“Yuri,” Canna said as he kissed her cheek, “this is more than I expected.”
“My Countess, I’m sure you have equal properties in Italy.”
“Not anymore, I don’t.”
“Then you must enjoy mine.” Yuri turned to see Claudio gawk at the palace. “So amusing to see you again, Mr. Ramos. I think you must regularly keep my Countess company.”
“Whenever she has time to let me keep her company, anyway,” Claudio smiled as he shook the Russian’s hand, but he wasn’t happy with Yuri saying ‘My Countess’.
Erik and Holly also stepped from the car, and the others stepped from the other limo behind them, all amazed at what they had just encountered.
“Come in from the cold,” Yuri said and took Canna by the arm. “We’re setting up for the party, but I shall get your room ready now. You cannot stand out here like the hired help.”
“How much did this place cost you?” Canna asked as they stepped in the massive arched double doors. Yuri loved to tell everyone how much money he had to spend.
“It was €50 million,” Yuri said with pride. “I have had the interior redecorated. Tasteful, don’t you think?’
Canna looked around the entranceway. It was incredible, but not tasteful. The palace of white marble and gold detail seemed overdone, even the floor and the ceiling. Gold spiralled up the pillars against the walls, with furniture made of red velvet with gold trimmings. Yuri had thrown money at the building, in place of subtly and design.
“Shall I introduce you to everyone?” Canna asked. She couldn’t think of anything kind to say.
“No, no, I know of Virtuosi, and I have no time for English women.” Yuri smiled, as if he had just paid a compliment. “I will have a servant take them to their rooms. Don’t worry, everyone speaks English. I insisted they learn and speak it here. But Countess, I have a distinctive suite waiting for you.”
Yuri pulled Canna away from the others. Lea, Holly and Rebecca all looked insulted, and the guys looked a little perplexed by the lack of friendly welcome. Claudio looked annoyed that Canna was leaving with Yuri. She threw him a look down the hallway, and he nodded. She had to work.
“Alone at last,” Yuri said as he held her tight against him. Canna’s arm ached in his grip. “It is so wonderful that you came for my birthday. You didn’t need to bring the entertainment. They can travel alone.”
“They’re my friends, Yuri, and I wanted to help them out.”
“That is most kind.”
“I thought, as a gift to you, I would pay them the one million Euro fee for their performance tonight.”
“Nonsense, Countess.”
“Please, I insist, Yuri. I won’t tell them that I paid it if you prefer. I will arrange everything.”
“Why bother with tiny amounts of money when you can give me the greatest gift that a woman can give a man?”
Canna chuckled to try and hide her discomfort. “What can I do for you?”
“Let me come to you tonight,” he whispered in her ear. “Your suite is next door to my room. There is a connecting door between them.”
They stopped at the end of the corridor, and the floor-to-ceiling window looked out over an enormous swimming pool. “You know how I feel about you, Countess.”
“Is your girlfriend here tonight?”
“Veronika? Yes, she’s here. That’s why I must come to you. Leave the door unlocked for me.”
“Yuri…” Canna paused. She couldn’t say no, or it would unleash his anger. “I will leave the door unlocked.”
“Good.” Yuri’s breath reeked of booze, and the gel in his hair let off a greasy smell. Bad combination. “But before this party, we have things to discuss.”
“Such as?”
“Such as Adam Drugal and his yacht. Adam called me today. He likes the primary drawings. You found a yacht designer straight away, and that impressed Adam.”
“I knew a New Zealander who has been thinking of building a massive sloop for a while. He is perfect for the job.”
“It seems so. Adam will sign with Savelli Marine. We will be the proud builders of the largest single-masted yacht on the planet.”
“Is Adam joining us tonight?”
“No, he had to go to Dubai for some stupid meeting and missed my birthday. He sends his regards to you, Countess. He wishes to see you again.”
Yay.
