Untamed Italian, Blackmailed Innocent

by Jacqueline Baird

  ‘More wine?’ Zac asked, holding the bottle over her glass. His dark eyes, still lit with amusement, were holding hers.

  ‘Fine.’ She smiled, and he filled her glass without comment. She picked it up and took a sip.

  Then Sally saw him grimace, and the humour faded from his dark eyes. Perhaps he thought she was drinking too much. It struck her that he had only had one glass all through the meal and this was her third.

  ‘Perhaps not,’ she murmured, about to replace her glass on the table.

  ‘Yes, drink, Sally—enjoy it. It is an excellent wine, but when I am driving I only allow myself one glass with a meal.’

  Enjoying the relaxed ambience of the evening gave her the confidence to ask him boldly, ‘So why the grimace?’

  ‘It is that word fine. When we first met I noticed you use it an awful lot when you are not bothered either way. Even last night, after we had incredible sex, you used it again. Why?’

  ‘Oh…’ She suddenly remembered him returning from the bathroom last night and sliding into bed beside her, asking her the same question. She hadn’t answered him then, but now, fuelled by more wine than she was used to, she thought, why not?

  ‘I had a terrible stutter as a child, and it is a habit I developed because for some reason I could almost always say fine without a problem. I quickly realised it was a very versatile word. Fine with a smile was a yes; fine with a shrug was no. It could mean good or great or simply okay. My father used to laugh when I began to stutter, but my mother took me to a speech therapist and I was eventually cured. The habit lingers.’

  Zac was shocked, and disgusted with himself. Sally had faced a huge problem as a child and beaten it, while he had behaved like a complete idiot by allowing one word to bother him. ‘I’m sorry, Sally. It must have been hard for you, and it was crass of me to ask. Forgive me.’

  Sally had registered the expression of disgust on Zac’s face and she wasn’t surprised. A supreme male like Zac expected perfection in his women, and now she had told him her secret he was obviously disappointed.

  ‘Of course. Forget about it,’ she said with a brief smile, and, turning, she looked out into the distance. The sun was slowly sinking towards the distant horizon, turning the sky to a palate of pale blue, pink, red and gold, and she had a feeling Zac’s interest in her would sink just as quickly now he’d realised she wasn’t quite the perfect woman he had imagined.

  ‘How on earth did you find this restaurant?’ she asked, in a deliberate change of subject, but nevertheless enchanted by the vista before her. Turning back to look at him, she added, ‘I’ve never heard of the place, never mind the restaurant.’

  ‘I like to drive, and I discovered it one day when I got lost,’ Zac admitted with a rueful grin.

  ‘You? Lost? That does surprise me—but I am glad you were,’ she quipped. ‘June is my favourite month, with the long light nights, and this view is absolutely spectacular.’ Her blue eyes swept along the coastline and back out to the sea, as smooth as the proverbial millpond and reflecting the sun’s rays in a band of gold.

  ‘The view is incredibly beautiful,’ Zac agreed, and she glanced back to find he was not looking at the view but at her, and the expression in the depths of the dark eyes that met hers sent a rush of heat careering through her slender frame.

  ‘Yes, and the food is good as well.’ She glanced down at her plate, battling to fight back the blush that threatened. It was to no avail. Her cheeks were turning a delicate shade of pink.

  ‘There is no need to be embarrassed because you want me, Sally,’ Zac drawled throatily, a hint of satisfaction in his tone ‘It is perfectly natural, and you must know after last night how desperately I want you. If I had my way I would keep you with me all the time, for as long as this passion, this hunger between us, lasts.’

  The deep, dark, slightly accented drawl sent shivers down her spine, and her pink cheeks turned to a scarlet to rival the setting sun as she imagined spending all her time with Zac, sharing his bed and his life. Then she fell back to earth with a thud. For a second she had been in danger of forgetting why she was there.

  ‘That’s not possible…’

  ‘I know—you have your mother and your work.’ He reached over the table and clasped one of her slender hands in his. ‘I can appreciate your mother is deserving of your time, but I am not so happy about your work since seeing your boss.’

