Lonzo: Book 1 (Tycoon Series Book 1) (25 page)

Lonzo?! Here?!
Half of her brain screamed.

So what if he’s here? You can easily handle him
, the other half insisted.

Yeah. Right. Sure.

Hating Lonzo Vitale? Easier said than done, especially after Thio’s revelations.

Lonzo appeared a few minutes later, carrying his luggage in tow.
Their gazes collided, stopping them both in their tracks. His eyes narrowed.

He said nothing.

She said nothing.

They just stood there staring, not even blinking, taking each other in. Her chest tightened as her heart pounded through her head.

Jesus. How can a man be so beautiful it hurts just to look at him?

“What are you doing here?” she asked, finally finding her tongue.

His accusing eyes momentarily shifted to Thio Fredo before it swung back to her face.

“Where my woman goes…I’ll follow, ” he answered with a deliberately slow smile.

She could see Thio Fredo smiling happily before he left the two of them alone.

She knew it was all for his uncle’s benefit but…it still made her toes curl.

“Drop the act.”

“Who says I’m acting? I miss my woman so I followed her here.”

“Oh please. It’s not as if you missed me or anything. You—”

“Fishing for compliments?”

She snorted.

“Me? Fishing? I don’t fish, Vitale,” she said, folding her arms defensively beneath her ample bosom. She saw his green eyes darken as he followed her movements, his eyes sweeping over her heaving breasts.

Flushed, she raised a brow at him. “My face is up here.”

He chuckled, not even embarrassed at being caught. “Can you blame me? It’s been what? A week already?”

Her cheeks heated up. “Thio Fredo—”

“Will no longer protect you,
cara
. So stop using him in your games.”

“I’m not—”

His eyes became hooded. “I want my woman in my bed. Tonight.”

His words sent her pulse rocketing.

How should she answer that? Crap! Think of something!

“Careful, Vitale. Or you might fall for me,” she said, trying to sound casual.

“No worries. I got that covered. That’ll never happen.”

Pretend or not, that hurt. But then, she walked in this arrangement with her eyes open, didn’t she? Life had handed her this bad hand…why not make the most of it? Consider it as an education and enjoy it for what it was.

“Good. I hate drama. I get a lot of that from where I come from,” she said carefully.

“Finally, we’re on the same page, woman.”

“Let’s set some ground rules to make this easier for us both.”

He frowned at that. “Like?”

“Let’s start afresh—that means zero sarcasm and animosity.”

“Fair enough.”

“Is that a yes?”

He smiled and her heart skipped several beats. “Yes.”

She was surprised at his agreement.

“Anything else?”

“This is so awkward…I know you’ve been with more experienced women and I’m new at this. So there may be times that I’m in need of guidance—”

He strode toward her before she could finish.

He framed her face with his hands. “I’d be happy to teach you,
cara
. With pleasure.”

Before she could reply, he crushed his mouth over hers, sealing the start of their ‘renewed’ arrangement.

Chapter Fourteen

This was the last thing he expected.
He had readied himself to another battle of wills with her. He spent the entire time brooding and planning his next move on the chopper ride on the way here. They had a deal. The stalemate would end tonight. With him on top and inside her before the night was through.

When he stepped inside his uncle’s house, he was ready to lay down the law on her.

And then he saw her. Time stilled. He just stood there—drinking the sight of her, all his carefully-laid plans forgotten.

It must be her eyes.

Those fucking siren’s eyes.

He told himself earlier he wouldn’t allow himself to get sucked into her again.

Really, Vitale?
His brain sneered. It was a losing battle.

“What are you doing here?” he heard her ask.

Yeah, why the fuck are you here, Vitale? Sex?
His mind jeered.

Was it just sex? He can get that easily elsewhere.

Then what? He didn’t know what motivated him anymore.

Because Jordana Almueda affected him like no other woman before. She made him feel raw and ravenous all at once. It didn’t matter what she was or what she did. He just wanted her. He couldn’t resist her. She didn’t even have to try very hard to capture his attention. His eyes automatically sought her out.

Whatever lure she had over him had to be checked and controlled within their agreed time together.

His gaze flicked over to his uncle. He was so totally into this stare-fest with Jordana that he totally missed Thio Fredo’s presence in the room. After giving his relative a pointed look, he switched his attention back to her.

“Because I want to be here. Where my woman goes…I’ll follow.”

He caught her silent gasp and saw how her eyes reacted. He couldn’t help but smile.

That’s right, Jordana. No more delays. We’ve been playing this game far too long. We both know where this will eventually lead us.

Thio Fredo mumbled something unintelligible and left them alone. The tension in the room continued to build.

He sensed a change in her demeanour which he couldn’t put a finger to.

Then she began telling him she wanted to put a stop to all hostilities and start afresh.

He never saw that coming. A part of him was instantly suspicious of her sudden change of heart.

She wanted to pretend like they were a real couple. What was she up to this time?

A light bulb went off inside his head. Her suggestion would be the best set-up. An extended role-play.

Lust pounded through his bloodstream. Jordana willing and ready?
Fuck, yeah!

He ceased his carnal thoughts for a moment.

“Anything else?”

