Leah's Seduction: 10 (Gianni and Leah - Leah's Seduction) (5 page)

Chapter 9

For the next couple of days, Leah didn’t see Kyra. But she knew she was okay. Her friend texted that she was fine, and having a wonderful time. She was going to spend a few days touring Zurich with Stephano, and she would call when she got back to New York. Knowing that Kyra was dating a good man made the whole trip worth it for Leah.

Later that week, Gianni and Leah packed and went to the airport. They planned to spend Christmas with the Rinaldis, and then go to Portland to see Leah’s family before New Year’s Eve. It would be good to spend the holidays at home, but Leah was sad to leave Zurich.

Walking through the airport, holding Gianni’s hand, Leah noticed something on the digital billboard above them. It was a picture of Gianni with his arm around Leah. She recognized the photo that had been taken at a party they had attended.

Then she saw the word
Leah
, and her heart began to pound.

A little dizzy, Leah couldn’t believe what was happening. She stopped, and read the billboard very slowly. The display said:
Leah, my love – Will you marry me? Gianni

She took two steps back and nearly tripped. Gianni was proposing to her? When she turned to look, Gianni was on one knee beside her. All she could think of was how much she loved him. Special moments they had shared flashed in her mind.

Gianni took her hand, and reached the other into his pocket. He withdrew a velvet box and handed it to her. Taking it in both hands, Leah trembled as she opened it. A platinum engagement ring with a marquise-cut diamond gleamed against the royal-blue velvet. She forgot to breathe.

Reaching for her hand, Gianni looked up at her. “Will you marry me, baby?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Leah smiled and cried simultaneously. Gianni remained on one knee. “I would be honored to announce to the world that you will be my wife…if you will have me.”

Leah gasped through the tears. “Yes.”

Gianni stood and swept her into his arms. Holding her, he turned in a circle, with both of them grinning. As if choreographed, a security guard stepped up and handed a bouquet of roses to Leah. “Congratulations,” he said.

Leah couldn’t take her eyes off Gianni. He looked so damn sexy. The prospect of marriage made him more so. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several people snapping photos with their cell phones. No doubt someone had recognized them.

Gianni pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Leah kissed him back, lost in his love. Then he took the ring from the velvet box and put it on her finger. She held the diamond up to admire its gleam under the bright lights.

Gianni wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love you, baby.”

Leah threw her arms around his neck. “I love you too.”

Taking her hand, Gianni guided her away from the crowd, carrying her flowers for her. “I know it may be too soon,” he said. “Love is new, for both of us. But I didn’t want to wait.”

He turned and looked into Leah’s eyes. “I want you with me. Whatever we have to work through, I want to do it with you near.” He paused. “We don’t have to set the wedding date until you are ready.”

Leah touched his cheek. “I will marry you, Gianni. I am honored. I’ve loved you from the start. It’s not too soon at all.” She smiled. “I’m ready.”

Gianni looked so happy. He put his arm around her and started walking. “No doubt pictures of us will be on social media before we even board the jet.”

“I’m sure they will,” Leah said. “Now the press will have something worthwhile to write about.” She looked up at Gianni, her heart bursting with happiness.

“Yes, my love,” Gianni said. “They will get it right this time. They can let the world know I relinquish my bachelor status to marry you, baby…the woman I love with all my heart. And want to share the rest of my life with.”

# # #

Don’t miss Kyra and Stephano in their steamy romance!

Click
HERE
for “Stay With Me” (Kyra’s Story)

“Kyra may have found the man of her dreams…but fate has other plans.”

Newsletter
: 
Click here
to be notified of new releases and specials!

Fall in love with more of Emily’s characters:
LIST OF EMILY’S BOOKS

Connect with me and see announcements on Facebook:
Emily Jane Trent Books

You met Natalie Baker, the young dress designer, in Leah’s story. Read her romance with billionaire, Tanner Clarke!

Dark Desire (Touched By You 1)

Here is an excerpt for you to enjoy:

Dark Desire

Prologue

1 – Concert Night

Her upcoming graduation from high school, only weeks away, was bittersweet. She knew she’d miss her friends. They’d promised to stay in touch, but one never knew. Tonight, she was with a group that had escaped prom night for something more entertaining. Natalie had turned eighteen recently, and with senior year ending, wanted a last fling. She was so enthralled with Justin’s somber voice that she didn’t notice the eyes gazing at her from not far away.

Tanner Clarke had her in his direct line of vision. At the last minute, he had secured tickets to hear the group She Wants Revenge, one of his current favorites. And he could hear them just fine. He didn’t need to look at them. A gorgeous young woman caught his eye and he couldn’t seem to look away. He’d come alone tonight. He didn’t know anyone else, personally, that liked the musical group like he did. He had to admit his taste in music was eclectic.

She looked like any other of the hundreds of women her age at the concert. She wore a short denim skirt and jacket. He couldn’t see very well in the dark. Her long brown hair hung midway down her back. The soft curls begged to be touched. His seat was in the balcony and his view of her lovely, angelic face was unobstructed. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something special about her.

What a beauty she was, yet he noted her demeanor was unassuming. So unlike the women he was used to. He let his eyes wander, just a bit, to see if she was with a date, but no male seemed to be with her. The song ended. The little screech she let out pulled his attention back to her. She jumped up and down, clapping. Such childlike joy was foreign in his world.

