When She Fell for the Billionaire

by Suzette de Borja

  Her jealousy bordered on the pathological. Any woman who came near him was suspect. His previous secretary had left, in tears, because Eleni accused her of flirting with him when she had caught her once smiling at him. She had flown into such a rage in his office, screaming and humiliating the poor girl by calling her foul names that she fled without even giving Luca notice. He had been away on a business trip that time and Eleni had arrived in Milan a day before his return. He had been in the dark as to why his secretary of several years had suddenly quit. It was only weeks later after their break-up that someone in his staff had enlightened him about what had happened. It took him months to catch on because on the surface, she played the ideal girlfriend role to perfection. She flew to Milan every weekend. He found it flattering that she was so into him. She went with him to all his functions, shared his interests, was keen to meet all his friends. She charmed his mother and his siblings.

  Until that day she saw a photo of Luca with an ex-girlfriend in a magazine. He had accidentally bumped into his ex and her husband at a charity event. Eleni was in Athens. He had been woken in the middle of the night by the insistent ringing of his mobile. It was Eleni. She was in a jealous rage over the woman in the photo. It took him an hour to calm her down and point out that the woman was happily married and her husband had been with her at the event. She was mollified and profuse in her apologies about flying off the handle.

  Until the next photo, or the next woman Eleni would see him smiling at or talking to. She’d rage, he’d placate. When she wasn’t throwing a jealous fit, Eleni was sweet, smart, and funny. She’d often hint that she wouldn’t mind moving to Italy. She could find a job and then eventually open another marketing firm. When she was being Dr. Jekyll, Luca could see it working out with her. But when she was in Hyde mode, Luca wanted to hide from her. As their relationship progressed, so did her possessiveness and demands on his time and attention.

  The incident at the bar had been the last straw. He broke it off with her that night, right after he had brought the shaken woman to the emergency room for the thankfully small gash on her temple. She claimed she had tripped and hadn’t meant to really hurt the woman, just scare her off. He had refused to answer her calls after, horrified at her behavior and disgusted with himself that he hadn’t broken it off earlier with Eleni. He allowed everyone to believe the lies she spread after. That Luca had been unfaithful and she had dumped him.

  “I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of my personal life.” He spoke in Italian.

  Eleni answered in Greek. “I hope you can still see me as a friend, Luca, even if we’re not lovers anymore.” He stared at her, trying to see past her earnest entreaty. “I deeply regret that incident at the bar. We all make mistakes. I owned up to it, but I hope we can put the past behind us.”

  “I’ve moved on, Eleni. That’s how I’ve put the past behind me. You should too.” In the months after the break-up, Eleni had tried to use her PR firm to set up various meetings with him. He always sent Chiara to attend. After all, she was the creative director.

  “We can still be friends, right?”

  Luca sighed. Misguided though she was, she was still the cousin of his friend. He was bound to see her in future occasions like this one, which he couldn’t avoid. No point making things difficult for him. “Si. We can still be friends.”

  Her full lips curved in a smile that suspiciously looked self-satisfied. “We’ve always understood each other, Luca. I’ve always wanted what’s best for you. As your friend, I’m duty bound to tell you that Sabrina Connelly is bad news.”

  “You go too far, Eleni,” he bit out.

  “I’m willing to go to great lengths for someone I care about.” Her hand landed on his thigh.

  “Eleni-”

  Her fingers dug deeper into his flesh. “Luca, give me another chance. Give us another chance.”

  He covered her hand with his own and lifted it off him, dropping it none too gently on her lap. “It’s over, Eleni.”

  “I won’t ask for anything you’re not ready to give yet, Luca. I won’t make demands. Please.”

  “If you think your demands were the reason for our break-up, then we had bigger problems than I had realized.”

  “Is this about that little slut at the bar again?” Her voice had started to rise, her eyes narrowing. Luca knew the imminent signs. He had better make his escape before she lost it.

