Fling

by Sara Fawkes

  “Luca,” she said quickly, but Luca climbed to his feet and held his hand up to cut her off. Antonio caught her nervous glance before she could wipe it away, then he turned from her to watch Luca assess the line. He stepped up to one model and ran his hands along the silk and lace, examining the negligee before he walked around her, his dark eyes registering every detail.

  “Very nice,” he murmured, and Josie almost blew out a relieved breath. He turned to Sophia, whose painted lips were pinched tight in consideration, and Josie was pretty certain the girl’s thoughts were running along the same line as hers—there was nothing nice about the models in the lingerie.

  “What do you think, Ms. Bell?”

  Sophia smiled up at him and blinked thick, dark lashes over adorning eyes. “I think they’re very nice, too.”

  A stern look came over Luca’s face, and Sophia shrank backwards. He turned to Josie, impatience lacing his voice as his dark eyes probed hers. “What do you think, Josie?”

  Josie swallowed, and even though it was going to complicate her mission, she suspected he was testing her and knew better than to lie to him. Her dry throat cracked when she said, “The fit is all wrong, but I can have appropriate sizes shipped right away.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Luca returned.

  Josie’s mind raced, looking for a solution before the deal slipped through her fingers like the white grains of sand hugging the island. Luca was a discerning man, one who had certain expectations of those he associated with, and she was failing miserably to live up to them. She needed to do something, and she needed to do it fast if she wanted to salvage this deal.

  He turned back to Sophia, and her cheeks flushed hotly. “Are we not looking at the same thing here, Ms. Bell?”

  “Sorry, sir, I just thought you liked them, so I didn’t want to say—”

  “What, your honest opinion? So you decided to go along with mine instead?”

  “Yes, sir,” she murmured, and bowed her head. Josie’s heart lodged in her throat.

  He turned his attention to the models. “You three may go.” He cast a glance at Sophia. “You stay.”

  Once the models cleared the room and closed the door behind them, Luca sat on the edge of his desk and looked at Antonio. They exchanged a silent message. Josie tensed, fearing they were going to fire the girl right then and there and send Josie packing.

  Antonio rolled one shoulder, and said, “She’s new. Perhaps she should be given another chance.”

  Luca got quiet for a long time, and tension in the room grew. In deep concentration, he scrubbed his hand over the shadowy stubble on his chin.

  “Very well.” He pushed off the desk. “Lucky for you, Antonio wants to give you a chance, so I won’t fire you this time.”

  She lowered her gaze even more, a pink flush on her cheek. “Thank you, sir.”

  “But, of course, that doesn’t mean you won’t be punished.”

  Sophia sucked in a sharp breath, and if Josie wasn’t mistaken, Sophia’s eyes widened with something that resembled anticipation. Josie had to be wrong, of course. No one looked forward to punishment, did they?

  “What do you think is fitting?” he asked Sophia.

  “I could work late all week,” she supplied, and that’s when Josie noticed the erratic rise and fall of the girl’s chest. At first, Josie thought it was from fear, but as Antonio climbed from his chair and moved in behind her, Josie suspected the quickening of the woman’s pulse was from something else entirely.

  Luca turned to Josie, and she spotted heat in his eyes, but underneath that heat she saw real honesty. As the air around them had charged, everything inside her told her Luca was a man she could trust, that he’d never do anything to harm her or anyone else. Antonio gripped the hem of the girl’s flared skirt. He toyed with the material, and a small whimper lodged in her throat.

  When Josie met Luca’s glance, he said, “The first rule of business is never to get into bed with people who lie to you. You were honest, and in negotiations, that’s a point in your favor.” Josie nodded, understanding that he really was testing her, but more importantly, she was passing. He turned his attention to his new assistant. “You, however . . .”

  “Perhaps a simple spanking will do,” Antonio suggested, and when he pushed Sophia forward until she was bent over the side of the desk, Josie felt a jolt of desire deep inside her core.

  Both shocked and excited by her reaction, Josie sat up straighter in her seat, hardly able to believe what she was hearing, what was unfolding before her eyes.

  “Ms. Bell, do you think a simple spanking will suffice?” Luca asked, a warning edge in his voice.

  “I believe that will help teach me my lesson,” Sophia answered, her voice wavering, husky with desire, a clear indication of how much she wanted it.

  Antonio took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and lifted her skirt higher, until the creamy white flesh on her round backside was exposed, save for the pretty lace panties she was wearing. He adjusted her body, and, when he ran his hand over her contours, Josie caught the impressive bulge in his pants, not to mention the tortured look on his face. She tried to turn away, she really did. But she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes from the scene playing out before her. Her body shuddered, and her heart hammered as she watched.

  She shifted her gaze for a better view, and that’s when she noticed the way Luca was watching her. With one eyebrow arched, his glance moved over her face, assessing her.

  Testing her.