The lights came up and the intermission started. Tanner slipped out to the tunnel and turned left, just in time to see her exit with a girlfriend. Figuring she’d be headed for a drink and the ladies’ room, he walked in that direction, trying to keep her in sight. Hurrying a little too much, he nearly bumped into her. She stood in a line at a refreshment station, chatting with another girl her age.

Spellbound, Tanner stopped. The soft laugh she shared with her friend touched his ears and he felt it in his heart. Oh, her joy was infectious. Clearly, she was having a good time at the concert. He had no idea how to approach her. Normally, women flocked to him—whether he wanted them or not. Now, the prospect of meeting someone outside his circle of influence was a bit awkward. He wasn’t really the social type.

Natalie felt someone looking at her and glanced to her left to see who it was. She found herself eye to eye with the most devastatingly gorgeous man she’d ever seen. He had to be at least six feet tall. He wore washed jeans that accentuated his lean thighs, a suede jacket that screamed high quality, and a plain white T-shirt.

But that wasn’t it. There was something in his face. She couldn’t think the thought she grasped for. His skin was pale and she got the impression he wasn’t out in the sun much. His baby-blue eyes were so bright they appeared luminous. And his dark brown hair shimmered with auburn highlights, here under the blaring brightness of the lobby. He was just beautiful. She’d never known a man could be beautiful, but he definitely was.

“What do you want, Natalie?” Jenny’s voice broke the trance. “Uh, nothing,” she replied, looking away from her friend. “I’ll be in the restroom.” For a reason she couldn’t explain, Natalie made a sudden move to get away from the captivating stranger. An unexpected feeling of desire consumed her, making her feel nervous and flustered. She couldn’t imagine how she’d explain why she’d been boldly staring at him.

She had to make her escape before embarrassing herself further. Whipping around to make a dash back to the facilities, she walked directly into him, not exactly graceful. Yet he didn’t seem to mind. He grabbed her arms the moment she plowed into him, and held her at arm’s length, looking at her strangely. He must have stepped closer to her when she’d turned to talk to Jenny, and now blocked her path.

She wondered for a second if he was really of this world. There was no doubt that the boys she knew didn’t look like he did. Maybe it was a college look. No, that wasn’t it. The expression on his face was hard to peg, as were his intentions.

He looked at her a bit harshly. “Are you in a rush to get somewhere?” he said in a deep, melodic voice. She could listen to him talk forever. But he didn’t say anything else.

“Ah, I’m…um…going to the ladies’ room,” she stammered.

A slight smile played on his lips, but his eyes were cold. Cold, that was how they looked. That was odd. There was no reason for him to approach her and then be so rigid.

“I’ll wait for you” was all he said, and then he released her. Natalie could think of no appropriate response. She turned and went straight to the ladies’ room with the stranger not far behind, walked to the first stall and shut the door. Only then did she notice she was shaky.
Something was happening, but she couldn’t make sense of it. A gorgeous stranger just followed her to the bathroom. First of all, he was too good looking to be following her. She ran her hands down her well-worn jacket and then hugged her arms around herself in an attempt to get centered. She closed her eyes, but all she saw was the image of his face.

* * * * *

2– Drawn Together

Natalie walked calmly out of the restroom, fully expecting the beautiful stranger to be gone. He was more suited to being a daydream than a real person. She never met people like that. His appearance and manner gave away that he wasn’t from the small area where she lived. Confidence like that was only found in the big city.

She intended to keep walking, if she could keep from tripping over her own feet, and find Jenny. She wanted to surround herself with normality and get back to the concert to get lost in the music. But such was not to be.

“Are you avoiding me?” His voice again. Her heart pounded but it wasn’t fear. It felt more like excitement. Yet she had no clue how she could be excited to see someone she didn’t even know. Well, on second thought, she’d have to be blind not to see that this man was a magnet for women. For the first time, a subconscious thought pressed into view. Yes, she was in trouble.

Natalie turned around and saw him standing behind her. However unlikely, he was even more handsome than she recalled. “I would never avoid someone like you.” That wasn’t at all what she intended to say. The words spilled out as if spoken by someone else.

The grin he gave her was blinding. Those perfect white teeth. And this time his eyes squinted when he smiled. She realized she was grinning back. Yet a tiny voice inside nagged her that he couldn’t actually be interested in her. She was just an ordinary girl from Oakland, from an unremarkable neighborhood.

“I see you didn’t get a chance to get a drink. The concert is going to resume shortly. I took the liberty of snagging a Coke for you, not being sure of your preference.” He held out a plastic cup in offering.

Natalie felt warmth flow through her. She didn’t recognize the feeling, exactly. She wasn’t very experienced with men. It seemed her life was involved with more mundane activities. Yet she couldn’t keep looking at him this way. Her knees were weak. “I need to sit down,” she blurted out, and turned to scan for seating.

The lobby was still packed with music fans trying to get back to their seats in time. Tanner glanced at the sea of bodies and put his arm around her, guiding her along the wall to an unmarked door. Amazingly, it was unlocked. It appeared to be some kind of small lounge, possibly for employees.

Now, Natalie felt really awkward, and faint. So she plopped onto the fake leather sofa nearest the door. If she needed to make her escape, the door would be close by. “How did you know this would be open?”