His Sweet Torment: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance

by Michelle Love

  Piper felt her heart in her mouth. “What?”

  “Come on, now.” Emeli lowered her voice. “We both know you’re outgrowing any assistant position, bebè. It’s time.”

  Piper didn’t know what to say, but she was distracted by a bunch people coming into the room to register. She dealt with them with a smile, handing them name badges and directing them into the drinks reception. She was sorting out who was left when she heard a low, sensual, accented voice.

  “Hello.”

  She looked up into the greenest eyes she had ever seen, on the face of the most gloriously handsome man. His dark hair was neatly cut, his eyes surrounded by such thick, black lashes that she was jealous, and his mouth was a beautiful shape. He was tall, too, which the five-foot-ten Piper appreciated. He had to be at least six-five, and built very, very well. The man, whether he knew it or not, radiated dirty, dirty sex. Her entire body reacted to him, and she felt a flush of pink in her cheeks. She hurriedly covered her embarrassment. “Hello there. May I have your name please?”

  He has a sweet smile, she thought, which saves him from being too out-of-this-world gorgeous.

  “Dalio Corri,” he said. His voice had such a sexy timbre—a little gravelly and musical—that Piper felt a pulse beat between her legs. “I assume you are Michelle Kwan?”

  Piper blinked, confused, and he laughed. Damn, even that was sexy. “I saw you outside earlier. I think even the German judge would have given you ten points.”

  Piper laughed, finally getting what he meant—her little ice skating party from earlier. “I would hope so, given I practiced day and night for that performance.”

  “Well, you nailed it …” He checked her name badge. “Piper. I assume that’s your undercover name?”

  God, he was fun. “It is, but don’t tell anyone.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.”

  Did she really have to send him into the drinks reception? Couldn’t she keep him here for a while? “Well, Mr. Corri, here’s your name badge and welcome pack. Drinks are in reception and dinner is at eight.”

  He took what she offered and smiled again at her, his eyes on hers, making her senses whirl. “Will you be joining us for supper?”

  She smiled ruefully. “I’m working, so it’ll just be cold pizza for me, I’m afraid.”

  “A shame. I’ll see you later?”

  She nodded. “Of course. Enjoy the conference.” She felt bereft as Dalio Corri walked into the conference room, but when he looked back at her and smiled, her heart soared. What was that? She’d never had such a visceral response to a man before …in her life. She felt Emeli rest her chin on Piper’s shoulder.

  “I saw that,” Emeli said with a chuckle in her voice. “He’s adorable.”

  “And I’m a professional,” Piper reminded her boss with a smile, and Emeli, forever trying to fix Piper up, grimaced.

  “Ah, spoilsport. What’s a conference if you can’t misbehave after business is over?”

  Piper chuckled. “You’re a terrible influence.”

  “I’m just saying, you need to get laid.” Emeli giggled and skipped out of the way as Piper swiped at her butt.

  Piper couldn’t resist going into the drinks reception, though, in the guise of making sure all her clients were happy. Her eyes swept the room and saw him talking to some delegates from Italy. He looked up, met her eye, and smiled at her. Piper blushed scarlet, but smiled back, only looking away when someone attracted her attention. She quickly moved to help the woman, and when she looked back, Dalio Corri was gone. Disappointment settled in her chest, but she shook herself. You are a professional, she told herself over and over, but when she got back to the reception, she couldn’t help looking him up. Her heart sank further when she read who he worked for, or rather who his company was. Wentworth Corri. Piper had already had her fill of Dalio’s business partner, Carter—an arrogant, sleazy type. Damn. How the hell did Dalio Corri have anything to do with that asshole?

  “You’re scowling,” Emeli said, returning from the bar with two flutes of champagne. Piper took one gratefully and took too big a slug, choking and coughing. Emeli rolled her eyes and looked at what she was reading.

  “Oh, yes, the delightful Carter Wentworth.” Emeli pulled herself up on the desk and crossed her ankles. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think your man has spoken one word to his supposed business partner yet. Wentworth is holding forth in there.”

