Greek Billionaire's Forbidden Lover (The Rosso Family Series Book 2) (4 page)

After making sure Alexandra found her hotel room without incident, Dareios headed to his own hotel. Alexandra had left him in knots. He was too wound up to sleep, and he didn’t want to go out looking for female company to take off the edge. He was also still trying to think about what to do with her.

Two weeks sailing the Mediterranean with Alexandra sounded like heaven—and hell. She’d be in one of those skimpy bikinis she loved to wear. She’d be tempting him. And he’d give in. He knew his limits, and his ability to resist a beautiful woman such as her was not one of his great strengths.

It was the weakness of his family. His father had had it. His grandfather, too. Both of them kept a string of mistresses, made their wives miserable, and never managed a faithful day. When he’d turned eight, his father had taken him aside and explained how life worked—how a man needed a lot of sex and a woman needed children.

Unfortunately, Dareios had been an only child—and his mother had been miserable at his father’s straying. Dareios had known he could never make any woman so unhappy. But he’d also seen how his father made all his mistresses very happy—that was the way to live.

Keep every woman like a mistress, and move on before the tears and heart ache could happen. He’d lived that way so far, but Alexandra was not a woman to take to bed and drop. No…she deserved better. Now he had to convince her of that. And he had to stop thinking about her.

She’d been so sweet and responsive in his arms. Her lips had been just as soft and sweet as he’d always imagined, and her scent…

No…he was not thinking about that. She was Antonio’s sister, and she would find a good man, a man who did not want to sleep with every woman he met, and she would marry. He would hate the day, but it was best for everyone if he kept thinking of her as a sister.

At his hotel, he found he’d missed a call from Antonio. Great—not what he needed tonight. However, Antonio had asked him to look into a few business matters in Italy and in London. He thought about texting Antonio, but that would take forever. He’d better call.

He tried to go over the conversation that was about to take place, trying to find a way to break the news to Antonio about his sister’s latest adventure without also letting Antonio in on what had happened in that back room.

Picking up the phone, he called Antonio’s number. After a few seconds, Antonio’s voice came on. “Dareios, you’d better have a damn good reason for interrupting my evening.”

Dareios grinned. If Antonio had already forgotten he’d called earlier, then Claire must have distracted him, or Antonio had been worshipping his wife’s delectable body. Dareios was glad they’d married—they were good for each other. It made him almost wish he was a different man, but his playboy ways had shown him already that he was just like his father.

“Did I call at a bad time, Tonio?” Dareios asked, trying to sound innocent, as if he didn’t know he’d pulled Antonio from bed.

“Do you have any idea what time it is? And yes—you did call at a very bad time.”

Dareios chuckled at the sound of frustration he heard in his friend’s voice. It was the same frustration that now had his balls blue and his body unsatisfied. But Antonio had a wife waiting for him. Dareios only had an empty, cold hotel bed.

“Claire is not going anywhere. Anyway, I just need a few minutes of your time.” He quickly filled Antonio in on a rough report of what he had seen at Antonio’s banking offices in London and Milan—Antonio had been getting regular reports from his staff, but he wanted someone to glance in on the operations.

Antonio worried too much that others saw him as weaker than his father—Matthias Rosso had been a forceful man, and a tough businessman. But Antonio had no reason to worry—he’d hired good people, or rather his father had.

When he finished, Antonio asked, “And other than that, how is London?”

“It was as it always was. Mother complained when I would not stay with her and wouldn’t ask about Father, even though I knew she wanted to know if he has a new mistress. But Milan is much better. By the way, I ran into your sister, Alexandra, this evening at a fundraiser for the children’s hospital cancer center here in Milan.”

“I thought she sent that donation off weeks ago,” Antonio muttered.

“Well, I guess since she and Eva were already here, she decided to check out the fundraiser for herself. Anyway, I’m having my new yacht, the
Kairos
, brought up to Taranto and planned to sail it back. I offered to let the girls tag along and they seemed excited about the idea.” And there—that should do it. He would bring Eva with them and that would remind Alexandra that she, too, was just a little sister to him. “We’ll fly to Taranto the day after tomorrow and then sail home. The girls seem to be enjoying some down time, and they love being out on the water.”

