The Italian's Virgin Acquisition

by Michelle Conder

  ‘Well, tonight you’re dining at Harry’s Bar. It’s the only time Lukas has free, and I need to capitalise on the negotiations my grandfather started with his company six months ago.’

  ‘You know I could just fly back to London on a commercial flight. I don’t mind.’

  ‘I do. And how will it look to my grandparents if you don’t go with me? Especially since Lukas is bringing his wife.’

  ‘Like I’m busy and have my own life.’

  ‘We agreed on the weekend, dolce mia, and it’s still the weekend.’

  Poppy gave an exasperated sigh. ‘You know, you’re like one of those enormous earth-movers when you want something.’

  ‘What can I say? It’s my best trait.’

  Poppy instantly thought about all the things he had done to her body last night. ‘I wouldn’t say that,’ she murmured, excusing herself before he saw her face flame with embarrassment.

  ‘Poppy?’

  She turned back to look at him.

  ‘If your reticence about Venice is because you think I’ll expect a repeat performance after last night, you’re wrong. I’ve already organised a suite with two rooms for tonight.’

  Poppy let out a soft breath. Sadly, after his polite stranger routine this morning she hadn’t thought that he would want anything from her, let alone a repeat performance.

  ‘Does anyone ever say no to you?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘Only you, bella. Only you.’

  But she didn’t say no to him all the time, and she was very much afraid that if he touched her once more she wouldn’t say no to him again.

  * * *

  ‘So, who is the guy again? Lukas Kursnet—Lukas Kornis—’

  ‘Kuznetskov.’ Sebastiano guided her out of the small launch and onto the red-carpeted jetty in front of the palatial Cipriani Hotel. Poppy was wide-eyed as she stared up at the blush-coloured Moorish building that rose out of the water like an elegant apparition.

  They had arrived in Venice just over two hours ago, the city’s unique beauty captivating and seducing her from the first glimpse of its elegant, centuries old architecture.

  She smiled at the liveried hotel employee as she moved towards the main entrance. ‘And his wife, Eleanore, you said? They’re in shipping, right?’

  ‘Lukas started in shipping and expanded into hotels. Eleanore runs her own consulting and design business.’ Sebastiano’s hand brushed her lower back as they passed through the incredible foyer towards the main restaurant. ‘But relax, intern, I’m not going to grill you on this later.’

  ‘That’s a rel—Say, is that Julia Roberts?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The actress—Oh, never mind, I was probably wrong anyway.’ She smoothed down the knee-length skirt of her silky dress and gazed around her in wonder. ‘I’m just glad I lowered my pride and borrowed one of the dresses you bought at the start of the weekend. I thought the beautiful guests at your grandparents’ party were intimidating but the women here could give a girl a complex for life.’

  ‘You look stunning. You always look stunning.’

  His low voice brought her eyes to his. He was wearing a suit with an open-neck shirt and he looked so handsome he made her heart ache. For all her good intentions on the flight to Venice—simply to enjoy a night in another exotic city and treat Sebastiano as if he were just any other man—she wasn’t succeeding very well. ‘Thanks. So do you.’

  He stared down at her and Poppy willed her racing heart rate to settle. It would be mortifying if he realised that, far from thinking last night had been a mistake, she had in fact spent the day thinking about his impressive naked body. And no amount of internal pep talks about his ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ attitude towards women seemed to make a spit of difference to her treacherous hormones.

  Suddenly he reached out to tug a strand of her hair away from where it had caught on her lip gloss and Poppy’s breath backed up in her lungs. The way he was looking at her right now, she would swear he didn’t think last night had been a mistake either.

  ‘Castiglione.’ A man cleared his throat behind them.

  ‘Ah, Lukas... Eleanore.’ Sebastiano turned to the couple as if the moment they had just shared had never happened. ‘You look lovely as usual.’ Sebastiano gave the requisite double kisses to the woman’s cheeks. ‘This is Poppy Connolly. Poppy, may I present Eleanore and Lukas Kuznetskov?’

  ‘Harrington,’ Eleanore corrected with a smile.

  ‘Really?’