  He jerked upright. “You can get in touch with my assistant, Olivia, if you need anything else from the House of Argenti. She’s working in the mock-up office at room 505.” He leveled her a look that said she had better get her act together. “I’ll see you at the launch.”

  Eleni swiveled her chair towards him and crossed her stockinged legs in a deliberate motion. She regarded him with an expression that was eerily like a cat toying with a mouse. “She wouldn’t have won if she had decided to sue, you know. The slut never stood a chance but since you asked, I apologized,” she drawled, her eyes lit with a malicious gleam. “But you know what, Luca? The truth is I’m not the least bit sorry. It was an accident. I tripped.” she said blithely. “I was tipsy. I picked up the broken brottle from the floor and she was in the way,” she shrugged, “making eyes at you. The alcohol made me clumsy. She didn’t see me coming. Karma’s a bitch and she deserved it.”

  She was goading him to react. Eleni knew which buttons to press, and press them she did. She used to stoke his displeasure, rouse him to anger, and just when he was about to boil over, she’d coax him out of his bad temper with sex.

  Not this time. And not ever again.

  His gaze raked over her, and he didn’t bother to disguise his disgust. “Just stay the hell away from me, Eleni. And get some professional help.” He left the room without looking back.

  Dio! He had to keep reminding himself that she was a cousin of his friend or else he would’ve never suffered her presence. Maybe he should’ve told Markos about the incident…

  His mobile rang while he was traversing the corridor on his way to the mock-up office. He wanted to check up on Olivia and the preparations for the launch as well as let her know she would be handling all communications coming from the PR firm of the Konstantinos Group.

  “Ciao,” he said curtly.

  “Good afternoon, sir.” It was Andrews, the head of security of the hotel. The retired American elite force operative would never bother to report to him unless it was about Sabrina Connelly. The other security issues would go straight to the president, Markos himself.

  He tempered the edges around his black mood. “You have news?”

  “Venus has been sniffing around again.” He stiffened at the code name the bodyguard had given Sabrina. “She’s been seen chatting up another staff member at the front desk. We found out she’s been asking about the availability of the private suites, in particular, the rooms which the Konstantinos family use when they’re here. She says she’s inquiring about it for her friend who’s interested in coming down tomorrow. A Mr. Chase Latimer.”

  “I see.” His reply was non-committal, but his black mood became sharper. Sabrina Connelly had a one-track mind. He had to point it in another direction. After a few seconds, he made a decision. “Here’s what I want you to do.”

  Chapter 7

  Sabrina dropped her long nose plier with a frustrated sigh. She couldn’t decide on how to wire the shard of precious red sea glass she found yesterday on the beach. She was unhappy with her design. Rather than risk dropping and breaking it, she admitted her concentration was shot. She wrapped it in a small velvet pouch and stowed it in a hard-cased plastic box she brought with her whenever she traveled out of town when she went hunting for sea glass.

  It was a little past two in the afternoon. She would burn if she went to the beach at this hour but being alone in her suite, with flashbacks of what happened in another suite awhile ago, was making her burn for a different reason altogether. She wanted to jump out of her skin. She felt fidgety. On edge. Desire for that man’s touc
h was thrumming on all her nerve endings. She had a taste of it and wanted more. If she had satisfied her craving, then she wouldn’t be pacing around the hotel room, wondering if he would make good on his promise to see her again. Sabrina was sure Luca would be able to find a more than willing bed partner replacement with just a sexy quirk of his eyebrow.

  Why did she have to be such a drama queen? Luca was only in it for fun. She had no business getting all sensitive because she entered this fling with her eyes wide open. He could only hurt her if she’d let him. She had years of training. Her heart muscles had bulked-up against any form of disappointment. She was no one to him the same way he was nobody to her. She just had to keep reminding herself that since she had the tendency to lose her senses around him.

  It’s not that complicated, Sabrina. Score with the billionare and you score a royal invite. Luca had wanted her to stay after they had been interrupted. But what if he had lost his interest after that hard-to-get act drama she put on when Eleni left? And goodness, where had the waterworks come from?

