by Dez Burke
“Yes; too bad for you,” he told her with a dark, stern tone. “Because I’ve decided that if she will not agree to go ahead with the planned wedding, you will have to do.”
Kaycie twisted right round to look at him after those bluntly delivered words.
Her mouth was slack as she told herself she had to have misunderstood him. “Are you being serious?”
“I’m certainly not joking,” he told her calmly, his eyes still on the road ahead, his grip on the steering wheel firm and sure. “I don’t know why you put on that performance, arresting though it was.”
He paused to cock an eyebrow at her, and she could tell he was being sarcastic. Her eyes narrowed though she didn’t interrupt as he continued, “But what I do know is that it has inconveniently landed me without a fiancée and therefore, no bride. This is a big problem for me. A billion dollar problem.”
His matter-of-fact tone made her sit up, her attention now fully grabbed as she tried to make sense of it all. He really wasn’t bluffing, she realized, staring at him. “Hold on...she hasn’t exactly broken up with you, has she?”
Nick’s well-cut lips twisted at her question. “Rachel has as good as done so. You saw me go after her. Well, I did my best to reason with her, but she told me it was best if I didn’t try to see her again. Ever.” He glanced Kaycie’s way, his gaze chilly. “Rachel is a proud, spoiled brat. Catching me in the arms of such a beautiful and delectable woman like you must have been a hard sight to stomach.”
Kaycie swallowed drily. It wasn’t the first time he’d called her beautiful tonight but she still felt that sheer drop in her belly. Now he called her both beautiful and delectable. Well he had a funny way of showing he regarded her as such, she thought even as she told herself she shouldn’t be sure he meant her to feel flattered by his comments.
Eyeing him speculatively, she murmured, “It seems there’s no love lost between the two of you.” She could hardly keep the curiosity from her tone as she awaited his reply.
“If you mean, do we love each other?” he began, slanting a cynical glance her way, “Then no. I’ve never considered love as a criterion for a good marriage. Mutual respect, physical compatibility, yes. But not love. Unlike you, I believe?”
Kaycie found herself glaring at him with defiance. “I guess you’re indirectly asking me if I’d marry a man I didn’t love. I believe you know the answer to that.”
Now he huffed skeptically. “Ah sure; and the reason you turned Mark down was because you didn’t love him. Yeah, right. You never did strike me as the sentimental type – so I’d rather go with: you don’t want to marry him because he just isn’t rich enough for you.”
He sent her one of his sardonic looks even as she bristled speechlessly.
“After all, Mark Tucker is simply the nephew to Marilyn Tucker who holds the reins of whatever wealth the family owns. Mark’s father wasn’t the one who amassed all that Tucker money – Marilyn did. Mark is probably going to have to at least work his way up the ladder within the family’s holdings and see where that gets him. But it’s really up to his aunt how far he goes and once he’s through with his military career, she just might start him at the bottom. My point? He’s no trust fund baby and he relies too much on his family name which only goes so far as the whims of his doting aunt. Which makes him far from loaded – certainly not rolling in enough dough to impress you, I’m certain.”
Kaycie was gasping, unable to piece a proper sentence together while she felt so totally slayed by his unfair comments. Where the hell was all this coming from? He had no right – no freaking right – to say these things to her and she marveled at how much thought he put into his opinions of her. And much as she hated to admit it to herself, it really, really hurt.
“You’re such a jerk,” she managed to choke out at last. “First you call me cold and heartless – and now you’re implying I’m a gold-digger. What the hell?”
He pinned her with a quelling glance, before looking carelessly away again. “Like I said earlier, I’m simply making conclusions. Whether they’re accurate or not remains to be seen. One thing I know for sure...you’re far from cold.”
From the look he sent her in that moment, Kaycie felt her face flush as she knew he was referring to that brief, steamy kiss on the balcony.
Well truth be told she’d put her all into that kiss. She could recall probing inside his hot sweet mouth and feeling the flashing heat of his tongue against hers.
