The waves crashed on the shore, and she let the sound take her away. Closing her eyes she tilted her head toward the sky and smiled as the sun warmed her face.
“It’s quite a breathtaking view, isn’t it?” Dietrich’s deep voice startled her, and she spun around, gripping the banister behind her. He leaned against the door she had left open. He no longer wore his suit jacket, and he had gotten rid of the tie. His hands were in the front pockets of his slacks as he watched her.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
He smiled at her and walked out onto the veranda to stand beside her. Blythe turned around and went back to staring at the beach. He had said the villa was on a private beach, but she wondered how much he owned. For as far as she could see on both sides was nothing but sand and water. There were no people walking the shore, and only a few, large homes were sporadically placed along the cliff’s side in the distance.
“I’ve made dinner reservations for nine. I know it’s a bit late, but with the time difference it will be an early dinner for you. I also am meeting a former business associate, and I’d like you to meet him since the majority of my business will be in his presence.”
“Of course, Mr. Moore.” She felt his stare on her and turned to look up at him. It seemed strange to her that she had known this man for twenty-four hours, yet she felt strangely comfortable around him. True, at times his controlling personality set her on edge, but a part of her, the part she deemed sick and twisted, liked the orders that came from him. They gave her a thrill, yet made her feel calm and relaxed. It was a strange combination of emotions and ones she wasn’t comfortable dissecting.
“I’ll show you to your room where you can get settled in.” He turned without further comment, and she followed him back inside. They took the stairs to the second floor, and he led her to a set of double doors to right. When he pushed the doors open she let a sigh slip from her lips at what she saw.
“The walls are glass to ensure the guest gets an unobstructed view of the ocean. Your bathroom is over there.” He pointed to a door to his left. He walked up to a console on the wall and pushed a button. The glass suddenly darkened, and she realized it automatically tinted the windows. “This panel controls the lighting, heating and cooling, and of course the tinted windows. Be at ease knowing no others can see into your room once the tint is activated.”
Blythe was speechless. She took everything in and let her smile spread across her face. Turning to her employer for the next four weeks, she hoped she didn’t seem like a foolish novice. He was wealthy and worldly, and here she was, a girl from Ohio who hadn’t been anywhere compared to him. “Thank you so much, Sir.”
He stared at her for several silent moments, and she felt her smile fade. No doubt she was making a fool out of herself with her excitement. “I’m sorry. It’s just so…incredible.” Heat suffused her, and she turned away when he didn’t answer.
He cleared his throat and said, “Well, I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re doing well with everything given the fact you were thrust into this situation, Miss Winters.” She turned and looked at him with surprise. Why his praise meant so much to her she didn’t know, but hearing those words come from him had pleasure filling her. Before she could say anything else he nodded and left her alone.
Once the door shut behind him she giggled out loud and let herself fall back on the big bed. She looked at the ceiling but couldn’t stand still for long. She should get a few hours of sleep, but her excitement was far too strong. First she had to look around her new room. Pushing herself up Blythe took everything in. A small neutral colored loveseat sat in front of the windows. The floor was the same white marble as the rest of the house she had seen thus far. Making her way to the bathroom she pushed the door the rest of the way open and turned the light on.
Damn, but it’s a beautiful bathroom. She couldn’t help but smile at her thoughts.
Unlike the light coloring of the rest of the house the bathroom was done up in black and white granite. The counter had crescent-shaped deep, double sinks. Although there were no windows in here the twin skylights above her let in ample light. On top of the tiled walk-in shower there was also a Jacuzzi tub. Walking back out to the room she glanced at the double doors that led out to the veranda, but was suddenly just too damn tired. She turned back and saw her bags by the end of the bed. She hadn’t seen them initially, but had to assume Francesco had brought them up and she’d skimmed over them in her excitement. She picked her first suitcase up and set it on the bed. She needed to get everything out and organized, but as she opened it and saw the layers upon layers of clothes, she just couldn’t find the energy to unpack.
