VITTORIO'S LOVER (Vittorio Series) (17 page)

“
Now that’s an option we’ve never considered before. Each of us could become a figurehead for the divisions we have the most success in and vote on the major corporate decisions.”

“
You think it would work?”

“
There is a strong possibility, and I have you to thank for giving me the idea.  Simon and Logan have always involved all of us when discussing important matters concerning the business and respected our input, although we left the final decision to them. Opinionated as we may be at times, we never lose sight of the common goals and what’s best for the company.”

“
Did any of you ever consider doing anything else or were you just expected to be part of the family business?”

“Naturally, my father hoped we would continue to grow the business but we were never pressured into it. In turn, he gave each of us our first jobs at the company and allowed us to pursue the positions we wanted.”

“So, he didn’t simply hand them to you.”

“My father is a wise business man; that would not have been a sound decision. 
We did internships throughout our teens and then went to college to earn degrees before we were permitted to hold positions of authority and work our way up the ranks.”

“And you’re happy with your choice?”

“I wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t. Every day brings a new challenging. There are always hurdles to be jumped, obstacles to overcome, new ventures to chase, and I am very good at what I do.”

Jenesa could believe that. No doubt, Raffaele was extremely proficient at every task he undertook.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him and had to remind herself that the primary goal was to uncover information about Luca. This was a prime opportunity to do so and she wasn’t going to let it pass. Recalling what he’d said earlier, Jenesa decided she could kill two birds with one stone and learn more about both of them.

“You said you and Raffaele were a lot alike. Does that mean you’re closer to him than your other brothers or does it cause you to butt heads more often?”

“When two strong personalities are involved, there’s bound to be
some
conflict, but for the most part, we tend to present a united front against the other three because they are often impatient and forceful when tact should be employed. Like our brothers, we have always been ambitious and focused; if we want something, we go after it with determination and refuse to give up until we get it. But, unlike the other three, we also temper that with patience and are willing to wait if it is necessary.

Dante says we represent the voice of reason
at Vittorio Enterprises, while Simon and Logan find our unwillingness to jump into the fire without weighing all the consequences more annoying than anything else. Overall, I’d say our personalities balance each other out. We have our squabbles like all siblings, but I think the reason I’m closer to my younger brother is because our temperaments aren’t as volatile and we feel the need to band together.”

Jenesa was quiet for a moment
. What little she knew about the company and the Vittorio brothers had been acquired by Linette through the internet, but it was enough to know they conducted their business in a stalwart manner that commanded respect. They were, it seemed, above reproach because nothing Linette discovered even hinted at underhanded dealings or dissatisfied customers.  And if their competitors couldn’t dredge up the ammunition to sling mud at them, what did that say about the Vittorio brothers?

“
“I don’t know much about Vittorio Enterprises except that it is purportedly run by men who are tough but fair and have built a sound reputation based on their honesty and integrity. I’m just…glad to know you have such a good relationship with your brothers. I hope it will make things easier for you when this goes public.”

Raffaele yanked his arm from beneath her head, blinding her once more when he turned on the lamp. I
n the few seconds it took for her eyes to adjust to the light, Raffaele quickly maneuvered himself back by her side. Propped up on one elbow with his other arm caging her so she couldn’t move, he leaned over so that his face hovered over hers. An angry scowl marred his handsome face and she shivered as the arctic glare turned Jenesa’s warm blood into an icy river as it wormed its way through her body.
What she had done to incur his wrath this time?
 

“
This
will never go public,” he growled menacingly. “No one knows we left the party together and no one knows you are here except your family, and they have no proof. If you dare go to the media with some sordid little story about why we came to the island or how we spent our time, I will deny every word of it. I should have known you were plotting something when you began asking questions about my brothers. Trust me on this, Miss Harding, if you even
think
of starting a smear campaign against me or my family, things will get very, very ugly for you!”

                                                     ***

The instant the harsh words left his mouth, Raffaele knew he’d made a grave mistake. She had the same wounded look in her eyes that she’d had before when he’d gone on the attack.

“I wasn’t talking about us,” she
replied meekly. “I meant when word got out about the break up with C-Caroline. I know the media can be cruel, so having your family’s support is important. I thought…” she stopped, shaking her head.

“
What?” Raffaele prompted.

“I thought the purpose of coming here was to get to know one another better, but I can’t see that happening if you cast suspicion on me every time I ask a question.
Coming here was a mistake,” she said through trembling lips. “Whatever issues exist between…you and your fiancé should be dealt with and resolved without interference from me or anyone else.”

“Jenesa, I promise you, there are no issues to resolve. A lifetime of
having people trying to use me for whatever financial or social gains they can get has tainted my ability to trust without hesitation. I am sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion…”

“
Again
,” she interceded.

Raffaele smiled. “Yes,
again
, I have been unfair to you. I think the wise thing to do is get some sleep. There will be plenty of time for talk tomorrow.” 

He turned the light off and settled beneath the covers with Jenesa in his arms once more. It felt good to have her there, and he was glad she didn’t suggest going back to her room. Raffaele closed his eyes. The wicked storm that had given Jenesa
such a bad case of the jitters had quite the opposite effect on him. Maybe it was the knowledge that while nature did its best to ravage the land and everything on it, he was tucked safely inside the solid structure where it couldn’t reach him. 

