Risky Negotiations (16 page)

Laci could barely speak. His gaze was so intense, so livid. After a few minutes, she was able to gather her thoughts and form an angry response, “That wasn’t exactly what I was going to say.” She tried to pull away but his grip was firmly around her, not giving an inch.

“
I was,” he replied and spun her around so she was completely off balance.

Laci held on to his shoulders and leaned against him, unsure how to respond. “Are you mad at me?” she finally asked.

“
Yes,” was all he said.

“
Why?”

“
Because you are displaying your considerable charms to men who have no right to see them,” he explained.

“
And you do have the right?”

“
Of course,” he said, his gaze never leaving her eyes.

“
Who gave you that right,” she asked furiously.

“
You did, of course, the night I held you in my arms and you shivered, returning my kiss with equal feeling.”

Laci shivered with his words, remembering that evening vividly.

She was looking into his eyes and wondered about his anger. “Are you jealous?” she asked after a few minutes.

“
Yes.” He said and she saw the muscle twitching in his jaw.

Laci watched his face, noting how he tried to appear impassive. But she wasn’t fooled. “And you don’t like it?” she guessed.

“
As it happens, I’ve never experienced it before,” he said, staring at a point over her shoulder. “But after a few minutes of experiencing the emotion, I’ve decided it is an incredibly awful feeling.”

Laci shook her head, amazed that he would even admit that much to her.

Their conversation was interrupted by the song ending and a drum roll. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” a sultry brunette in a sequined blue dress said over the speaker, walking to the center of the stage. “It’s time for the annual auction. I’d like all the eligible males to move to the side of the stage. Ladies, take out your wallets. This is all for a good cause.”

Everyone stopped dancing and moved to face the stage, the anticipation of the crowd was almost palpable. There was already a long line of men moving towards one end of the stage. Laci noticed each of the men she’d dance with tonight among those men setting themselves up for the auction.

Victoria and Thomas joined them as well as all the other Attracelli men. Laci tried to move away but Sal wouldn’t let her. He held her hand and kept her beside him, his shoulder brushing her bare skin every few minutes.

“
What’s going on?” Laci asked her sister, refusing to look at Sal or any of his brothers. They were all smiling at her as if she had been caught doing something naughty.

The announcer worked the audience perfectly. She described each of the men’s physical characteristics and occupation, then enticed the women by adding possible dates, such as the theatre or ballet, even suggesting romantic walks. “Wouldn’t he look wonderful sitting on a picnic blanket by the Jefferson Memorial, ladies?” And each time she made a comment, the price went higher.

Laci was astounded by the amount of money each man was going for. Each of the men was “sold” for about a thousand dollars. She knew it would all go to charity and the people here were the upper crust of Washington, D.C. society. They could all afford the price of each bachelor. And the men loved the attention. As each walked off the stage to their “buyer” to escort the lucky lady to the cashier, they smiled smugly to the crowd as if their price justified their existence.

Within a half hour, there were twenty men who had been sold. Laci was furious with Sal. He wouldn’t let her move away. But in the guise of trying to speak with Victoria, she was able to at least move in front of him.

She watched as Gerry strutted onto the stage. Laci’s mind was struggling to figure out a way to get away from Sal. When she saw the blond haired man standing next to the announcer as his legal credentials were announced, Laci decided to make a bold statement.

As soon as the bidding was opened up, Laci raised her hand. “One thousand dollars,” she called out.

The announcer laughed and Gerry was delighted that the price spiked up so high so quickly. But as soon as Laci’s hand lowered, another woman volunteered eleven hundred dollars. Laci was about to raise her hand again when she felt Sal’s hand slide down her bare spine. Her breath caught in her throat and her hand was left dangling at her side. The crowd waited to see if she would counter the previous bid, but Laci’s mind was blank. She took a deep breath and tensed, afraid Sal would touch her again. Moving slightly forward, she decided to raise her hand again, but moved out of his reach before doing so.

Unfortunately, Sal moved with her, as did all of his brothers so no one in the crowd could see him move his hand inside her dress as he cradled her waist. The back of her dress was low enough to allow him free access.

Laci was paralyzed. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All she could do is feel and wonder what it would be like if they were alone.

She turned around and confronted him. “What do you think you are doing?” she hissed, worried that the others would hear her.

“
I think you know exactly what I’m doing,” he said, gazing down at her with a lazy look in his eyes.

“
Why aren’t you up there?” she asked, taking a step back, as she motioned towards the stage.

“
I’ll make a donation,” he said, chuckling at her challenge.

“
Afraid no one would bid on you?” she asked, turning around to face the stage again.

Laci didn’t think she would get away with that comment but there was only silence behind her.

“
Ladies, I didn’t think he would come up but you’re in for a special treat. Salvatore Attracelli has graced the stage,” the lovely announcer was saying.

Laci’s blood was racing so loudly she could barely hear the woman’s introduction. She saw several women’s hands shoot into the air and heard “Two thousand dollars!” starting off the bidding.

Laci’s mouth dropped open. “What is he doing?” she asked to no one in particular.

“
I don’t think Sal has ever ignored a challenge,” Carlo said, chuckling.

She watched Sal stand on stage, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tuxedo pants. He looked incredibly relaxed, Laci thought. She dared to look at his eyes then. And he was staring right back at her, one eyebrow raised in question.

