Dark Masquerade: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance

by Michelle Love

  Her phone beeped from the bedroom. Grumbling, Elli emerged from her cozy nook in the corner of the couch, carrying her blanket with her. She made her way the short distance to the bedroom and read the text message.

  You may be hurting, girl, but you are also a magician. Aldo Constanza is investing—and he’s investing BIG. I love you! Call me if you need anything! Viv xxx

  Elli smiled and returned to the couch. Putting the phone on speaker so she could keep her hands curled around the mug before all the warmth of the tea dissipated, she dialed the office.

  “Hey, bruiser!” Vivienne’s voice was typically cheerful, but with an edge of worry. “I didn’t wake you up, did I? How’s the head?”

  Elli grinned, although her head ached badly now. “Better hearing that news. No, I wasn’t asleep.”

  “You should’ve been,” lectured Vivienne. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

  “You texted me,” Elli reminded her. She took a sip of the tea and grimaced, wishing she could magically transport honey from the kitchen to the couch. “But trust me, Aldo tried to make sure I did.”

  “Aldo?” Vivienne repeated.

  “He carried me in.” Elli tried to gloss past that detail. “Oh, god, Viv, I’m so happy for y you—for the magazine. Thank god I didn’t jinx it.”

  “Far from it, El … don’t think you’re getting away without giving me all the dirt! But

  Constanza had one little request. That you do an interview with him for the magazine—an in depth, not a puff piece, don’t worry—when you’re better. I think you have an admirer, Elli. A rich, handsome sweetheart of an admirer.”

  Elli flushed with pleasure. “He wants me to interview him?”

  Vivienne sighed and laughed. “Trust you to focus on the work part—I’m telling you, that man wants to fu ...”

  “Vivienne Marche, you are over-excited,” Elli interrupted her, laughing and wincing at the corresponding twinge in her head. “Less than an hour ago, the guy was all but singing me a lullaby. Not exactly a precursor to a horizontal tango. Calm down.”

  “I’m just saying …you need to get laid and there’s nothing like a sex-god billionaire to get your rocks off.”

  Elli shook her head, grinning, although the thought wasn’t exactly repulsive to her. Aching head or not, the shock of the accident had receded more than enough for her to fully realize that Aldo was gorgeous. “Viv, I’ll talk to him to arrange the interview when I get back.”

  “Um …” Vivienne suddenly sounded sheepish.

  “What? What did you do?” Elli knew Vivienne’s machinations of old, especially when it came to Elli’s love life.

  “Well, he kind of asked for your number, and I kind of gave it to him. I figured he rescued you, so …was I wrong?”

  Elli sighed. “No, it’s fine. He probably won’t call anyway.”

  Aldo Constanza did call that night, about eight p.m., while Elli was stubbornly trying to read in defiance of a headache that just wouldn’t completely go away and contemplating what to eat for her supper, seeing as her fridge was empty.

  “How are you feeling, Elliana?”

  His voice was deep, sexy, and weirdly already familiar. She settled herself back against the pillows, smiling. Just because she hadn’t thought he’d call didn’t mean she hadn’t hoped. “I’m okay. Just a little tired now. Thank you for today, Mr. Constanza. I mean it.”

  “Please call me Aldo. Despite the circumstances and you being hurt, it was entirely my pleasure. Have you talked to Vivienne at all?”

  “I have, and she told me about your request. It would be my honor.”

  “Then it’s settled. Perhaps we can talk about it when you’ve recovered, but I also wanted to ask if I may take you to dinner tonight?”

  Elli blinked, glancing down at her ratty old pajamas, then catching a glimpse of her disastrous hair, which she’d only just revealed from beneath the bandage. “Tonight?”

  Aldo gave a soft laugh. “Blame Vivienne—she was fretting about you not having any food in your home. I take it that’s not unusual?”

  Elli didn’t know how to react to that. “Um, well, yes, that is true. Unless you consider breakfast cereal a meal.”