Kaycie squirmed just thinking how damned good that had felt. She’d never forget that faint waft of his cologne; so masculine, expensive and thrilling. A man's kiss had never tasted so good and feeling his hands grip her waist had been so erotic and had made her just want to melt against him, into him. He was one sexy son of a bitch and she detested herself for wanting him as badly as she knew she did deep inside.
Looking away from his devilishly handsome face and outside the window, she ignored the twitching in between her treacherous thighs and muttered, “I really hope Rachel dumps you for real, Nick. Even I wouldn’t marry a beast like you.”
He chuckled humorlessly, obviously unperturbed. “You’d better pray she doesn’t dump me, dear Kaycie. Or you’ll be next in line.”
The soft menace in his words vibrated in the air around them, throwing Kaycie into confusion. She was barely aware that he’d brought the car to a stop right in front of her apartment; her head was in such a whirl. But then when she felt him grip her chin between his thumb and index finger, her eyes flew to his in surprise. He gave her no chance to react as he suddenly swooped his head down and owned her lips.
Yes, owned. Because the moment his mouth touched hers, he gave her no doubt who was in charge this time.
Firm yet sensuous, his lips ground into hers with a fiery passion nothing like his habitual ice-cold demeanor.
Kaycie couldn’t control her breathing; sharp gasps of excitement spilling from her parted lips. She could feel his dominance in every demanding brushstroke of his mouth over hers, which brought the juices fizzing through her panties.
The kiss grew harder, more carnal and Kaycie was tempted to moan with bliss. She hated that she liked the way his lips felt over hers; the way his tongue mimicked the act of wicked, hot sex.
Hot damn.
Her fingers squeezed tight on her clutch purse as she resisted the strong urge to grab his lapels and pull him hard against her now throbbing breasts. Beneath her bodice, her nipples felt like lead thimbles; thick and heavy.
But Nick pulled away when she least expected, and Kaycie felt like whining in protest. Her eyes peeled open to find him drawing back, shoving a hand through his wavy dark hair as he looked away for a moment.
“You, Ms. Hayes, are a distraction I don’t want and I certainly don’t need,” he muttered gruffly, as if to himself.
Well, fuck you, thought Kaycie, tumbling back down to earth with a crash. What was that? He blew hot and then cold, the same way he drove her mad with fury and then turned her to molten lava in turns.
“May I remind you that you started all this? You were the one who couldn’t seem to mind your own damned business,” she spat, feeling slapped by his attitude after that pussy-drenching kiss. She’d never met a more infuriating man in her life and she couldn’t believe how much her whole body ached for more of his kisses, his touch. Just imagining being taken by a man like Nick Vitale had her pulse rate speeding alarmingly. She must be crazy.
“All I did was speak my mind, Kaycie. If you felt insulted, I think kissing me was the wrong way to show your displeasure. I didn’t ask you to throw yourself at me.”
“Why you...”
“Save it,” he snapped through her raving words. “It’s obvious we both crossed the line tonight and I’m going to have to figure a way to undo whatever clusterfuck I – and you – have gotten me into.”
His expression was unreadable as he held her fuming stare. “Don’t think this is some game, Kaycie. Because it isn’t. I’m dead serious and the sooner you start b
elieving that, the better for you. We’ll definitely be seeing each other again soon. Now get out.”
Kaycie blinked, surprised at the abrupt command. “What?”
“If you much rather I threw you out...,” Nick muttered, and knowing he could very well do it Kaycie scrambled out while her knees shook with rage.
“I was right, Nick; you are a beast,” Kaycie spat, before slamming the door after her. He made no reply, but sped off leaving behind a cloud of exhaust fumes.
Chapter Four
Nick was tapping his fingers idly on the polished surface of the table next to him, striving hard to control his impatience.
He was seated within Luca Conte’s opulent study, his drink of whiskey untouched by his elbow. His future father-in-law paced the Moroccan rug underfoot, his expression fathomless.
