To Blackmail a Di Sione

by Rachael Thomas

  That thought made sadness sweep over her and she took a sip of the wine, trying to ignore the intensity of Liev’s eyes on her. She wished she could talk to Allegra. All her life she’d looked up to her as more of a mother figure than a sister, but when it came to troubles of the heart, she was always her big sister, someone she could confide in. But for the first time, that wasn’t available. She was miles away in Dar-Aman with what appeared to be the love of her life.

  ‘Losing my parents is not something I dwell on.’ Liev’s words, more sharply accented than usual, dragged her from her melancholy thoughts.

  ‘You may not have family to consider, but whatever plans you have to instigate this engagement will need to be good if I am to convince my brothers and sisters that we are engaged.’ She thought of their probable reaction to her even dating, let alone getting engaged. They knew she’d never taken a man home, let alone frequented the dating scene of New York.

  ‘It will be.’ His high and mighty attitude was beginning to wear thin. He was far too self-assured, far too confident she’d fall into line with his ludicrous plan.

  ‘I’m serious, Mr Dragunov. If you want doors opened, then you first have to get past the whole Di Sione family, convince them we are in love, because they will not just accept my sudden engagement without question, not when I haven’t dated in years.’

  ‘Not dated in years? You make it sound as if you have never been in love, never had an affair.’ He regarded her with suspicion and disbelief which only spiked at her irritation.

  ‘I haven’t. Not that it is any of your business, Mr Dragunov.’

  ‘If you don’t start referring to me as Liev all will be lost. No doors will be opened, which means no bracelet. I will return to St Petersburg with the bracelet and it will never again leave Russia.’

  Take the bracelet back to Russia! That was something she hadn’t considered at all. There was no way that bracelet was going anywhere else except to the Di Sione family estate.

  * * *

  Liev could see the moment Bianca finally realised he was serious. He saw her eyes wash with resignation, watched those very kissable lips press together, and it was all he could do to keep his thoughts on his mission, instead of thinking how they would feel crushed beneath his as passion burst to life between them. Did she really expect him to believe she’d never dated? A woman as beautiful as her would have exploited that beauty along with her family name and wealth, of that there was no doubt.

  ‘I do not know why this item is so precious to you, but I mean what I say. Only when you have achieved your side of the deal will I allow you to have it. Not a moment sooner. Three months should be sufficient. Don’t you think?’

  He watched as the colour drained from her face, now satisfied there wouldn’t be any last-minute attempts to thwart his plans. He’d waited too long for this moment, and when he’d told her of his parents he’d had to clench his hands into fists, to prevent himself from revealing the truth, from telling her that she and her brother were a crucial part of avenging their untimely deaths.

  ‘You’re despicable,’ she whispered at him, her breath coming hard and fast. Better that she hated him. Hatred drove a person more than any other emotion. He’d learnt that the hard way as he’d fought and brawled—and worse—for every morsel he’d eaten since the day, at twelve years of age, he’d seen his father’s coffin lowered into the ground, joining that of his mother.

  ‘Then we have a healthy respect of one another, Bianca.’ He saw her jaw clench as he used her name.

  ‘How exactly are you going to convince the world that our engagement is real? When we obviously dislike each other so intensely?’ The tartness of her words touched a raw nerve, one that had been exposed by remembering his past.

  ‘I will give you a ring. The rest is up to you.’ He thought of the large diamond ring he’d bought. Proof, if she needed it, that this whole scenario had been planned down to the last detail. But that was of no importance now; she’d agreed to the deal. He had her right where he wanted her.

  As soon as he’d discovered her desperation to get the bracelet he’d done everything in his power to prevent her buying it privately, making a deal with the seller and then bidding for it all over again. It had cost him a fortune, but one he could easily stand, and he’d forced Bianca out into the open where he could snatch it away from her. It was his bargaining tool, but what he hadn’t been prepared for was just how badly she wanted it.

  ‘Up to me?’ Shocked, her blue eyes widened, sending his thoughts briefly off course again.

  ‘Yes. The sooner our engagement is known, the sooner you can gain my acceptance with the use of your family name.’

  ‘And that’s all it’s about?’ Her dark eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion and he wondered if he’d been too unguarded, let too much slip. It was a fine line he was walking between gaining all the information he could from her and telling her too much.

  ‘I am to attend a charity function this Friday and you will also attend—as my fiancée.’

  ‘So soon?’

  ‘I intend we are seen in public as a newly engaged couple as soon as possible.’

  She inhaled deeply. ‘Very well. I agree but only for three months and not a day longer.’

  ‘You will also use your business connections to introduce me to those people who would be most influential in establishing my company here in New York.’ He pressed home the need to be accepted by society, which whilst being beneficial, it was not the main purpose for his deal. The main purpose was to extract information from Bianca about Dario Di Sione and the finer details of ICE, the company he intended to bring down.

  She sighed as if bored with the whole discussion—or was it resigned to her fate? ‘I will also expect you to ensure our engagement is as public as possible and gains the interest of not only society, but the press, although I do have a few plans for that myself.’

