Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire

by Croft, Nina

  “Oh yes, I did.”

  He quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. “Why?”

  “I wanted to get away from home. I live with my family in a small village outside London, and it’s so boring.” And if she ever got back there in one piece, she would never leave again. “I wanted a little excitement and I needed a job. I remembered Mr. Watson from when we stayed in London. It seemed such a glamorous idea.” She sighed, deciding it was time to inject a little much needed honesty. “But once I got there, it didn’t seem quite so glamorous anymore.” She shuddered at the understatement. “And I…well, I just didn’t seem to have the right…” she cast a surreptitious glance at her chest, “…qualifications for the job.”

  Luc intercepted the look. “Not all men are obsessed with enormous breasts,” he said.

  She risked a quick glance at his face and found his eyes lingering on the long length of her legs beneath the hem of her dress. Lia resisted the urge to tug it down—she was beginning to hate that dress. It was going straight back to Kelly when she got home.

  “Anyway, thank you for getting me out of there. You were right—I was out of my depth.”

  Luc examined her curiously for a moment. “Just what is it you thought might happen?”

  “White slave trade,” she mumbled under her breath.

  To her surprise Luc didn’t laugh. Instead, he inspected her from head to toe as if trying to decide whether the price would be worth the trouble.

  “Not Harley’s specialty,” he said after an uncomfortable minute.

  Did that mean he knew someone whose specialty it was? After all, what did she really know about this man? Only that he’d been some sort of acquaintance of her father’s, and that hardly qualified as a good reference. It was time to get back to the point of this meeting, and then hopefully she could head home; she had an early training session in the morning.

  “Do you have a club?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “So what sort of job would I be doing?” She tried not to sound worried but from the amusement that flashed across his face, she was pretty sure she failed miserably.

  “Let’s take a look at your résumé, shall we?”

  Lia winced as he withdrew the crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket. Her fists balled at her sides as she fought the urge to grab it out of his hand. He must have picked it up at the club, and she really wished he hadn’t. Maybe it wasn’t illegal to fabricate a résumé, but if it was, then she was probably in trouble.

  Luc scanned it. “Ballet?” he said, and now she could hear the thread of amusement in his voice. It was starting to irritate her.

  “I thought that would help with the dancing. But, I’ve got to be honest, I actually gave up when I was seven, and I was really awful. So if the job needs ballet, well…” She shut up. She was rambling. Of course, any job this man gave her wasn’t going to include ballet.

  “Horseback riding?”

  “That’s not an exaggeration. I am actually quite good, I’ve…” she paused. He was staring at her, that mocking smile back on his face. “No horses?”

  “No,” he said almost gently. “We don’t have horses here.” He tossed the résumé on the table. “Any experience with office work?”

  Lia shook her head morosely as she glanced around at the high-tech equipment in the office. She wasn’t even sure how to turn some of it on. Perhaps it was a good thing she wasn’t after a proper job, because she was certain she wouldn’t last long in a place like this. It wasn’t that she was stupid, but technology didn’t interest her and most had passed her by. But then, she’d known what she wanted to be since she was six years old when her mother had taken her to her first horse show. And she’d set out after her goals with a single-minded intensity that had left no room for anything else.

  “I’m a quick learner though,” she said and instantly the tips of her ears started to burn again. She wished she’d kept quiet as she intercepted yet another amused glance.

  “That’s useful to know.”

  He pushed himself away from the desk and shrugged out of his suit jacket, tossing it negligently on the back of the black leather sofa. Next, he loosened his tie and opened the top button of his shirt, before crossing the room. Her gaze fixed on him as he moved, graceful, almost like a dancer himself. Or a predator, balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to pounce. She was getting fanciful. Luc hadn’t brought her here to pounce; he’d brought her here to discuss a job…she hoped.

  “Drink?” he asked.

  It probably wasn’t a good idea. In fact, it was probably a terrible one, but then what was one more bad idea? She nodded.

  “What would you like?”

  “Anything. Whatever you’re having.”

  He poured two glasses of golden liquid and handed her one. Taking it, she brought it up to her nose, and sniffed.

  “What is it?”

  “Scotch,” he said. “Quite safe.” He watched, amused, as she swallowed the contents of the glass in one go. “Well, in small quantities.” He took her glass and poured her another. Instead of handing it to her, he placed it on the coffee table in front of the sofa, then sank onto the black leather and patted the seat next to him.

  Lia hesitated for a moment; she was starting to feel quite warm, and decided it was probably safe to remove her jacket. She took it off and placed it carefully on top of Luc’s then came around and sat down next to him. He studied her for a few minutes, then he smiled, and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so safe anymore.

  “Why do you think I brought you here tonight, Lia?” His voice was dark and smoky, full of sensual promise, and Lia quivered under the onslaught of it against her battered senses. She felt totally off-balance—safe one minute, hovering on the edge of something terrifying the next. The truth was, she didn’t know why he’d brought her here. Or why he’d helped her out at the club. So she clung to what she did know.

