Violet had commented on her reclusiveness, in hiding in the office to sketch when normally Natalia preferred to be in the design rooms. Logically, Natalia knew they worried for her and simply wanted to make sure she was all right.
Natalia growled and angrily tossed the pencil on the table. She was obsessing with the fact she had a date with Adam tonight. Not a real date, which saddened her. No, tonight was part of this cover they needed to fool Carlo’s—what? Cronies? Henchmen? Co-conspirators?
She didn’t even know details about what Adam was doing, only that Carlo was afraid of being discovered, of others finding out he’d helped Adam.
Worse, Natalia wanted tonight to be a real date. She was interested in Adam, not simply in helping him. He was attractive and, as she’d discovered during that banquet, funny when he wanted to be.
So she’d holed herself up in her office, unwilling to talk about this break in her routine or have anyone question her.
Annoyed with herself, Natalia grabbed pad, pencils, and her iced coffee and stalked to the lift. She wanted tonight’s date to be more than a mysterious adventure; she wanted it to be a mysterious adventure with romance. And it was not.
Jabbing the button, she rode the lift down to her studio. Rolling her shoulders, she stretched a little before the doors opened and smiled. It felt more natural than she expected, and she relaxed.
Gina eyed her, concern clear on her face, the moment the doors opened. She had no doubt that Violet and Gina had already discussed Natalia’s stay in her office. But then Gina smiled and waved her over to her own design table.
“Everything cool?” Gina asked.
“Cool.” Natalia nodded. “Yes. Everything is very cool. I don’t understand why everyone is suddenly so worried when I spend a few moments in my office.”
“It’s like a Lake Tahoe stonefly,” Gina said, and for a moment Natalia wondered if she still spoke English. “Rare.”
“Lake Tahoe stonefly?” Natalia repeated each syllable slowly and just managed not to scowl at Gina. That would only cause all of them to continue this unnecessary line of questioning. Instead she sniffed. “I am not a bug.”
Gina rolled her eyes and changed the subject to her design. “It’ll be like the one you designed last year, with built-in control at the waist.”
With her mind on tonight, Natalia nodded, though she didn’t really see the design. “I like it.”
“It’s a blob with waist control.” Gina folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?”
Sighing, Natalia dropped her book and pencil. She leaned a hip against the desk and pinched the bridge of her nose. Dropping her hands, she straightened. She was tired of this not-date date being the only thing on her mind.
“I have a date tonight.”
“Distracted I get.” Gina nodded, her eyes still narrowed. “But you’re more depressed.”
Natalia frowned. “I’m not depressed. I am simply preoccupied.”
“Preoccupied means you have a stupid smile on your face over your date tonight.” Gina stepped closer, and Natalia raised an eyebrow at the move. Shaking her head she said, “Nope! I don’t see that smile.”
“It’s complex.” She waved a hand in dismissal of the whole affair.
“You mean complicated,” Gina corrected.
Natalia refused to respond to that and shrugged.
“If it’s so difficult,” Gina said softly, clearly concerned, “then perhaps you shouldn’t be going on this date.”
“It’s more an obligation than date,” she hedged and wondered why she’d suddenly justified this to anyone, let alone herself.
“Oh.” Gina nodded sagely. “I get it. You’d rather it be a date.”
Was she so transparent that a very short conversation with Gina told the other woman everything Natalia hadn’t said? She must work on hiding her emotions better, though she’d never cared about that until this very moment.
“I’ve never known you to be shy around a guy, Natalia.” Gina frowned.
Indignant, Natalia straightened from the desk. She was not shy. This was entirely different than anything Gina thought. Annoyed, she said, “I’m not shy. I simply don’t pursue anything unless it’s reciprocal.”
“Ohh.” Gina drew out the word. “You want it to be reciprocal but it’s not.” She nodded with that suddenly annoying sage nod again.
Shrugging, still annoyed, Natalia remained silent.
