by Maya Blake
‘You don’t already know this from your little jaunt through my private life?’
Her face clouded. ‘I told you, I wasn’t the one who dug through your life. My father’s my manager. He heard the rumours about our...night together, and probably thought it would be prudent to know—’
‘On whom his precious princess had sullied her pristine image?’ he finished, renewed bitterness surging high.
‘Is that notion so alien to you? Haven’t you dug with equal tenacity through my life?’
‘Whatever I unearthed hasn’t been disclosed to the public, so yes, chiquita, I believe I’m above reproach in this instance.’ He rose, the illusionary sense of tranquillity gone.
He curbed the bite of regret, more than a little annoyed with himself for the unsettling sensations ricocheting through him.
This day off had been an idiotic idea. Leaving her in his mother’s garden, he strode up the steps and entered the empty house.
Javier wasn’t sure what he hoped to find inside, but no answers came to him as he walked through rooms with sheet-draped furniture. Everything in here had been new once upon a time, a naïve conviction that granting his mother a fresh start would be what she needed to make a clean break from an unhealthy past.
Nothing he’d done had worked. Bitterness twisted his mouth. Clearly he was extremely ill-equipped to handle or even understand the female psyche.
He would be better off sticking to what he knew best—cut-throat deals and emotionless liaisons.
Except he didn’t feel emotionless about one liaison in particular.
Turning away from an expensive entertainment centre his mother had never used to his knowledge, he retraced his steps to the garden.
The sound of her voice stopped him before he rounded a tall rose bush.
‘No, I don’t want you to come to New York, not if you’re going to keep badgering me about this. My mind is made up.’ She paused, and Javier heard a muffled voice. Then her breath caught. ‘That’s all you care about, isn’t it? Would it kill you to ask how I am?’
Javier’s fists curled, the primeval protective instincts that had floored him in the condo returning, stronger than before. About to stride into her presence, he froze as she continued, ‘No, Papà, nothing has changed. I’m still taking a break from figure skating. Yes...indefinitely.’
The deadly ice in his veins threatened to turn him into a statue. He still managed to move. He must have because she came into view, her eyes growing wide as she tucked her phone into her pocket and drew her arms around her midriff in self-protection. She took a few guarded steps away from him.
Javier was obliquely amused by the useless action. As if anything could save her now. He’d been ready to believe there was some sort of subliminal reason for bringing her to the place he’d built for his mother. Probably because she’d also lost her mother and he’d been seeking some non-existent connection?
Dios mío. Even the suggestion was unacceptable. He sliced his fingers through his hair. Clearly, he’d been out of his mind.
‘Javier?’ Her voice held the tiniest wobble.
‘Answer me yes or no, Carla. Did you sign our contract knowing you planned to take an indefinite break from ice skating?’
All colour drained from her face, leaving pools of shocked, bottomless moss green. In the deadly stillness, even the insects didn’t dare to move. Her lips slowly parted.
Javier braced himself. For what, he wasn’t completely sure.
She swallowed hard, the movement echoing through her whole body. Or perhaps she trembled? He didn’t care. All he wanted was deliverance from the vacuum of confusion taking hold of him.
‘Answer me!’
A short, jerked nod, followed by a simple, ‘Yes.’
Absurdly, as he turned away and left his mother’s garden, Javier wished she’d lied and answered no.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘SAY SOMETHING. PER FAVORE,’ Carla whispered. ‘Anything. I can’t stand the silence.’
They’d left the charming, tranquil garden, and any notion that she was getting to know a much less steel-hearted Javier, far behind. She would never dream of calling him gentle, but the glimpses of the man she’d seen in his mother’s garden had touched her heart in a way that had nothing to do with the sexual tension that resided beneath the surface of all their interactions.
That man, if he had existed beyond her imagination, was nowhere to be seen now. The man who grabbed the steering wheel with barely restrained force, whose face was set in a granite mask as he wove through traffic, struck naked apprehension in her heart.
