High Stakes Seduction - Book 3 (12 page)

"Remember those photos the private detective gave us—the ones of Antonio right after we'd found out about the insurance policy? Can you pull them out for me, please? I want to take a look at them when I get back."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about. I’m just curious. I'll tell you about it when I get home. Oh, speaking of which…"

Angela got a hesitant look on her face as her voice dropped off. I just waited.

"Tony wants to visit a couple of designers next month. In Europe. And I'm going, too."

"So now it's Tony, huh? And Europe? Oh Sis, that's great! When are you going?
Where
are you going?"

Ange laughed at my exuberance. "We're still working out the details. But I've been in contact with the twins and things are in the works."

"The twins? Those are the designers you met at the party?"

"Yes, Tony wants me to manage them—I'll tell you all about it when we get home, but I thought you should know since it means more travel for me."

"Oh honey, I think that's great! More photos for me! You're becoming quite the jet-setter, aren't you?"

She laughed at my little joke.

We said our goodbyes a short while later, but Angela had dropped the whole photo subject, not even mentioning them again. In fact, she seemed to make a point of switching the subject pretty quickly from the photos to her trip. What was she up to? It seemed we both had secrets we were keeping from each other—maybe for the first time. That made me feel a little strange.

The box with all of Dad’s stuff was still in the living room and I went over to dig through it. The envelope with the images was near the top. I pulled out the pictures, admiring the photos of the handsome man who had somehow ended up intricately entwined in our lives.

ANGELA

We were at the captain’s table again for our last night onboard ship, surrounded by many of the men and women I’d met or seen during our trip. A couple of men from the shuffleboard game were there, and the politician who had taken Antonio away to chat at the party a week ago.

The conversation seemed civil enough, but I wasn't so happy about the subject matter. Maybe I had been too sheltered growing up, but I didn't like hearing about who had which lobbyists in their pockets, and who could be counted on to return votes for favors. I remembered the way Antonio’s mood had darkened when he’d come back from some of the meetings with these guys, and I kept an eye on him. Tonight, though, he seemed calm and collected, following the conversation but not really participating much.

After dinner, Antonio reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a thin cigar box. I recognized it as the one he’d bought at one of the ports we’d visited. He opened the case and offered one to the man next to him. "I’ll be right back," he said, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek.

The men all rose as if on cue, leaving the women to our dessert of strawberry cheesecake.

"I would never have signed up for this if I had known," said the woman beside me.

"I'm sorry, aren't you enjoying the cruise?" I asked. I recognized her as Clarice, the woman from the politicians’ party who'd complained about life as the wife of a politician. I shuddered, remembering the dream I’d had following our discussion that evening. Trapped in a police questioning room because of some unknown crime my unknown husband had allegedly committed.

"It wouldn't matter where we are. All the dinners are like this," she said with a heavy sigh. "There’s never a break from the political chatter. Never a real chance for any privacy or quiet personal time. I’d never have encouraged my husband to run for city council all those years ago, if I’d known what I was in for."

I saw the strain in her eyes. As though she was always on edge, vigilant to her surroundings and always on public display. I smiled and nodded politely, turning away to pick at my dessert.

"It doesn't sound like you get much time with your husband," I said. "That must be difficult."

She looked at me over the top of her drink glass. "I get more time with his campaign manager than I do with him."

Ouch. That must hurt.

"It's not like he doesn't already have enough to do, but now he's trying to get on the Board for that Children's Academy."

"The South Side Academy?"

"Yes." She took another sip of her drink, totally ignoring the dessert. "For the life of me, I have no idea why it's so important, but he has his heart set on it."

Another connection to this South Side Children's Academy. What in the world could be so attractive—or for that matter beneficial—about a children's charity? I mean, besides to the children themselves? I turned back to my dessert, lost in my own thoughts, until the men finally returned twenty minutes later.

I sat up anxiously, searching Antonio’s face for any change or sign of stress, but he only smiled at me, offering his hand. I took it, excusing myself.

"Will we be able to count on you, Mancini?" asked one of the men behind us.

Antonio’s hand twitched in mine and I saw the muscle in his jaw tighten. "You can most certainly count on me."

Music floated down the hall as we walked and I realized we were nearing the night club. I hadn’t realized how late the evening had gotten. Tony and I both looked at each other at the same time.

"I know what you’re thinking," he chuckled, and a moment later, we waltzed out onto the tiny dance floor. This was our last night here, and while I was looking forward to spending time between the sheets, it was a kind of delicious agony to have him hold me so closely while we were fully dressed. I shouldn't have been surprised that he took control on the dance floor just as he did everywhere else.

"I thought you said you weren't much of a dancer?" I laughed as he spun me around and pulled me in close again.

"Just because I like to watch, doesn't mean I haven't taken a lesson or two."

I reached up, brushing my lips against his, then moving to nibble at his ear. "Maybe you should dance for me this time," I teased. I was very pleased with his response.

He pulled me tight against him, making sure I felt the strength of his growing erection. "We’ll see about that," he said, gliding me across the room toward the exit.

I couldn't wait to get back to our room—my heart was racing as I thought about one more night with this man who had soooo gotten under my skin.

That night Tony was sweet, patient, and deliberate. "I have something for you," he said.

My hands slid down to take hold of his shaft, straining against his pants. "I think I can guess what it might be."

