by Day Leclaire
He folded his arms across his chest. “Should I assume that if some of these are hers, she has some of yours?”
She waffled for a second, before conceding, “Maybe.”
Oh, yeah. Definitely defensive. He examined the closet and shook his head. “What did you do, convert an adjoining bedroom into a closet?”
The blush sweeping across her elegant cheekbones gave him the answer. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she muttered.
“It will be when we marry.”
She held up a hand. “Okay, stop right there. There is no ‘when.’ There is only a very shaky ‘maybe.’”
He crowded her against a row of silk business suits. “You heard Primo. You have one month of ‘maybe’ and then it’s a lifetime of ‘when.’”
A deeply feminine confusion crept across her face. “Why are you going along with this? It’s ridiculous.”
He fisted his hands around the lapels of her robe and drew her to him. “You started this, Gianna, when you decided to infect me with The Inferno. You can’t blame me if I finish it. What choice did you leave me?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Infect?”
He gave it to her straight. “Sometimes it feels like that, particularly since I had no choice in the matter.”
“It wasn’t deliberate,” she insisted. “It’s not like I can control it. It just happens.”
Well, at least all the Dantes were telling identical stories. “Your brothers said the same thing. I’m not sure I believe them.” He watched her closely. “Did you Inferno d’Angelo?”
She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“And yet, you continued to go out with him.”
Her chin shot to a combative angle. “Maybe The Inferno is smarter than I am.”
“Maybe it’s smarter than both of us.”
He reeled her in by the lapel of her robe. They stood shoe-to-bare-toe for an endless moment. Unable to resist, he slanted his mouth over hers and slammed them both into a whirlwind of desire. He still wanted her with a desperation every bit as fierce as when they’d first met. It hadn’t diminished. Not over time. Not over distance. And definitely not with her winding her arms around his neck and surrendering herself unconditionally to the embrace. He heard the high heels she held hit the carpeted floor one after the other.
Want exploded between them, hot and heavy. More than anything he wished he could sweep her into his arms, carry her back to bed and make love to her for the rest of the weekend. If he did, it would force her to commit. Her family wouldn’t give her any other option.
But then, he’d be no better than David.
Her lips parted beneath his and she made a low, hungry sound that threatened to steal every last vestige of his self-control. He yanked at the knot holding her robe together. Stripping away the binding, he slid his hands beneath the heavy velour and over her shoulders. The robe dropped at their feet, leaving her standing there in nothing but the thin cotton shift she’d worn to bed.
“I want you,” he said between fierce, biting kisses. “It eats at me, never going away. Never easing.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Her arms tightened around his neck and her head fell back, giving him greater access to the long sweep of throat and shoulder. “It’s the same for me. I thought I could push it away or ignore it. But it’s too strong.”
He hooked his fingers in the bodice of her shift in order to slip it downward at the same instant she pulled back. The thin cotton split, the sound of rending cloth harsh in the confines of the closet. For a split second, they both froze. The tattered remains of her nightie hung from her arms, exposing her breasts and belly. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He started to reach for her, to touch her.
Then an image of David flashed through his mind. Dear God, what had he been thinking? Swearing, he released her and drew back. Without another word, he turned and stepped from the confines of the closet.
“Get dressed.” His voice escaped, low and guttural. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
“Constantine—”
He refused to look back. That way led to disaster. “I’m not David. I swear to you I’m not.”
“I know that. Of course I know that.” Concern mingled with the frustrated hunger underscoring her words. “You never could be. This was an accident.”
He fought for control, fought with every ounce of strength he possessed. “Which is why I’m going downstairs. Before I do something I can’t live with afterward.”
“But—”
He spun around, pushed to the limit of his endurance. “What are you saying, Gianna? That it’s acceptable to sleep with me, but I’m not someone you’ll marry?”
She drew back in alarm, clutching the remnants of the shift around herself. “No! Of course I’m not saying that.”
“Then what are you saying?”
She closed her eyes. “I want you,” she confessed.
“And I want you. But I won’t use you like some sort of one-night stand. How could I face Primo if I did that? How could I face your brothers?” He softened his tone. “Let’s slow down and do what you suggested. Let’s get to know each other better.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
His mouth curved upward in a dry smile. “As soon as you’re dressed we’ll leave, since clearly, Primo was right.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, he usually is.” She glanced at him hesitantly. “And after we leave? What then?”
“We’ll get to know each other better.”
Her brows shot up. “We’re going out on a date?”
“Nothing so formal. I thought I’d show you around Romano Restoration. It took a lot of work to put everything in place without you being any the wiser. But I wished to surprise you by having it fully operational when I arrived. It helped that Ariana was in Italy so she didn’t accidentally let it slip.” He glanced down at himself and grimaced. “Going to Romano’s will also give me the opportunity to change since my apartment is above the office complex.”
