by Kit Tunstall
He had made himself at home in the kitchen, evidenced by the stack of pancakes and orange juice on the table. He sat at the table, talking on his cell phone, but looked up when she walked in. He held up a finger and spent another moment on the phone before closing it.
“It’s getting late,” she said as soon as he hung up.
“Yes.” Luca pushed away from the table and stood up. “I have to leave now.”
Relief swept through her, but she tried not to show it. “Really?”
“My father is pitching a fit and insisting his assistant contacts the board to arrange an emergency meeting.”
She lifted a brow. “Because of…this?” she asked with a wave of her hand to indicate the two of them.
He shrugged. “Probably, but I’ll take care of it. He’s upset things didn’t go his way, but as soon as I point out how his trying to remove me as CEO will undermine the merger he so desperately wants, I think he’ll let it drop.”
Phoebe disdained the orange juice in favor of a mug of coffee from the pot. She had forgotten to turn on the timer last night, so he must have brewed a pot, though he rarely drank coffee. His thoughtfulness caused tears to prick the back of her eyes and she cleared her throat, impatient with the emotions assailing her. “I’m sure you’ll deal with it.”
“Of course.” He drained his orange juice in a long swallow and brought the glass to the dishwasher. “Hold down the fort until I make it into the office. I’m confident you can deal with anything that might arise.”
“You still trust me?”
“Not at all, but I know you can handle my business. You’ve always been good at that.” He ignored her attempt to recoil when he pressed a kiss against her mouth. “I’ll see you soon.”
Phoebe managed a nod, holding herself stiffly until he left the kitchen. She didn’t relax her posture until the front door closed a couple of minutes later. As soon as he was gone, she set the mug of coffee on the counter and raced down the hall to her bedroom. She hadn’t even started packing before his arrival last night, so she retrieved a suitcase from the closet and tossed items inside haphazardly. She could acquire anything she neglected to bring with her in Boston.
Phoebe called a cab with her home phone and rushed down to meet it five minutes later when the doorman alerted her to its arrival. Then, cursing all the way, she rushed back to her apartment for the paperwork faxed to her by the clinic.
Things went more smoothly after that, with Anya waiting for her on the corner, suitcase in tow. They cleared security at the airport in record time and their plane took off only two minutes late. Phoebe wanted to think everything would be okay, but it all seemed to be going too well. Still, she released tension she hadn’t been aware of maintaining once the plane left the tarmac and New York fell rapidly away.
Putting distance between herself and Luca was the right thing to do. Perspective would give her time to come up with a solution to the mess in which she found herself and would give Luca time to realize he couldn’t treat her as his sex toy. Once his initial anger had time to dissipate, they could work out a civilized repayment plan. Maybe. Even if he wouldn’t be reasonable, she would just have to refuse to let him use her body for revenge.
Not that she’d been very good at telling him no, she acknowledged wryly. She was buying herself time to put up a wall between herself and Luca. By the time the plane touched down at Logan, she almost had herself convinced she could see Luca again and not fall into bed with him.
* * * * *
Luca entered the elevator for his office feeling surprisingly good, in spite of what had happened with Phoebe. Well, probably because of what had happened with her, but not what had led to last night. He’d dealt with his father and was now on his way to work. To see her, his lover.
It was ridiculous to feel so excited to see her again, especially knowing what he did about her. Only a fool let himself fall for someone who was greedy and scheming. He tried to understand how she could put money above their burgeoning relationship. As he’d told her, he couldn’t relate to that kind of need, having grown up in a wealthy family. Still, he couldn’t imagine any circumstances that would have made him take money to leave her if the situation had been reversed.
He had to keep it firmly in mind why she was now his lover. In effect, he had bought her, as distasteful as that was. It wasn’t the best way to deal with her betrayal, but he didn’t have it in him to overlook her actions, or to just let her go. Fool that he was, he cared too much… Luca squashed that thought as it formed. All he needed from her was physical pleasure until he no longer wanted her. Any feelings he’d had for Phoebe before she revealed her true nature had to die a quick death.
