It wasn’t a question but a statement and Arie did not hesitate to nod. “Love it. I could listen to this every day.” Feet tapping, her fingers rapping the table, she was so in tune with the music she could not stay still. When the trumpeter switched to the music of Nigerian legend, Sade, her face broke into an even wider smile. How did the musician know Sade was one of her jazz favorites?
When Rome laid his hand on top of hers, Arie jumped. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s dance.”
“But I don’t dance.” Arie gave him a doubtful look.
“Don’t give me that. You’re practically hopping out of your seat.” Rome got up, pulling her with him. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
Seeing that he was determined to take her onto the dance floor, Arie swallowed her embarrassment and walked dutifully behind him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually gone dancing. She could only pray she didn’t trip and fall flat on her face.
But then Rome put his arms around her and as the muted trumpet caressed the rhythm of ‘Your Love Is King’ he began to sway to the sensual sounds, pulling her close, making her follow his every move.
The music was like waves of sweet sensation washing over her and Arie soon felt the tension in her dissolve until she was relaxing into Rome, her body reveling in that first touch, the feel of his long, lean body so solid against hers.
The dance floor was filling up and Arie was glad because she and Rome were soon lost in a crowd of couples holding each other and swaying to the silky sounds. They were anonymous, unknown, just one of the many who had not been able to resist the pull of the melodies.
But before Arie knew what was happening it was not the music that was carrying her away but the feel of Rome’s arms around her, the fragrance of his fresh-scented cologne, the beat of his heart as she laid her cheek against his chest.
Then, as if under the same spell, Rome’s arms tightened around her and he dipped his head to brush his lips against her heated brow, making her mouth go dry.
Rome’s lips slid down to tickle her ear. “Let’s get out of here.” It was a raspy whisper, one that breathed the desire he must have been feeling at that moment.
If he was feeling anything like she was, he was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself. Because that was exactly how she was feeling about him.
Rome gave her his hand and, without hesitation, she took it then turned to follow him off the dance floor. She had no idea where they were going and she didn’t care, as long as it was some place where they could be alone.
It didn’t take her long to find out. Rome must have been very familiar with the layout of the Ritz Carlton because within a minute of leaving the lounge they were in a secluded alcove bathed in shadows and there, Rome put his hand on her shoulders and turned her to face him.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, his face hidden in the shadows, leaving her to guess at his state of arousal. It wasn’t hard, though. If the breathlessness of his whisper and his grip on her shoulders was anything to go by, he was just as turned on as she was. “May I, madam?”
He was playing courtly gentleman again and Arie was game. “Yes, sir,” she whispered back. “You most certainly may.”
Rome gave a soft sigh of satisfaction and then his hands slid over to cup her face as he gazed down at her. Then slowly, so excruciatingly slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers.
At the touch of his lips Arie’s nipples puckered into pointy peaks, turning hard as pebbles in her bra. She moaned against his mouth and, as if in answer to her unspoken plea, he slid his hands down to span her waist and draw her even closer to him.
Their bodies touched and the feel of him pressed against her sent her emotions into a tailspin. Trembling at his touch, she slid her hands up so she could cling to him and draw from his strength as he stroked her senses with his kiss.
With her in his arms Rome took full control of the kiss, molding his lips to hers then, as she sighed and opened to him, teasing her with soft licks then sliding in to taste her and tempt her, stealing her breath away.
When he finally drew his lips away and lifted his head to gaze down at her Arie could only stare up at him with semi-glazed eyes, unable to say a word.
His arms still wrapped around her, Rome gave her a smooth, seductive smile. “And that,” he said, his voice a husky whisper, “is how you do it.”
It took a second for the words to register but when they did, Arie blinked. Oh, my God. He heard me. As the thought flashed through her mind she stared up at him, wide-eyed.
But she could read nothing in his hooded gaze.
And as she dipped her head and drew back and out of his arms she bit her lip, wishing she could take back those casually spoken words which now sounded so smug.
CHAPTER FOUR
It was already the middle of December and almost a week since Rome had seen or spoken to Arie and the more the time passed the more preoccupied with her he became. What was it about this woman that made him unable to keep his mind from wandering back to her?
It wasn’t like she was the first beautiful woman who had caught his eye. It was not her beauty that was holding him captive. It was something mysterious, something a whole lot more curious that was doing him in.
And, typical Rome Milano, he would not stop until he’d figured things out. He had to see her again.
“I don’t see how this strategy will do us any good. It’s more trouble than it’s worth.”
Rome’s eyes snapped back to the charts projected on the screen, trying to tune in to what his senior VP of finance was saying as he stood at the front of the conference room.
“If you look at the figures you’ll see that they tell the whole story. We started out in a strong position but look at this dip.” Eaton Knight directed the laser pointer to the lowest point on the graph. “Why did this happen?”
When Knight gave Rome a pointed look he knew his senior VP was looking for back-up.
