Baby By Accident(12)

One thing, however, he could not forget or ignore. Beyond the rage billowing inside him lurked an agonizing guilt. He hated the feeling, rejected the shame. Except the guilt still beat, deep down. He’d taken her without protection; something he’d never done in his life. Plus, he’d taken her when she’d been semi-drunk. Had she known what she really wanted?

A bitter taste of self-disgust filled his mouth.

He’d thought himself so clever, so damnably in control of himself. He’d put her in his bed never thinking he’d act on the lust. Never contemplating that the perfect lady, the Princesse, would reach over and actually initiate the act herself. He’d thought he was playing a game, winning the war.

Instead, he’d been acting impulsively. Not thinking through the potential consequences. Only listening to his ego instead of his logic. Exactly as he had fifteen years ago.

You are an uncontrollable savage.

The memory of his brother, Giorgio’s, words bit deep. Exactly as they had fifteen long years ago.

Vico closed his eyes and closed his mind to the memories.

Focus on the present. Focus on your rage.

To hell with her. The woman could take care of herself. The cold-as-ice female surely had birth control handled and covered. Her rigid, organized brain would not have missed that important detail. He couldn’t imagine she’d want the messy task of raising children.

The chances of repercussions were slim to non-existent.

No way would he tamp down his temper and give her a pass because of his simmering guilt. No, no. His plans were already in place. Lise Helton would finally find out who she’d really been playing with these last two months. What kind of man she’d dallied with Friday night. What it meant to confront a ruthless man intent on bringing her to her knees.

The image of her, on her knees in front of him, flashed like a blinding arc across his mind. Just as quickly, the lust he’d banked behind his temper and guilt flared to potent life. His whole body broke out in a sweat. His tongue cleaved to the roof of his mouth in need. His cock shot to attention as if her breath actually whispered over its length.

“Maledizione,” he cursed under his breath.

The door swept open. He glanced to the side.

Lise Helton’s icy, cool eyes met his straight on and then, they looked straight through him. As if he didn’t even exist. The flare of fury blasted back into his soul.

Sweeping by where he sat at the head of the table, she moved down the length of the boardroom toward the other end, ignoring him. So. That was how she meant to play it. He shouldn’t be surprised.

Why was he surprised?

The fury built, blurring the edges of his sight.

Dressed in one of her formidable power suits, a navy steel suit of armor, her whole presence screamed her distance and disdain. The temptation to rear up and throw her on the table, rip off the suit of armor while she protested, plunge into her until she pleaded, fired through Vico’s blood.

Too bad he was foiled by the stream of people who followed her entry.

The rustling and low murmurs as the stockholders took their seats around the long oblong table did not diminish the pulsing, pounding connection he felt toward the woman who’d calmly sat down at the other end. She ignored him, opening her laptop in front of her. But he could not, would not, believe she didn’t also feel the pull, the chain of tortured bonding tugging between them.

His pride demanded she must feel the same. She must.

Mr. Smithton, the nominal head of the stockholders, cleared his throat.

After picking him to deliver the news to the entire board, Vico had, at first, planned on merely standing back and lending his gravitas to the proceedings. Now, though, now after what had happened Friday night, everything was entirely different. Smithton would be allowed to make the initial announcement if only so Vico could watch her face. However, after the short speech, he himself would explain the changes coming to this company he’d purchased. A company he now would finally begin taking control of, imprinting it with his own personality over her worthless objections.

He wanted his voice, stating all the changes, echoing in her mind for a long, long time.

Smithton coughed. The man knew what lay ahead. The building tension in the room was a whispering harbinger of the fight to follow. The old man’s face flushed as he mopped his forehead.

Lise Helton raised one brow. Scenting trouble for the first time, no doubt.

“Get on with it,” Vico growled low.

Her other female blonde brow rose to meet its twin. He watched as her mouth firmed. Si, this was going to be far more pleasurable than what he'd dreamed of during the last few days.

Smithton cleared his throat once more and began to speak.

Dead silence stilled the air when he completed his short announcement.