by L. M Anthony
“No,” I said, trying my hardest not to laugh. The mistake, oddly enough, made me feel lighter, as though Chiara was reminding me that it could be worse. “She’s interested in another man.”
“Oh!” Chiara said, and then laughed out loud, not embarrassed in the slightest. “Well, you still have a shot then! We just have to make her see that you’re the better choice.” She paused. “Unless the other man is a good guy; then I’d feel bad about ripping them apart.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Judging by the twinkle in Chiara’s eyes, she had been aiming to lighten the mood all along.
“He’s definitely not a good guy,” I assured her, chuckling. “My friend even warned me about him.” My smile slowly fell. “It worries me.”
Chiara and Pietro exchanged glances.
“I’m sure Laura will figure out what sort of man he is,” Chiara said after a moment. “You just have to do what you can to show her that you’re a better option.”
I hated to say it, but that had been my goal today. As underhanded as it was, I knew I would be better for Laura than Lorenzo was, and today likely went a long way to showing her that. I shared Laura’s interests, I was courteous to her, and we enjoyed each other’s company. I still don’t know if she felt anything for me beyond the friendship I’d started to cultivate with her, but I also knew that there was something there between us. Some sort of connection that we could both feel.
I just wasn’t sure what it would mean for the two of us, yet.
“Things will work out, Matteo,” Chiara said confidently. “You’ll see.”
“Thanks,” I said to the two of them. “You two should head home. It’s getting late.”
Pietro inclined his head toward me.
“Have a good night, sir,” he said.
“Goodnight, Matteo!” Chiara said cheerfully.
I saw them both to the door and watched as they split to go to their respective cars. I leaned in the doorway, staring out at the night long after they had both gone, adjusting once more to the silence after a long day in the company of other people. It occurred to me that since this was the third day off I had taken, I really needed to get on my computer and see how things were holding up.
But I could probably take care of that tomorrow. Right now, I still feel content from the wonderful day I had with Laura, and I was more than ready to head to bed. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned as I headed back inside.
Perhaps, I decided as I walked into the kitchen, I would give it a day or two, giving Laura a chance to hang out with Dina. Then I would see if she wanted to spend some time with me again. As much as I wanted to monopolize her time, I didn’t want to get between her and Dina, especially since the dark-haired woman had been trying so hard to make opportunities for me.
As I flicked the switch on the kettle, thinking to take a cup of tea with me to bed, I heard my phone ring on the kitchen table where I had left it. Wondering who would be calling me at this time of night, I picked up the phone. I frowned when I saw it was an unfamiliar number.
I was tempted to just ignore it. But my phone wasn’t telling me that it was spam. Maybe it was from an overseas partner who’d forgotten about time zones?
“Pronto,” I said, picking it up.
There was a moment of silence. Then…
“Matteo.” I straightened as I recognized Laura’s voice. But something was wrong; it sounded like she was crying. “It’s me, Laura.”
“Laura, it’s late. Is everything alright?” I asked, instantly switching to English.
My alarm rose at the sound of a badly suppressed sob.
“No,” she said softly, and I inhaled sharply.
“Would you like me to come and get you?” I asked.
“Yes, please,” she said, sniffling.
Not a good sign; something had gone very wrong.
“Wait outside for me,” I said to her. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, and then hung up.
I lowered my phone. Then, with barely a pause, I strode toward the garage, snatching a random pair of keys from the rack. I didn’t know what was going on.
But that didn’t matter. Laura needed help, and I was going to give it to her.
Chapter Eleven
Laura was standing outside when I pulled up at the driveway, shivering in the cold. She was pale and her eyes were red. It reminded me, abruptly, of finding her on the beach the other night. I was even more concerned to see a packed suitcase beside her.
What had happened? Reminding myself not to ask questions just yet, I jumped out of the driver’s seat, leaving the car running.
“Here,” I said to her, picking up the suitcase. “Hop inside.”
Laura nodded silently and slipped into the passenger seat as I put her suitcase in the car. It was heavy, which meant that it was fully packed. I got back behind the wheel and drove away, burning with questions but not daring to ask any of them.
Finally, though, I needed to ask at least one. I glanced at her and saw that she was looking out the window.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “Are you hurt?”
I was more relieved than I could say when she shook her head.
“No,” she said, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m just an idiot.”
I gripped the steering wheel tightly. If this had something to do with Lorenzo, I was going to wring the bastard’s neck.
Laura didn’t look up until I drove into the large garage. Slowly, she got out of the car, eyeing the Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio and the Lamborghini Veneno that was parked there before pausing on the Bugatti, which she recognized.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Right… I hadn’t explained this yet. I coughed awkwardly.
“This is my house,” I said, resolutely not looking at her.
I could feel her staring at me as I led the way inside. I knew my home was large, and I saw her falter slightly as she took in the massive size of it, as well as the gleaming, expensive furniture. I led the way upstairs, heading up until we got to the top floor. Only then did I stop, looking anywhere other than at her.