  ‘So you want me to act the adoring fiancée in public, pose for the press at every opportunity and arrange a PR campaign that will launch you and your business into the heart of New York’s business world?’

  ‘That is exactly what I want, Bianca.’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  BIANCA HADN’T HEARD from Liev since the day of the auction, but the idea that he had forgotten about their first public date this evening wasn’t a comfort she could afford. For the best part of the past week she’d looked at every other way possible to get out of the deal she’d been forced to accept, but nothing had presented itself. If she wanted the bracelet she didn’t have a choice.

  Already photos of them leaving the auction and Liev’s high bid for the bracelet had caused a stir, alerting the gossip columns to a blooming romance. They’d speculated if the self-made Russian billionaire was the man to melt the sleeping heart of Bianca Di Sione, labouring hard on the fact that she’d not been seen out with male company for many years.

  With no other way of getting the bracelet, Bianca knew she and Liev needed to be seen together again, and when they were, it would make the next piece of their engagement story. She stood at her apartment window, looking out over the city of New York as it basked in the sunshine of a July evening, willing Liev to arrive. She just wanted to get this evening over with.

  He had chosen one of society’s biggest and most well-attended charity parties at which to parade her as his fiancée. Inside she was all nerves, wanting to do nothing other than run and hide, but outside, as ever, she was cool, calm and sophisticated. She’d hidden her vulnerabilities further with heavy eye make-up and dark lipstick—very much her preferred mask to hide behind.

  The firm knock on her apartment door made her jump like a nervous kitten. That had to stop. There was no way she was going to allow Liev to see how anxious she really was. This was all just business, and the fact that it reminded her so starkly of her prom night had to be pushed aside; otherwise she’d never be able to put on the required act of adoration.

  She picked up her clutch bag and headed for the front
door, the silk of her dress sighing softly as she moved. At the door she took another deep breath, then looked out through the spyhole. Liev’s broad shoulders and hardened yet handsome face filled it. She drew in a sharp and ragged breath.

  The way she reacted to him only made this more difficult. There had only been one other man who’d caused that kind of kick to her heart rate and he’d done nothing but humiliate her, betting with his friends he’d take her virginity the night of her prom. He hadn’t, but that night had only made her more determined to give it to the right man—and she hadn’t met him yet.

  ‘You can do this, Bianca. You have to,’ she whispered sternly, pushing back the past. She lifted her chin, put her shoulders back and pinned on a smile before opening the door.

  Liev stood there in all his male glory, dressed in a tuxedo and looking so damn good she couldn’t drag her gaze from him. He in turn allowed his unconcealed scrutiny to travel down the length of the emerald green silk dress which clung seductively to her, before slowly moving back to her face.

  She met his gaze with a haughty expression. ‘I trust this meets with your approval.’

  He nodded and his cold grey eyes looked directly into hers as his superiority radiated off him in waves, irritating her further. ‘Yes. Exactly right.’

  Bianca marvelled at the fact that he hadn’t actually dictated how she should dress, but then maybe even he had thought that was a step too far. She knew they would create a stunning couple and was certain they would end up in one of the celebrity magazines. But being seen and photographed with him was the easy part.

  Tonight, if their sudden engagement wasn’t to be questioned by her family, she would have to act like a woman in love, swept away by Liev’s commanding presence. If one hint of their deal showed, Liev would find the doors he wanted opened slamming in his face and she would lose the one thing she just had to have.

  ‘But there is something missing.’

  ‘There is?’ She stumbled over her words again. What had she forgotten? She’d made sure every part of her act was right.

  He stepped towards her, getting too close. From his inside jacket pocket he pulled out what could only be a ring box. Her heart turned over. The fake engagement ring.

  ‘You cannot truly be my fiancée without this.’

  Cautiously she took the box from him. This had never been how she’d imagined the moment a man would propose. Their fingers brushed and her gaze shot up to meet his. The air around them sparked, as if a bolt of lightning had struck. He held her gaze as she glared angrily back at him.

  She opened the box, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart, and gasped as a large diamond glittered expensively. ‘Where did you get this?’

  ‘Another auction. Like you, I have a liking for the finer things in life.’

  She looked at the diamond glinting at her. ‘I can’t wear this.’

  ‘You can and you will.’ He took it from the box and lifted her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger in silence. She couldn’t help but watch and wish things were different.

  The single large diamond which sparkled in the light as she moved was hardly going to go unnoticed this evening. By tomorrow morning, news of their engagement would be sweeping across the city and she still hadn’t found the courage to tell any of her family.

  ‘We should go.’ She had to move on from this moment and the crushed dreams it represented. Remember why she was doing it.

  She stepped past him, unable to meet his gaze, and pulled her door shut, desperate to avoid any further contact when so much of her skin was exposed, and briefly wished she’d selected a more modest dress. But with a role to play, this had been the best choice.

  That wish intensified when seconds later they were enclosed in the elevator as it descended. The shiny interior reflected their images as they stood side by side. She tried not to look and to calm her breathing, but the harshness of his reflected expression did little to help. If he was going to scowl like that, how would anyone really believe they were engaged? As their eyes met in the reflection, she realised she had to do more than dress the part of a woman in love—she had to act it too.

