Blackmailed Merger (6 page)

Frowning, not sure, she had looked over at the wardrobe
.

“Maybe I should just try on one more” she had mumbled, as Kate had finally stepped closer
.

“No....no more changes” she had chuckled
.

“He will be here any minute...and you don’t want to be getting ready do you
?
”

Sam grinning back, shaking her head

“Guess not”
.

J
umping as the doorbell had rang,
her hands flying to her mouth, eyes shining as she had held back the nervous laugh

“He’s here, he’s here” she had whispered, flitting from foot to foot in excitement.  The other two girls looking at each other rolling their eyes

“Then maybe you should let him in” Bella had exclaimed, her voice full of laughter as Sam had stopped, giving them a surprised “oh yes” look before moving over to the door.

Dante had felt his mouth go dry as she had opened the door.  Normally she wore her long hair up, but now it lay against her wonderful body, the auburn tendrils catching the light and making her
porcelain
skin shine even more luminescent, her eyes even larger in her small face.  She wore an aqua dress which clung to every wonderful curve, and he could only stare at her.

Sam in turn had stared back, her eyes feasting on how handsome he looked.  Dressed in a pair of black chinos and a dress shirt he looked even more gorgeous than the previous day, both of them admiring the other before he had seemed to shake himself together
.

“Samantha, you look beautiful” he had said gently, moving to hand her the single rose, as she had shyly smiled back at him
.

“So do you” she had replied before giving a small laugh
.

“Well I don’t mean beautiful, I mean... I mean you look...nice” she had stammered nervously, making Dante chuckle softly, as he had moved backwards for her to exit, taking her arm.  Giving the other girls a friendly wave and wishing them a good evening, he had led Sam down one of the cobbled streets, as she had excitedly asked where they were going
.

“I thought if it is OK with you, that we might have dinner alone at my house”
.

Sam had looked over at him in surprise
.

“You cooked?” she had cried out in surprise, seeing as his mouth had twitched at her obvious disbelief in his culinary abilities
.

“No......My housekeeper did” he had laughed, before giving her a mock hurt look
.

“But I could probably manage something fairly edible.   I just like you too much to do that to you”
.

Sam had felt the warmth once more fill her, before she had frowned
.

“You have a housekeeper?” seeing as he had nodded, Dante surprised to once more see the look of apprehension fill her eyes
.

Reaching his car he had pulled open the passenger door of the top of the range sports car, Sam looking at him warily, her eyes taking in the expensive vehicle, her mind racing as she had slid into the leather seat
. 

“Dante, may I ask you something personal
?
” she had asked, he smiling at the same question he had used the previous day being directed back at him
.

“Of course” he had grinned surprised to see concern on her lovely face
.

“
Philippe said that you work abroad...so this isn’t your main home is it
?
” she had
asked
gently, seeing as his eyes had opened in surprise
.

“Not exactly” he had replied firing up the car and
manoeuvring
it out of the village.  She had sat silently waiting for him to expand
.

“My family have always had a home here, and I like to holiday here every year...when I can” the last part said with a hint of sadness in his voice
.

“I have homes all over the world, but I guess my main one would be in New York” he had finished, frowning slightly to see the myriad of emotions crossing her face
.

“Is this a problem Sam” he had asked softly, seeing as she had looked down at her lap.

“I
...
I don’t know” she had finally answered, her eyes flying to his, not sure how to phrase her feelings
.

“I guess that it makes me uncomfortable ........
You
come from a very different world
than
me”
.

Dante had frowned, strangely disappointed at her obvious lie, though part of him relieved that she had finally shown herself to be the woman he had expected.

“Does it matter what worlds we come from, we like each other do we not?”

His eyes quickly flicking to her as he had driven the short journey to his home, seeing as Samantha had given a nervous smile
.

“I guess so” she had replied
softly,
looking gently back at him “and I do like you very much Dante”
.

