Beautiful Prey 2: The Storm Series (BWWM Romance) (8 page)

Natasha had enjoyed spending the afternoon with Jack and
Victoria. They had lunch while Natasha filled them in on the details of her
night in jail. Victoria reminisced about her time in a slingshot while Jack and
Victoria doted on Jasmine. And even though she’d never have children of her
own, bearing witness to the love they that had for one another gave Natasha
hope of someday finding love.

Natasha relaxed in the luxurious tub
in the ensuite bathroom of one of Victoria’s guest rooms. When she opened the
jets, it was confirmed, getting ready for her date at Jack and Victoria’s was a
great idea. The bathroom was the size of Natasha’s bedroom and decorated in
hues of gold and warm browns accented with tiny hints of red.

As she soaked, Natasha thought of
Gianni and the way he commanded her body with

absolutely no resistance from her. For Natasha, it hadn’t
gone unnoticed that she was entranced every time he was near. Tonight, Natasha
planned to keep her raging unfulfilled sexual desires in check.

Since she was running out of time,
Natasha forced herself from the indulgent tub. She dried off and wrapped
herself in the softest bath towel that had ever touched her body. She walked
into the bedroom and looked down at the white blouse and blue skirt that she’d
spread out on the bed. Natasha had strategically chosen a white blouse because
she was told that white complimented her bronze skin. 

An hour later, Natasha walked into
the family room.

“Well?” She asked as she turned
around with her arms spread.

Jack and Victoria looked up.

And then there was silence.

Victoria opened her mouth but quickly
closed it.

Jack cleared his throat and stood.

“Tasha, you look beautiful,” he said
before leaving the room.

Natasha watched as Jack made his
escape. She turned to Victoria, who was still silent. “What? You don’t like
it?”

Victoria exhaled a deep breath before
saying, “Tash... Just last night you walked around a room full of oversexed men
in what you described as a rubber–band, and tonight you plan on going on a date
with “tall, dark, and handsome” dressed like an Amish woman?”

Natasha gasped. She felt as if she’d
just been slapped. She looked down at her outfit and back to Victoria. She had
never been one to dress provocatively.

Since Natasha’s curves had developed
at an early age, her aunt scrutinized everything that she wore. In Natasha’s
eyes, she must have been the only child in Chicago to have a dope fiend
religious fanatic as a guardian. Not to mention, the looks that she got from
her aunt’s many boyfriends prompted Natasha to cover up.

Victoria smiled sympathetically and
grabbed Natasha’s hand.

“Come on,” she said softly as she led
Natasha out of the family room and up the stairs.

After forty–five minutes filled with
makeup, flat irons, and rummaging through Victoria’s closet, Natasha was
successfully transformed.

She stood in the mirror in a black wrap
dress that tied at the waist. The dress displayed a generous amount of cleavage
and a skirt that flowed loosely and stopped just before her knees. On her feet
were a pair of five inch red Jimmy Choo pumps that Victoria insisted that she
wear. Thankfully, they were the right size because walking in heels was already
hard for Natasha, but it would be disastrous if they were too small or too big.
Victoria styled Natasha’s hair with loose curls that bounced against her
shoulders when she moved. Admittedly, the look that Victoria had put together
was sexy without being overly sexy.

Victoria walked up and stood behind
her like a proud mama. Natasha smiled at her friend’s reflection. She was
grateful for the help. Truthfully, even before she had money, Victoria had a
phenomenal sense of style. Natasha walked away from the mirror and sat on
Victoria’s bed. Now that she was dressed and ready to go, her nerves were
getting the better of her. Victoria’s brow furrowed as she joined Natasha on
the bed. Natasha reached over and covered Victoria’s hand with hers.

“Thank you.” Natasha said in a
whisper.

“You’re welcome. What’s wrong?”

“I’m really nervous about going out
with Gianni. Truthfully, I keep asking myself why he asked me out,” Natasha
admitted.

Victoria blinked her surprise at
Natasha’s ridiculous admission. “Are you fucking serious?”

Natasha looked down at their joined
hands.

“Natasha, Gianni asked you out
because you’re absolutely gorgeous. You have big

beautiful eyes, kissable lips, and a flawless body. You’re
quiet sexy. Not to mention; you’re a fucking hero. And hell... if you weren’t
my friend, I’d be all over you.”

Natasha smiled at the last part of
Victoria’s declaration. She was well aware of Victoria’s bisexuality, but she
knew that her friend was only trying to boost her confidence. Natasha gently
nudged Victoria’s side.

“Don’t be trying to push up on me.”
Natasha chuckled

“Ha ha,” Victoria snickered just as
the bell rang. “Well, no turning back now. Gianni is here.”