“These are the bedrooms,” I said, eyes fixed on a point above her head. “The door at the end is mine. You can pick any of the other rooms to stay in, they’re all furnished.”
“Right…” she said slowly. She didn’t look upset anymore, which was a plus, but she was scanning her surroundings with a thoughtful look. “This place is magnificent, Matteo. And all those cars were yours.” She looked at me. “Just what is your job?”
I cringed slightly. I probably should have told her this before.
“I… own the Belle Rouge Company,” I offered.
I’d half hoped that she wouldn’t know what that was. But she paled, and I realized that, of course, she had heard of it.
“The largest wine distributor in Italy?” she gasped. “You must be some sort of billionaire!”
She looked at me like she was expecting me to laugh. But I didn’t. How could I? It was the truth. Laura stared at me in slowly dawning comprehension.
“Oh my god,” she breathed.
“I didn’t want you to think differently of me,” I explained awkwardly, hoping she wasn’t mad that I’d kept this from her. “I’d hoped I could tell you myself in different circumstances.”
Laura blinked, and then she grimaced.
“I’m sorry for forcing your hand,” she said.
I glanced at her. She was genuine. Something warm curled up in my stomach; I wasn’t wrong in trusting this woman, after all. I gave her a small smile.
“You needed help,” I said in return. “That was much more important to me.”
Tears formed in her eyes again.
“Thank you,” she said. She gave me a weak smile. “You’re some huge distributor of wine and you haven’t even offered me a glass?”
The sudden joke surprised a laugh out of me, and I found myself relaxing. She really didn’t care. She was even making
jokes about it. I knew then that I was never going to let Laura go if I ever managed to get her into my arms.
“Would you like some?” I asked. “I have my own company’s beverages here, much better than the drivel they were offering at that party.”
“What sort of wine does your company make?” she asked me curiously.
I opened my mouth to answer, but my phone rang for the second time that night. Irritated, I glanced at it, this time recognizing the number.
“Excuse me, this is business,” I said to Laura apologetically.
“At this time of night?” she asked.
“A lot of my business partners are foreign,” I explained, picking up the phone and continuing to speak in English. I recognized the number as belonging to one of my American partners. “Yes?”
“Mr. Ricci, we’re just calling about the contracts,” the voice on the other end said. “We were expecting to receive them yesterday. I also hoped to speak to you about moving the distribution date up, perhaps to Sunday?”
I frowned. I hated it when people tried to change my plans; it messed everything up.
“The distribution will be done on Tuesday, no earlier,” I said firmly.
“Mr. Ricci, we’ve had a larger order than expected, and we want to be able to offer our customers their product at the earliest possible convenience.”
“I understand,” I said. “But this was the agreed-upon date by us. It is impossible to move that date now, as the wines are not yet ready to be sent. The earliest I could send them would be tomorrow, and they would arrive on Tuesday, as scheduled.”
The man on the other end scoffed.
“If your contracts had been sent earlier, we could have renegotiated before now,” he said accusingly.
Apparently, I’m not allowed to have a life that doesn’t involve work. I scowled.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” I said coldly. “But we can only follow the originally agreed-upon dates as written down in the contract.”
“Fine,” the man snapped. “See to it that the contracts arrive tomorrow and that the wines are sent as scheduled.”
Had this man forgotten he was speaking to the owner of the business? My eyes narrowed. I would need to find out his name.
“Very well,” I said briskly. “Thank you for your time.”
I hung up the phone, angry.
“Did you lose a client?” Laura asked.
I smiled wryly at her. I almost wished I had considering how much trouble this new distribution was giving me. It almost wasn’t worth the headache.
“No,” I said. “They cannot afford to lose our company. They had to agree to the original stipulations, which was that their delivery would arrive on Tuesday. It was ridiculous for them to call me tonight and demand that it would arrive two days earlier, especially when they are not prepared to pay the exorbitant express fees.” Laura looked a little lost, so I shook my head. “Sorry, it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
Laura gave me a small smile, and I turned to face the rooms.
“Which room would you like?” I asked.
“This one will do,” she said, tapping the nearest door.
I dropped her suitcase outside the door.
“Good,” I said. “Please, let me know if you need anything at all. I’m just down the hall.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Sensing that my company wasn’t wanted any longer, I turned and walked down the hall. I could feel Laura watching me until I disappeared into my room.
Only then did I finally stop and breathe in deeply. This was not how I had expected tonight to go.
***
Three hours later, I was still awake and no longer tired. It was hard to sleep knowing that Laura was just down the hall. I almost wanted to shake the answers out of her. Why was she here? What had happened to her? Where did Lorenzo fit into all this? And where was Dina?
Instead, I tried to immerse myself in a book, hoping to read until I was tired enough to sleep. I managed well enough until I heard a soft knock on the door. There was only one person it could be.
“Come in,” I said, slowly setting my book down. What did Laura want?
