Taught by the Tycoon (12 page)

Damiano could well imagine his friend’s brows drawn into a scowl.

“Yes, I can understand your concern. Rachel is simply doing me a favor and has agreed to pose as my girlfriend for the week. My mother is—”

“Being her usual matchmaking self?” Theo’s tone relaxed considerably. “I remember too well. So you and Rachel are just faking this being involved thing?”

Technically. But there was nothing fake about the passion between them.

“Good. You’re like a brother to me, Damiano, you know that.” Although Theo’s words were light they were threaded with a hard warning. “But I’m too familiar with your reputation, and I’m going to be pretty damn upset if Rachel ends up on the top of your pile of discarded girlfriends.”

Damiano recalled the feel of Rachel’s mouth beneath his. Her soft cries as he’d stroked her intimately. The taste of her breast in his mouth.

The image in his head changed to Rachel doing his dirty work. Instead of some unknown woman, she would be sending flowers to herself, apologizing on his behalf that he would no longer be able to see her.

Discarded pile of girlfriends. Would it come to that? Couldn’t things just end amicably when they were done? He bit back a frustrated sigh and shoved a hand through his hair.

Realizing his friend waited for a response, he managed a calm, “I understand your concern.”

His friend was doing a wonderful job at delivering a needed dose of guilt.
Dio
. What had he been thinking trying to seduce Rachel? She was Theo’s younger sister. What if things ended badly?

“The only relationship between Rachel and I is one of business.” Or would be from this point on.

His chest was heavy with regret and something else. Disappointment? Frustration? His friend had picked a hell of a time to revive Damiano’s conscience.

“Good. I just wanted to be clear. I’ll be back to visit New York in a few weeks. We’ll all have dinner and catch up.”

“Wonderful. I’ll see that it happens.”

The door to the bathroom opened and Rachel stepped out in the tight red dress. His blood heated and his cock stirred at the sight of her.

But there may as well have been a big Do Not Touch sign on the front of her lovely body. He dragged his gaze from her subtle curves.

“Must go now, my friend. I’ll speak to you soon.” He ended the call.

Rachel gave him a wry smile. “Sorry to interrupt your phone call, it’s just...would you mind zipping my dress? I’m afraid the zipper is stuck halfway up.”

Rachel somewhat regretted asking, when Damiano began to look rather pained at the request.

Really it was a zipper. That was all. And she’d struggled with it for nearly five minutes before cursing it to hell and deciding to solicit help from Damiano.

She was ready in every other way, with her makeup on, and hair down as he’d requested. Or maybe even ordered. And part of her had wanted to style it up just to irritate him, because really, it was her damn hair. But she’d kept it down, because she’d planned to do so anyway.

As he stood and approached her, his mouth became a grim slash. Perhaps he didn’t want to be so close to her before dinner? Feared one thing may lead to another. Which was entirely possible. And for once, she looked forward to it.

He was right. She’s realized that while out in the city today. They were adults and they both wanted each other, and she was done fighting it. She wanted this week with him. One week of passion and pleasure. And then she would do everything in her power to move on from him and go back to a working relationship.

He would see the back of the bra from the new lingerie set she’d bought today to wear for him. It couldn’t be helped. She’d been excited to reveal it its entire sexy splendor tonight when they were alone, but a peek now surely wouldn’t spoil things too much.

“Turn around, please.”

His gruff command was almost laced with irritation, and she frowned slightly. When he reached out and maneuvered the stuck zipper upward, she might’ve thought him completely unaffected, if she hadn’t heard the barely audible low groan.

He stepped away a moment later. “There you are. We should head downstairs if you’re quite ready.”

That was it? No comment on her appearance? No attempt to touch her? Confusion bloomed inside her and she gave a small nod.

“Yes, I’m ready.” She cleared her throat and looked up through her lashes, trying to meet his gaze. Her words were soft. “Though we have a bit more time before we need to be down there, don’t we?”

His gaze, which had so carefully avoided hers, finally connected. Realization flashed in his eyes, and then they darkened with the desire she was used to seeing. But instead of attempting to touch her, he turned away and strode toward the door.