  “I do not,” he chuckled. God, he had a sexy laugh. “But what am I thinking? You probably don’t feel like going out in your condition and this weather. May I be so bold as to suggest I bring dinner to you?”

  And for the life of her, Elli had no good reason to say no.

  An hour later, after she had panicked after hanging up the phone, dashing around the place, tidying it and herself, and she didn’t know why she had worried. He’d seen virtually everything already. Well … not everything. A loud knock on the door interrupted that particular train of thought. She hurried over and opened the door, taking in the vision of the crazy hot billionaire standing behind a stack of two large, steaming-hot pizzas. “One vegetarian and one pepperoni,” he greeted her. “I didn’t know if you eat meat.”

  “Oh, so Viv didn’t tell you everything?” Elli grinned at him, and he smiled somewhat sheepishly.

  “Sorry.” He eased the pizza boxes onto her little dinner table. “Have I railroaded you?”

  She put her hand on his arm—hey, any excuse to touch the —guy. “Not at all. I’m just kidding. Can I take your coat?”

  Already, she thought of him as a tailored suit guy, so when he slipped out of his long coat to reveal a dark navy sweater and jeans, the navy bringing out the hazel in his eyes, she was taken aback—and impressed. He caught her expression and smiled.

  “You like my sweater?”

  No, actually, it’s you I like, she wanted to say. She breathed in his clean, woody scent and felt a pulse begin to beat between her legs. Aldo held her gaze, then smiled, stroking his hand on her cheek. God, his hands …

  “Whatever you are thinking, cara mia, I am thinking too. But I am aware you have a pretty severe concussion, so maybe, tonight, we should just eat.”

  Elli flushed, then giggled, shaking her head. On some men, it might have been presumption. With Aldo, it came across as devastating candor. No games, apparently. She liked that. “I’m sorry, I’m all over the place. Please, have a seat.”

  They ate most of the two pizzas as they chatted, and Elli began to feel much more relaxed. Aldo was fun, intelligent, and god, he was sexy, his big frame dominating her small couch. His arm lay across the back of it, and she could feel the heat of his skin as his fingers lay inches from the back of her neck. He was easy to talk to as they discussed his business and his investment in the magazine. Elli was starting to feel excited about the forthcoming interview and told him so.

  He smiled. “I’m glad …but only when you are fully recovered, little one. Then, I hope, you will come to my home and we will do the interview there. Afterward, perhaps you would dine with me?”

  Elli blushed with pleasure. “I would like that very much.”

  Just before ten p.m., he announced it was time he left so she could get some rest. He kissed her hand, his warm lips seeming to linger over her skin, while Elli stood in the doorway, heartrate surging. “I don’t recall when I have spent such a pleasurable evening,” he said.

  She looked up at him, mesmerized by his eyes. “Me too. Thank you, Aldo. This day has been so much better than it deserved to be.”

  He touched a finger to her cheek and was gone.

  That night, for the first time in eight years, it wasn’t Indio who Elli dreamed of. And in the morning, a huge hamper of luxury food was waiting for her outside her door, with the note:

  Just so you don’t starve while you recover, cara mia. I look forward to our next meeting. Aldo.

  In amongst the expensive gourmet food was a box of her favorite breakfast cereal.

  A week later, she was deemed by Vivienne to be fit enough to return to work, and two days later, she was being driven out to Aldo’s villa in Mira. As she approached, she gave a small gasp. The villa was huge and utterly Italian, but Elli had learned enough fro
m her brother and Indio to know what was old and what was new. This villa was a recent build, which didn’t detract from its beauty one bit. Its features were simpatico with the Italian countryside around it, and although opulent, it shone with good taste.

  Elli’s heart was pounding even harder now. The design of it, the feel …it reminded her of the houses Indio and her brother had designed and built at the beginning of their partnership, albeit, on a much, much larger scale. This has to be one of Indio’s, she thought, and she felt tears welling to the surface.

  No. No, I will not ruin this by thinking about him, she thought to herself fiercely, and when the car pulled up and Aldo came out to meet her with a smile on his face, she pushed all thoughts of Indio to the back of her mind.

