Chapter Five
When her plane landed at the International Airport of Perugia, Jordana felt she’d been transported to another world. Another time, even.
Passengers and locals recognized her and some took out their mobile phones for a quick photo. For the most part, they maintained their distance. Unlike in Milan, where she usually got mobbed by overzealous Italian guys who shouted their eternal love for her. Sometimes she thought there must be something in Italy’s water supply that kept the testosterone levels among the male population ridiculously high.
Heads turned as she went to get her luggage. Even if she went incognito, her height was too hard to miss. She towered over most women here at five feet ten inches on her stockinged feet. Looking like a long-legged toddler with her luggage trailing behind her, Jordana left the terminal to look for the car that would take her to the castello of Mel’s groom-to-be.
As if on cue, her phone rang. It was Mel.
“Hey, dearie. Finally! I gather you’re at the airport by this time?”
“Mel! Yes, I’m here. I thought I will not be able to make it in time after all the delays. But here I am.. I sometimes wish there’s still Concorde,” she happily informed her friend. When she checked the time, it was nearly ten in the evening.
“It’s okay, silly… no worries. It’s a shame you didn’t make it to dinner, though. It was splendid. My soon-to-be Mummy-in-law is so gracious and warm. You’ll get along fabulously with her. Anyway...I’ll tell you about it when you get here. Oh, look for the driver in a black Benz. He’s been waiting for you for over an hour now. He’ll take you to the castello. Do you want us to wait for you? It’s only a thirty-minute ride.”
“Oh, please don’t wait up on my account! Tomorrow’s your big day and you must have your beauty sleep!”
Mel giggled on the other line.
She spotted the Benz parked near the curve. She walked toward it. The driver saw her and approached to take her luggage before opening the door of the passenger side for her. She smiled her thanks to the chauffeur, while still talking to her friend, her phone firmly tucked in her ear.
“You really sure? I really want to tell you everything about dinner and all that, but I guess you’re right. Anyway, I’ve asked the staff to look out for you. Your room’s ready and I’ve ask Constanzia to send you supper as soon as you arrive.”
“Hey, don’t worry about me, pet! I’ll be fine. Go get some sleep or you’ll be having raccoon eyes tomorrow. Bad for pictures! That’s an order!”
Mel laughed happily.
“Okay, honey. Wedding will be in the afternoon, by the way… so you can sleep the entire morning away if you want…get that jetlag out of your system. Bye for now! Can’t wait for our chat tomorrow! We have lots and lots to talk about!” her friend said before she bade her goodnight.
“Bye, honey. Goodnight!”
She was still smiling when she finished the call. Mel sounded really happy and she was glad her friend found a guy who made her laugh that way. Her friend deserved to have that kind of happiness. She just hoped that the guy was equally deserving of her friend’s love.
As the car made its way back to the castelo, Jordana slumped back into the backseat. It had been a long flight. Even for someone who was used to moving around, being confined in a seat, even if it was first class, was extremely tiring.
Maybe the right word was exhaustion. Despite the intrusion of the paparazzi during the past months, she had been burning the midnight oil to keep up with her commitments.
Well…at last she can now relax and get recharged without prying eyes.
She glanced at the window on her left. The full moon gave enough illumination to this region’s amazing views. Whenever she traveled to Europe for jobs, it was hard not to take in all the magnificent structures that had existed since time immemorial. She always goggle-eyed everything here. It was so fascinating because it was so Old World.
Perugia was distinct from other cities in Italy. It was hard not to take in what the city had to offer for a first-timer like her. Its art, its monuments, its buildings and churches were magnificent. It showcased Etruscan influences, Roman architecture and Renaissance art. It was no wonder why this Umbrian capital was considered one of the art centers of Italy.
The Volvo left the outskirts of the city to head for the open countryside.
She closed her eyes for a moment, intending to rest her eyes. She eventually dozed off.
She was jerked into wakefulness when the car came into a halt. The driver got out and opened the door for her.
The imposing facade of the castello stood before her when she got out. Lights artfully illuminated the stone structure. It was like a scene out of a fairy tale—the manicured gardens, acres of vineyard on one side…even a draw bridge was present!
She followed the chauffeur inside after he got her bags from the trunk. She saw a woman standing in the entryway of the castle waiting for her arrival.
The woman was middle-aged, with dour features but really tall…almost the same height as her.
“Buon giorno. I’m Constanzia. I was asked by the contessa to take you to your room,” the woman said in heavily-accented English.
She smiled at the woman but she didn’t smile back.
Okay. Maybe she’s feeling pissed because I kept her up, she thought.
“Is everyone already asleep? I hope I didn’t wake anyone up,” she asked. She hoped none of Mel’s grooms’ relatives waited on her. God, she never wanted to impose on anyone.
“No, signorina. You didn’t wake them up. Come, follow me.”
