Never Say Love (3 page)

Over the next few months Benito settled into living in the UK. He stayed at Reid’s for a month before moving to an exclusive apartment in the Docklands area of London, renting himself a penthouse apartment with stunning views across the city.

He spent many nights out with James who introduced him to Henry’s, a new nightclub that had opened. Over time, Benito and James had entertained a multitude of ladies taking them back to vacant rooms at the hotel, the odd one had even been entertained at his apartment, the place he regarded private and to which he took a only a few, selected ladies.

Business was doing well, several new contracts were secured including providing security at Reid’s and Henry’s, as well as a handful of celebrities who were starting to favour Abelli Security. A team of highly qualified ex-military types had been employed in a variety of roles, ranging from front-of-house at clubs and hotels, for those who wanted an “easy life” following de-mobbing from to forces, to those who were happy to, well still get their hands dirty with work that required dealing with people!

Despite the odd half-hearted threat from other security businesses, companies that had lost work because of Benito “stealing” their contracts, life was generally good. He’d even settled into the regular routine of dinner at Gia and Roberto’s every Friday evening before he and James went out together. The same routine would follow after they had all eaten together, involving Gia giving the usual pep-talk to her “boys” as she called them.

“Are you ready to go then?” James looked towards his friend as Gia cleared the table.

“Sure, whenever.”

“Now, I need to swing by the hotel first, just drop something off for the weekend team. Is that okay?”

“Fine with me.” Benito stood from the table, looking down at his shirt and trousers, straightening himself out.

After saying their goodbyes, which included a hug for Gia, both men left the modest home and set off in Benito’s new Range Rover.

Leaving the car in the hotel car park and after James had done what he needed, they walked out of the hotel and hailed a cab. Within half an hour they made an entrance at Henry’s, now a regular haunt on their weekend drinking and partying sessions.

Walking through the understated black and silver frontage, they were greeted with a full dance floor, bodies lit by the state-of-the-art lighting, swaying and dancing to the rich sound of
Low
. Heads turned in their direction for they truly did look stunning.

The two well built, exceptionally good looking young men, made their way to the few steps that ascended to the VIP area, an exclusive part of the club that James had not frequented before the arrival of Benito, he liked the privacy that the leather booths offered and insisted on paying the premium to use them.

Drawing attention from all angles, they made their way up the steps. Girls dropped their boyfriend’s arms and gazed in awe at the handsome, incredibly well-dressed Italians. Single girls gravitated towards the steps, wanting to get a closer look at the pair, the looks and advances ignored by the two young men, as to be approached was not part of the “
game
”.

Scanning the place from the steps, Benito observed the place, alive with a mix of people of all ages. A fully staffed bar ran the length of the club, the bar tenders all busy mixing cocktails with the odd bit of flaring for entertainment taking place

“Fancy some fun tonight?” Benito turned to James, grinning before looking over the dance floor again, he scanned the club taking in the groups of girls dancing together. Nudging James, he raised his voice above the music. “Shall we
entertain
a young lady or two,” he spoke slowly, waving his hand around, looking between the throng of dancers and James and then pointing at a pretty blonde girl—a petite young woman with a perfect figure. Well, perfect in his eyes, small breasts and a tiny waist, dressed in a bright blue sparkly mini dress, more flesh showing than was probably necessary, something that he could overlook, for tonight anyway. After all, this was only going to be a one night stand and, if all went to plan, that dress would be on the floor before long! “I want to entertain
her
.” He looked to James. “What about you? Have you chosen your girl yet?”

Smiling, a delicious grin crossed James’ face—he really did like this game! No commitment at the end of the evening, or the morning, if he was really lucky! Gazing across the dance floor and bar, he tried to single out a girl as he looked across the dancing groups. He liked blondes too, looking left to right at the girls who danced and swayed their arms in the air, their heads thrown back and their eyes closed, lost in the music. “Her,” he pointed to a young woman, fair skinned with the lightest blonde hair, slim but not skinny, “That one! I want
that
one.”

Moving away from the exclusive area and as if on a mission, both men made their way through the sea of dancers, turning heads as they squeezed between bodies, smiling politely, seductively at the women who stepped aside, letting them through and carefully extracting themselves from those who pawed at them. Neither Benito or James seemed to object to the groping received from the odd woman as they gained ground on the girls they had singled out—Benito making contact with his chosen one first.

Approaching her, her back was facing him. She was unaware of his presence until she felt the warmth of his body behind her, and then him snaking his hand lightly around her waist, his touch so gentle yet firm. Initially, stunned at the approach, the shock of being touched from behind, she stopped moving, pleasantly surprised at the softness, the gentleness of the touch around her waist.

Turning around slowly she found herself face to face with the amazing looking Italian. Stopping her twist directly in from of him she gasped, partly in shock and partly in awe at the handsome face in front of her, standing much taller than her despite her heels. Benito looked down, greeting her with his gorgeous smile. “Hello,” his husky voice raised above the music, the Italian accent evident. Stunned, yet overwhelmed by the man who wrapped his arm around her waist, she smiled back stopping her swaying and her dancing. The blue-eyed girl stood stock still, in front of the man who had purposely selected and picked her out from the crowd.

“Would you like to join us up there?” he turned and pointed towards the VIP area before looking back at the young girl, his focus drawn straight to her small breasts, no cleavage and what appeared to be no bra, covered in blue sparkles.

“I’m with my friends,” she shouted, turning as she looked back towards her four or five girlfriends who were dancing, watching her as she talked to the dish that had just landed in their circle.

