Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) (17 page)

 
“
Dio
!” Mr. Torino
exclaimed when she finally reached them, his eyes hanging as wide as his mouth.

The man standing next to Allan turned around. His
eyebrows jumped up to his hair line as he swallowed hard, his eyes moving
slowly from the tip of her exposed toe, lingering on her chest before they
moved up to her face.

Oh yeah, I
like this response!

She stopped, her smile growing to a grin as she waited
for Allan to turn around.

“What?” Allan asked taking a sip of his drink before
looking over his shoulder. His eyes bulged out and he began coughing.

Riana asked for a glass of water from the bartender.
She handed it to Allan who was still looking at her like she’d walked in naked—well,
she was a little exposed. But not naked.

He took a few gulps, his eyes still moving over her.
“Fuck, Riana!”

She took the glass away from him and placed it on the
counter. “Language, Allan.”

“
Signorina
Albury
!” The man
standing with them exclaimed like she wasn’t what he expected.

Riana almost asked ‘who else do you think I am’
instead she said, “
Si, Signore
, but
you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know who you are.”

He chuckled and turned to Allan. “Naïve and sweet,
huh
?” He shook his head and turned back
to her, holding out his hand. “Dante Vittorio, Sinclair’s lawyer—here in Italy
at least.”

Riana placed her hand in his and smiled at him. “I
should have recognized your voice. You are always on the phone with Allan. It’s
a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Mr. Vittorio winked at her with a lopsided grin. “Oh,
the pleasure is all mine.”

“Dante, don’t you have a wife?” Allan spoke harshly.

He laughed. “I do. But she looks nothing like this.”

“Dante, do you like your job?”

Mr. Vittorio raised his hands up in surrender and took
a step back.

Riana sighed. He was the Neanderthal. She moved to Mr.
Torino and kissed his cheek then looped her arm through his. “And how are you
tonight,
Signore
Torino?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Amused and slightly
frightened.” He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. “Very dangerous
game you are playing,
bella
mia
.”

Riana shrugged innocently. “You should blame
Guliana
, the stylist Allan hired. She was very insistent on
seeing her vision through.”

Mr. Torino laughed, his head tossed back. “You had no
choice but to do as she asked, yes?”

She shrugged again shaking her head. “Temperamental
artists—there is no reasoning with them.”

“Aren’t you an artist as well?” Allan lashed out. His
jaw was so tightly clenched, she was sure it would snap soon. And that amused
her—the man was so jealous he was losing his temper.

 
“I’m more of a
passionate artist, Allan,” she purred, giving him the most seductive look she
could master.

Mr. Torino shook his head. “Just like my Mariana. A
very passionate artist and she also liked playing games to make my blood boil.
Signore
Sinclair, I envy you. What I
would give to have those days back.”

Riana watched the sadness settle on Mr. Torino’s face
and she felt her tears threaten. This man deserved so much, and to lose his
dream just because of his children’s poor management just pissed her off!

She kissed his cheek. “How about you show me more of
Mariana. You did promise.”

He smiled and patted her hand. “You said that well.
She might be gone, but she is still here in her art. Come, I’ll walk you around
the dining room and show you all her paintings.”

“Just a minute,” Allan said softly. He stepped closer
to them and kissed her lightly on her lips. “Like I said…your beautiful heart…”
he whispered in her ear before he pulled away. Her heart swelled just hearing the
pride in his voice. “Mr. Torino, I leave her to you only for dinner then I’m
taking her back. I can’t complete with a sweet old man and beautiful art.”

Mr. Torino shook his finger at Allan. “Sweet and old
but still able to seduce a woman.”

Riana chuckled. “Let’s go,
Signore
Torino, before Allan changes his mind and ties me to
himself.”

* * * *

Allan walked behind Riana and Mr. Torino as they took
a turn around the spacious dining room that seemed to double as an art gallery.
The art exclusively belonging to Mariana.

He felt for the old man, having lost the love of his
life and being left alone with selfish, self-centered children.

God, Allan still couldn’t believe Anthony had actually
threatened Riana. He suddenly wished he hadn’t controlled his temper and just
let the little fuck have it. But he didn’t want to aggravate him and have Riana
pay for his temper. He felt
that
for
her too much to have her harmed.

Allan rubbed his chest.
Damn, why do I feel like my chest just gained twenty pounds?

“Are you all right?”

Allan turned to Dante and nodded.

“Not to worry. Anthony is nothing but a harmless puppy
throwing a tantrum. The contract has already been signed, the funds will be
transferred in two days, and the only thing that will be left is for you to
officially take over.”

Allan sighed. “I know that. I’m not worried about the
deal.”

Allan watched as Riana laughed and the beautiful
melody carried throughout the room, turning some heads. The men leered at her
like she was some prized steak and the women glared at her with hate in their
eyes. Allan chuckled. If they only knew how harmless she really was.

Actually, that was wrong. There was nothing harmless
about Riana judging by how she made Allan feel. He was trapped in her inner and
outer beauty, and the fact that she cared more about the little things, unlike
everyone else he’d met, including himself, who cared about the big things and
disregarded the little stuff was what made her even more attractive.

She found more beauty in the stroke of a paint brush
than all the diamonds he could ever give her. For once in his life, he was
stuck not knowing how to please a woman.

“She is a beauty. Where did you find her?”

Allan clucked his tongue. “You make it sound like she
is a lost kitten I picked up on the side of the road.”