Mentally steeling himself for the assault to his senses the moment he saw her, he entered the office. Immediately, he noticed her desk was empty. As he drew nearer, he saw it was exactly as he had left it last night. Feeling just a spark of hope that he was misinterpreting the scene, he knocked on the office washroom. When no one answered, he tried the door, finding it unlocked, and pushed it open. It was as empty as the office.
Anger exploded through him and he cursed as he stomped back to her desk. Her home computer was connected to the office’s network, so she could work from home. It took Luca very little time to call up her internet history, to get an idea of where she had gone. Rage made his hands shake and he refused to recognize the hurt rushing through him at her betrayal.
* * * * *
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Phoebe asked Anya several hours later.
Her sister nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. I have a lot of tests ahead of me, and you can’t accompany me. Why should you hang out in the hospital room when you could be resting? You look exhausted.”
Phoebe eyed the patient suite where the staff had installed Anya. “This place is probably nicer than my room.”
“Go.” Anya tossed a pillow in her general vicinity. “Get some fresh air and see the sights. We haven’t been to Boston since we were little.”
Phoebe blinked. “You’re right. I’d forgotten we came here with Mom and Dad.”
“I was seven, so you must have been about thirteen.”
Anya had spoken without much emotion, but Phoebe couldn’t expect her sister to go to pieces at the memories of the long-ago family vacation when she herself had forgotten all about it. There were more pressing matters on which to dwell, instead of bittersweet memories. “Well, I might sightsee later, but right now, I’m going to sleep.” She stifled a yawn. “I am pretty tired.”
“You must have had a late night.” Anya grinned. “Up all night with your boss?”
“I had a lot of work to get through.” She spoke more sharply than she had intended. Before last night, she would have laughed with her sister, but was too sensitive to make light of it right then, though Anya had no idea her teasing had been spot-on the truth. Seeing her sister flinch, she softened her tone. “Sorry. I’m just tired.”
Anya lifted one shoulder. “It’s okay. Just get some rest.”
Reluctantly, Phoebe got out of the sumptuous easy chair and walked over to where her sister sat on the queen-size bed. She bent to hug her. “I feel bad leaving you here alone, kiddo.”
“I’ll be fine,” said Anya with barely a tremor in her voice. “It’s just some tests, and I’ve been through most of them before with Dr. Collins.”
After a second hug, she stood up. “I’ll be back to have dinner with you.”
“How about breakfast? I’m probably going to be pretty tired after all the poking and prodding.”
She nodded out of habit before remembering Anya couldn’t see the motion. “If that’s what you want. I’ll come back in the morning. You want me to bring you anything?”
“Are you kidding? Have you seen the menu? I was reading through it while you completed the paperwork. It’s a feast.”
“How did you…?”
“Braille,” Anya said quickly. “Everything is in Braille too.” A frown distorted her del
icate features. “Makes me wonder what kind of success rate they have, if their facilities are so blind-friendly.”
“They have to accommodate everyone.” She cleared her throat, trying to sound cheerful when she spoke again. “It’s all going to be fine. I promise.”
Something that might have passed for a smile crossed her sister’s face. “I know. Now scoot.”
Phoebe grasped her suitcase and left her sister’s room. The hallway was as opulent as the rest of the facility thus far, making her wonder how much of the exorbitant fee she had paid to get Anya in went to research, and how much went to maintenance of the surroundings. What did it matter? She would pay twice as much, and gladly, to have Anya’s sight restored.
She had deliberately booked lodging within walking distance of the clinic, but the case was weighing heavy by the time she walked the three blocks and found the charming bed and breakfast she had selected. Since their stay could be a long one, she had chosen a place that would be more like home than a chain hotel. If they were going to be there for months, she would see about renting an apartment. In the meantime, Honeywell House would do.