Raffaele
fell asleep to the sound of angry thunder and the citrusy scent of Jenesa’s shampoo; a strange combination, but equally soothing nonetheless. When he woke several hours later, the rumbling was still audible, although the worst of it seemed to have passed. He didn’t like the idea of Jenesa being terrified by the storm; on the other hand, comforting her had been an extremely pleasurable experience. What a pity he couldn’t wake her with seductive kisses or begin the day by making love.

Talk
, he reminded himself. For now, he would have to be satisfied with verbal communication. Tempting as it was to remain in bed with Jenesa’s soft body molded to his, Raffaele was not made of granite. Lingering any longer than he already had would only result in additional discomfort as the throbbing ache to be inside her intensified, not to mention the necessity of extending the cold shower that was already in store for him. Of course, he had no intention of remaining celibate for their entire stay on the island, but Jenesa would have to come to him, and that might take a few days.

Easing his arm from beneath her head, Raffaele managed to slip out of bed without waking her. If she was still sleeping when he finished showering, he would let her rest and go downstairs to start breakfast. And if she was awake? Better not chance being clothed in only a towel when he emerged from the bathroom; it wouldn’t take much provocation to let it drop to the floor and climb back into bed with her. Quickly gathering clean boxers and socks, he padded silently to the walk-in closet.

Funny, he’d always thought of his mother as a tyrant when it came to being neat and orderly; it was something she had been insistent upon from the time they were old enough to walk. Now, he was grateful she’d instilled that quality into him because the closet was so well organized, he didn’t have to turn on the lights and disturb Jenesa in order to locate a pair of jeans and t-shirt. In the scheme of things, he supposed having a systematic way of arranging his clothes wasn’t of major importance. In this particular instance, however, it was an essential part of making a hasty retreat before it was too late.

What if
it’s already too late?

Raffaele’s brows drew together. What a ludicrous question! He barely knew the woman. Any investment he had in their relationship – if you could call it that – was purely physical. Emotions did not factor into it
. Period. End of story. 

Forget
that he’d never invited a woman to the island before; it was a snap decision based on the urgency of the situation and the need to put as much distance between Jenesa and Luca as possible. And never mind that he’d pounced on her at the first available opportunity; that had been prompted by a serious case of lust and nothing more. Unfortunately, it was a little harder to dismiss the fact that he’d opened up to her about his family – a subject he was staunchly close-mouthed about even with his closest friends.

She’d caught him in a weak moment, Raffaele told himself. It was a simple matter of maintaining control of his libido and not allowing his guard to slip again.
  Naturally, he would have to divulge
some
information about his family if he expected Jenesa to be comfortable talking about her life, but he could easily dodge any questions that were too personal. Keeping in mind that Luca’s future happiness was at stake would help, and Raffaele fully intended to make it a focal point…right after he took that cold shower.

                                                     ***

Jenesa woke to the soft grumbling of thunder and closed her eyes again, burrowing deeper into the downy soft comforter. Drawing in a long, slow breath, she filled her senses with the heady masculine scent that was so uniquely Raffaele and smiled to herself. What a delicious way to start to the day!  Of course, it would have been better if the other side of the bed wasn’t empty…or maybe it was a blessing in disguise. 

Gradually, t
he events of last night seeped into her thoughts and whisked her smile away. Okay, so maybe she deserved some of the accusations he’d flung at her; acknowledging it didn’t take the sting out of his words. Never in a million years would she sell a story to the media, and it hurt to know Raffaele believed she was capable of something so crass and revolting. Then again, being deceptive and using him to acquire information about Luca wasn’t exactly an admirable trait.

Yes, it was wrong to deceive Raffaele, but her loyalty to Jillian
took precedence over everything else. Of course, it was entirely possible she wouldn’t learn anything that could help her sister except that Luca would do the responsible thing and support the child, if there was one. The truth was, Jenesa already knew that much about him based on Raffaele’s brief tirade when he thought she was plotting a smear campaign; the Vittorio’s would do whatever was necessary to avoid a scandal. 

Disconcerting as it was to think of Jillian nursing a broken heart for Luca, especially if she was pregnant, Jenesa had to face another irrefutable truth. Luca had announced his engagement last night and he would not call it off unless Caroline wanted him to. She’d seen the way Caroline looked at him; the woman was deeply in love with Luca and would probably forgive anything short of murder if it meant becoming his wife. Regrettably, confronting Luca at this point would be useless.

Jenesa
rolled onto her back with an unhappy sigh because now, of course, she realized the gravity of what she’d done. Raffaele admitted he was suspicious of anyone who tried to get close to him, so it only stood to reason that his brothers suffered from the same trust issues. If Jillian
was
pregnant, they would undoubtedly slot her in the category of gold digger and accuse her of deliberately setting out to trap Luca. And, in the event Jillian
wasn’t
pregnant, this whole charade with Raffaele would be construed as some devious scheme to lasso the last remaining eligible Vittorio! 

Because of her raging hormones, Jenesa had
not only jeopardized her personal welfare but that of her sisters too. The Vittorio’s would view all three Harding sisters as a threat and band together to battle the enemy. And if the rest of his family was as fiercely protective of one another as Raffaele was, they would launch an attack that was both relentless and merciless. The mighty Vittorio’s could squash her like a bug if they wanted to; they had the money and social influence to destroy the company she and her sisters had worked so hard to build, and no one would dare stand in their way.