If the Ring Fits... Page 14

  It came as a bit of a shock to realize that he wanted exactly what Ava had. Every bit of it. The laughter and drama, the arguments and quiet mornings sharing coffee. The love-making that fulfilled more than physical needs. The security, the continuity, children to guide and raise, a family of his own.

  Next to him, Rachel was asking Ava if they knew the baby’s sex yet. As he listened to their very ordinary conversation, he knew he had to be sure. Rachel wasn’t like Astrid and the long line of lovers who had shared his bed over the years. She was special, fragile in a way. Her marriage had ended in disaster less than a year ago. She was attracted to him, yes. And he wanted her as he had wanted no other woman. But what if he changed his mind? What if he made a commitment he could not keep? He refused to allow in the niggling worry that it might not be his mind he was concerned would change.

  “I was beginning to think I would have to content myself with just two grandbabies to spoil.” Across from him at the dinner table, Lucia cast a meaningful glance in Tony’s direction.

  To the surprise of all present, he replied, “Who knows what the future holds, Mama?”

  Who indeed? A year ago, he had not seen himself going into business with Rachel, much less pursuing her romantically. He certainly hadn’t imagined that she—or any other woman, for that matter—would be seated at his table, enjoying dinner with his family and looking as if she belonged there.

  He remained uneasy about the bond forming between his mother and sister and Rachel. He couldn’t bear to see them hurt if things didn’t work out.

  If. He mused over the word. For the longest time, it had been when. How right Tony was when he’d told Rachel that people could change.

  The dishes were cleared from the table in preparation for dessert. His mother fussed over him and had Rachel fussing over him, as well.

  “More tiramisu, Tony?” At his nod, Lucia told Rachel, who had already offered to go get the coffee, “Bring him a big piece.”

  He sent her a wink, but it turned out the joke was on him. An hour later, when his family was preparing to leave, Lucia said, “Tony, you will come with us.”

  “Come with you where?”

  “Home.” Lucia pointed to Rachel. “You cannot both stay here.”

  “Mama, I’m thirty-eight years—”

  “I donna care how old you are. I donna care what you have or have not done when I am not around. Until Rachel is in her apartment or there is a wedding band on her finger, you should not stay here. It is not proper.”

  “I can stay at my mom’s,” Rachel offered in a strangled voice. Her face was aflame.

  Behind her, Ava and Bill were doing a poor job of trying to tuck away their smiles, but his sister did come to his defense.

  “Mama, be reasonable. Tony has been on planes and in cars for the better part of the day. He’s got to be exhausted.”

  He nodded his thanks.

  Bill was less helpful. “I’m sure all Tony wants to do right now is climb in bed.”

  “His bed,” Rachel inserted. “Alone.” Her face was literally glowing by the time she finished.

  “Rachel is right, Mama. I am too tired to seduce her.” Tonight, he added silently, as exhaustion began to catch up with him. And even that might be negotiable once they were alone.

  Begrudgingly, Lucia relented. “But no hanky-panky,” she warned, shaking a finger in his face.

  As his guests shuffled out the door a moment later, he heard Maria ask Ava, “What’s hanky-panky?”

  Tony closed the door and leaned against it. Rachel crossed her arms. “Too tired to seduce me? As if I would have no say in the matter.”

  “You are right.” He held out his hand to her. Then, in the most arrogant tone he could muster, he added with a wink, “Come upstairs, carina. I will let you seduce me.”

  * * *

  Tony woke the next morning confused. He was in his bed, but he was alone. A glance under the covers confirmed he was still wearing the same clothes he’d had on the day before, although his belt was gone and his shirt untucked. When he heard the light tap at the door, he shifted to a sitting position and called, “Come in.”

  Rachel opened the door and stepped inside. She was already dressed, outfitted for the shop.

  “Sleep well?” she inquired.

  He smiled sheepishly. “I did, but I have a feeling I drifted off at a most inopportune time.”

