by Chloe Blake
“Take off those hideous pants and put down the jacket.” He held his hand palm-up and flexed his fingers. “Never mind. Give them to me. I’ll have the concierge incinerate them.”
At the way his nostrils flared, she would’ve thought she’d insulted his mother. “No.”
“Kamilla.”
Did he think his overwhelming demeanor would work with her? She wasn’t one of the multitudes of people at the firm who feared him. She’d seen people drop their coffee when he used that tone. “Leonardo,” she returned in the same manner, adding her own intimidating glare.
The battle of wills could’ve lasted for the rest of their stay. Even with the five feet between them, his minty breath came out with such force that it brushed her cheek.
“Damn, stubborn woman,” came out low and distinct. The rest of his words were a jumble as he raked a hand over his brush cut.
“Fine. Since I know you have a birthday sometime this year, and you refuse, for some illogical reason to purchase a better snowsuit. I’ll buy you one.” He turned away as if he’d resolved the situation.
Her anger flared, making her see a red so vibrant, she swore she’d burst a blood vessel in her eye. She chased him into the living room. “Who the hell do you think you are? What makes you presume I’ll let you buy me anything? I’ll do with what I have or nothing at all.” She stepped up to him and poked his chest. Ignoring the pain in her finger, she stood on her toes so they’d be a little closer to being eye-to-eye. “I’ve been taking care of myself for years and will continue to do so until I die.” She swished a hand in the small space between them. “I don’t need your charity, Astacio, so you can take it and stick it up your—” She cut herself off as she whipped away from him toward the glass doors of the veranda.
His reflection stood beside her as the tension throbbed. His voice came out hushed. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Kamilla.” He blew out a breath. “Your life must’ve been tougher than you let on.”
Shoving down any trace of emotion, she looked him in the eyes through the glass. “The only thing that matters is that I survived.”
“For you to come as far as the woman standing before me, you thrived when others with more money, support and guidance may have failed.”
Her heart warmed and she bit her lip to stave off the burn behind her eyes.
“Since this is a company trip,” he said, “how about if we let the partners pay for your new snowsuit? And a pair of boots. Let’s not forget a hat that’s not used in burglary heists either.”
The corners of her lips tugged upward without her intention.
The gentleness of his voice made him unrecognizable from the gruff man she knew. “What do you say?”
Unsure now of how to answer, she remained silent.
“If you’re worried about never wearing it again, it’s not a problem. I have a feeling once you learn how to ski, you’ll be on the slopes every chance you get. Besides, I saw this suit with matching boots in the gift shop I know you’ll want on sight. If you don’t like it, we can go to the shopping center.”
She turned to face him. The hat flopped in Kamilla’s hands as she waved it. “How do you know I’ll like it?”
“Because it’s your favorite color. Turquoise.”
All of a sudden she had difficulty inhaling. He’d been paying attention to her. She rarely wore anything with a turquoise hue, except for the one silk blouse on occasion beneath her black suit. Yet she surrounded herself with the color. From her sea-green phone cover to her keychain. She still couldn’t believe he’d noticed.
Kamilla cleared her throat. “Fine. The company can buy me a new snowsuit.”
His smile set off a chain reaction of flips in her stomach. “Good. Now get out of those excessive noisemaker pants and let’s go.”
* * *
Leonardo’s heart had ached when he witnessed the pain in Kamilla’s eyes as she went off on him. What had she gone through in life to never be able to depend on anyone?
Holding him in her arms as they zoomed down the hill in a sleigh, he relished the way she squealed as they sped over a bump, flew for a second and then landed. At the base of the hill, she was all giggles as she tried to stand, stumbled and then landed on her back.
How come he hadn’t noticed before just how perfect she was? A little short-tempered, especially with him, yet just as quick to laugh, but not so much with him. He’d finally gotten to experience her free spirit and it made him feel as if he could soar.
Still smiling she stood and dusted snow from her new snowsuit. He’d been right about her loving the color turquoise and it looked great on her.
She started trudging up the hill.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked.
She looked back and pouted. “Are you sure you don’t want to drag it up this time? It would be the gentlemanly thing to do.”
He chuckled. “Since when do you expect that from me? We had a deal and it’s your turn.”
She scrunched her nose before returning, grabbing the rope of the sleigh and ascending the hill.
When had he last had so much fun? He couldn’t recall. Such a simple activity had elicited more laughter from him within a couple of hours than he’d done most of last year. It’s not just the activity, it’s the woman.
He snuck up behind her and swooped her up off her feet. Off guard, she dropped the rope and he swung her around until he became dizzy. She hung on tight and hooted. When he settled her onto the snow, she fell to the ground and rolled down the short distance they’d ascended. All the while her laughter touched something deep within him.
He needed more of this in his life. Fun. Spontaneity. Kamilla. He went to her, held his hand out and hauled her up.
Perhaps she was drunk on joy when she said, “I love this side of you.”
