Bedded by the Italian Playboy (6 page)

The
Blackberry beeped and Rachel flipped it up and open. The screen glowed a bright
blue before the icons flashed up. One, the phone icon, had a little red star
next to it. Rachel touched the screen and sucked in a shocked breath when a
message list opened. She had two. One from the phone company and one from
Dominic.

With
suddenly shaky hands Rachel opened the message.

I hope you’re comfortable and settled.
Enjoy yourself and we’ll speak very soon. Don’t forget to give your family this
number. Dominic.

Her
fictitious family. Rachel laughed bitterly. She couldn’t help herself. Who
could she text? Penny, who was right now getting ready to rob the safe of
Sebastian Demetrious, or how about Lyra, who was probably already working her
charms on Andros Casstellini before she too robbed him? Neither woman had a
phone and she wouldn’t be able to return home until her mission was complete.
That was their agreement. No contact until their jobs were done and dusted, the
only exception to this rule an email programme they could use if they got into
trouble. There was no one else.

 
No one.

 
Except Dominic.

Carefully
Rachel typed out a return message on the qwerty keyboard but deleted it a
moment later. He had to be the one to chase her. She had to make him burn. This
attraction she felt for him? The heat and the nerves and the shaky feelings
that ran through her when he looked at him? They had to be ignored. Had to be
buried deep and kept there until the cash she needed was in her hands. Only
then, when she was away from him and safe back with her sisters, could she let
any fantasies run riot. Only when there was no chance of them being fulfilled
could she even consider entertaining them.

That
was the game.

Those
were the rules.

This
was reality.

And
with that thought in mind she dropped the phone and headed off to the bathroom.
There was work to be done.

Chapter Six

He
was due at an evening meeting, the very one he’d missed earlier, and yet
Dominic found himself knocking on the door to Rachel’s suite. It had been
almost unconscious. His own suite was located on the same floor, at the other
end of the private corridor, and as he’d left his room, he’d found himself
walking left instead of right, wondering what she was doing, if she was okay.

Which
was ridiculous, of course. She was no doubt fine. The doctor had checked on her
already and confirmed as much. She might not even be in, he thought. Hadn’t she
said she wanted to do some sightseeing? To explore
London
? Likely she’d already gone off to do
that and he was wasting his time and yet… Dominic couldn’t explain the impulses
flowing through him. For the last six hours he’d sat his desk going through
emails and checking documents and all the while the image of her plump little
lips assailed him. He was horny, desperately so. He lusted after Rachel in a
way he hadn’t experienced in quite some time, if ever. It seemed that from the
moment he’d crouched next to her on that
London
pavement she had him, and his cock, in her thrall. She was just so perfect, his
exact idea of what a woman should look like. It was almost spooky and so here
he was, hands in his pockets, waiting to see if she was around.

She
answered after less than a minute and he sucked in a shocked breath to see her
standing there, and not just because she’s stayed in. There was still a little
light filtering in from the massive windows, evening was only just drawing in,
and the light outlined her in the most intriguing way. She’d changed out of the
dress he had ruined by almost mowing her down and was now outfitted in a pair
of tight blue jeans and a loose fitting white T-shirt. It wasn’t quite loose
enough for his tastes, though, because dear God…her breasts, her amazing
breasts, were visible but only just. The material teased and tantalized against
them and he swallowed dryly before reaching up to run a hand through his hair.
It was such an odd thing for him to do that he lowered it and stuffed it into
his trouser pocket once more, only just keeping the scowl from his face.

“You
look more relaxed,” he said.

She
smiled and blushed all at once. “I feel it. These clothes are beautiful, thank
you.”

“There’s
no need for thanks,” he said but already his mind was working through a number
of options of how she
could
thank
him. His cock was thick and heavy, growing by the second, and he wanted
desperately to feel her soft palms around it. He imagined suggesting such a
thing to her and wondered what her reaction would be. Shock? Outrage? Certainly
she wasn’t like the women he was used to. Had she been he would already have
fucked her thoroughly. “It pleases me to see you happy,” he added, because it
did, odd though that was.

She
smiled and reached down to stroke the material of her jeans and he only just
contained a groan. “I’ve never felt denim so soft,” she said.

“I’d
ask if I could feel it too,” he said slowly, “but I don’t want to scare you.”

Her
eyes met his and she gave a soft little gasp. The words had just slipped out
and he’d shaken her up, but he was suddenly glad. Because she looked so damn
innocent, so delightful, and his control was running damn thin. Why not ramp up
his pursuit? She had to know he was interested and time was of the essence. She
would be leaving in just a few days.

She
took a little step back and he took advantage of that to enter the suite. Bags
and boxes were lined up in neat little rows against the couch, a hair dryer was
resting on the side table, and the room smelled of lilacs.
Of Rachel.

He
shuddered inwardly and turned to face her. “Did they give you the phone?”

She
nodded. “Yes, thank you. I called my parents and let them know where I am.”

“Did
you tell them what had happened?”

“No.
I thought they might worry.” She paused and bit down on her lip. “So I told a
little lie. I said I’d been upgraded and they were thrilled. I thought it was
better to do that. It was just a little lie.”

He
frowned. “I take it you do not lie to them often. You seem disconcerted that
you had to do so.”

She
shrugged. “It doesn’t feel right lying to the people I love. It never has. But
I guess sometimes you have to do what’s right even if that means a little lie.
If I told them I was nearly run over, they’d want me to come home immediately.
I’ll tell them the truth when I get home.”