And yet, Nick told himself he knew what was coming. It was two days since the eventful dinner party he’d escorted Rachel to. He’d been expecting this summons from her father, who had also been a close friend and business associate to Nick’s father. Both their families went back before either of the Contes or Vitales had settled in America four generations ago, from their home country Italy.
Nick had received a call from the old man’s secretary requesting his presence at the family house that morning.
Well, here he was.
“I really must say, Nick,” Luca Conte began at long last, stopping his furious pacing to turn to the younger man. His lined yet handsome and heavily bearded face held a frown as Nick looked up at him with expectation, “That when Rachel came to me, sobbing with the news of what you did I was quite shocked. It didn’t sound like you at all.”
I’ll bet, thought Nick wryly, though he asked in a mild tone, “Just what did Rachel tell you, Uncle?” Nick had been calling Luca ‘uncle’ since his schoolboy days and even now that he was almost thirty, still gave the older man his due respect – especially since Luca had been more of a father figure to him than Nick's dad had been.
Luca’s expression looked almost like he was pleading with Nick to deny the allegations as he said, “Rachel told me that she caught you kissing some woman at the party you accompanied her to. She was mistaken, wasn’t she?”
Nick looked the older man dead in the eye. “No, Uncle Luca. She wasn’t mistaken. What Rachel said is true.”
Luca Conte looked dazed for a moment, though more at the blunt way Nick had stated it. But then what had he been expecting, Nick mused, that I would lie?
Luca shook his head at him. “Nick!” he burst out in exclamation. “I can’t imagine what could have come over you...”
Neither can I, Nick thought with a wry twist to his lips – but then the image of a sultry-eyed woman with soft, full lips and a knock-out body came to mind. Oh, he knew exactly what had come over him, he decided as a now familiar ache cut him right where he lived. Just thinking about that temptress Kaycie had his cock stirring at the memory of her taste, scent and the sexy sound of her slightly husky tone of voice.
“You think this is a joke?” Luca rasped and Nick suddenly became aware that he’d been smiling to himself. Quickly, Nick wiped the look from his face and rose from his chair.
“What can I say, Uncle?” sighed Nick. “That I had one drink too many?” He shrugged. “I really wish that was the case. I won’t go into details but I have to confess that the woman who kissed me had every cause to do so.”
Yep, she had. If he hadn’t butted into her affairs – and if he had stopped her from making a fool of him instead of kissing her right back like a starved goon, he wouldn’t be in this colossal mess...
“I see,” Luca said heavily, and then turned away. “I had hoped I could try and win you back into Rachel’s good favor, but now I see I really shouldn’t bother. It’s obvious you don’t love my daughter and never did. It was your father’s and my fault, throwing you two together since you were younger in the hope that you’d have a future with each other. And now, well...” The old man shrugged, a resigned look on his face.
Nick felt a small sigh escape him – could it be relief? To his surprised, he suddenly didn’t consider it such a disaster if Rachel wasn’t going to marry him.
“You do realize what this means?” the other man asked Nick soberly as both men stood face to face. Though Luca was tall he had grown stocky, his hair thinning at the sides yet not detracting from his darkly handsome looks that sat well on the fifty-six year old man.
Nick wasn’t sure how to respond so he waited for Luca to continue as he said, “Rachel told me that she wasn’t going through with the wedding, not after your little aberration. I think she felt more insulted than anything else. Still, she’s upstairs in her bedroom, if you want to talk with her. You’re the only one who can salvage this situation, Nick. But remember...”
Nick had already been making to leave the room, and paused in the doorway to turn and regard Luca quizzically. Luca added, “If she doesn’t agree to marry you, you’ll have to find someone who will.”
And you know exactly why, Luca’s eyes seemed to say solemnly, and Nick gave him a terse nod. Oh, I know.
He was going to lose his billion dollar inheritance if he didn’t.
NICK SPENT THE NEXT several days working – and planning – hard. Now seated behind the massive oak desk in his well-appointed, expansive office that might soon no longer be his, he went over the bitter argument he’d had with Rachel that last time, up in her bedroom suite.