She didn’t know what to wear to dinner, so she grabbed a black dress with capped sleeves and a form fitted bodice. She picked a pair of red heels from her other suitcase and set them aside. Before she collapsed on the bed she grabbed her phone and snapped a few pictures to show Austin. No way would he believe the kind of set-up she was in. She stripped off her clothes, grabbed her phone, and slipped under the covers. The scent of unfamiliar surroundings filled her, but homesickness hadn’t hit her yet. She only had about an hour to sleep, but she would take it. She made a quick call to her mother and Austin to tell them she landed. She really didn’t know if she would have much time to call them while here, but assured them she would try every few days. After setting her alarm and closing her eyes, the image that came to mind was Dietrich Moore and how addictive he looked in his damn suits.
Chapter Four
Dietrich maneuvered the car through the narrow roads of Lisbon. When Blythe had come down in her simple, yet seductively stunning black dress his cock had instantly swelled. She left her dark blonde hair down in loose waves, and the image that continued to slam into his mind was having the thick locks wrapped around his hand. He wanted to pull her head back with her hair until her throat was bared in a beautiful arch of delicate splendor. Shit, he was getting hard again.
He tried not to look over at her because the damn dress had ridden up her long legs to reveal her creamy thighs. She wasn’t paying any attention to him, though. Her face was buried in the iPad as she scanned through his schedule. She knew it already, which was clear when she finished going over it all in exact detail with him on the plane. He had spoken to Stellan right before they left and had heard the thick anticipation in his sub’s voice at the prospect of meeting Blythe.
“You know it, Miss Winters.”
She looked up from the tablet and smiled. “I just want to make sure I have everything handled. I would hate to be the one to screw up your meetings.”
Not likely. He didn’t bother reiterating the fact things would move smoothly. It was clear she was worried, and he honestly didn’t know how to ease that for her. Dietrich wasn’t a man that liked feeling off kilter. He was always in control, and always knew which way the situation would flow. Deals were lost and people got hurt if he didn’t have his shit together. But then there was this curvy little woman beside him, her submissive side calling to him on a level that had his head spinning, and he felt lost. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. No, he didn’t care for this feeling at all.
He pulled up to the entrance of Blanco, the exquisite little Portuguese restaurant with the poetically titled entrees. He led Blythe inside, and they were immediately seated in the far back. It was a table that was always on hold for him, one that gave privacy and a warm, intimate atmosphere. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to see a text from Stellan informing him he would be there momentarily. The waiter arrived, and after he ordered a Shiraz and their glasses were filled after his approval, silence descended.
“So, how do you like Portugal so far?” He brought his glass to his mouth and took a sip while he watched her.
“It’s so beautiful. I’ve never been anywhere like it, and your home.” She placed a hand on her chest and breathed out. “It’s stunning. I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have gotten this job.” She quickly picked up her wine glass and took a long drink. Dietrich couldn’t help but smile at her clear nervousness.
“Blythe, please relax. We are going to be working very closely together for several weeks. Your unease is unnecessary.” Well, to an extent. If she only knew the things he and Stellan wanted to do to her she would probably run in the other direction. Of course, she could run, but he wasn’t going to let her get very far.
****
Blythe shouldn’t have gulped down the wine so quickly, especially when she started choking and it spilled down her chin. If she could have wished for one thing at that moment it would have been for the ground to open up and swallow her. Fortunately, Dietrich hadn’t seen her sputter. His focus was on the man walking toward them. Although, calling the exquisite piece of male specimen that came right at them just a man was almost an insult. His dark hair was stylishly done, but she could see a slight wave to it. The dark slacks and baby blue button-down shirt he wore brought out the azure color of his eyes. The clothes also didn’t detract from the fact the man was a beast. She knew him right away, of course, not only from the pictures she had seen of him and Dietrich on the internet, but of photos from his days playing as a quarterback for the New York Titans. Dietrich stood, and she followed suit. Stellan Alfonso was over six feet of hard male muscles, his body rivaling Dietrich’s in masculinity.