  The only sure thing she could depend on was herself. She had learned that lesson early and she had learned it well. If she wanted to accomplish what she came here for, she had to have a back-up plan. Just in case he reneged on his promise.

  People did it all the time.

  * * *

  The young man was clearly affected by her beauty. He stammered and blushed as he consulted the computer screen, checking the availability of the outrageously expensive suites she had specifically named.

  “I’m sorry. They are all booked, miss,” the front desk officer said apologetically. “With the royal wedding and the launch, our occupancy rate is at 100%.”

  “It’s such a shame. My friend Mr. Latimer had set his heart on the Apollo suite.”

  “Would that be Mr. Chase Latimer?” the young man’s eyes widened, then he looked around anxiously, as if afraid his fellow front desk staff would take him to task for his presumptuousness.

  Sabrina nodded, lifting a finger to her mouth for silence. She should be ashamed she was name dropping, but Chase would understand. She leaned forward and tried to squeeze her breasts to give it more leverage, thinking that at this moment the silicone enhancement Chase had been bugging her to have as his birthday gift wouldn’t hurt at all. Sabrina was happy with her B cup, but Chase insisted that "more is more."

  “It’s just that he found a short break in his shooting schedule in Italy and would really like to come down tomorrow.” She sighed dramatically. “But I heard the Apollo suite is reserved for the Konstantinos family, so that’s out of the question.”

  The young man appeared close to wringing his hands, the frustration on his thin face evident. “Yes, miss. Again, I’m sorry I cannot accommodate your request. The Apollo suite and several others have been reserved for the use of the family-” he broke off, seeming to realize that he had said more than was allowed. “I can look again at the other suites from time to time, and if there are any cancellations, I will let you know…” The tone of his voice indicated that this would not be a likely occurrence.

  “I’d appreciate it,” she eyed his name tag, “Lorenzo, very much.” She flashed a huge smile, turned around to walk away, and then whirled back towards the counter and added as if an afterthought. “Would you happen to know until when the Konstantinos have booked the Apollo suite? Just in case Chase gets another break in his film schedule,” she said, all chummy-like. “They’re arriving tomorrow, right?”

  It was hard to hold your breath while a big smile was pinned on your face. Please let him fall for it. Please.

  “I’m sorry, miss. I cannot give you that information.”

  Arrghh! Of the two of them, she felt Lorenzo was more pained about not being able to give her what she wanted. She forced herself to hold her smile when what she really wanted to do was stomp her feet in frustration.

  “Of course. I understand.” Now it was harder to smile when one was simultaneously gritting one’s teeth. “You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.”

  Once again she turned around and ran straight into a familiar cloud of heavy perfume. It was Eleni Konstantinos. Her feelings about seeing her again were mixed. If anyone in the hotel could tell her when the dratted family was arriving, it would be one of them. Behind Eleni was a young bespectacled woman carrying an electronic gadget and a small two-way radio.

  “Fancy bumping into you again so soon, Miss Connelly.”

  Eleni was still wearing the same suit that she had last seen her in. Her hair was pulled back, not a single strand of hair out of place. Her make-up still looked fresh.

  “Miss Konstantinos,” she murmured, taken aback by the openly derisive glance the other woman speared her with from head to toe. She had changed out of her sundress and was wearing one of those ubiquitous island souvenir shirts and cut-off denim shorts. Somehow she knew Eleni Konstantinos would not be receptive to questions about the comings and goings of her relatives. It was another dead end.

  “Martina?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Martina answered crisply.

  “You go on ahead to the function room. Make a preliminary check of the sound system and what else is needed for the pre-launch press con. I’ll be along shortly.” She waited until the sound of Martina’s heels clacking was a distant echo on the marble floor before she spoke. “I’m a very busy woman, Miss Connelly, so I’ll make this short. Luca and I are on the brink of a reconciliation. He’s a very attractive man and ‘distractions,’” she paused meaningfully, “like you will always be around, tempting him. I’d really appreciate it if you made yourself scarce.” She leaned in, and added in a conspiratorial, woman-to-woman whisper. “You’d be better off targeting other game. There’s plenty out there. I’m sure you’re quite good at hunting your prey.”

