Falling for Her Billionaire Boss

The simple movement changed everything. Her breath came out in a rush as Luca’s hand commanded her head, tilting it gently to the side and he opened his lips. Her lashes fluttered shut. The kiss was deliberate but soft, easing into the passion slowly, building the fire with teasing nips.

For the first time since leaving her old life behind, she threw caution to the wind, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him closer.

The moment she did it, everything changed. His hand swept from beneath her hair and dragged her close. His tongue swept into her mouth and she wilted against him. The jacket fell from her shoulders to the floor of the terrace and his hands warmed her skin as they roamed over the bare flesh of her arms.

Glory.

He broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers.

Mariella pulled out of his arms, immediately feeling the cool air and the bite of cold reality. “Thank you.”

His eyes glittered at her knowingly. “Thank you?”

She had to take a step backward. She’d been swept away in the magic of the moment and had forgotten. She was supposed to be afraid. She was supposed to keep personal distance. She was not supposed to let herself be vulnerable. She could not… A sob built in her chest. She could not allow herself to feel.

She wanted to deny it, but he’d know she was running away from it, and him. And to acknowledge it had affected her deeply was to take things where she didn’t want them to go.

“As you said, there’s a certain amount of chemistry.” She lifted her chin, daring him to contradict her.

Instead he laughed, reaching out and grazing her cheek with a knuckle.

“You are a strong woman, Mari. You do my grandmother’s name justice. She was a strong woman, too.”

Mari swallowed. Coming on the heels of the kiss, she was seeing a whole new side to Luca. Whether he recognized it or not, he carried around his own scars, ones indelibly scraped on his heart.

She turned away, leaving him staring at her back as she rested her elbows on the balustrade.

“You remind me of her.” He paused for a moment. “Why did you not correct Gina when she called you by your full name?”

Mari shrugged. “It would have been rude of me. We’d just met.”

“But you didn’t mind being rude to me.”

She heard the dull sound of his shoes on the stone floor as he came closer. “You can take it.”

“I appreciate you being kind to my sister. Annoyance that she is.”

Mari held her breath as his hands appeared on either side of her and he leaned closer, not quite an embrace, but with his chest leaning warm and secure against her back.

“Mariella.”

Mari’s eyelids drifted shut. The soft way he said it was sweet seduction. But it was no better as his image appeared behind her eyes. The way he looked tonight, the way the expensive cut of his suit emphasized his physique, making him look like a movie star from bygone days. Too much like the man from her dreams. She had to resist him. Had to. This was madness. She was supposed to be afraid. Repulsed. She wasn’t supposed to be feeling like this.

His lips touched the back of her neck and she quivered. Tilted her head without thinking, allowing him access to the gentle curve.

His arms tightened around her and his wide hands rested just below her waist, their warmth seeping through to her skin.

“You didn’t correct me just now.”

“No, I didn’t.” The words came out on a breathy whisper.

How could she possibly explain that they way he said it sounded different? How could she do that without making this more than either of them wanted?

“You would honor me if you let me use your given name, Mariella. It was the name of a woman I loved very much, and I’ve missed the sound of it on my lips.”

Her lips parted but no sound came out. How could she refuse him now? They’d moved this far out of the realm of strictly business, and she wasn’t at all sure how it had happened. She only knew they had a connection. Knew that somehow tonight they had shared more than simple family history. Somehow, in between the main course and this moment, she’d started to trust Luca. She’d let him in, whether he realized it or not.

She swallowed, opened her eyes, and turned so that she was still in his arms but facing him.