Taught by the Tycoon (19 page)

Sympathy flashed across her friend’s face. “You really fell hard for him.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Why does he suddenly want marriage?”

Rachel scowled. “Oh you know, my brother called him and evoked the wrath of friend guilt.”

“Of course he did. I mean it’s kind of sweet and protective, but mostly just ridiculous. And Damiano is equally ridiculous for making such a big decision based on feeling guilty about sleeping with his friend’s sister.”

It wasn’t just because of the guilt, but Rachel wasn’t going to tell her about the other driving factor.

Her phone buzzed and she flinched, sneaking a peak at who it was from the corner of her eye. But she knew it was Damiano again.

Lexi followed her gaze. “You’re still not going to reply?”

Damiano had sent several texts and made multiple calls since he’d clearly awoken to discover her gone.

“I can’t just yet.” She bit her lip. “I need time to think. To be alone.”

Lexi frowned. “Where will you go? You know he’ll try to find you.”

“He already is.”

It was only a matter of time before his Rolls Royce was cruising through Brooklyn trying to track her down.

“I don’t know where to go.” Rachel shook her head. “I have no family in the city anymore. No good friends to ask. I just want to hole up in a room and work on my resume and search for another job. I can’t keep working for Damiano.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse.” She could’ve brought up the whole sordid bit about him threatening to fire her. Blacklist her from any sort of P.A. job in the city. Though she suspected those had been heated, idle threats.

Damiano might be acting like a royal bastard right now, but he wasn’t that big of an asshole. Still, on the off chance that he decided to become on, she needed a plan.

“I need someone who doesn’t give a fig what Damiano’s opinion of me is. Someone who...” She trailed off as an idea kicked in. “I think I just figured it out.”

“Who?”

“Samuele Lionelli.”

“Whoa. If you’re goal is to really piss of Damiano, then you’re about to do it.”

“That’s not my intention. Samuele owns all these hotels, and maybe he’ll let me unofficially stay in one and lay low for a few days.” She sighed. “He basically extended a hand should I ever need it. And, you know, I think right now I need it.”

“Hmm. You realize it’s abnormal to have one billionaire seeking out a girl’s attention, and yet you have two.”

“I’m pretty sure Samuele’s not interested in me anymore.” Rachel sent a text message to Samuele to feel him out. Chances were she wouldn’t even hear back. He probably hadn’t kept her number. Probably was busy doing much more important things.

Her phone buzzed in less than five minutes with a reply.

I’m happy to help with whatever you need. Just let me know where you are.

Relief swarmed her and she leaned back in the chair. “He’s going to help.”

“Hmm.” Lexi seemed even more dubious and unhappy. “He’d better not expect anything in return.”

“I don’t think he will. He’s not like that.”

“They’re
all
like that, Rach.”

A sleek sport’s car pulled up to the coffee shop a moment later, parking in the fire lane and leaving it’s emergency lights on.

“Oh look at that. Hot billionaire boy doesn’t think the same traffic laws apply to him,” Lexi grumbled.

“Be nice.”

Samuele Lionelli stepped out, Armani suit and aviator shades on, even though the sun had already set.

He opened the door to the coffee shop, his gaze sweeping around until it found her. He strode over and took his shades off.

“Are you all right?”

“Fine. I’m just hoping you can hook me up with a place to crash.”

He gave a brief smile. “Of course. It’s somewhat my thing and all.”

“I hope you’re not planning to get laid in return for this, because she’s not putting out.”

Nearly choking, Rachel shot Lexi a look of disbelief. As if just noticing her friend, Samuele’s gaze dropped down to look over Lexi.

Rachel knew what he must see. A petite blonde who didn’t even reach his shoulders, wearing a pink velour jogging suit, no makeup, and a blond ponytail high on her head.

“Pardon?” He arched a brow.

“You heard me.” She folded her arms across her breasts and stared up at him, meeting his stare. “Your motives better be purely altruistic, buddy, because she’s not sleeping with you.”

“Lexi!” Rachel finally sputtered. “Oh my gosh, please just shut your mouth.”

