She set about outlining her ideas, doing rough sketches of what she envisioned, and before long, it was late afternoon and Zulika had come to say goodbye.
“Have to pick the munchkin up from school,” Zulika told her as she pulled on her jacket. It was late spring, but a cold front had rolled in from the ocean. She kissed the top of Norah’s head. “Don’t work too late; that gorgeous man will be waiting for you.”
Norah chuckled. “Yeah, like old workaholic Giacomo will leave work this early. Have a good night, Zul, and kiss Ferma and Lando for me.”
She was surprised to see two pink spots of blush appear on Zulika’s cheeks when she mentioned Lando, but, clearly embarrassed, Zulika merely smiled and waved goodbye.
Norah put her pencil down and went to make some fresh coffee. She wondered about Zulika and Lando. Going through all that trauma had certainly brought them closer, and now, based on Zulika’s reaction just now, Norah wondered just how close it had brought them. She chewed her lip as she brought the steaming cup of coffee back to her desk. She hoped neither would get hurt if something was going on; they were both so vulnerable at the moment.
It’s none of your concern. Don’t interfere. She could almost hear Giacomo’s voice and smiled to herself.
Her email pinged and she opened it up to see an email from the contact at the advertising agency. As she read it, her heart sank.
Dear Ms. Reddy,
Further to our conversations regarding the Temple Bliss Hotel project, I am writing to inform you that, unfortunately, the company has asked us to remove you from the project.
We are not entirely sure why this is and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. You will, of course, be fully compensated for your time and the work already undertaken.
Please note that as an agency, we cannot enter into any discussion of why this has occurred, and as we are still employed by The Temple Bliss organization, I would ask you please to be discreet and remember the non-disclosure agreement that we all signed.
Please accept, again, my apologies and my wishes for your future success.
Yours,
Peter O’Flynn
C.E.O.
Harlequin Advertising
Norah stared blankly at the screen. “I’ve just been fired.” She said it aloud to make sure it sunk in. She’d never been fired from anything in her life. What the hell had happened? Why had they asked for her specifically to be taken off the project? She couldn’t help but feel the sting. Was it because she was inexperienced? No, it couldn’t be—the status that working with Giacomo had brought her had been immeasurable. Was it that her romantic relationship with Giacomo was starting to be noticed and commented on? No, again, Giacomo’s good name and social standing would never hold her back. She hated even thinking like that. Giacomo could work in a chop shop and she’d love him the same.
She felt her chest get heavy with the disappointment. She drove home a little while later, still chewing it over.
Giacomo’s smile faded when she walked into their kitchen to find him already cooking. “What is it, Bella?”
She told him and he put down the knife he was using to chop vegetables, wiped his hands, and took her in his arms.
“I’m sorry, mio caro.”
She sighed, leaning into him and feeling the solid warmth of his big body. “I know these things happen. It’s just a blow, is all.”
Giacomo pressed his lips to her temple. “I know.”
They embraced for a few minutes, then Norah pulled away, forcing a smile onto her face. “That smells delicious …what have we got tonight?”
“Ginger-glazed Mahi-Mahi, fresh green beans, and asparagus.”
Norah was impressed. “Fancy. Sounds delicious.” She hoisted herself onto the counter and watched him cook. She loved the way his dark curls were always in disarray and how his light-green eyes were so intense on whatever he was concentrating on. She grinned to herself and he noticed.
“What?”
She shook her head. “I was just wondering how many other billionaires take the time to cook for themselves.”
Giacomo grinned and kissed her. “I wasn’t always a billionaire. Some things I couldn’t give up. Back in Italy, we would always cook together, then at college, Lando and Carmel and I were known as the ‘Gourmet Geeks.' I missed that until you. When Tara and I were dating, she would never entertain the idea of eating in. Having said that, she didn’t entertain the idea of ‘eating’ that often either.”
Norah shuddered. “I could never starve myself for work.”