He chuckled. "No—well, yes, there’s that. But I was referring to something else."

"Don't be such a tease," I said. "You know what I want." I pulled my dress off over my head.

He cupped my breasts, bending to kiss them.

I ran my hands through his hair, arching my back to make them more available. Suddenly, he scooped me up, carrying me backward to the waiting chair. I managed to unbutton his pants before he sat down with me straddling him. His mouth had found a nipple, even as he’d been moving, and he teased me with his tongue. He shifted his hips and helped me tug down his pants. His cock sprang free and I immediately took hold of it, stroking him gently. I let a finger play in a tiny drop of cum on the tip, teasing the head in the same patterns his tongue was swirling around my aching nipples.

He groaned as my hand moved up and down, stroking him a little faster, as I bowed my head. I took his earlobe between my teeth. "I want you inside me," I whispered.

He responded with a groan and a moment later, one of his hands left my breasts, finding its way to his phallus. Our fingers entwined as we rolled the condom down to his hilt, then I followed, taking him as deep as he could go.

Our lips found each other then, tongues settling into an eager dance. He thrust into me and I ground myself against him. I twisted my hips and rocked, riding him with unhurried motions.

He cupped my breasts once more, then let one hand slide down my stomach to my groin, where his thumb found my clit. My hair tumbled over his legs as my back arched. The combination of his skilled fingers and his hard cock inside me was almost more than I could bear.

I felt myself getting closer and closer, and when his lips and tongue pressed against my breasts, every part of my body pulsed with pleasure. My fingers dug into his arms and my thighs tightened around his as I rode him, faster and faster until I couldn’t hold back any longer. My muscles tightened around him and he respond by thrusting into me even harder as my body shuddered around him. Slipping over the edge at last, we collapsed into each other, glistening and spent.

"I don’t want this to end," I murmured against his shoulder.

"We have all night, cara," he said, wrapping his arms tighter around me.

True to his word, he made our last night on the Twilight PhantaSea one I would never forget. He carried me inside to his bed, but left the door to the veranda open. We made love again and again beneath the moonbeams, with the gentle sound of the ship making way through the waves finally lulling us to sleep before the sunrise.

I reached up to touch the beautiful enameled plumeria necklace at my neck. I had totally forgotten about Tony's remark the previous evening—but then, I'd had a pretty good reason. In the early hours after sunrise, he had woken me gently, as always. This time he had dangled the necklace over my breasts, following the curves and tickling me awake with the gentle swaying of the pendant against my skin.

"Tony! Where did you find this? It's so lovely."

"I have my ways," he smiled.

"And which ear am I supposed to put this over?" I asked him slyly.

"Since it's a necklace, I hope you put it over both ears," he laughed as he'd clasped it around my neck.

I was sad to see Fort Lauderdale again, but, as I stood at the railing with Antonio, watching the docking process, I was relieved too. I had come aboard this ship as, I thought, nothing more than an escort; a plaything, selling my body to pay off Dad’s gambling debts. But now— with my fingers clasping the little silver plumeria dangle—I knew this was so much more than just a dalliance with Antonio Mancini.

I smiled, taking his outstretched hand. "It will be nice to get home," I said.

He leaned down and kissed my brow. "But strange not waking up with you in my bed every day."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," I grinned. And maybe we can work something out…

His lips parted, but before he could speak, his phone buzzed. He gave me an apologetic shrug and fished in his pocket for the phone, working the buttons with one hand. Even as he read the message, his face changed. It was almost as if the air around us grew suddenly colder, or the sun went behind a cloud. He released my hand and turned away.

"What’s wrong?" I asked.

He didn’t respond. I leaned to the side, trying to see around his broad shoulders, but he clearly didn’t want me to.

"Antonio?" I said, growing concerned. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing," he muttered, stuffing his phone into his pocket and turning back to gaze over the docks. He stood quietly next to me, but his body had a tenseness that hadn't been there before.

I reached for his hand again, but he slipped it into his pocket. What the hell was in that message? I wondered.

"I won’t be able to join you for the trip home," he said after a moment of uncomfortable silence that I didn’t know how to break. "You can take a cab to the airport. And Thompson will pick you up once you land."

"What?" I asked incredulously. But he was already walking away from me to join the line of passengers ready to disembark. I hurried to catch up. "Antonio," I said, getting angry now, "tell me what’s going on!"

He turned toward me, his eyes burning with a coldness that shot ice through my veins. I took a step backwards, almost stepping into the people behind me. "You wouldn't understand. This is not your concern," he snapped, then turned away.

I was shocked into silence, my face burning with humiliation at being treated this way. The only thing that kept me from snapping back at him was the tension I saw in his jaw and the way his hand worked at the gold watch on his wrist.

He was worried about something.

Something big.

I moved like a robot down the gangplank and through customs, with Antonio walking just as stiffly beside me. We retrieved our luggage, and he hurried me out to the front of the building, summoning a cab with a wave of his hand.

The driver pulled to a stop in front of us and Antonio helped him load my bags into the trunk, then opened the door for me.

"Antonio," I said, trying one last time to understand what was going on. "Whatever it is you’re dealing with, I can help you. I’m not afraid."

"That's not necessary," he said, and this time, when he looked at me, his eyes were imploring. "Please, Angela. Just get in the cab. I’ll explain everything when I can. Just go."