He didn’t dare remain in her bedroom a moment longer. He retreated to the kitchen where he leaned against the counter and drank a second cup of coffee. Maybe it would help him regain his self-control. Because if he planned on spending any time around Gianna, he’d need every bit of it. To his relief, she didn’t keep him waiting for more than ten minutes.
She appeared downstairs wearing a casual pair of camel-colored slacks and a cream silk blouse. Not as attractive as the shift, but definitely safer. She’d secured her long, gold-streaked brown hair with a simple clip, the curls rioting down her back in joyous abandon. Her makeup was minimal, a touch of mascara and lipstick. She’d used a heavier hand with the blush, no doubt to hide the lingering paleness resulting from the events of the night before.
“I’m set,” she announced brightly. Her gaze swept over him and a broad grin spread across her mouth. “My, aren’t you looking…dissolute.”
He glanced down at the dress shirt and tux jacket he’d rescued from her bathroom floor. He suspected the wrinkles might be permanent. “It’s the new me. I call it my morning-after look. What do you think?”
“Very sexy.” She actually sounded like she meant it.
He dumped the dregs of his coffee in the sink and rinsed the mug. Turning, he held out his hand. She didn’t hesitate, but laced her fingers through his. Their palms melded and the burn from The Inferno flared to life, creating an undeniable heat, tightening the bond that had been created when they first met. Together they headed for the garage.
A few minutes later they were moving easily through the Sunday morning traffic toward Romano Restoration. He found a parking spot on the street, though he could have used the underground lot that serviced the building. This was just more convenient. They entered through the front door of the office complex and took the private elevator to the floors housing his company.
The doors parted and he gestured for her to take the lead. “Romano Restoration occupies the top four fl
oors plus the building’s penthouse suite,” he explained. “The lower floors handle the business side of the company—accounting, contracts, that sort of thing. The upper two levels deal with customer relations, and the more creative aspects. like architectural and interior design.”
A handful of lights sent a soft glow across the pearl-gray carpet, the cloudy morning leaving the remainder of the floor in silky shadow. Even in the dim light Constantine could see the questions building in Gianna’s expression. He kept his distance, careful not to touch her. If he made that mistake again, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her. And from there it would be a short, sweet step to making her his in every sense of the word.
“It’s very elegant,” she offered without hesitation. “I love the openness and the understated elegance. It really showcases your business.”
“Thanks.” He gestured toward the corner office. “That one’s mine.”
She immediately crossed to look. “Mmm. Nice.” She took a deep breath and swung to face him. He could see her steeling herself to say something, something he wouldn’t like. “Just one question…”
He tempted fate by taking a step in her direction and cut straight through to the heart of the matter—the issue that had hovered between them like an angry, black cloud ever since his return. The issue that had driven her into d’Angelo’s arms and come so close to ending in disaster.
“Why did I wait so long to return to you?” he asked. “Is that what you want to know?”
The question provoked an immediate reaction. The anguish filling her eyes threatened to snap his control. “You said you’d come back.”
“And I did.”
She shook her head, her mouth tightening. “It took too long. Far too long.”
“I came as soon as I could,” he argued.
“You never responded to my emails or phone calls. You actively discouraged our communicating and you flat-out refused to let me visit you in Italy.” She stepped closer. “Couldn’t we have done that much, at least?”
“I warned you about that. You agreed to it.” Didn’t she get it? “I didn’t dare communicate or visit. I sure as hell couldn’t have you with me in Italy. It would have distracted me and I’d never have gotten my business off the ground.”
Gianna swept a hand through the air to indicate the plush area around them. “You had time for this, though. You had time to build Romano Restoration into a going concern.”
“And why do you suppose I did that?” His accent thickened, just as his voice lowered. Darkened. “Why do you suppose I left you?”
“You said…” Her chin wobbled precariously for a brief instant before she clamped down on the helpless betrayal. “You claimed you weren’t in a position to support a wife, but that would change. I understand that you wanted to bring more to our relationship than just a name. I really do get that.”
“If you get it, then—”
She cut him off with a swift, chopping sweep of her hand. “You said soon.” Anger warred with her tears. “Damn it, Constantine, it’s been more than a year and a half. That isn’t soon.”
He couldn’t argue her point. Each month he’d been away from her had felt like a year. “I know, sweetheart. I really do. It couldn’t be helped. If there had been any other way—” he stopped her before she could speak “—any other way that I could have lived with, I’d have taken it. Please believe that.”
“I just wanted to be with you. We could have found a way, either in Italy or here.”
Gianna took another step in his direction, and Constantine clamped down on the clawing need to settle this once and for all in the most basic way possible. “As much as I wanted to be with you, I am not the sort of man who can live off the generosity of others. I watched my—” He broke off, switched gears more roughly than he’d have liked. “I’ve seen others live that way. But I won’t. Ever. You do understand that, don’t you?”
