The Mogul's Reluctant Bride - Book Two (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls)
Page 30
What was that saying? “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Well, she wasn’t an enemy, yet, but she just might become one when she found herself tangled up in her own ball of yarn. He’d be a fool to walk away without knowing why she’d sought him out in the first place.
Nia could be a Trojan horse his bastard half-brother, Galen, was trying to plant in his camp to upset his plans to be married before his thirty-fourth birthday, at which point he would lose his inheritance to Galen. Damn his father for putting him in this situation! The old geezer couldn’t control Massimo from his desk, so he figured he’d do it from his grave. And now here was Galen, trying to drive the last nail into his coffin.
How much was Galen paying Nia? Massimo wondered. He knew one thing: it wasn’t enough, because when he was done with Miss Nia Sylk, she was going to wish she’d never crossed him.
“So, you’re a virgin, Miss Sylk. What’s the big deal?” he finally responded to her declaration of purity.
What’s the big deal? Nia balked at his cavalier response. He probably had more than his fair share of virgins. “I thought virgins were every man’s fantasy, Mr. Andretti. I’ve heard that the pleasure of a virginal conquest for a man is equivalent to breaking in a wild horse. Merely a matter of triumph.”
His thick eyebrows arched. “And where specifically did you hear that?”
I have no idea, Nia thought of the lame analogy. Seriously. Momentarily speechless, Nia could do nothing but stare at him. His apparent enjoyment of her inability to deliver a witty response grated on her already sensitive nerves. You’re doing this for Aaron. You have to play along. There’s no room for failure. She took a deliberate step backward, hoping to disguise her desperation. “Since you’re not interested, I’ll just—”
“How old are you, Miss Sylk?”
“Old enough to know what I want. I want you—a real man, to teach me the pleasures of womanhood, Mr. Andretti.”
“Let me see some ID.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Since I don’t know you, I can’t very well answer that question fairly. Your hesitation suggests you may have something to hide. Perhaps your name isn’t even Nia Sylk.” He turned and headed toward the door.
Crap. She couldn’t let him leave now she’d gotten his attention. Nia pulled her wallet from her purse, yanked out her driver’s license, and rushed after him. “Here.” She shoved it into his hands.
He studied the thin plastic. “So you’re twenty-four, and from Brooklyn.” He handed it back.
“Satisfied?”
“I’m not that easily satisfied, Miss Sylk.”
The cynical twist of his lips and his suggestive gaze ignited fires inside her Nia had never experienced before. She didn’t know exactly what she was supposed to feel when a man like Massimo Andretti looked at her that way. Since her father’s death, she’d been too busy working to support herself and Aaron, and stay under the radar of the law. She never had time for boyfriends.
She’d been looking forward to having a life, to finally indulge in all the things girls her age had been enjoying since they were teenagers—things she’d had to set aside while she was raising her little brother. She had a lot of catching up to do with partying with her girlfriends, with dating, with falling in love and losing her virginity to the man of her choice. She’d been looking forward to learning, growing, and discovering herself—who she really was.
Instead, here she was, playing a dangerous game with an unprincipled man who could hurt her, destroy her innocence before she had time to embrace it. But if she didn’t play along with Massimo, Aaron could get hurt. “So are you going to take me up on my offer?” she asked, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
“What do you want in return for your... virginity?”
Nia shrugged. “I’m not harboring any silly romantic notions, nor am I expecting a permanent commitment, if that’s what you think. I just want to fulfill a fantasy.”
“You traveled all the way from Brooklyn to offer me your virginity with no ulterior motives. And when I’ve had my fill, you’ll go back to Brooklyn with no hard feelings.”
“Well, that and two million dollars.”
Massimo whistled softly. “Is that what a virginity costs these days?”
“Since I haven’t sold one before, I wouldn’t know,” she stated haughtily. “Anyway, I’d like the money in cash, if you don’t mind,” she added with a dignified jut of her chin.
“Sure. Keep it clean and simple. No paper trails.”