Her eyes darted at him, unsure. There was an obvious change in her attitude that he couldn’t identify. But whatever brought it out…

“This is so awkward…I know you’ve been with more experienced women and I’m new at this. So there may be times that I’m in need of guidance—”

That blew his mind. His sanity floated out of his reach and fired up his imagination—of her naked on his bed.

He closed the distance between them and cupped her face with his hands.

She’d be his lover in every sense of the word.

For the remaining three weeks, she’d be available for his enjoyment. And with no resistance on her part. They would part after twenty-one, lust-filled days. And it would be a clean break.

The perfect set-up.

Pretend or not, her agreement made him stagger as a sudden tidal wave of need hit him sharply. He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this before.

She drew in a sharp breath when he cupped her face.

Then he pressed his lips to her waiting mouth and groaned. God, he was addicted to her taste—like summer peaches and honey. So fucking sweet and potent at the same time, it sent his head spinning.

He seduced her lips to open for him—he nipped, licked until she capitulated and grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him closer.
Yes!
His mind shouted as his tongue went in. He teased the roof of her mouth, savoring her, drinking her before flicking her tongue with his. She moaned as their kisses grew more urgent, frenzied. She pressed her body closer as he continued to devour her mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t stop kissing her.

He broke the kiss to draw in a ragged breath.

“I’d be happy to teach you,
cara
,” he murmured. “With pleasure.”

She lowered her lashes to avoid his gaze, biting her lip. It was the subtlest of movements but it was enough to make his blood roar with renewed lust.

His hands slid lower to clutch her ass, letting her feel his hard, pulsating need.

“Lonzo…” she whimpered.

He trailed his lips at her neck.

“I like the way you whisper my name,
cara
,” he said in her ear. “I’ll have you shouting it before the night is over.”

Instead of responding, her timid hand reached down to his already steely cock.

He jumped out of his skin, his brain turning into a hungry mass of fiery lust.

“Jesus, Jordana…!” he shuddered when she began to move her hand sinuously, tracing his rod through the material of his trousers. “That’s it,
cara
. Fuuuck…”

He was close. His face contorted.
Shit!

She suddenly stopped. “Lonzo? Did I hurt you?”

“You sure this is what you want?” he grunted. He was in pain all right. He had the mother of all blue balls.

She nodded.

“Say it.”

“Yes,” she said huskily.

“So be it,” he said before capturing her lips, kissing her hard.

He wanted to haul her up to his bedroom. Dinner be damned!

She flattened her hands against his chest. “Lonzo…your uncle—”

“Let them.”

“We need to stop.”

He sighed, fighting for some control. His body felt too jacked up with desire.

He was so far gone that he forgot they were standing in the living room, in plain view of everyone who may walk through the door.

“Let’s skip dinner.”

“We can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because Thio will know exactly why!”

“Ignore him. He’s an evil cockblocker,” he said as he pulled her against his body again.

“Lonzo!” she glared at him, blushing furiously as she pushed to get out of his arms. “Stop it! Are you really like this all the time?!”

“What? You want me to apologize for having a hard-on?” he almost shouted out of frustration.

“Shhh!”

He dropped his arms from her. “Okay, dinner it is. On one condition.”

“Another condition, Vitale?”

“No more delaying and don’t you linger over dessert.”

“And if I don’t?” she asked, her brow raised.

“You’ll be sorry. And sore.”

Her eyes widened in momentary shock. ”You’re such a horn dog!”

He shrugged. “I don’t think I can last that long,” he admitted.

He didn’t know why, but that made her laugh.

A warm feeling spread inside his chest when he heard it.

Shit. He was turning into a cheesedick, he thought as he mentally shook off the alien feeling.

Dinner turned out to be a fast affair. Surprisingly, Thio Fredo ceased playing guard dog. He saw the old man smiling slyly as he took in the meaningful glances between him and Jordana.

After what seemed like an eternity, Thio Fredo bade them good night. Lonzo made sure his uncle was safely settled in his room first before he went back to the dining room for Jordana. She stood up as he approached. He quickened his pace. Once she was within his grasp, he tugged her hips toward him before sliding his hands up to cradle her head before sinking his fingers into her lush curls.

Their eyes locked—soon their stare turned into hot, liquid fire. Everything inside him flared with the need to possess this woman.

Unable to stop himself, he lowered his head, desperate for the feel of her honeyed mouth and velvety tongue. The moment their lips touched, he felt her quiver in response. His tongue snaked in to duel with hers, feeding off each other’s passion.

Without breaking the kiss, he scooped her up and took her to his room.

He was breathing erratically when he lifted his mouth from hers to lay her on top of his king-sized bed.

She tried to sit up but he gently but firmly pushed her down.

“Stay,” he growled. He moved away from her to take off his clothes. He could feel her eyes on him and he enjoyed every fucking minute of it, especially when he overheard her sharp gasp when he pulled down his silk boxers—his cock sprang out and bobbed against his navel.

She was transfixed and he grew stiffer from her scrutiny.

“Tell me it won’t get bigger than that,” she said, anxious.

He found himself chuckling at her, surprising himself.

“No, it’s just…happy to see you.”

She blushed adorably. “I can see that.”

“It had been a week since he had any action. He tends to get a little excited.”