Taught by the Tycoon (16 page)

“
Rachel
.” He dropped a curse. “Enough of this childish silence. Answer me now.”

“Was she your lover?”

His stomach clenched at the calm question, even as she still didn’t look up. When he took a moment to answer, though, she did lift her gaze. It was as frigid as her demeanor had been the last hour.

“
Sí
.” There was no reason to lie, and he knew he should’ve told her the truth to begin with. “She was. But it was years ago.”

“Childhood sweethearts. So I heard.” She lifted an eyebrow at him, and her tone was mocking.

“Emphasis on the world childhood. We were barely adults.”

“You should’ve told me. You led me to believe she was a random woman your mother was attempting to set you up with. Not a past lover.”

“It’s irrelevant. I don’t see why you’re so upset.”

“Yes, well you weren’t subjected to her verbal assault.”

“I should’ve never left you two alone.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” She shook her head. “Or you know, maybe I’m glad you did. It’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

“What did she say?” The hairs on the back of his neck lifted, his stomach grew queasy, even as he reminded himself Maria would never talk about
that
.

She just shook her head and refused to answer.

“
Dio
, nothing has changed,
Dolcezza
. So she spat some vicious words to you, it doesn’t change what’s between the two of us.”

“And what is that? Sex? Or, I’m sorry, making love.”

Unease slid through him at the heaviness in the word. As if the phrase was tawdry now.

“You want more.” It wasn’t a question.

“And if I did?” She held his gaze. “Would you give it?”

Heat stole up his neck and his jaw clenched. “We’ve discussed this.”

“Yes, we have. You don’t do serious.”

“Enough,” he rasped, unfastening his seatbelt and crossing the small distance on the plane to her.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes widened and she shrunk back in her seat.

He ignored her question as he unfastened her belt and then lifted her straight out of the seat. She made a cry of protest that ended on a gasp as he settled back down with her on his lap now.

“Whatever she said, whatever doubts she’s planted in your head,” he kissed her trembling lips once, “ignore them. Only believe this.”

He held her chin as he kissed her fully now. Coaxing her lips apart so he could taste the addictive sweetness beyond.

She remained still for a moment, not responding, and he could nearly hear the thoughts in her head going a mile a minute. But then she clearly capitulated as her body softened against him and her tongue slid out to move against his.

When he lifted his head, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I only want you,
Dolcezza
. You must know that.”

“For how long?” Her question was nearly a broken whisper.

“Until you no longer wish to be with me.”

She lifted her head and met his gaze. “And what about when
you’re
done with
me
?”

His chest tightened. Usually after a week he’d be growing bored with a lover, but somehow he was insatiable with Rachel. The idea of ending things today struck a spark of panic within him that he hated to acknowledge.

“I will never be anything but honest with you.” He touched her damp, plump bottom lip. “I won’t promise you more than what we already have, but I hope you are willing to continue with the way things have been the last week. You were happy, no?”

It took a moment before she gave a small nod. “I was. Yes.”

“Then forget Maria and what she said. This is between the two of us only.”

She gave a small sigh and closed her eyes tight. “Though I may regret it later, I’ll agree to continue.”

Odd choice of words. He was used to making deals every day of his life, but he didn’t see keeping an intimate relationship with Rachel as a deal.

“You will stay with me tonight?”

Her lips parted slightly. “At your penthouse in Manhattan?”

“
Sí
.”

“I should get clothes, prepare things for the work week.” Her protests were feeble, ending on a moan when he kissed the side of her neck. “But I suppose I could retrieve those tomorrow after work.”

“Tomorrow is an excellent idea. And anything that cannot wait can be laundered by my housekeeper before morning.” He cupped her breast, stroking the already tight nipple.

“Don’t you let your staff sleep?” Her words nearly ran together, thick with arousal.

He loved that about her. How easily her body woke to his touch. How she always seemed to want him when he wanted her. They were well-matched sexually.

In many ways really. He snuffed out the little voice of romanticism in his head.

“They are paid to be available to me whenever I need them.”

She watched him through hooded eyes, not stopping him as he began to unfasten her blouse.

“Nothing is off limits to you,” she murmured. “You can have anything or anyone you want. When you want.”

He didn’t deny it as he pulled one silky bra cup off her breast. “And right now I want you,
Dolcezza
.”

When he drew her nipple into his mouth, she sighed and delved her fingers into his hair, holding his head to her.

“You have me,” she whispered, and then no more words were spoken as he moved to kneel on the floor in front of her. He pushed her skirt to her waist and tugged her panties to the side.

He set out to drown the memory of Maria’s words under a sea of passion, taking her with his mouth the way she’d done to him yesterday.

There were no more protests. No more angry accusations. There were only her cries of pleasure as she rocked against his mouth.

Mine
.

The word resounded in his head as he brought her to climax. She came undone, sobbing and clutching him. And he stayed with her, enjoying her release almost as much as the taste of her on his tongue.

Moments later he had her limp body cradled in his lap in the plush leather chair on the plane.

Her head rested over his heart and her fingers traced up and down his biceps. A surge of protectiveness mingled with the possessiveness.
Dio
, but he wanted to live in this moment forever.

She didn’t move, seemed almost to be asleep in his arms, but then came her drowsy, nearly inaudible words that changed everything.

“I love you.”

Monday morning was like a big glass of ice water to the face. The magical week in Italy quickly seemed like a hazy dream.

Rachel was kept on her toes and moving nonstop, barely having time to think about anything outside of her job at Mantovani.

Which was a little awkward, being that she spent most of her time running in and out of Damiano’s office. Taking his calls and scheduling his meetings.

It kept her distracted enough that she didn’t dwell on the whispers and stares from other employees in the company. The way people would stop talking when she approached. The throats that would clear and the gazes that would avert.