The bidding was already up to three thousand dollars. Laci turned her back on the stage, intending to leave so she couldn’t hear the other women bidding to go out on a date with him.

But all four brothers blocked her exit. “What’s your hurry?” Gus asked as he looked down at her with a soft smile.

“
You started it,” Thomas said, his deep voice near her ear. “I suggest you finish it before some other woman walks away on the arm of your man,”

“
He isn’t
my
man. He isn’t
my
anything,” she said angrily. She just wished it were true.

“
Suit yourself,” Thomas said, shrugging. “But the bidding is up to almost five thousand dollars,” he said.

“
I know that,” Laci hissed, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest as if the action could stop the onslaught of jealousy she was feeling as other women bid higher and higher for Sal’s exclusive attention for one night.

Victoria was standing next to her laughing so hard tears were coming down her cheeks. “If you’ll get Sal out of a date with that awful woman, I’ll make sure the boys cover your bid,” she said.

Laci didn’t look away but sensed all four of them nodding their heads. Laci listened as a tall, blond woman with huge breasts and too much makeup raised the bid to four thousand dollars.

A short, voluptuous brunette stepped up at that time and called out, “Four thousand, one hundred.”

Another blond, this one looking like a super model chimed in. “Four thousand, three hundred,” she called out.

Another woman, this one probably in her fifties, raised her hand. “Four thousand four hundred.”

Laci had had enough. She stepped forward. “Six thousand,” she called out, her hands fisted at her sides.

Laci gritted her teeth as she saw Sal throw back his head and laugh.

The announcer watched it all with a mixture of confusion and speculation. As soon as Laci called out her bid, the woman pounded the gavel. “Sold, for six thousand dollars.” The other women were a mad because they didn’t have a chance to counter the bid, but Laci didn’t mind. She watched as Sal walked over to the announcer and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Then he walked down the stage. The crowd parted as he made his way to stand directly in front of her. For a long moment Laci wouldn’t look up at his face. She stared at the buttons on his tuxedo shirt front.

When she finally had her emotions in check, she looked up at him. He slowly smiled at her, then winked. “It took you long enough.”

Turning to his brothers, he nodded. “Thanks for saving me from Belinda,” he said and took hold of Laci’s hand to guide her onto the dance floor which was crowded now that the auction was over.

Sal looked down at her, noting how her hair was piled on top of her head with curls coming out, teasing him, making her look soft and romantic. He could feel her breasts pressed against his chest, see her pulse racing in the soft spot along her neck. She was looking up at him with her mouth open and all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her. At that moment, all he wanted to do was drag her out of here and make love to her until she ached with the same kind of raw intensity he was experiencing.

And then it dawned on him. When he first walked in and saw her, she had been dancing with some blond haired prima donna but was looking around her as if she was bored. Now she was dancing with him and he knew she barely acknowledged the other people on the dance floor.

“
I want you,” he said simply.

Laci’s whole body started shaking.

“
Don’t say things like that,” she said breathlessly and stared at his shirt front again.

“
Why not? You want me too. I can feel it.”

She didn’t bother to deny it anymore. “It doesn’t matter.”

“
Why not?”

She searched her brain, trying to remember why it was so important to avoid him and fight these feelings he stirred within her. “Because I have other responsibilities.”

“
Forget them,” his deep voice insisted, whispering in her ear. “Forget everything for one night. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Laci started to shake her head. But his next words stopped her. “Don’t fight it any longer. What we have together is worth exploring. You can’t deny that you want me as much as I want you,” he said.

He pulled her closer so she could feel the desire he felt right at that moment. “Come home with me. Forget about this place and these people. Forget about the negotiations and the union workers. For once in your life, just feel,” he urged, his voice filled with the desire she was also feeling.

Laci stared up at his face, hypnotized by the intensity of his desire. She wanted to give in. She wanted to feel free to take what he was so willingly offering. Could she do it? Could she forget for just one night?

She thought about how she had felt while dancing with her other partners earlier in the evening. Or more specifically, what she hadn’t felt. She hadn’t felt alive. She hadn’t been intrigued or challenged in any way. She’d been bored, numb almost and was constantly wondering when the dance would end. In Sal’s arms, she could barely feel her feet touching the floor. All the other sounds, music and conversation disappeared when he pulled her close.

In fact, she didn’t even need to be in his arms. She’d known he was in the area before he’d even touched her. Would she ever feel this way again? She’d never experienced anything like it before. All the other men she’d dated had left her feeling barely luke warm. But Sal made her feel sexy and desired.

He was watching her eyes and knew the instant she gave in. His first instinct was to grab her hand and leave immediately. And yet he continued to dance, moving to the beat. He wanted to savor the intensity of emotions he felt as her silk clad body moved against his. He wanted to enjoy the way she looked up at him, the passion latent in her eyes, the promise of more to come.

The song eventually ended and he took her hand within his, leading her off the dance floor. He grimaced when he saw the group ahead of him. All four of his brothers were watching with a knowing look in their eyes. Even Antonia had arrived with her husband Brett, both of them were looking at him curiously. Sal wondered if it would be possible to get around them. With a sigh, he led her over towards their table, knowing the answer.