Secrets and Seduction Las Vegas (Sexy Italian Imports Book 1) (7 page)

Valerie flipped to a blank page of her notebook. “What’s this about?”

Betina glanced at him, then back at Valerie. “I want you to work with Antonio to find the blackmailers.”

“Why me?” Her voice sounded tense. “Why don’t you work with him yourself?”

He cleared his throat. “We need a psychological view on what’s been happening. We’ve made lists of people we suspect—”

“I have to stop you,” Valerie snapped. “You don’t need a psychologist. You need a private investigator.”

“I’ve tried that.” He watched Valerie’s too-pale face. “They’re still working for me but aren’t finding anything.”

She shook her head. “I really can’t be involved in this any further.”

“Please? Betina whined. Just meet with Antonio to discuss it, as a favor to your favorite cousin.” She brushed her hair back dramatically. “I can’t risk hiring an investigator. And I’m filming on location for the next two months. I’d like to know someone is working on this for me.”

Valerie sat quietly for a few seconds then nodded once at him and looked at Betina. “This was his idea, wasn’t it.” She said “his” like she was referring to a snake. Sitting rigidly in her chair, her lips pressed tightly together. She wouldn’t look him in the eye.

He stared at her. He didn’t like being spoken about as if he wasn’t in the room. If the actress wasn’t here, he’d—

Betina turned to him. “Would you please give us a minute?”

He took a breath and got up. Valerie didn’t glance at him. She was pissed at him, but he wasn’t too happy himself. He went out to the waiting room and paced. Why was he trying so damn hard to get Valerie’s attention? Women came on to him every day. Why did this one—this irritating, frustrating, overanalyzing girl—get him so hot, sexually and emotionally?

“Damn.” She’d done nothing wrong. She didn’t deserve his anger. He clenched his jaw. Yeah, he had anger issues. Anyone living the bizarre double life he led would have anger issues. But the rage he felt was directed inward. He just took out his frustration on everyone who crossed his path, like Valerie.

Within five minutes, Betina came out smiling. “She’ll call you.”

“Hm. I’m impressed. How did you do it?”

She shrugged. “Bribery. I told her I’d show up at her next fundraiser.”

“That’s all?”

“No. With Valerie, there’s always more.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

She laughed. “I’m donating a boatload of money to the runaway shelter, too. So…” She poked a finger into Antonio’s chest. “…don’t biff this, okay?”

He smiled. “Don’t worry. I know exactly how to handle Dr. Kane.”

****

Valerie sat on her patio, sipping a Cosmo and watching the lights of the city pop on, one casino at a time, as dusk overtook the valley. She looked at her cell phone and sighed. After she made this call, her life would change. Was she ready?

She’d agreed to go along with Betina’s scheme, but only because she was lonely the last few days. And the man she missed was Antonio.

With vodka calming her nerves, she called him. “Hi. It’s Valerie.”

“
Ciao, bella
.”

“
Ciao, bischero
.”

“Jerk? Where did you learn to swear in Italian?”

“College.” She laughed. “Not the swearing, the language.”

“Accept my apology?”

She’d make him work for it. “For what?”

“For calling you a bitch, threatening you, and harassing you at Caesars. Anything else you can think of?”

Her mouth curved into a little smile. “A few things, but you hit the major points.”

“Yeah, you seem like the type to keep score.”

Her brow furrowed. “Hey, you’re the one who called me three days ago, and then, when I didn’t call back, you barge into my office with some bogus plot to solve the crime.”

“It’s not bogus. I’m committed to figuring this out, Valerie. No matter how many hours we have to spend together.” His voice rumbled over the phone, as though he were murmuring in her ear. “Long nights with each other, working closely, sharing ideas, coming to conclusions.”

Her eyes drifted closed. “Mm hm.” That voice alone could give her a spontaneous climax.

“We’ll collapse, exhausted, into your bed, but something will keep us awake. Something between us that we can’t deny.”

A vision of him pressing her down onto the mattress, his hand sliding up under her shirt. God, she wanted— “No.” Her eyes popped open. She couldn’t be with him while she was dating Troy. That was an absolute.