“There has to be a dress in here to fix that.” Gina looked around the room, suddenly a woman on a mission.
Some of the tension she’d held since yesterday’s meeting with Adam drained away and Natalia gave a little laugh. “There may be.”
She and Gina spent a little time going through the dresses in the studio, and Natalia relaxed even more. Their conversation snapped her out of her own head, and Natalia felt better for it.
“I think I’m going to head home early,” she said as she fingered the skirt of one of the dresses Gina found. “I’ll find an outfit in my own closet.”
Natalia winked at her friend and mouthed a quick but sincere thank you as she left.
* * * *
Damn.
Here she was again, comparing two dress choices before she saw Adam. This time, at least, Natalia knew she was going to meet him. Since that first night, she’d thought about him, mentally undressed him in increasingly provocative manners, and had given him a surprise kiss.
A rather wonderful kiss, if she did say so herself.
Then she’d been as angry with him as any man she’d ever been angry at. Now what did she have? Some sort of clandestine mission with him? A fake date or two?
Humph.
Natalia should be thinking of Carlo and the information he was supposed to give Adam. Of what Carlo had involved himself in. Not regressing to her lustful thoughts about Adam.
The last thing she wanted was to continue unwanted advances, though his reaction to dating her had looked anything but unwanted. He’d been interested; Natalia most certainly hadn’t imagined that. And their kiss from the other night had shown more than interest, with the way his mouth had met hers, hot and consuming.
Shivering at the memory, she pushed that to the side and went back to staring at her choices. It was all so very strange and didn’t help in choosing a dress for tonight. The cream wrap hugged her curves whereas the lavender had a more revealing neckline and showed off her cleavage just right.
Natalia still had time before Adam showed up, and wandered back to the window seat. The doorbell surprised her. And she’d let Carlotta have the afternoon off, after she’d made plans with Adam. Scowling, she headed for the stairs, still in the blue dress she’d worn to work and her slippers.
Adam stood on the other side of the door.
Yanking the door open, she blinked up at him. He was early and not just a few minutes. Natalia hadn’t bothered to simply pick a dress because she had another hour or more. Before she could find a thing to say, Adam stepped over the threshold.
He wrapped his arm around her, pulled her close, and kissed her.
Natalia was dimly aware the front door was still open. And she was just as dimly aware she was in her work clothes and slippers. But Adam’s mouth on hers wiped everything else from her mind. His lips were cool and hard, and his tongue swept along hers, making her legs weak.
Hands on his shoulders, Natalia pulled him closer, her body molding to his, and fingers pressed into his back. She wanted him closer, still.
Then she pulled back. Surprised—stunned—Natalia tried to take a step away from him, but Adam held her close. She didn’t move her hands from his shoulders, and had the insane urge to muss his always-perfect hair.
“Just in case anyone is watching,” he whispered, his lips still tantalizingly close to hers.
Natalia blinked again. Damn. He had her. She’d teased him about pretending to date, about pretending to be lovers, and it was Adam who’d taken her utterly off guard with one kiss. A single kis
s and she’d forgotten all the reasons he was currently in her doorway, his hands on her hips, his taste still lingering on her tongue.
Screw it.
“I see.” Natalia nodded and offered a coy smile, taking his hand and leading him inside.
Before either closed the door, Natalia grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and pulled him back to her.
“Better make it convincing then,” she whispered against his mouth.
In control of the kiss, Natalia slid her tongue over his bottom lip, the one that drove her mad every time she looked at it. He tasted of coffee and cream, and she lightly bit that lip, savoring the taste. It was slower this time, but still that knee-weakening jolt of arousal that slid through her and threatened to set her afire.
His hands slowly moved up her waist, thumbs brushing the underside of her breasts. Natalia softly moaned against his mouth. She had no idea the underside of her breasts were so sensitive. One hand glided down her back to settle against the curve of her bum and pulled her closer. The other hand tangled in her hair and held her to him, his mouth harder now against hers.
