He laughs, wiping off his hands again and coming to stand at my side. “My dear.” He sweeps a few strands of hair behind my shoulder, grazing my neck with his fingers. “You can go anytime you want. Instead of a backpack, we’ll take luggage and use my private jet.”
His words make my heart skip a beat. “You make it sound easy.”
“You’re the boss, Lauren. You can do anything you want.”
“Leaving the company for an extended period of time wouldn’t be wise right now, especially if I did it with you.”
“We will have to take some business trips. You’re going to need to know everything about Cozza while I learn everything about Interstellar.”
I glance down, wishing his words were true. “You’re a dreamer.”
Antonio places his fingertips under my chin, forcing me to look up at his beautiful, smiling face. “I’m a realist. There will be a lot of travel in the next few months, and there’s no one else I’d rather do it with than you.”
“What about your other siblings?” I change the subject because I’m not ready to think about tomorrow, let alone a few weeks or months away.
He cups my chin. “They can come too if they want,” he says with a wink.
I playfully slap his arm. “I’m being serious. You didn’t finish telling me about your brothers and sisters.”
“Let’s see.” He moves back across the kitchen, putting much-needed distance between us. Although I’d like nothing more than to press my body against his, my stomach is winning the internal battle of wills. “I told you about Flavia, Enzo, and Catarina already. Violetta is a classically trained pianist, and much to the horror of my mother, she joined a punk band two years ago and has been living out of a van as she sings in dive bars. She’s the wild one of the group.”
I don’t know why, but I laugh. “And the last brother?”
Antonio slowly stirs the sauce as it perfumes the air with the most heavenly scent. “Stefano.”
My stomach rumbles, but I push aside my hunger pangs when Antonio doesn’t continue. “And he’s…?”
“He and I are twins.”
“I didn’t know you had a twin.”
“It’s one of the reasons I keep such a low profile. I’d hate for people to mix us up because we look so much alike.” He smirks because he knows half the time I’m not even sure I like him either. “And Stefano’s the nicest person you’ll ever meet, but only if he likes you.”
“I must meet him because he sounds just like you.”
Antonio places the pot of water on the stove to boil before leaning against the counter. “It’s complicated.”
“You’re complicated. How’s he any different?”
He gives me that cocky grin that makes my heart skip a beat. “I know, but Stefano doesn’t necessarily live his life on the right side of the law.”
“So, he’s…?” I push my nose sideways with my index finger, giving the signal for crooked.
“What’s…?” He repeats the motion with his eyebrows drawn inward.
“Like, he’s in the mob?”
“They don’t call it that in Italy, but something like that. I don’t want to know, so I keep my nose out of his business.”
“You’re safe, then.”
Antonio raises an eyebrow. “Safe?”
“From Stefano stealing me away from you.” I laugh so hard, I snort.
Antonio crosses the kitchen with ease, almost as though he’s floating as he walks, elegant and smooth. “Baby, I’d never let anyone have you. Not even my brother.”
My belly flips, but this time, it isn’t from hunger.
ANTONIO
I still, leaving my cock buried deep inside her. “Say it,” I growl in her ear, my front flush against her back.
“I can’t.”
My finger sweeps across her clit, and her body jolts against me. “You wanna come, baby?” I press my hand flat against her, pulling her ass upward and pushing my dick deeper.
She lifts her head, turning to look me in the eyes. “You play dirty,” she whispers against my lips.
“There’s no other way to play.” I smirk.
The game had been fun, but now I’m dying for the orgasm she’s holding out of reach for both of us. I may have given her my position at Cozza, but I’ll remain in charge in the bedroom. The admission is simple for most people, but the way we started makes everything more complicated.
“I’m…” She grinds her clit against my palm, trying to get what she wants without saying what I want to hear. When I cup my hands, making it impossible for her to get off, she finally gives in. “I’m yours, Antonio. I’m yours.”
Hearing her finally say the words is like music to my ears. I pull back, arching my body on top of hers before I slam inside her so hard, her body moves forward across the bed. She pushes back, meeting each thrust with a cry of passion.
Every ounce of pent-up energy, frustration, passion, and longing pour from my soul, building into an orgasm that could tear us both apart. I slow a bit, playing with her clit as I pull out and pump my dick back into her.
My spine starts to tingle as the climax grows, radiating throughout my body. I can’t breathe. She follows me, but not as quietly, as the orgasm grips us both.
“Jesus,” she whispers underneath me before I’ve had a chance to say a word.
I’m too busy concentrating on each breath as my heart hammers inside my chest, threatening to break free. Dear God. The woman does it for me like no one else ever has. I don’t know if it’s her unwillingness to make anything easy, but every step along the way she’s had me by the proverbial balls.
I roll onto my side, pulling her down with me onto the comforter. “Mmm,” I mumble, unable to muster any intelligible words.
My thoughts are scattered. Less than a month ago, I had dreams of ripping Interstellar away and making it my own. Now I’m handing the entire company over to the woman I just fucked. Either I’m hopelessly in love with her, or I’ve officially gone off the deep end.