Before he could process the words, she placed her gloved hands on his shoulders and leaned into him. The brief touch of her lips against his didn’t satisfy. Before she could pull away and regret her impetuous maneuver, he tugged her in close and captured her mouth. The chill air disappeared as he warmed from the tips of his toes to the top of his head at her sensual response. Her moan exhilarated him as the initial coolness of her lips transitioned to warm and yielding. Lavender mingled with fresh air as he breathed her in, unable to get enough.
As he was about to deepen the kiss at her invitation of parted lips, the sound of people in various states of sledding enjoyment registered. With one last nibble on her bottom lip, he pulled away, mentally promising to return to them soon.
If either of them spoke, the moment would be ruined, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen. He grabbed the rope of the sleigh with one hand, took her hand with the other and then headed up.
Chapter 15
Kamilla tried in vain to settle the butterflies in her stomach as she knocked on Leonardo’s door. They’d only be going for lunch. She smoothed her moist palms down her pleated ankle-length black suede skirt. She’d paired it with an olive-green cable-knit sweater. It hadn’t escaped her that Leonardo liked green.
What had she been thinking when she’d instigated the most romantic kiss of all time? Happiness had overridden good sense as she’d risen on her toes to play with him a little more after getting up from the snow. She’d meant to give him a lighthearted peck to end a couple of hours of fun. He’d turned it into something much more passionate. Her face flushed as she recalled how the heat of his touch had boiled her blood when he’d captured her lips and did the most amazing things to them.
Their first kiss had been almost as perfect as the first time they’d made love. What did it mean? She wouldn’t delve too deeply into it other than acknowledging their bone-rattling attraction.
She’d seen a different side of him today. One she couldn’t resist. He’d laughed and had fun, ensuring that they’d enjoyed every moment together.
&nb
sp; He’d been born into a wealthy family, so what in the world did he have to worry about that made him such a hard man? She, like everyone else who gossiped about him, had always wondered what made him work as if his welfare depended on it. Or at all. No one had the courage to ask, nor the knowledge to speculate, so it remained one of those great mysteries.
Once again she found herself in unfamiliar territory with him and she didn’t know how to behave.
The door opened, releasing a waft of Leonardo’s unique scent. With nothing left to do, she held out her arms to the side. “I’m ready.”
How come she’d never seen the fine lines at the corners of his eyes before when he grinned? Because meteor showers happened more often. “So I see. I’ll be ready in a minute. I just have to put on my shoes.”
She pointed to the living room. “I’ll wait for you in there.” Why hadn’t she done that instead of knocking? Had she been so eager to see him?
He came out wearing dark gray pants and a pale orange sweater, which molded to his muscular torso.
She cleared her throat. “Thanks for carrying the sled up that last time. And for going sledding with me.” And for the kiss that had us melting the snow. “I had a good time.”
His wink pleased her. “You looked good doing it.”
Kamilla couldn’t deny how confident she’d felt wearing the turquoise and white-accented snowsuit. The price tag had sent her looking for another one, but he’d insisted. “Thanks.” She’d let him determine if the gratitude was for the suit or the compliment.
He held the door open for her with a look of concern. “Do you need your coat? We’ll have to walk outside to reach the dining room.”
Feeling bold and desiring his touch, she grabbed his heavy arm, draped it over her shoulder and then wrapped her arm around his waist. “You’ll keep me warm until we get there.” When had her voice ever sounded so sexy?
He closed the door and tucked her in close. “And it adds to the illusion of us being a couple.”
She was about to be disappointed at his response when he stopped and whispered in her ear. “You’re beautiful.” He traced his lips along her jaw until he met her lips. The kiss electrified her as she gripped the muscles of his back. When their tongues touched, she fell into him as her knees weakened. They explored each other for what seemed like forever, and just as she was about to suggest they return to the room so their bodies could get reacquainted, he pulled back.
He looked her in the eyes and she lost all sense of herself. He bent forward and kissed her on the forehead. She sighed at his sweetness before he draped his arm over her shoulders and led her to the dining room.
She had little doubt that before the week was through, she’d end up in his bed.
* * *
For the second time in a row, Leonardo must’ve unconsciously doubled his repetitions, because his biceps burned more than usual for being on the fourth count. Distracted by Kamilla slicing through the water as if she were an Olympic swimmer, he put down the weights. He admired her through the glass of the indoor pool. She must’ve done at least fifty laps.
When she lifted herself out, using only her upper body strength, he was glad he’d put the weights away. A broken foot may have resulted if he’d dropped one in his shock. Her body had no business being so amazing, especially not in a functional navy blue one-piece. He flexed his hands at the memory of squeezing her full hips as he drove—
He found himself inhaling chlorine fumes from the pool. How had he gotten to the other side of the glass?
Last night had been rough. After spending the afternoon together going through the files and discussing ways to impress the Singletons with no solid plan set, they’d gone for dinner and then ended up relaxing in front of the fireplace, talking for hours. By the time they’d decided to call it a night, when he’d reached his room and she’d left him for her own, he’d felt empty.