  Piper shivered when she remembered the way Wentworth’s eyes had swept up and down her body, not even hiding his lust. She had dealt with him as quickly and as efficiently as possible and moved onto the next person with relief. She had felt his eyes on her, watching her, as she worked and it was not a pleasant feeling. I would feel entirely different if it was Dalio Corri, she thought, allowing herself a little fantasy. Dalio Corri, his hands on her bare skin and his lips on hers …yeah, she could get with that. Emeli nudged her. “Where did you go?”

  Piper shook herself. “I have to go check the dinner arrangements, Em.”

  “You know, you could join them. We’re almost done for the day.” Emeli had her boyfriend waiting for her back at her hotel, an American property magnate who was even now on the ski slopes. Piper shook her head.

  “My heart is set on pizza, cold beer, and whatever movie is playing on the flat screen in my room.”

  “Boring.”

  “Sorry.” Piper gave a grin. “Listen, I can finish off here. Why don’t you take off? I’m sure Philip would be happy to see you.”

  Emeli nodded. “I might, actually. Thanks, Piper. See you in the morning.”

  Piper waved her off, then settled down to finalize the evening’s activities. Drinks, a speech from the leading expert, then dinner. Tomorrow would be when the conference began properly.

  Dalio sat down next to Carter at the dinner table, his eyes sweeping the room just in case Piper Le Jeune had changed her mind about dinner. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they’d met and he noted with disappointment that she wasn’t in the room.

  Carter looked at him. “About time you said hello, Dal.”

  “Well, you were busy performing, Carter. I didn’t want to disturb you.” He looked at Carter’s eyes—was he high again? His partner’s dependency on cocaine was getting beyond a joke. Sure enough, Carter’s pupils were dilated and a thin streak of white powder was evident around his nostrils. Dalio grimaced in disgust.

  “Clean your nose, Carter,” he said in a low tone. “You look sloppy.”

  Carter glared at him, but wiped his nose with his handkerchief. “I tried calling you six times last week. You never called me back.”

  “Because I didn’t want to speak to you. Carter, this has to end. I want out.”

  Carter’s face dropped. “You don’t mean it.”

  Dalio sighed. “Yes, yes, I do. Carter, we both know we cannot keep working together. We want different things.”

  Carter’s eyes took on a panicked look as he envisioned the talent in the company walking out of the door. “Come on, Dal, let’s talk about this. Not make any rash decisions. I …”

  He stopped talking, distracted by a movement across the room. Dalio looked up to see Piper slip into the room and move to speak to the catering staff. Carter whistled.

  “Saw that chickadee earlier. She’s going to make my conference one to remember.”

  Dalio felt a rush of anger. ‘Chickadee?’ What century was this asshole from? He saw Piper sense Carter’s gaze and look over. Her face grew apprehensive as she saw the way Carter was looking at her. Dalio wanted to go over and apologize for his friend, but Piper glanced at him and he saw judgment in her eyes. –Great—now she thought he was the same as Carter. Damn it. He had lapsed in concentration and now he saw that Carter had slid from the seat beside him and was going over to her.

  No. No. No. Piper was talking to the head waiter and didn’t see Carter approach from behind. To Dalio’s shock, Carter slid his hand onto Piper’s butt. Dalio was
out of his seat, ready to go to her aid, but then he saw her whirl around, her lovely face alive with anger. With one firm hand, she pushed him away from her.

  “Mr. Wentworth, that was inappropriate.” Her voice, stern and strong, carried across the room. “Please return to your seat. Dinner will be served immediately.”

  She stalked from the room, obviously flustered and angry, but Carter just laughed. “Women these days,” he said to the nearest delegates to him. “Can’t take a joke.”

  The other delegates looked uncomfortable, and Dalio put his head in his hands. “Jesus.” He found he wasn’t hungry at all—in fact, he felt a little sick. He excused himself and went out into reception. He didn’t see Piper, and he didn’t know whether he was sad or relieved. He wanted to apologize to her for Carter—at the same time, he wanted to distance himself from him and to make her see that he, Dalio, was nothing like his partner.

  He went to his room and laid down. He would try and talk to Carter again before the four-day conference was over, but if Carter didn't listen, Dalio would go ahead and file the paperwork to dissolve the partnership. Enough was enough.