“No?” He chuckled. “You want to fall into
my
bed instead?”

“No, I mean I’m seeing someone. If we meet, it has to be completely business. Agreed?”

He paused for a moment. “Agreed.”

“And you have to promise to stop provoking me.”

“I don’t know. It’s become second nature to me.”

“Do you want me to hang up?” She smiled and ran her fingertip around the edge of the glass.

“I promise to behave.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“If that’s an invitation, I’m on my way—”

Despite wanting nothing more than Antonio here, now, she found the strength to deny herself. “No, you’re not. If I consent to work with you, we’ll meet in a public place.”

“Like a hotel room?” Seduction softened his voice.

“Like a restaurant. A busy, well-lit restaurant.”

“I understand,
cara mia
, you don’t trust yourself alone with me.” He laughed.

A tingle ran up her spine. “Exactly.” Her voice dripped sarcasm to cover the sudden flare of desire. “And I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Feel free to do so at any time.”

“Can we be serious, please?” And this was serious. They could both be in danger if things didn’t go well finding the blackmailer.

“All right. Where and when?”

“Lunch tomorrow?” She tried to think of a well-lit, busy restaurant. “Batista’s?”

“Perfect. Noon tomorrow,
bella
.”

“
Ciao
.” She set down her phone, picked up her drink, and sat back, breathing in the scent of night-blooming flowers. Relaying their conversation in her mind, she vowed to make their interactions more pleasant from now on. She wanted to get to know him before she let him into her life.

Funny, she did want him in her life. She sipped her martini and followed the beam of light from the Luxor up into the night sky. But what did
he
want?

****

At noon the next day, Valerie pulled her convertible into the lot at Batista’s and parked next to a sexy red Ferrari convertible. It had to be his—no stereotyping involved—the license plate read “Tonio.”

She took off the band holding her braid, ran her fingers through her hair and checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror. Nervous energy sluiced through her as she stepped out of her car. She took a deep breath. This was just a business lunch—with the hottest man under the Vegas sun.

She walked into the landmark restaurant and blinked to adjust her eyes to the dark interior. Antonio and the host stood conversing in Italian, but both men stopped and smiled when they saw her. She’d dressed casually in a red floral sundress and strappy sandals, but Antonio was in his standard jeans and T-shirt.

“Valerie.” Antonio took her hand and kissed her fingers softly. His eyes met hers over their joined hands, and he nipped her knuckle.

“Bad,” she whispered, but she smiled as she took her hand back.

“Always,” he answered and held her elbow.

Troy had held her the very same way three days before. Was Antonio making a statement?

To the host, he said, “Table for two, please.”

They slid into the maroon vinyl seats of a booth at the front windows, and he glanced out at the parking lot.

“Your Ferrari?” she asked.

“Yes. My baby.” His smile looked a little embarrassed. “I had her built and shipped over last year.”

“Beautiful. Fast?”

“Too fast.”

“Just like her owner?” She smiled.

He raised an eyebrow. “I thought we weren’t going to provoke each other,
bella
.”

“No, I said
you
were not to provoke
me
.”

He laughed. “But it’s okay for you to?”

“I was teasing, not provoking. There’s a difference. Subtle but definite.” Her stomach jittered. Did she appear as nervous as she felt?

Their waiter set down glasses of water and handed them menus. She read the appetizer section and listened as Antonio greeted him in Italian. The two men spoke for a few minutes about their hometowns and how long they’d lived in Las Vegas.

The waiter said in Italian, “What a beautiful woman. Those eyes!”

She peeked over her menu, and Antonio winked at her.

He responded in Italian, “She wants me terribly, but, since we work together, I keep telling her, ‘No’.”

Valerie choked back a giggle.

The waiter gave him a disbelieving look. “
Pazzo
!” He shook his head as he walked away.

She laughed and set down her menu. “You
are
crazy. You know that, don’t you?”

The smile left his face. “Unfortunately, yes.”

She could sense his pain. What was lurking under that too-smooth façade?

He picked up his menu. “Ready to order?”

“Everything sounds delicious. I don’t know what I want.”

“I’ll order for us, and we can split a few dishes.”