He brought himself back to the present. She wrapped the large towel around her chest, obscuring his view of her luscious curves. He stepped back so he wouldn’t rip the piece of terry cloth off her.
“Where did you learn to swim?”
“One thing about being poor is being able to attend the free summer camp at the Boys and Girls Club. At least back in my day, it was free.” Her face broke out into a smile as if pleasant memories had entered her mind. “They taught us everything from swimming to arts and crafts. Knowing how to swim came in handy my junior and senior years of high school, when I worked as a lifeguard as one of my jobs during the summer.”
He recalled how he’d been touring Europe and South America with his parents on his summer breaks once he’d finished his obligatory work at the Astacio head office. “What other work did you do?”
For a moment he thought she wouldn’t answer as she slipped on her flip-flops. “At this point I knew I wanted to go to college, but had no idea how much the government would pay, so I worked like a dog those summers. Lifeguarding during the day and working at Walmart as a cashier in the evenings.”
“When did you have fun?”
She scoffed as she tugged a long T-shirt over her head. The shirt hit mid-thigh when she removed the towel, and her sleek legs remained exposed. He tried to bring moisture to his mouth and blink like a normal person as she put on a pair of socks, boots and then her coat.
“There was no rest for the driven,” she answered. “I knew what I wanted and refused to let anything stand in my way.”
“To be a lawyer?”
Something in her dimmed smile saddened him. She turned and opened the heavy glass door leading outside the pool area to the hallway. “Freedom from the system.”
Captivated, he followed her out, leaving his uncompleted workout behind. He’d skip the five-mile jog for the day and pick up his coat later or have the concierge drop it off. He refused to miss the opportunity to learn more about Kamilla.
Pride filled him at everything she’d accomplished. “So now you’re a lawyer with a top firm and are out of the system.”
She’d forgotten to smooth down her hair after rubbing it dry and it stuck up in all directions, giving her a sexy mussed look. At the door leading outside, he smoothed it down for her, letting his fingers linger at the shorter hairs near the nape of her neck as he stared into her eyes. One more taste.
His hand hovered when Kamilla stepped beyond the range of his greed. He let his arm drop to his side with regret at the loss of her touch. Being underdressed for the weather, they jogged to their chalet.
Once inside she turned to him. “Did you pay for your Yale education?”
“My parents did.”
Resting against the wall, she crossed her arms over her chest. “The government paid for my undergraduate degree, including housing, at Cleveland State University. I provided for my living expenses with the money I’d earned with my jobs. Law had always been my passion. No one could tell me I wasn’t going to be a lawyer. I made sure I got excellent grades in college and applied for every single scholarship in existence and received a couple.”
Kamilla held him enthralled with her story. “I was no longer a minor in the system, so the government didn’t owe me anything. But they did assist me with some financial aid to Harvard, which included a work-study program during the semester. By the time I left law school, I owed seventy-five thousand dollars in student loans.”
He’d heard even more horrific stories about paying back accrued student loans, so the amount didn’t shock him. A couple of the pro bono cases he’d handled over the years had dealt with bankruptcy stemming from student loans that had snowballed.
What would she say if she knew about the free law advice he provided? If she ended up believing him, she’d most likely snicker and tell him it was his moral obligation to help those less fortunate. He’d agree with her 100 percent.
She sighed. “I don’t have to tell you that money is power. I never h
ad either growing up.”
Did she really see herself as powerless? Afraid she’d stop speaking, he kept his mouth shut.
Kamilla crossed her never-ending legs at the ankles. “During my junior year in high school, a friend of my foster father offered me a deal. He said he’d give me anything I wanted. With the expensive cars he drove and the flashy jewelry dripping from his neck, hands and ears, I believed him. The catch being that I had to work for him.”
Leonardo’s jaw clenched as anger inflamed the back of his neck in anticipation of her next words.
“All I had to do was sleep with him. And anyone he set me up with.”
Putting a hole through the wall wouldn’t obliterate her past. Finding the bastard and kicking the life out of him sounded like a better idea. Kamilla’s hand on his chest brought him back to her. Her eyes, usually bright and so full of life, had darkened in their dullness.
“What happened?”
“I told my social worker. She pulled me out of the house, and then had both my foster parents and the man investigated. The couple turned out to be innocent, but the guy went to jail after being discovered as a pimp to minors.”
He pulled her into a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around his waist and clung. The scent of chlorine seeped into him. “I’m sorry you had to go through such a rough childhood.”
“It made me stronger.” She pushed away and slapped his arm. “Better able to deal with bullies like you.”
He rested his hands on her shoulders and massaged. “I’m not a bully.”
She moaned and lowered her head, allowing his ministrations. “If you say so. How the hell did I get to telling you my life story?”
He slid his fingers up along her neck. “Money and power.”