BWWM: OFF LIMITS: An Interracial Alpha Billionaire Romance (Urban African American Contemporary Series)

by Scribble XO Books

Alexander Barone…my business partner and best friend came bursting into my office the way that he always does, interrupting my thoughts. “You don’t know how to knock, do you?” I asked him.

  He grinned and shot me a feigned look of shock. “You want me to knock? Why? Were you jacking off?”

  “Ha! Fuck you Alex. You’re the one who’s been all uptight lately because of Sam…”

  He gave me a look that said he didn’t want to talk about it. He plopped on the couch and picked at imaginary lint on his tailored suit. After a long pause he looked up. “Yeah…I guess. She’s not one to be convinced so easily. She’s different from all the rest, you know?”

  I knew. My mind went back to my beautiful teacher. I wasn’t ready to talk about her yet so I said, “Did you get those contracts signed with Fisher oil?”

  He looked relieved at the change of subject. “Of course I did,” in that confident way he had about him. “Would you expect any less of me?”

  I grinned. “Not even a little bit,” I said, honestly. Alex and I are a lot alike in business and in life. We both have this never ending drive that pushes us to do better than everyone else…but what we’re looking for isn’t just better…it’s the best. “I also talked to Antony Fantone. He wants to talk about using us exclusively to export his rugs and antiques.”

  “Good. Did you set up a meeting with him already?”

  “Yes. I scheduled it for next week since we have so much going on with the dinner gala and all this week. Have you decided which lucky lady is going to get to go dangling from your muscular arm?”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. He was only half kidding. The women that I call “hangers,” the ones who are somehow always circling in my orbit have been circling closer lately, waiting to see who I would ask.

  “How about Maria…you know, the one with the legs?” Alex let out a low whistle. “Or maybe Daphne with the…” He circled his arms around his chest. Daphne is a former Victoria Secret's model. She’s a size two everywhere except for the bust. There, she needs an extra-large. But I wasn’t interested.

  “Nah, Daphne can’t come outside herself long enough to make even a stab at dinner conversation and Maria…I just don’t trust her. Besides, she’s got a reputation of working her way up in this city. She can keep her legs. I’m not interested.”

  “Well then, maybe you should invite the beauty you ditched me for.” He grinned.

  Pretending I had no idea who he was talking about I said, “Who’s that?”

  “I would know if you told me her name. All I know is that I showed up at the café for lunch with my friend and he was already across the street slaying dragons to impress the queen.”

  I laughed. “Who knows?” I said. “I might just ask her.”

  Alex let it go for now and we got back to discussing work. We have a new office opening up in Chicago soon and there are a lot of details that still need to be worked out. We discussed that for almost an hour and made plans for one of us to fly out within the next few weeks and check on the progress. When he finally left I felt like I’d at least made a little bit of progress in my business day. It was hard, since all I wanted to think about was the teacher. I thought about Alex’s suggestion and decided to call her.

  I dialed her number with confidence…but as I listened to it ring I suddenly felt like a schoolboy all over again. I didn’t even know her. She had no idea who I was and I got the impression that she wouldn’t be all that impressed if she did. I pulled away to hang up when I heard a silky, sexy voice.

  “Hello?”

  It was then that I realized I hadn’t even gotten her name. She had me way off my game. “Hello, this is Luca Sterling from St. Mark’s Square.” I heard a soft giggle. I guess that did sound a little silly.

  “Well hello Luca from St. Mark’s. This is Kerry Williams, from Kansas…home of Dorothy and Toto.” There was another soft chuckle. I liked the sound.

  “You’re a long way from home, Kerry from Kansas.”

  “Yes I am, and glad of it. I love this city. It’s not only beautiful…something about it makes me feel at peace.”

  “I know what you mean. I love it too.”

  “Are you from Venice?”

  “I originally come from a place called Camogli. It’s a small fishing village off the coast…or it used to be a fishing village anyways. It’s gotten pretty popular with the tourists now too, which is good for the locals. It gives them more opportunity to sell their wares.”