Breaking the kiss, and breathing heavily, Natalia stepped back. She took a deep breath but only tasted Adam, only saw Adam. The door closed heavily behind him, and she was gratified to see the wild passion in his gaze as he looked at her.
“That,” she said in a voice she nearly recognized as her own, “was believable.” Natalia took another deep breath and wondered if she should take him into the parlor or up to her room.
“What are you doing here, Adam?” she asked, pushing the kiss, anything but simple, to the back of her mind. “Our appointment isn’t for hours.”
“I think you mean date,” he said with a small smile that shouldn’t have set her stomach into a swoop. “Not appointment.”
“No,” she corrected, still in that same even voice. “I meant appointment.”
Leading him into the living room, a more intimate setting than the front parlor, Natalia turned on her slippers. She looked like she just got home from work, and if anyone really was watching, as if Adam couldn’t wait to see her. They looked, Natalia realized, domestic.
Gesturing to the settee, Natalia watched him sit, but didn’t move closer. This wasn’t an intimate, domestic, setting.
“I thought we should discuss more details surrounding this”—Adam paused—“mission.”
“Very well.” Natalia nodded. “Would you like anything?”
She could be polite. Gracious. The perfect hostess. She went to cross the room to the drinks cabinet. Adam’s hand shot out and stopped her. Surprised, she looked down at him. His eyes were dark again, lips pressed into a thin line.
“I want you to stop treating this like a dinner party,” he snapped. “This is serious and I don’t want you putting yourself in unnecessary risk.”
“We’re dealing with a banker.” Natalia shrugged but didn’t yank her hand from his grip. “I understand he has clients that are disreputable, but Carlo—” She paused and waved her free hand. “He is a lamb. Besides, I assume you have backup, as the Americans put it?”
She looked at her hand now, a pointed stare, then back to Adam. He released her hand and gestured for the settee. Making herself comfortable at the end, Natalia curled one leg under her and leaned against the armrest.
“I didn’t want you involved in this,” he admitted. Running a hand over his face, he took a deep breath. “Since you are, you need to know it all. Then you can definitively decide if you want to work with me.”
Studying him, the harsh line of his shoulders, the tension around his mouth, Natalia nodded.
“I’ve been researching different banks for the Commission for some time,” he said softly. “It was a circuitous route, and I won’t bore you with the detail, that I took to discover the information I have about Samboti. I informed the Commission and MI6, but I didn’t have enough proof, and neither entity couldn’t justify opening a case against the organization Samboti works for.”
Surprised, Natalia leaned closer. “You’ve taken it upon yourself to do this without official support?”
She hadn’t expected that. Somehow she’d envision all this spying business to be officially sanctioned.
Adam nodded. She blinked at him then narrowed her eyes. Apprehension skittered along her nerves, but at the same time she understood Adam and his reasons for taking this risk.
“Adam, what have you gotten yourself into?” she asked, but it wasn’t as sharply demanding as she’d wanted it to be. “Or me, for that matter?”
Adam stood, but his words as well as his tone of voice held as much conviction as she’d somehow anticipated. “It’s something that needs to be done.”
He shook his head and walked to where she sat. He didn’t loom over her; Natalia didn’t feel threatened or intimated. The look in his gaze was too focused for that. “And it’s something I shouldn’t have involved you in.”
Natalia stood and walked past him. He didn’t crowd her but simply let her pace the short distance between the drinks cabinet and the settee where he still stood. Adam simply watched her; Natalia felt that gaze, but he didn’t rush her, didn’t try to force her into anything.
Coming to a halt before him, she tilted her head to the side and looked straight at him. “What is our next step, then?”
She saw the surprise clear on his face, in the widening of his eyes, even in the lessening of the tension around his mouth. That sensuous mouth curled into a smile.
“It’s one thing for Italians to be somewhat corrupt.” She waved a hand but answered his smile. “It’s the price of business. But this?” Natalia shook her head sharply. “No.”