  Clearly surprised Sebastiano glanced at Lukas who merely shook his head. ‘Don’t ask.’

  Eleanore laughed delightedly at the men’s wry grins and Poppy felt a bubble of happiness well up inside her as she watched the glamorous couple—Lukas with his dark-blond hair and striking blue eyes, and Eleanore with her cat-like elegance and wide smile. They looked relaxed and at ease with each other as if they had been together forever. Poppy knew MaryAnn would have taken one look at them and said, ‘True love.’

  ‘Poppy, it’s lovely to meet you,’ Eleanore said with genuine warmth. ‘I’m so glad you could join us. Is this your first visit to Venice?’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘Mine too,’ Eleanore said. ‘I love it. You?’

  ‘It’s magical.’

  ‘Exactly the word Eleanore used when we landed,’ Lukas said, giving his wife an indulgent smile. ‘Hello, Poppy, I’m the luggage handler.’

  Poppy laughed, already liking this couple immensely.

  ‘Oh, you’re more than that,’ Eleanore assured him. ‘You organise incredible sleigh rides too.’

  Lukas flushed at the in joke and Sebastiano gave a low laugh at the other man’s discomfort. Groaning, Lukas shook his head. ‘See what married life does to you, Castiglione? It breaks you.’

  Eleanore elbowed her husband in the ribs. ‘Stop complaining; you love it.’

  Lukas’s eyes gleamed, as if he wanted to show her just how much he loved it, and Poppy found herself entranced.

  ‘I don’t know about you lot,’ Sebastiano interjected suavely, ‘But the last meal I ate was pizza about—was it yesterday or the day before?’ he asked Poppy.

  Poppy shook her head. ‘I swear men are born with hollow stomachs. My brother is exactly the same.’

  ‘My sister Olivia eats like a horse,’ Eleanore said. ‘I was always so jealous growing up because she never put on a pound.’

  ‘Table. Conversation,’ Lukas instructed, guiding his wife with a hand at the small of her back. ‘I think my last meal was yesterday as well.’

  Eleanore, it turned out, was incredibly creative and had dabbled in art classes when she’d been younger, informing Lukas that they would be visiting the Gritti Palace some time the following day after Poppy had gushed about the Byzantine artwork in the foyer.

  Poppy thought that Lukas would quite possibly fly to the moon and wrangle a star back for Eleanore if she was so inclined.

  True love indeed, she mused, unconsciously taking in how relaxed the other couple was with each other—the covert touches, the possessive way Lukas leaned his arm along the back of Eleanore’s chair and the soft glow in his eyes when he looked at her. Just being with them made her feel warm and included.

  Included?

  Yes, she felt included. Like she had with Sebastiano’s family, as if she actually had a valuable contribution to make to the order of things.

  A lump formed in her throat and she blinked back a shimmer of tears that was forming behind her eyes. If Sebastiano had asked her for her third wish right now, it would be to make this moment last for ever. Or maybe to make last night last for ever.

  She was falling for him, she realised on a frantic rush of understanding, falling hard and fast, and she knew the landing would definitely not be soft this time.

  Feeling unaccountably panicked, Poppy scraped back her chair and excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She had been the one to call last night a mistake, and he’d agreed, hadn’t he?

  ‘Hey, wait up.’ Popp
y nearly groaned to hear Sebastiano behind her. She stopped in the smoky corridor that led to the bathrooms but didn’t look up at him. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Great,’ she said, pinning a bright smile on her face.

  ‘Really?’ His intense gaze probed hers.

  No! She was terrible. Panicked. Scared. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Poppy...’

  ‘Sebastiano, don’t.’

  The last thing she wanted was for him to know how she felt and pity her. It would make her feel too pathetic for words.

  His hands lifted to frame her face, bringing her eyes up to his. His nostrils flared as if he was drawing her scent into his body. She felt him shudder and then something came over his face. A softness. A sort of giving in. ‘I want you.’ The words sounded as though they’d been wrenched from a deep part of him and Poppy’s traitorous heart started to sing. ‘I know you said last night was a mistake but for me it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. You walk into a room, Poppy, and my body salivates to have you. You’re like a drug. You’re under my skin.’