Mrs. Honeywell herself manned the desk according to the nameplate. She was in her mid-sixties, pleasantly plump, with an infectious smile. As soon as she heard Phoebe’s name, her smile widened further. “Of course, dear. I have your room all ready.” She came out from behind the desk and took the case from Phoebe before she could protest. “Let’s get you settled.”
“But…don’t I need to register?”
“No need, dear. Your husband saw to all that already.”
Phoebe swayed. “My what?”
A frown furrowed the old woman’s face. “Your husband arrived a couple of hours ago. He upgraded your room to the honeymoon suite.” She chuckled.
“Oh.” Numbly, Phoebe followed Mrs. Honeywell up the stairs, idly noting the intricate details on the railing and each balustrade. “I see.”
“I was sorry to hear your plans had changed though.”
“Hmm, yeah.”
Mrs. Honeywell shook her head. “I love it when my guests stay with me a while, giving me a chance to get to know them. It’s a shame you’re checking out tomorrow.”
Phoebe’s lips tightened. “He—my husband—told you that?”
The older woman nodded, apparently oblivious to her outrage. “He looks like he works too hard, dear. It’s a shame his business is interfering with your vacation.”
“Yes, it is.” She was seething with anger by the time Mrs. Honeywell brought her to a room at the end of the hall on the second landing.
She handed Phoebe an old-fashioned key, patting her hand in the process. “Enjoy your time together, dear. If you want me to send up a supper tray, just ring the desk.”
“Thanks.” Phoebe managed a smile that disappeared the minute Mrs. Honeywell was gone. She unlocked the door briskly, preparing herself for a confrontation with Luca. How dare he be so highhanded?
Anger carried her across the threshold in seconds and she slammed the door behind her, gaining some satisfaction from the way it made Luca jump. “How dare you?”
Her anger faltered when he strode toward her, dying in the face of his. Gone was the cheerful man from this morning, or even the bossy, but tender lover from last night. Here stood a reincarnation of the angry man who had entered her apartment yesterday, except his anger had clearly intensified.
“How dare you?” he countered. “The minute I turned my back, you ran.” Luca shook his head. “I can’t believe I was so stupid as to trust you, even a little.”
“Wait.” She backed away as he continued to bear down on her. “I told you I had to go somewhere.”
“I thought you understood our agreement, Phoebe. Your body for a large sum of money.” He lifted a brow. “Or did you lie to me about accepting our deal too?”
She shook her head. “Of course not. If you’d just listen—”
“I’ve heard enough lies come out of your beautiful, deceitful mouth, mia tesoro.” He said the endearment so sarcastically she winced. “I wouldn’t believe a thing you said unless God himself vouched for you.”
Phoebe hung her head, not sure how to handle his anger. Even last night, he hadn’t been this cold with her. Any chance she’d had of reasoning with him, or explaining her actions, had clearly died in the wake of what he viewed as her flight from him. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Tomorrow, we’re going back to New York, where I’m watching your every move.” He followed her as she backed away, until she was pressed against the wall. Luca pressed his body against hers. “I’m going to keep you in my sight until I decide I’ve gotten my money’s worth.”
“I can’t.” She tried to resist when he grasped her wrists and brought them over her head, but part of her didn’t want to. That part of Phoebe just wanted to throw herself into his arms and beg forgiveness for her perceived sins.
“Wrong answer.” His tone could have frozen water, and his unyielding expression granted no mercy as he pinned her hands above her head, holding them in place with one hand. His other hand roamed freely under her jacket, seeking out one of her breasts. He tugged hard on her nipples, making her gasp, but with pleasure instead of pain. Her flimsy plan of refusing to allow him access to her body died.
He moved quickly, stripping her with a single-minded determination that compensated for him using only one hand. Phoebe knew she should resist, but her body called out for his possession, even as her mind cringed away from her own actions. How could she so wantonly abandon herself to Luca, allowing him to use her?