“We will not be too early. Besides, I’d like to have a drink before dinner.”

Surprised, and not quite sure what else to do, she followed him.

She heard the music and laughter before they even reached the last marble stair. The party had already started it seemed. Realizing Damiano was about to enter the room without her, she called out his name on a whisper.

He paused, and turned around, allowing her to catch up to him and slide an arm through his.

A bit dismayed at his abrupt change in behavior, she cast him a sharp look. “In case you’ve forgotten why I’m here this week, we’re supposed to be a couple.”

He looked momentarily shamed, and gave a nod. “My apologies, Rachel. My mind is elsewhere after that phone call.”

The phone call was behind his change in behavior? Who had it been? Before she could ask there was a sharp clicking of heels.

“Damiano!” The female voice was high and full of delight.

Rachel and Damiano turned to greet her, and Rachel smiled at the older woman.

An aunt it seemed, when they were introduced moments later. They all moved into the dining room where a small crowd had gathered and was drinking freely and talking in rapid Italian. Rachel recognized a few words, but not enough to grasp any sort of conversation.

She was introduced to family member after family member, maybe a dozen in all. And then a woman who’d been standing quietly in the corner stepped forward.

Beside her, she felt Damiano still and utter a curse under his breath. Rachel took in the woman with curiosity. She was exceptionally beautiful with her sleek, caramel colored hair, large espresso eyes and petite, curvy body that was tucked into a tight black dress.

Perhaps a bitchy cousin he couldn’t stand, Rachel thought hopefully.

“Damiano.” The woman gave a slow smile and stepped forward, leaning forward so he could kiss her cheek.

She said something in Italian, glanced at Rachel, and Damiano’s mouth tightened.

“Rachel,” he said quietly, “May I introduce you to Maria, a long standing friend of the family.”

Not family, but a
friend
of the family. And, if Rachel’s instincts were right, the woman Damiano’s mom wanted to set him up with.

Rachel glanced over the woman again and gave a faint smile. Maria was not exactly the hideous troll she’d imagined.

Feeling a little sick, Rachel murmured a greeting. Damiano’s arm slid about her waist and he pulled her close, and as much as she wanted to believe it was because he couldn’t keep his hands off her, she suspected this time it was really just for their current audience.

Maria smiled at her, her expression barely hiding the derisiveness. “You are American, no?”

“I am. Born and raised in Brooklyn. Still live there.”

The other women didn’t bother to hide her smirk. “How fortunate for you.”

So it seemed the hideous troll aspect of this woman wasn’t her appearance, but her personality.

Before Rachel could reply though, Maria turned her attention back to Damiano and switched to speaking Italian in a move that was clearly meant to dismiss her.

Rachel ground her teeth together and waited a moment, assuming Damiano would wrap up the discussion and excuse them. When he made no move to, her irritation grew.

There was no way she would stand around and put up with this.

“If you’ll excuse me,” was the only explanation she gave as she untangled herself from Damiano’s arm.

She felt his questioning gaze on her as she made her way to the table of food. Seeing that others had helped themselves to small appetizer type bits, she took a small plate and proceeded to do the same.

“She should not have invited her.”

“Pardon?” Rachel glanced up at the deep voice and found Damiano’s cousin Armanno nearby.

“My aunt.” He nodded toward Maria. “She is meddling and should not have invited that woman. I’m afraid she had her heart set on the two of them marrying, and has for years.”

“Ah, I see.” It was nothing Damiano hadn’t warned her about. Still, as she placed food on her plate, she was tempted to take an olive and throw it at Maria.

Holding back her inner eight-year-old, she instead settled on placing a slice of salami on her plate.

“You have nothing to fear, though. Damiano has eyes for no one right now but you.”

It was certainly the image she and Damiano had wanted to portray, but she didn’t believe it for a moment. What was a bit disconcerting was the realization that she wanted to believe it, though.

Her heart lurched a little and she swallowed hard. She couldn’t fall for Damiano. Lusting after him was one thing, and far too late to stop, but anything more than that...she had to be careful.

