The Tycoon's Secretive Temptress

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “I love it when you speak Italian,” he growled and nipped at her earlobe.

  She giggled, peeking at him over her shoulder. “I didn’t until last night. You never told me that you liked it.”

  He shifted so that Gianna was underneath him, then he pressed a leg between hers so that he was right where he wanted to be. “I love it. Unless you’re yelling at me and I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  Another giggle and Gianna wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting one of her legs so that she could rub her thigh against his hip. “Are you saying you understand me when I’m not yelling at you?”

  He nuzzled her throat, a spot he’d discovered about midnight last night. Every time he’d touched her there she giggled. Just like now, he thought with a smile.

  “It’s rare that I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t care when you’re just speaking to me. You mutter in Italian a lot,” he told her.

  “I do?” she asked, staring up at him innocently. “I didn’t realize.”

  He knew she was lying. “You know exactly what you’re doing. You just don’t want anyone else to know what you’re saying. Are you cussing people out?”

  She shrugged and he punished her for the non-answer by cupping her breast and sliding his thumb over the tip, causing her to hiss, then moan.

  “Cursing is not ladylike.”

  He chuckled as his head slowly lowered. “That’s not an answer,” he replied a moment before his mouth captured her nipple.

  She tried hard to keep his mouth from her nipple, but he simply grabbed her wrists and had his way. She relaxed into his hands, enjoying the way he took charge. But that was before the heat whipped through her and she shifted against him.

  “Brant, I don’t think…”

  “I think you should call in sick today.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  She waited a moment, pulling her hands free so that she could hold his head for a brief moment. “Because I work for a horrible tyrant and he won’t…” she yelped as he rolled over, pulling her on top and settling her on his stomach.

  “Now, what was that about a tyrant?” he asked, his voice threatening but he followed up on that by lifting his hands, now free, to cup her breasts.

  “No!” she whispered, shaking her head back and forth. Her hands gripped his wrists, but there was no pull to her touch. She wanted him to torment her like this. It was so amazing when he finally filled her and she found that blissful release. “No talking. Stai zitto e fai l'amore con me.”

  “What did you say?” he demanded, his fingers tightening on her nipple and he loved watching her like this.

  “I said,” she whispered, “stop talking and make love to me.”

  He was fully on board with that. He grabbed a condom from the nightstand and tore it open. He started to reach down to roll it on when she took it from his hands. Scooting lower, she took control of the process, but she did it slowly, her fingers trailing down his erection, then back up again. Finally, he took the condom from her and put on, then grabbed her by the waist and settled her back where he wanted her.

  “Okay, now talk,” he commanded. “Say something, Gianna,” he groaned. “Anything at all.”

  She sighed, sinking onto his shaft with her eyes closed and both hands braced on his chest. “You feel wonderful,” she told him in English, then yelped when he swatted her bottom. “I can talk all morning,” she purred.

  “Payback is a bitch,” he warned. Gianna knew that she was in trouble, although she wasn’t sure what he would do.

  Her smile disappeared when he put one hand to her breast and the other slid down her stomach, teasing that nub between her legs.

  “What you doing?” she demanded, shifting to accommodate him.

  “Payback, my dear,” he told her, watching her reaction as his thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple while, at the same time, his thumb rubbed on that lower nub.

  The dual stimulation was too much and she gasped, her eyes closing. “Non! Too much!” she whispered.

  “Move, Gianna. It will help if you move.”

  She followed his order, but wasn’t sure how to move to alleviate some of the need. It was like a hot, tight bolt of lightning streaming through her body with his fingers in control. She lifted up, then let herself slowly lower back down. His fingers teased her with every shift, increasing the urgency to a point where she was almost panicked.

  “Di piu!” she begged, pressing his finger against that nub. “More!”

  “Take control, Gianna.”

  She arched her back, shifting her hips back and forth, trying to create a friction that would…

  It happened faster than she would have thought possible! Within moments, she splintered apart, screaming as her climax took over. Wave after wave sent shudders through her. She wasn’t even aware of Brant moving to be on top because all she could focus on was the pleasure. The seemingly never ending pleasure! Gasping, she tried to pull away, the intensity of her climax overwhelming. But Brant held on, thrusting into her again and again until he found his own release. By that point, another climax, smaller but just as potent, had overtaken her and she could barely catch her breath.

  All night, the sex just kept getting better. Of course, the more they touched and talked, the more they knew how to touch each other.

  Rolling to the side, he cradled her gently, running his hand through her tousled curls.

  “You okay?” he asked softly.

  “Si,” Gianna replied, curling into him a bit more.

  “Still think you should go into the office?”

  Gianna yawned. “Si.” And with that, she pulled away, and stood up, grabbing his shirt as she headed into the bathroom.

  Brant watched her, sure that something was wrong, but not exactly sure what it was. Her head was bowed and she looked as if she might cry.

  With that thought, his stomach tightened and he jumped out of bed to follow her.

  As soon as he stepped into the bathroom, he found her leaning against the shower. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  “Niente,” she muttered. “Nothing.”

