The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi (16 page)

She forgot completely about hygiene regulations and rules. All she could focus on was the way Rico made her feel, the way he took her closer and closer to the edge, setting up a hard and fast rhythm that had her pulse racing to meet it.

He smeared cool icing across her nipple, making her gasp—and then followed it up by sucking the sugary confection from her skin, making her gasp even more as his teeth grazed her skin.

And then her body slammed into climax and she held onto him for dear life, feeling him shudder against her as he reached his own climax.

What had just happened was unbelievable. And Ella knew that she was going to be thinking about this evening every time she iced cupcakes from now on.

Rico helped her clear up downstairs, then demolished most of the mini hummingbird cakes. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,
bellezza
,’ he said softly. ‘Sweet dreams.’

‘You, too.’ She kissed him goodbye.

As he went back to the hotel Rico really wished that he’d stayed over tonight. So he could wake up in her arms again, even if it was going to be at an unearthly hour.

Which was crazy. It meant he wanted to get involved with her. Seriously involved. The idea terrified him and drew him in equal measure. What did he know of love? And no way did he want to make himself vulnerable.

Though maybe, just maybe, Ella was the one he could trust with himself.

‘S
ATURDAY,’
Rico said. ‘The launch party.’

Ella nodded. ‘Everything’s on schedule as far as I’m concerned. The topper’s almost done—and no, you can’t see it until the day. No previews allowed. You just have to trust me with it, OK?’

‘Of course I trust you.’ He smiled. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t thinking about that,
bellezza
. I was merely checking that you’re coming as my guest.’

She frowned. ‘Well, I’ll be a bit busy, sorting out the cake.’

‘That won’t take all night, and I want you there with me.’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Rico, I’d be happier in the background. I don’t really fit into your world.’

He flapped his hand dismissively. ‘Sure you do.’

‘How? You own a chain of glamorous boutique hotels. I make cakes.’

‘You make
fabulous
cakes,’ he corrected. ‘And, excuse me, who is it who always tells me that it’s not how much money you have, it’s how you treat other people that matters? You’re good with people. And I want you with me.’

Put like that, how could she refuse? ‘OK. Though I don’t have anything suitable to wear to a launch party. And I
really don’t have the time right now for clothes-shopping.’ She sighed. ‘I guess I’ll just have to make the time.’

He drew her close. ‘Could you shop online, get stuff delivered to you and try them on when it suits you? Then you wouldn’t have to drag round the shops.’

‘Then I’ll have to wait in for the courier,’ she grumbled. ‘And if they turn up when I’m out on a delivery, it’ll be the next day before they can re-deliver, or I’ll have to trek over to their warehouse to pick it up.’

‘Get everything delivered to the hotel, and I’ll ask my PA here to return the things you don’t like.’ He paused. ‘Or tell me the kind of thing you want and I’ll ask her to call the designers and get them to send in a selection of dresses.’

‘My own private fashion show, you mean?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s very sweet of you to think of that, but you know what I think about designer clothes. They’re overpriced and they only suit one body type. Which isn’t mine.’

‘I happen to like your body type, so don’t even think about changing it.’ He moulded her curves with his hands. ‘Or turning into one of those boring women who count every single calorie and every single carb.’

That made her smile. ‘Hardly, doing what I do for a living.’

He stroked her face. ‘Would you let me buy the dress for you,
bellezza?
’

She folded her arms. ‘Thank you for the offer, but I can buy my own dress.’

‘I know you can,
bellezza
. I’m trying to do something nice for you, not be a control freak.’ He gave her a rueful smile. ‘It’s my fault that you have to go clothes-shopping, so I’m trying to minimise the time impact for you.’

She leaned her forehead against his. ‘And I’m being an ungrateful cow. Sorry. It must be the wrong time of the month.’

‘No, you’re just really busy at the moment and I’m making demands on time you don’t have. But I do want you at the party with me, Ella
bellezza
.’

‘I’ll be there. Is your family coming to the launch?’ she asked.

‘No. My grandparents are too frail to travel.’