“More like a beautiful flower you plucked from a
garden you had no business being in.”

Allan stopped walking. “What?”

Dante shrugged. “It’s very clear she isn’t from your
world. Even though she’s dressed like a supermodel, she is not of our selfish,
cutthroat, money hungry world. She is too gentle and her heart is still warm
and not cold like most women in this room. It is clear to me she dresses up for
you.”

 
Allan began
walking again. He couldn’t argue with that. “I don’t make her dress like this
every day. In fact, she got me out of my suit and even got me to walk around
barefoot once, in a garden.”

Dante chuckled. “I’m sure she did.” They were silent
for a while before he spoke again, “Von won’t let Anthony get close to her. You
have my word.”

Allan rubbed his chest again. The heavy feeling was
back. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’d rather have her as far away
from here as possible before Anthony finds out his father already signed over the
Casa
Italiano
franchise to me.”

“So you’ll send her back to America?”

He nodded solemnly. “The day after tomorrow.”

Dante clapped his back. “I’m sorry, my friend.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Allan and Dante began walking toward them as Mr.
Torino stopped at a large table in the exclusive corner set out for important
guests. He pulled out a chair for Riana and she took it. Her slit parted to
expose her leg right up to her thigh and Allan groaned loudly.

How was he supposed to sit next to her and eat with
that leg taunting him?

“
Dio
mio
!” Dante exclaimed next to him.

“What?” Riana looked from him to Dante as she pulled
the dress to cover her leg. It stayed put for a while before it fluidly slipped
off her leg like water against marble.

Oh damn!

Mr. Torino chuckled, and Dante groaned, his eyes
riveted on her leg.

Allan cursed, quickly taking the seat next to her
teasing leg and placing the napkin from the table to cover her thigh.

She looked at him with a quirked brow before she
smiled that ‘oh, not so innocent’ teasing smile and said, “Oops!”

“Yeah right, little witch!”

Dante took the seat next to him laughing. “Remind me
to send
Guliana
a thank you gift basket.”

“Remind me to send
Guliana
a
pink slip,” Allan grumbled.

Riana giggled and cupped his cheek in her hand. “No,
you won’t. She was going for a specific reaction from you, and I think she
accomplished it. Her masterpiece was a success.”

Allan leaned in close and whispered, “Her master piece
is about to be
ravished
under this
table if she doesn’t quit teasing me.”

Riana’s eyes widened and she dropped her hand, quickly
picking up the menu. “Let’s order!” she squeaked.

Mr. Torino laughed taking the seat at Riana’s other
side. “Yes, let’s order. I don’t believe my children will come.”

Riana held his hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep you
entertained.”

Just then, a waiter walked to the table with a bottle
of wine, “
Signorina
,
this is for you, our most expensive bottle. Compliments of the gentlemen’s
table over there.” He pointed to their right and the entire table of five men
waved at her.

Allan fumed. What right did they have to send
his
girlfriend a bottle of wine? He
should go over there and beat them with it!

She waved back, smiling. “
Gratzie
, but please take it back.”

The waiter’s brows furrowed. “
Signorina
?”

Riana placed her hand on the inside of Allan’s diner
jacket and rubbed his chest as if she were trying to calm him. It calmed him
all right, but she noticed it also quickly turned him on as her soft touch
teased his
pec
. She knew he wouldn’t make it through
dinner without turning into a caveman and dragging her off if she kept this up.

“I really do appreciate it, but if I take that bottle
the saying ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ will not apply to you.”

“
Scusi
?”

“Take the bottle back or I’m going to beat you with
it!” Allan gnashed out. He kept his voice cool and low enough to deliver the
threat in a way the guy would receive it loud and clear.

The waiter took a giant step back, the bottle held
tightly to his chest his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Allan. Yes, he
got the message.

Mr. Torino dismissed him and the waiter scampered
away. “Yes, watching your man control his jealousy will be very entertaining.”

“Yes, it is.”

Allan felt his temper rise at the sound of the new
voice, even more so when Riana’s hand fisted in his shirt. Her head was turned
toward Allan, but her eyes were cast down as she chewed on her lower lip.
Anthony made her nervous.

“So good of you to join us Anthony, Antonia,” Mr.
Torino spoke in a scolding tone as the two took their seats opposite Allan and
Riana.

“Sorry we got delayed. I had to buy a new dress,”
Antonia answered seductively and Allan knew that tone was directed at him.

He didn’t look at her. He kept his gaze on Riana.

The woman was not going to let up. If he hadn’t met
Riana, he would have taken what she was offering as a bribe and still would
have taken the hotel from them. He was that much of bastard around women like
her.

Allan caressed Riana’s cheek with his knuckles and she
looked up at him. He pulled her lower lip free with his thumb, leaned over,
kissed her lightly on the lips, and then turned to whisper in her ear, “Pretend
they are not here and have fun with Mr. Torino. We’ll leave right after.”

He leaned back to catch her smile. She nodded then
turned to Mr. Torino. “So, Tony, what would you recommend?”

Before he could answer, Antonia spoke. “A salad for
you. Just because you are a tourist doesn’t mean you have to eat everything you
see.”

Allan fisted his hand over the table. This woman was
getting on his last nerve!

Riana shrugged. “Well that must mean I’m getting
better. And either way, I don’t care much about weight. I have more important
things in life to think about.”