  “Oh, so a small “island” guy, huh? It’s funny; you didn’t strike me as the “small” anything type.” I laughed and wondered if she already knew me. She was so right. Everything I did, I did big.

  “I think that came about later in life when I studied business in New York,” I said. “But at heart, I’m still that kid from the fishing village.”

  “That’s nice,” she said. “I’m a small town girl myself. But Venice has that comfortable, neighborly feel to it, so I’m not overwhelmed by it at all.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear we’ve made you feel welcome.”

  I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling like a boy again. “There is something I wanted to ask you, Kerry. My company is putting on a gala in the name of the Countess of Milan. It’s a fundraiser she does each year and we agreed to be a part of it. I need a date and I would love it if you could go.”

  “Oh,” I heard regret in her voice and I knew she was about to turn me down. It’s not something that I’m readily used to. “I’m sorry Luca, but I’m going to have to decline this time.”

  I was more disappointed than I probably had a right to be. “I’m sorry too. I know that we just met and I hope you don’t think this is too forward of me…”

  “Oh no! That’s not it at all. It’s just that I’m tutoring some of the kids and we already made plans to study that evening.”

  I was suddenly filled with an entirely new respect for this gorgeous woman. I knew a hundred women who would have flaked on the kids for the chance to be wined and dined by a wealthy man. This one was definitely different. “Well that’s admirable, and it makes me feel better.”

  She giggled and said, “I’m not sure how the kids would feel if I stood them up to spend an evening with a handsome and heroic man.” I’m glad she couldn’t see me because I think for the first time since I was a child, I actually blushed.

  “Well, I have to respect a woman who follows through with her obligations although I’m sorely disappointed. Perhaps we can do it another time?”

  “I would love that, Luca, and thank you for the invitation.”

  When I hung up I was smiling like an adolescent. She turned me down and I was still happy. I don’t know what kind of mental illness this is that has suddenly afflicted me…but I think I like it.

  KERRY

  The four children I was tutoring tonight we're starting to get restless and giggly. The session had gone well and they had all been very attentive up to now but their restlessness told me it was about time to call it a night. I’m exhausted anyways.

  “Okay kids! Nico, up here, honey.” The little boy with the roundest, darkest eyes I’ve ever seen trained them on me as I said, “I think we’re going to call it a night. The sun is starting to set and your teacher is tired.”

  Mia raised her hand. “Yes Mia?”

  “Should we practice our vowels when we’re at home?”

  I smiled at her. These kids give me a renewed sense of being needed and I love it. They’re so sweet and appreciative, it makes turning down a date with the wealthy Adonis worth it. Getting my life back on track after the debacle with David is what I need to concentrate on right now. “Yes please, Mia. Practice hard for me and we’ll see how much progress you’ve made next week.”

  We cleaned up our mess and I ushered the kids outside just in time for their parents to begin arriving to pick them up. Nico and Mia were neighbors, so Nico’s mother picked them both up. Carlo and Theresa were picked up by their own mothers. After the last one left, I t
urned to lock the schoolroom door and heard a car pull up behind me.

  I was surprised when I turned around to see a slick black limousine. I was even more surprised when the back window went down and I was face to face with Luca Sterling. Damn! He was wearing a tuxedo that was obviously made for him. His black hair looked as shiny and smooth as glass and my fingers actually ached to touch it. He smiled at me and once again my insides may as well have been made of Jell-O.

  “Luca! Hello. What a surprise.” Thankfully my voice sounded stronger than I felt. He stepped out of the car and felt like I could hardly breathe. I was suddenly aware of what I must look like after a day spent with seven to ten year olds. I was wearing black skinny jeans and a red, sleeveless blouse that buttoned up the front. Next to this vision of a man, I must look like a peasant.

