VITTORIO'S LOVER (Vittorio Series) (2 page)

“You’re right,” Raffaele chose his words carefully. “It was inexcusable and I am truly sorry that my…indiscretion has caused you pain.
If there was some way to rectify the situation, perhaps compensate you for the distress you’ve suffered?”

Jenesa’s lips drew into a thin line. “You still don’t get it, do you? I don’t want your damn money.
It won’t compensate for the way you crushed my…my self-esteem when you crept out of the room while I was sleeping. It won’t make up for the shame and humiliation of waking up alone and knowing I was nothing more than a one night stand. You don’t have a clue how destructive that kind of rejection can be to a woman, how it preys on her mind and makes her feel cheap and…dispensable.” 

“Dispensable,”
he repeated, mule-kicked square in the gut by Jenesa’s passionate outburst.

“
Curb-side trash,” she said, sounding utterly deflated. “It was cruel and heartless, and whether you agree or not, I earned the right to tell you how I felt to your face.”

Raffaele’s
fingers curled into fists. He was going to wring Luca’s neck for what he’d put this young woman through. No one was capable of faking the depth of emotion he’d heard in her voice, or the anguish reflected in her expressive eyes. He’d never known his brother to mistreat a woman, and he didn’t believe the pain Luca had caused Jenesa Harding was intentional. Thoughtless, yes. Insensitive, definitely. To both Jenesa and his fiancé, although Caroline was blissfully ignorant of that for the time being. He hoped to keep it that way.

“I
am
sorry, Jenesa. An apology seems so inadequate after what I’ve put you through, but it’s all I have to offer. And I’m being sincere when I say I appreciate you keeping this between the two of us and not dragging Caroline into it.”

Jenesa nodded, but didn’t reply. He noted the dejected slump of her shoulders and the way she wrapped her arms around her waist as if it would somehow hold the pain inside where he couldn’t s
ee it. Her efforts were futile; Raffaele saw it all. She was struggling with her emotions, attempting to barricade herself from being hurt again. Wounded pride had given her the courage to come here, and now that she’d confronted him, Jenesa’s bravado was rapidly slipping away from her.

He
was not to blame for shattering this woman’s self-confidence; the responsibility for that fell upon Luca’s shoulders, but that didn’t prevent guilt from settling like a cinderblock in the pit of Raffaele’s stomach. Shielding his brother from the potentially disastrous fallout of a one night stand had seemed almost noble; after all, why should one mistake dishonor the family name and cost Luca his future bride? But Raffaele hadn’t considered the price Jenesa would pay, or what her liaison with Luca had already cost her. Now, watching her wither before his eyes, Raffaele grimly admitted the deceptive role he was playing eradicated any claim of non-culpability on his part.

“
It will get easier with time,” Raffaele spoke softly. “You’ll move past this and realize the only one who did anything wrong was me. We can’t undo what happened, Jenesa; there’s no use beating ourselves up over something we can’t change. For what it’s worth, I do
not
think you are cheap…or dispensable.”

Again, she nodded mutely, biting down
on her bottom lip. Raffaele wasn’t particularly fond of being in the company of an emotionally distressed woman. Normally, it spurred him into making a hasty exit and getting as far away as possible before the watery eyes became a torrential downpour. But he didn’t feel that way about Jenesa, and that disturbed him a great deal. What he
should
do is hustle her out of there. Every second he delayed, Raffaele increased the risk of her spotting Luca and Caroline together and discovering she’d been duped. But how could he send her away when she looked as if one harsh word would hurl her fragile mental state into a tailspin?

This was
precisely the reason he set boundaries on the type of woman he dated. Models mostly, who adored him as long he kept them in designer clothes and outrageously expensive jewelry. He took them to exclusive restaurants and accepted invitations to the agonizingly boring parties of the rich and famous so they could be photographed and have their names associated with the upper crust of society. In return, Raffaele had the pleasure of admiring their exquisite beauty while in their company and a willing bed partner whenever the mood struck him. They knew the score and were perfectly content to maintain a relationship that was predominantly sexual as long as it remained mutually beneficial.

Raffaele could deal with the pretentious pouting, could even forgive an occasional
demand for more of his time because it was never a play for his affection; it was about the places he took them and the elite society snobs he introduced them to. Tears didn’t happen; it would mar their perfectly made-up faces. Arguments and hurt feelings didn’t happen either, something he was more than happy to do without. Women with glacial hearts and superficial personalities were all he knew and Raffaele was satisfied with his choice. At least he had been. Until now. Until Jenesa Harding had come along and stirred something deep inside that made him wonder if settling for women who never touched his heart had made him as cold as they were.

He wasn’t conscious of moving towards her, wasn’t even aware he’d slipped his arms around her waist and drawn her against his body until he felt the instant effect she had him. Raffaele’s pulse jumped
. Fire licked at his belly, spider-webbing south to cocoon his rigid flesh in its scorching heat. Jenesa’s trembling palms were pressed to his chest, shock and confusion swirling behind the bewitching eyes that lifted to meet his. A ragged breath escaped when his hand glided up her spine and met with bare skin that had been concealed by her long hair. A low growl rumbled deep in Raffaele’s throat as passion flared; hot, hungry, primitive.

“Wh-what are you doing?”
she squeaked.

“Something incredibly…stupid, I think,” Raffaele replied as he lowered his head and captured her mouth.

                                                     ***

There were a million reasons why this was all wrong, but
Jenesa couldn’t think of a single one at the moment. Her mind had turned to mush, her legs were the consistency of over cooked spaghetti, and she was fairly certain every major organ was in the process of morphing into globs of gelatin. What started out as a raw, passionate plundering of her mouth gradually became a more subtle assault on her senses as Luca Vittorio gentled the kiss and began a slow, erotic exploration with his deliciously wicked tongue.