“But there is one other matter, Countess. Winning the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. Adam wants this prize and he wants it this year. He won’t sign up to the €200 million build until you prove you can hoist the trophy for him. My name is on the Middle Sea Race trophy because of you, and he wants a prize, too.”
Never mind the people who work all year to win. “I will do my best. I’m not sure if Vincitore can even be shipped to Sydney in time, let alone be reassembled and ready to race. And it’s Christmas…”
“So? Your husband is dead, so what else would you be doing this Christmas? Winning this trophy is the most noteworthy thing you could be doing for us.”
Canna took a deep breath. “I will call Adam and discuss it with him.”
“I must get this contract, Countess. I had to hide my money in a business, and I chose yours. Don’t disappoint me, not with this race and not tonight when I come to your room. You owe me a considerable amount of pleasure. I invested my money in your company for one reason, and it has nothing to do with yachts. Give me what I want.”
Canna swallowed hard. There was no way out of this. Virtuosi were all here, and they needed to perform to get paid. They needed the money for their survival in the music industry. Now they would be in sight of many other rich men and women who would like to have them at their private parties. She couldn’t let them down now. She had only just started to make amends. “I promise, Yuri. I won’t let you down.”
“Good.” Yuri finally let her arm go and gently kissed her lips. “I shall let you go and rest up for the party later. The ballroom is free if your little singer friends need to rehearse.”
“Thank you.”
Canna stood alone as Yuri carried on down a hallway, and she retreated the way she had come. Holy shit. What a mess.
~~~
Canna sat on the edge of the huge bed in Claudio’s guestroom, careful not to wrinkle her blue silk gown. She watched Claudio stand in front of the mirror and adjust his black suit jacket. “You won’t believe what Rebecca said to me while she did my hair earlier,” he muttered.
“What?”
“She said she could see a few grey hairs!”
Canna laughed. “It happens, Claudio.”
“I still feel 18 years old. How can I have grey hair already?”
“Don’t worry, I will go and buy you some black hair dye.”
“Everyone will know.”
“Who’s everyone? I colour my hair; they will assume the dye is for me.”
“You have a hairstylist that does your hair.”
Canna fingered the blonde tips of her otherwise jet-black curls. “Fine, I will smuggle in a bottle of hair colour inside a paper bag, to maintain your secret.”
Claudio spun around as he smoothed the collar of his white shirt. “Will you still love me if I have grey hair?”
“That depends; where on your body will the hair be?”
“Very funny.”
“Giuseppe used to colour his hair, which was unnecessary. The rest of his body gave away his age. He only coloured the hair on his head.”
“I didn’t need to know that.”
“Nobody ever needed to know that.”
“I guess Yuri is too young to have grey hair,” Claudio complained. “I don’t like him. He was okay in Malta, but here he seems so conceited.”
“Yuri is an asshole, but he is my business partner. You will play at his party, and that will help set the course of the rest of your life. So what if he’s an asshole?”
“He was rude to us earlier, especially to Lea, who is our manager.”
“I’m happy to see Cla
udio Ramos, standing up for the respect of women!”
“Don’t sound so surprised. I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
“I don’t like the way he looks at me. But it’s nothing more than vanity. He likes to think all women falls for his charms.”
“What charms? I thought he only had money.”
“Sometimes money is all a man needs to lure women into their lives. I don’t do business with him because of his personality or his sailing skills. You don’t need to worry; we leave this place at 5am tomorrow morning to catch the flight home. Yuri is a silent partner at the boatyard, so I don’t need to see him face-to-face at all.”
Claudio strode over and put one hand on either side of Canna on the bed. “So you will spend more time in London, on a more permanent basis?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you need to be enticed?”
“Certainly.”
Claudio took her mouth with his, with a kiss powerful enough to force her onto her back against the soft bed cover. Canna was dizzy when he let her come up for air. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered.
“Because?”
“Because your first set starts in half an hour and I will smudge your makeup.”