  “Bella Elli, it has been too long,” he said, kissing her cheek and lingering just a little too long. Elli felt her body respond, but she reminded herself to act professionally and smiled back at him.

  “This is a stunning villa, Aldo.”

  Aldo beamed at her. “Thank you. I could give you the tour if you’d like.”

  “Shall we do the interview first? Get the work part out of the way?” Too late, she realized what that sounded like and blushed furiously. Aldo laughed.

  “That sounds …promising.”

  Later, Elli would be able to narrow it down to three particular moments when she knew she would be sleeping with Aldo Constanza that night. The first was when they were talking about his work with starving children in Uganda, and he was talking with such passion and commitment that it touched Elli’s heart. Here was a man unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

  The second was when, after a delicious and luxurious dinner, they took a walk around his grounds, and he took her hand, bringing the inside of her wrist to his lips and kissing it softly.

  The third was when, a moment after that, he’d turned to her and taken her in his arms, smoothing the hair away from her face.

  “Bella Elliana …I’m going to kiss you now, then I’m going to take you to my bed, undress you, and kiss every part of your delicious body.”

  Elli gasped a little, feeling her sex dampen and quiver at his coarse but sexy-as-all-hell words. His lips met hers, and they kissed, all passion and no hesitation.

  In a flash, they were in his bedroom and he was stripping her slowly, lingering over each piece of exposed skin until she was trembling with desire. He swept her onto the bed and knelt over her as he freed his cock from his jeans, stroking the length of it and enjoying her lust and admiration.

  “All this is for you, Elli Bella.”

  Elli didn’t have time to register what he’d called her before he thrust his cock deep inside her, hitching her legs around his waist and ramming his hips hard against hers. Elli’s body acted as if she had no control over it, her back arching as he fucked her, her belly pressing against his, and her nipples so reacting so sensitively that when they brushed against his pecs, she screamed with pleasure.

  Aldo was a masterful, dominant lover who enjoyed pinning her to his bed, not letting her recover between orgasms, his face hard and focused as his cock thrust deeper and deeper inside of her.

  “Mio Dio, you are a beautiful woman. Mio Dio …”

  They came together, Elli gasping and moaning as Aldo groaned, pumping thick, creamy come deep inside her belly. He kissed her tenderly as they panted for breath.

  “Sweet Elli, you have made me so happy, so happy …”

  She smiled at him. “That was incredible, Aldo …just as I dreamed it would be.”

  Aldo looked boyish as he grinned in delight. “You dreamed of me?”

  “I did.” Elli kissed his lips, his neck, then made her way down his body and took his cock in her mouth, teasing the long shaft with her tongue, feeling it quiver and harden under her touch. Aldo, on his back now, was stroking her hair.

  “God, yes, Elli, that’s so good, so good …”

  She brought him to near orgasm, then straddled him, impaling herself onto him with a soft moan. God, she wanted this man, his machismo, and his strength. She rode him hard, his hands squeezing and caressing her breasts, then stroking her belly, his thumb pressing deeply into the hollow of her navel.

  As the intensity built, Aldo flipped her onto her back and began to thrust harder and harder, almost violent in his need for her. Elli clung to him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders. Aldo gripped her wrists and forced her hands onto the bed. This man likes being in control, Elli thought as another shattering orgasm ripped through her body. Aldo, almost frenzied now, bit down hard on her shoulder, and she yelped in surprise and pain as he came, shuddering and groaning, his seed shooting deep inside of her.

  “Are you mine, Elli?”

  She nodded, breathless, and Aldo took her clit into his mouth and made her come over and over until she begged him to stop, exhausted and sated.

  Aldo wasn’t nearly done yet. He covered her body with his, kissing her mouth and smoothing the damp hair away from her face. “If you only knew how much I wanted you the moment I saw you on that street.” He grinned and chuckled softly. “Even covered in blood, you were beautiful.”

  Elli frowned a little. Was she too sensitive? Because that sounded a little weird. Aldo saw her expression. “I just mean, you could be covered in dirt or blood or anything, and I would still think you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Forgive me. I realize now what I said might have sounded strange.”