‘Javier, please...’
‘You weren’t planning on telling me until you had your hands on the first quarter’s payment.’ His voice was conversational, save for the toxic ice that dripped from it. ‘I’m guessing the signing bonus wasn’t quite enough for you to disappear into the sunset with?’
‘No... I mean yes—’ She stopped and massaged her temples. ‘No, I wasn’t planning on disappearing, not without speaking to you first. Not that I was planning to disappear... Dio, questo è folle.’
His grating laugh sliced across her every nerve. ‘You think this is insane? Why did you bother even signing a contract with me? With a face and body like yours, you could’ve landed a number of gullible rich men who would’ve been only too happy to tolerate a little absence of integrity for a chance to taste what you have to offer.’
His words were a slap that left her reeling, the depth of her hurt unbelievably deep. ‘How dare you? You’re being extremely offensive without just cause—’
‘Just cause? Every interaction I’ve had with you so far has contained an element of deception on your part.’
‘That’s not true!’
‘Then by all means, Principessa, enlighten me as to where I’ve misstepped.’
The shivers that had started in the garden rolled over her once more. ‘I’d planned to take a break from ice skating, yes, but I hadn’t decided exactly when or for how long.’
‘And you didn’t see fit to inform me of this before you signed on the dotted line? Can you honestly tell me that your decision to keep your plans a secret didn’t revolve around the state of your finances?’
‘The contract did. Wasn’t that the whole point? You told me three years ago you never wanted to see me again. Then all of a sudden you’re entertaining an endorsement contract with me? I’m not stupid, Javier. I knew there was a chance this wouldn’t be just business—’
‘But you entered into the contract anyway?’ His lips curled on the words.
‘I...hoped you’d moved on. And I planned on fulfilling my part of the deal,’ she retorted. ‘Because of my wrist I won’t be able to compete in two months’ time but there are no major championships until next year, so for the sake of your campaign I’ll still be number one. I don’t know why you’re upset with me. Nothing has changed—’
‘The insane decision to trust you, professionally, despite your abysmal private life should’ve been testament to the fact that this deal should never have happened. More fool me, I guess,’ he bit out.
They arrived at his Upper East Side building. Far from dissipating, the crowd had only increased in the time they’d been away. Javier’s fury congealed as he gunned the car into the garage.
She followed him into the lift, the confined space condensing with nerve-shredding savagery. Unable to keep silent as she was hurled up to what she assumed was her doom, she licked her lips. ‘There’s something else, Javier.’
Dark brows clamped tight. ‘Yes?’
‘My father’s signed up to write a series of articles for Vita Italia magazine.’
‘And?’ he demanded.
‘Technically, it shouldn’t have anything to do with my career, but...things haven’t been going well between u
s lately.’
‘So he could retaliate against you in the tabloids?’
More miserable than she’d ever thought it was possible to feel, Carla nodded. ‘It’s worth half a million euros. He won’t let it go easily.’
He regarded her for several tense seconds. The lift pinged open and still he stared at her. ‘What a tangled mess you’ve weaved yourself into, Principessa,’ he finally mused.
Exiting, he strode for the double doors leading to the penthouse.
She reached him just as he threw the door open. Desperate, she grabbed his arm. ‘Javier—’
In an agile move she wouldn’t have attributed to a powerfully built man such as him, he slammed the door shut and pinned her against it. His hands circled her arms, his body caging hers with predatory precision. ‘Even if I chose to believe that you coming clean now isn’t a clever plot to save yourself from being sued for breach of contract, it doesn’t excuse you from keeping your plans from me,’ he sliced at her.
This close, she could see the gold flecks overlaid on the mahogany of his eyes, harshly beautiful and completely captivating. She stared up at him, until his accusation dripped into her mind. ‘You plucked me from hospital and brought me here, then left me to my own devices for two weeks. Even if I’d come to any concrete decision—which I haven’t—today would’ve been my first chance to tell you.’
