth and electrifying power rush through them, pulling them together like a powerful magnet.

Alessandra was in the same problem she was a couple of weeks ago as she started getting closer to her destination. She was so close to telling Toto to stay in Maranello with her for a while, enjoy each other's company within the four walls of her home, not wanting to be away from him. But she knew that she needed to keep her priorities in check, using the time she has in between the last couple of plans in her calendar before the season continues to fully focus on her work. Toto wasn't her priority, he was her arch rival, the man she wanted to beat at the end of the season, her main target, and she couldn't lose the focus on her target because he made her feel ways she's never felt before. She needed to remember what her goals were, and she couldn't let anyone distract her from them.

But she couldn't help it as she thought about how being around him made her happy, wanting to experience things she loves to do with him, like she did with him today. Whenever she was with him away from the track, she always felt like she was experiencing a high she never wanted to end, her body tingling from his touch, the way her heart raced in her chest with just one soft smile at him. The way her body reacted towards him scared her, but the way her emotions took over whenever he was around scared her even more. She couldn't understand what the emotions and feelings were, or what they meant, but all she knew was that he was the reason that she felt all of them, all at once.

Which is why she reminded herself of her priorities, and that he wasn't at the top of that list. She still hasn't fully forgiven him for the way he hurt her, so she knew that she couldn't let herself give into him just because every part of her begged her for him. She had to keep her ground, and keep her focus on what really mattered, which was the championships.

But she honestly hoped that someday, if Toto wanted the same thing as she did, he would be up there on the list of what really mattered to her. Because she was slowly starting to realise, that being with Toto has become something way more than physical, but she hasn't figured out where her feelings were heading. Her only problem was that she was scared to know and understand.

Alessandra drove through her property, and down to her underground garage that showcased her stunning car collection. The two got out of the car when she parked it between the 812 Superfast and the 250 GTO, and Toto glanced around when he noticed that there was something different within the garage as the two grabbed their bags from the back of the Purosangue.

"There's something different," Toto started, "but I cannot put my finger on it."

"Oh yeah, I had to switch around the cars," she started, "cause I'm bringing in a couple of new entries within the family!"

"Oh yeah?" Toto asked, almost breathing a sigh of relief that he no longer had to keep his hands to himself as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, "which cars are joining the garage?"

"The 499P Modificata and the SF90 XX Stradale," she grinned as she leaned towards him, resting her body against his as they entered the elevator to take them inside the house, "needed a couple more cars for the track in the collection!"

"Are you thinking of taking one of them around Monza?" Toto asked, "I've read about both those cars, probably two of the fastest cars in Ferrari's recent years, yeah?"

"Oh they are," she nodded, "which is why I would be more than happy to take the SF90 XX Stradale around Monza, but I haven't decided yet." A small yawn slipped Alessandra's lips when they stepped in the main foyer, feeling the tiredness from the long day slowly accumulate her.

"Let's get you to bed," he smiled down at her, "you deserve a good rest after the session you had today." Alessandra just nodded at him, and the two made their way upstairs to her bedroom.

The two dropped their bags on the side of the room, as Alessandra cleared her race suits and put some of her clothes in the wash whilst Toto changed into a pair of shorts before sliding under the sheets. Alessandra then opened Toto's bag when she got back into the room, the Austrian looking at her in curiosity and amusement as he watched her take out one of his t-shirts before disappearing into the bathroom. He just chuckled to himself, shaking his head slightly as he put his phone on do not disturb, he was a person who hated people going through his stuff, especially without permission, but he didn't mind Alessandra doing it one bit, feeling like it came natural to the both of them, and he liked nothing more than seeing her in his clothes.

She walked back into her room a moment later, his t-shirt pooling around her upper body and falling to her thighs as she walked to her side of the bed, not wasting a moment to snuggle into Toto's bare chest as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him when she got under the sheets. She looked up at him, a lazy smile on her lips as her eyes started to flutter closed, and the rush of warmth woke her up slightly when Toto's lips fell onto her for the first time the whole day, realising how much she missed his lips against hers as they moved together gently, but passionately.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach when they pulled away, seeing the way he looked at her softly, feeling his hands roam under his shit and on her bare back, and she felt herself fall into a deep sleep, within the warmth and closeness of him. And the fear from her feelings were starting to fade away, and all she wanted to keep on feeling was the feelings within her when she's in his arms and so close to him.