“It’s quite all right.” Samuele’s tone was amused, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. “Clearly she’s just protective of you.” His gaze slid over Lexi from top to bottom. “Like a little pink Chihuahua.”

Lexi’s gaze narrowed, and before she could say anything equally offensive, Rachel stepped forward and cleared her throat.

“We should probably go.”

He reached for the one bag she’d had and gestured to the door. “After you.”

She gave Lexi a hug, promised to call, and then headed for the door. But not before she saw her friend point to her eyes, her fingers in a backward V, and then point to Samuele, in what was clearly the universal signal for
I’ll be watching you
.

“Sorry about that.” She slid into the passenger seat of the tiny car. “She’s a little...well, she’s Lexi.”

“No need to apologize.” His lips twitched as he eased the car away from the curb and then whipped into traffic. “And I’m happy to help you, and let me be clear, have absolutely no hope or no expectations. I’ve arranged for a suite in one of our hotels in the city. Your name will not be linked to the room and you’re free to stay in it for as long as you need.”

The generosity of what he offered had tears filling her eyes.

“Thank you. I can pay you back once I find a new job.”

He must have heard the crack in her voice, or her words shocked him, because he shot her a sharp look. Just in time, of course, to see the first tears leak.

“And if it is a job you need, Rachel, then please know you would find one within my company.”

She didn’t reply. Really couldn’t have if she’d even wanted to. The tears fell faster. The thought of actually leaving Damiano, both the relationship and her employment, made her heart hurt.

She didn’t wipe the moisture off her cheeks, but turned to stare out the window.

“He doesn’t deserve you,” Brain finally said quietly.

Maybe he didn’t, but she still wanted him. Still loved him.

But her love alone just wasn’t going to be enough to carry them through a relationship.

Damiano scrubbed a hand across his face and thrust his fingers into his hair. A glass of scotch sat on his desk, still untouched.

His stomach hurt. His eyes burned from lack of sleep. And his heart felt as if it were being tenderized by a mallet.

Three days. For three days he’d scoured the city for Rachel, and for three days he’d come up empty. Stonewalled by her once friendly roommate Alexis.

Theo knew nothing. She hadn’t answered his calls either, and so he was using his sources to search for his sister as well. Both Theo and Damiano were finding nothing.

Damiano pushed back his chair and strode over to the window, staring out at the Manhattan skyline.

Merda
. It was like she’d disappeared into thin air. And he couldn’t blame her. He’d been atrocious. Controlling. Desperate. And so damn afraid. But now, that fear was worse. The fear of losing her consumed him.

Below his home the early summer tourists swarmed the streets, mixing with the locals. The city, the restaurants and the hotels spilling over with people.

His gaze scanned the skyline, his mind still trying to figure out where she would go. And then suddenly his attention swung back to one building in particular. A luxury hotel that was owned by a tycoon he knew fairly well.

Damiano’s heart nearly stopped and then began a hard, quick thud.
Dio
. She wouldn’t have gone to him. Would she have?

After just a moment’s hesitation, he turned on his heel and headed for the door.

It took an hour and a half of phone calls and collecting on personal favors, but three hours later Damiano strode past a flustered secretary and into a meeting that was clearly private.

From behind a large walnut desk with the Lionelli logo in the middle, Samuele Lionelli stared at him with an air of indifference.

“Mantovani.” His words were slow and mocking. “I didn’t realize you’d been invited to this meeting.”

“Tell me where she is.”

Lionelli didn’t reply, but just continued to stare at him. And then he reached for the phone in front of him.

Well aware that he was likely having security called on him, Damiano stepped forward and rasped, “Please. I only want to talk to her.”

Lionelli stared at him for a moment, before setting the phone back down.

“If you would give us a moment, gentleman.”

The rest of the men pushed back their chairs and filed out of the room within a minute. The door didn’t have a chance to shut completely before a woman strode in. Damiano barely noticed her as another woman came into focus behind her.

His chest tightened. “
Rachel
.”