Rome looked around the room, taking in the doubtful expression on the marketing VP’s face, the operations manager shaking his head and the general manager’s look of stubborn belligerence. If he didn’t step in he knew they’d be here another two hours, debating the next move.
He understood the dynamics of the meeting. Every one of his managers wanted to look good, like he was the one who’d solved the problem and saved the company from a disastrous decision. But the problem was, each of them was viewing the problem from his own perspective. Not even the general manager was looking at the overall picture. And no amount of discussion would make them agree.
“Okay, team, this is what we’ll do.” There was no way Rome was going to sit through another two hours debating one issue. “This project is dead in the water. We’ll abandon it and start fresh. Eaton, as the finance man, I want you to spearhead a new drive to introduce the men’s formal line in Southeast Asia. Let’s get the costing right before we make any other move.”
That said, he got up from the conference table and headed for the door.
“You’re leaving?” The GM looked like he wanted to stop him before he left the room.
“That’s right,” Rome said, not slowing his stride. “There are other things that need my attention.”
Not least of which was the need to get away and clear his head. His mind had been wandering too much lately and if there was ever a time he needed to burn some rubber on the highway and let the wind clear the cobwebs, this was it.
He’d just stepped back into his office, intent on grabbing his keys and heading out the door, when Iyana came in.
“Rome, I have a message for you.”
“Who from?” He wasn’t eager to hear the answer. Whenever things were going smoothly he hardly ever heard from his team. The problems, though, they gladly dropped on his table.
“It’s from Aristotle Angelis.” Iyana raised an eyebrow as she read the name from the note in her hand. “She wants you to meet her at her office in the French Quarter at three o’clock this afternoon.”<
br />
On hearing the name, Rome stopped in his tracks. And then he frowned. That sounded like an order. He looked back at Iyana. “It’s almost two o’clock.”
“I know.” She nodded and gave him a look of chagrin. “I should have said you were unavailable.” She turned to go. “I’ll call them back right now.”
“No.”
Iyana turned and gave him a quizzical look. “No? You’re going to attend on this short notice?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make it by three.”
Iyana frowned then folded her arms and shook her head. “And what about lunch? When were you planning on having that?”
He shrugged. “I’ll grab something on the way. I’ll be all right.”
Iyana glared at him a moment longer then, with a grunt that sounded like annoyance, she turned and headed back to her own office.
“And when you get sick don’t come running to me for the pink stuff.” She was grumbling as she went out the door.
Rome grinned. Right now Iyana was in ‘mothering’ mode but there was nothing he could do about that. He had the chance to see Arie in little more than an hour and he was not about to turn that down.
And now he was darned curious about her. When they’d parted she’d seemed suddenly shy, even withdrawn. Now, though, it was like she’d made a one hundred and eighty degree turn. Unapologetically and with no notice at all, she’d just summoned him to her office.
What the heck was she up to?
***
“Come in.” Arie held her breath as she waited for Rome to come into her office. All week she’d been on edge, dying to see him again. Well, she wasn’t going to wait any longer.
On impulse she’d had her receptionist call his office and invite him to meet with her and, while awaiting his response, she’d had her fingers crossed behind her back. When Marilyn came in and told her the meeting was on she’d almost given in to the urge to smile. Instead, she’d pretended to be oh, so composed and simply gave her receptionist a nod of acknowledgement but inside she’d been hopping up and down with glee, knowing that today she would see him again.
Now that he was at her door she could practically feel her pupils dilating. Struggling to calm her nerves she drew in a steadying breath and got up from around her desk. Just like he’d done for her, she would walk over to meet him.
She was halfway to the door when it opened and there, in front of her, stood the man who had occupied her every waking thought.
She should be used to seeing Rome by now, used to the fact that he was as close to perfect as she’d ever seen any man. But as she gazed at him it was like she was seeing him for the first time – the shock of dark hair falling across his wide forehead, the lips so firm but so mobile, and those eyes. Always the eyes. Deep, dark pools that you could drown in… and gladly. Damn, the man looked good.
But then, realizing she was staring, Arie swallowed then gave Rome a welcoming smile. “Glad you could make it,” she said as she stepped aside and waved him in.
She could see he had no idea why she’d called him in. There was a look of uncertainty in his eyes that told her she’d thrown him off balance. She liked that. Sometimes it was good to keep a man guessing...
...especially since she'd always been the 'good girl' but today she'd decided to be bad.
Now with the office door closed they were alone, just standing there in the middle of the room staring at each other, neither of them saying a word.
Then, before she could change her mind, Arie made her move.
Walking right up to Rome she grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him close. “Kiss me,” she said, “and that’s an order.”
Recovering quickly, Rome gave her his signature smile. “With pleasure, madam.”
When he dipped his head toward her Arie did not wait passively for his kiss. She’d been waiting all week for this and now it was time for her to go for what she wanted.