  “Oh, you drifted off even before then.” But she chuckled after saying so.

  This should be awkward, a blow to his masculinity even, Tony thought. But he fell back on his pillow and laughed instead. She came in to sit on the edge of the bed and joined him.

  He reached for her right hand and fussed with the small peridot stone on a ring he’d never seen her wear before. Part of her growing collection, no doubt.

  “Do I get a second chance?” He kissed the back of her hand. “Or have you come to your senses and decided not to sleep with me after all.”

  “No. I’ve made up my mind and it hasn’t changed. I want you, Tony.”

  That statement didn’t come as a surprise as much as a relief. But her next words caused him to suck in a breath.

  “I believe you said last night that I could seduce you.”

  “I did.”

  “You also promised, back in December, to be patient.”

  He nodded. “And I have been. At great cost to my sanity, I might add.”

  She offered a smile he’d never seen before. It set his blood to boiling.

  “Then you deserve a reward.”

  Rachel stood and, with hands trembling as much from anticipation as nerves, reached for the hem of her sweater. She pulled it up slowly, stopping just for a moment when she reached the lacy bottom edge of her bra. She’d never seduced a man before, but the sound of Tony’s ragged breathing told her she was doing a credible job of it. She pulled off the sweater in a flourish.

  “Like what you see?” she asked. Was that husky voice really hers? When he started to reach for her, Rachel shook her head. “Remember, I’m doing the seducing.”

  She unzipped her skirt and shimmied out of it, leaving it in a puddle on the floor. Even as need clawed at her, she took her time. She wanted Tony every bit as desperately as he wanted her, but she also wanted this first encounter to be memorable. For both of them.

  “I am eager to find out what piece of clothing you will remove now.”

  Only two were left and both covered very little. But the one she chose was his shirt. Knees on the bed, she straddled him. The night before she’d gotten through four buttons before his eyes had drifted closed. She’d wondered if she should assign some meaning to the fact he’d fallen asleep. Maybe it was a sign that she should step back and reevaluate her decision. After all, once she and Tony embarked on a physical relationship, there would be no turning back, at least for her. A line would be crossed. Everything that was between them would change. She mulled that through the night, which she’d spent in the bedroom she’d occupied these last several months. When the sun rose, however, she hadn’t changed her mind. Gazing down at him now, she knew this was where she belonged. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, think beyond the here and now. She made fast work of the rest of the buttons and pushed the shirt back on his shoulders. When she reached for the waistband of his pants, he moved with lightning speed. Just that quick she found herself beneath him.

  “If it is all right with you, I am done being patient and I am done letting you seduce me.” He nipped at her jaw and started down.

  “And if I say n-no?” Her breath caught as his fingers found and unfastened the front clasp of her bra.

  Lowering his head, Tony said, “I will talk you into it.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  HEIDI scratched the cat behind one of his tattered ears as she sat on Rachel’s couch in the studio apartment.

  Rachel had moved in three weeks ago, and while she missed many of the luxuries in Tony’s large house, including her proximity to Tony, it was good to have all of her bel
ongings in one place—a place she owned.

  Besides, she loved the space. The apartment was bright and airy. The commute to work couldn’t be beat. And, now that everything was under one roof, she had access to everything she needed for her design work—day or night.

  “So, which one?” she asked her sister, holding up two dresses.

  “Go with the purple since you’re trying to make a statement,” Heidi said decisively, nodding to the dress on the hanger in Rachel’s right hand.

  The deep violet shift had black-lace-filled cutout bands on both of its sleeves, lending the otherwise basic garment an air of seduction. Rachel knew all about seduction these days. She’d been on both the giving and the receiving end with Tony. She hadn’t made up her mind which she preferred. Power and surrender each held their own erotic allure.

  “I think you’re right.”

  “I know I’m right. I’m also jealous. Are you sure I can’t stow away in your luggage? Please! Please!” Heidi clasped her hands. “I don’t want to stay here and look after your cat. I want to go to Rome.”