Giacomo smiled at her. “Glad to hear it. Although you could easily be a model.”
“Boring.”
“Quite.”
She nudged his butt playfully with her foot. “I’m more than my looks.”
“You don’t have to tell me, Bella. I know that. Though I do think you are the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, but tears sprang into her eyes. “What a lovely thing to say. Thank you.”
“I mean it.” He grinned wickedly then. “And not just because I want to get in your pants later.”
She laughed. “It’s working though.”
After dinner, they sat in the living room, enjoying their evening and listening to the sultry tones of Billie Holiday playing on Giacomo’s state-of-the-art stereo system. Norah lay with her head resting on Giacomo’s lap and he stroked her hair.
“Bella?” He said, after they had enjoyed a comfortable silence for a while. She turned to look at him and he smiled down at her. “Ti amo.”
“Ti amo, Giacomo.”
“I’ve never been happier than in this moment with you.”
She smiled and sat up, pressing her lips to his. “Me neither. You are my world, Giacomo.”
He slid his fingers into her hair as they kissed tenderly at first, then as the heat between them increased, he gathered her into his arms and lay her back on the couch, covering her body with his. Pushing up her skirt, he pulled her panties off as she freed his cock from his underwear, stroking her hands up and down its length. Giacomo caressed her clit, feeling her sex swell and dampen for him, then as he pushed into her, he gazed down at her.
“I want you for all time, Norah Reddy. For all time. Marry me. Sposami …be mine.”
As they began to move together, Norah nodded, smiling through her tears. “Yes …yes, Giacomo Conti. I will marry you…”
His smile made her weak, but she kissed him deeply as he began to thrust harder inside her in his joy, her fingers digging into his back as they made love.
Before long, they were naked and crying out the other’s name as they came, then Giacomo carried her to their bed and they began again, wrapped up in each other. Giacomo looked down at her. “Remember when we said we ought to try some fun toys?”
Norah smiled, her eyes alive with desire. “I do.”
“I took the liberty …” He reached under the bed and brought out a box. “…of purchasing a few things to get started. Things we can use on each other.”
Norah took the items out one by one, feeling herself get more and more turned on. Giacomo had chosen well—nothing too extreme. Nipple clamps, warming lube, bindings, dildos …even a strap-on. She looked surprised. “Really?”
“Really.” He kissed her. “Why should I be the only one to get to do that? We’re a partnership, il mio amore. I do have something that, if you wouldn’t mind, I would die to see you in.” He lifted a body harness out of the box. Its dark red, supple leather was buttery soft. Giacomo looked at her, his eyes full of wanton desire. “May I?”
Norah smiled. “Please.”
The soft leather crisscrossed her body, her breasts, and her belly, framing her navel before sweeping between her legs and over her buttocks. Giacomo sighed.
“God …it was made for you.” He slipped his hand between her legs. “You are turned on, yes?”
Norah shivered as his fingers touched her ultra-sensitive clit. “God, yes …
touch me like that …god …”
Giacomo smiled and lay her back on the bed, kissing her lips. “I’ll tighten it now slightly.” He pulled on the ends and the leather bit into her soft flesh. Giacomo’s face was buried in her belly, his tongue rimming her navel. Norah moaned with desire. “Your turn now. What would you like me to do?”
His lips were against hers and she smiled. “I want to watch you bring yourself off. I want you to cum on my skin.”
Giacomo chuckled. “Your wish, mio caro.” He sat back on his haunches and fisted the root of his cock. “Bella, one last thing …may I bind your hands?”