Gianni sat on the sofa and stared at the tiny little person
in his arms. He ran his fingers through her soft dark curls. He could swear
that her hair had grown an inch since he saw her last. Jasmine yawned and
blinked up at Gianni with striking blue eyes.

“Jack, she’s beautiful,” he whispered
while gazing at her in awe.

“She is,” Jack responded. His voice
was filled with pride.

When Jasmine closed her eyes, Gianni
snuggled her closer and began to softly rock back and forth.

“Wow, Gianni you’re a natural,” he
heard Victoria say.

He looked up prepared to respond, but
the sight of Natasha standing next to her rendered him speechless. There she
stood in a sexy black dress and a pair of red “come fuck me” heels. Her golden brown
skin seemed to glow, and he instantly wanted to touch her. Natasha smiled and
her hazel–ish eyes sparkled. In fact, it was her beautiful smile that kept
Gianni from blatantly staring into her cleavage.

He stood with Jasmine in his arms and
walked over to Victoria and Natasha.

Gianni was sure that everyone in the
room could hear his heartbeat. He smiled at Natasha, and he was positive that
he’d heard her breath catch, which caused him to smile inwardly.

Gianni kissed the top of Jasmine’s
head and gently placed her in Victoria’s arms. He returned his attention to
Natasha. She was a vision, even more beautiful than he remembered. Gianni slid
his hand slowly down her arm until it reached her hand. He wrapped her small
hand in his, and for the second time, Gianni could feel electricity pass
between them.

“Hello, Beautiful,” he said before
placing a lingering kiss to her cheek.

Gianni inhaled her scent. It wasn’t
perfume, but remnants of fresh soap and pure Natasha.

“Hi, Gianni,” she responded, quietly.

Gianni could feel her warm breath on
his face. Her voice was almost a whisper. 

It was so close to his ear that it
caused his cock to twitch. Since Gianni had no intention of getting a hard–on
in front of Jack and Victoria, he took a reluctant step back. He turned to
Jack, maintaining a soft grip on Natasha’s hand. Gianni looked from Jack and
Victoria, who were studying the two of them intently.

Gianni cleared his throat, creating
the only sound in the room.

“We should get going,” he said
directly to Natasha.

Natasha nodded and made a movement
toward Victoria, but Gianni’s hold remained.

She looked down at her hand and then
up to Gianni, who had no intention of releasing her. Victoria, apparently
recognizing the gesture of possessiveness, stepped toward Natasha. Jack
chuckled from the sofa as Victoria hugged Natasha and advised her to have a
good time. Jack stood, and he and Victoria walked them to the door. As they
made their exit, Victoria gave Gianni a look that he was sure was a look of
warning.

Natasha walked hand in hand with Gianni as he led her to the
black Lamborghini Roadster. Natasha had only ever seen the vehicle on
television, never on the streets of Chicago. As she stood up close and personal
to such a beautiful car, she realized that its beauty was incomparable to
Gianni’s. When Natasha walked into the room and observed Gianni gently rocking
Jasmine, she was hit with an unexplainable desire to be held by him. He stood
wearing a dark suit that was unable to mask his muscular frame. With every
movement, his dark hair bounced against his perfectly chiseled face, with a
five o’clock shadow that only added to his beauty. And when he smiled, he was
the very definition of temptation. 

Lost in her admiration for Gianni,
Natasha hadn’t realized that he was holding the passenger door open. Since the
car was so low to the ground, Gianni helped her into the passenger seat.
Natasha’s dress slid up her thigh, and Gianni actually stood, waiting to see
how far it would ride. Natasha adjusted her dress and looked up into Gianni’s
smoldering gaze. His eyes turned a darker shade of green. He blinked a few
times before closing Natasha’s door. He walked around the back of the car and
got into the driver’s seat. Natasha looked around the high tech car. The
dashboard resembled a pilot’s cockpit. She fastened her seatbelt and allowed
her fingers to caress the supple leather seat.

“Nice car,” she muttered.

“Thanks, but it’s not mine. This baby
belongs to Jack,” he admitted.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Jack likes his toys,” he said,
pushing the button on the side of the steering wheel that started what felt
like a very powerful engine.

“And you?” Do have toys?” She asked.

“A few.” He confessed with a smile.
“But my toys are in Paris.”

Oh, he’s from Paris. Hence, the
accent.

Natasha wondered why she didn’t get
the low down on Gianni from Victoria before she agreed to a date. Not that he
gave her a choice in the matter. He basically told her that they would be going
out, and in her post orgasmic condition, she couldn’t even begin to put up a
fight.

For twenty minutes, they engaged in
polite conversation until they ended up downtown, at Hugo’s Frog Bar.

“I hope seafood is ok.”

“Love seafood,” Natasha replied
enthusiastically.

