Bedded by the Italian Playboy (11 page)

Finite
.

And
he would be immensely angry when he realized what she’d done. There was no
doubt about that in her mind, and part of her was thankful she wouldn’t be
around to see it. And he
would
realize it was her. Rachel knew that. He was an intelligent man. It would not
take him long to connect the dots. She’d spent quite a few hours wondering if
there was any way she could get the money without him realizing she was the
thief and come up a blank. And yet her mind was spinning fantasies of keeping
this weird relationship going. How that was ever going to happen she had no
freaking idea. Reality bit and she was ignoring it. She was building
happy-ever-afters in her mind and then convincing herself it was okay because
they wouldn’t happen and so why not simply indulge herself.

It
was pathetic.

She
couldn’t help it.

What
the hell was she going to do and how was she going to feel the moment Dominic
was gone and she accepted the fact she’d never see him again?

“Let’s
not worry about such things,” Dominic said as if he’d read her mind. “You’re
perfectly safe with me and I will ensure you see every square inch of this city
before the week is through.”

“And
then the next week?”

“We’ll
find a way to fill the time, I am sure.”

The
sudden change in his voice made her shiver and Rachel bit down hard on her lip.
It seemed the passion between them was always just a spark away from igniting.
Thank God Dominic had decided to exert some control because if he hadn’t, she
was pretty sure hers wouldn’t stand up against his will.

“I
guess success brings its own worries,” she said after a moment, desperately
changing the subject. “I never really thought about how people with lots of
money might need bodyguards and stuff. I’m glad it’s something I’ll never have
to worry about.”

“It
is more than worth it,” he said. “And you do not know what the future holds,
Fiore
. None of us do. Now come on, I’m
going to buy you one of those huge donuts you like. We’ll share it and
afterwards I’ll kiss the sugar off your lips.”

And
that was exactly the problem, Rachel thought. How the hell was she supposed to
defend against things like that?

Chapter Fourteen

Dominic
stood in front of the full-length mirror in his dressing room and fixed his
tie. Rachel was arriving in just a few minutes for dinner and he wanted
everything to be just right. After so many days of frustration he was intent
that tonight he was going to make her his. He’d given her a week. Squired her
around
London
.
Taken her to pretty much every sightseeing place he could think of. And he’d
had to sacrifice a fair bit of time to do it. He’d found himself working late
into the night to catch up on all the things he’d missed but that wasn’t a bad
thing in itself. It kept his frustration at bay. Well, that and the time he
spent in the shower self-pleasuring his hard-on away. It was necessary. He’d go
mad with frustration otherwise. They’d spent an entire week in extremely close
proximity. Holding hands, touching, kissing every single night. How he’d held
on for so long he couldn’t fathom.

A
lot of cold showers, he thought. But he was done with that now. He’d reached
the limit. In his mind it was all very clear. He’d shown her he was willing to
wait. Proved his sincerity. Made it clear that she wasn’t just a quick fuck.

Now,
though, it was time.

It
had to be.

He
could wait no more.

He
made his way into the living area and uncorked a bottle of champagne. It was
nicely iced and he filled two flutes. There was no waiter to serve them
tonight. He wanted nothing in the way of his planned seduction.

When
Rachel arrived, she did so in a cloud of the fragrance he’d come to associate
with her. He didn’t think it was even perfume. It was just her scent. Flowers
and heat and he found himself breathing deeply, drinking her in. She was wearing
a pencil skirt with a cream top tucked into it, the whole outfit emphasized her
hourglass figure and he swallowed dryly.

“You
look lovely, as always.”

She
smiled and accepted the champagne flute. “This is lovely. You always go to so
much trouble, Dominic. It’s really sweet of you.”

He
followed her gaze to the table that he’d had set up, the flowers on the side
tables, the first course already laid out. The food looked tempting in the
extreme but it simply wasn’t tempting enough. Dominic was hungry for one thing
and one thing only, and he knew there was no way he could sit through an entire
dinner looking at her, seeing the play of movement across her features, the way
her breasts arched forward…there was just no way.

“I
find myself wanting to please you,” he said, and oddly enough it was true,
though it was his intention to bed her. Hadn’t it been from the very first day?
He also found himself looking forward to seeing her smile, watching her eyes
widen when he unveiled his latest treat or trip. It pleased him to make her
happy and that was strange. Dominic couldn’t remember a time when he’d put so
much effort into his seduction, or when the results seemed to matter so much,
and yet with Rachel they did. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. The only
thing he could think was that it would all make sense the moment he finally
fucked her. Once he’d dealt with his perpetual hard-on and had an outlet for
his desire, perhaps then he’d understand exactly what she was doing to him.

It’s always about the chase.
His
own words, spoken to a friend a mere few months ago, echoed in his mind and he
frowned inwardly. Perhaps it was just that? She was making him work for what he
wanted. Was that enough to alter his behavior? Only time would tell.

“You
look very serious all of a sudden,” Rachel said. She was smiling at him, her
head tilted to the side. She was so fucking beautiful.

“Come
here,” was all he said.

Her
eyes widened but she did not deny him. She simply set her flute down and
stepped forward. From there it was nothing more than another step and he had
his arms wrapped around her curves, his frustrated body pressed against hers.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “Long and hard. Tell me now if that’s a
problem.”

Rachel
didn’t. Her palms rested against his chest and her head was tilted up. Her
eyes, those perfect eyes, were already filled with desire, and Dominic nodded
before lowering his head to hers.