  That was a bald-faced lie, he thought. Pulling her into his arms, he sighed with relief when she allowed it. Even snuggling in closer, burying her nose against his chest. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No. You no hurt me, Brant,” she assured him.

  His shoulders sagged with relief again. “So, why are you upset?”

  “Because…” he heard her sniff and pulled away, needing to see her eyes. Sure enough, tears formed and he wasn’t sure what to say. “Because being with you is beautiful, Brant. I was so wrong about you. You aren’t cold and heartless. You work too much, but you have moments of…” she sniffed again and pressed a kiss to his chest. “Moments of inspiration.”

  He squeezed her gently. “Moments of inspiration is a good thing, right?”

  “Si,” she agreed, nodding, her curls tickling his chest and chin. “Molto buona!”

  “So, why are you upset?” he asked, turning on the water. “And why won’t you take the day off and be with me?”

  “Because I don’t want to take advantage of you being the boss. If you found out that any other staff member called in sick for work so that they could make love, you would be furious.”

  He considered that for a moment, and reluctantly nodded. “True, but…”

  “No!” she replied, slicing the air with her hand. “We work. We play later,” she stepped into the steamy shower. Grabbing the soap, she rubbed it all over her body as he watched, entranced. It was incredible to watch, her hands moving all over her soft curves.

  “You coming in?’ she asked, peering over her shoulder as she rinsed.

  He leaned a shoulder against the wall, shaking his head. “I think I’m going to stand her and enjoy the show.”

  Her eyes widened slightly, but then her lips curled up into an enticing grin. “A sho
w that you can’t do anything about until tonight,” she teased, as she shampooed her hair.

  She was right, he thought. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he knew that they’d have to hurry if they were going to make it into the office on time. But he didn’t care. He wanted to watch and if that meant they were a few minutes late, so be it. It was good to be the boss, he thought.

  Chapter 10

  Gianna heard her phone ping, indicating that a text message had come in. She smiled, seeing Brant’s name pop up on the screen.

  “Hey there!”

  Gianna glanced up and saw Selena standing in the doorway. Tucking her phone back under the file that lay open on her desk, she smiled welcomingly at her friend. “Hello! How are you?”

  “Good,” she replied, sitting down in the extra chair. “I’m going to the gym for a yoga class after work. Want to join me?”

  Gianna considered the two options. Yoga with her friend would stretch her muscles and strengthen her body. But option B was to go home with Brant….

  “I can’t tonight,” she decided with a firm nod.

  “What’s going on? You have a hot date?” Gianna couldn’t hide the blush and Selena gasped. “You do! You’re dating someone! Who?” she demanded, leaning her elbows on Gianna’s desk delightedly.

  Gianna opened her mouth then closed it, searching for an excuse that wasn’t a lie. “I just…”

  “Gianna!” Brant snapped, sticking his head through her doorway. “The reports from yesterday need to be recompiled with the new data. Will you have time tonight to re-run them?”

  Gianna opened her mouth once again, not sure what to say. Reports? What reports? Then she caught the sparkle in his eyes and understood.

  “Right! I’ll get that data started,” she replied, nodding for emphasis. Brant disappeared and Gianna shrugged apologetically at Selena. “I guess I am working late again.”

  Selena sighed. “You’re right, that man works way too many hours and now he has you doing it too!” She stood up and huffed a bit. “Fine. Do the reports tonight, but tell him that you have plans tomorrow night. I’m taking you out for happy hour and you can complain about what a tyrant he is all night.”

  With that, Selena left in a flutter of pink and a cheerful wave.

  Gianna grabbed her phone and read the message, smiling at Brant’s command. “Be in the garage in five minutes.”

  Hurrying, she stuffed the papers into her bag, promising that she’d look at them after dinner tonight at Brant’s house. Well, after dinner and making love with him. Every night this week, he’d brought her home to his house, cooked dinner with her, and then made love to her.

  But it wasn’t just sex. She enjoyed being with him. She loved cooking with him and teaching him to make her favorite recipes. And he showed her how to cook all of the traditional American meals that she’d burned during her first attempt. Monday night, they’d watched football and he’d tested her, “punishing” her when she got the answer wrong by kissing some part of her body. She’d failed the test that night, but had learned to love American football. Another night, after he made love to her on the counter, he’d pulled on his slacks, handed her his shirt and then carried her to the sofa to watch a movie. He’d even sat through a romantic comedy, which had endeared him to her even more.

  So no. It wasn’t just sex. She loved being with the man. If anyone had told her that just a few weeks ago, she would have scoffed at the possibility. Enjoy being with a man who worked so many hours?

  But she’d gotten to know him. She knew that he was a passionate man about many things, such as his motorcycle and cooking, American football and…well, yes, he was very passionate about making love.

  She wasn’t sure if this was good or bad, but…she loved him.

  Chapter 11

  “Papa, you wanted to practice your English, so speak to me in English. I’ve learned several new words so I help you.” Silence and then Gianna laughed. Suddenly, she turned serious, stiffening as she shook her head. “No Papa! I’m no ready yet!”

  Brant stood outside of Gianna’s office, not wanting to interrupt.