  ‘Not that again.’ She tried to pull her hand free, but he tightened his grip.

  ‘So long as you understand, Sally, that in a relationship I demand total exclusivity from the woman I am with and give it in return.’

  ‘When would I have the time, even if I had the inclination?’ she asked derisively.

  He looked at her for a long, silent moment, and then he stood up and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. ‘You have a smart mouth, Sally, and I know just the way to close it,’ he said quietly, and, dipping his head, he kissed her. She collapsed against him like the proverbial pack of cards.

  When he finally let her go her face was flaming with embarrassment and her eyes were dark with arousal. She couldn’t begin to imagine what the other customers thought of this public display.

  ‘That was…’ she began.

  ‘Successful. It silenced you,’ he said, and after paying the bill he took her hand in his and led her out of the restaurant towards the parked car.

  The evening air was a blessing to Sally’s overheated skin, and she stopped and took a deep, calming breath, reluctant to get in the car. She glanced around, anywhere but at Zac, and was struck again by the beauty of the place.

  ‘Do we have to leave straight away?’ she asked. ‘I have been cooped up in the basement of the museum all day, and I’d like to walk along the beach for a while.’

  ‘Sure,’ he agreed, threading his fingers through hers, and they walked down the steep hill to the small cove.

  The sun was a blazing circle of gold as it slowly dipped to the horizon, and the moon was already showing in the sky over the opposite cliff, creating a magical natural picture that no artist, however brilliant, could ever aspire to.

  A slight breeze from the sea made her shiver slightly, and Zac, without saying a word, took his sweater and knotted it around her shoulders.

  ‘No, you keep it.’ She tried to object. ‘You are accustomed to a much hotter climate—you need it more than me.’

  He laughed—a low, husky sound. ‘Sally, your concern is touching but not necessary.’ He placed an arm around her shoulders so she could not remove the sweater. ‘I am not likely feel a chill with you by my side.’ His eyes slid to hers, narrowed and unreadable. ‘Here or anywhere.’

  Sally stared at him for a moment, trying to read the expression on his face and failing. Then she turned her head and watched the sea, evading his eyes.

  ‘I suppose, compared to Italy and the other places you have been, this does not look that spectacular.’

  ‘Trust me, this is spectacular,’ Zac drawled as they walked down towards the waterline and stopped just out of reach of the gently lapping waves. ‘But you’re right. The view of the sea and the southern Italian coastline from my home in Calabria is very beautiful.’

  ‘Is that where you live?’

  ‘I have a house in that area, yes, though I spend most of my time at my apartment in Rome, as the head office of my company is based there,’ he told her as they strolled along the beach. ‘At the moment I am staying in my apartment in London.’

  ‘You actually have an apartment in London?’ she asked, her curiosity aroused; she had thought he would be staying in some top-class hotel.

  ‘Yes. I keep an apartment in a block I own there. I tend to do that in most of the multi-occupancy properties I buy. I have others in New York, Sydney and South America. I have decided there is a better return on apartment blocks than hotels; they take less organising, much fewer staff and a fraction of the running costs.’

  ‘Nice…’ she murmured. He sounded like the tycoon he was,
and she would do well to remember that. He was an incredibly wealthy, sexy man. Not for him an assignation with his latest lady in a hotel, when he had apartments all over the world.

  ‘I’ll show you the apartment tomorrow night, if you like.’

  ‘Fine,’ she said, and stopped. ‘Sorry—it just slipped out.’

  ‘No need to apologise—now I know the reason behind your habit I think it is rather endearing.’ He grinned and, pulling her close, smoothed her hair back from her face and brushed her lips with his. She shivered.

  ‘You are cold. We are leaving,’ he said, for once totally misreading her reaction—for which she was grateful.

  Zac got to her with an ease that amazed her and also made her afraid. Sex was one thing, she told herself, but she didn’t want to feel anything else for him. Yet it was becoming more and more difficult—especially after this evening, when he had revealed his upbringing to her.