The
kiss started the way all their kisses did. Him demanding, she hesitant at first
and then opening herself to him. He pulled her closer—though it barely seemed
possible that he could—and devoured her. She whimpered, moaned, and they swayed
together, kissing for what seemed like hours. He was hard, so fucking hard it
was almost unbelievable and he knew she could feel his erection prodding
against her belly.

He
ran his hands from her shoulder blades all the way to the small of her back and
then up again, shuddering as he felt the curves of her body, the dips and
rises.

“I
want you,” he said, though it was more of a demand. “I have to have you.”

She
moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair, touching, caressing. The
blood rushed to his pants, and the next thing he knew, Dominic was lifting her
up and carrying her through to the bedroom.

“Dominic,
what—?”

He
answered by undoing the first few buttons of her top, exposing her generous
breasts. They spilled out of her bra and he groaned before taking one into his
mouth. The nipple was already puckered, already hard for him, and he laved it
against the roof of his mouth, his tongue darting around the areola, making her
cry out.

Then
onto the next, that too received equal attention. By the time he lifted his
head, she was panting and squirming, and Dominic knew that, at last, she was
going to submit to him.

Without
taking his eyes from hers, he reached down and unzipped his pants. She gasped,
her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Are you…?”

He
nodded. “Yes, I am,
Fiore
. Tonight
you’re mine.”

“You
want us to….”

Another
nod. “I can’t wait any longer. If you’re not ready, leave now, because I can
promise you won’t get another chance.”

Her
hand fluttered away. Their gazes held, long seconds passing between them, and
then at last, hesitantly, she too nodded and lowered her gaze to his crotch.
There was no mistaking the bulge, no question of how much he desired her, but
he was mindful of her inexperience and so Dominic guided her gently to the bed.

“Let
me undress you,” he whispered. “I want you as desperate as I am.”

The
top came off first, each button popping with a sound that seemed hugely
magnified. He kissed her each time one gave way, leaving her panting. And then
the zipper of her skirt. It ran from the small of her back all the way to the
dip in her ass and he sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers caressed against
it. Her ass was glorious, deliciously curved, and he couldn’t help but take a
cheek in each hand and squeeze. She gasped and he pulled her against him,
kissing her furiously whilst his hands learned the exact shape of her curves.
Her skirt slithered to the floor. He felt it hit his shoes and he pulled back,
the reality of finally seeing her naked overriding anything else.

She
was magnificent. Her bra and panties were white—why would they have been
anything else?—cotton and lace, and she wore no stockings, no tights. She was
bare everywhere but for those scraps of material.

Carefully
he laid her down on the bed. A moment later her bra came off and he was
face-to-face with her breasts, bare and free and so inviting. He laved them
again. Kissed them, sucked them, nibbled them. His hands were everywhere they
could find. Touching and loving and all the while his cock was so hard he could
barely stand it.

“I
want you so fucking bad,” he growled. “Tell me yes, tell me you want me just as
much.”

A
pause and then, “Yes, Dominic,” she whispered. “I want you too.”

Chapter Fifteen

Her
head was spinning, her body on fire, and Rachel knew there was just no way she
was going to be able to stop what was happening. No way. From the moment she’d
entered his suite, she’d known something was different. The set of his
shoulders, the way he held himself.

Something
had altered.

Something
had changed.

And
it wasn’t just him.

The
kisses, the slight touches, the hand holding. It had all led to tonight. It was
inevitable, and though she knew she should not be saying yes, should not be
giving it up, Rachel wanted to. Dear God, she wanted to so bad.

His
hands, those magic hands of his, skimmed over her breasts, grazing her nipples,
and she sucked in a tight breath. After another brush of fingers, and any
coherent thought she might have been holding onto fled.

The mission.

Yes,
it was there. Yes, she knew what this might mean, but right now Rachel did not
care. She wanted, she needed, and she was going to have. The rest could be
dealt with tomorrow.

“Yes,”
she whispered again. “Yes.”

As
if that was his cue, Dominic bent his head and took her nipple in his mouth. It
sent a shot of something firing down her belly and straight to her clit. She
moaned as he sucked and sucked and the fire kept shooting. She was so turned
on. None of their kisses had affected her so badly. Nothing had ever affected
her like this.

“Dominic,”
she gasped, “please.”

What
she was asking for she didn’t even know but clearly he did because his hand
released her breast and travelled downwards, across her belly, to the waistband
of her panties and onwards.

The
moment his fingers found her clit, Rachel’s back arched. She called out his
name. She thrashed. Her whole pussy ached. And as he strummed her she felt her
body moisten, begin preparing itself for him. Her wetness made his fingers
slide all the more easily and up and down he went. Over her clit, almost into
her, but at the last minute he stopped and went back up again. Up and down and
around and the sensations were amazing. Never in all of her own explorations
had she felt anything close.

Her
hands wrapped around the bed covers, her knees hit the bed, and she closed her
eyes tight, her body a trembling mess.

“That’s
it,” Dominic whispered. “That’s it.”

He
sped up, encouraging
something
from
her, demanding even, and in that moment Rachel felt it too. It was like a
pressure she hadn’t even known existed that was suddenly all she could think
about. It built low in her stomach, up her thighs and along her back. A sort of
gathering of sensations, and just as she tried to understand, the pressure
coalesced and she cried out as an orgasm—a proper orgasm—hit.