Katherine Garbera - His Sweet Revenge

“Do you want me to apologize?” He spoke very close to her ear.

She shook her head, not looking at him. “I was with you all the way.”

“I didn’t mean to lose control, stellina. Public displays of affection are not my thing. The thought of embarrassing a lover leaves me cold.”

But then neither of them had expected the other guests in the pool to follow them inside.

“Stellina?” she asked, not ready to dwell on the implication of her own loss of control or his insinuation she was his lover.

His lips quirked. “Little star.”

Thinking of her five-foot-nine stature, she shook her head. “Hardly that.”

“It fits you.”

“Maybe to a giant like you, but the rest of the world sees me as rather tall.”

“How the rest of the world sees you is unimportant to me.”

“Your arrogance is showing again.”

“And we both know how you feel about that.”

She turned away from the heat in his gaze. “I think your Sicilian blood is showing.”

“Maybe a little, but don’t chalk that kiss up to my Latin temperament.”

“You want me to believe I’m wholly responsible for your passion? Isn’t that giving me an awful lot of potential power?”

“Why should I attempt to hide what must be obvious?”

This was getting stranger by the second. Baron had always been careful to minimize the effect she had on him, or at least her impression of it. He had played control games, wanting her to believe the greater need was on her side. He’d spouted platitudes about love while withholding the security of knowing she impacted him with the same potency he did her.

Either Angelo was way more sensitive than Baron Randall or he was more confident. The latter was far more likely.

She turned her head and gave him a sideways look. “You’re a unique man, Angelo Gordon.”

“I’m glad you can see that.” He waited a beat. “Finally.”

No, no lack of confidence there.

A feminine hand landed on Angelo’s shoulder. “You’re it.” The buxom brunette swam away at speed, her string bikini leaving nothing to the imagination.

To Tara’s shock, Angelo joined in the game of water tag with enthusiasm and showed that he played shark in the water every bit as well as he did the boardroom.

WHEN they climbed out of the pool forty minutes later to eat, Tara was panting from the exertion. She grabbed her towel and started drying off. He did the same.

She leaned over to wring her long hair out. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for that kind of water play.”

“What, you thought I only knew how to swim laps in a pool?”

“I would have thought water polo would be more your style—highly competitive and a definitive winner at the end of the day.”

“Actually I was on a team through high school.”

She straightened, surprised by the admission. “Were you really?”

“Yes, but the traveling schedule interfered with my studies and I dropped it my freshman year in college.”

“I was right then.”

He acknowledged it with a slight inclination of his head and then draped his towel around the back of his neck. “But I can also play a mean game of tag.”

“Definitely.” He’d tagged her several times, and unlike some of the men, made no attempt to cop a feel when doing so.

He really was different…from anyone she’d ever known. Even her stepfather…because as wonderful as Angelo was proving himself to be, she could sense he had a ruthless streak that would leave even a man of Darren’s strength in the dust.

That ruthlessness was in evidence when they arrived back at her apartment later that evening. “Invite me inside.”

“I don’t think I should.” She wasn’t sure she was ready to take the next step in their relationship, or if she ever would be.

“Because of the kiss in the pool.”

“Because of how much I want to repeat the experience.”

He got out of the car and came around to her door. He opened it and leaned over her to unbuckle her seat belt. He stopped with his face inches from her own. “I won’t continue to pay the price for another man’s stupidity.”

“You’re so sure I don’t want this because of what I went through with Baron.”

“You do want this.” His mouth claimed hers for another kiss that left any spoken denial useless. “You’re afraid of me because of him.”

“I told you about my mom.”

“She had bad taste in men.”

“Apparently so do I.”

The chill in his eyes made her shiver. “I resent that remark. You want me.”

“I didn’t mean to imply you’re a bad risk.”

“But that’s what you believe.”

Frustrated anger welled up inside. “Are you saying you’re interested in commitment? Marriage? That you’ll stick around if a business opportunity comes up that makes our relationship impossible?”

“Most men marry someday and I don’t do business in the bedroom so our relationship will never be compromised by my commercial interests.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Invite me inside and we’ll explore the possibilities.”

“I don’t believe in casual sex.”

“There is nothing casual about where you fit into my life.” The gravity of his expression and tone convinced her he was telling the truth.

As impossible as it might seem, this man was serious about her. He wasn’t making any promises, but he wasn’t denying the possibility of a future either. A very skilled seduction campaign or was he showing the marks of integrity she could rely on?

“If I invite you up, it isn’t to share my bed.”

“I’ll settle for some coffee to start with.”

“All right.”

Angelo pulled back, shocking her by not cementing his victory with another kiss.

They had coffee and to her further surprise, he left around eleven without making a pass. Oh, he kissed her again and her lips were still tingling the next morning from it, but he hadn’t tried to get her into bed.

Which had left her confused and unable to sleep for dwelling on the implications of everything that had happened at and after the barbecue.

She was yawning the next day when she sat down at her desk and looked over to see Danette doing the same thing.

They both laughed.

“Tired?” Tara asked.

“Yes, you look like you are, too, but I bet it’s for different reasons.”

“You’re so bad.”

“Well, admit it…you probably went home and worked on a project until bedtime, while I worked on Ray.”

Tara laughed again, this time shaking her head. “You are incorrigible.”

“And you aren’t answering. Dare I hope you and the boss hit it off last night?”

“I’m sure Ray told you we kissed…I’d say it was pretty obvious we’re attracted to each other.”

“That doesn’t mean a whole lot when it’s you we’re talking about. You’ve got more fortitude than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“Are you saying I’m stubborn?”

“If the conservative shoe fits…”

Tara just shrugged, not wanting to get into a long discussion about her date with Angelo and knowing that was where this conversation was headed if she didn’t watch it.

She and Danette worked for a while before her friend piped up with, “Ray thinks you two are a great couple.”

“Ray needs to spend more time focusing on you than what’s going on around him. I was ready to throw his camera in the pool last night.”

Danette gave a gasp of mock horror and clutched at her heart. “He paid a thousand bucks for that baby. He would have cried like a lost orphan if you’d drowned it.”

“I guess it’s a good thing your hobbies feed each other.”

The phone rang before Danette could reply to Tara’s teasing.