“Are you enjoying Italy?”

“I adore it every time Damiano has business and I get to tag along.”

Awareness flashed in his eyes. “That’s right, you were his assistant before his lover.”

She stiffened. “I’m still his P.A. That has not changed.”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Perhaps down the line if you two marry, then you can simply enjoy the new position as his wife and will have no need to work.”

She half thought he was teasing, but realized he was quite serious as he stared down at her inquisitively.

What kind of ass backwards, Stepford wife world did this man live in? She bit her tongue to hold back asking the question aloud.

She’d gone to school and received a business degree. Working for Mantovani hadn’t been exactly her dream job, but it had worked out quite nicely. It certainly paid more than any job she would’ve had as an entry-level employee. But then Damiano paid her ludicrously. She very well may be one of the highest paid P.A.’s in New York City.

“I enjoy what I do.” Was the only reply she managed.

“Then that is a very good thing. Look at my cousin. He has never been the jealous sort, but now he is watching us and seems quiet displeased.” Armanno sounded amused by the fact.

She couldn’t resist sneaking a glance Damiano’s way beneath her lashes. He was indeed watching her, and when their gazes locked, he said something to Maria and strode purposely toward her.

Her stupid little heart leapt at the fact.

Damiano hid a scowl as he made his way to Rachel. She’d struck up a conversation with his cousin Armanno, which could only lead to trouble.

He arrived at her side and eased an arm around her waist, pulling her firmly against him, but more notably away from his cousin.

“Sorry about that.” His lips brushed the soft skin at her temple. “Did you have time to miss me?”

“Desperately. I had to turn to salami.” He could hardly miss the surprising innuendo with the naughty twinkle in her eyes and the seductive way she managed to put sliced meat in her mouth.

Armanno gave a hearty, amused laugh and grinned down at her. “I like this one, Dami.”

“I do too.” A little too much sometimes. He glanced up at his cousin, but kept his words for Rachel. “You must be careful with him,
Dolcezza
, he’s a charmer.”

“Runs in
la famiglia, cugino
.”

“
Sí
. I cannot argue with that.”

Armanno sighed. “If you’ll excuse me, I must visit with my mother who will not stop glaring my way.”

When he’d left and they were alone in their corner of the room, he glanced down at her.

“I’m sorry about Maria. I did not know she would be here.”

“It’s fine.”

She didn’t sound as though it were fine, she sounded a little wary.

Her voice lowered. “She’s very pretty. Why was it that you didn’t want to be set up with her again?”

He knew he shouldn’t touch Rachel, even if he was supposed to be putting on an act for his family. They were all suitably convinced at this point. But he couldn’t resist stroking his thumb against her waist and then onto the small flare of her hip.

He turned his head slightly, his lips brushing the curve of her ear. “Well, pretty women are hardly a novelty, she’s a bit of a bitch, and she reminds me of my mother. In other words, she does nothing for me.”

He reveled at the shiver that ran through her and remembered zipping up her dress in the room.
Dio
, her pale, satiny skin had been temptation enough, but with the lacy red bra crossing her back and interrupting the image, all he could think about was tearing it off her. The dress. The bra. And doubtless tiny panties that he imagined matched.

But he couldn’t do any of those things. Whatever affair he’d planned to have with Rachel was over before it had begun. Theo had reminded him of his loyalties. His honor. And the unspoken rule that you did not seduce your friend’s sister.

After the affair, they would’ve had to return to normal at some point, and that might’ve been more of a problem than either had wanted to admit.

“When do we leave for the lake?” Her words were low and husky, and his blood quickened in response.

Perhaps the lake house was a bad idea, but he’d already had their luggage stored in the car and made plans to leave after dinner.

“Immediately after the party.” He both looked forward to it and dreaded it.

Dinner sped by, with good food, family and easy conversation. Rachel charmed everyone she met, save for Maria who shot hostile glares her way. Fortunately he’d managed to keep him and Rachel at the opposite end of the table from her.