The door opened slowly, and Laura slipped inside. She was wearing a nightgown and a robe, which hung loosely from her shoulders. The sight of it made interest stir in my groin, and I tried hard to focus only on her face.
“Laura?” I asked with honest concern. There was a strange look on her face. “Is everything alright?”
“Of course,” she said with a nod.
Laura hesitated and then slowly walked toward me. Something was strange. She looked oddly nervous, as though she still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She was walking with a sensual swing of her hips, and I couldn’t help but watch the movement.
My shoulders tensed as she reached my beside, not sure what was happening. Laura paused and then leaned forward to gently cup my cheeks in her hands. Part of me felt like I should stop her, but I was frozen in place as she slowly kissed me.
Her lips moved gently on mine, and the array of emotions that exploded in me at her touch was almost overwhelming. I could feel her trembling, and then she pulled away, drawing in a deep breath.
My mind was spinning. What had just happened? No, why had that just happened?
“Laura?” I asked
Laura looked down at me. Then she sat on the side of my bed. I knew my expression must be stern, demanding answers.
“Matteo, I don’t really know what I want,” she said, correctly guessing what I wanted to ask. “I don’t even completely know what I’m feeling right now. But I know I want you. There are all these emotions that I have when I think about you, and I want to explore what they mean.”
I wanted to believe her. But…
“Is this about Lorenzo?” I asked.
She didn’t look surprised at the question.
“No,” she said firmly. “I…don’t know how to explain it. Lorenzo was… He was a distraction, I guess. But if I had to choose who I would want to spend time with, it’s you every time, Matteo.”
I shifted closer to her. She was watching me with intense eyes. I had seen that look on her before when I saw her staring at Lorenzo.
“What feelings were you talking about?” I asked in a low voice.
I reached out to put a hand on her cheek, and her eyes fluttered closed at my touch. My heart rate picked up. This was really happening.
“I want to know more about you,” she whispered. “I want to talk to you more, pick your brain about Italian history, maybe even watch you more as you run your company. It’s so fascinating, watching you and speaking with you.” She opened her eyes to look at me. “I knew what I felt for Lorenzo wasn’t real. But, with you, it’s so real, it’s scary. I don’t know why I’m so intrigued by you. But I can’t pull away. Now I’m done running away from it. I want to know what it is about you that captures my attention so strongly.”
It was perfect. I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in and kissing her, this time fiercely. I needed to feel the truth of what she was saying. Laura readily submitted, her tongue tangling with mine, and her hands clutched my shoulders, nails digging into my skin. My hands found her hips and I tugged her forward, suddenly desperate to feel her closer to me.
I could feel that she was serious about this. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. I didn’t know what would happen in the morning, but I couldn’t bring myself to care as she rose herself up on her knees, pushing even closer to me before I broke the kiss, needing air.
“Are you sure?” I asked roughly.
She met my eyes.
“Yes,” she said seriously.
There was no lie in her gaze. She knew what she wanted. Maybe this was to do with Lorenzo, but I didn’t pin Laura as the type of girl who would sleep with another man to get back at someone. No, she was here because she wanted to be.
Then, suddenly, she paused and leaned forward, resting her head on my shoulder.
/> “You need to know,” she said slowly. “I’m a virgin.”
My breath caught. Somehow, this made everything better and worse; better because Laura wanted me to be her first, and worse because it meant that Lorenzo, the bastard, had been taking advantage of someone who had no experience.
“This is your first?” I asked, needing to make sure this was okay. “Are you really sure about this?”
“Completely,” she said, smiling.
She trusted me. The realization was heady. I kissed her again, pouring everything into it; all the hopes I had that this could work out, that I could trust her in return. There was something deeper here, a feeling that stirred in my chest, but I pushed it aside for now, knowing that now was not the time to acknowledge it.
Laura reached out and tugged at my loose sleep shirt. She tugged it over my arms and head, then dropped it over the side of the bed. Trying to calm my ragged breaths, I slowly slid the robe that Laura was wearing over her shoulders, revealing silky skin, and I lowered it as I brushed my hands against her breasts, and then cupped them when she gasped. In response, she bit my collar, and my body jolted at the spark of electricity that flowed through me.
“You’re amazing, Laura,” I groaned. “So beautiful.”
Laura made a sound but didn’t look up as she bit and sucked on my neck. It was definitely going to leave a mark, and I could feel the dull throb of it when she pulled away. Tomorrow, when I looked in the mirror, I would see the bruise and be reminded of this moment.
Overcome with desire at the thought, I pulled on the hem of Laura’s nightgown, feeling the smooth skin of her thighs as I did. Realizing what I intended, Laura lifted herself up further on her knees, allowing me to slowly reveal her body as I pulled the nightgown up, raising her arms up so I could remove it entirely. Then, she was in front of me, bare but for her panties, and the sight was breathtaking.
“Sei una meraviglia,” I whispered, slipping into my native language.
She shivered, and I picked up on it immediately. It seemed that she liked the sound of the Italian language falling from my lips.
“What does that mean?” she asked.