The hands shackling her arms skated over her shoulders and up the sides of her neck to rest at her nape. Heat dragged through her at the electrifying skin contact. She rejected the melting sensation racing through her body as his thumbs rested over her twin pulses.
‘You play the aggrieved damsel so well,’ he murmured, his breath washing over her face. ‘But if you’d thought about anyone but yourself you’d have made sure that you and I weren’t once again in this position.’
‘And what position would that be? Me, once again appealing to your better nature and you determined to believe the absolute worst of me? Let me guess, you’re going to fire me now?’
He stepped closer, bringing his body a scant inch from hers. The lethal power whipping through him and her own body’s brazen excitement robbed her of breath.
‘You would love that, wouldn’t you? Another salacious piece of gossip for your fans to scavenge over? Is this how we’re destined to interact? You inviting trouble my way every time?’
‘I don’t mean to,’ she murmured back, her attention absorbed by the unique bruised-rose shade of his lips. The insane urge to trace the shape with her fingers was so strong she couldn’t suppress the moan that rose from her soul.
His eyes darkened, his breath hissing out at the revealing sound.
‘You don’t mean to. And yet here we are.’
‘End this, then. Fire me,’ she urged.
‘No.’ His head descended a fraction. ‘If I fire you, you’ll no longer be mine to command. You’ll be free to wreak your havoc on someone else.’
‘So you’re doing mankind a favour?’
‘Sí, that is exactly right.’
Another inch closer and she felt the full impact of his body. Right down to the unmistakeable arousal imprinted against her belly. The vivid memory of his power inside her scorched her senses. Her nipples peaked, the sensitive buds demanding shockingly immediate appeasement.
She squirmed, her body’s uncontrollable craving almost overpowering her. He moved with her, a subtle roll of his hips, a teasing slide of one broad thumb across her lower lip.
Her limbs weakened. ‘Javier.’ Her voice was a husky plea, either to end the torture or to satisfy it.
‘You want me,’ he stated, his voice deep and sure with masculine confidence.
Heat rushed into her face, ramping her temperature even higher. She wanted to look away, to deny the taunting words. But she couldn’t pull her gaze from the hunger and sensual promise in his eyes.
‘Do you want me to kiss you, Carla mia? Are you hoping perhaps that your body can achieve what your character has failed to do so far and pull me into your web?’
A part of her mourned that he would never see past the desperate misunderstanding of three years ago. But the greater part of her just wanted to experience the hot, erotic skill of his kiss.
Senses clamouring, she threw caution to the wind, her head moving in a nod before she’d fully computed her actions and the inevitable repercussions. ‘Yes, I want you to kiss me.’
A muffled sound that could’ve been a curse or a prayer ripped from his lips. In the next breath, his mouth slanted over hers. The last vestiges of sanity ripped free, her senses plunging into free fall as pure sensation took over. Flames licked at each point of contact, which was pretty much everywhere from their fused lips to the masculine thighs tangling with hers. But the sensation of his tongue sliding against hers was what had her gasping in delight, the concentrated pleasure arrowing straight between her legs to the place only he had ever owned.
She whimpered, her bound hand sliding around his waist, holding on for dear life as he explored her with a thoroughness that seared her deeper than she’d ever been touched. Her other hand wandered up his tight body, over hard contours and heated flesh to the silky waves of his hair. A wicked memory impinged, and she fisted the luxurious strands. Javier jerked against her, a growl erupting between their lips as his erection jumped against her belly.
One hand cupped her breast, catching the stiff peak between his fingers for a delicious pull that made her groan. His other hand gripped her waist tight and lifted her off the floor. ‘Put your legs around me,’ he commanded.
Complying brought her most sensitive part flush against him. Striding sure and swift as if she weighed nothing, he entered the living room and laid her down on the sofa.