  Daphne had invited Rachel and Tony to a party at her home in Italy’s capital city. Rachel was to be the guest of honor, even if it was her jewelry that would be the star attraction.

  Daphne loved the piece Rachel had created for her. Given what she’d paid for the necklace, it was a good thing, too. Now, she was not satisfied to wait another year to introduce either the jewelry or the designer to her close friends. So she was insisting on hosting an intimate gathering. Tony already had warned Rachel that when it came to close friends, Daphne had a few dozen of them.

  Her international career was as good as launched, Tony claimed since Daphne was already taking credit for having discovered Rachel. Even so, Rachel was nervous.

  “I wish I could bring you. I wouldn’t mind the moral support or the company.”

  “I’m guessing Tony would.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Sure it is.” But Heidi’s words held no rancor. “Three’s a crowd, especially at this point in a relationship.”

  “And what point might that be?”

  Heidi grinned. “The I-can’t-wait-to-get-you-naked-all-the-time point.”

  “Heidi.”

  “Seriously, Rach, you couldn’t have snagged a better boyfriend. Tony’s good-looking, successful, wealthy…” Her sister sighed. “And then there’s that accent. Who can resist a man with an Italian accent?”

  “Those aren’t the reasons why I’m with him.” Indeed it was more than that. But her sister misunderstood.

  “He does make one heck of a rebound. I wonder if Mal knows. Wouldn’t it be great if he thought you’d been fooling around on him?”

  Rachel was appalled and her tone reflected that. “I don’t give a rat’s behind about Mal and what he thinks, although I hope he knows I never broke my vows while we were married. And Tony is a lot more than a rebound. He’s…He’s…”

  Heidi’s eyes widened. “God, Rach. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said.”

  She nodded.

  “Does he know?” Heidi asked softly.

  “Know what?”

  “That you love him.”

  Rachel sank down on the couch next to her sister. “No. I didn’t know myself until just now.”

  Oh, she’d had a sneaking suspicion, especially since their relationship had become intimate. But she’d dismissed it. Denied it. There was no denying it now.

  “I love him,” she said in a stunned whisper, her heart taking flight only to be brought up short by the tether of reality. When it came to women, Tony didn’t do forever.

  Heidi hugged her. “Is it okay if I’m happy for you?”

  * * *

  “How do you do this all the time?” Rachel asked as Tony fussed with the knot of his tie. They had arrived at his apartment in Rome the previous afternoon. She had yet to adapt to the time change. Indeed, she had yet to adapt to a lot of things, including her deepening feelings for Tony and where they might lead. She tried not to think about that, concentrating on the trip instead.

  He misunderstood. Sending her a wink in the bureau mirror, he said, “You get used to wearing ties.”

  “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about jetting back and forth across the Atlantic as often as you do. I’m ready for bed—to sleep,” she clarified when his eyebrows rose.

  Despite the sternness of her tone, her body began to hum. This part of their relationship was easy. The man was insatiable, not that she was complaining. Especially since, for the first time in her life, the same could be said for her. She hadn’t known herself to be such a sexual being. Nor had she ever imagined she possessed so many erogenous zones, with more being discovered, it seemed, every time they made love.

  Unfortunately, even if Rachel hadn’t been exhausted, she and Tony didn’t have time even for a quick tussle between the sheets. They were expected at Daphne’s within the hour, and Rachel was still wearing her robe and dithering about what to do with her hair.

  “You get used to it. The key is to stay awake and not to sleep until it is nighttime where you are, rather than where you came from. Shall I make you some coffee or maybe another cup of espresso?”

  She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m feeling jittery enough about this evening without adding a jolt of caffeine.”

  Tony joined her on the settee tucked into the corner of his master suite. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he dropped a kiss on her temple.