  ‘Sally?’ She heard the deep-toned voice and slowly opened her eyes. ‘We are back.’

  ‘Oh…’ She had fallen asleep, with her head resting on Zac’s arm and her hand on his thigh. ‘Sorry—I didn’t mean to sleep,’ she said, her fingers flexing on his thigh as she straightened up.

  A wry smile twisted his firm lips. ‘I rather enjoyed your hand stroking my thigh, but it did not do a lot for my driving skill,’ he drawled in self-mockery.

  ‘I didn’t—did I?’ she gasped.

  He chuckled ‘You will never know, Sally. Come on, you are tired. Let’s get you to bed.’

  And, stepping out of the car, he walked round the bonnet while Sally was trying to control her suddenly racing pulse. Was he coming to bed with her?

  Zac opened the passenger door and held out a hand to her. She took it and stepped onto the pavement. She looked up into his darkly attractive face, lit by the street lamp. His expression was bland. He gave nothing away.

  ‘Thank you for a nice evening,’ she murmured politely as, fingers entwined, they walked into the foyer of her apartment block. Then, pulling her hand from his, she turned to face him. ‘You do know you are illegally parked, Zac? Your car will get either ticketed or towed, so you don’t need to come up with me,’ she told him, trying to be assertive.

  ‘Yes, I do need,’ he drawled softly, and dipped his head and took her lips in a long, lingering kiss.

  Zac had set out this evening full of good intentions to wine and dine Sally, like on a conventional date, then leave her with a kiss at her door. But as the evening had progressed his good intentions had begun to fade, and, having endured an hour-long drive with her snuggled up against him, he was having trouble remembering them at all.

  ‘But what about your car?’

  He put an arm around her shoulder and led her into the elevator. She looked up at him with big, wary eyes, but she could not disguise the awareness lurking in the smoky-blue depths.

  Zac smiled at her genuine concern, and dropped a brief kiss on the top of her head. ‘They can ticket it, tow it—do what they like with it. I…’ He was going to say he could not do without her, but stopped. ‘I insist on seeing you safely to your door,’ he amended.

  He had never actually needed a woman so badly that he could not do without her for a night, and it worried him. He had the troubling thought that it would take a whole lot longer to physically tire of Sally than any other woman he had ever met or was likely to.

  The elevator doors opened and he paused for a moment. Maybe he should walk away now…Then he saw her standing in the hall, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, a question in her brilliant blue eyes. He put his hand on the elevator door to stop it closing and followed her.

  ‘Give me your key.’ He took it from her hand, opened the door to her apartment and ushered her inside. Before she said a word, he turned her into his arms and bent his dark head to taste her sweet, intoxicating mouth.

  A long, breathless moment later, Sally stared up into Zac’s dark eyes. ‘Would you like a coffee?’ she asked softly. Held close against him, the strength of his arousal pressing against her belly, she was achingly aware of what he wanted—and it wasn’t coffee…

  He smiled—a slow curl of his firm lips. ‘No, I want to undress you.’ And, reaching for the buttons of her dress, he began to unfasten them one by one.

  Sally let him.

  She told herself there was no point in resisting, but the reality was she didn’t want to, as excitement fizzed in her veins like the finest champagne.

  He reached her waist and unfastened the belt. Slipping his hands beneath the collar, he eased the dress down her arms to let it fall in a pool at her feet. He lowered his head and covered the pulse that beat madly in her throat, sucking gently.

  ‘And then I want to put you to bed,’ he murmured, his breath warm against her ear as he unfastened her bra and peeled it off, exposing her naked breasts to his intent gaze.

  ‘That’s better,’ he said huskily, and, dipping his head, he licked each rosy peak before slipping his hands underneath the lace of her briefs and sliding them down to her hips.

  A gasp of surprise escaped her as he knelt down in front of her and, lifting her feet one at a time, removed her sandals, before reaching once more for her briefs. Slowly he peeled the scrap of lace down her now trembling legs and repeated the procedure, finally removing them completely.