  ‘My car is waiting. When we arrive I hope that you will appear more enamoured with me, instead of visibly flinching from my touch.’ His words mirrored her worries and were sharp, his accent more pronounced. She had to stifle a smile at the knowledge that she was irritating him and resist the urge to continue to do so. Rebellion wouldn’t help her at all.

  ‘If I can take that constant frown from your face, then there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are in love.’ Her tart words hit their target and he turned to look at her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

  ‘Already we make a well-matched couple. Let’s ensure that others see something softer, something more akin to a fairy-tale romance.’ His acerbic tone almost stole her breath as she glared back at him, frustration bubbling inside her.

  So he wanted fairy tale, did he? ‘Very well, then that is what you shall have.’

  The elevator doors opened and she looked up at him, slid her arm into his and pulled her body against him. The heat that seared her skin made her draw in a sharp breath—as did the racing of her pulse. What was the matter with her? Since when did any man do that to her? Certainly not since the night of her high school prom.

  ‘I am pleased we are... How do you say...? On the same page.’ His commanding voice had suddenly taken on a deep sexy tone as he seemed to scrabble for the right English expression. But it was a tone she would do well to ignore if the skittering of her heart was anything to go by.

  ‘We both have something the other wants. That is as far as our connection goes.’ She glanced up at his profile to see the corner of his mouth twitch with the beginnings of a smile.

  With her head held high and her arm in Liev’s, she walked through the lobby, giving the doorman a smile, and out into the warmth of the evening. Before she had time to think, a chauffeur had opened the back door of a limousine and Liev was helping her in. She slid across the seat with as much composure as her tight-fitting dress would allow, only to be joined seconds later by Liev. The close proximity of the car was far more daunting than the elevator.

  ‘When we arrive, it is my hope that we will be photographed together and that this...’ He lifted her left hand, the large diamond sparkling mischievously. ‘I hope this will not go unnoticed.’

  ‘I don’t think there is any question it will not be noticed.’ Her pulse leapt again as he held her hand by her fingertips, his sharp gaze holding hers captive. Boldly she looked into the cold grey of his eyes, noticing again those flecks of blue.

  ‘I am counting on it, Bianca. I need to enter your social circle as much as you need that bracelet.’ The drawl of his voice sent a chill down her spine as cold as the heat which sizzled up her arm from just the touch of his hand on hers.

  Before she could say anything else, the limousine pulled up at the doors of one of New York’s most prestigious hotels. Through the darkened windows she could see crowds had assembled along with hordes of paparazzi. Liev would get his wish.

  More exposed and vulnerable than she’d ever felt, she stepped out of the car, followed by Liev. The flashlights burst into action as he put his arm around her waist, drawing her so close to him. Much closer than she’d dared to be moments before in the elevator.

  * * *

  Liev held Bianca close, enjoying the sensation of her body against his once more. When she’d moved against him as they had left the elevator, he’d been shocked. It was the last thing he expected of the cool and level-headed businesswoman. To find she had a playful, even flirtatious streak was unexpected and not totally unwelcome. Maybe his new engagement would prove more entertaining than he’d planned.

  ‘Bianca. Whose ring is that?’ Once one of the paparazzi had spotted the ring, the cameras exploded.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said firmly, stepping in front of her, gallantly shielding her from more opportune shots. ‘All will be revealed
in good time.’

  With that he guided her towards the door of the hotel and into the relative calm beyond its doors. His plan was well and truly under way. He looked across at Bianca as she stopped and was shocked to see vulnerability on her face, but as she sensed him watching her, that slipped away to be replaced by the toughness he would have expected from the woman he’d come to know and even admire.

  ‘Well, that is one hurdle over.’ She feigned an interest in smoothing the silk of her dress down against her body. He gritted his teeth together as he watched her, unable to drag his gaze away from her. Did she have any idea how flirtatious that action was? ‘Our engagement will no longer be a secret. It would, however, have been nice to have had time to prepare my family.’

  ‘Why? Would you have had time to think of them if we had been swept away by the madness of love?’

  ‘I don’t think the madness of love sweeping me away is something any of them will believe, especially my brother Dario, whose launch I am at this moment supposed to be concentrating on.’ Her eyes sparked with angry fury as she turned to look at him, her voice low and hushed as she spoke, but he didn’t miss the resentment in it.

  ‘I’m sure they will forgive you.’ He wanted to ask about her brother. She’d given him the perfect opportunity to find out more of Dario Di Sione’s dealings, but as ever, he would have to bide his time and wait. Now was not the time and place, and neither was her mood conducive to sharing such information. It was far better she was lulled into a false sense of security.

  As they entered the room, she became the Bianca he’d first met, the confident woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. It reminded him that right now she wanted the bracelet and the only way to get it was to introduce him into her world and that if she had a choice she would not be spending the evening with him.

  ‘Bianca.’ He watched as a woman, several years younger than Bianca, kissed her on each cheek and smiled at her. ‘How are those twin brothers of yours? Doing well by all accounts.’