At the Ruthless Billionaire's Command

‘Cathy—’

‘He seems to know his way around your kitchen,’ Cathy observed softly as the two women sat down, Her brows rose as she watched Gregorio remove a bottle of red wine from the rack before taking glasses from the cupboard above.

Lia tried again. ‘Cathy—’

‘I have to say he’s an improvement on the last guy,’ her friend murmured appreciatively.

Lia’s eyes widened. It was the last thing she had expected the other woman to say. ‘You didn’t like David?’

‘He was your choice, so of course I liked him.’ Her friend shrugged. ‘Except I didn’t, if you know what I mean.’

No, Lia didn’t know what she meant. She had always thought Cathy and Rick liked David: the four of them had often gone out to dinner together, and they had always seemed to get on.

‘He could be rather condescending,’ Cathy added with a grimace.

Thinking back to those evenings, she realised David had talked down to Cathy and Rick. As if they weren’t quite of his social standing. Which was ridiculous. Cathy’s father was a politician, currently in government, and Rick’s family owned and ran a huge farm in Worcestershire. Rick himself was senior manager at a software firm here in London.

It made her wonder what else she hadn’t noticed about David during the months they had dated and been engaged. Whether Gregorio’s suspicions about him were well-founded. David had certainly proved himself to be a less than supportive fiancé after her father’s death.

Unlike Gregorio...

She might not particularly like the idea of Gregorio having his security men keeping an eye on her, but there was also a certain...reassurance—a warmth in knowing that someone cared enough about her to do that.

Lia chewed on her bottom lip. ‘About Gregorio—’

‘Don’t worry about it, sweetie.’ Cathy smiled as she leaned forward to give Lia’s arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘It’s a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. The man is gorgeous, isn’t he?’ She lowered her voice even more.

Lia glanced across to where Gregorio and Rick were chatting together like old friends—as it turned out, as she listened briefly to their conversation, they were two men who both liked football but supported opposing teams. Gregorio was laughing at something Rick had said, his dark eyes warm with humour, a relaxed expression lightening his austere features.

‘Yes, he is,’ Lia acknowledged softly.

‘He doesn’t seem at all cold and remote this evening,’ Cathy added approvingly.

Gregorio had been anything but cold and remote in her bedroom a few minutes ago. Burning hot and very close better described the two of them together. Just thinking about all Gregorio’s naked and responsive flesh was enough to cause Lia’s cheeks to warm in a blush.

Cathy gave her a knowing grin. ‘Do you want us to leave as soon as we’ve drunk our wine?’

‘No! I mean... No,’ she repeated softly as the two men turned curiously at her vehemence. ‘I think I may need saving from myself,’ she told Cathy with a groan. ‘I don’t know what I was even thinking. He’s just so—’

‘Overwhelming and sexy as hell?’ her friend supplied lightly.

Lia’s gaze could no longer meet Cathy’s. ‘Yes.’

‘Here we go,’ Rick announced in an over-hearty voice as he handed Cathy a glass of red wine. No doubt as a warning to the two women that they were no longer alone.

‘Lia.’

She glanced up at Gregorio as he stood beside her chair, holding out a glass a red wine for her to take. The humour gleaming in those dark eyes told her he had overheard Cathy’s last comment—and Lia’s response to it.

She turned her gaze away, her hand shaking slightly as she took the wine glass from him.

‘So, what do the two of you have planned for the rest of the evening?’ Rick prompted politely—and immediately had to thump Cathy on the back as she began to choke on a mouthful of wine. ‘What did I say?’ Rick looked bewildered by his wife’s reaction.

‘Never mind, love,’ Cathy answered once she’d caught her breath. ‘Let’s just drink our wine and pick up a Chinese takeaway on the way home.’

‘Lia and I have already eaten, but we could always order in food for you to eat here?’ Gregorio suggested lightly. ‘Alternatively, we could all go out for a drink together somewhere the two of you could have some food?’

Lia slowly turned her head to look at him. Who was this man and what had he done with the cold and arrogant Gregorio de la Cruz? Because this man certainly wasn’t the ruthless businessman who swallowed up companies with the voracity of a shark. Or the playboy billionaire she’d read about in the newspapers who had a different blonde on his arm every week.