The Italian Billionaire’s Nubian Queen (BWWM Romance Book 1)

by Ellie Etienne

  “Damn that man. And damn me for letting him get under my skin like that.”

  Grumbling, she gave in and decided to wash her hair if she had to, after all, and went to work trying to get it back under some kind of control. She was nearly done, about half an hour later, when Brianna finally knocked on the door.

  “Aly? Are you all right? You’ve been in there for nearly two hours! I need a shower, too.”

  “Sure. Sure, sorry, come on in.”

  “You washed your hair?”

  Brianna knew how much work it was. That was why she'd straightened her own very sleekly.

  “I kind of fell asleep in the bath so I didn’t have much of a choice.”

  “That’s why they say you shouldn’t have baths when drunk. Come on, let me help with your hair. Did you bring your scarf?”

  “Yes,” mumbled Alyssa and let her sister do one of the things she’d always enjoyed doing.

  “Why don’t you let your hair grow out if you love playing with curls so much?” asked Alyssa, after a while.

  “Adam likes how I look with straight hair.”

  Alyssa bit her tongue instead of saying what she wanted to say.

  “It’s not like that, really. I wanted an excuse to not fuss over it anymore. It was easier… You know what everybody in Adam’s family is like.”

  Alyssa sighed.

  “I do know.”

  “I guess it was easier to fit in.”

  “I guess it was.”

  “Don’t judge me,” snapped Brianna.

  “I’m not. I really aren't. And I’m glad you still have your skills. My hair looks better than when I do it myself.”

  “Of course it does,” scoffed Brianna, making Alyssa laugh.

  It was easy to shrug off that disturbing dream when they got ready for bed and snuggled in. There was a chill in the air, and neither sister turned the heater up high. The thick duvet was comfortable and fluffy enough to make her feel like she was wrapped in a cloud.

  A cloud, like the one…

  No, utterly ridiculous.

  Alyssa was glad to fall asleep, and as she fell asleep, she was sure that she wouldn’t fall back into that dream. She was right. She didn’t. But that night, all of her dreams had him in them. All her dreams were of him.

  ***

  Matteo woke up at dawn, as he always did, whatever time zone he was in. But he hadn’t slept well.

  The dreams.

  She’d come to him in his dreams... and they'd been very disturbing dreams. She’d come to him, her lips painted red, her eyes lined and hooded, her hair wild and curling, as imperious as a goddess. She'd crooked her finger at him and he'd followed her, over the ocean, into a storm, where she'd wrapped herself around him and taken him, devouring him, and he'd been willing to be devoured. He’d been willing to be taken.

  No, more than willing. He’d been eager for it.

  He’d woken up and swore he could taste her, that he could feel the zing of electricity that crackled around her as she moved, hear her laugh that had barely faded from his heart. He’d woken up with his heart thundering, and nothing could soothe it.

  It was just because he’d had a very long day. He'd been awake for far too long, he’d worked far too hard. He should’ve taken a break instead of making it something of a busman’s holiday like this. It wasn’t working very well to relax him.

  But something about her…

  Alyssa.

  Her voice haunted him as much as her face did. He’d watched her, even if he'd felt like a creep doing so. He’d watched her as she'd enjoyed his wines, unabashedly and with such gusto. It had been wonderful to watch. That was what he wanted for every single person who tasted his wine—that enjoyment, that willingness to embrace the passion that was in every bottle of Colombo.

  Was that why he'd wanted her? Was that why she'd twisted him up like this?

  It wasn’t, thought Matteo impatiently as he shaved, as if he hadn’t had other women. Beautiful women. More classically beautiful than Alyssa Benjamin, of course. Women who would make any man stop in his tracks and look at them twice, at the very least.

  But none of them had given him the kind of dreams that Alyssa had given him that night.

  And she'd dismissed him.