Her gaze swung to him and her eyes rounded. She nearly dropped the silver pot of coffee in her hands.

Dio
. She worked for him now?

Lionelli stood. “Rachel, you may leave. I will handle this.”

But she didn’t move and the shock on her face began to slip into uncertainty. And then misery.

“Rachel, please. Can we just talk?” He stepped toward her, but halted when she took a step backward.

“I’m going to ask you to leave one more time, Mantovani.” Lionelli’s voice had cooled considerably. “Before I have you escorted out by security.”

“
Rachel
.” He pleaded, ignoring Lionelli.

She shook her head, and then turned and fled the room.

Pain ripped through him, jagged and sharp. Leaving him frozen and unable to breathe.

“She’s too good for you, Mantovani.”

Forcing himself to look at the other man, he managed to bite out, “I don’t disagree with you. But I love her.”

Lionelli watched him thoughtfully, then shrugged and began to stack the papers on his desk. “Then perhaps you should’ve told her that.”

Cursing under his breath, Damiano turned and left the room. He searched the immediate office for any sign of her, but she was nowhere.

After a few minutes, and many curious stares, he turned and left the building and began the short walk home.

An hour later he was back where he’d started when he had hope. Staring out the window that overlooked the city, and trying to come to terms with the fact that he’d lost her.

The Scotch was in his hand again, but he had yet to drink it. He’d never used alcohol as an escape before, and wasn’t about to start now.

There was a click as the door to his office opened, and assuming it was the dinner he’d ordered earlier, he didn’t turn around. Didn’t want anyone on his staff to see the bleakness that encompassed him.

“Leave it on the desk, please.”

There were soft approaching footsteps. “My heart? I’m afraid it’s already been left in your hands.”

He closed his eyes as his chest went painfully tight. Struggling to get in a breath, he finally turned around.

She stood before him carrying a bag of her things, the one he’d noticed she’d taken when he’d woken to find her gone.

He approached her slowly, almost wondering if he was dreaming this. But when he reached out to cup her tear-stained face, she was warm and real.

“I love you, Rachel.” The admission was broken and ragged.

She bit her lip, clearly struggling against another wave of tears. Finally she whispered, “I know.”

He brushed away the moisture gathering at the corner of her eyes. She turned her cheek into his palm.

“I thought once you saw the negative pregnancy test you would let me go.”

“Never,
Dolcezza
.” He let out a shuddering breath. “I acted appallingly. There is no other way to put it.”

“You really did.”

“But I was so terrified of losing you. So terrified of what would happen if you
were
pregnant.”

Her brows furrowed and she shook her head. “If I was, we could’ve discussed it like adults and figured out where to go from there. You didn’t need to go all dominant and controlling.”

“I know.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I really should explain. Tell you what only a few people know, and what I’d rather forget.”

Her gaze searched his, concern in them now, and finally she nodded. “Please, tell me.”

His mouth thinned. “Before my relationship ended with Maria, she was pregnant.”

Rachel hadn’t been quite sure what he would confess, but it certainly hadn’t been that shocking sucker punch to the gut.

She tried to keep her expression impartial, but it must’ve pinched slightly because he gave another pained laugh.

“Wait, it gets better. Or worse.” He shook his head and lowered his gaze, not looking at her anymore. “I never knew she was pregnant until it was too late. She never told me.”

Rachel’s stomach sank. “She lost the baby?”

“She aborted it. She went straight to my mother to ask for the funds to do so.”

A chill raced through her. “Please don’t tell me your mother gave her the money?”

“Not only did she give her the money, but she took her to the clinic herself. My mother swears to this day that Maria told her I was aware of the baby. They still insist I knew.” His lips twisted bitterly. “But she never told me. She had just turned eighteen and hated the idea of ruining her life and figure before she’d even started college. My mother had equal reserves about me throwing my career away to become a teenage father.”

The visible pain on his face made her heart ache and she made a small murmur of sympathy. Sliding her arms around his waist, she buried her face against his chest.

“I’m so sorry.” Because she knew Damiano would’ve wanted to keep the child, no matter how young he was.