  “Papa! I don’t have everything I need yet! I don’t have enough! I’m not ready!”

  What the hell did she mean by that? Brant thought back to the early days. His chest tightened as he waited, listening for more information. What didn’t she have yet?

  “Yes. I’m being very careful. You know me.”

  Why the hell did she need to be careful? And how did that pertain to what she hadn’t gotten enough of yet?

  Brant wanted to burst into Gianna’s office and demand an explanation. They’d been spending almost every non-business moment together for the past two weeks. Had he missed something? Was this conversation about stealing trade secrets?

  He couldn’t believe that of her. And yet, he had believed exactly that only a month ago. He’d even told Reid that he knew it was happening.

  “Yes, Papa. I will. Ti amo anchi’io!” Brant knew that mean she “loved him too,” because he’d been studying Italian phrases lately.

  Brant went back to his office, trying to make sense of what he’d overheard. They were supposed to go out for dinner tonight and…he hadn’t specified what they would do after dinner, but both of them knew what would happen. He’d bring her back to his place and he’d make love with her for the rest of the night, just as they’d done every night since that afternoon of watching football. Yes, there had been nights when they’d just slept, holding each other throughout the night. But by morning, they were ravenous for each other again.

  Bracing his hands on the window, he tried to figure out what had gone wrong, what he’d missed. This just couldn’t be happening! How could she steal secrets from his company!

  But what else could she have meant? And why was she always hiding things from him? There were papers that she surreptitiously pushed under file folders or stuffed into her tote bag. When he asked about them, she dismissed them with a wave of her hand, then touched him. That’s all it took, just a touch and he was effectively distracted.

  “Damn it!” he groaned, pushing away from the window. “What the hell!?”

  “Uh oh,” Reid said, stepping into Brant’s office and closing the door. “Something wrong in paradise?” he teased.

  Brant glared at his brother, wishing that he could take a swing at him, just to release some of the fury that was slowly building inside of him.

  “She’s stealing from us!” he growled in a low, tormented voice, then ran a hand over his face because he didn’t want to feel this. He didn’t like feeling betrayed or used. Not by Gianna. Not when they’d finally…but if she was stealing, then they hadn’t ‘finally’ anything.

  “You told me that a while ago, but when I asked what she was stealing, you didn’t know.” Reid leaned forward. “Do you have more information now? And why now? What changed? I thought you and Gianna were…becoming closer, working things out.”

  Brant turned away. “I thought so too. But I just overheard her talking to her father about not having enough and not being ready or something like that.”

  Reid’s eyes narrowed. “What didn’t she have enough of?” he asked.

  Brant sighed heavily. “I don’t know. I…she and I have been…together a lot lately.”

  “I know. And until now, I thought it was great that you’d finally found someone who makes you feel like Selena makes me feel. But…if she’s stealing from us, and keep in mind, just because she’s having a conversation with her father doesn’t mean she’s guilty of corporate espionage, but if she is, I want her gone.”

  “Agree,” Brant said, grinding his teeth as he looked up at the ceiling. “I just…I thought she was…different.”

  There was a long silence and Brant eventually glanced at his brother, prepared to see anger. But instead, he saw compassion and understanding. Something loosened slightly, his brother’s support evident. And Brant never should have doubted that Reid
would support him. The brothers had always been there for each other. Yes, they’d often ganged up to torture their sister, but rarely did they torture each other.

  Reid put a comforting hand on Brant’s shoulder. “I know that this hurts, but you’ve got to get to the bottom of this. If she’s stealing from us, you need to find out. We need to assess the damage and put a stop to it.”

  “I know,” Brant nodded. “I’ll get the tech guys to look into the data downloads she’s done over the past several months, and any online searches. That might turn up what she’s been up to.” He turned away and walked over to his desk. “Maybe they should go through her files and e-mail, find out if she’s sent anything suspicious.”

  “Only the e-mails she’s sent on the company server. We have the right to search those files, but we’d need a warrant to search her personal e-mail.”

  Brant’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not ready to take it to that level,” he growled, although why he would hesitate to file criminal charges against anyone who tried to hurt the company was a mystery. He didn’t care what his brother said, this wouldn’t be handled by the authorities. They’d keep it private.

  Reid eyed his brother for a long moment and Brant knew that a battle was being waged inside his head. But Brant was firm about this. He might change his mind if she’s done irreparable harm to their company. Until he knew what he was dealing with, Brant was determined to keep this just between himself and Reid. And the tech guys, he supposed.

  “Fine,” Reid finally agreed. “But handle it fast. We need to know what’s going on and get ahead of it.”

  “Agree,” Brant replied, then lifted his phone to call in the head of their tech and security divisions.

  A half hour later, he hung up, rubbing his neck as the tension increased, tightening the muscles along his neck and back. But there was one more thing to do. He sent a text message, letting Gianna know that he would be out of town for a while on an urgent business issue.

  He should stay in town and ensure that the investigation progressed. But Brant didn’t trust himself to stay in town and be near Gianna. She was just too…beautiful. Vivacious. Amazing.