  “To talk about my job?” she suggested hopefully.

  “There’s a job for you here, whatever else happens, though I can’t promise you glamour and excitement.” He slanted her a heavy-lidded look from those stunning eyes. “Well, not in the job anyway.”

  She licked dry lips, and knew his eyes followed the movement. “Whatever else happens?”

  “I want you to know that the job is separate and not dependent on you sleeping with me.”

  Lia had been in the process of taking a restorative sip of her Scotch, and she almost choked. “Sleeping?”

  “Well, probably not sleeping.” He gave her a long considering look. “You know I find you very attractive?”

  Lia shook her head. No, to be perfectly honest, it hadn’t even occurred to her. Things like this didn’t happen to her. Kelly told her it was because she positively exuded keep-off vibes in the presence of men. She risked another quick glance and found him still watching her, his eyes deceptively sleepy.

  “And I think the feeling is mutual. You want me, don’t you, Lia?” His voice was all dark seduction, oozing softly against her ears, sending quivers down her rigid spine.

  Her mind went blank, and then started working double speed. Yes, of course, she had wondered about this man—what woman wouldn’t? He was the most gorgeous male specimen she’d ever encountered. He was probably going to feature in every single one of her sexual fantasies from this day forward, but all the same, she hadn’t considered anything happening between the two of them.

  But why not?

  While she’d never had a one-night anything before, she’d had boyfriends. Well, boyfriend, singular. They’d split up after Joe had complained that she spent more time with the horses than she did with him. He’d given her an ultimatum, and told her it was him or the horses. There’d been no competition. The sex had been okay, but not enough to change her priorities. That was two years ago, and she hadn’t been tempted since.

  Until now.

  Is this what immediate, intense attraction felt like, all hot and shivery at the same time? The alcohol was obviously af
fecting her brain. She took another sip, but her glass was empty, and she put it down.

  “Can I have another drink?”

  Luc gave her a thoughtful glance, but got up and poured her another measure before sitting down again, relaxed but watchful, waiting for her answer. Somehow, he seemed closer now, so close she could see the black ring around his green eyes, the little flecks of gold in the irises, the scar that ran down his cheek to that beautiful mouth. An almost overwhelming urge rose up inside her to reach out and stroke her fingers down the line that marred the otherwise perfect golden skin, and she had to clench her hands into tight fists to stop herself.

  “You can touch me,” he said.

  Was he a mind reader? She hoped not.

  The reason for her being there was fading from her mind, replaced by something she’d never felt before. She was supposed to be here to find out what, if anything, Luc Severino knew about her father. But would one little touch hurt?

  Her hand crept out, and she placed her fingertips against his chest. Beneath the silk of his shirt, she felt the heat radiating from his body, the slow thud of his heart. Luc held her gaze as he reached out and stroked his fingers down the line of her cheek, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. He brushed his thumb across the swell of her lower lip, and a shiver ran down through her body and settled between her thighs.

  When she didn’t protest, he reached forward and flicked open the top button of her dress.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “I watched you in the club. Do you know how much I wanted you to continue? It was only the thought of other men seeing you that made me put a stop to it.” He flicked open the second button, then the third.

  He was hardly touching her, yet she could feel little jolts of sensation rippling along her nerves. Part of her wanted him to stop, but most of her desperately wanted him to continue. She shook her head in confusion.

  “I don’t…” Her words were cut off as his mouth descended on hers. Her lips parted on a gasp as his tongue pushed, hot and moist, between her lips. Lia’s head fell back, her eyes fluttered closed. His lips moved over hers slowly, his tongue probing the depths of her mouth, and Lia’s hunger rose, welling up deep within her.

  He tasted so good.

  …

  Luc drew back before the kiss could get totally out of control. He couldn’t remember when he’d last wanted a woman this much. Had he ever? She’d gone straight to his head along with another part of his anatomy. Heat coiled low in his belly, his penis throbbed, and he shifted uncomfortably, fighting to keep control, reminding himself that there was more to this than seduction.

  He studied her from beneath his lashes, trying to determine her state of mind; the lush curves of her mouth were swollen and wet from his kiss, her eyes dazed. She’d also knocked back a hell of a lot of Scotch. He didn’t want to break the mood, but Harley’s warning echoed in his mind. It was obvious she was lying about something, and he should really find out what she was after. But not quite yet—one more kiss and she would tell him anything he wanted to know.

  Tugging her to him again, he held her close and felt her soften against him. He kissed her, stroking her with his tongue, until her mouth fell open, and he slid deep inside. She gave a gasp of pleasure and her hands crept up around his neck, pulling him to her until he could feel the soft press of her small, pointed breasts against his chest. Sliding his hands inside the dress, he cupped them gently. Her nipples hardened against his palms, and she groaned against his mouth. The sound ran through him like a lightning bolt straight to his groin, and the kiss rocketed from gentle to demanding

  It wasn’t enough—he needed to see her. He sat back, his breath coming fast as he made out the shadowy curves of her breasts inside the open bodice of her dress. He drew the straps down her arms so the material pooled around her slender waist. Her breasts were small but exquisitely formed, uptilted and tipped with dark strawberry nipples waiting for his touch. Framing them with both hands, he lifted them, his thumbs grazing the engorged tips. They tightened under his touch, and she whimpered her need. Smoothing his hands down to her rib cage, he raised her body up to him so he could stroke his tongue over the taut peaks, again and again, until she arched her back, begging for more. He drew one nipple into his mouth, nipping it lightly with his teeth then tugging gently.