“I’m not wearing that much makeup.” Claudio’s kisses moved down her neck and onto her chest. “Isn’t it up to me how I mess up my stage presentation?”
“I suppose so.” Canna shut her eyes and couldn’t help the giant grin on her face as she felt him pull up her dress. She let out a schoolgirl giggle when a hand teased its way up the inside of her thigh.
“I’m sorry,” he teased. “Does that tickle?”
“A little.” She didn’t open her eyes as he slipped her underwear down to her ankles, but giggled again when she felt his breath against the inside of her legs.
“I can mess up my makeup any way I enjoy. I like the idea of singing for Yuri while I have the taste of you in my mouth.”
Canna took a deep breath in the moment he began to lick her. The way he way licked, kissed, nuzzles between her thighs set alight a fire in her. “Oh God,” she muttered as she gripped the bedcover with her fingers.
“Just call me Claudio,” came the sound of his muffled deep baritone voice.
Just his breath and his voice against her sensitive flesh was enough to drive her crazy, but the man had so many more tricks to awaken her arousal.
“Come,” he said. “I want to you to orgasm against my face.”
Canna didn’t have any other choice. She cried out in elation and pleasure, ignoring the fact that others in the house might hear. The shock and satisfaction sent waves through her body, so much so that she sat bolt upright as the orgasm went on and on. It was almost a relief when Claudio let her go. Canna opened her eyes and looked at the cheeky grin on his face.
“Do I get to return the favour?” she asked.
“After the show. I need to save all my stimulation for the performance.”
“I love the rush of testosterone you get after a show.”
“You can have it all over your face,” Claudio joked, “or anywhere else you might enjoy it.”
They stared at one another for a moment and then burst out laughing. Canna fell back onto the bed again as Claudio stood up over her. She could see that he had a gigantic erection in his pants, but if he wanted to save it up, she needed to keep her hands off him. “Do me a favour,” he said.
“As your assistant or your mistress?”
“Both.”
“Okay.”
“Wander around Yuri’s birthday party without any underwear. When I look at you while I’m performing, I’ll know you’re ready for me to play with once I’m finished on stage.”
“That sounds a bit like a fetish.”
“Does that matter? It’s fun. I don’t mean it in a controlling way.”
Canna sat up on the bed again and watched him lick his lips. “Okay, just for you.”
CHAPTER 24
MOSCOW
For all the teasing and joking, Claudio was always a total professional during his performances with Virtuosi. They broke their standard twenty song set into five parts to extend it through the evening. Canna spent time with them while they weren’t performing, but when they were singing, it became harder to avoid the birthday boy. The glittering ballroom filled with guests only had so many places to hide.
“Countess.”
Canna fixed a fake smile on her face and turned around. There stood Yuri with two shots of vodka in his hands.
“You must have a drink with me.”
Canna glanced over her shoulder; Virtuosi was performing E lucevan le stelle from the opera Tosca, an enjoyed part of their repertoire. Claudio and Erik were singing a powerful line of the song together, and Canna was right near the back of the crowd, out of their line of sight.
“No, thank you, Yuri. I’ve had enough.” In truth, Canna hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol all night. Claudio’s approval and her therapist’s words had managed to keep the urge to drink at bay.
“You must, it comes from my own vodka company.” Yuri thrust the small glass into her hand.
“I hear it’s fantastic,” she lied. Canna watched him knock the drink back in one gulp.
“Are you enjoying my party?” Yuri’s words slurred just a little, and the stench of alcohol on him seemed worse than ever. He had created a classy party and ruined it all by being himself.
“The party is brilliant, Yuri. The toast of Europe are here. I see that Veronika loved your speech.”
“My girlfriend loves whatever I tell her to love.” Yuri waved his hand in a dismissive gesture; Veronika meant little to him. “I wish Adam had come tonight.”
“I didn’t realise you and Adam were such good friends.”
Yuri licked his lips. “We are very, very close.”
