Be Mine: Valentine Novellas to Warm The Heart

by Nicole Flockton

  “Er, yes, thank you. I’m a few minutes early. Can I set up my presentation before the meeting?”

  “Of course. Please, follow me.” Elegant and wearing four-inch heels only possible if one sat at a desk all day, the woman showed her into the boardroom. “You can set up at this end. I will send in coffee ready for the meeting.” She smiled and departed, closing the door softly behind her.

  In spite of her nerves and tumultuous memories of Luca and thanks to several practice runs at home, Serena was able to quickly assemble her presentation.

  Focus. Get your head in the game—now.

  Daydreaming of her sexy Italian biker was not going to bring him back, or help her sell her proposal. She pushed in the last plug and checked the PowerPoint was working, and then sat back in her seat.

  Breathe. Remember the opening. Just get through that and the rest will flow. Her stepfather’s coaching firmly fixed in her head, she sought the view beyond the window and ran through her opening speech.

  A soft click brought her gaze back into the room, and she rose to greet the newcomer.

  “Buon giorno, Serena. Long time, no see.”

  Luca?

  Impossible.

  She closed her eyes.

  Wanting to believe the promise of his ciao, she was certain she’d conjured him from the depths of her deepest desire. Unwilling to give up the image, she breathed deeply, holding the scent of him in her memory.

  When she opened her eyes, he was still at the door.

  Luca—here? Luca . . . who?

  "Luca d’Alberghi?”

  “Si.” He chuckled, and repeated it, his pronunciation so different from hers.

  Yesterday his full name seemed unimportant; he was someone she never expected to meet again.

  Several men entered the room, walking past him and taking seats along both sides of the table.

  Luca closed the doors, walked the length of the table and took the seat beside hers.

  The chair for the chairman of the board—and God help me, my lover.

  A stylish chrome nameplate sat in front of him—Luca d’Alberghi, CEO of Luxia.

  How the blazes can I pitch my proposal to him.

  Her head spun. Was this good? Or Bad? How do I deal with it?

  “Gentlemen, may I present Signorina Bannon.”

  Murmured greetings from around the table were accompanied by appreciative glances, and suddenly, she understood Luca’s comments on her clothing. Sexist it may be, but their appreciation bolstered her confidence.

  “Ms Bannon is here representing her stepfather, Gregory Mason, who has been taken ill, but I have been assured she is more than well equipped to answer our questions.”

  Luca’s smooth introduction allowed her enough time to gather her poise, and knowing she looked the part helped settle her nerves.

  He turned and looked directly at her, and what she saw in his eyes steadied her as nothing else could.

  He had her back.

  “That is correct, isn’t it, signorina?”

  She pushed aside her negative thoughts. She could deal with them later.

  “Definitely.”

  “And while I may have imagined this meeting a little differently—” Their gazes met, held for two heartbeats.

  Oh my.

  “I am delighted to have the pleasure of Signorina Bannon’s company today. Now, you have all read the proposal. If we accept it at this meeting, I’m sure Signorina Bannon will be happy to stay on for a few more days.”

  His expression gave nothing away, but beneath the conference table she felt his knee nudge hers.

  “Shall we begin, gentlemen? Signorina?”

  Serena took a slow deep breath and nodded.

  “Gentlemen.” She switched on her PowerPoint.

  She tuned out Luca, her stepfather, everything else, even the unspoken promise Luca’s eyes held. The promise that last night was not a one-off, the promise of more.

  She would deal with him later.

  Now, she had a job to do.

  She concentrated her attention on the presentation and selling her father’s invention to this group of powerful men.

  7

  Serena sat across the red-checked tablecloth from Luca. Candles spilled a circle of yellow light over a bowl of bread and balsamic vinegar and oil, and the aroma of garlic and red wine teased her nose. “I feel like, if I pinch myself, I’ll wake up and find this is a dream.”

  “Please don’t. I would hate for you to gain another bruise.”

  “You could kiss it better for me.” She peeped up from under her lashes, hoping she imitated her best friend’s I’m-thinking-about-sex look.

  Luca’s gaze lingered on her mouth before rising and meeting hers. “That is true, but you do not need a bruise to win a kiss. I promise I will kiss you all over when I get you home.”

  A shiver of anticipation raced through her, delicious and intoxicating, and holding a hint of danger, just as Luca promised.

  When did I turn into this sensuous woman with a craving only Luca can appease?

  Fascinated by this new, unfamiliar image of herself, she allowed her gaze to settle on Luca’s face.

  He was beautiful—in the way fallen angels always were.

  His eyes tempted her to the best kinds of sinful pleasure. Her shoe fell with a soft thud. Beneath the table her foot found his calf and slid slowly upwards.

  One warm hand trapped her ankle. He shook his head. “Not here, cara. Not yet, or we will not get to eat.”

  “Would that be so terrible?”

  “Only if you should faint from hunger before we have enjoyed our fill of one another.” A quick frown creased his forehead, there and gone before she could ask what caused it. His hold on her ankle became a caress, teasing and tempting and making her squirm with need.

  “I do not think we will reach such a state any time soon. I cannot imagine getting enough of you, or not wanting more.”