  He wanted out.

  Piper went back to her room, making it just before she felt the shock set in. What the hell just happened? Piper was a woman of the world, and it wasn’t the first time she’d been groped, but usually, it was in a nightclub or on a sweaty subway. Never so publicly, and never so humiliatingly. When she’d pushed Carter Wentworth away, she’d seen the dilated pupils and the sweat on his forehead and her nose had turned up in disgust. A coke head. She drew in a deep breath now and sat on the bed, trying to quell her anger. No, it was going to be her mission to stay away from Wentworth for the remainder of this conference. Which, darn it, probably meant staying away from Dalio Corri too.

  Perhaps it’s for the best. This is work, after all. Piper turned her mind back to what Emeli had said earlier. Progression. Promotion? Maybe. She felt a thrill go through her. Yes, concentrate on that. She looked around her room and decided to go grab some ice and enjoy her pizza with some beer. She grabbed the ice bucket and went to find the dispenser out in the hallway. She filled her bucket, then looked up to see Dalio Corri sliding his key card into the room opposite hers. He hadn’t seen her.

  Flushing, Piper cleared her throat. “Hey.”

  He looked up and, god, there was that smile again. “Hey there.”

  “You not hungry?”

  “Found I lost my appetite. Look, I can’t apologize enough for Wentworth.”

  Piper smiled at him. He was obviously contrite. “Not your fault. Some men are just …”

  “Assholes?”

  She chuckled. “I was going for ‘entitled,' but your word is good too.”

  Dalio nodded, and she noticed he had a small crescent-shaped scar at the corner of his right eye. She wanted to trace it with her finger. She met his gaze, and he smiled.

  “Well, I don’t want to keep you …”

  “Do you like pizza?” Suddenly she didn’t want to say goodnight to him. Dalio laughed then.

  “I’m Italian.” His smile was intoxicating.

  She grinned and nodded to her room. “I have a ton of it and plenty of cold beer. Want to join me?”

  All her senses were in an uproar. What are you doing? What the hell are you thinking? But she pushed all doubts to the back of her mind.

  Dalio looked around her suite. “Very nice.”

  Piper grabbed two cold beers from her mini fridge and handed him one. “Company policy. One of us always stays in the same hotel as the delegates in case of emergency, so the company pays for the inconvenience, as it were. Cheers.”

  “Cheers.”

  They sat in the small seating area, looking out over the snowy landscape. Dalio pulled his tie off and slipped out of his jacket. Piper tried not to stare at the firm body under his shirt. Piper tucked her legs up under her and took a slice of pizza. “Mm, heaven.” She looked sideways at him. “I suppose you’re going to tell me I haven’t tasted pizza unless it’s made by an Italian?”

  “You read my mind. Although, being American, you have more claim than we do, I suppose.”

  “What part of Italy are you from?”

  “Puglia, in the south. It’s beautiful. Have you even been?”

  “Rome, only, I’m afraid. I did love it, though.”

  Dalio smiled at her, obviously touched by her admiration. “And you?”

  “New Orleans born and bred.”

  “You have family there?”

  Piper looked away from his gaze. “Not anymore. Katrina,” she said simply and saw the sympathy in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you. How about you?”

  “Full house. Mother, father, and three annoying younger siblings. Triplets, if you can believe it, and all girls. They bully me,” he said with not entirely-mock-horror. Piper grinned at him.

  “I bet they do—and you love it.”

  Dalio grinned, one side of his mouth hitching up beside the other. “I suppose I do.”

  Their eyes met and held. So many emotions swirled through Piper’s body, mainly utter desire for this gorgeous man. Dalio put down his beer and stood up, holding out his hand to her. She took it, and he pulled her up into his arms.

  “Piper,” he said softly, then bent his head. The moment his lips touched hers, she was lost. The kiss went on and on and on until she was breathless, her head spinning. Dalio slid his hands under her blouse and stroked her bare skin. His eyes searched hers. “Yes?” Again, that soft, deep voice.