  It wasn’t even as if she'd encouraged him, or been polite. She'd had the nerve to dismiss him and call him grumpy! Of all the audacious, outrageous… unexpected responses to get from a woman! How long had it been since he'd been rejected by a woman?

  Matteo paused as he washed his face.

  He couldn’t remember ever having been rejected by a woman. Not since he’d become a man. Even as a boy, he couldn’t really recall…

  The first woman to reject him.

  Maybe that explained it. Maybe it was as simple as that. The dreams, well, that was probably because he hadn’t had a woman in too long. He enjoyed all the pleasures life had to offer, and the pleasure two people could find in each other was one of the most potent. He enjoyed that. Maybe he'd denied himself that for too long.

  Yes, he preferred that explanation to most others. It made the night before an aberration.

  Yes, that was better.

  He patted his face dry and he walked out to his room. He knew that the cabins were perfectly adequate, but he was in the cottage, which had enough room to function as an office as well. Maybe he would take a break. Maybe he needed a break.

  It wasn’t like he had to go back to Italy immediately. The new operations in the States might benefit from having him there, though he did have an excellent team there, too. He could perhaps even take a real vacation. Go to Disney World, thought Matteo with a grin, though he'd never before felt the smallest inclination to go to Disney World or any such place before.

  And if he happened to run into Alyssa Benjamin during his time there…

  He paused as he reached for the crisp white shirt he would wear that day. Why was she still on his mind? He'd decided that it had been an aberration.

  Annoyed, he walked back into the bathroom and pulled off the sweatpants he wore. He barely glanced at himself in the full length mirror before stepping into the shower. He'd already worked out, sixty minutes in the gym. He'd also put in about an hour’s work.

  He let the jets work out whatever stress was still left in him. Closed his eyes, leaned against the wall and let his mind go blank. Focused on the feeling of the warm jets of water hitting him and soothing his tired muscles.

  Maybe he was more tired than he liked to admit.

  It wasn’t for vanity that he worked out, though he had plenty to be vain about, and he knew it. Easily a couple of inches over six feet, he'd once been described as a magnificent specimen of manhood. He worked out because the discipline appealed to him. And so did the strength he gained from it.

  That discipline and strength extended to his mind. Usually, he could empty it on demand. He found it a useful way to focus when he needed to.

  But that day, as he stood there with the water hitting him, he felt the spray of the ocean and the wind, the taste of rain, and she filled his mind again. Alyssa, with her glowing eyes, her wicked smile, her wild hair and all that confidence and arrogance—she had a hold of him, and he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

  Chapter 4

  Alyssa woke up early, and it annoyed her. She had to struggle to wake up early when she had work to do. Now there she was, wide awake at seven in the morning.

  All right, so it wasn’t really early for most people, but Alyssa enjoyed sleeping. It was one of her pleasures in life. But there she was, seven in the morning and wide awake after having tossed and turned all night, plagued by disturbing dreams.

  Yes, plagued, she insisted to herself. That was the word she would choose. She hadn’t been able to sleep and it was because she'd kept on dreaming about storms in the sea and he'd been there in all of them. He'd been there, that damn coat billowing around him, those eyes gleaming wickedly and confidently, and she'd wanted to scream. Except she hadn’t wanted
to scream in her dreams. In her dreams, she'd wanted to walk over to him and let him take her, until the storm took them both.

  “Damn wine,” said Alyssa, and followed it up with an apology. Whatever she had going on in her silly head, she wasn't going to blame wine for it.

  She glanced over at the other bed and saw that Brianna was still fast asleep. She looked so neat and tidy even when she was sleeping, but there was such sadness on her face. The weekend away had distracted her, but Alyssa had the uncomfortable feeling that Brianna had cried herself to sleep, and that she’d been crying herself to sleep for a while.

  There was nothing she could do, she reminded herself, but that was cold comfort. She wanted to find a way to make things better for her sister. She wanted…

  A walk. What she wanted was a walk. She would brush her teeth, wash her face, and she would pull on her coat and go for a walk. It was a lovely morning, brisk but with the sun streaming down from a cloudless sky. There was no sign of a storm of any kind. What she needed was a walk, and she had to admit that with how the weekend was shaping up, she could probably use the exercise. All of those uphill trails would do her good.

