But Nick pulled away when she least expected, and Keyonna felt like whining in protest. Her eyes peeled open to find him drawing back, shoving a hand through his wavy dark hair as he looked away for a moment.
“You, Ms. Hayes, are a distraction I don’t want and I certainly don’t need,” he muttered gruffly, as if to himself.
Well, fuck you, thought Keyonna, tumbling back down to earth with a crash. What was that? He blew hot and then cold, the same way he drove her mad with fury and then turned her to molten lava in turns.
“May I remind you that you started all this? You were the one who couldn’t seem to mind your own damned business,” she spat, feeling slapped by his attitude after that pussy-drenching kiss. She’d never met a more infuriating man in her life and she couldn’t believe how much her whole body ached for more of his kisses, his touch. Just imagining being taken by a man like Nick Vitale had her pulse rate speeding alarmingly. She must be crazy.
“All I did was speak my mind, Keyonna. If you felt insulted, I think kissing me was the wrong way to show your displeasure. I didn’t ask you to throw yourself at me.”
“Why you…”
“Save it,” he snapped through her raving words. “It’s obvious we both crossed the line tonight and I’m going to have to figure a way to undo whatever clusterfuck I – and you – have gotten me into.”
His expression was unreadable as he held her fuming stare. “Don’t think this is some game, Keyonna. Because it isn’t. I’m dead serious and the sooner you start believing that, the better for you. We’ll definitely be seeing each other again soon. Now get out.”
Keyonna blinked, surprised at the abrupt command. “What?”
“If you much rather I threw you out…,” Nick muttered, and knowing he could very well do it Keyonna scrambled out while her knees shook with rage.
“I was right, Nick; you are a beast,” Keyonna spat, before slamming the door after her. He made no reply, but sped off leaving behind a cloud of exhaust fumes.
Chapter Four
Nick was tapping his fingers idly on the polished surface of the table next to him, striving hard to control his impatience.
He was seated within Luca Conte’s opulent study, his drink of whiskey untouched by his elbow. His future father-in-law paced the Moroccan rug underfoot, his expression fathomless.
And yet, Nick told himself he knew what was coming. It was two days since the eventful dinner party he’d escorted Rachel to. He’d been expecting this summons from her father, who had also been a close friend and business associate to Nick’s father. Both their families went back before either of the Contes or Vitales had settled in America four generations ago, from their home country Italy.
Nick had received a call from the old man’s secretary requesting his presence at the family house that morning.
Well, here he was.
“I really must say, Nick,” Luca Conte began at long last, stopping his furious pacing to turn to the younger man. His lined yet handsome and heavily bearded face held a frown as Nick looked up at him with expectation, “That when Rachel came to me, sobbing with the news of what you did I was quite shocked. It didn’t sound like you at all.”
I’ll bet, thought Nick wryly, though he asked in a mild tone, “Just what did Rachel tell you, Uncle?” Nick had been calling Luca ‘uncle’ since his schoolboy days and even now that he was almost thirty, still gave the older man his due respect – especially since Luca had been more of a father figure to him than Nick's dad had been.
Luca’s expression looked almost like he was pleading with Nick to deny the allegations as he said, “Rachel told me that she caught you kissing some woman at the party you accompanied her to. She was mistaken, wasn’t she?”
Nick looked the older man dead in the eye. “No, Uncle Luca. She wasn’t mistaken. What Rachel said is true.”
Luca Conte looked dazed for a moment, though more at the blunt way Nick had stated it. But then what had he been expecting, Nick mused, that I would lie?
Luca shook his head at him. “Nick!” he burst out in exclamation. “I can’t imagine what could have come over you…”
Neither can I, Nick thought with a wry twist to his lips – but then the image of a sultry-eyed woman with soft, full lips and a knock-out body came to mind. Oh, he knew exactly what had come over him, he decided as a now familiar ache cut him right where he lived. Just thinking about that temptress Keyonna had his cock stirring at the memory of her taste, scent and the sexy sound of her slightly husky tone of voice.
“You think this is a joke?” Luca rasped and Nick suddenly became aware that he’d been smiling to himself. Quickly, Nick wiped the look from his face and rose from his chair.