  His eyes took me in and from the heat I could practically feel coming from them, I’m guessing he doesn’t mind. “Hello Miss Kerry…. It’s a beautiful night. Walk with me?” he said. I thought we’d make an odd pair…him in his formal wear and me in my casual teaching clothes. But the truth was I didn’t care. I wanted to be close to him.

  “Sure,” I said, turning to finish locking the door. He had his hands in his pockets as we walked and I couldn’t help but notice how comfortable he looked in that tux. A lot of men can’t pull off formal wear. Luca looked as if he was born in it. “So what happened to your dinner party?”

  He smiled tightly and peered down at me. “Honestly, it just wasn’t for me. I had the driver take me there, but when we drove up, I couldn’t even get out of the car.”

  We were walking down the narrow street towards the sunset and I realized that it was the most beautiful sunset I may have ever seen. Maybe it was the company…the sky that had been blue only moments ago was now streaked with brilliant orange and red hues and the water underneath it was turning a dark shade of crimson. The light was being reflected back towards us and it almost seemed as if we were walking out into the sunset itself. A few couples meandered through the cobbled streets, all of them tinted an orange hue.

  “You didn’t even go in for a minute to make an appearance and say hello?”

  Luca laughed. “This is Italy, Kerry. There is no such thing as just “making an appearance.” People love to talk here and they love to feed you. Even people who didn’t prepare the food themselves would have been urging me to sit down and eat. I would have been there for four hours at least.”

  I laughed too. I knew he was right. I’d only been here a short time and yet everyone I’d met had somehow wanted to feed me and tell me their life story. It was sweet and warm…but I can also see where it could be inconvenient at times. I’m sure that most of the time Luca is a very busy man.

  “I can understand the aversion to parties for sure. My husb…my ex-husband and I used to get invited to a lot of parties. He was thinking of running for office there for a while so we were on everyone’s list it seemed. I didn’t care for it. I’m more of the homebody, bookworm type.”

  He smiled gently, his blue eyes warm on me. “Well, if I had been him, I would have rather been at home with my book worm.” My face was on fire and I hoped it was dark enough now that he couldn’t see the blush.

  He stopped walking suddenly and I looked up. A wood sign swung under a vined wall.Nostro Pizzeria.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Um…I could eat. But…maybe you’re a bit overdressed…or I’m a bit underdressed? I’m not sure which.” I laughed.

  He smiled and winked. His eyelashes are a foot long. “I don’t think the owner will mind.” He took me by the arm then and his touch sent tiny jolts traveling through my body like I’d touched a live wire. As soon as we stepped inside the cozy little restaurant the chatter at the front desk ceased and the young maître d looked nervous as he straightened his posture. “Mr. Sterling, we had no idea you’d be joining us tonight.”

  The man behind the cash register was doing his best not to make eye contact and he looked nervous too. “Is my table free?”

  “It always is sir,” the maître d said, stepping forward. He looked at me then and smiled. “Welcome, Miss.”

  “Thank you.”

  Luca’s warm hand clasped mine and we followed the nervous little man to a large booth outside on the patio. The night air was warm and not the moon and the stars were out. There were propane powered lanterns that stood sentry across the patio and the tables had candles burning in the center as well. Sego palms surrounded the table so it was like our own private little haven. Luca told the man what bottle of wine he would like and he scurried away. When he was gone I said, “So do you own this restaurant or what?” I was only half joking. Luca smiled.

  “Yes,” he said, simply.

  “Well…it’s very nice,” was all I could think of to say.

  “Yes, I think it’s one of my nicest ones.”

  “One?”

  “Between here and New York, twelve…I think.” That made me laugh.

  “You think?”

  “I lose track, but that’s what I have financial advisors for.”

  I’ve been fortunate in my life so that I’ve never been poor…yet it was still hard for me to wrap my head around having so much that you needed other people to watch it and invest it for you. The waiter brought our wine and Luca asked me if I’d like pizza or something else.

  “Pizza is always good,” I said.

  He looked at the waiter and said, “We’ll have my usual.”

  “Of course Mr. Sterling.”