Her chin shot upward. “Do I understand that your pride is more important than anything else? You made that abundantly clear.”
His anger broke free. “How do you think I spent the past year and a half? When Lazz and Ariana married, I’d just scraped together enough money to launch my company in Firenze. I worked day and night to build a small, modest business into something prosperous enough that I could afford to relocate here. Do you think such a thing happens overnight? Do you think it easy to acquire the contracts necessary to give me the start I needed over here? Do you think I could have accomplished such a thing in nineteen short months if I hadn’t funneled every ounce of drive into my business?”
She moved closer still, everything about her impacting like a physical blow. Her sweet scent. Her generous curves. Her staggering beauty. “I could have worked with you,” she whispered. “Helped you.”
“Distracted me,” he corrected. “If I’d had you waiting in my bed I never could have accomplished a tenth of what I’ve been able to, because I never would have been willing to leave your arms.”
She smiled while tears of pain glistened in her green eyes. “Then we would have been poor. But at least we would have been together.”
He shook his head. “You must allow me to be a man, Gianna. You cannot control all things in this relationship.”
She stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”
He stared broodingly at his open hand. It never ceased to amaze him that there wasn’t a physical brand to mark the presence of this Inferno the Dantes generated. He ran his thumb across his palm in a habitual gesture. It didn’t matter how hard he rubbed, he could never erase what had been done to him.
“You started this the first time you touched me,” he informed her, holding out the hand she’d infected. “But I intend to finish it.”
She stilled, the prey sensing the predator for the first time. “How?”
Daring fate, he closed the remaining distance between them and laced their fingers together, used the pull of The Inferno to draw her in. “You made me yours. You caught me. It doesn’t matter whether you still want me or not. You initiated something that can’t be stopped with a simple, ‘I’ve changed my mind.’ It’s too late for that. You will be mine.”
Her mouth firmed. “You’re right. It is too late. I’m not someone you can simply pick up or set aside when the mood strikes you.”
“Did it sound like I was setting you aside when I proposed marriage?”
“You mean at the gala? You consider that a proposal of marriage?” she dared to scoff. “That was simply your clever way of removing the competition.”
“You mean David?”
“Of course I mean David.”
Constantine shook his head. “You know damn well he’s not my competitor and never could be.”
“We know that now,” she corrected.
“It still would have been a simple matter to get rid of him without proposing in front of your entire family.”
That gave her pause. “How?” she asked, genuinely curious.
He smiled tenderly. “Simply by being with you. David would have seen what everyone else sees whenever you and I are together. The very air around us is on the verge of bursting into flames whenever we touch. It isn’t something either of us can hide.”
“Try.”
“Damn it, Gianna!” He shot a hand through his hair. “What the hell do you want from me?”
“Nothing. I don’t want a thing from you.”
“And you call me proud.” Unable to help himself he swept her into his arms, praying his restraint wouldn’t snap. She might end up a bit ruffled and undone, but if he could rein in his self-control, it wouldn’t go any further than that. “I have spent endless months working night and day doing everything within my power to get back to you as quickly as possible.”
Tears welled in her eyes again. Tears of regret. “It’s been so long.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” He feathered a kiss across her mouth. Unable to resist, he deepened it. “I came back as soon as I could, I swear.”
He closed his eyes, her brutally frank words impacting like a blow. “I am so sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you. I have missed you beyond measure. But I am here now. Don’t let pride keep us apart any longer.”
Finally they had the privacy he needed to allow his hunger loose and he couldn’t take advantage of it, not after the promise he’d made to Primo. Or at least, not until Gianna had fully committed to him by allowing him to put his ring on her finger. He settled for another lingering kiss, one filled with promise. Filled with longing. A kiss that teetered on the edge of losing control. Her lips parted and her hands slid from his neck to fork deep into his hair, anchoring him in place. Her moan spoke of endless hunger, urging him to take that next, irrevocable step.
“We can’t,” he murmured against her mouth. “We need to take our time and do this the right way.”
To his relief, humor gleamed in her eyes in place of anger. “Do you think either of us is capable of that?”
“We better be or I’ll have a tribe of Dantes willing and able to take me apart.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“Are you saying you’re ready to wear my ring? To commit to marriage?” He didn’t need to hear her response. “No, I can see from your expression that you’re not.” He snatched a swift kiss, then set her firmly from him. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs. I need to change.”
He escorted her to his apartment and left her in the great room with its expansive view of the city while he disappeared in the direction of his bedroom to shave and change. He joined her a short time later and found her studying the 3D replica he’d made of the Diamondt building for his presentation to the family, along with a thick book of drawings and samples that detailed the various aspects of the renovation.
“This is gorgeous,” she marveled. “I love how you’ve melded their name with the updates to the building. Are these beveled diamond panes going to be made from leaded glass?”