VITTORIO'S LOVER (Vittorio Series) (13 page)

“You win,
mia bella
,” he spoke softly.  “I will dress in the adjoining room and give you some privacy.  But make no mistake, I intend to get you naked and into my bed again very soon.”

                                                      ***

Jenesa’s eyes followed him as he walked away, desire burning in the depths of her soul like a smoldering coal that was slowly being fanned to life again. He moved with the agility of a panther, his omnipotent persona radiating the same sleek power and grace, the same beauty and danger as the magnificent animal he reminded her of.  As much as she regretted the absence of his body next to hers and the intimacy they’d shared only moments ago, a small part of her was grateful for the interruption. 

In giving herself to Raffaele, she’d lost more than her virginity; Jenesa
was sure she’d lost a good chunk of her heart as well. It was too late to remind herself it would take a lot more than physical attraction to hold onto a man like Raffaele for long. It was too late to tell herself how irrational it was to even
hope
he wanted more than a brief, sexual relationship. It was hopeless anyway, destined to fail from the very beginning when she’d deceived him into believing she was the one who had slept with Luca.

Jenesa shoved the covers
back and swung her legs over the side of the bed.  Aching in places she never knew existed before, she rose unsteadily and somehow managed to slip her panties on without toppling over. Her hands were shaking so bad, latching her bra became a major battle, and after several attempts to zip her dress, she finally gave up and returned to the bed. She perched on the edge of the mattress, surrounded by their mingled scents and the memory of his hands on her skin and the feel of him moving inside of her.

I intend to get you naked and into my bed again very soon.

Jenesa shivered. It would be so easy to surrender and spend the next several days indulging in the sexual pleasures Raffaele seemed eager to share with her. So easy to relive the magic of making love with him, to set her inhibitions aside and explore his magnificent body with her eyes, her hands, her mouth. Was it selfish to want more?

Of course it was selfish
, she admonished guiltily. Her motives for attending the party had been altruistic; nothing had changed that. She’d simply been side tracked by the wrong man and an unexpected attraction for him. There was no use pretending she regretted sleeping with Raffaele. The thing to do now was get her head straight and think practically. In doing so, maybe there was still a chance she could escape from this relatively unscathed.    

Being practical had its drawbacks, however. It meant placing what she
needed
to do above what she
wanted
to do. It meant shoving her personal feelings aside and keeping Jillian foremost in her thoughts. And it meant facing the cold, hard facts and admitting that whatever was between her and Raffaele would no doubt burn itself out before she returned home in a few days. Even if it didn’t end then, he would cut her out of his life quickly enough once the truth came out.  

Jenesa swallowed the enormous boulder that had lodged itself in her throat.  Reality wasn’t always an easy thing to face, but it could only be ignored for so long
, and for her the reality was that nothing would be gained by continuing a sexual relationship with Raffaele aside from creating beautiful memories that would nevertheless be painful.  The truth was, she already felt a heavy sense of loss at the thought of parting ways with him. How much worse would it be after spending more time in his company?

There was really only one thing to do. She couldn’t back out of the trip to Raffaele’s island; that would mean breaking the promise she’d made to discover what kind of man Luca Vittorio was and whether there was a chance he felt the same way for Jillian as she did for him.
And she couldn’t risk getting any more involved with Raffaele than she already was, which was going to be difficult given his vow to get her into bed again.
Very soon
.

Jenesa drew in a deep breath and rose to her feet
just as Raffaele returned to the bedroom.  The air locked in her lungs when he angled a killer smile her way as he crossed the room and gathered her in his arms.
Oh, dear God in heaven, the man was positively intoxicating!
Jenesa knew she was lost the instant she lifted her head to meet those dark eyes. Butterflies twirled in her stomach; a mad fluttering of gossamer wings that matched the erratic beat of her heart.  

So much for
the stern talk she’d given herself,
she sighed as Raffaele’s mouth covered hers. One warm hand discovered the gap in her dress and slid beneath the material to caress her back while the other curled around her waist to pull her more firmly against his hard body. It tore her up inside; wanting so badly to give in to the storm of feelings bombarding her senses and knowing that circumstances prevented her from possessing the freedom to do so.   

It wasn’t fair. 

Aware that Raffaele had removed his hand from her back and was slowly gliding the zipper up, left the bitter taste of disappointment in her mouth. Jenesa opened her eyes and was appalled to discover she was clutching the labels of his dinner jacket as if her life depended on it. Since when had she become so desperate…so clingy? It only drove home how right she’d been. She couldn’t afford to give any more of herself to this man.

“It is time for us to go,
bella
,” Raffaele said, although he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to let her go.

Jenesa apologized with
a grimace as she smoothed his labels down. “You have a very…potent affect on me.” 

Raffaele laughed softly and pulled her more snuggly against his body.
The way he was looking at her turned Jenesa’s insides to mush, and for a few breathless moments, a ray of warmth penetrated the oppressive misery that had begun to worm its way through her. He wasn’t making this any easier, but she couldn’t stall any longer and plunged in before she could change her mind. 

“I won’t pretend that what happened tonight was a mistake because it was the most
incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. No matter how things…turn out, I don’t regret it for a minute. It’s just that…I’ve been thinking, and I...I …”

Raffaele’s brows furrowed. “What is it,
cara
?”

Jenesa
could have kicked herself for being so feeble minded that she couldn’t even manage one declarative statement. What she really wanted to do was reach up and smooth the creases from his between his dark brows just as she’d done to the lapels. She wanted him to smile at her again, to look at her the same way he’d done a moment ago; as if she was the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world. Instead, she pulled free from his embrace, disgusted by this sudden and pathetic longing for reassurance that he wanted her.