Yet again, she noticed, he didn’t mention his parents. And she was curious—why was Rico estranged from them? She still hadn’t persuaded him to open up to her about his family, even though she’d told him all about her own difficult background.

Before she could ask anything else, he switched the subject back to her clothes. But she noticed. And she wondered.

Rico was busy keeping the Italian side of his business ticking over on the phone and by email while the English side was coming together; the time he could spend with Ella before the launch was severely limited, and it put him out of sorts. With her, he felt grounded. And when he realised that, it put him out of sorts even more. He didn’t want to rely on someone else for his happiness, even if that person was as sweet-natured as Ella.

The day of the launch dawned, and the whole hotel was busy preparing for it while minimising the disruption to their guests. Rico barely had time to speak to Ella during the day, apart from kissing her hello, giving her a key to his suite so she could change into her dress for the party, and telling her to see the chef if there was anything she needed from the kitchen.

Though he did see the cake just as she added the finishing touches.

Ella had made him a pyramid of cupcakes swirled with alternate white and dark chocolate ganache; at the top was
a white chocolate iced cutting cake with tall curls of chocolate standing round the outside, topped with a sugar-paste fountain, with droplets of water coming down on almost invisible wires.

‘Ella
bellezza
, that looks amazing,’ he said.

‘You really do like it? You’re not just being polite?’ she asked.

‘I’m not being polite,’ he reassured her. ‘It’s perfect.’ He kissed her. ‘Thank you.’

Once the party started, Rico had interviews to give and journalists and photographers to show round. He noted how many photographs were taken of the cake; Ella would definitely get some good publicity from this. Which she deserved—she’d worked hard to make sure the cake was perfect for tonight.

After the journalists, there were the movers and shakers, people who could use their conference and event facilities, and Rico went into full sales mode.

But best of all was when everyone had gone home. Everyone except Ella, dressed in a very plain black dress and high heels, with the glittering star he’d bought her in Vienna at her throat and her hair pinned in a swish updo. Desire kicked through him. He’d never seen her look more beautiful.

‘I never got to dance with you tonight,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘That’s OK.’

‘No, it isn’t. And I’ve neglected you all evening.’

‘Because you were working and you had a lot of people you needed to talk to.’ She stroked his face. ‘It really is OK, Rico. I understand.’

He was so used to demands from his previous girlfriends that the lack of them from Ella floored him slightly. ‘Everyone loved the cake. The picture might end up in a few colour supplements—and on the Internet,’ he said.

‘Good. Just make sure there’s a picture of it on your hotel website with a link to mine,’ she said with a grin.

He grinned back. ‘It sounds like you’re building an empire, Ella
bellezza
.’

‘Maybe. Right now,’ she said, ‘I’m really, really happy. Life doesn’t get any better than this.’

‘You know what? I was thinking just the same. But, actually, it does get better.’

She frowned. ‘How?’

‘I’m kidnapping you.’ He scooped her up and strode over to the lift.

She laughed. ‘Rico, are you taking me to your suite?’

‘Better than that.’

He set her on her feet once they were inside the lift, and made sure her body was in full contact with his all the way down, so she was left in no doubt about his arousal. Once the doors had closed, he kissed her until they were both breathless; the lift doors had opened and closed several times before he realised that they were on the floor he wanted.

‘This isn’t the way to your suite—or did you move after I got changed?’ she asked.

‘This is just for tonight.’ He opened the door to the honeymoon suite.

Just as he’d planned, there was a bottle of good champagne on ice. He plugged his MP3 player into a dock, and a smoky-voiced jazz artist started singing a love song to the accompaniment of a piano and double-bass. Then he turned the lights down low.

‘Dance with me, Ella
bellezza?
’ he said.

Oh, wow. Today had been a big deal for him, she knew. The launch of his first hotel in London—his first hotel outside Italy. He’d been busy with the launch party for weeks,
talking to journalists and potential clients, making sure he got the right attention for the business.

She’d stayed in the background tonight, knowing that his work needed to come first and not wanting to be in the way. And she’d watched him, proud of the way he didn’t let a single question put him off his stride. He knew everything about the hotel and its staff; he hadn’t had to ask anyone else to clarify a single thing for him.