  Making up her mind, Alyssa got out of bed, unwrapped her hair from the scarf it had been tucked into all night and smiled. Brianna had done an amazing job. She looked absolutely fabulous.

  Cheering up, she decided that a little mascara and a little blush wouldn’t hurt on such a perfect morning, and she liked what it did to her spirits.

  She was humming happily by the time she changed into jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed a coat, wrapped a bright yellow scarf around her neck, and walked out the door. Ready in ten minutes, thought Alyssa, and it made her even happier. It was nice to be out alone. It looked like everybody had partied too hard the night before. She didn’t see too many guests out and about. Well, even if there were, she probably wouldn’t notice them. The vineyard was huge. There was more than enough room for everybody to get lost without running into each other.

  She chose a trail at random and set off, not pushing herself, taking the time to look around and enjoy everything. She was going to remember every single thing about the weekend. She was making contacts and she was learning a lot, but she would remember every moment of pleasure, too. She would…

  Alyssa stopped short, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. Maybe she'd been working so hard that she was beginning to go a little crazy. Maybe she needed a real break. Like Disney World, thought Alyssa, babbling a little in her own head. Maybe she needed a more conventional break like that.

  There hadn’t been any fog, so why, exactly, was there a mysterious figure a couple of hundred feet in front of her, standing as if he had materialized from another world, and in a coat that looked like it would billow if only there was a cooperative gust of wind?

  As if he'd walked out of her dreams. As if she'd conjured him up. As if she'd called him there.

  Alyssa’s knees felt a little weak. She saw a bench a few feet away and considered sitting down to catch her breath, but she wanted to get away from that figure.

  She wanted to walk towards him.

  She blinked, the sun pierced that fog, and suddenly he was just a man in a long coat. A tall and fit man, but just a man. Nothing strange or mysterious about him. She hadn’t called him out from her dreams about stormy seas, where she'd floated on clouds.

  She blinked, and tensed again.

  Not just a man.

  That was Matteo Colombo, wasn’t it? The height, the build—they seemed to fit. The dark hair was the same too. He turned around and she thought, for a moment, that it was him. He walked towards her, and she looked around for a way out. Why did she feel trapped?

  She wanted to get away. This was not good for her life or her sanity. This wasn’t…

  He walked closer, as she stood rooted to the spot, wondering why she was acting like such an irrational idiot, and she saw that it wasn’t him.

  It wasn’t Matteo.

  Yes, the height and the build fit, but the hair was a shade or two lighter, she could see that now, and the face was different. Similar, but smoother, and somehow…

  Not a face she could trust. It was too beautiful. And the eyes were not green. They were blue.

  Not Matteo.

  Disappointment, wariness, and that urge to flee again.

  Silliness, she warned herself sternly, and she made her lips curve in a polite smile, making sure he had plenty of room to walk by. But he paused and he gave her a look of such blatant appraisal that she wished she’d worn more layers.

  “The morning suddenly became far more beautiful.”

  A voice as smooth and as beautiful as that face. A smile that could’ve been stolen from an angel. She recognized the accent, of course—just Italian enough to be almost irresistibly charming. Matteo hadn’t had an accent, not when he’d spoken to her. His english had been flawless, though not in the least American.

  “Oh, I… Well, it’s a lovely morning.”

  “Bellissima. Tell me, who are you?”

  “Oh, umm, well… Alyssa Benjamin is my name.”

  “Alyssa, a name as lovely and as charming as you are. I am Gabriel Colombo.”

  Of course. He was the half-brother. Yes, that explained the resemblance. She tried to remember the gossip, but she couldn’t really recall much. He didn’t have that much to do with the vineyards and the wine-making, she did remember that much.