  She turned her attention back to the spanking, visualizing herself bent over that desk. As Sophia’s excitement reached out to her, she trembled, feeling each and every delicious slap as if it were being given to her,

  Antonio lifted his hand and slapped harder. The harsh sound echoed in the quiet room, and immediately brought Josie back to her senses. Reality came crashing over her like a cold Canadian snowstorm as Sophia wiggled her ass and squirmed beneath Antonio’s firm hold. Antonio’s hand came down again, and Sophia moaned out loud, her lush body becoming pliable in his arms.

  Josie shifted in her seat, needing to get out of there almost as much as she needed to stay. Unsure of what to do—after all, she didn’t want to ruin this deal for Renee, or blow her chances of a promotion, but everything about this was so scandalously delicious it kept her glued to her seat—she gripped the arms on the chair.

  “Stay put, Josie.”

  The hard command was given with such control, such authority, that Josie instantly stilled in her chair. Her nipples tightened, and she exhaled a quick breath as pressure brewed deep between her legs, shocking her. Exciting her.

  Antonio slapped Sophia’s ass again, and Josie could see the red sting left behind. Moving like a man on a mission, Luca circled Antonio and Sophia. Josie could feel her composure slipping, her body betraying her, taking pleasure in the spanking session. She met Luca’s dark eyes and wondered if he ever lost control.

  She fought the urge to writhe as moisture pooled between her legs, and the aching sensation settling deep in her womb forced her to squeeze her thighs together in some feeble attempt to release the pressure. Good God, she could hardly believe the way she was reacting to this situation. Never in her life had she witnessed something so erotic, something so thoroughly titillating it had her wanting to shed all her inhibitions and partake.

  Luca walked around her, and her entire body stiffened. Sexual energy arched between them, and she sucked in air. He put his mouth close to her ear, and the warmth of his breath sent a shiver skidding through her. “Do you think she’s had enough, Josie?” he asked in a tight voice.

  Everything in the slow, sexy way he said her name had her wanting to lift her dress and throw herself across his desk. She worked to get control of her voice before she answered with, “I believe she’s learned her lesson.”

  With that, Luca walked in front of her and exchanged a look with Antonio. Antonio ran his hands over Sophia’s ass to soothe the sting he’d left behind, then
lowered her skirt and lifted her shoulders from the desk.

  Cheeks flushed and eyes wide and glossy, Sophia smoothed down her attire. “Thank you, sir,” was all she said.

  “Get yourself sorted out, Ms. Bell. Then please see to my arrangements for this evening.” Sophia gave a curt nod. “That will be all,” Luca said, dismissing the girl with a wave.

  After Sophia slipped out the door, the two men turned shrewd eyes on Josie, and her heart nearly stopped because everything inside her warned that they knew, knew how turned on she really was. Her traitorous body beckoned their touch, and she gripped the arms of the chair, working to regulate her breathing.

  Luca took a long moment to gaze at her before speaking. “So, Josie,” he said, “the samples you sent aren’t the right size for my models, and I’m unable to tell if they’ll trigger the right reaction.” His glance moved over her frame before he added, “What are you going to do to fix it?”

  “I could have more shipped.”

  “In the business world, time is money, and I don’t like to have my time wasted in such a manner.”

  “Luca, securing this deal is very important to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this”

  There was genuine interest in his eyes when he angled his head, and asked, “Why is it so important to you? What’s in it for you? A promotion?”

  “Yes,” she answered, the direct question taking her by surprise. “But that’s not all.” She met his gaze unflinchingly, and explained, “This deal is very important to Renee, and since she took a chance on me when no one else would, I don’t want to let her down.”

  For a brief moment, a distant look came over him, like he was remembering something from the past, then his voice softened when he said, “There is one other solution.”

  “What?” she asked, leaning forward, desperate to do anything to fix her mistake.

  “Since I have an eye for size, I believe the samples will fit you.”

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  He stared at her for a long time before saying, “Then you have your answer.”

  Her brain raced to catch up, and when she realized what he was suggesting, she blurted out, “Luca, I don’t think . . .”

  Luca lowered himself into his chair, his dark, insightful gaze never leaving hers. “What is it, Josie?”

  “I . . . it’s just . . .” Her voice fell off because the more she thought about his scandalous suggestion, thought about being the sole object of his attention, she couldn’t deny that it excited her as much as it frightened her. Sure, she could tell herself she was doing it for business purposes only, but she just might be lying to herself. After watching that spanking, she realized there was another side of her. One that was beyond curious and wanted to see where this would lead.

  “Then that will be all for now, Josie.” He waved his hand toward the door. “Enjoy the resort. You’ll have dinner with me tonight, then we’ll get down to negotiations.”

  LUCA WATCHED THE sexy sway of Josie’s ass—an ass he had every intention of training—as she stood and made her way to the door. After noting her reactions to Sophia’s spanking, he had no doubt she was a submissive at heart even if she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. Soon, she’d be submitting to his desires, and when she did, he’d release that tight bun at the top of her head and let her long blonde hair fall over her shoulders while he gave her what she wanted, what she really needed from him.

  His muscles bunched, and his cock thickened as he considered all the ways he planned to take her. He shifted his gaze to Antonio, who was watching Josie’s ass with dark pleasure, and suddenly, inexplicably, he was hit with a strange, possessive pull. Odd, really, considering he was a Dom who was merely interested in training Josie, not getting involved with her.