She started raining abuses at him the moment he entered her sitting room area – right before she flung his ring at him. Okay, so he’d always known she was the violent type but she’d really taken it too far this time, thought Nick.
The enormous diamond stud had barely missed his right eye, and the duck he’d made couldn’t have come a second sooner. And yet her next words made his lips twitch wryly even as she stomped into the adjoining bedroom while Nicholas followed. He saw the open bags and luggage and his eyebrows shot up.
“Don’t even bother trying to explain,” Rachel snapped, her blonde ponytail swaying as she began to throw clothes into the open case on her bed. “I’m leaving tomorrow for a much-needed vacation – which obviously means I’m not going to marry you. The wedding's off. I knew you never had any true feelings for me, but this is the last straw. In a day or two the whole world is going to hear about how I jilted you. You hear me?” she added on a scream.
Rachel’s creamy, tanned complexion had gone red with her fury as Nick stared at her expressionlessly.
“It was you who cheated on me, and it was I who called off the wedding,” she said with deep satisfaction as she shoved a finger in his suited chest. She swung away and went on with her packing while seething. “That means no wife for you, Nick – and possibly no inheritance.”
Nick's lips twisted at her malicious, mocking words. “That really would please you, wouldn’t it?” he murmured calmly. “You surprise me. I’d have thought that the opportunity of marrying an heir to over a billion dollars would be very tempting.”
“Well you can go to hell with your billions, Nick,” she snapped, turning on him again as her teeth bared in a snarl, her blue eyes flashing. “And you can go back to your sexy slut.”
At that Nick felt his anger snap out of its leash as he grabbed her shoulders in a hard grip. “You just watch your mouth, young lady,” he gritted, stressing the last word ironically. “If you must know, I find her more of a woman than you ever could be.”
And with a jolt, Nick realized that was true. He’d known Rachel since she was barely seventeen and he twenty-three. As they’d grown older and their parents began to push them together, he’d tried to look at her beyond her silly, over-pampered heiress façade. But he’d come to discover there wasn’t much there.
Rachel was beautiful, entitled, a snob, and far from matured enough to handle his masculine needs. Now that she was almost twenty-four, he’d managed to convince himself that she’d improve with time and molding once she became his wife.
Nick
had put up with her tantrums, diva antics and bratty ways for too long and now he figured she just might never grow up. Not enough to suit him anyway. She was as different from Kaycie Hayes as night was from day. Kaycie might be an infuriating tease that got under his skin far too easily, but she was all woman in ways that fired his blood.
He could no longer deny it.
He’d probably wanted her from the first time he’d seen her several months ago. It had startled him how much he’d reacted to her physically and even now he couldn’t really understand it.
It had taken all he could to conceal his true response to the tall, curvy and intelligent woman. That kiss on the balcony had brought to life a raging fire within his loins in ways that had never even glimmered in all the time he’d been engaged to Rachel. Yes, Rachel was undoubtedly beautiful and many men would consider the slim blonde sexy but Nick felt himself drawn to Kaycie in ways that perturbed him. Kaycie was definitely more of a woman and minute after minute, he began to discover that he liked the thought of her being his woman too much.
“Well, she’s more than welcome to you,” he heard Rachel say with chilly composure. He let her go with disgust even as she added with a sneer, “I’m sure that once she knows how much you’re worth, she’ll be all yours. No doubt she’d love to take my vacant spot as the future Mrs. Vitale.”
Now it was two days after and Nick chuckled out loud to himself as he looked down at pages and photos in the file his investigators had compiled on Kaycie Hayes. He picked up a particularly eye-catching shot of her, taken by the beach where she’d gone sunbathing with a few of her friends just days ago. She was clad in some kind of ruffled black bikini that played off her curvy figure to perfection.
The camera had caught her just off the side and her curves were well exhibited, reminding Nick how it had felt having her luscious body pressed up hard against him. From memory, he knew she hid a caseload of molten heat beneath an exterior he’d once thought of as calculating and detached.