  He looked up at her though the thick curl of his lashes. ‘Exquisite…’ he murmured, and before she knew what he intended his hands had grasped her waist. He kissed the flat plain of her stomach and lower, to nuzzle at the apex of her thighs.

  ‘No!’ She tried to pull back.

  ‘You are right. You are not ready yet for what I had in mind.’ Zac rose to his feet and, swinging her up in his arms, carried her to the bed. He pulled back the coverlet and laid her gently down, then pulled the cover back over her and straightened up.

  She stared up at him, her luminous blue eyes reflecting her puzzlement. Surely he was going to join her? Then she remembered—he had said she was not ready…

  ‘So I am not mistress material after all?’ she murmured.

  He did not answer, but looked down at her with a strange expression on his face, broodingly solemn. Then, taking his wallet from his pocket, he flipped it open and took out a card. ‘These are the numbers you can contact me on any time. The last is my personal cell phone.’ He dropped it on the bedside table.

  ‘That isn’t necessary. You know where to find me.’ She did not fully understand what had happened from his stripping her naked to becoming the cool, aloof man before her.

  ‘Let me be the judge of what is necessary.’ And, bending over her, he kissed her slowly, tenderly. ‘Go to sleep, Sally. I’ll see myself out and see you tomorrow.’

  The night air was cold, and Zac stopped on the pavement to put his sweater on before getting into his car. He started the engine, a tender smile curling his mouth as he thought of the look of puzzlement on Sally’s face when he had tucked her up in bed. It had stretched his control to the limit to leave her instead of joining her. The image of stripping off her clothes and her standing naked in his hold flashed in his head. Not a good idea when he was driving, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  He hadn’t intended on having sex with Sally tonight, and strictly speaking he had not—the pain in his groin could testify to the fact. But he had not walked away as he’d intended. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her.

  A frown pleated his broad brow. He had realised when she’d murmured about not being mistress material that Sally really wasn’t, and it bothered him. He wished that he had never made the distasteful deal with her, but dated her in a conventional way…

  As for her guidelines…He shook his dark head. He had nothing to worry about; he was seeing her tomorrow night. She had agreed to have a look at his apartment, and once she saw it he knew her guidelines and hopefully their deal would be forgotten. The next time they had sex would be in a king-size bed, and he could hardly wait.

  Sally lay wh
ere Zac had left her, her body aching with frustration, hardly able to believe he had walked out. She told herself she didn’t care, that she was glad he was gone and had spared her another night of sex, but in her heart of hearts she knew she lied. Obviously to a worldly, sophisticated male like Zac she fell short of what he was used to in the bedroom stakes. She should be pleased if he had tired of her already. She knew he was a man of his word and would not renege on his deal with her father, but bizarrely the thought gave her no joy.

  Chapter Ten

  THE next evening Sally walked out of the museum and her heart leapt. Her blue eyes landed on Zac, who was standing on the bottom exit step. Immaculately dressed in a dark business suit and snowy-white shirt, he was the epitome of a sophisticated mega-tycoon, and Sally had trouble believing she had actually made love with the man. But the sudden rush of heat to her face reminded her all too swiftly.

  He covered the steps between them in a few lithe strides.

  ‘At last,’ he murmured and, taking her head between his hands, he kissed her firmly on the mouth. ‘You’re late.’

  Breathless, she stepped back—and bumped into Charles, who was following her out. His arm came round her waist to steady her.

  Zac’s hand caught her arm. ‘Steady, cara.’ He smiled, drawing her to his side. ‘You might give the man the wrong impression.’ And, glancing at an astonished-looking Charles, he continued, ‘You must be Sally’s boss—Charles. Sally has told me so much about you. Nice to meet you.’ He held out his free hand.

  Sally looked from one to the other in shocked disbelief as Charles automatically shook Zac’s hand, his glance taking in the possessive arm now draped around her shoulders before he looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face.

  ‘You are all right, Sally? You know this man?’

  But before she could open her mouth Zac cut in.

  ‘Oh, yes—she knows me intimately. Don’t you, sweetheart?’