  Neither can I.

  Luca’s words were no doubt meant to promise an evening like last night. Instead, the idea that had niggled at her once she learned the Luxia contract was on its way to her father resurfaced, refusing to go away. It cast a shadow over her triumph and dulled her pleasure in Luca’s desire.

  Luca raised his glass. “Congratulations, Serena. Your father will be very proud of you.”

  Raising her glass, she tapped it against his. “Thanks. But I have a question.”

  “Only one?” He grinned. “Ask away.”

  She sipped her wine and set the glass down. “If we hadn’t—met—the way we did yesterday . . . If we hadn’t had last night together, not knowing who the other was . . . If our meeting had gone ahead as scheduled yesterday afternoon, would you still have accepted my proposal?”

  Luca set his glass on the table and reached for her hand. “What is it you want to know?”

  The direct question threw her off balance, and she shrugged. Research was her strength, not conflict.

  “Are you are asking if you won the contract because we slept together?”

  “I guess.” She fiddled with the stem of her wine glass.

  “Sex and business are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to have both without the one affecting the outcome of the other.” His expression showed a fleeting ruthlessness, something she’d not seen before. “If that is what you are asking, the answer is no.”

  “How can you be sure? How can I be sure?”

  “I don’t do business that way. I would never base any important decision on a great bout of sex.”

  She looked down at the wine she swirled around in her glass. “That’s easy to say now.”

  He caught her wrist and held it a little too tightly. “Do you believe in your step-father’s invention?”

  Shocked, she looked at him. “Of course I do. How can you think otherwise?”

  He met her gaze, and his held a ruthless edge. “I run a multi-million dollar company, Serena. I do not make decisions on a whim, and neither does my boar
d.”

  Shaken, she sucked in a harsh breath. Am I risking Dad’s contract by pushing him on this?

  Maybe, but I have to know the man we’re dealing with.

  “I never suggested you do.”

  “Didn’t you?”

  “You knew who I was before the meeting. Why didn’t you tell me who you were? Were you trying to put me off by—”

  “You said nothing to me about who your meeting was with, what it was about. Yesterday I was simply Luca who rides a bike and offered you a lift. And you—” His hold on her wrist eased and his thumb slid in slow circles over her accelerating pulse. “You were like Venus herself. I guessed your identity only when I dropped you off at the front door of my offices.”

  Did I mention my surname yesterday? I’m sure Luca didn’t tell me his.

  She didn’t think so, although a short period after she’d been knocked down was still hazy. “Even if I’d given you my surname you wouldn’t have known of the connection with my stepfather.”

  “I knew only that his daughter was attending as his representative. If I’d thought about it, I would have expected you shared his name. Fate brought us together on the Amalfi road.”

  “Fate?”

  “Or Venus. Either way, you won the contract on the basis of merit. You and your stepfather have given my company a cutting edge design that will make our cars the best in the market. That is what you showed me this morning and that is what I would have seen yesterday. The outcome would have been the same.”

  He squeezed her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. “The same outcome, but without the pleasure we shared. Is that all that’s worrying you?”

  “Maybe. Do you really believe in fate?”

  “Perhaps.”

  A trio of musicians stopped beside their table and the guitarist raised an eyebrow, tacitly asking if Luca wanted them to play.

  “Si, per favore.”

  Serena glanced around the restaurant while the music surrounded them. It dawned on her that it was filled with couples and flowers and music and songs all about love. Couples in love. When the trio moved on to the next table, she tipped her head to the side. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”

  “It is an auspicious day to begin our partnership.” He topped up both wine glasses. “We should acknowledge the gods who brought us together.”

  “That would be Saint Valentine?”

  “And Venus. She is the Roman goddess of love. I thought you looked like Venus rising from the sea yesterday. Now, I think maybe she meant to bring us together in time to celebrate the day of love.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have dinner out tonight when everyone here seems to be a couple.” Did Luca feel as awkward as she did that today of all days they would be seen as a couple in love?

  “Attraction is the way many relationships begin. Why does it worry you that we are dining together on La Festa Degli Innamorati?”

  “It doesn’t.” Except that it reminded her she hadn’t had a meaningful relationship in far too long. The excitement of last night with Luca, the promise of one more night with him, was bittersweet. “But tomorrow I’ll be on a plane back home. This day is for those who are in love.”

  “And for lovers. We are lovers, Serena. We made love last night, and we will make more when we get home.”

  The idea slowly took root, warmed her and filled the space she’d filled with nights of research beside her father.

  Luca is my lover, even if only for these two nights.

  And tomorrow he would be no more than a beautiful memory.

  “Why did you sigh when I said we are lovers?”

  “What? I mean, pardon?” I will not be clingy. I will not let him know how much I’ll miss him when I’m gone.

  Luca took her hand, turned it palm up and brushed his thumb across her palm. “Do you like being my lover, Serena?”

  Tingles of desire coursed through her at his touch. He played her like a virtuoso musician. Words lost, eyes closed, she nodded.

  “Tell me, do you think your father would consider relocating to Sorrento?”