She nodded eagerly and he took a silk tie from the box and bound her hands loosely in front of her. They were both shivering with excitement now as Giacomo stroked the length of his cock, his eyes taking in the sight of her helpless in front of him. With his free hand, he stroked her clit, feeling it harden under his touch. “God, you’re so beautiful …” He said as they both began to pant. “I’m going to cum on your belly, then, my darling Norah, I’m going to fuck you so hard, so deep …”
As he reached his peak, his seed shot out onto her dusky skin and Norah came at the sight of him, her clit almost unbearably responsive now. He didn’t give her time to recover; he thrust his still rock-hard cock deep into her sodden cunt, ramming his hips hard against hers. He untied her hands and pinned them above her head as they moved together, the entire bed shaking and the headboard rattling loudly against the wall such was the force of his thrusts.
For Norah, it was a revelation, and she knew she would try anything with him …her fiancé. He was so deep inside her that she could feel it in her belly and she came quickly, shaking like a leaf and gasping for air as his cock pumped sticky, creamy semen deep inside her. The leather bit into her skin painfully, but she loved the sting of it, the restraint, and the feeling that she was utterly at his mercy. She had never had a night like it.
Eventually, even they were exhausted. As they lay facing each other, Norah pressed her lips to his. “I’m yours forever, Giacomo. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
Giacomo smiled and she could see the depth of his joy in his beautiful eyes. “You are all I will ever want, il mio amore.”
They fell asleep at last, wrapped in each other, limbs tangled, lips almost touching, and slept until morning.
***
Zulika looked at her with suspicion as soon as she walked through the door to the bookstore the next morning. Fred was due to start her first day at ten o’clock, but Zulika was still surprised to see her friend downstairs. Norah was singing softly to herself, her mahogany hair gathered up into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, her moves dance-like as she swept the floor. Zulika stood and watched her for a few minutes, a slow smile spreading across her face. Norah glanced up and saw her. Zulika stuck her tongue in the side of her cheek. “It’s been a while since you did that.”
Norah’s eyebrows shot up. “Did what?”
“Sing to yourself. You always used to when we were at college. Sometimes you’d work your way through Pearl Jam’s whole back catalog without even noticing. It made me laugh because you’d sing one line from each song and then move onto something else. Even Lucian liked it. He used to say it was one of his favorite thing about you.”
Norah thought about it. “Huh. And I haven’t been doing that?”
“Nope. Not for years. And then just lately, you started again.” Zulika grinned.
Norah shrugged, smirked and started singing again. Zulika’s eyes narrowed.
“Why are you radiant?”
Norah tried not to grin. “No idea what you’re talking about.” She hid her face, giggling to herself. She pretended to get something from under the counter. This would be fun. The truth was that she hadn’t stopped smiling since Giacomo’s proposal.
Zulika wasn’t fooled. She hooked a finger into the back of Norah’s t-shirt and pulled her friend up so she could see her face. Norah tried to keep her face blank, her eyes wide with innocence.
Zulika started to grin. “Yes, you do. You’re glowing.” She gasped. ‘He hasn’t gone and done it, has he?”
“Nope, no idea what you’re burbling about.” Norah tried to step around her, but Zulika moved too. They danced around each other until they both burst out laughing. Zulika grabbed her friend by the shoulders and made her look her in the eye.
“Has he? Has he proposed?”
“That information is not available at this time,” Norah intoned, but she couldn’t help smiling. Zulika squealed and hugged her.
“I knew it! Whoop!” She ran around the bookshop, waving her hands around her head.
Norah shook her head, grinning. “You loon.”
Zulika stopped, still smiling. “Seriously, though, I’m so happy for you. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Zul. You don’t think it’s too fast, do you?”
“Hell, no. Not for you two. You belong together.”
Norah smiled. “I think so too. Anyway, how are you?”
“I’m good. I actually went out for my first run this morning. Only did a couple of blocks, but it felt good.”
“That’s amazing, Zul …don’t push yourself too hard, though.”
Zulika rolled her eyes. “You sound like Lando. I’m fine.”
Norah waited until Fred came in and got settled, then excused herself to go up to her office. She flicked her laptop on and went to make a pot of coffee while she waited for it to boot up. Maybe I should invest in a new one, she thought as she waited for it. But she loved her trusty old laptop—even if Zulika, Giacomo, and Lando made fun of it.