Vaguely, it regist
ered that she shouldn’t allow him hold her so close. She shouldn’t let him kiss her, shouldn’t let his hands wander across her skin with the bold intimacy of a lover. Appalled as Jenesa was by his behavior – and her own, she couldn’t seem to find the strength to push him away. Her traitorous body squirmed in response to his obvious arousal, quivering arrows of desire shooting off in every direction as his hand molded to her bottom and pulled her more firmly against his thighs. Liquid heat pooled deep in her abdomen when his other hand slipped beneath the open back of her dress, the feather soft caress of each fingertip dancing seductively over her skin.

This was
not
how Jenesa envisioned her impromptu visit playing out. She’d imagined his shock and presumed he would be angry with her for showing up at such an inopportune time. He really had no one to blame but himself, she had reasoned earlier that evening as she slipped into a slinky black dress. His refusal to return her calls left Jenesa with no choice except to show up at the party and confront him. Her nerves were frayed by the time she arrived, her stomach knotting when she pulled into the circular driveway behind a sleek, black Mercedes and waited her turn. The glamorous couple was escorted to the door while a valet took possession of the car and eased it forward. That’s when she’d notice a very large and imposing man standing beside the open double doors while another checked the couple’s names off on a list tagged to a clipboard.

Bluff your way through
, she told herself. Not exactly a brilliant plan, but there were no other options unless she wanted to forget the whole thing and simply drive off. Affecting an air of indifference, she allowed the valet to help her from the car. With all the mien of a high society diva, she approached the gentleman with the clipboard, arching a haughty brow when he informed her there was no Jenesa Harding on his list.

With an impatient sigh, she held out her hand. “I’m sure you won’t object to letting me check that list?”

“Not at all,” he replied, exchanging a knowing glance with the large man.

Of course
, they were used to people trying to crash this type of gala affair. They probably thought she worked for a gossip magazine. Jenesa’s eyes skimmed over the list and finally found what she was looking for; the unmarked name of a man without an accompanying female. Flipping to the second page, she located several more, blindly pointing to one and praying she’d selected someone who would believe the story she was already concocting.

“I should have known
Marcus would neglect to call and inform the Vittorio’s I was his date for the evening and that we would be arriving separately.”

“Marcus Zanelli and guest,” the man read before smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry, Miss Harding, but I’m afraid I can’t let you in until Mr. Zanelli arrives and vouches for you.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll give the wretched man ten minutes.”

Guests arrived in a steady flow, although none of the men were flying solo. Ten minutes came and went, then twenty. Jenesa’s irritation was genuine when she asked to have her car brought around.

“That won’t be necessary,” the man nodded towards the blood red Lamborghini zipping into the driveway. “I’m sure Mr. Zanelli didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

“I think I’ll just have a word or two with him before we go inside,” she said icily
, carefully maintaining a rigid spine as she walked away. The owner of the Lamborghini emerged from the car, giving her an appreciative sweep with his eyes as she approached. Keeping her back to the two men at the door, Jenesa smiled at Marcus Zanelli. “At last, a face I recognize,” she purred. “How are you, Marcus?”

“I’m…fine.” He studied her face for a moment. “I’m sorry,
have we met before?”

“
We were introduced at a party a month or so ago. I guess I didn’t make much of an impression,” she grimaced.

“By any chance was it the Atwood’s party about six weeks back?”

“Yes! So you
do
remember me.”

“I’m afraid not,” he said with sheepish grin. “I’d just spent twelve hours on
international flights and was dead tired. The few hours I spent at the party are pretty much a blur. Believe me, if I’d met you under any other circumstances, I would have remembered.”

“That’s very nice of you to say. Who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other again.” She turned and glanced around. “
The valet…”

“Hey, you’re not leaving so soon, are you?”

“Well, I…I was going to ask for a small favor, but it wouldn’t feel right now that I know you don’t even remember me.”

“Hmmm…what did you say your name is?”

“Jenesa Harding.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment before a smile spread across his handsome face. “Ah, yes, I remember
it well. We met at the Atwood’s party, and you were wearing a lovely blue…?”

“Burgundy,” she laughed.

“Yes, a lovely burgundy dress. Now what small favor can I grant for you, Miss Harding?”

“It’s rather embarrassing. As I was pulling up I noticed
my…uh…former fiancé arriving with a stunning brunette on his arm. I hate to miss the party, but to arrive on my own without a scathingly handsome man as my escort…well,” she shrugged, “it would be entirely too humiliating.”

Marcus arched an amused brow. “Are you attempting to make him jealous?”

“No! He’s been spreading horrid rumors about me; telling anyone who will listen that I was shattered by the break-up and am practically suicidal. I want the arrogant bastard to know I’ve moved on and haven’t lost a wink of sleep over him.”

“And you want to use me
to achieve this?”

“Well,” she smiled up at him, “you
are
a scathingly handsome man. He would get the message loud and clear if I was to show up with you.”

Marcus took her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. “It would be my pleasure to res
cue you from such vicious rumors.”

With the first major hurdle behind her, Jenesa sauntered into the magnificent mansion as Marcus Zanelli’s guest. She really did feel horrible for telling so many white lies because Marcus seemed like a very nice man.
He was easy to talk to and introduced her to his friends as if he was genuinely pleased to be with her. Under different circumstances, she would have been tempted to flirt and put more effort into getting to know him better. As it was, Jenesa had a mission to complete and couldn’t afford to remedy the deplorable condition of her social life right now.

“You’ve been wonderful, Marcus, and I really appreciate you helping me out, but it occurred to me that if I don’t do a little mingl
ing on my own, my ex is going to run a whole new gambit of rumors.”