“They do at that. Tell them to have fun, and don’t let Alexandra near the wheel. She got distracted by watching dolphins and almost ran us into the reefs last time. ”

“Not to worry, this ship is big enough to have its own crew.”

“To be honest, I’m glad they won’t be gallivanting around Italy on their own. They won’t take security with them, and I worry. But I know you’ll look after them. Has Eva said anything about the schools in Milan?”

“No, and you really should have told her about the acceptance letter for Paris. When I mentioned it to Alexandra, she was thrilled. I think Eva will be even more so.”

“To be honest, I wanted her to look around a little more. I wish she would stay in Athens, but she thinks if she stays, Alexandra and I will keep treating her like a little girl.”

Dareios winced. Was that how he and Antonio treated Alexandra?  They talked for several more minutes. Dareios asked about Claire and how she was settling in Athens. It seemed she still missed New York, but Antonio was planning a trip back for her as a treat. Claire was learning Greek now, but had a terrible American accent. Antonio sounded…content. Dareios was only mildly jealous at what his best friend had found. He knew that such a thing was not for him.

“Go back to ravaging your wife,” Dareios said with a laugh. After he hung up, he stared at his empty bed and kept imagining Alexandra in it, her golden gown spilling off her. And that was just where such images should be kept—in imagination only.

The next day, Dareios arrived back at Alexandra’s hotel at the same time a uniformed waiter was pushing a breakfast cart up to Alexandra’s room. Dareios had already arranged for his private jet to deliver him and the Rosso girls to Taranto tomorrow, and he planned on spending today with both young women.

Someone had to keep Alexandra out of trouble. Dressed in comfortable, well-worn jeans, a black T-shirt, and his Italian loafers, he thought he looked like any other tourist visiting Milan on holiday. And that’s what he was today.

He tipped the waiter and told him, “I’ll take it from here.” Dareios pushed the cart to the penthouse suite and rapped on the door. He heard the noise of someone moving inside the room, and then Eva threw open the door and grinned. “If you’ve got food, come in!”

He frowned at her. “Eva, you didn’t even check to see who was out here. You should be more careful.”

She gave a shrug, giggled and hugged him. She had on baggy sweat pants and a ratty T-shirt. Snagging a fresh pastry from the tray, she grinned. “You have food—and this hotel is very safe.” She skipped back into the main room, leaving Dareios to bring the cart.

Dareios pushed the cart to the couch. He glanced around, but didn’t see Alexandra. He wasn’t certain if he should be relieved or sorry. Instead, he poured himself a cup of coffee from the cart.

The hotel had decorated the penthouse suite with a mixture of comfort and modern. Clean lines and plush pillows. The view looked out over the skyline of Milan. Huge vases of roses gave the room the scent of a lush garden. “Didn’t your sister tell you we ran into each other last night? I’ve invited you both to join me on the
Kairos
?”

“What? Where are we sailing off to?” Eva asked, excitement in her voice. She curled up on an overstuffed sofa.

“Home. To Athens,” Alexandra said, walking into the room. She smiled at her sister, and turned to face Dareios. She was no longer a goddess in gold, but wore slim, form-fitting jeans and a pale-blue silk shirt. She’d pulled her long dark hair back into a pony tail and had bare feet. She looked…like Alexandra. Like Antonio’s sister.

“Good morning.” She came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist for a brief embrace.

He stiffened, patted her back and gently set her away from him. For as long as he could remember, Alexandra had used a lemon-scented shampoo on her black hair. Now that she had grown up, she also used a special fragrance. It had a hint of citrus in it, along with several floral fragrances that seemed to fit her perfectly.

He couldn’t help but think she hadn’t worn her perfume last night—he would have known her at once if she had. He forced a smile. “
Kalimera
, Alexandra,” he said, giving her the traditional Greek greeting for good morning. “You slept well?”

She smiled back—that cat had the cream smile, which said she was up to no good. “I had wonderful dreams. Very erotic ones about a masked man in black. And you?”

He gulped his coffee and almost scalded his tongue. “Come and eat and we’ll decide how to spend the day.”

“We? You’re spending the day with us?” Alexandra asked, eyebrows lifting high.

“I am. We fly to Taranto tomorrow. I spoke to your brother, so he knows you two will be accompanying me home.” He stressed the words—he wanted to put Alexandra on notice that he was hiding nothing from Antonio. Well, almost nothing.