And yet, despite everything that had been going on, he’d still planned these quiet moments just for them. She had no idea when he’d found the time to think about it, let alone organise it, but it touched her to the heart.

She smiled. ‘I’d love to dance with you, Rico.’

And there, in his arms, dancing with him, it hit her.

She ‘d fallen for him
.

She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when, but she loved him. She loved his strength, she loved his sense of humour, and she loved the way he could switch from hard-headed businessman to intensely focused lover. She loved the way he noticed things but didn’t make a fuss about them. And the quiet way he dealt with things had taught her that she could trust him. He didn’t make promises unless he knew he could keep them. Since Rome, he’d been scrupulously honest with her.

And she was sure that he was finally letting her closer. OK, so he hadn’t made any kind of declaration, and she had a feeling that Rico would rather stick pins in his eyes than talk about emotions—but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel them.

She wasn’t going to tell him how she felt about him in words—she didn’t want him to back off—but she could tell him with her body.

This time, when he kissed her, there was no holding
back—within seconds the kiss turned deep and demanding and hot.

And actually, no, she wasn’t going to hold back the words. She’d just have to say them in a way she knew he’d accept. ‘Rico,’ she whispered, ‘I want you.’

‘I want you, too,’ he whispered back.

And she had the strongest feeling that they meant the same thing by ‘want’.

Rico unzipped her little black dress, slowly eased it down so she could step out of it, then hung it carefully over the back of the sofa. The diamond star at her throat glittered; he still hadn’t got round to telling her that it was diamond and white gold, not silver and cubic zircona. And he really hoped she wouldn’t consider it a lie when he finally confessed. OK, so he hadn’t corrected her assumption that it was costume jewellery; but that was a little bit of misdirection rather than an out-and-out lie, so he could spoil her without her feeling bad about it.

He gently removed the choker and kissed his way along her throat. ‘Your skin’s so soft.’ And her perfume was light and enticing, making him want more.

Her underwear was lacy, the black in sharp contrast to her ivory skin. He hooked his fingers under the straps of her bra and drew them down to bare her shoulders. ‘You’re lush, Ella
bellezza
,’ he said, his voice low. ‘Absolutely lush. You make me ache for you.’

In answer, she kissed him hard.

He undid the pins in her hair and let it fall down.
‘Bellezza.’
His voice cracked with desire; he picked her up, carried her through to the bedroom, and lay her down on the four-poster bed.

‘I think you’re a little overdressed, Rico,’ she said with a smile.

He considered stripping for her, but he knew that right now he didn’t have the patience to have any kind of finesse. Instead, he stripped in ten seconds flat, then finished removing her clothes.

‘What happened to seduction?’ she asked, laughing.

‘I just can’t wait any more. I need you now.’ He paused only long enough to grab a condom to protect her. And then at last he was where he wanted to be, inside her, her body tightening round him, warm and wet and welcoming. He pushed deeper; she sighed with pleasure and slid her hands into his hair, drawing his head down to hers and then kissing him, demanding and giving all at the same time.

This was what he’d needed all day. His Ella.

Her body tightened round his, tipping him into his own climax. He held her tightly, wanting this moment to last for ever.

Though of course it couldn’t. He went to the bathroom, then came back to lie beside her.

‘It’s Saturday night. Stay with me tonight?’ he asked. ‘I’ll drive you home tomorrow, or if you give me your key I’ll drive over first thing in the morning and pick up a change of clothes for you.’

She smiled. ‘Yes.’

‘I forgot the champagne. I guess I rushed you a bit.’ He kissed her. ‘Sorry.’

‘Nothing to apologise for. I wasn’t saying no.’

‘I guess. Stay there.’ He went to fetch the champagne and glasses.

‘That’s so decadent, drinking champagne in bed,’ she said, accepting a glass from him. ‘Mmm, and this is nice stuff.’

‘Glad you like it, Ella
bellezza.’
’

‘And I like this room. A proper four-poster.’

‘And there’s a whirlpool bath in the bathroom.’ He eyed
her speculatively. ‘Which I think would go very well with the champagne.’