  Luca leaned back in his seat. His eyes never left my face even when he was talking to someone else. They were always so intense and watchful. I found out quickly that he wasn’t a talker either. It was slightly refreshing since David loved nothing more than to hear the sound of his own voice. Typically, when David talked he was talking about himself too. It became old very quickly. But Luca… There was something about Luca that told me he was more interested in me and what I had to say than anything else.

  “You know Miss Kerry…I’ve been thinking about our kiss all day,” he said. His teeth bit against his bottom lip as if he was trying to hide a smile. I suddenly wanted to bite that lip too. He was being playful.

  “Oh that?” I said, trying to play it off. “That was just an innocent little…thank you…for rescuing me.”

  His lips quirked. “Innocent? Is that what it was?” His eyes were on my lips again and I was beginning to tremble. I wanted to kiss the waiter when he interrupted by bringing out the pizza. For the first several minutes we ate in silence and then Luca said, “So what brings a beautiful woman who hails from Kansas all the way to Italy?”

  I thought carefully about what I was ready to share. “I was looking to redesign my life. I desperately needed a change. St. Mark’s needed an English teacher. It was a match made in heaven…or online, however you’d like to think of it.”

  He laughed. “Well, I’d say that St. Mark’s made a fine match. Can I ask a more personal question?”

  I wished that he wouldn’t but who was I kidding. It wasn’t just secrets I wanted to share with this man. I was so nervous sitting here with him that I wasn’t sure what I might say. I couldn’t tell him that though.

  “Of course.”

  “Why did you want to redesign your life?”

  I suppose telling him about David now would give me the advantage of having it over with. “I caught my husband cheating on me with a woman I considered a friend.”

  “Oh…that’s…” for the first time it seemed he was the one that didn’t know what to say.

  I smiled, hoping that it didn’t look as bitter as it did when I’d caught them. “It’s okay. I know that it’s not a comfortable topic. It sucked and I was torn up over it for a while. But to be honest after just a few days when I was in my attorney’s office filing for divorce, I realized that I was relieved.”

  He looked at me curiously, his blue eyes sparkling. “Relieved? I can’t say that’s a word I would expect to describ
e that situation.”

  “No, I guess it wouldn’t be the standard, but I was. It has allowed me to move on with my life. Look at me in Italy…living my dream. Although we weren’t happy before this happened, I don’t think I would have left otherwise. I don’t want to be with anyone I can’t trust, so the relief comes in there too. I’d much rather know what he’s doing than have it go on behind my back. I don’t want a man who takes commitment that lightly.”

  He was nodding as I talked but was quiet for a moment, reclining back in his chair. His index finger lightly brushed his bottom lip as he spoke. “What kind of man would you like to find, Kerry?” I quickly swallowed my food.

  I found it funny, but his questions didn’t make me uncomfortable. Instead, they did the opposite. Although disarming, I felt completely at ease with him. I dapped my mouth with my napkin and leveled with him.

  “I want a man who believes in the sanctity of things, be it marriage or something else. I can’t respect a man who can’t commit to what he wants and go after it with a passion and a vengeance. I want someone who is kind and considerate. I’d like for him to like kids and above all else I want someone that I can trust wholeheartedly…someone who makes me feel safe as well as loved.”

  His full lips pulled into a smile. “I like a woman that knows what she wants and goes after it. I have a lot of respect for you coming to a strange place all alone to start a new life. That takes a lot of guts. I’m impressed with you, Kerry from Kansas. You are quickly turning out to be the most interesting thing that has happened to me in a long time.”

  LUCA

  A few days after the gala and the night I had dinner with Kerry, Alex called me when I was on my way out of a lunch meeting.

  “Luca, Ricco Pera is dead.”

  “What the hell? The count’s nephew? Ricco? Dead? He’s younger than I am! What happened?”

  “It looks like he was poisoned. No one had seen or spoken to him in days so the Count sent someone to check in on him. They found him dead in his apartment.”

  “Oh my God! He was murdered?”