by Lise Gold
“We ehm…” Rome looked at Nadine for help as she wasn’t sure if she had a problem with people knowing what she did for a living. They should have discussed this before they left but she hadn’t thought about that.
“We met when Rome was pitching her product to Nero,” Nadine said, stepping in. “At the St. Regis.” It was the truth, but she skimmed over the details. “We got talking beforehand, she told me about the Carbon app, and I was fascinated by her.” She grinned. “So, I flirted with her and frankly, I’ve never seen anyone look so shocked in my life.”
Rome laughed. “I was shocked. I’m not used to women flirting with me” She shot Nadine an amused smile. “And you weren’t exactly subtle.”
Eliza laughed too and turned to Nadine. “So, you’re quite the charmer, huh? What do you do for a living? Are you a model or something? You certainly look like one.”
“Me?” Nadine’s eyes widened. “No, God, no. I’m actually a high-end escort. The dating minus the sex,” she explained, wanting to get it over with. “That’s why I was at the St. Regis.” If Rome and Eliza were going to be friends, she didn’t want there to be any secrets between them because of her, and besides, she wasn’t ashamed of her job.
“Okay. That must be a pretty lucrative business to be in.” If Eliza was surprised, she didn’t let it show, but then again, going on her looks, this was a pretty open-minded woman.
“It is. But my contract finishes next year and I don’t mind that at all.” Nadine glanced down at the file and the box in her purse, deciding to trust Rome on her advice. Despite their rusty start, Eliza actually seemed like a nice woman and she was relieved that her jealous feelings had melted away as soon as she’d seen Rome and her together. There was no chemistry between them, and she felt foolish for even going there. “I’m also a perfumer, though. I’ve just finalized my first range of fragrances and I’m ready to launch them soon.” She took the box and gave it to Eliza. “I hope you don’t mind, but Rome did some digging and found out you were a Scorpio. Feisty star sign,” she added with a smirk. “Anyway, here’s a sample for you. Just to say sorry for possibly coming across as a little rude when we first met.”
Eliza looked delighted as she studied the box, then let out an excited shriek as she opened it and held up the bottle. “It’s gorgeous, thank you.” She read the label, then opened the bottle and sniffed it. “I like it. It’s super subtle.” Narrowing her eyes, she read the printed card that came with the box, her excitement clearly growing. “Wow, Nadine, this is genius, I love the concept. Does it actually work?”
Nadine felt proud as she watched her reaction. Eliza didn’t seem like the type of woman who faked enthusiasm just to be polite. “Yes, it’s supposed to.” She chuckled. “It’s a little gimmicky of course, but according to the tests, it makes the wearer smell attractive to others, so I’m very excited about that.”
“Well, gimmicky or not; even if it doesn’t get me a date, this is gold. It’s super cute and a perfect present.” Eliza dabbed some on her wrist and wiped it off on her neck as she looked around the bar. “I’ll be your test subject tonight, shall I? There are a lot of handsome guys here so let’s see if they bite.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “But first, tell me more.”
44
“That went well, right?” Rome hooked an arm through Nadine’s as they walked away from the bar, both a little tipsy from the cocktails.
“Yeah, I had a great night.” Nadine turned to meet Rome’s smug stare. “Okay, I’ll just say it. You were right; Eliza is a very nice woman. Fun too.”
“And she’s taking a set of samples to give away to celebrities at parties.”
“And that. It’s really generous of her.”
“Imagine if just one of them tweets about it.”
Nadine sighed. “Yes, that would be pretty amazing. Thank you, for convincing me to do this.” She realized they were heading for her apartment, and she hadn’t even asked Rome if she wanted to spend the night. “Do you want to stay over at mine?”
Rome looked up at her and smiled as the heat between them started flaring up again. “Are you kidding me? Of course I do.” She hesitated. “But I’m not sure I can handle your slow teasing tonight, what with the way you’re looking at me right now. I really, really want to rip your clothes off.”