Alexandra started to respond, but then she saw the pensive look on her sister’s face. “What’s wrong? You love sailing?”

“I do. But I can’t help feeling like I’m forgetting something. Something important.” Eva rubbed her lower lip.

Alexandra took up a glass of orange juice from the cart. “I’m sure you’ll remember it soon.” She turned to Dareios and brushed her hair back from her face. “Now, what shall we do today?”

Images of plunging his hands into her hair, of pulling her face close, of spending the day kissing her, jumped into Dareios’ mind. All the things he’d wanted to do last night hovered close. He drank back his coffee—bitter and black and put the cup down with a clatter. “I have a surprise for Eva.”

Alexandra watched her sister as they entered the room where Leonardo da Vinci’s
The Last Supper
was displayed in the
Santa Maria della Grazie
. She looked around the church and then at Dareios and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’

“I can’t believe you were able to pull this off,” Eva whispered to Dareios. The church had a hushed air, with others here talking in quiet voices. “Look at the layering da Vinci did—all tempera paint,” Eva muttered. “That’s what allowed him to be so creative, but it’s made for such problems in maintaining the fresco. And we’re so lucky this wall survived the war—it was bombed in forty-three, but this wall…this beautiful wall survived. It’s just finished an extensive restoration process and only twenty-five visitors are allowed to view it at any one time.” She grinned and walked ahead of them.

Alexandra smiled. She had watched Dareios use both his charm—and a very generous donation to the church—to secure a special showing for them. Eva was practically vibrating with excitement, Alexandra thought.

They had already visited the Milan Cathedral, also known as the
Duomo di Milano
. It was the largest cathedral in Italy, and Eva had chattered on about the Gothic architecture and how it was a masterpiece revered the world over.

They had taken a short cruise around the structure in Dareios’ car, and then eaten lunch at a small bistro along the main street, dining on
risotto alla Milanese
, a tender rice dish,
tortelli di zucca
or pasta stuffed with pumpkin, and
piccata Milanese
, a tenderized chicken served with mushrooms and ham. Alexandra had picked at her food, but Eva had demolished everything with the same gusto she applied to most things. 

Dareios simply smiled back at Alexandra and stepped closer to her. “She truly loves art.”

“Yes, and she’s a good artist in her own right. She’s going to be so excited when Antonio tells her about the school in Paris.”

“I hope so,” Dareios said. “Although I think Antonio wants to keep her at home.”

“Well, he can’t keep either of us from growing up. What are we doing after this? More tours? Shopping perhaps?”

“I thought I would take you lovely ladies to dinner and then back to the hotel so you could get packed for the morning. I would like to leave for Taranto no later than seven.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Why so early?”

“Because I want to get on the
Kairos
and out to sea while the water is still calm.”

Alexandra sighed. “Very well. I have to tell you I am not a morning person. At all.”

“As if I don’t know that already. How many times have I come to the Rosso estate for an early morning outing with Antonio only to find you and Eva still asleep?” He winced—and Alexandra wondered if he was picturing her in bed.

She leaned closer. “If I was in your bed all day, I wouldn’t be grumpy.”

He shot her a disapproving sideways look that told her to behave. She almost laughed—he’d never looked so stuffy. Shaking his head, he headed over to Eva. “So? Is it as awesome as you thought it would be?”

Eva’s eyes shone. She nodded. “It’s absolutely fantastic. The restoration work is amazing, and I see now why it took so many years to accomplish it.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed seeing it. I’m going to escort Alexandra out to the front. Join us whenever you’ve finished.” Eva nodded, already engrossed in studying the masterpiece in front of her.

Dareios took Alexandra’s elbow and together they headed toward the front of the church to wait for Eva. Dareios didn’t say anything, but Alexandra was positive he felt the shiver that ran through her body when he took her arm.

The butterflies were swarming in her stomach again, and her heart skipped to an unsteady race. Looking around, she realized there was nothing she could do about any of that right now. Not only were they in a church, but other tourists and priests roamed the hallways.

She swallowed, and breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the entrance and he let go of her arm. She took a few steps away from him and then turned to look at the skyline of the city. She needed some space to get her emotions and libido back under control—at least in public.

But once she got Dareios alone, then she would see if she could convince him that a fling between them wasn’t just smart—it was inevitable.