Gianni pulled up to the valet and hopped
out. A valet approached Natasha’s door and opened it. He reached in to assist
her from the vehicle and Gianni actually pushed his hand out of the way. Gianni
narrowed his eyes at the young man and said, “I got it.”

After helping her from the car, Gianni
placed his hand into the small of her back. Again, Natasha could feel the
electricity pass between them. They walked into the very crowded restaurant,
and the hostess hurried through a crowd of people that were waiting to be
seated. Once she reached them, her gaze was fixed on Gianni.

“Good evening, Mr. Storm. Good
evening, Miss.” The hostess was breathless as she stared shamefully at Gianni,
without so much as a glance in Natasha’s direction. She was like a puppy
looking up at its master. Natasha couldn’t help the giggle that escaped,
causing both Gianni and the lovesick hostess to turn in her direction. Natasha
gave Gianni a knowing smile, causing him a little chuckle as well.

“Everything has been prepared for
you, Mr. Storm. If you’ll follow me please,” the hostess managed to say.

As they walked hand in hand through
the restaurant, Natasha noticed the attention that they received. Some patrons
had actually stopped all conversation and watched the couple. The hostess led
them to a winding staircase in the middle of the main dining area. Gianni
ushered Natasha up the stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs, Natasha
noticed that it was another dining area, and it was completely empty. They were
led to a table in the middle of the room.

It was beautifully decorated with
candles and a gorgeous centerpiece filled with orchids. In the corner of the
room was a man playing soft music on a piano.

The hostess stood aside as Gianni
pulled out a chair and gestured for Natasha to sit. When Natasha took her seat,
Gianni leaned into her and placed a kiss to her neck. Natasha actually
shivered.

He whispered in her ear, “You look
breathtaking.”

“Thank you. And you’re beautiful,”
Natasha responded in a small voice.

“Beautiful? Thank you,” Gianni
responded with his sexy accent as he tucked

Natasha comfortably under the table.
He dismissed the hostess and walked away, promising that he’d be back.

Natasha sat alone at the table,
wondering where Gianni had run off to. She focused her attention on the piano
player in the corner. He played beautifully, reminding Natasha of her mother.
Before Natasha was born, her mother was a very successful Jazz vocalist. Her
sultry voice was soothing, and it had never failed to coax Natasha to sleep.
Suddenly, she was snatched from her nostalgia by the sight of her super–sexy
date walking toward her table in a white apron, carrying a tray of food.

“What is this? What have you been up
to?” Natasha asked pointing to the apron.

“I came in earlier and prepared our
dinner. I just wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for you.” Gianni
was wearing a smile that almost melted her panties.

She instantly imaged him naked in her
kitchen, wearing that apron. Natasha crossed her legs and pressed her thighs
together, in order to stop the throbbing between her legs. She had no problem
admitting that when Gianni was present, he definitely controlled her body’s
physical reactions.

“You cooked?” Natasha asked, not
hiding her astonishment.

“Yes, Mademoiselle. I’m a chef,”
Gianni said proudly. “That’s how I ended up in Paris. I studied at Le Cordon
Bleu in Tokyo, London, and then Paris. But, Paris is where I ended up. That’s
where I call home.”

“Wow. I’m impressed,” Natasha
admitted.

And Natasha hadn’t lied. She was
impressed by a man that could cook. Natasha being a total foodie, almost began
to clap and hop up and down in her seat when Gianni placed a plate on the
table. She closed her eyes and inhaled the delicious aroma.

“What you have in front of you is
Oysters Rockefeller topped with caramelized garlic. The main course will be
served shortly.” 

As Gianni described the appetizer,
Natasha didn’t know what she wanted to attack first, the food or Gianni.

He opened a bottle of white wine and
filled two glasses. He sat the glass of wine in front of Natasha and slipped
his apron over his head. He placed it on a chair next to him and sat across
from Natasha.

“Toast,” he said, raising his glass.
Natasha nodded and raised her glass as well. “To the beautiful woman before
me.”

A little embarrassed, Natasha looked
away.

“Natasha!” 

When she looked into his sparkling
green eyes, he repeated, “To the beautiful woman before me.”

Natasha smiled and raised her glass a
little higher.

“Cheers,” she said with enthusiasm.

Natasha had decided to really let her
hair down and enjoy her time with Gianni.

He was clearly attracted to her, and
she was desperately attracted to him. She’d just let the chips fall where they
may.

She sipped from her glass and
appreciated the burst of tangy fruit that tickled her taste buds. Natasha
watched as Gianni brought the glass to his lips, and time seemed to slow when
he pressed his luscious mouth to the glass. It was like an erotic scene in a
movie, filmed in slow motion. Natasha drank more wine, without once diverting
her attention from Gianni’s sexy mouth. He smirked behind his glass and Natasha
knew that he was aware that she was watching him. She blinked away and looked
down on the table.

