Victoria Parker - His Ultimate Demand

She slowly inhaled. ‘Before I tell you, promise me it won’t affect the outcome of this test run.’ Her imploring look almost made him reply in the affirmative.

He hardened his resolve when he realised she was doing it again. Getting under his skin. Making a nonsense of his common sense.

‘Sorry, amante, I don’t make blind promises when it comes to business.’

Her lips firmed. ‘Simon sold his share of the business to a guy who doesn’t see eye to eye with my business plan.’ In low tones, she elaborated.

He jerked upright. ‘You’re being threatened by a loan shark?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you didn’t think to inform me?’ he demanded.

‘Would you have believed me? Especially in light of how I approached you?’

‘Perhaps not right then, but...’ The idea that he was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt gave him a moment’s pause. ‘What’s his name?’

‘I don’t know—he refused to tell me. All he wants is his money.’

‘So I own twenty-five per cent of your business and a loan shark whose name you don’t know another twenty-five per cent?’

‘Yes.’

He slowly relaxed on his lounger and stared at her. ‘You do realise that our agreement is transforming into substantially more than a talent-contest-prize delivery, don’t you?’

A flush warmed her skin. ‘I’m not sure I know what you mean.’

‘What I mean, Ruby mio, is that in order to realise my twenty-five-per-cent investment, it seems I have to offer my business expertise. Writing you a cheque after next week and walking away is looking less and less likely.’

Why that thought pleased him so much, Narciso refused to examine.

CHAPTER EIGHTA

‘I DON’T REMEMBER the last time I sunbathed.’

‘I can tell.’

Blue eyes glared at him and his pulse rocketed. Narciso tried to talk himself calmer. No one else was to blame since he’d invited her to go scuba-diving with him. After another sleepless night battling unrelenting sexual frustration.

‘How can you tell? And don’t tell me it’s because you’re a warlock.’

‘I don’t need otherworldly powers, cara. Your skin is so pale it’s almost translucent and there are no visible tan lines.’

She glanced down at herself. ‘Oh.’

‘Here.’ He grabbed the sun protection, started to move towards her, changed his mind at the last minute and tossed it to her.

‘Thanks.’ She sat on the same lounger as last night. But this time, the smell of her skin and the drying sea water made his blood heat.

‘Where did you learn to dive?’ he asked to distract himself from following the slim fingers that worked their way up her leg.

She smiled. ‘I spent a few summers working at a hotel in Florida when I was in high school. I worked in the kitchens and got to dive in my spare time.’

‘Have you always known you wanted to be a chef?’

Her smile immediately dimmed and he cursed himself for broaching a touchy subject.

‘I knew I had my parents’ talent but I resisted it for a long time.’

‘I’ve seen the footage of the contest. You’re not a natural in front of the camera.’

One brow rose. ‘Gee, thanks.’

‘What I mean is, you can easily prove to your parents that they’re wasting their time trying to recruit you.’

‘It won’t stop them from trying.’

He shrugged. ‘Then tell them you have a demanding new business partner.’

She shook her head. ‘I’d rather not.’

‘You want to keep me your dirty little secret, tesoro?’

She smiled but the light in her eyes remained dim. ‘Something like that. What about you? Have you always known you wanted to be a warlock?’

He laughed, experiencing a new lightness inside. When her lips curved in response, he forcibly clenched his hands to stop from reaching for her. ‘Ever since I made my first million at eighteen.’

‘Wow, that must have brought the girls running.’

He shrugged, suddenly reluctant to dwell on past conquests. ‘It gave me the ammunition I needed...’

She frowned slightly. ‘Ammunition. To fight your father?’

‘To fight Giacomo, yes.’

‘Why do you call him Giacomo?’

He exhaled. ‘Because he was never a father to me.’

She paused and that soft look entered her eyes. The realisation that he didn’t mind talking to her about his past shocked him. He tried to tell himself it meant nothing, but he knew he was deluding himself.

‘What about your mother? Is she alive?’

Sharp pain pierced his chest. ‘My poor mama is what started this whole nasty business.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She died giving birth to me. I was so determined to make a quick entrance into the world, I caused her to bleed almost to death by the roadside before an ambulance could arrive.’

Her gasp echoed around the sun-dappled deck. ‘Surely, you don’t think that’s your fault?’

‘Giacomo certainly seems to think so.’

It occurred to him that Ruby was the first woman he’d actively conversed with. Normally, any conversation was limited to the bedroom. But with sex off the table it seemed talking was the next best thing.

‘That’s why there’s so much animosity between you two. He blames you for your mother’s death?’

‘It may have started out that way, but our relationship has evolved...mutated.’

‘Into what?’

He started to answer then stopped. ‘Into something that’s no longer clear-cut.’ Shock rolled through him as he accepted the truth. He’d started out wanting to destroy his father. Along the way, and especially lately, the urge to deliver the kill blow had waned. Even toying with his father now no longer held any interest for him.

‘So what are you going to do about it?’

Sì, what was he going to do?

Call it a day and cut off all ties with Giacomo? The sudden ache in his gut made him stiffen and jerk upright.

‘Enough about me. You have an exceptional talent. I’m officially hiring you to cater my dinner party.’

The compliment brought a smile to her lips. Again, he forced himself not to reach out and caress the satin smoothness of her determined jaw. The urge was stronger because he needed something to blot out his confused thoughts of his father.

‘Thank you.’ She put the sun protection down and glanced at him. ‘Can I get you anything?’

He shook his head. ‘No more cocktails.’

Her smile widened. ‘Then I have the perfect thing.’

She stood and walked to the chiller behind the bar. To his surprise she returned with an ice-cold beer. ‘Sometimes a beer is the perfect solution to thirst.’

Narciso twisted off the cap with relish and took a long swig, and looked over to find her eyes on his throat. The feel of her eyes on him made his temperature shoot sky-high.

‘Aren’t you having a drink?’

She indicated the glass of water on the table next to her lounger.

‘That must be warm by now.’

Wordlessly, he held out the bottle to her. Her eyes met his and sensation skated over him. Their attraction was skittering out of control but he couldn’t seem to apply the brakes.

‘You’re thirsty. Take it.’

Slowly, she took the bottle from him. Her pink tongue darted out to caress the lip of the bottle before she took a small swig.

She held it back out to him. ‘Thanks.’

‘So beers are an exception to your don’t-drink-much rules?’

‘A small drink doesn’t hurt.’

‘Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose control with me?’ he asked roughly.

‘We established that anything between us would be a mistake, remember?’

He stepped deeper into quicksand, felt it close dangerously over him but still he didn’t retreat.

Eyes on her, he took another swig of beer. ‘Perhaps that no longer holds true.’