“Perfect.”

The waiter came back, Antonio ordered, and, when they were alone again, he glanced out the window.

“Where’s your Lexus?”

“I drove the T-bird today.”

He looked outside. “That’s yours? Cute.” He smiled charmingly. “Just like her owner.”

“But with a solid steel chassis, just like her owner.”

“Beautiful on the outside…” He touched her hand. “…strong on the inside.”

The brush of his fingers set off sparks inside her. He slid his hand from hers as the waiter delivered two glasses of red wine.

“
Vino
?” She watched Antonio.

His eyes darkened. “
Si, cara
, you can’t expect me to eat Italian food without wine. Unnatural.”

“Tell me about Italy. Are your parents still there?”

“Both mom and dad. They own a winery in the Tuscany region.”

“A winery? I bet it’s beautiful. Do you get back there often?”

He glanced away and frowned. “No. I haven’t been back since I moved here.”

“What about the rest of your family?” She looked at his strong profile then down at his muscular chest. Why didn’t Troy’s big pecs affect her the way this man’s did?

“I have an older brother, two younger brothers, and two younger sisters. All in Italy.”

Her gaze flew to his. “You haven’t seen them in five years?”

“I fly them out here. I just haven’t had the urge to go home.”

She could tell by way his eyes shifted he wasn’t telling the entire truth. Shaking her head, she turned off her psychologist radar.

He sat back. “Where do you come from?”

“I’m from Las Vegas.”

“Parents?”

“Yes, and an older sister and brother, Ryan, whom you met.”

“Ah. You’re the baby of the family?”

She sipped her wine. There was no way she was getting into birth order discussions with him. Time to change the subject. “So, are you seeing anyone?” Why did she choose that loaded topic?

He swirled his wine glass on the table. “No.” He looked at her intently. “Not yet.”

Her stomach skittered under his stare. “Sorry I asked.”

He chuckled. “How did you meet the football player?”

“My sister, Monica, set us up.”

“She’s a doctor, right?”

Her brows furrowed. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I did a little research. Your brother owns a houseboat rental company on Lake Mead, and your parents are land developers.”

“Hm. Did you find anything interesting on me?”

“Oh, yeah.” His smile was pure evil.

She swallowed. “I know I’m going to regret this, but what did you find?”

“Impressive grades all through school. You volunteer more hours than most people work for wages. No criminal record or even speeding tickets.”

With her finger, she drew on the checkered tablecloth. “Nominated for sainthood?”

He reached over and took her hand in his. “You’re inspiring.”

She looked into his eyes and saw honesty and openness. “Thank you.”

“Your practice is doing well, and you have an impressive financial portfolio.”

“I inherited from my grandparents.”

“And you were almost married?”

Her eyes popped wide open. “How the hell did you find that out?”

He let go of her hand and slid back into a lazy position on the seat. “Society pages. Tell me about Bryce.”

The waiter came by and refilled her glass. Was this her second or third? “We grew up together. In college, we got serious. Last year, when I finished grad school and moved back here, our parents pushed us to commit. His family owns casinos, mine are land developers.” She gave him a wry smile. “It would have been the perfect merger.”

“But?”

“But we didn’t love each other.” It didn’t hurt to say it any longer. “We’d grown apart.”

“So you defied your parents.”

She grimaced. “For the first time ever. I thought they would disown me.”

He laughed. “They can’t be that bad.”

She blew a breath out. “Oh, yes they can.”

He looked at her for a couple minutes. “What do they think about your football player?”

She heard censure in his voice. “They like him.”

He moved closer and ran his hand up her arm. “Do you like him?”

“Yes, I like him.” But she didn’t love him. “We’ve only been dating a few weeks.”

“He’s your first boyfriend since Bryce?”

She nodded. She must seem unsophisticated to him. “Monica and my friend Jules are always trying to set me up, but not many men will date a psychologist.”

“Because you’re always dissecting their motivations, right?”

She shook her head. “That’s so not true.” She smiled. “Well, maybe a little true. It’s difficult to turn off the psychoanalysis.”

“I’ve heard you’re good. How did you become Psychologist to the Stars?”