Nadine felt her pulse racing as she returned her flirty smile. “My cute little nerd is discovering the joys of sex.” Knowing Rome wanted her turned her on like nothing else, and she was suddenly overcome with an urge to take her there and then. “How about I give you quick now and slow later?”
Rome stopped in her stride and Nadine could feel her shiver. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean…” Nadine took her hand and pulled her into a dark, private courtyard, thinking the fountain in the middle might dampen the noises Rome would be making very, very soon. “…is that we don’t have to wait until we get home.” She pushed her against the closest wall and kissed her hard, arousal coursing through her at Rome’s soft moans. Running a hand up Rome’s thigh, Nadine pressed her hips into hers and deepened the kiss, drawing another moan from her as she cupped her ass. “You feel so good,” she whispered against her mouth, then lifted her dress to trail a finger over Rome’s hip bone before sliding her fingers lower into her panties.
Rome gasped. “Jesus, Nadine. Maybe we should…” She swallowed the rest of her words as Nadine’s fingers brushed over her clit. “Oh God.”
“Want me to stop?” Nadine smiled when she felt Rome’s wetness coat her fingers.
“No.” Rome was squirming against her, trying her best to be quiet as Nadine lowered her hand and carefully pushed two fingers inside her. “Don’t stop.” Her head fell back when Nadine lifted her leg and hooked an arm under it, then started thrusting into her, hard and fast.
Rome wrapped her arms around Nadine’s neck, and Nadine could feel her fisting the fabric on the back of her dress as she tensed up, breathing heavier each time she went deeper inside her. “Fuck…” she muttered.
“Shh…” Nadine said softly, as she watched Rome’s lips part and her face pull into a delightful expression. Curling her fingers, she hit the spot she knew would send Rome over the edge, and she almost went there herself as she felt Rome’s throbbing clit harden against her palm. It was incredibly sexy, the way Rome gave herself to her, out here in the courtyard, not caring about anything but the instant satisfaction she needed so badly. Her moans became louder, and Nadine put a hand in front of her mouth to dampen the sounds. Rome was shuddering against her other hand, her hips jerking wildly. The strap of her dress had slipped off one shoulder and her hair was a wild mess as she leaned back against the wall, slowly coming back to her senses. “You are so incredibly sexy.” Nadine’s voice was as ragged as Rome’s breathing, and she needed a moment herself to tame the aching need between her thighs.
“And you are so incredibly talented.” Rome locked her hazy blue eyes with Nadine’s, her long lashes fluttering when she pulled out of her. As if waking up from a dream, she looked around, suddenly conscious of their surroundings.
“We’re fine, there’s no one here,” Nadine whispered, putting her at ease. “And I don’t think anyone heard us either.” She raised her gaze skyward when a window opened above them and chuckled when a woman started yelling at them in Italian. “Okay, maybe someone did hear us.”
Rome couldn’t help but giggle too as Nadine took her hand and pulled her away, yelling something back at her. “I can’t believe I woke her up.”
“Hey, there are worse things to wake up to.” Nadine laughed as they rushed away from the courtyard and into the network of alleyways that would take them back to Trastevere.
By the time they arrived at Nadine’s apartment, Rome felt restless and aroused beyond imagination. Nadine switched on music, lit some candles and opened the balcony doors to let the evening breeze in. Even after their courtyard shenanigans, her raging lust hadn’t faded in the slightest, and she was desperate to get Nadi
ne out of her clothes. She stared at her long, tanned legs in the short, navy dress, then at her full breasts in the low neckline. Rome wanted her, and she wanted her now.
Nadine blew at the matchstick in her hand, seductively swaying her hips as she crossed the room back to Rome. As if reading her thoughts, she said: “Nothing great should ever be rushed. Don’t you agree?”
Rome brushed her lips against Nadine’s when they were face to face. “I agree, but I’m not sure if I can avoid hurrying in this particular moment.” She slid both hands under Nadine’s dress and marveled at the feeling of her soft skin and feminine curves.