  Poppy stared up at him, incredulous, her mind barely able to register what she was hearing. ‘I want you too,’ she admitted huskily.

  A woman glanced at them curiously as she made to move past and Sebastiano dragged Poppy closer against him. Then his mouth was on hers, open and demanding, and leaving her in no doubt as to how much he wanted her.

  When they were jostled by a second person, Sebastiano raised his head with a groan. He looked at her. Took a deep breath. ‘You need to fix your lipstick, bella,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’ll meet you back at the table.’

  * * *

  ‘I like her.’

  Sebastiano glanced at Lukas. The man’s eyes were trained on Eleanore as she left the room to take a phone call. ‘I hope so. You married her.’

  ‘Interesting.’ Lukas chuckled, giving him a look. ‘Deflecting with humour. I had thought it was just casual between the two of you. Thanks for the clarification.’

  Sebastiano narrowed his eyes. Frankly he was still reeling from what had just happened with Poppy in the corridor. He hadn’t meant to say any of those things to her, they’d just spilled out and he certainly didn’t need his old friend digging at him. ‘Just because you’re now married off, Kuznetskov, don’t try and ruin it for the rest of us.’

  ‘Safety in numbers and all that?’ the Russian mused.

  ‘Exactly. But there’s nothing going on between Poppy and myself.’ That was if you discounted last night and that savage kiss in the corridor just now. Dio mio, he could really pick his moments.

  ‘Could have fooled me.’

  ‘It’s true,’ he said, tossing an olive into his mouth. ‘She was my intern and she helped me out of a tight spot.’ Another olive. ‘The important thing is that you’ll be dealing with me from now on instead of my grandfather—and fair warning, but I’m about to fleece you so that we’re the only contractor you use on your hotels in the foreseeable future.’ He leaned back in his chair and raised his glass to his friend. ‘What more could a man want?’

  Lukas gave a helpless shrug. ‘Poppy Connolly?’

  Sebastiano scowled. ‘Look, Kuznetskov, while I’m very pleased love has worked out for you not all of us want the same thing, or need it.’ His scowl deepened as those words suddenly had a hollow ring to them. ‘Personally, I’m not interested in capping my batting average just yet.’ Or ever!

  ‘Here, here,’ Lukas drawled, raising his beer in a toast. ‘So you won’t mind if I get her number and text it to a few of my single friends?’

  ‘Don’t be an ass,’ Sebastiano said. ‘I doubt she’d have time to see any of your friends anyway.’

  Not with the amount of nights she worked. Which bothered him immensely. He hated the idea that Poppy had to work nights to make ends meet. Damn it, that third wish of hers better be for ten million pounds or he was going to give her a piece of his mind.

  ‘Castiglione?’

  Unaware that he had started drumming his fingers on the table, Sebastiano frowned. ‘Sorry, I missed that.’

  Lukas smiled. ‘I asked when you wanted to come to St Petersburg to go over the plans for the hotel restoration at Prospekt Avenue.’

  ‘I’ll touch base with the Head of Marketing as soon as she’s back from New York and let you know.’

  Sebastiano only faintly heard Lukas’s reply, his eyes trained on Poppy as she wove her way towards them between the tables.

  ‘By the way, I highly recommend it.’

  Sebastiano stared blankly at the slow grin that spread across Lukas’s face. ‘Recommend what?’

  ‘Married life.’

  Mouthing a rude word, Sebastiano pulled Poppy’s chair out for her as she sat down. Fortunately his friend didn’t labour the point about marriage and the conversation resumed an easy flow.

  The whole night had been easy, he realised. Poppy fitted in beautifully with the other couple. Not that Sebastiano had thought she wouldn’t—but he’d just never done the double date thing before. Usually he met a woman, took her for a meal then back to either his place or hers where they had sex and went their separate ways, the pattern continuing until one or the other tired of it.

  Sebastiano frowned. Running a global operation as successful as his meant a lot of contact hours, which didn’t leave much down time.

  Even nights out with male friends usually revolved around work. He rarely had time to indulge in boring chitchat and yet that was exactly what tonight had morphed into. But it hadn’t been boring. In fact, it had been relaxing and highly enjoyable.