His hand had moved to cover hers, giving it a quick squeeze, before turning into the driveway of his villa.  Sam had gasped in wonder seeing his home, her eyes shining at how magnificent it was.  White with the terracotta roofs of so many of the village homes, that was
where
the similarities ended.  The villa was exquisite with two floors and balconies coming from most of the upstairs rooms.  The building sat close to the edge of the hillside overlooking the other side of the island from that which the girls had been staying. 

She had felt as Dante had opened her door for her, aware that she had been staring at the building, quickly moving to stand by him
.

“Wow”, she had managed with wonder “I do not think I have ever seen a building so beautiful” she had whispered, her eyes wide with that wonder.  For some inexplicable reason he had felt happy that she approved of his home, grinning as he had taken her hand in his moving to the large wooden door.

“Wait till you see the inside” he had chuckled.

True to his word, Sam had been awe
-
inspired by the inside of the house, her training in design and art giving her a real appreciation of the way all of the elements had been brought together so skilfully to create
such a sophisticated yet homely
interior.  With another grin he had been glad that she approved, impressed as she had been able to name so many of the designer artists that his interior designer had used when he had updated it two years previously.

“You know your stuff” he had smiled, seeing as she had smiled back nodding
.

“Yeah, I want to set up my own interior design business eventually” she had chuckle
d
, as he had nodded.

“I can see you doing well in that” he had responded, as he had shown her around the different rooms in the lower level, the two ending up in a large living room.  Opening a bottle of expensive champagne, he had poured her one, taking a non
alcoholic
drink for himself, Sam smiling seeing this.

Together they had moved out to the garden, Dante guiding her gently around the path, his hand resting warmly on the base of her spine, Sam feeling the pleasure from this simple touch.  As they had made their way to the side of the hill the sun had been slowly dropping, Dante pulling her to one specific spot as he had stood behind her, his arms moving around her shoulders, pulling her into him, his head resting on her head
.

“Wait” he had said, his voice full of mystery as she had silently stayed still in his embrace, enjoying the feel of him.

As the sun had finally dropped into the sea, she had gasped, not aware as she had held her breath with the wonder of natures show taking place right before her eyes.  As the night had erupted into bright colours, oranges, reds, purples all filling the sky.
She
had been unaware as her hands had lifted to her mouth, her eyes shining brightly.  

Dante had continued holding her for several seconds feeling the wonder from her before turning her around in his arms, his eyes looking down at hers, seeing the light from the skies reflected in them
.

“I thought you would like to see this” he had whispered huskily, seeing as her lips had parted gently, her small tongue flicking over her soft lips.  Unable to stop himself his head had dipped, his teeth capturing her bottom lip, sucking it gently as she had shuddered in his arms, her hands moving to fan out over his broad chest.  With a tortured groan he had released her, his eyes showing the need within him at that moment
.

His voice husky he had once more taken her hand, moving back to the house
.

“What you do to me Samantha Trey” he had groaned
.

“I think that dinner should be about ready” Sam feeling as once more her brain had seemed fuzzy with all the sensations filling her, giving him a smile back
.

As they had moved into the
dining
room she had closed her eyes with pleasure smelling the delicious food inside the hostess cart which had been placed beside the large table.  Two places had been set beside each other on one corner, with candles lighting the area, soft music playing in the background.
In spite
of her lack of experience even Sam had recognised the romantic trappings everywhere
, looking
shyly over at Dante, who had
chivalrously
pulled the seat back for her, before moving over to the trolley.

Returning he had placed the plates full of the scrumptious food she had smelt one before her the other him.

“As you can see......not cooked by me” he had grinned, as Sam had given him a
mischievous
look
.

“Clearly” enjoying the sound of his deep laughter.

He had refilled her glass, the two taking their time eating, Samantha finding that she felt completely at ease with the handsome Greek as they had talked about anything and everything.

Looking sideways at him she had softly asked the question that had been on her mind since the previous
evening
emboldened no doubt by the champagne.

“So tell me Dante Durant, why is a man like you, rich, smart, intelligent and very very cute not married
?
”

She had seen as his eyebrow had risen at her forthrightness, his mouth curling into a small smile, before he had given a shrug
.