I close my eyes and stroke the soft skin on her arm as she curls into me. My life, although crazy at times because of business, has never been as peaceful as it is in the moments when Lauren’s at my side.
I never thought I’d be here. The last twenty years have been a dizzying array of women parading around and shaking their asses in front of me, hoping I’d drop to one knee and propose marriage. A few tempted me, but none have gotten as close as Lauren Bradley. There’s something about her, something in our connection, that makes me want to claim her as my own and put a ring on her finger.
“Are we fooling ourselves?” she asks, peering up at me just as I open my eyes.
“What do you mean?” My post-sex brain haze makes the simplest thought almost impossible.
She raises herself up, placing her hand on my chest as she stares into my eyes. “Can this really work? I mean, we’re electric in bed, but…”
“We’ll make it work, Lauren.” I lift my head, placing a kiss on her forehead and letting my lips linger against her skin. “I won’t settle for anything or anyone else.”
“When word gets out about us, people are going to hate me,” she confesses.
Pulling her on top of me, I brush her hair away from her eyes. Her heart’s beating as fast as mine, almost in sync. “Why would they hate you?”
“They’re going to say I slept my way to the top.”
I laugh softly, touching her chin as my thumb strokes her bottom lip. “You were already at the top, my love. You’ve proven yourself with the Mercury engine and well before that, in fact. I’m sure every employee will hate both of us equally, but we’re not meant to be liked. When you’re at the top, the people underneath are forever gunning for your failure.”
Tiny lines form across her forehead, and her lips flatten. “That’s not always true.”
“It’s always true. They pray for our failure. It’s the only thing they can cling to in hopes of someday taking our jobs. But now we have each other to watch
the other’s back, so it’ll be harder for them to knock us off our game.”
Her fingernail grazes the skin on my chest as her features soften. “You really think us working together is going to be a good thing?”
Before I kiss her, I say, “We’re going to take over the world, Lauren. We were pretty damn strong separately, but together, we’re unstoppable.”
Chapter Nine
LAUREN
I’m standing in the living room, rubbing my eyes with only Antonio’s undershirt covering my naked body. When I woke up, I reached for him, but he was gone and the sheets were cold where he had lain hours earlier.
“Where are you going?” I ask, blinking a few times to make sure the suitcases in my living room are real.
Antonio struts across the living room with a cup of coffee in his hands, and I pray it’s for me. “We’re going out of town.”
I rock backward on my heels in disbelief. “We can’t go anywhere.”
He thrusts the cup in front of me, and I take it, staring at him over the rim as I take a sip and he speaks. “You can’t go into work, and it’s almost the weekend. No business will be done for a few days. Josh and Carlino will handle everything in our absence.”
I mumble nonsense into the mug as I try to let the caffeine work its magic so I can form a coherent argument about why it’s not the right time for us to disappear. Since Antonio’s walked into my life, I’ve spent more time away from the office than I have doing my actual job. Some of it has been his fault, while the rest has been caused by the chaos of Trent.
Antonio backs away, his eyes traveling up my bare legs in a heated gaze. “Everything has already been taken care of. I explained that we’re going to spend a few days at the Cozza headquarters in Italy so you can report back to your board about the state of our affairs.”
“That bullshit worked?”
“There’s a bit of truth to it. I packed your bags, so once you’re ready, we’re off.”
“Off where?” My mind’s still hazy and I haven’t had enough coffee to fully process everything he just said.
“Italy.”
I sway a bit as the realization that I’m going to spend a weekend in Italy with Antonio crashes over me. The country has always been on my bucket list, but I have never found the time to take the trip I’d been planning since college. Although this wouldn’t be an extended stay, traveling the countryside and soaking in the culture, it would be on the arm of a man I’ve quickly fallen in love with.
“Rome?” I’m almost giddy at the thought of the fountains and courtyards steeped in history and sipping an espresso while people watching.
“Como. It’s my mother’s birthday, and I can’t miss it. Sorry to say, I’m going to subject you to the entire Forte family at once.”
My mouth falls open as I gawk at him, blinking repeatedly as my mouth closes and opens again. This isn’t a casual trip or business at all. He’s going to introduce me to his mother and siblings all at once.
I set my coffee down on the table near the couch and rush toward my bags, quickly unzipping the first one. “Oh my God. Did you pack the right things? I can’t look a mess when I meet them.” I tear through the first layer of clothes, impressed with his choices because it’s everything I would’ve packed myself.
He kneels in front of me, moving my hands away from the carefully and meticulously packed bags. “Trust me a little here. I have everything you need, and whatever is missing, we’ll buy. The stores in Como are some of the most spectacular in the world.”
Panic slices through me. In relationships, there’s always a small amount of lead time for an event like this. At least, I think there is. I haven’t had many relationships that have gotten to the point of meeting the parents, but I always assumed I’d have more than a few hours to prepare myself.
“You can’t just spring this on me. Oh Jesus.”
He smiles softly and places his hands on my shoulders, gently squeezing. “My family will love you. It doesn’t matter what you wear, Lauren. They’re ecstatic you’re coming for the party.”