Shrugging his shoulders, he looked directly at her, fixing her with his gaze. “It’s up to you tesoro. I’ll be up there with my friend if you change your mind. Join us for a glass of something special and maybe some
fun
.” Smiling, he winked at her as he turned away.

Watching him as he turned, she studied him as best as she could in the dark, yet strobe lit lighting of the club. She made out his eyes, the colour of mahogany so very dark, his lips full—the perfect bow at the top, just right for kissing. Oh, he
was
stunning.

Benito played it cool; he wasn’t going to beg this girl to spend the evening with him. He would give her half an hour to join him and then he’d select someone else, another girl to have
some fun with later on. Allowing the pretty young woman another thirty seconds to change her mind, he added, “Maybe see you later?” before he turned and walked to the bottom of the few steps that led to the luxurious area, taking two steps at a time until he reached the bouncer, one of his employees, and the red rope which sealed the area off from the main part of the club.

“Evening Lee, the usual booth, if we can,” Benito shook the hand of the doorman at the top of the steps, one of his newly recruited security team. Lee liked to vary his work. He was very keen to volunteer for the “
hard” jobs but was equally at home with the “soft
option” of working the clubs, sorting out the occasional brawls that happened and asking those that had too much to drink to leave the premises.

Lee looked down at the row of booths, glancing at the middle booth that Benito preferred. “It’s free.” Lee was older than Benito, maybe late thirties, but well built, not an ounce of fat on him. He was ex-military and had an air of authority about him, someone you would most definitely not want to cross. “One fifty boss,” his deep voice rumbled as he held his hand out to Benito.

Peeling the notes from his roll, Benito paid Lee and headed to the centrally located leather clad booth, the high backs of each area making each one an individual and private pod. “James will be joining me with a lady,” he glanced up at Lee before sliding into the bench seating. “Can you send someone over to take a drink order?”

Lee nodded, “Sure, I’ll ask one of the girls to come and take your order,” turning towards one of the waiting staff he indicated to her to come over.

“Thanks Lee,” Benito looked around surveying the area.

Settling down onto the leather, Benito made
himself comfortable as James appeared with a giggling blonde on his arm.

Standing at the edge of the booth, James began the introductions, “Benito, this is,” he looked at the girl, “sorry sweetheart, what’s your name?”

The tall slim girl giggled again, she was dressed in a tight black mini dress, square neck and three quarter sleeves showing off a perfect figure. Her palest blonde hair left loose she looked up at James. “Hayley,” her green eyes sparkled, she had perfect, flawless ivory skin, the smallest amount of make-up although she didn’t need it, one of the draws for James, one of the reasons he’d picked her out, he hated the girls that plastered their faces with makeup, preferring the natural look.

“Hayley, Benito—Benito, Hayley,” he completed the introductions.

Holding his arm out to the bench seating, Benito indicated for her to sit as the waitress arrived. “What can I get for you?” the waitress asked looking at all three of them.

“We will have a bottle of your best champagne,” Benito answered before looking to the others, “do you want anything else?”

“Strawberries,” James grinned before turning towards Hayley, he watched her as she frowned at him, “a bowl of strawberries, for the champagne,” he felt the need to explain his reasoning for ordering strawberries.

The waitress nodded as if it was not unusual to be asked for such things, well it wasn’t, not from James anyway.

“I’d really like a Kir Royal,” Hayley purred, pulling her long hair around her shoulder and looking towards James, pursing her lips at him, as if kissing him, the palest pink gloss making them glimmer in the lighting.

“Well then, a Kir Royal too,” Benito completed the order watching the young waitress move away.

Glancing sideways at Hayley, Benito eyed her up, James and him really did have the same taste in women. They preferred blondes with a good figure, small breasts and not so thin that they might break when things got, well
full on
.

“You couldn’t persuade her to join you?” James asked his friend, his hand on Hayley’s thigh, squeezing it gently, her hand drifting slowly on top of his, running her thumb over his knuckles, she gazed longingly at him.

Benito frowned at his friend, “She’ll be here, before long—you wait and see,” he nodded reassuringly.

James
laughed. He knew that Benito was right, well most of the time. As sure as day turned into night, the girls that Benito approached would nearly always appear if they had initially turned him down. He moved his hand further up Hayley’s leg, “They always
come
for Benito,” he whispered against her cheek causing her to chuckle at his
double entendre.

The two playboys chatted with Hayley, asking her about herself. They soon established that she was a newly qualified lawyer working in a junior position of a firm specialising in criminal law, a point that Benito made a mental note of. She may come in useful, if she’s pliable, and, of course, if she stays around long enough. Like him, James’ conquests rarely lasted more than a day or two.

Staying with his thoughts, trying to ignore the tangle of arms opposite him, Benito started to mentally map and plan how the UK operation would expand even further—the positions that still needed to be created and filled and the work they will do. After a few months here in the UK, he had developed the organisation considerably, but it needed to grow more, his father was already breathing down his neck. The arrival of the champagne, strawberries and Hayley’s Kir Royal snapped him out of his mental planning.

Benito watched as James prized himself away from the over amorous Hayley. Settling back into his seat, he slid his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him and leaning towards her he whispered in her ear, she flushed and giggled at whatever James was saying. Whilst Benito had no objection to watching his friend and the girl, he felt awkward. “Excuse me,” he stood, “going for a look around.”

Leaving the VIP area, he descended the steps into the mass of dancers and drinkers—the place was rammed to capacity. Edging his way around the dance floor, he stood out, his looks, stature and build drawing the eyes of many of the girls.