“So is this deliciously looking
appetizer just for show, or can I dig in?”

“Please do. I hope you like it.”

She did enjoy it, along with the rest
of the meal. Between the crab bisque and lobster topped filet mignon, Natasha
was convinced that the man was a genius in the kitchen. But, the only thing
better than the food, and the two bottles of wine that they destroyed, was the
stimulating conversation and humorous banter between the two of them. Natasha
was totally at ease in Gianni’s presence, and she couldn’t remember being so
comfortable.

“Dance with me,” Gianni said,
extending his hand toward Natasha.

Natasha placed her hand in his and
stood to her feet. He led her to the dance floor and pulled Natasha into his
arms. When Natasha placed her head on his chest, the rest of her body melted
and molded into him. As they swayed back and forth to the instrumental version
of Etta James’ At Last, Gianni’s hands roamed down her back and over her
backside. Natasha’s hands slid up his solid biceps before she wrapped her arms
around his neck. The fact that she could feel his arousal on her stomach only
fueled her desire for him. Judging by the huge rod that rested against her,
Gianni would definitely be able to please her with more than just his fingers.

“Mmm, Gianni. Dinner was sooo good.
You’re a wonderful chef,” she moaned.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered
in her ear.

Natasha nodded. And dance be damned,
Gianni damn near dragged her out of the restaurant. The car was still sitting
in front. She wondered if they’d ever moved it.

“Goodnight, Mr. Storm,” the valet
said as he handed Gianni the keys to the car and opened the door for Natasha.
The valet quickly got out of the way, remembering Gianni’s earlier response to
his attempt to assist Natasha.

“Goodnight,” Gianni responded while
handing a bill to the valet.

It must have been a large bill,
judging by the grateful smile that he received in return. Gianni assisted
Natasha into the passenger seat and jogged around to the driver’s side. As
Natasha melted into the soft leather, warmness spread throughout her body. It
wasn’t the wine; it was him. He had commanded her thoughts from the moment she
laid eyes on him. Natasha no longer feared being a notch on his bedpost, she
simply wanted him. But, what excited her the most was the fact that he seemed
to really want her.

Gianni started the car and revved the
engine, causing Natasha’s body to vibrate.

They had driven for a few minutes
before they arrived at what looked like a high rise building made of mirrors. Gianni
stopped in front, and a valet appeared at her door. Gianni, without unlocking
her door for the valet, hopped out of the car. When the valet walked around to
the driver’s side, Gianni pushed the button that unlocked the passenger side.
He walked around to Natasha’s side and assisted her from the vehicle.

Natasha looked up at the fancy
building. “Where are we?”

“My place. Is that ok?”

Without a thought, she answered,
“Yes.”

Gianni led her inside and through the
lobby. They entered the elevator, and after punching in his security code, they
began to ascend to the penthouse. Gianni pulled her against his body and gently
tugged her hair, forcing her to look into his eyes. At that moment, Natasha
came to the conclusion that Gianni had to be a hypnotist. She was entranced by
his green gaze. Gianni slowly ran his finger down the side of her face until it
reached her chin. Natasha’s body was on fire.

Gianni leaned in and placed a soft
kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Gianni?”

“Yes?”

“What’s the deal with you and
valets?”

Gianni chuckled.

“They want to look up your skirt,” he
responded. “I can’t have them taking sneak peeks at what I plan to claim
tonight.”

Before Natasha could respond to his presumptuous
declaration, the elevator doors opened to what looked like the VIP section in a
nightclub. The walls were two shades of gray, one darker than the other. The
sofa was black and covered with silver throw pillows, flanked by two oversized
black leather chairs. Across the room, next to a set of patio doors, was a
fully stocked bar made of metal. The lighting came from circular designs on the
floor, and to the left, were two sets of stairs. One that led up and another
was a wire supported staircase that led down. Natasha immediately thought; sexy
dungeon.

“Can I get you a glass of wine?”
Gianni asked, interrupting her assessment of his home.

“Yes. Please,” she responded as she
walked across the lighted patterns on the floor to sit on the sofa.

Gianni walked over to a mini wine
cellar and pulled out a bottle of white wine. Natasha watched his every move as
he opened the bottle and filled glasses for them both. He was pure
unadulterated sex. A thought occurred to Natasha that surely someone as gorgeous
as Gianni had a harem of women to choose from. She decided that she had no
intention of joining the pack.

Gianni handed Natasha a glass and sat
dangerously close to her. She knew that resisting him would be next to
impossible, but she would have to deprive her body’s sexual desires in order to
protect her heart.