The blood drains from my face at the thought of a room full of people and their eyes all on me. I’m sure Antonio has brought the flavor of the moment to every family party, and I’ll be compared to each beauty before me. “I’m sure they’re used to you bringing home a certain kind of woman,” I say, drawing in a breath through my nose as I close my eyes and try to calm myself down.
“I’ve never taken anyone home with me,” he says.
My eyes pop open, and the second of calm I’d achieved evaporates. “What?” The panic intensifies because that means I’m the…
I can’t even think the words.
“You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought home to meet my family, Lauren,” he utters them for me.
I resist the urge to fall backward and curl into the fetal position. Reaching out, I wrap my hand around his forearm and use him as an anchor. “Don’t you think we should wait for something this important?”
“I already told my mother, and she’s excited to meet you. You wouldn’t want me to break her heart, would you?”
I wrinkle my nose and glare at him. “Using guilt isn’t nice, Antonio.”
“I’ll use any means necessary to spend the weekend with you again.” He smirks, and his thumb strokes the side of my neck softly as he keeps his hands firmly planted on my shoulders. “But be prepared, there’s no guilt like an Italian mother’s. She can get you to do anything her heart desires with a single look.”
“Great,” I mutter and sigh, still clinging to him to stop myself from falling over. “I’ll go for your mother and because it’s Italy.”
“And because you love me.”
Those five words are all it takes to cause my grip to slip and for me to tumble backward on my ass in the most ungraceful way. I stare up at the ceiling as Antonio climbs to his feet and stands over me. I seal my eyes shut and block out the world. I’m not ready to make an admission as grand as that. Yesterday, I thought he was stealing my company, and my head hasn’t fully embraced the idea that Antonio and I are falling in love with a connection so deep and strong that nothing could tear it apart.
Except for meeting his mother and making a fool of myself. If I don’t win her over, we could be finished before we ever really get started.
“I’ll be ready in an hour,” I say as I roll to my side and push off the floor. “Power up the jet. Italy, here we come.” I raise my arm high in the air, giving a little fist pump to no one. Fake excitement is easy when my back is to him because the look on my face is one of absolute horror.
If nothing else, I got out of the situation unscathed and without professing my love for Antonio, even if the words are true. I’m not ready to let go of the one tiny piece I’ve kept to myself.
* * *
Antonio whisked me out of the Cozza headquarters so fast I can’t even remember what color the walls were in his office. He introduced me to a few people, referring to me as the CEO of Interstellar and nothing more. Most of what he said was in Italian, and I didn’t understand a single thing.
I settle into a chair at the café across the street from the modern, almost grotesque, headquarters that don’t fit in with the surrounding classical architecture. A handsome man in a crisp white dress shirt with an apron wrapped around his waist approaches and mutters something in Italian.
I smile at him as my face heats, wishing I’d learned Italian in college instead of Spanish. “Espresso, per favore.”
He nods, giving me a quick smile before disappearing. Although I spoke the words correctly, the accent I used screamed American, along with the jeans and Cubs T-shirt I’d thrown on this morning before we left the hotel. I thought today would be a relaxing day with us just taking in the sights of Milan, where the Cozza headquarters are located. Antonio failed to mention that we’d be visiting some of my future employees, or else I would’ve worn something a bit more appropriate.
The waiter sets the cup of espresso down in
front of me along with a small carafe of cream and a bowl of sugar. I smile up at him with a quick nod, not risking butchering the beautiful Italian language again.
He leaves me in peace to take in the sights and sounds of the city around me. After I dump two spoonfuls of sugar and a dash of cream into my tiny cup, I sit back and let the realization sink in that I’m in Italy with Antonio.
I think about the thousands of people who have walked down the same street over the centuries or sipped a cup of heavenly espresso in the same seat I currently occupy. Although I love Chicago, compared to a city like Milan, it’s new.
“Enjoying yourself?” Antonio says, creating a shadow over the table as he stands in my line of sight.
My gaze travels up the length of him, slowly drinking in the handsome man before me. “I am. Thank you. Coffee?”
He sits down, snapping his fingers, and the waiter comes before his hand has even rested on the table again. The two of them laugh like they’re old friends as they speak words that mean nothing to me.
I watch them over the rim of the espresso cup as their hands move around as if they’re speaking sign language as well as Italian. Antonio looks relaxed, almost at home for the first time since I met him.
“Lauren, this is Fabrizio. He’s been a dear friend for years.”
Fabrizio nods and so do I before Antonio reverts back to his native language. Fabrizio’s eyes keep coming back to me, his smile growing wider with each passing word. I glance around the street to avoid his gaze.
When Fabrizio walks away, Antonio kicks back in the chair and sighs. “It’s good to be home.”
I hadn’t thought much about the fact that his home isn't in Chicago, let alone the United States. Our lives are on entirely different continents. I’m not willing to drop everything in Chicago and commit to life in Italy on a full-time basis, but in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with Milan.
“I understand why you’ve missed it. It’s beautiful here.”
Merger: Takeover Duet #2 Page 7