Under his withering gaze, Nia felt like an expensive piece of marble being assessed for his private gallery. Perhaps this wasn’t such a very good idea, she thought as the silence grew and thickened. The unreadable, changing expressions in his eyes worried her. What if he was contemplating turning her in for solicitation? The cards were stacked against her. She was a desperate schoolteacher drowning in debt. No one would believe her if she tried to deny the accusations.
On the other hand, Massimo was one of the wealthiest, most handsome, eligible bachelors on the planet. He didn’t have to pay for sex. Everybody would believe his version of the…
“Deal.”
Nia shook her head and blinked. Did he just say…
“Andiamo.” He waved his hand in the air as if he’d just signed a contract on the purchase of a new car and continued on his way to the door.
“Wait!” Panic edged Nia’s voice.
He stopped in mid-stride and turned, his head tipped to one side. “Changing your mind, Miss Sylk? You’re not quite ready to experience the pleasures of womanhood, after all?”
“There are conditions to my proposal.”
“Now you tell me. Well, let’s hear them.”
Nia’s fist tightened around the cold metal of her purse strap. “I get half the money now and the other half after the— um—” She cleared her throat. “The deed is completed.”
“Fair. Anything else?”
“I need time to get to know you better before I— before you— before we— consummate the agreement.”
“Ahh!” He slapped his palm against his forehead in a clearly mocking manner. “You doubt my performance. Well, I assure you, Miss Sylk, no woman has ever left my bed unsatisfied. I can get my hands on some references if you’d like. I’m certain many of my former lovers would be happy to share their experiences with you. I’ve heard some of them even compare notes—positions, duration, locale. The kinds of things women boast about when they try to outshine each other. Perhaps one day you’ll feel obliged to contribute to the blogs.”
Nia gasped. If she didn’t know it before, she knew now that she was making a pact with the most dangerous man on earth. Yes, they were just words, but they nevertheless sent heat rippling under her skin at the thought of rubbing skin and swapping bodily fluids with Massimo Andretti, and then blab about it. But that’s not the reason she was here. “Well, all the same, I just can’t jump into bed with you, Mr. Andretti. A woman’s first time should be special. She should feel comfortable and safe with her partner. I mean, we aren’t even on a first name basis, yet.”
“How much time, Nia?”
“One month.” That should give her enough time to settle her debt with Eddie, make arrangements for a new life with Aaron somewhere out of the country, and escape from Granite Falls with her virginity still intact, and a million of Massimo’s dollars in tow—enough to make a decent life for her and Aaron. It wouldn’t make up for all the suffering of their past, but it would bring her comfort to know she’d outwitted the notorious Massimo Andretti.
“One week,” he said, pulling his mittens from his pockets and slipping them on.
“Three weeks,” Nia countered.
“One.”
“Two?”
“One. You’ll have one million dollars on Friday. I’ll have you next Tuesday, after which you will receive the balance. Fair?”
“Well—”
“That’s my final offer.”
“But—”<
br />
“Good day, Miss Sylk.” He reached the door in two swift strides.
Other Works by Ana E Ross
Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls Series:
The Doctor’s Secret Bride - Book One – May 2012 – Available Now
The Playboy’s Fugitive Bride – Book Three – Coming, 2013
The Tycoon’s Temporary Bride – Book Four – Coming, 2014
Short Stories: Available Now
Her Perfect Valentine Birthday Surprise
The Brit Who Loved Her
When Amber Got Her Groove Back – Formerly: Mark of a Good Man
Visit Ana at:
www.anaeross.com
Table of Contents
THE MOGUL’S RELUCTANT BRIDE
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
From the Desk of Ana E Ross
THE PLAYBOY’S FUGITIVE BRIDE
Other Works by Ana E Ross
Table of Contents
THE MOGUL’S RELUCTANT BRIDE
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
From the Desk of Ana E Ross
THE PLAYBOY’S FUGITIVE BRIDE
Other Works by Ana E Ross