She and Damiano were a hot topic, and she hated herself for not preparing for that setting upon her return.

Damiano seemed oblivious, then again he rarely left his office and when he did, it was to stride briskly down the posh halls of the building and out the door to his waiting Rolls Royce for a lunch meeting.

By the end of the day, her nerves were a little frayed and she wanted more than anything to go home. Her home. Not Damiano’s amazing penthouse, but her little Brooklyn apartment. She was overdosing a little on his luxury lifestyle.

When she entered Damiano’s office, he was just finished up with a phone call.

He arched a brow at her and gave her that lazy smile that made her heart dance a little. “You look tired. Is the time change an adjustment?”

“It always is for a day or two, but I’ll be fine.” She bit her lip. “I want to go home to my place tonight.”

His smile faded and his brows furrowed. “You need time alone?”

She hesitated. The idea of being away from him actually made her stomach sink, but she needed normalcy too.

“Not necessarily alone time, I just need...a change.”

“I see.” But clearly he didn’t, because his frown didn’t ease.

“You could come with me,” she suggested impulsively.

“Come with you where exactly?”

“To my apartment. Stay with me tonight.” She sat down in the chair across from him and crossed one leg over another. “We always do your type of thing, with the expensive, exclusive restaurants and chauffeured cars. Come see how the other half lives. Other half being me.”

His frown deepened. “I suppose I could do that.”

“You absolutely could. You keep a bag with spare clothes in your office.” She knew because she was the one who always ensured it was packed and left here.

Too often he would not go home for the night, for any multitude of reasons. He’d snag a room at the closest five star hotel and call it good.

“All right. We’ll go to your apartment for the evening. I can have my driver pick us up—”

“And we’ll be stuck in traffic for hours. I know you’ve lived in New York for nearly two decades now, but you still have so much to learn,” she teased. “We can take the subway and get there in half the time.”

“Right. The subway.” His eyes flickered with a memory, and a bit of wonder crossed his face. “I used to be quite good at it when we were in school.”

“You were. And I’ll get you back to pro status.” She stood up again and held out her hand. “Trust me. You’ll have fun tonight.”

He eyed her hand for a moment before giving a wry smile and taking it.

“I undoubtedly will.” Instead of letting her lead him from the room, though, he caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “With you it is a given.”

Her pulse quickened with pleasure and she felt color steal into her cheeks. Every minute with him she swore she fell a little harder for him. On the plane ride home, when he’d taken her with his mouth, she’d climaxed so hard there’d been tears in her eyes.

She couldn’t deny that she loved him, and had dreamt that she had told him as much. Which was about the closest she could ever get to uttering the words, because she knew they’d send her perfectly poised boss into a tizzy.

He didn’t want love. He didn’t want commitment. And so she’d stay in this sexy, wonderful affair until her heart couldn’t take it any longer. Or Damiano grew tired of her. She suspected the latter would happen first.

After swallowing hard, she tugged her hand back and gave him what she hoped was a carefree grin. “Shall we then?”

Damiano did marvelous on the subway, figuring out how to get them to Greenwich Village for dinner, and seeming as curious and eager as any of the many tourists crowding the train.

They exited the subway tunnels to the streets above. He caught her hand as they walked. “I’m amazed at how easy that was. How quick.”

“I’m amazed you’re just
now
realizing traffic in Manhattan is terrible, and the subway would save you so much time.”

He scowled, but it was more for show. “I’ve grown quite spoiled with being driven around. And it’s expected of me to arrive in some ridiculously overpriced luxury car with tinted windows.”

She laughed. “Well buck the trend more often. It’s not like you’d be the first billionaire to ride the subway.”

“You are a wise one.” He came to a stop in the middle of the street, forcing her to stumble to a halt beside him. “You’re an exceptional P.A. and quite possibly an even better lover.”

She made a piqued noise to protest his statement, but he was already pressing a solid kiss on her mouth. And then it was immediately over and he was leading her through the streets with an uncharacteristically large grin on his face.

“Which restaurant will we go to for dinner?” he queried. “One of your charming restaurants you’ve told me about?”

Her heart skipped at his willingness to let loose and slum a little—so to speak—with her. “I think I know a few you would love.”

“I’m in your capable hands,
Dolcezza
. Do with me what you will.”

As she glanced up at him through her lashes, Rachel tried to remember the last time—if ever—she’d seen him so carefree. He was like an entirely different person.

“We need to get you out of Manhattan more often. I think this is good for you.”

“Agreed. How far is this place again?” he asked, when they’d been walking for several minutes.

She glanced at him and hid a smile. “Not tired of walking already are you? I thought you ran everyday.”

“Hmm, I do, but it’s on a treadmill.”

“You should try running in Central park.”

He brightened. “My treadmill is in front of a window that overlooks Central Park.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Not exactly the same thing. We’ll have to go running in the park together sometime.”

His hand tightened around hers and he glanced down at her. “I think I’d like that very much.”

The intimacy in his eyes and the honesty in his words had her stomach doing little flips and her pulse racing.

“You would,” she promised, and then tore her gaze away before he saw too much in her eyes.

Damiano turned his gaze back to the sidewalk they walked on and tried not to analyze why he felt so damn happy right now. So relaxed.

Her hand in his grasp felt small and delicate. Everything about her seemed delicate, and she wasn’t a petite woman. But something in his heart had softened toward her when he’d heard her mutter that drowsy declaration of love.

She hadn’t mentioned the L word again, and he now believed she’d been caught up in the moment. Probably hadn’t even realized she’d said it aloud.

But there was a part of him, a completely impractical part of him, that had reveled in her whispered confession. Had wanted it to be true and not just meaningless pillow talk. Which was terrifying, because he didn’t want her love. Didn’t deserve it, because he couldn’t return it.