One Night With the Billionaire(4)

Luca stood at the bottom of the stairs. As if he sensed her presence, he glanced up. The picture of him waiting for her reminded her of the scene out of Titanic. An idle smile lifted her lips at the thought. His expression was stone hard, and she wondered if she would ever be able to see a crack in that impermeable demeanor. He always seemed so stoic and all-powerful. Is that how he would be in the bedroom? She sure as hell would find out.

Of course he was dressed elegantly for dinner, and Linden felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment over her lack of attire. She didn’t wear jewels or expensive fabric. Her light yellow chiffon dress was as elegant as it came, in her closet.

She descended the stairs, praying she didn’t trip over her own feet. When she reached the bottom she took a deep, calming breath. Luca didn’t say anything, but she didn’t miss how he dipped his gaze down her body and then back to her eyes. Was that a hint of desire she saw beneath the cool irises? Her whole body heated at the thought. He held his arm out and she slipped hers into the crook of his elbow. He led them into a vast dining room where a feast fit for a football team was laid out. Like the gentleman he was, he held her seat out for her and then took his.

Her heart thundered behind her ribs as she stared down at her plate. She was too nervous to eat, despite the fact she was starving. The ride to his estate had taken a few hours, and even now, with her stomach growling, she didn’t think she’d be able to eat a thing. The table was as long as it was wide and she felt isolated sitting so far from another person. She spied a glass of wine in front of her and slipped her fingers around the stem. Maybe some alcohol would help in loosening her up? A little liquid courage would go a long way, she hoped. She downed half the glass in one swallow and set it down before she finished it all and made a fool out of herself.

All of this seemed so…impersonal. The sound of his silverware clanking against the china seemed loud in the cavernous room. If they were going to have sex tonight, she didn’t want this evening to seem so uncomfortable and forced. She didn’t want to feel like this was just a transaction, which she supposed it was, to an extent.

Finding courage she didn’t know she possessed, she grabbed her plate and glass and stood from her seat. The chair scraped across the hardwood floor and echoed in the room. She winced at the noise but straightened her shoulders and walked over to Luca. He had since glanced up from his plate and watched her with what she thought was a mixture of curiosity and amusement. She took the seat diagonal from him.

Setting her plate and glass in front of her, she forced herself to eat so as not to seem rude. After a minute he continued eating as well. When she was finished she pushed her plate aside and grabbed her glass, drinking the last half of her wine and washing everything down. Setting the empty glass on the table, she felt Luca’s fingers brush along hers that still gripped the stem. Tingles of electricity raced up her arm from the small contact. He lifted the wine bottle and poured her glass full again.

Just looking at him had every erogenous zone on her body standing at full attention. Bringing the glass to her lips, she let the sweetly flavored white wine wash over her taste buds. She had decided against a bra with her dress and she was regretting the decision has her nipples stabbed painfully against the material. Luca leaned back in his seat and watched her over the rim of his glass. His dark hair was slightly mussed, but it was styled that way, she could tell. She was so used to seeing every onyx strand in its rightful place at the office, but here he looked so carefree, like he just didn’t give a fuck. The color of his eyes, a strange blue that almost didn’t seem natural, was piercing as they locked with hers. Did he know the effect he had on the female population?

It was clear even through his clothes that the man worked out, a lot. Muscles straining and bunching against the fabric, a tight ass that she knew she could probably bounce a nickel off of, and a bulge that even now had her cheeks heating in mortification. Hell, could he tell what she was thinking about? The smirk on his face told her she probably didn’t hide her thoughts very well. Clearing her throat, she took another drink from her glass.#p#分页标题#e#

“How about we get your questions out of the way so we can get down to why you are really here tonight?” He set his glass on the table, his fingers staying on the stem and running up and down the smooth glass suggestively.

Questions? Oh, yes, my questions. She cleared her throat once more and found her nerve. “What exactly do you plan on doing to me tonight?”

His other arm was draped over the back of his chair and his whole demeanor was relaxed. “Anything I wish.”