She continued to smile as she followed the woman upstairs, until they reached the third level of the castello, where all the guest rooms were located.
Jordana’s eyes feasted on the wonderful antiques and priceless heirlooms as they passed the staircase and the long hall.
It was not too hard to imagine being a princess in this place.
They stopped at the corner room of the left wing. The woman fished an old fashioned key from her pocket and opened the heavy door.
“Signorina, this will be your room…” Constanzia spoke as she switched on the lights.
“Grazie…” she thanked the woman as she studied the room. It was so large that it was almost triple the size of her entire bedroom in the States. Its centerpiece was a massive four-poster, queen-sized feather bed.
The pleasure must have shown on her face, because the majordoma remarked, “I’m glad you liked the room. We’ll send your food in a while and bring your luggage up. May I suggest you take your bath for the meantime?”
“Yes, that will be splendid. Thank you so much,” she replied. The majordoma nodded and silently closed the door of the guest room.
She explored the room further when the woman left. A silver coat-of-arms of the Romolini family was prominently displayed at one wall. Everything here—from the furniture to the decor were priceless antiques. She was almost afraid to touch them.
She went on and opened the bathroom and marveled at the sunken tub in pink Italian marble, with matching gold luxury fixtures.
This might be a guest room but it was more… even for someone like her who was no stranger to luxury. It was a room fit for a princess.
She suddenly felt sticky and worn from all the traveling she did. She gingerly closed the door of the bathroom with the very intent of taking a long, warm and reviving bath before going to bed.
Yes, for tonight, she’d imagine herself a princess.
Lonzo briefly closed his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. The throbbing which started while he was at the pre-wedding dinner was now a full-blown migraine attack. He should’ve excused himself earlier and escaped back to his room.
His headache was further aggravated when he read the messages sent by his management team.
As expected, more troubles at Gruppo Milanese, the biggest of which was the burgeoning labor problem. Neglected for a long time by the Agnellis, the employees were very suspicious of his management team and the changes that he wanted to institute in the company. The union was antagonistic and threatened to go on strike.
Lonzo can’t wait for this wedding to be over and done with so he could step back in the ongoing negotiations. It was going to be a hard and arduous process. Those reforms had to be implemented for him to steer the company back to its feet. Somebody’s gotta give.
Agnelli’s underhanded tactics were making things doubly difficult.
The asshole was keen to destroy him in the media—orchestrating rumors that once GM was back in the black, he’d break the company and sell it bit by bit to the highest bidder. He was painted as a heartless bastard who cared nothing about the workforce, except for his bottomline.
They were inciting fear in the hearts of the employees.
He intended to put an end to Agnelli’s allegations.
For one thing, he had no intention of selling Gruppo Milanese. Lonzo recognized the company’s significance to Italy, both economically and historically. It was after all, one of the oldest conglomerates in the country. Unlike the Agnellis who treated the company like a cash cow, he had big plans for the organization—to diversify and make it a global powerhouse.
And he was arrogant enough to know he was the only one who could do that feat. His track record spoke for him. He was considered a Warren Buffet in the making by Wallstreet. He was gifted with the Midas’ touch when it came to making money.
But money was never his motivator. It was the exhilaration he got from big challenges. He always liked the challenge of restructuring dying businesses and making them profitable again. He saw possibilities in rubbish long before others did. With the volatile and tumbling markets, he had seen opportunities. He was into non-traditional investments, like renewable energy, even before it became du jour in business circles.
He had always believed that the future lies in the hands of the brave. He liked taking risks. So far, all his risks paid off. And he grew his assets further, thanks to his highly dynamic management style.
He wasn’t the selfish bastard he was often portrayed to be. At least in the business sense.
He smiled despite himself.
Let his rivals hate. He would bury them one by one once his visions for GM were fulfilled.
He answered several emails, instructed his management team to prepare for an executive committee meeting when he got back and also to arrange for a town hall so he can talk to the employees directly to allay their fears. He would answer their questions and repudiate what their former employers were slinging at him.
It was time they heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.
By the time he closed his laptop, he had delegated and accomplished his tasks for the day. Unfortunately, the throbbing of his head had now escalated into a massive mother of all fucking migraines.
He was about to call it a night when he heard a knock on his door. He went to see who it was.
It was Constanzia. He remembered asking her for a glass of wine on his way up here.
He thanked the majordoma before shutting the door. He took several pain relievers from his overnight bag.
He swallowed the pills and washed it down with the glass of red wine. He took off his clothes and went under the bed covers. The pills and the wine did its magic. Within minutes he was in a deep slumber.
The mouthwatering smell of roasted lamb chops, couscous and raspberry mousse greeted her when she was done with her bath. The food tray was probably left by Constanzia, she thought. She sat down and tucked in, not realizing until then how famished she was. She remembered that she didn’t eat anything during the flight because she was so tired she preferred to doze off.
