My respect level rose for Alessandra. To succeed in this environment was an accomplishment worth noting.
However, even if the party hadn’t revealed much more in the way of information, I considered it a win as I’d convinced Alessandra to meet me for dinner, and that was the real prize.
Not to mention, the memory of Alessandra in that black dress had kept me awake all night. I tossed and turned in my hotel bed for hours before giving up any hope of sleep without first jerking off to release some pent-up steam.
I couldn’t help but fantasize about peeling that skin-tight dress from her luscious curves and feasting on every soft bit of flesh my hands could touch.
In truth, I’d never come so hard by my own hand with such limited mental imagery, but Alessandra was a walking contradiction that I found intensely arousing.
For now, I needed to shelve those lustful thoughts so I could focus on the task at hand.
I walked into the rustic restaurant, the sharp tang of fresh herbs and spices permeating the small, intimate space as local diners enjoyed authentic Italian cuisine without the intrusion of tourists hoping for chicken Alfredo.
Alessandra insisted on meeting me and while I was punctual, she wasn’t at the restaurant yet, which suited me fine and gave me a chance to form a plan.
I ordered a bottle of wine, knowing that the move would either impress or irritate her, and I was interested to see where I landed.
My server had just decanted the wine when Alessandra walked in. My body stiffened as I struggled to appear nonchalant but goddamn, if the woman were any hotter, she’d set things on fire by proximity.
She wore a long, flowing tunic-style blouse with an exposed shoulder, her hair tumbling down her back, and jeans. It was an effortless look yet a supermodel couldn’t have worn it better.
Our gazes met and the heat jumped but she deliberately paused before joining me at the table to greet the chef grilling lamb in an open-floor-plan kitchen.
“Alessandra!” he exclaimed, taking the time to kiss her on both cheeks, clearly happy to see her. A sudden flush of jealousy caused me to shift with discomfort but I held it in check. I couldn’t discern their conversation but it was over before it mattered.
I rose as Alessandra joined me, and I reached out to pull her chair free. “An American gentleman? I didn’t know they existed.”
“Tsk, tsk, Alessandra, your bias is showing,” I said, returning to my seat. It was a good thing there were linen napkins on the table... I might need one to mop up the drool. “You look lovely.”
She accepted my compliment with a smile, steepling her fingers as she perused me openly before returning the compliment. “You are quite handsome but then you know this. I am simply stating what you hear on a daily basis and I’m not sure I want to perpetuate your arrogance.”
“The same could be said for you.”
She shrugged, her gaze alighting on the wine. “You ordered ahead?”
“I took the liberty.”
Her smile tickled my insides. “We shall see if you ordered wisely.”
I poured two glasses and waited for Alessandra’s assessment. She took her time like a true connoisseur, first burying her nose in the glass to inhale the bouquet, then taking an exploratory sip between those luscious lips. I had to drag my gaze to avoid from staring too hard.
“Good?” I asked, pleased my voice held. “Does it meet with your standards?”
Alessandra smiled coyly as she answered, “Franco always carries excellent wine. Why do you think I picked this restaurant?”
I laughed. “You didn’t trust my instincts so you hedged your bets. Crafty woman.”
Alessandra didn’t deny my assumption but the amusement sparkling in her eyes was like a drug in my system. I wanted to know why she was single, why some lucky bastard hadn’t snapped her up by now. By the standards of polite etiquette, jumping into relationship statuses was usually considered rude. I never played by the rules, so why start now? “Why are you single?” I asked, throwing it out there.
“Because I am not interested in marrying,” she answered without artifice. “And you?”
“Because I’m also not interested in marrying. Seems we have a bit more in common than we thought.”
She chuckled but graced me with a patronizing look. “Tell me why you came all the way to Italy when you could’ve made a phone call that would’ve yielded the same result.”
“Because I thought a face-to-face was more effective,” I answered. “I should’ve done my homework first. I confess, I thought buying your winery was going to be an easy win.”
“And why is that?”
“Because everyone has a price and it’s usually lower than they realize. The wine business is capricious and most don’t have the capital to weather the bad years. The other wineries my father purchased didn’t resist much once we made our offers.”
“We would never sell.”
“Yes, I’ve come to accept this.”
“Have you?”
The open suspicion in her gaze kept me on my toes. She didn’t trust me or my motives. Smart woman. “It’s true I could’ve made a phone call to get the same information that flying over garnered, but the truth of the matter is... I needed a change of scenery. My older brother runs the family business, which leaves me to collect dust. I was bored and Italy sounded more exciting than what I was doing.”
“Your father favors your brother? He doesn’t value his sons equally?”
Her simple question unexpectedly hit a raw nerve. Instead of answering, I took the time to sip my wine, savoring the flavor before drawing the conversation back to the present. “How about this...let’s not talk about our fathers. They aren’t nearly as interesting as the two people sitting at this table. I want to know more about Alessandra. Let’s start there.”
I wasn’t fooling her, but she didn’t press the issue and I was grateful. I had issues with my father—ones I wasn’t ready to discuss with a stranger, not even one as beautiful as Alessandra—but if I could bring home this win, perhaps our relationship would change.
My father wasn’t a bad man, self-absorbed and selfish at times, but he was still my father and I had looked up to him my entire life.
“What would you like to know?” she asked, curious.
“Everything.” That much was true. I was greedy for details and not entirely to find information to use as leverage. That alone surprised me. “You fascinate me.”
“Shall we speak plainly?” At my nod, she said, “We share an attraction. We can play the social game, dance around the small talk that we both know is simply courtesy, or we can both admit that our attraction is merely physical and lead with that.”
Annnnddd, my cock nearly split in two. I swallowed. Had I just met the female equivalent of myself?
“You’d be okay with just sex between us?” I asked.
“Now that I know you’re not interested in pursuing the purchase of Castello di Baroni...yes.”
The heat between us climbed. I’d never been so eager to feel a woman’s skin beneath my fingertips before that moment. The giddy teenager I think never quite leaves a man’s psyche, no matter his age, urged me to signal for the check and haul ass out of there. I held the urge back by the thinnest thread.
I swirled the remaining wine in my glass. “Maybe I’m not that into you,” I said, talking total crap.
At that she grinned, readily calling my bluff. “Are you saying you’re prepared to sleep alone tonight?”
“I didn’t say that,” I answered. “Italy is a place filled with beauty of all kinds. I’m sure I could find someone to warm my bed.”
“Why settle for a mild flicker of heat when you can have a bonfire?”