Adam closed the distance between them. One hand brushed strands of her hair from her face and his grin widened, just a little. “That’s what I thought, too.”
“It’s a pity, though,” she added softer now with him so close, “that our relations will only be…” She trailed off as if she searched for the word then asked, “Professional?”
Now those fingers tangled in her hair. Natalia worked very hard not to react to his touch.
“We shouldn’t get distracted,” he agreed.
“No.” But Natalia didn’t move. “Distraction is never good in such work. But—”
Adam lowered his head, just a fraction. “But we are supposed to be lovers.”
Her own dark eyes met his and she trailed her fingertips along the side of his face, just below his ear. “Ah,” she whispered, “you can be your own version of Mr. Bond.”
His chuckle ghosted along her cheek. “Not quite.”
“Perhaps we should practice.”
Chapter Seven
“Are you sure about this?” Adam asked, pulling back as they reached the foyer.
Natalia looked up at him, her blood racing. She took his hand and pulled him to the stairs. She sent him a sassy grin and nearly laughed. “I always wanted a spy in my bed.”
His answering laugh was low and warm and caressed her skin just as his hands did yesterday morning. Was it only yesterday he’d shown up on her doorstep with flowers and an apology?
Threading her fingers with his, she turned and pulled him up the stairs. Neither talked as they climbed, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. Rather, it was more an intimate feeling that wrapped around her.
Before they reached her bedroom door, Adam pulled her to him and kissed her. His hands cupped her cheeks and his body pressed against hers as he walked her backward into the bedroom. Natalia had a brief moment to wonder if she’d left anything scattered around the room then didn’t care.
Adam lowered her to the bed, following her down. His weight pressed against her and she relished it. Sliding her hands beneath his jacket, she shoved it off his shoulders and pushed it away. Her fingers were surprisingly unsteady on the buttons to his shirt, but then his tongue was doing delicious things to her neck.
His hands had bunched up her skirt and skimmed along her inner thigh. Buttons forgotten, Natalia gasped and a
rched into his touch. His fingers were light, teasing as they traced the line of her panties.
Natalia pulled on his shirt and knew she tore the final couple buttons. She didn’t care. Combing her hand through his hair, she guided his mouth back to hers and took. It was hard and fast and she did not care. She’d wanted him from first sight.
Despite the infuriation he caused her and the secret mission she now found herself in, and the fact this was probably a one-time thing. A fling. It did not matter. She wanted him and at the moment, she didn’t care about much else.
She wanted to feel his naked skin against hers, feel him move within her. The kiss deepened then, and the edge of desperation throbbed through her as Adam tugged her knickers down. The rough wool of his trousers rubbed against her soft inner thighs as he kissed her.
Fingers dancing over his trousers, she lowered the zipper and pushed them over his hips. Adam reared back, gasping for breath. He rolled off her and tugged his shoes off, lifting his hips so his trousers could follow.
Transfixed, Natalia watched each layer of skin revealed. She licked her lips, teased him there, and wanted to slowly undress him. Wanted to taste her way down his body as she did so.
But then he looked at her, his eyes black as pitch, breathing heavy, and she reached for the zipper on the side of her dress. Tossing the material over the side of her bed, Natalia reached for her bra, but Adam’s hands stopped her.
His slightly calloused hands were warm as they pulled her to him. But his touch was sure, and when he dipped his head to kiss along the top of her bra, Natalia forgot how to breathe. Arousal throbbed through her, hot passion that seared something deep within her.
This wasn’t a one-night tumble; Adam aroused with his mouth as much with his hands. But the words he spoke as he kissed up her inner thigh nearly drove her over the edge.
“You’re so beautiful, Natalia,” he breathed against her wetness.
His fingers slipped into her heat and she jerked against his touch, desperately seeking more. She felt his laughter in short breaths over her clit just before she felt his tongue dip in to taste her.
“I love your curves. I want to taste every bit of you until you scream my name.”
Princess Curvy: A Curvy Girl's Italian Affair Page 5