Canna raised an eyebrow. When she had met Adam in Paris, he and Yuri did seem very friendly. She didn’t suspect they were lovers, but now it seemed plausible.
“I need something very tender and loving for my birthday, and Adam didn’t give it to me.”
“I’m sure he didn’t miss the party on purpose.”
“I need a Countess on my arm. All the men at this party look at you. They want to fuck you. They know you’re the widow of Giuseppe Savelli. They need to know that you aren’t for sale.”
“I’m not for sale,” Canna shot back. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“Please.” Yuri grabbed her arm. “I put your friends in a guest wing out of the way. They don’t need to know about you and me in your room tonight.”
“What about Veronika?”
“I have let my friend Isaak borrow her for the night. His wife is an awful woman, and so old, almost 40! He needs to finish his night inside something young.”
Canna glanced through the crowd until she spotted the young Veronika. She seemed bored while amongst a group of men double or triple her age. Canna had been her once, the young girl on the arm of a much older man. While the circumstances were different, Canna’s heart ached for Veronika. Yuri loaned Veronika to his friends for sex. At least Giuseppe kept Canna for himself. In fact, he would torture any man who even went close to Canna.
Canna’s mind drifted for a moment to her dress. It was the same one she wore in Helsinki when she spent the night with Dane. That had been fun. London was fun, too, with Claudio. This life, amongst the rich and self-indulgent, made her feel worse than ever. Morphine would take the edge off the problem. Anything would help. She knocked back the shot of vodka, and her self-hate kicked in the moment she swallowed.
“You like?” Yuri asked.
Canna nodded, but it tasted like fire and guilt. She jumped as the crowd around her started to clap; Virtuosi had just finished another song. It was time to take another break. “Please excuse me, Yuri.”
Canna didn’t hear what Yuri said to her when she turned away, and didn’t dare turn back. She pushed her away through the guests and dumped her shot glass in the p
rocess. When she reached the side of the stage, Dane stood there alone.
“Hey,” he said. “How are we doing?”
“Great. You wouldn’t know that you’ve already sung sixteen songs, your voices sound perfect. I don’t know how you all do it.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Dane looked Canna up and down and licked his lips. “That’s the dress you wore to Danica’s wedding, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
“You look pretty.” Dane gave her an encouraging smile.
‘Pretty’ sounded so innocent. The other comments of the night included beautiful, sexy, erotic, and other cheesy lines that suggested the tired men at this gathering all wanted a night with a young widow.
“Thanks for not telling Claudio about our night in Helsinki.”
“It’s no one’s business but ours.” Dane checked to make sure his colleagues weren’t in earshot. “Rebecca doesn’t know either. We are getting along a little better, and she doesn’t need to know about you and me spending time together.”
“Rebecca has barely spoken to me since I came back to London. We’re working together, and she still manages to avoid me.”
“Give it time. She’s jealous of you, even though you’re my ex now.”
“If she is jealous, it means she loves you. Jealousy is a strong emotion.”
“I guess I should count myself lucky,” Dane said.
“Lucky about what?” Claudio asked as he joined the conversation.
“Lucky that his girlfriend adores him so much, just like I adore you,” Canna said to him. Claudio didn’t reply, but Canna could see how much he loved hearing that in front of Dane.
“Should we get a drink?’ Dane asked. “We have fifteen minutes until we need to perform the last set. I desperately need water.”
“I’ll get that for you,” Lea said, who had just wandered into earshot of the conversation.
“If you don’t need me, I might just sneak off to the bathrooms. I’ll be right back,” Canna said.
The halls of the palace were silent as Canna found her way to the guest suite. Her things were in there as placed by the staff, but she wanted them to be in Claudio’s room. At least if she shared a bed with him, she could be safe. She had no intention of sleeping anywhere near Yuri. She should have moved her suitcase hours ago, but Yuri had hovered. Now was the only chance to escape his plan for the night.
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