The ability to think left her when Luca had her stripped bare. He released his hold on her wrists, and she started to lower her arms. “Leave them,” he said harshly, making her freeze.
Her mouth went dry when Luca disrobed, seeming to remove his clothes at a pace designed to drive her insane. She moved one hand toward him, eager to assist, and he stopped. Luca grasped the offending limb and brought it back above her head again. “Don’t move.”
“Please.”
He was clearly delighting in her agony as he finally undressed completely, slipped on a condom and stepped closer. He hovered just out of range, so she couldn’t feel his body against hers, just the almost-touch of his skin near hers. “Who do you belong to, Phoebe?”
She shook her head, refusing to give him the answer he sought, to debase herself to that extent. She closed her eyes, biting down hard on her lip when he fondled one of her breasts, his thumb gently stroking her nipple.
“Who, Phoebe?”
Once again, she shook her head, though more feebly. Her strength to resist him was rapidly diminishing. When he dipped his head to take her nipple into his mouth, she cried out.
“Say it, Phoebe.”
Did he have to keep saying her name like that, with that sexy drawl, prolonging each syllable until she thought she might go mad? “No,” she whispered.
He held his body so close to hers she could feel the hair on his chest tickling her nipples. “You know you belong to me. Surrender.” Luca took her hands, grasping one in each of his and bracing them against the wall. She tossed her head, finding her resistance worn away. “Mine, Phoebe. Confirm it, and I’ll give you what you want.” The head of his cock nudged the slick folds of her pussy. Instinctively, she arched against him, eager for his cock, but he pulled away.
She dropped her head, giving in. “I’m yours.”
“For as long as I want you,” he prompted.
Tears blurred her vision and she managed to nod. Her humiliation was total, but she wondered what else he had in store for her.
To her surprise, Luca’s mouth moved to the bend of her neck, forcing her to straighten it. She moaned when he stroked the sensitive flesh with his tongue, and he took advantage of the moment to lift his head and seize her mouth.
She expected him to ravage her, to mark her as his possession, but his lips were gentle on hers, a marked contrast to the hardness of his body as he let himself me
lt against her. His tongue penetrated her lips as his cock entered her, and Phoebe responded with passionate abandon, thrusting against him ardently as she returned his kisses. His grip on her hands had loosened from a hold of confinement to one of connection, and she squeezed her fingers around his hand. Luca’s hips formed a natural rest for her thighs when she locked them around him as he plunged deep inside her, making her breathless with need and pleasure.
Her pussy spasmed, triggering convulsions in his cock, and they came together, a chorus of grunts and groans voicing their release. Phoebe laid her head against his shoulder, licking the skin and finding it tangy with the salt of his perspiration. She didn’t have words to describe the experience, to do justice to how good it had been, and words wouldn’t have been appropriate anyway. The peace between them was too fragile to shatter right then.
He eased away from the wall, bringing her with him. Still, they didn’t speak. As he lowered her to the Victorian bed, he gently kissed each of her closed eyelids. Only after he had joined her, wrapping his arms around her, did he finally speak. “Rest, mia tesoro. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
* * * * *
Phoebe lifted the phone to call Anya after consulting the card that had her sister’s room and phone number printed on it. Reluctantly, she pressed the keys, seeing no other way around things. Luca had demanded that she return with him to New York. She doubted her ability to make him believe she’d had good reason for taking the money. It pained her, but her own guilty conscience prodded her to give Luca whatever he wanted. Anya probably wouldn’t understand, but that couldn’t be helped. She wouldn’t be any more useful to her sister here than she would be in New York City if her thoughts stayed centered around Luca, and how she had hurt him.
Her sister answered on the second ring, sounding tired. “Hello.”
“Hi, Anya.”
“Phoebe.” Her voice brightened considerably. “You’d better be calling to tell me you’re on your way. I’m starving.”
She sighed. “Sorry, but no. I can’t make breakfast.”
“Oh. What’s up?”
“I have to go back to New York.”