Nadine smiled as she raked her fingers through Rome’s hair, took a fistful and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. Slowly, she trailed her tongue up the side to her ear and gently bit her earlobe. “Yes, you can.”
Her hot breath and low whisper were enough to make Rome twitch in anticipation. She lowered her hands to Nadine’s ass and pulled her against her hips, needing more of her. Tugging at the hem of her dress, she pulled it off, and her eyes darkened when she saw she was wearing nothing but a pair of tiny panties underneath. When had she become so entranced with Nadine’s body? She longed for her like nothing else and her mouth was drawn to her breasts as if she had no control over her actions.
Nadine moaned when Rome leaned in and twirled her tongue around her nipple, then sucked it into her mouth. She traced her shoulders, her arms, and her back while she devoured her breasts, breathing in Nadine’s natural scent that made her feel wild and alive. Perhaps Nadine was right. Maybe there was some connection between the stars and scent and attraction, because she simply couldn’t get enough of her. “Get on the floor,” she whispered.
A sexy smile played around Nadine’s mouth as she kneeled down on the Persian rug in front of the fireplace and waited for Rome to join her. “What about your dress?”
“My dress will come off when I’m ready for it to come off. As you said, nothing good should be rushed, right?” Rome got down on the rug too and straddled Nadine. She leaned forward and pinned her wrists to the ground above her head. Nadine looked surprised, but the underlying desire in her eyes didn’t lie; she liked it. “You just need to keep still and be a good girl,” Rome teased, grinding herself into her.
“Is that how it works now?” Nadine bit her lip and chuckled, but otherwise complied.
“Yes. That’s how it will be tonight.” Rome bent down to kiss her and let out a soft sigh at feeling Nadine’s need, seeping through their kiss. The sweetness of her lips, the urgency of her tongue and the way she moved underneath her, so sensually and animalistic at the same time, brought out a wild side in Rome. Nadine’s back arched and her hands balled into fists as Rome moved her mouth back to her breasts and bit down on her nipple. Soft at first, then harder, making her gasp and writhe in her grip. Their twisting shadows danced over the wall, distorted by the flickering candles. The precious sound of Nadine’s breaths becoming heavy moans filled the room as Rome let go of her wrists and moved her mouth down toward her belly, scraping her nails over the swell of her breasts. This woman was hers and only hers, and Rome wanted her to know how deep her passion went, how much she needed her. She would swallow her whole, if only she could.
45
Rome was catching up on emails when someone knocked on her door. “Come in,” she yelled, without looking up. She had the only office on the third floor, and although she spent most of her time in the meeting space with the team, it was nice to have a private room where she could concentrate.
“Hi, Rome.”
Rome’s eyes widened as she looked up and found Matteo in the doorway. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she hissed, desperately trying to hide the sudden surge of fear she felt at seeing him. It had been weeks since he’d tried to force himself upon her, and that she’d reported him to the police. “How dare you come anywhere near me, please leave before I call security.”
Ignoring her, Matteo stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “I heard through the grapevine that you were planning on suing me, so I wanted to talk to you. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“There is no misunderstanding.” Rome waved at the door. Her staff could see them through the glass partition, and although she was sitting in plain sight, she still couldn’t bear the thought of being locked up with him. She thought she’d been fine, but now that he was here, she was anything but fine. “Open that door right now and get out of here.” Her hands were trembling, and she hid them in her lap behind her desk.
Matteo opened the door again but remained where he was, tugging at his tie while sweat pearled on his forehead. “Please Rome, can’t we just talk about this?”
“No, we can’t. Leave.” She glared at him. “Now.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you that night, I was only looking after you.” He cleared his throat and shuffled on the spot. “I’d like to apologize. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the mediation meeting with HR. Something came up but I’m available now if you’d like to go down there together. I’ve already spoken to them and explained the situation.”