  Elli relaxed, her arms around his neck. Aldo Constanza had just fucked her into next week and her body felt strangely soft, as if all her limbs and bones had been liquified. “You’re forgiven. Aldo …it’s been the most incredible night.”

  He stroked a hand down the length of her. “You’ll stay the night?”

  She half-smiled. “I’m torn. Professionally speaking, I haven’t been at all professional.” They both laughed. “But the thought of leaving you naked in this bed to go home to my cold one …”

  He kissed her again, pushing her legs apart, his cock already hard again. “Then stay,” he said, thrusting into her. “Stay and let’s do this all night long …”

  Elli woke a little before dawn, her throat dry. Aldo lay on his stomach next to her, his big arm thrown across her. She studied him for a long moment, her new lover. His features were made to look tense, she decided, and smoothed the crease between his eyes that made him look angry. She smiled as it immediately settled back into a line, then gently removed Aldo’s arm from around her waist. She slid from the bed, snagging his shirt and wrapping it around her body. She padded through the quiet villa, down to the large kitchen, and helped herself to a bottle of water from the vast, well-stocked refrigerator, grinning to herself at the difference between this one and her own. She even recognized some of the same foods Aldo had sent to her in the hamper. A man of good taste—of particular tastes. She went to the hallway and tried the doorway to one of the balconies. It opened, and she stepped out into the freezing cold night. The cold took her breath away, but it cooled her too-hot body. It had been a long time since she’d shared a bed with someone else, and it felt strange and a little claustrophobic.

  She started slightly as Aldo slid his arms around her waist. “You’ll catch your death out here,” he murmured into her ear, and she grinned, moving to turn in his arms.

  “No, stay like that,” he said, and slipped his hand between her legs, parting them. Elli gasped as he thrust his cock into her from behind, his hand on her belly to keep her close as he fucked her. She rested her head back on his shoulder, panting for air. Her bare feet were freezing against the ice-cold stone of the balcony.

  “Bend over the balcony for me, Principessa. Put your feet on mine if they are cold.”

  She did both, loving the adventure of it and feeling him grip her hips tightly as he thrust his cock deeper and deeper into her. The cold stone bit into her breasts as she gripped the balcony, but she didn’t care. The sensations he sent through her body were exquisite. She heard him groan and felt him
come, reveling in the feeling of his huge cock filling her. Aldo panted for air, then swept her up in his arms, carrying her inside. Just before they got to the bedroom, Elli saw a painting she hadn’t noticed earlier. “Wait.” She gazed up at it. The woman in the picture had an ethereal beauty—her dark brown hair was piled up on top of her head and her large brown eyes were soulful—but it was the sadness in them that took Elli’s breath away. She had known this sadness, felt this utter desolation and heartbreak …three times. “Who is she?”

  Aldo’s eyes were suddenly wary. “Her name was Yvetta. She was my lover a few years ago.”

  “What happened to her?”

  Aldo looked away from her gaze. Elli touched his cheek lightly. “Aldo, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry—”

  “It’s all right.” He coughed, clearing emotion from his throat and looking back at her with obvious grief on his face. “She died. No, that doesn’t even cover it …she was murdered. By an enemy of mine.”

  “Oh my god, Aldo!” Elli said in shock.

  He nodded, putting her down and running a hand through his short hair. “He was obsessed with her and kept trying to steal her from me. When she wouldn’t go to him, he killed her on what would have been our wedding day.”

  Elli gave a horrified gasp. She touched Aldo’s face again, framing it with her hands. “God, Aldo …I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine.”

  “I found her,” he said bleakly, looking up at the painting, his voice breaking. “I found her dead, in her wedding dress, covered in blood. My beautiful Yvetta …”

  Elli wrapped her arms around him and comforted him as Aldo tried to regain his composure. They stood for a while, just embracing, before Elli led him back to bed. They made love slowly this time, tenderly, and when they were finally sated, Aldo laid his head on her chest and they slept.