Hoping she appeared more confident and unruffled than she felt, Jenesa
lifted her chin and met his questioning gaze. “I don’t regret what happened,” she repeated, “but things are moving a little too fast and I think it best that we stick to the original arrangement. We agreed…”

“T
o get to know each other and see where it leads,” he finished for her. 

“Right.”

“And you believe sleeping together will only complicate things?” 

“
Exactly. If I go to the island, I want your word that our relationship will remain strictly platonic.”

“I
f that is what you want, you have my word.”

“Just li
ke that?” She eyed him suspiciously. “You concede without a word of protest?”

Raffaele looped his arm around her waist, although he made no attempt to pull her closer. There was a gentle
possessiveness in his touch that would have thrown her off balance in a heartbeat if it hadn’t been accompanied by a wolfish grin.

“I didn’t say I agreed
with what you said,
carissima
. A physical relationship would not complicate things in the least; it would only bring us closer. But if that is the only way you will consent to come with me, then you will get no argument from me.” He lowered his head so they were cheek to cheek and whispered in her ear, “You have my solemn vow; I will behave like a perfect gentleman unless, of course, you change your mind.”

“I won’t,” she replied firmly.
“And I’m holding you to your promise to act like a gentleman, so don’t even
think
of trying to seduce me.”

“
It will not be necessary,” he said, lifting his arrogant head. “Every time we are together, every minute you spend alone in your bed, you will think of this moment. Trust me,
cara mia
; you will regret extracting a promise we both know you don’t want me to keep.”

She
wanted to deny it, but what purpose would it serve? The instant his lips touched hers, she knew he was right. It was a kiss to end all kisses; a soul-deep, sensual invasion that curled around Jenesa’s heart and bound her to Raffaele as tightly as the arms that were locked around her. Even if she was strong enough to walk away from him right now, Jenesa had the sinking feeling she would never escape the memory of this kiss or the power it had to turn her inside out.   

                                                   SIX

Jenesa barely glanced at the pilot as Raffaele lifted her into the helicopter
. It was highly unlikely the man knew what she and Raffaele had been doing, but she couldn’t quite brush off the absurd notion that he could tell just by looking at her. A quick trip to the bathroom to tidy up before they’d left the suite should have offered some assurance that she didn’t look any different now than when she’d left home for the party that night, but it didn’t. A close examination revealed an overly rosy complexion, dazed eyes, and kiss-swollen lips; tell-tale signs her sisters might detect, but not a perfect stranger. She hoped.

Of course, she realized how foolish she was being a few minutes later when Raffaele joined her. There was a familiarity in the light banter he exchanged with the pilot that told her they were
also friends, despite Raffaele’s clipped manner when they’d spoken on the phone earlier. The pilot, who was introduced as Grady Thorpe, didn’t seem at all surprised to be flying his employer and a female companion to the island this late at night, which made Jenesa wonder how commonplace it was. 

With that disturbing thought rattling around inside her head and feeling a bit queasy as they prepared for lift off,
she didn’t notice the white knuckled grip she had on the arm rest until Raffaele placed his big hand over hers and gently pried her fingers loose. Grateful for the reassuring gesture, Jenesa started to thank him but he had already turned his attention back to the conversation with Grady. Even so, he must have been aware she was watching him because he gave her hand a light squeeze and didn’t relinquish his hold.

They were discussing a business deal and after a few minutes,
Jenesa tuned both men out to explore the spacious interior of the helicopter with her eyes. It didn’t take an expert to discern that an investment for this type of luxury ran in the millions.  The chairs where large and made from the finest leather, and if she wasn’t mistaken, the woodwork was highly polish mahogany. The two seats she and Raffaele occupied faced the pilot’s cabin, but even with two more facing the rear, there was still ample room for more. Behind them, a large screen television had been built into the wall panel, and below that was a miniature wet bar encased in glass.

She couldn’t even begin to comprehend the type of lifestyle the Vittorio’s
undoubtedly took for granted. The Vittorio mansion had seemed more like a small palace, and what little she’d seen of Raffaele’s penthouse suites screamed wealth and power. Never had she felt so small and insignificant as she did right now. Jenesa thought of Luca’s fiancé, recalling how elegant and enviously beautiful the woman was. Caroline fit seamlessly into their world because she’d been born and bred to it. Jenesa would be a duck among swans, splashing around in the same pond but never quite fitting in.

Turning her head toward the window,
she stared into the darkness.
Stop avoiding the real issues. It doesn’t matter whether you would fit in with Raffaele’s high society clique. You’re only using that as a distraction; it’s nothing more than a cowardly way of dodging questions you don’t want to ask yourself. Questions that involve the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy and why your heart races at the thought of Raffaele’s baby growing inside of you.

Jenesa grimaced as another unsettling thought struck her.
When she’d gone to the bathroom after they made love, there were traces of blood on her thighs. She hadn’t been alarmed; a small amount of bleeding was natural the first time a woman had sex.  What bothered her now was the likelihood she had left evidence of that on the pristine white sheets on Raffaele’s bed. It was fortunate Grady’s call had prompted them to leave in a hurry, otherwise Raffaele might have discovered the red marks and known she was a virgin. 

She wasn’t prepared to tell the truth yet; not until she had time to think it over and work out an explanation that didn’t make her
and Jillian sound like a couple of calculating gold-diggers. Making a full confession was preferable to allowing Raffaele believe she had deliberately set out to trap him, but it would have to be done
after
she coaxed information about Luca from him. How many days did that give her?