Not surprisingly, she finished the entire meal in minutes before capping it off with the dry, red wine which came with the tray.
When she stepped out from the bathroom earlier, she had noticed that her luggage was already neatly unpacked and organized, including the champagne-colored Carolina Herrera gown which she would wear as her bridesmaid dress tomorrow.
She thought of calling Leandro again. She really hated it when they had disagreements like this. But as she stood up from the bed to retrieve her phone, she felt lightheaded and lethargic all of the sudden.
Must be the tiredness because of the long-distance flight, she thought before lying on the bed and succumbing to an unusually deep sleep.
Lonzo didn’t exactly know what it was that pulled him out of his deep slumber.
It took his brain a while to register the soft, naked body pressed at his side.
Then it hit him.
Naked?!
He wrenched his eyes open, the heavy fog of sleep instantly gone. He was able to make out the shape of the female despite the dimness of the room.
The rational part of his brain urged him to wake and question her. How the fuck did she even get inside his room?
He was about to shake her when the woman stirred.
His thought processes came to a stop when he saw her face.
Pure, unadulterated lust struck him. This morning’s semi-arousal gave in to a full blown woody the more he took in her glorious form.
He had bedded throngs of beautiful women. But nothing came close to this creature.
Bellissima. No, she was…perfetta!
From her long, cascading silky hair down to her dainty toes.
A siren. All naked and available…waiting for him to make a move and sample what she was offering.
Pure temptation.
While he…he was merely a man.
He knew...once would never be enough to quench this need to posses her in every way possible.
The thought staggered him.
What the fuck is wrong with you, Vitale? Since when did a woman ever lead you by your dick, huh?!
Then he saw her pink tongue wet her full lips.
Since.
Right.
Now.
“Who are you?” he managed to rasp. He was dead sure she was sent here by the Agnellis.
She didn’t respond. She slowly smiled, her delicate hand went on to touch his chest.
Her touch was live wire.
It jolted that primal part of his DNA makeup, the one that made him want to go all caveman on her.
“Lover...” she whispered.
He lost the inner battle.
“Please…” she whimpered.
Who she was, her agenda and how she got in here... all of that can wait. He'd question her later and double whatever she was originally offered.
At the moment, he was so ravenous for her, it defied logic. So be it. Control be damned.
His hands began exploring. She mewed like a kitten when he touched her face. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He bent his head to taste her plump lips when she abruptly turned to her side. To his amazement, she appeared to have gotten back to asleep! He groaned in frustration. He couldn’t believe what she just did.
No! She wasn’t asleep. She was just playing him.
The minx.
He easily got bored with submissive women, he liked them feisty and sassy. And she was definitely one. A cocktease.
He smiled wolfishly.
He usually had little time for games. But he’d indulge her this once.
Then he’d show her that he was not one to be trifled with.
But first things first…time to wake up sleeping beauty.
Jordana was having a weird dream. She was in a labyrinth, looking for a way out. When she was about to give up hope, she saw a footpath filled with mist. She went toward it.
The mist cleared and she saw a gate that would lead her out of the maze.
She walked cautiously. She was about to reach her way to freedom, when without warning, powerful arms held her back. The force was enough to rip the diaphanous gown she wore and left her naked.
Trembling and holding her tattered garments about her, she faced the person who held her.
A man wearing a black cloak held her…and with the lack of light, she can’t see his face.
She squealed in protest as the stranger pulled him into his arms.
She opened her lips to scream bloody murder but stopped when he placed his big hands on her breasts and started to knead and pull at the sensitive tips.
She moaned instead, unable to stop her body from responding to the stranger’s dark caresses.
One of his hands moved from her left breast and started its unerring journey downward.
She almost stopped breathing from the sensory overload but it was nothing compared to the gush of warmth that came through her when he parted her folds…
She could feel her body beginning to wake up from the overwhelming sensations. It all felt too real.
She still kept her eyes closed.
Was she really naked on a bed, lying on her side?
Impossible. It was just a wicked, erotic dream, she told herself before lulling herself to sleep again.
Then she felt it.
Something warm, hard and… so big was nudging her from behind.
Her eyes opened, sleep forgotten.
She immediately took in her surroundings. Horror swamped her when she realized this wasn’t her room.
And she wasn’t alone.
She was in a strange bed.
She glanced down and it finally registered. She was in the nude with a naked man—a stranger who appeared to be asleep but roamed his hands all over her body…like in the dream she just had. She couldn’t move away even if she tried. One of his legs clamped over hers, preventing any form of escape.
Panic assailed her when the strange man nibbled her ear. Then she heard him ask in a husky, just-out-of-bed voice, “So…you finally awake, cara?”
This isn’t happening! her mind screamed. Please, oh God…let this be a dream!
But those questing fingers wreaked havoc on her body with every touch.