  Piper nodded. “Yes.” Dalio smiled and kissed her again as his hands moved slowly over her body, caressing her belly and stroking her bare back. Her fingers went to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one as she breathed in his warm, spicy cologne. His lips on hers moved slowly, tasting her, lingering over every inch of her skin, then trailing down to her throat. He unbuttoned her blouse, pulling down the lacy cup of her bra to take one soft, brown nipple into his mouth. Piper gasped at the touch of his tongue against her breast. She stroked her fingers through his dark hair, and Dalio picked her up and carried her to the bed. He stripped her slowly, lingering over each piece of exposed skin, kissing, sucking, tasting, until she was entirely naked and quivering with desire. His mouth found her sex and his tongue lashed around her clit, Piper moaning softly as he teased her into an almost unbearable state of arousal.

  “I want you,” she said, her need for him painful, and, grinning, he stood and stripped. Piper sighed at the sight of his hard body, the smattering of dark hair across his pecs, the flat belly, strong legs, and his cock—his magnificent cock—standing proud, thick, and long against his belly. He smiled at her obvious admiration, fisting the root of it and slipping a condom on in one easy motion. He even makes that look sexy, Piper thought. She spread her legs for him, and he covered her body with his, hitching her legs around his waist.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured to her, his eyes never leaving hers as he gently slid into her. Piper moaned at the feel of him inside her. They moved together, slowly at first, getting to know each other’s body, then as their excitement grew, Dalio gathered her to him and they clawed and tore at each other, wanting to be absorbed in the other as they fucked. As they both grew near to the peak, Dalio braced his arms either side of her head and thrust harder. Piper tightened her legs around his waist and her vaginal muscles around his huge, diamond-hard cock. “God, yes, Piper, yes …” She loved hearing him groan and call her name—loved gazing into this gorgeous man’s eyes as they made love.

  As she came, her back arched, her belly pressing against his, and she cried out, her vision exploding in a trillion stars as her limbs liquefied and pleasure ripped through her. “God, Dalio, Dalio …”

  She felt his body spasm with his own orgasm, and he crushed his lips against hers, a deep growl of desire vibrating his chest. “Piper …bella, bella, Piper …”

  They collapsed together, panting for breath and gr
inning at each other. He excused himself for a brief moment to discard the condom and then was back, pulling her close. Dalio traced his fingertip down her cheek. “That was incredible.” His breath was beginning to even out. His arms tightened around her and he kissed her so tenderly, so lovingly, that she thought she might cry.

  “I won’t lie,” she said, chuckling. “I’ve been thinking about that since I first saw you.”

  “I hope I didn’t disappoint the fantasy,” he said, grinning and knowing full well he hadn’t. She grinned up at him, sliding her hand down to his cock and stroking the length of it in her hands.

  “Mio Dio, that feels so good.” He kissed her again, his tongue caressing hers gently. His hand slipped between her legs to stroke her. Piper nuzzled his nose with hers.

  “You make me so wet for you, Dalio,” she whispered, then gasped as he slid two fingers inside her, grinning wickedly. His thumb stroked a steady beat over her clit as he finger fucked her, and she moaned as she worked his cock into a state of rock-hard excitement. Then he was pushing her onto her back again and thrusting inside her. God, his cock was huge, and Piper lost herself again in him, so intense was his lovemaking. He fucked her again, hard, his kiss rough and tender in equal measure as he drove her into the most earth-shattering climax of her life. Afterward, she smoothed the damp hair away from his face and said simply, “Stay with me.”

  Dalio nodded, smiling tenderly at her, and they wrapped themselves in each other for the rest of the night.

  “You look suspiciously happy.” Emeli squinted at her the next morning, and Piper flushed. She wouldn’t tell Emeli what had gone on, but when Emeli saw Dalio cross the reception in front of them and the intimate, desire-filled look that passed between him and Piper, she guessed anyway.

  “You fucked him? Hallelujah!”

  “Ssh!” Piper flushed, nudging her boss, then laughing when the tiny Frenchwoman did a victory dance. Emeli hugged her friend.

  “I am so glad, Piper, truly. He’s gorgeous, and you could do with a fling.”

  “Well, in that case,” Piper said. “I have been well and truly flung. Several times. All night.” She felt so giddy that she had to share how she felt with her friend. Emeli cackled gleefully.