“It is Methuselah,” Zulika had teased her. “It doesn’t have pixels, it has stone tablets.”
Norah was grinning to herself as her email folder popped up. Her smile faded when she clicked on the first one. “Oh, no.”
It was the cosmetics company she had been hired by, with a practically word-for-word copy of the letter she’d received the previous day. She was fired. Again.
“Fuck,” she breathed. What the hell was going on?
Worse was to come. Three more clients had sent letters too, ending their contracts, each expressing their apologies but not giving her a reason for withdrawing their offers. Norah felt tears prick her eyes and she pulled her phone out and called Giacomo.
He sounded angry. “What the hell is their problem?”
“I honestly can’t tell you, baby. I don’t think I did anything wrong. My commission was lower than average, I offered to do extra work for them. I just don’t get it.”
“Are you okay, Bella?”
She sighed. “Yes, just disappointed. I feel like …god, I don’t know … that my name has been sullied by this. I really hope not. I’ve worked too hard for this.”
“You have. Look, Bella, there’s plenty of work to do here …I’ll send a car for you.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but instead, she found herself agreeing. She hid her upset from Zulika and Fred, and an hour later she was being driven out to Mountain View. Giacomo met her at the entrance, kissing her hello.
“I’m sorry, Bella.”
She shook her head, wanting to cry. “It’s Okayay. I just wished I knew why.”
Giacomo called in some favors with some contacts, but everyone was closed-lipped. It wasn’t until a few days later that they got their answer. An anonymous source at the cosmetics company sent Giacomo an image with the cryptic message: I think this will answer your question.
It was a mock-up of the campaign Norah had been set to work on, launching the brand’s new line. Front and center of the photograph mock-up, in all her long-legged, icy blonde beauty …Tara.
Norah groaned and put her head on the desk. Giacomo cursed in Italian. He put his hand on Norah’s hair. “Bella, I will sort this out. I promise.”
Norah wanted to argue, but knew that Giacomo would have more luck than she in this area. He had the reputation and the status. Tara was an international supermodel. Who was this inte
rloper, Norah Reddy? If a brand could get the unattainable Tara Hubert to front their campaign in return for dumping a newcomer, why wouldn’t they?
“How did she know? How did she know who I was working with?”
Giacomo had no answer for her. “I will find out, mio caro. I promise you.”
Seven o’clock and the bottle of sleeping pills just sat there, tempting her. Zulika sat on the kitchen counter, mindlessly munching an apple. The apartment was too quiet and too dark. Maybe running this morning had been a mistake. Her doctor had switched her medication and she was getting used to the new nausea, but it was distracting. Three days of taking the tablets had left her queasy and light-headed. Yes, they knocked her right out, but … she went to the hallway to grab the phone and stopped. She picked up the photo of the four of them: Orlando, Norah, Giacomo, and herself. Happy. Happier, she corrected. Not perfect. She sighed and placed the photo face down. She took the phone into the living room and curled up in the armchair. Dialing, she waited for an answer.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey,’ she smiled into the phone. “What are you doing this evening?’
Tara Hubert left dinner, and her date, at the restaurant and waited outside for the valet to bring her car around. As she slid into the driver’s seat, she started the engine and moved off, but then screeched to a halt as Giacomo leaned forward from the backseat. Tara clutched her chest, her heart banging against her ribs. “What the fuck are you doing, Giacomo?”
His smile was chilling. “Oh, no. You first, Tara. What the fuck are you doing? Sabotaging Norah’s career? I won’t stand for it.”
Tara smiled nastily. “Oh, you won’t? And what exactly are you going to do about it?”
Giacomo met her eyes without saying a word and Tara quelled at the anger in them. She looked away. “So, she has to send you to fight her battles? Impressive.”
Dr. Orgasm (A Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) Page 75