This was no dream. This was real.
Her body’s fight or flight response kicked in.
“Get your hands off me!” she said vehemently as she struggled to get away from him.
Lonzo’s hands stilled momentarily after her outburst. In one smooth move, he flipped her until she lay all over his body.
The seductive light in her amber-colored eyes were now absent. He noticed that she eyed him with burgeoning fear and trepidation.
What the fuck…?! Was she going cold on him after turning him on? Was this all part of her game plan? Something she did to tease poor schmucks? The idea of her being with another made him see red.
Lonzo struggled to control himself. He wanted her beneath him, to plunge balls-deep inside her slit and make her cum ‘til kingdom come.
Their bodies were tightly pressed to each other as they continued to assess each other. He was totally aware how perfectly they fitted— her soft, luscious breasts were crushed against his chest, his pelvis and his steely cock rested in full glory against her flat stomach while his muscled thighs trapped the smooth length of her legs. His heart was beating in sync with hers. Skin to skin.
Her wary eyes made him pause.
He had never felt this intense, sizzling connection with a woman before.
He knew she felt the same. He felt her fire, he had stoked it as he touched her earlier. She may say otherwise but her body told the truth. She wanted him, too.
It was as if the siren he saw earlier was just a figment of his imagination. She was now looking and acting as if this act was a whole new thing to her. It baffled him. With her face and this amazing body to go with it, there was no way she’d reached her age and not experience sex. A virgin? No fucking way.
He almost laughed at the idea. There was no way she could be an untried virgin. Not when she was the one who climbed his bed and initiated the entire escapade.
Role-playing must be her thing.
“Let me go! Where am I? Where did you take me? Who are you? Damn you, let me go!” she uttered, her voice almost hysterical, her eyes accusing. She looked like a frightened rabbit looking for a way to escape him.
He smiled. She was definitely big on role-playing.
Now, he liked that idea.
“Who are you?! Let me go or else I will sue you for rape!” she wailed, the anxiety in her voice almost sounded real.
Lonzo decided to play her game, his appetite whetted further by her innocent act.
“Rape? Now, now. Look around, this is my room. I didn’t force you to climb on my bed, woman. You did the climbing all by yourself.”
The woman looked mortified, as if the very idea of being in bed with him scandalized her. She was about to bolt but he prevented her from leaving.
“Although I must say that finding you naked in my bed is ingenious. Quite an introduction. Tonight promises to be highly pleasurable for both of us,” he said sardonically.
To emphasize his point, he held her defiant chin in his hand before puling her face down for a searing kiss.
Time to start the ball rolling.
Jordana was about protest, to ask him to stop but before she could do so, he was kissing her, parting her lips with his wildly erotic tongue, sweeping inside and at the same time, brushing away the last vestiges of her control. Her blood rushed madly in her veins and sang with heat.
A red mist of lust enveloped and took control of her traitorous body. She was drowning in a sea of hot sensations, her blood overheating. Her breathing became labored and from her mind’s eye she knew that this man felt the same.
She was so into their kiss that she wasn’t totally aware that he had flipped her beneath him.
She was lost, hardly even aware of her own submission or that her own arms went up to clasp this unknown stranger’s neck, drawing him closer to her.
The rational part of her brain had shut down. The voice of reason inside her head silenced.
He short-circuited and broke down her walls with just a kiss.
She closed her eyes.
Why haven’t I been kissed like this before? Why do I feel this way with a stranger? If this is just the kissing part, God help me with what goes beyond this…
He stopped kissing her.
She eyes popped open. Her gaze clashed with his olive green ones and she couldn’t look away.
Then he spoke, his voice hypnotic.
“I’m already hooked, sweetheart. No more games.”
“But—”
“Shhh. Your body is incapable of lying. Don’t deny it. I felt it, too.”
He too felt the connection?
His statement struck her core.
She thought she was incapable of feeling passion and desire. She shunned intimacy. Her exes thought she was frigid. James even called her Baked Alaska.
She had come to accept that sex would never be enjoyable for her. Not after the ugliness of her childhood.
This man, this stranger proved her wrong.
She wasn’t a freak.
She almost cried from the realization.
“…I never wanted to fuck a woman as much as I want you. I’m going to fuck you, cara. Over and over,” he rasped.
Jordana’s mouth dried up, her throat suddenly parched from the intensity of his words, making her weak and tingly all over.
She was seduced. Heaven help her. It was true. She wanted this. She was burning up with need.
“You want this as much as I do. Don’t fight and lie to yourself.”
“Okay.”
“You really sure?”
Is she? Her subconscious asked.
Several seconds passed, increasing the anticipation a thousand fold.
“Y-Yes...” she finally answered.
He smiled slowly. A devilish smile that produced a thousand knots inside her stomach.
No more turning back now, she thought as she allowed his seduction to continue.