“Of course you have,” Rome said with cynicism seeping through her tone. “I don’t want your apology and I’m only going to ask you once more. Please leave.”
“Come on, Rome. It was nothing. Do you really have to make a big deal out of this? You’re about to become known as the creator of something great. Why would you ruin your career by sabotaging the company like this?”
“This is about you and what you did, Matteo. Nero has nothing to do with your actions. That’s why I’ve tried to keep it quiet, but you’re making that very hard for me right now. And you had your chance with HR. I was there, only because I wanted my complaint to be documented, and you chose not to show up, so you dug your own grave by pulling that trick on me. It’s not going to look good on you in court.” Rome met his eyes and saw anger flashing in them. Just like that night, his temper shifted within seconds and his whole demeanor changed.
Matteo straightened himself, trying to appear taller than he was. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening in. “I’ve made your career and I can take it away just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “Go ahead and sue me; you won’t stand a chance. You’re not just ruining your own life, but you’re putting your team members’ jobs at risk too. Is that what you want?”
Rome stood up and pointed at the door again, ignoring his threats. She didn’t care if people could see her; she just really, really needed him to leave. Messing with her was one thing, and she was going to take him on and make him pay, but threatening her team’s livelihoods was manipulation on a whole other level. “Out!” she yelled, furiously slamming her hand on her desk.
“Fine. Then you’ll hear from my lawyer.” Matteo held up both hands and finally started walking out, keeping his threatening stare fixed on her. “You’re going to be sorry.”
“We’ll see about that.” Rome remained standing until he disappeared out of sight, then sank back in her chair and buried her face in her trembling hands. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and she was unable to hide how much seeing Matteo again had shaken her. It had been years since she’d had a panic attack, but she recognized the signs; the tightness in her chest and the sense of terror that gave her sweaty chills… Holding onto her stomach, she counted to four while she breathed in, then held it for four counts and slowly exhaled, repeating the exercise until her heart rate had slowed down a little. Even though she kept her eyes fixed on her screen, pretending to be reading, she knew her team had noticed something was wrong. That was the downside of a glass office; nothing was private. Of all the different scenarios she’d anticipated, she’d never expected him to have the nerve to show up in her office. She silently cursed herself for not being prepared, and for letting him get to her yet again.
“Hey, are you okay?” Lara, her assistant asked as she stuck her head around the corner. �
��I just heard you yell at Matteo.”
Rome nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“Are you sure?” The woman narrowed her eyes as she walked in and put her hand on Rome’s shoulder. “Matteo never comes up here, and he clearly said something that upset you.”
“I can’t talk about it right now, but I can assure you it’s got nothing to do with work, so you don’t need to worry,” Rome said. She’d tried to keep it quiet for as long as possible as she didn’t want the company or her team to suffer under the case. Matteo knew that though, and he’d just used it as ammunition. “I’m fine, really.” She shot Lara a grateful look and took another couple of deep breaths. “We have a meeting in ten minutes, right?”
“We do, but I can move it if you…”
“No, absolutely not,” Rome interrupted her, and gathered her things. “If you arrange the coffee, I’ll set up the meeting space. Please just forget this ever happened, okay?”
46
Nadine felt a whole new sense of accomplishment as she closed her laptop after counting her orders. She’d worked hard in the past weeks, and she’d received positive feedback from retailers and department stores, and most of them were willing to buy a small sample batch of her perfumes. They were also pleased with her test-tube counter display and the majority had agreed to buy one. Her key target market included most of Europe, where she’d concentrated on the capital cities, and twelve US states. Only two months ago, it had seemed an impossible journey, but Rome had been right; the product was unique and commercial, and her marketing strategy made sense, so stores were happy to stock it for the coming season. She’d found agents for Europe and the US who would be taking over the expansion plan as soon as the first orders were in store, and she had someone working on her website and web shop, which were looking amazing and were ready to launch next week. It was all starting to get very real.