The Ultimate Playboy

Madre di Dio! He was hard. Harder than he’d ever been. And he’d only been kissing her a few seconds.

She made another sound in her throat and her lips parted. Her tongue darted out to meet his and he plunged in, desperate for more, desperate to discover her every secret.

He deepened the kiss and groaned as her hands slid up his biceps to entwine around his shoulders. In a curiously innocent move, she tentatively caressed his nape before boldly spiking her fingers into his hair.

The scrape of her fingers against his scalp made him shudder with escalating arousal. Raising his head, he gazed down into eyes darkened with desire. ‘Amante, you already know what pleases me.’

Shock clouded her expression, as if what she’d achieved had stunned her.

Without giving her a chance to speak, he took her luscious mouth again. The highly potent sound of their kisses echoed in the room as they devoured each other.

Pulling her even closer, he finally touched the pulse that had taunted him all evening. It sang beneath his touch, racing with her excitement.

She inhaled deeply, and her breasts smashed against his chest. He cupped one, glorying in the weight and perfect fit of it as his thumb brushed across one rigid nub.

She jerked and her teeth sank into her bottom lip. With a rough sound, she pulled away.

Narciso continued to play with her nipple as they stared at each other. Her mouth, wet and slightly swollen, parted as she sucked in panicked breaths.

‘You like the way I make you feel?’ He brought his other hand up from her waist and cupped her other breast, attending to the equally stiff and aching peak. ‘I promise I will make you feel even better. Now take your hair down and show me how gorgeous you really are.’

* * *

The words pulled Ruby from the drugged stupor she was drowning in. Reality didn’t rush in, it trickled in slowly.

Blinking eyelids heavy with desire, she tried to focus on something other than his arrestingly gorgeous face—the part not covered by his mask.

First, she noticed the stunning chandelier. Then a repeat of that bold dragon motif from downstairs on the wall behind his shoulder. Reality rushed in faster. Stunningly designed black velvet sofas, including an authentic French chaise longue perfect for reclining in...

Then her focus drew in closer. She glanced down at the powerful hands cupping her breasts.

The sight was so erotically intoxicating it nearly knocked her off her feet.

Sensation shot between her thighs, stinging so painfully, she wanted to place her hand there, seek some sort of relief.

‘Take your hair down for me,’ he insisted again.

She came plunging back down to earth. ‘No!’

Telling herself she didn’t care about the jaw that tightened in displeasure, she took several steps away from his hot, tempting body.

Focus, Ruby!

The last time she’d mixed business with pleasure, she’d almost ended up becoming the one thing she despised above all else—a participant in infidelity. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t known Simon was married. The very thought of what could’ve happened made shame lodge in her belly.

She was here to get Narciso Valentino to honour his deal with her, not to get pulled into the same dangerous vortex of emotions that led to nothing but pain and heartache.

Her father’s inability to limit his sexual urges to his marital bed and her mother’s indecision whether to fight or turn a blind eye had made her childhood a living hell. It’d been the reason why she’d slept most nights with her headphones on and music blaring in her ears. Even then she’d been unable to block out the blistering rows or her mother’s heart-wrenching sobs.

And after her experience with Simon, there was no way would she allow herself to jump on that unpredictable roller coaster.

She took another step back, despite the magnetic pull of desire dragging her to Narciso. Despite the soul-deep notion that sex with him would be pulse-poundingly breathtaking. Despite—

Despite nothing!

Her treacherous genetic make-up didn’t mean she would allow herself to fall into the same trap as her mother just because an unrepentant, unscrupulous playboy like Narciso Valentino crooked his wicked finger.

But she couldn’t risk alienating him before she got what she’d come here for. Licking tingling lips, she forced her brain to track.

She cast her gaze around the large, luxuriously appointed suite. Seeing the extensive, well-stocked bar on the far side of the room, she made a beeline for it. ‘Here, let me get you another drink.’

‘You don’t need to get me drunk to have your way with me, amante.’

She flushed and stopped, whirling to find him directly behind her. The sheer size of him, the arousal stamped so clearly in his eyes, made her breath fracture. ‘Stop calling me that.’

A small smile played around his exquisite mouth. ‘You know what it means.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, I’m Italian.’

‘And I’m Sicilian. Big difference, but we will speak your language for now.’

‘Whatever language we speak, I don’t want you referring to me as a...as your...’

‘Lover?’

‘Yes. I don’t like it.’

‘What do you want me to call you?’

‘Just call me Ruby.’ She didn’t mind telling him her name. In order to explain her presence here, she would have to disclose who she was.

So no harm done.

‘Ruby.’

Definitely lots and lots of harm done. The way he said her name—wrapped his mouth and tongue around it in a slow caress—made her pulse leap crazily.

‘Ruby. It suits you perfectly,’ he murmured.

Against her will, his response drew her interest. ‘How do you mean?’

‘Your name matches the shade of your mouth after I’ve thoroughly kissed it. I imagine the same would apply to other parts of your body by the time we’re done.’

Her flush deepened. ‘Seriously?’

He laughed but the hunger in his eyes didn’t abate. ‘Too much?’

‘Much too much.’