Taking control, she reached up to cup his face in her hands then, applying pressure, she drew him down till his breath tickled her lips. She didn’t wait for him to kiss her. Instead she kissed him, tilting her face up to capture his mouth with her own.
Releasing his face, she withdrew her hands to slide her fingers through the smoothness of his hair then, cupping the back of his head, she held him captive, holding him still while she took her fill of his lips.
Arie did not wait for Rome to recover. She released his lips just long enough to turn him around and back him closer and closer to the desk.
When his lips curled in a wicked smile Arie knew he’d guessed what she was up to. She wanted more.
Releasing him for just a second she grabbed an armful of folders from her desk, clearing some room, then she was back on him, giving him a quick shove that was enough to make him plop his rear onto the smooth, bare surface.
Rome reached for her then, pulling her to stand between his legs, looking like he was ready to take the lead.
But she wouldn’t let him.
As soon as she’d positioned herself in front of him Arie planted her hands on his shoulders, keeping him still, then she bent her head to trail nibbles and kisses up the side of his neck.
“Oh God, Arie. That feels good.”
She knew it did. She could feel his body shiver at her teasing caress. So, pressing her advantage, she leaned over and treated the other side to the same sweet service, making his breath catch in his throat and his heart pound beneath her hands.
With a growl of frustration Rome slid off the desk and in one smooth move he’d turned then lifted her onto the surface he’d just vacated. “Enough with this teasing,” he said in a heated whisper. “I want more.”
Rome dipped his head and his lips had just touched the smoothness below her collarbone when there was a knock at the door.
They both froze.
A millisecond later Rome was up and away from her, pulling his jacket down and straightening his tie.
Arie slid off the desk and did some quick straightening of her own.
“Ready?" she whispered as she struggled to regain her composure.
At his nod she pasted a smile on her face and walked back around to her chair. “Come on in,” she called out, her face totally composed.
But when she looked over at Rome her heart did a flip-flop. His lips were the fiery bronze she’d chosen to wear that day.
Arie grabbed the box of tissues and threw it at him even as she hopped out of the chair to hurry forward and distract her visitor.
Thankfully, he was on the ball, making a quick swipe at his lips as she took the folder from Marilyn’s hand. The woman threw a curious glance at the back of Rome’s head but Arie shooed her out so fast she didn’t get more than a fleeting look.
When she closed the door she sagged against it, fighting to swallow the laughter that threatened to spill over. When she finally tore herself away from the door she was still shaking with suppressed laughter and she saw that Rome was, too.
“That’s what happens,” she whispered, “when you have a nosy receptionist.”
Smiling, Rome shook his head. “Next time,” he said, “we’ll do this at my place.”
That made Arie tingle all over. Rome was looking as eager as she felt and as far as ‘next time’ was concerned, she could hardly wait.
CHAPTER FIVE
Talk about bold, audacious and beautiful.
Rome was still having a hard time believing what had happened in Arie’s office. The girl knew how to take charge and he loved it.
And by the time he left her office they had date number two all arranged. This time, though, it would be a quiet affair. Cooking was Arie’s passion, apparently, and she’d been all too eager to invite him to her house where she would make him a pre-Christmas dinner, an Italian one at that. She’d promised it would take him right back home.
December twenty-first couldn’t come around fast enough for Rome. He was amused at how eager he was to see Arie again. Feeling like an infatuated schoolboy, he
jumped into his Maserati and headed out to her house. This, he knew, would be a Saturday to remember. Good food and a lovely lady to share it with. What better way to spend the evening?
It didn’t take long before he was pulling into the driveway of Arie’s home just outside the city limits. Luckily, it was one of the few areas that hadn’t been devastated by the flooding that came with hurricane Katrina. It was a beautiful property with manicured lawns that spread out on both sides of the tree-lined drive, and neat flowerbeds nestling around the house. The home itself seemed like it had been around for over a century but it was obviously well-kept and would be worth a fair bit of money on the market.
Rome was impressed. He’d expected to be invited to a modest home in Lakeview or the French Quarter but this was a big surprise. Although young, he could see that Arie had done well for herself, and without the help of family. Despite the fact that he’d known her for little over a month he’d seen what she was capable of and he was darned proud of her achievements. With a smile of approval he reached for the bottle of Dom Pérignon, got out of the car and headed toward the house.
The woman who greeted him at the door was the picture of elegance. Sheathed in an ankle-length shift of black and gold, her hair coiled on top of her head with soft tendrils framing her face, to Rome she never looked more beautiful. And then she smiled, looking even lovelier, her soft pink lips curving into a pretty bow, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. God, he wanted to kiss her so bad.
“Come in,” she said, and took the bottle from his hand. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you.” Then she came close, smelling like sunset and roses, and went on tip-toe to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to Bayou House.”
“Thank you,” he said with a smile and a nod. “And is there a bayou here?”
“There is,” she said as she led the way down the spacious marble-tiled hall. “Way out back. But I’m also blessed with a tiny stream on the property. We can take a walk down there before dinner.”
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