  Luca folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “What did I tell you?”

  “She’s primed.” Antonio blew out a long slow breath. “Ripe for the taking.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  “Will it be tonight?”

  “No.”

  Antonio gave a slow shake of his head and rolled his sleeves down. “You have more patience than I do. I’d have taken her fifteen times by now.”

  “She’s not ready. Besides, I want her to come to me.”

  Antonio pushed himself off the desk, and Luca took a moment to consider the man he’d met on the dirty city streets when they were teens. Antonio was more than a mere friend and business partner, and even though they weren’t blood related, Luca considered him a brother. The two worked together when the situation called for it and played together when the opportunity presented itself. He’d put his life in the man’s hands numerous times over the years, but strangely enough, something in his gut tightened at the thought of putting Josie there.

  “Do you think she’ll follow through with it?”

  “Yeah.” Luca had no doubt she’d model the clothes for him.

  Antonio rolled one shoulder. “I guess she will if she wants you to close the deal.”

  “She won’t be doing it because of business. She’ll be doing it because she wants to, and when she comes to me, she’ll understand that, too.”

  Antonio laughed. “Either way, everyone gets what they want.” He stole a glance at his watch. “I have to run. Samantha’s waiting for me at the bar. You want to join us?”

  Luca liked Samantha and had joined the two in the dungeon numerous times, but tonight he felt too antsy, too edgy to engage in any of their sex games. “I’ll pass.”

  Antonio shot him a glance. “You sure? You look like you could let off a little steam. Sam is just the girl to help out.”

  “I’m sure.” Luca took a moment to think about Sam and the other women he’d been with lately. Over the years, he’d come to learn that people had certain expectations from him, women in particular. And while he was happy to fulfill those expectations—after all, he was rewarded generously—he was getting tired of pampered women. Sure, he liked their companionship, and the occasional bedmate was pleasant, but he’d never considered the social-climbing women from his circle marriage material, and never let them get too close.

  In fact, he never let anyone get too close, which was why no one besides Antonio knew who he really was. He might be a hard-assed businessman on the outside, but in this dog-eat-dog world of fashion, aggressive decisions had to be made on what was best for his empire. Contrary to popular belief, however, he’d never walked over anyone to get where he was. Only those who were close to him knew the truth about his business ethics, and since he kept everyone at arm’s length, presenting an air of power and determination, everyone thought he left a trail of bodies in his wake on his climb from the dirty Italian slums to the top of the world.

  He considered those long, hard teenage years he’d spent on the streets, and thanks to Antonio, the man who’d taken him under his wing one day and given him a chance in his department store. Luca might have started on the lowest rung, running errands and stocking shelves, but he’d watched and learned everything he could. Even though the man who’d saved him had passed away when Luca was in his early twenties, his business now defunct, Luca continued to see to the well-being of his family because he never, ever forgot those who’d helped him along the way.

  Antonio opened the office door, said something to Alexander Stavros, the resort manager as he walked by, then turned back around. “We are signing this deal right?”

  “Eventually.”

  Antonio went quiet for a moment, then asked, “Since when did you start mixing business and pleasure, anyway?”

  “What are you trying to say, Antonio?”

  “I just wonder what it is about this one that’s worth blurring the lines.”

  Luca raked his hands through his hair and wondered the same thing.

  Perhaps it was because he saw something in her that he hadn’t seen in anyone in a long time. Sure, she wanted something from him, he was used to that from women, and while this deal would help her profess
ionally, she wasn’t doing it solely for selfish reasons. Josie was far from a princess, and it hadn’t taken him long to discover that she was sweet, innocent, and honest, and even with her incredible design talent, she was working her way through the ranks. Truthfully, she was the polar opposite of the women from his world, and she cared about someone other than herself.

  Not that any of that really mattered, anyway. He was pretty certain he wasn’t looking for long-term from her. He was simply interested in getting to the bottom of matters, before signing off on her deal.

  Chapter Three

  AFTER BEING DISMISSED from Luca’s office, Josie found Charles waiting outside the door for her. Feeling a bit overwhelmed at what she’d just witnessed, not to mention sexually aroused, she ignored the guests milling about around her and followed him up the long, winding staircase, to a breathtaking, ocean-view suite on the first floor. Josie thanked him, shut the door behind her, and sucked in a huge breath as her mind sorted through this unexpected turn of events.

  Dear God, she couldn’t believe Luca wanted her to parade her half-naked body in front of him and Antonio.

  Josie visualized herself stepping out of character and doing just that, and a wave of heat spread like wildfire through her body. But what if she screwed up? Would they spank her? Needing a distraction to calm the butterflies inside her, she walked to her window to look out.

  But what she saw had the butterflies taking flight instead. What kind of resort is this? She studied a group near the bar, their bodies clad in nothing but black leather. Some wore chaps, corsets, and gloves, while others were in full-body costumes. Why would anyone wear such an outfit in this kind of heat?