  “Mr. Colombo, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “The pleasure, bella, is all mine. Or I hope it will be. Will you walk with me?”

  Well, at least the brother had manners, unlike Matteo. He had at least asked her if she’d walk with him instead of declaring that she would. It did look like this brother had gotten the tact and the niceness.

  She was fully prepared to say yes.

  “Thank you, but I’m not sure where I’m going. I was… thinking.”

  Alyssa frowned.

  That wasn’t a yes.

  Why hadn’t she said yes?

  “Ah, the secrets held in a woman’s heart. It’s far too early to ask you to share them with me, but I hope you will before you leave. Do you think I could change your mind?”

  “I… Well, I’m flattered, but… I wanted to check a few things out before my sister woke up.”

  “You have a sister. If she’s as lovely as you are, we've been very blessed. Will you be at the events today?”

  Was it her imagination, or had his lips twisted as if in mockery when he said ‘events’? It had probably been her imagination. He might not be the one who ran the company, but he still had the name. He probably owned quite a bit of it. For the hundredth time, Alyssa promised herself that she would start taking more of an interest in the people in her business, not just the wines. She never managed to follow through, usually, but now she thought she had enough incentive to do so.

  “Of course. I have a small shop where I sell wine. I have a small selection of some of the more up-market Colombo wines, too. They’re my guilty pleasure.”

  “Ah, the Colombo wines. The best, or so I’m told.”

  “They’re definitely the best in class in quite a few classes.”

  She would’ve gone on, but he didn’t look interested. Odd, thought Alyssa, but she let it go.

  “I'm sure you’re an expert in the matter, like most people here. And back home.”

  “I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I love to learn. I… I’m sorry, Mr. Colombo, but I really must go.”

  “Mr. Colombo is my brother, of course. I hope you will call me Gabriel. I hope you will allow me to call you Alyssa.”

  “Of course,” said Alyssa, and when he continued to look at her, she added, “Gabriel.”

  “I like how my name sounds on your lips, Alyssa. We’re well met, I think. I hope you will have lunch with me, if not breakfast. And perhaps after lunch, we can take that walk you promised me.”

  Alyssa didn't remember promising a walk, and for all his politeness, she could
n’t wait to get away from him. She didn’t want to go for a walk with Gabriel Colombo. She didn’t want to be alone with him. For all his beauty, she didn’t want to get to know him.

  She tried to shake it off.

  “I’m sure you’ll be far too busy.”

  “I'll make sure that I make the time. Ciao, bella. Take care of yourself.”

  Alyssa nodded, and she kept the smile in place, but avoided his eyes as she walked on.

  She shivered a little, as if she needed the warmth of the sun. What the hell was wrong with the Colombo brothers? One was rude and creepy, and the other was charming and unsettling. It was frankly a miracle that they made wines that brought people together, wines that had such depth to them. There was nothing dark about them.

  Between the two, thought Alyssa, she might actually prefer the rude one who liked ordering people around. But thankfully, she didn’t have to choose, so…

  Before she could finish that thought, she walked straight into a wall.

  Or so it felt.

  She reeled and found herself steadied by a pair of strong hands.

  “Are you all right?”

  The annoyed, clipped tone with no trace of any exotic accent—she recognized it. For the second time that morning, she found herself facing a tall, dark-haired man. A beautiful one, but with just a little something rough about him. Not the kind of smooth beauty that had unsettled her a few minutes ago.

  And the eyes weren’t blue.

  These eyes were definitely green. She felt as if she knew them well. She’d dreamt of them all night. She’d dreamt of…

  Oh no. No, she wasn’t going there.

  “I’m fine, I… I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  He was glowering at her, and his hands were still on her arms. She wanted to tell him, crisply and curtly, that she could stand very well on her own but she was frankly not entirely sure if she could. Something about that morning was unsettling her, and the impact of those green eyes looking into hers with that forbidding look in them wasn’t helping her at all.