  “My father?” Her eyes flew open.

  “I would like him to work exclusively for Luxia.”

  Desire for food fled and her desire for Luca quickly morphed into a sword hanging over her head.

  Was their liaison all about securing her father and his research?

  Bile rose in her throat, and she yanked her hand from his. “Perhaps he would.”

  “Bene. And you—would you move here to be with him?”

  Disillusion vied with betrayal. Luca was using her to secure her father. Cold that had nothing to do with the season seeped into her body. “You don’t need to dangle that carrot in from of me. My father will jump at the chance to work in your state-of-the-art facilities.”

  Luca’s frown was dark and fierce. “It’s no carrot. I’m asking if you would like to move to Italy? I want you working for Luxia.”

  “You’ve got the contract. My father will accept your offer. Why would you—”

  He leaned across the table and fixed her with a fierce look. “This morning you demonstrated a depth of knowledge and passion for your work. Was that faked?”

  “Never.”

  “That passion is why I want you on my team. Not because we are simpatico in bed.”

  “As in, I’ve got the job if I want it, even without—” She felt the tide of heat rise in her cheeks. Luca was wrong. Business and sex made awkward bedfellows.

  “Yes, Serena. Even without that. I would never use sex as leverage. You have a fine mind and Luxia will be lucky if both you and your stepfather accept our offer.”

  Seesawing emotions and uncertainty about this first passion-filled stage of a relationship with Luca—a relationship we both want to continue—made it difficult to think straight. She needed time to process it. “Can I think about it for a day or two?”

  He picked up his glass and drank a mouthful. “Of course. I hope you will choose to accept. I will not pressure you. In any way.”

  “Not even about—being my lover?” Each time she spoke the word it became easier. Easier to accept, easier to believe she had found someone special. It felt too good to be true.

  What’s the catch?

  “Let me make myself clear. I want you in my bed, Serena.”

  “What’s your policy on sleeping with staff?”

  “Ah, you ask an important question. Romantic liaisons have no place in the work place, but I make you this promise. This job is not tied in any way to sleeping with the boss. Work stays at work and making love—can be anywhere that is not work.” He grinned, but his eyes glittered with promise. “And I will never allow work to impact on whatever what it is we have might become.”

  Can I have it all—my dream job and my dream lover?

  Luca’s integrity and character had been clear when he refused to leave her stranded on the coast road. She’d seen it then, thrown caution to the winds and succeeded in her quest. Did she dare trust him with her future?

  “Let me say it as simply as I can. I don’t want to lose you. As an asset to my company or as my lover. What we have shared makes us both happy. I want to keep making you happy, but if you feel you cannot be both my employee and in my bed, I leave the choice to you.”

  Try as she may, Serena couldn’t get a read on which choice he preferred—her mind or her body. But her body and mind knew which course she wanted to follow.

  The waiter arrived and set their meals on the table. Fragrant steam tickled her nose with scents of tomato and basil and rich Neapolitan sauce. She pushed her plate to one side and reached for his hand. “I don’t usually make big decisions quickly or without long lists of pros and cons and questions arising from questions, but this—with you—feels right. Right and exciting and—”

  “Full of promise?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does that mean—?”

  “When do you want me to start?”

  “Work—in a week. In my bed�
��?”

  Need, desire, anticipation coursed through her body. “How quickly can you finish your meal?”

  Epilogue

  Valentine’s Day, one year later

  Serena sat across from Luca in the same restaurant they’d celebrated signing the contract in a year earlier. The same table even, she thought as she looked around.

  Luca flicked his wrist over and checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. When he ran a hand through his hair, Serena had had enough. He seemed almost nervous, but that was impossible. Luca had nerves of steel in the toughest negotiations. Nothing fazed him and yet . . .

  “Are you expecting someone?” Disappointment flickered, but Serena tamped it down. After a whole year as a couple, she’d hoped this Valentine’s Day would be just the two of them; a romantic dinner followed by dessert at home. In bed with Luca.

  “As a matter of fact, I am. Ah, there he is.” His gaze caught on someone behind her and he pushed his chair back. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Is it wrong to wish the demands of business didn’t intrude on our together time?

  Luca had done his best to separate work from their home time. Gabriella, his PA, had commented only a week ago that she’d never seen her boss so happy and relaxed. “I used to think he was a workaholic, but he gets the same amount of work done in less time and leaves the office in time for dinner with you every night. I wish I could find such a man. You are very lucky, Serena.”

  I am lucky. And in love.

  Barely two months after she moved into his home, she knew she’d fallen for him. He called her mi amore.

  My love sounds wonderful in both languages. But mi amore wasn’t the same as waiting to hear him say ti amo—I love you. A small secret part of her had hoped that tonight might be the night when he told her, but if Luca had invited someone to join them for dinner . . . She didn’t try to hide her soft sigh, and anyway, Luca hadn’t returned to their table.

  Luca. It would have taken a stronger woman than she was to resist him. Not that she wanted to resist him, but she had hoped for—

  “Signorina?”

  She looked up to find the trio of musicians who always played in this restaurant had stopped beside her. “Buona sera. Could you come back when my—”