Slow, lingering kisses trailed from her jaw, along her collarbone to her shoulder. She tried to caress him in turn and was confronted with one immobilised hand. Frustration clawed through her...at the overabundance of clothes between them, the slow pace of his attention. With the hand still in his hair, she attempted to draw him closer, deepen the kiss. He let her have the lead, until the need for air forced her to break away.
He laughed at the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
‘So needy, Principessa. Was your last boyfriend not up to the task of satisfying you? Don’t worry. When I make you mine again, that memory will fade away for ever.’ He started to curl his hand around her thigh.
She froze in degrees, her head battling hard with her senses as the reality of what was happening dawned on her.
When I make you mine.
There would be no charm offensive involved this time round, no drive in his sports car and laughter on a beach underpinning the sexual intent in each glance and each word.
Unlike Miami three years ago, what would happen here would be a vengeful taking, fuelled by Javier’s belief that she had wronged him. Again. Desire still wove like a lingering drug in her bloodstream, but Carla unclenched her fist from his hair, ignoring her screaming senses. She couldn’t let this go any further. Her vulnerability when it came to Javier was shamefully evident in the way she was sprawled beneath him with only the clothes on her body barring her need from him.
‘Don’t tell me the principessa has remembered that she’s once again cavorting with someone beneath her regard?’
She met his gaze, forcing herself to see past the mockery and acid-dipped words to the hurt and pain beneath.
‘What did it do, Javier?’ she ventured, hoping for a straight answer this time.
Dark-lashed eyes narrowed. ‘Perdón?’
‘That statement about your parentage. What exactly was the damage from it?’
He tensed, his face tautening into an implacable mask. ‘If you’re trying to get on my good side, this isn’t the way to go about it.’
‘Please. I’m just trying to understand why you
hate me so much.’
He vaulted off her, his breath escaping in harsh exhalations. Locks of hair hung in unruly waves, but even that dishevelled look lent him a rakish air that threatened to reignite her thawing senses.
Sitting up, she swung her legs to the floor and kept them firmly, unwillingly closed. She watched him stride to the drinks cabinet and pour himself a stiff drink. Tossing it back, he poured a glass of water and returned to set it down on the table next to her.
All without speaking.
She sighed. ‘Clearly something happened to make all this torturing of me necessary. The least you can do is tell me the reason for my suffering.’
A harsh bark of laughter cracked across the room. ‘You think you’re suffering?’
She caught his meaning when her gaze dropped below his belt. Her blush was furnace-hot and deeply embarrassing. ‘You know what I mean.’
He sliced his hand through his hair, unsettling the strands even more. ‘And you think understanding where I’m coming from will free you to give yourself permission to accept my touch?’ he snarled.
‘Why do you act as if I’ve treated you like a leper?’
His smile was terse and cruel. ‘You were singularly memorable in your urgency to get away from me the morning after we had sex, querida.’
She shook her head. ‘I can tell you until I’m hoarse that I slept with you because I wanted to. I just didn’t deal very well with the aftermath. And you’re changing the subject.’ She firmed her voice, meeting his blazing gaze without flinching.
Slowly he sauntered towards her. Instead of taking the seat next to her, he sat down on the large teak coffee table that complemented the rest of the earth-toned, conceptually stunning décor. His thighs braced on either side of hers, he leaned forward on his elbows, another hard smile showcasing his impressive cheekbones. ‘You want to know what havoc your father’s little digging expedition wreaked?’
She held firm and nodded.
‘Muy bien,’ he grunted. ‘My mother was seventeen and on her way to church one day when she caught the eye of a rich man in his fancy car. To most people that sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale. From my mother, it was the beginning of the end, only she didn’t know it at the time. She’d led a strict, sheltered life and had no idea she’d caught the eye of the son of the baron from the neighbouring town. A married son of a baron twice her age. He seduced her, alienated her from her family, who eventually disowned her, and set her up in a run-down house on the edge of his estate. That was where I was born six years later. I was delivered by a retired midwife because my father didn’t want anyone to know he’d fathered a bastard, which was a standing joke because everyone knew, of course.’