  His eyes ate up the woman at his side. It had been enjoyable because of Poppy Connolly. She was smart, caring, challenging, and the most sexually responsive woman he had ever known.

  Which was when it hit him that his end goal had shifted without him even being aware of it. This was no longer about him trying to convince his grandfather that their relationship was real, it was about—it was about... He frowned. He had no idea what it was about; he just knew that he wanted her again.

  He brooded over that, unable to take his eyes from Poppy’s mouth as she devoured her ice-cream dessert, enjoyment evident every time she licked the spoon clean.

  She chose that moment to look at him, her eyes darkening as she caught his gaze. ‘Want some?’

  She held the spoon out and his eyes never left hers as he dipped his head and sucked the ice-cream inside his mouth. Her eyes darkened even more, her long lashes lowering to mask the desire he’d already registered.

  A strange sensation fluttered inside his chest.

  He had always believed that true happiness was something he would never feel again but it welled up inside him, unexpected and full. A tentative, bubbling brook that scared him as much as it ensnared him.

  ‘Okay, lovebirds,’ Lukas drawled, breaking their connection and causing Poppy to blush. ‘Time for us to hit the sack.’

  ‘Lukas!’ Eleanore whacked his shoulder with her clutch bag. ‘Please excuse my husband, Poppy,’ Eleanore implored with dignity. ‘He’s not usually so rude.’

  ‘Not at all. It’s been amazing meeting you both. I had a wonderful night.’

  Sebastiano pushed his chair back. ‘Time for us to go too, bella.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SETTLING HIS HAND at Poppy’s lower back, Sebastiano led her to the main foyer. ‘Wait here while I order a water taxi.’

  A thrill raced up Poppy’s spine at the thought of returning to their hotel room. A thrill she needed to find some way to contain. Her intention to keep her heart safe from Sebastiano had gone up in smoke as soon as he had kissed her again. But it didn’t change anything, did it? He only wanted her physically while she...she... Was she really falling in love with him?

  No. She couldn’t be. She was just doing the age-old thing of confusing lust with love even though she thought she knew better.

  Confident that she could handle whatever this night brought without falling into her mother’s trap of thinking
that a man wanted more from her than he did, Poppy glanced around the opulent space, her eyes lingering on two fashionably dressed women with wistful smiles on their faces.

  Wondering if they had recognised a celebrity of some sort, Poppy followed the line of their stares to find that it was Sebastiano who had captured their appreciative gazes.

  No doubt they were noting the powerful width of his shoulders beneath his dinner jacket, the thick curl of his hair that would soon need a trim and those piercing green eyes he had just turned her way.

  Poppy’s breath stalled as his lips curved into a lazy smile, his gaze raking down over her in a slow burn.

  Was there ever a man so gloriously male? So sensually appealing? No doubt he’d had so many women give themselves to him, just as she had done, that he couldn’t even remember their names.

  She noticed one of the women eyeing her suspiciously, the other more openly hostile.

  Don’t worry, ladies, she wanted to say. I know how just the look of him makes a woman’s heart skip a beat but he’ll be back on the market soon.

  And in real life they were exactly the type he would choose. Beautiful. Refined. Elegant.

  A dismal feeling jolted inside her chest. By contrast, she was just an ordinary girl who had stumbled into an extraordinary situation.

  Poppy watched him walk towards her, his stride powerfully male, sexual intent etched into every long, measured stride. For a moment she felt real fear invade her limbs. Everything inside her said that this couldn’t end well. That it wouldn’t end well.

  ‘Ready, intern?’

  He planted himself in front of her, shutting out the world behind him. She knew on some level that she was mad to put herself in the way of this freight train but she also knew that she would.

  Not trusting that her voice wouldn’t tremble when she spoke, she nodded, letting Sebastiano usher her outside to their waiting water taxi.

  Excitement coursed through her and she turned her face up to the soft fall of snowflakes that fell softly like confetti from the sky. ‘Oh,’ she breathed. ‘How magical.’ Impulsively she curved her arm through Sebastiano’s, snuggling close. ‘Can we walk?’