“On
Monday?”

“Yes.”

Time
was indeed short and he found himself wondering if a handful of days was going
to be enough to sate himself on her. Ignoring that question for the moment,
Dominic pointed to the Blackberry on the couch. “Did you receive my text?”

“I
did.”

“You
did not reply.”

“I
didn’t want to bother you.”

He
almost laughed. She was bothering him just by being in the same room. He had a
nasty suspicion she was going to bother him for quite some time. He took a
little step forward and watched as she took a mirrored step back. She was
nervous. He knew that, could tell by the blushing and the way her hands shook.
He liked her nervous. Wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and
feel her tremble.

“There
is nothing you cannot ask me for,” he said softly. “I am in your debt, am I
not?”

“Not
really,” she said. “It was just an accident and you’ve already more than made
up for it. My headache is completely gone and I feel great. This suite and all
the lovely clothes you’ve given me are amazing. Too many clothes, in fact.
Lucinda sent far more than I asked for. I won’t have time to wear them all.
There’s over a dozen different outfits!”

“Lucinda
is always very thorough,” he said. “And who knows what you will do whilst you
are here?”

“I
can’t quite see myself wearing any of those evening dresses,” she said and he smiled
at the laughter in her voice. “Apart from the fact I don’t plan to go anywhere
like that, most of them are too….”

“Too
what?” Dominic prompted.

“Too
showy, too exposed. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in them. They are not me at
all.”

He
frowned. Had he not told Lucinda to ensure she received the type of clothes she
wanted? Dominic sighed. Of course she would think Rachel just another of the
long line of women he’d spent his money on over the years. They would have
asked for the most revealing, the most tempting clothes. Tiny little dresses
and tight tops. Not one of them had realized he preferred to unwrap his
presents, not see half of them before he even got started. But Rachel…he called
to mind the dress she had been wearing when he met her. It was demure, fitted,
showed nothing more than her calves, making her look like some sort of Fifties
screen goddess.

How
he wanted her.

“I
think we should just send them back,” she continued. “The jeans and the
T-shirts will be fine.”

“They’re
my gift to you.”

“Yes,
but—”

“Perhaps
we might have some dinner then, you and I?” he suggested. “You could wear one
of your new dresses. I am certain you will look beautiful.”

Her
blush increased. She lowered her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. As
he looked down at her, at the shine on her very blonde locks, the curves of her
petite body and the way she wrung her hands together, it was all quite suddenly
decided in his mind. Hadn’t he planned to do this slowly, a little voice
reminded him, but it seemed that was not going to happen now. He would have to
have her tonight. Anything else was unacceptable. Though he wanted to woo, his
control was thin, barely able to really hold.
Dios.

“I’m
not really dressed for dinner.”

Her
words did nothing but draw his attention to her body. Her breasts were so full,
her tiny waist begging him to place his hands around it. And her hair…it
surrounded her in the softest of waves and Dominic wanted to run his fingers
through it. More than that, he wanted to wrap it around his fist as he pounded
her mercilessly from behind.

 
“Then we need not go out. You can save the
dresses and simply wear what you have on. I will order for us here. Room
service.”

She
looked at the floor, her cheeks stained the most delicious pink. “Oh. I’m not
sure about that.”

“Why?”

“Well,
it’s just, well….”

“Well
what?” he demanded.

“It
seems a little bit, erm… I don’t generally have dinner with strange men in a
bedroom.”

His
cock hardened and he shifted. Any doubts he had fled and he played over in his
mind exactly how he was going to get her into his bed. How he was going seduce
her. Slowly.

Carefully.

By
the time he was done she would be nothing more than a panting, pleasurable
mess.

“You
will be perfectly safe in my company,” he lied.

“I
didn’t mean...”

“You
are right to be careful of your reputation. It is admirable.”

“But—”

“One
hour,” he said. “I will return then.” And then, without even thinking, he
stepped forward and placed a hand against her cheek. His palm rested perfectly
against the curve of her jaw and she looked up at him with wide eyes. His heart
stuttered, his cock jerked, and Dominic did exactly what felt right. He leaned
forward and placed a kiss upon her trembling lips.

Just
a taste, just a brief touch, and yet it took everything he had not to pull her
against him and kiss her until she begged him to stop. The moment he pulled
away she shuddered.

“I—”

“One
hour,” he whispered, and then he left her there, blushing and trembling. He had
no choice. One more touch was all it would take to forget everything but the
lure of her perfect little body and sparkling eyes.

Dominic
had a feeling she could make him forget everything far too fucking easily.

Chapter Seven

An
hour and a half later and Rachel was still a mess. Sitting at the dining table
in the suite opposite the man who had kissed her, she could barely contain not
only her nerves but the heat that seemed to be lodged in the pit of her
stomach. Just one little kiss, she thought. And it hadn’t even been a full-on
kiss but it was a kiss all the same, and to Rachel it felt completely unreal.
When she and her sisters had sat down to plan their missions they’d talked at
length about what they could all do to find the money they needed for their
project, a project that would make such a difference to the lives of so many
people.

They’d
worked out how many hundreds of thousands they’d needed and then they’d plotted
how they could get it. The banks would never lend it to them and they could
never earn it through normal minimum-wage jobs. In the end it had seemed right
and proper that they simply take it from those who already had it. Not from
businesses or shops as that was wrong. Small companies needed their money to
stay afloat and robbing a large company would land them in jail.