  “How many times must I tell you there is no need to be nervous? Daphne loves your designs. Her friends will, too, and not only because they know what a fan of yours Daphne has become.”

  Her introduction to Daphne’s friends wasn’t the sole source of her nerves. Tony moved in this world of wealth and privilege with great ease. He’d been a part of it for so long, it was second nature to him. But it was all new to Rachel, and she was mindful of the fact that while everything had turned out just fine for Cinderella in the end, the night of her big ball, she’d lost a shoe and dashed to her carriage just before it turned back into a pumpkin.

  Rachel rested her head on Tony’s shoulder. The scent of his cologne had her inhaling deeply. She felt his hand start to massage the space between her shoulder blades that always held the worst of her stress. His touch was comforting, thoughtful, sweet—until his other hand got involved and went from resting casually on her knee to stroking the inside of her thigh just above the hem of her robe.

  “Tony.”

  “We have time,” he whispered in her ear before nipping gently at the lobe.

  “But—”

  “We have time,” he insisted again.

  It wasn’t his words as much as the position of his hand that convinced Rachel he was right.

  * * *

  Daphne’s apartment was not far from Tony’s in one of Rome’s most exclusive and pricey areas. Much like his, it offered unparalleled views of the city that, even in twilight, were spectacular. They arrived late, which Tony had assured her meant they were early. Half of the guests had yet to arrive.

  “This is Italy. Punctuality is not our strong suit,” he said with a rumbling laugh as he removed the silk wrap from around Rachel’s shoulders.

  Underneath, she was wearing the purple dress Heidi had suggested. Rachel had opted to wear only a pair of simple onyx drop earrings. She wanted Daphne’s guests to try on her jewelry themselves, rather than see it on her. It would seem more exclusive that way.

  “Rachel, welcome.” Daphne kissed both of her cheeks before doing the same to Tony. “It is good to see you both again.”

  “It is good to see you, too.”

  “Not everyone has arrived yet, but my friends who are here are dying to meet you, Rachel.”

  “I’m eager to meet them, as well.”

  Butterflies flitted around in Rachel’s stomach as she said it. This was it, the official start of her new career. It was hard to fathom how far she had come in the months since her divorce—pro
fessionally as well as emotionally. She glanced at Tony. She couldn’t have done it without him, on either account.

  He smiled his encouragement as Daphne said, “Come, then. Let me introduce you.”

  It was all so surreal, Rachel thought as she followed Daphne through the penthouse apartment, taking in the twelve-foot ceilings and tall windows that were bracketed in rich silk panels that pooled on the floor. Rachel recognized many of the paintings that hung on the walls. They were done by some of the world’s greatest artists, a few of them still living. She didn’t have to ask if they were originals. This was Daphne Valero after all. She could afford the real thing and didn’t bother with imitations. And she was wearing the necklace Rachel had designed for her. Surreal, indeed.

  Daphne’s guests were all women and included minor European royalty, a punk-rock star, an actress, the wives of two members of the Italian parliament, a prominent chef and an up-and-coming shoe designer from Milan whose career the perfume heiress had helped launch during fashion week the previous fall. All of them greeted Rachel not only as an equal but with a little awe. It was a heady feeling, to be sure.

  “I am most intrigued by the amethyst bib necklace. You must share with me your inspiration,” an older woman named Greta pleaded. She looped one of her thin arms through Rachel’s and led her to the center of the amply proportioned living room where Daphne had set up a table to display Rachel’s work.

  Display was an understatement. The table itself was a work of art, topped in a blanket of fragrant white rose petals. Thick pillar candles of varying heights flickered amid the black-velvet busts bearing Rachel’s designs. Gemstones nestled in an assortment of precious metals, winking in the candlelight. Her breath caught at the sight.

  “Congratulations, carina,” Tony whispered from behind her. “I hope it is all right, but I requested the white roses on your behalf. As a designer, you have a right to determine how your work is displayed. That is something for you to consider in the future. Is it everything you dreamed?”