  Lia moaned low in her throat, and in that moment, he knew without a doubt that her desire matched his own.

  Chapter Four

  Lia felt the sharp edge of his teeth as he bit down on the sensitive point of her breast. The feeling was unbelievable, pulling at places deep within her body. She was aware that she was going under fast, drowning in desire, and she was way past caring. She wanted this. She knew she couldn’t push him away. Instead, she threaded her fingers deeper into the soft, silky darkness of his hair and held him to her while his mouth suckled her. She let her eyes drift closed and sank into the sensations, the aching tug of his mouth at her breasts, the heat welling up between her clenched thighs.

  His hands moved over her, stroking down her body until he could slide one hand slowly beneath her skirt. Lia went still, unsure whether she was scared in case he went further, or terrified in case he didn’t. The one hand slipped beneath her panties, and she was lost. His fingers moved over her very slowly, dipping into the moist heat, and gliding lazy circles against her sensitive flesh. Her head fell back, and she couldn’t suppress her hungry groan. He whispered words in Italian against her skin.

  “What?”

  “You are so hot, cara. So hot, and wet, and tight.”

  For one moment, she thought he was going to stop, and the panic cleared her mind. What was she doing? What was she allowing this man to do? Then he kissed her mouth. At the same time, his finger flexed inside her, and her body jerked involuntarily against his hand.

  He waited until she went still against him, then his fingers moved again, played ever so teasingly across her tender, swollen flesh, barely eluding that most sensitive spot. Then he stroked one finger lightly over her, and her brain ceased to function.

  “Relax, cara,” he murmured, pulling away from her. “I’ll get you there, I promise, but first we need to talk.”

  Lia shook her head, confused by the abrupt change in direction. “Talk?”

  Her brain was woozy from the Scotch, and her body ached for something she clearly wasn’t about to get. She had a suspicion that she might never again, in her whole life, feel the way his hands on her body made her feel. That thought filled her with despair.

  “Lia, tell me about your father.”

  The mention of her father brought her slightly out of her stupor.

  “My father? I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you do, cara. It’s simple enough. I want to know where he is.”

  She bit her lip. “I told you, I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him for ages.”

  “How long?”

  “Over ten years. Why are you asking me this now?”

  “Just curious. So why are you here?”

  There was something she didn’t understand, but she couldn’t seem to get her head around it—the transfer from seduction to interrogation was too abrupt. And she wasn’t about to get into her reasons for being here.

  “I told you. I wanted a job. That’s all.”

  Luc relaxed visibly, the tension draining from his taut figure, and Lia let out her breath. He’d believed her lies.

  When he stood up and took her hand, she let herself be tugged her to her feet. She didn’t protest when he undid the remaining buttons, allowing her dress to slither to the floor in a pool around her. But a wave of self-consciousness washed over her, and she put a hand up to cover her breasts.

  “I don’t…”

  “You don’t what, cara mia?”

  Lia shook her head in dazed confusion. There were so many don’ts she could have said: I don’t kiss, I don’t have sex, I don’t want to have sex. But that last one would have been a lie.
>
  Luc was still almost fully dressed while she was all but naked. It didn’t seem fair.

  “Come to bed, cara.” He held out his hand.

  She shook her head; it was fuzzy from the alcohol she’d had to drink, something she rarely did, but she knew it wasn’t the alcohol that made her feel like this. Luc was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She remembered the feel of his fingers inside her and her body ached to feel his touch again. Surely, it wasn’t so bad to take what he offered. Just one night and she would return to real life and forget him. She’d think of another way out of her problems, and put this behind her forever.

  Stepping out of her dress, she slid her palm into his. He led her through a door at the back of the office into a sitting room and through another door, into a huge bedroom dominated by the most enormous bed Lia had ever seen. She stopped short at the sight, and her last coherent thought was Luc had been right—she was, in fact, terribly naïve.

  Then he kissed her again, his hot tongue filling her mouth, and it really didn’t matter.

  After a minute, he raised his head, his brilliant green eyes searching her face. “You want this?”

  Why was he asking now, when it was too late, when she was just about naked, and her breasts ached, and she could feel a warm wetness between her thighs? She nodded, but he must have caught her confusion, because he reached out and stroked the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. He took a step back from her, tugged off his tie, and dropped it to the floor.

  “I get the impression it’s been a while for you,” he said. “You must tell me if you don’t like anything I do.”

  “And if I do like it?”

  His eyes darkened. “Tell me that as well.”