  Sabrina stepped back and stared at Eleni in shocked disbelief.

  “You’re very beautiful,” Eleni admitted grudgingly then gave a little shrug, “but that’s the only thing you’ve got going for you. I can understand and even admire why you have to make most of the advantage you’ve got by playing on your looks. A lot of men are willing to pay to have a pretty woman on their arm,” she said casually, “and in their bed.”

  The words had rolled out of Eleni’s mouth in a matter of fact manner that it took Sabrina a few seconds to realize the magnitude of her insult. “Are you calling me a whore?”

  Eleni smirked. The bitch actually smirked! “I believe it was the former Mrs. William Fraser who called you that, among other things.”

  Sabrina blanched. William Fraser’s ex-wife had shredded Sabrina’s reputation after photographs of her sneaking out of their former house burst onto tabloid papers. Angela Fraser gave interviews after her producer husband divorced her the next day. She called Sabrina a ‘two-timing slut’ and a ‘whore’ and a ‘marriage wrecker’ for carrying on an affair with her husband while living with hotshot actor Chase Latimer at the same time. Sabrina had no choice but to keep quiet or risk exposing the truth. The press had never even wondered why Sabrina and William Fraser had never gotten together after the divorce had been finalized, if indeed they were having an affair.

  “Luca and I have known each other for years. Our families go a long way back. We come from the same background.” A background of wealth and privilege. Eleni didn’t need to spell it out. “We suit each other very well.”

  Sabrina refused to be cowed. It felt as if she was thrown back in time, when the mean girls in school cornered her and accused her of flirting with their boyfriends when all she did was mumble a greeting when the jocks said hello. They jeered at her and called her “Miss Matched” to play on her insecurity.

  She was seething, but she purposely kept her cool. “If you say so,” she said with insolence, crossing her arms across her chest.

  Eleni’s unusual eyes narrowed. “Keep your claws away from him. He’s not for you. Just stay away from Luca Argenti if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Make me,” she taunted
glibly, goaded beyond endurance. “Better yet, try and make him.”

  As a parting shot, it didn’t have the firepower Sabrina hoped for, but she shrank back when she saw the banked fury on Eleni’s face, afraid the woman might strike her. Eleni’s upper lip curled in contempt. With a scathing glare, she whirled around and stalked off in a cloud of heavy, suffocating scent.

  Sabrina unfolded her arms. She was surprised to find that her hands were shaking.

  “Miss Connelly?”

  It was the hotel manager approaching her from the rear of the lobby. He had a small frown on his face. Now what? Had he witnessed that little confrontation? Was he going to throw her out of the hotel for almost engaging in a catfight with a member of the Konstantinos family?

  Sabrina braced herself. Where was she to go? She was sure all the accommodations in the island would be fully occupied so close to the royal wedding.

  “If I can just have a moment of your time, please,” the manager said deferentially. He was polite, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be tossing her out on her ear politely, too.

  “Yes?” she responded, keeping her tone blank.

  “I understand you were inquiring about the Apollo suite.”

  “Er-yes. I was. For a friend.”

  The manager nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. “I’ve received word that the Apollo suite will remain vacant until tomorrow. The occupants will not be arriving until the day after. The suite will be ready for your friend if he can come tomorrow for an overnight stay.”

  Sabrina’s heart sank. That meant Markos Konstantinos wouldn’t be arriving until the day of the wedding itself. And what chance did she have of getting through to him once the media and the security descended full force on the island if Luca refused to have anything to do with her after her display of pique in his suite? She’d be gone the day after the wedding. She’d have to find a way. “That would be great!” she said insincerely.