His Ultimate Demand

‘I have no interest in theirs,’ he returned blandly.

She picked up her cup and started to blow on her coffee, noticed his intense gaze on her mouth and thought better of it. ‘Are you really that shallow?’

‘Sì, I am.’

‘No, you’re not.’

‘You wound me.’

‘You wound yourself. You’re clearly intelligent—’

‘Grazie—’

‘Or you wouldn’t be worth billions. I fail to see why you feel the need to add this to the equation.’

‘Tell me, sweet Ruby, why is it sexist to state that I appreciate an attractive body when I see it?’

Her mouth tightened. ‘It’s sexist when you imply I got where I am by flaunting it when you couldn’t be more wrong.’

‘Point taken.’ He said nothing further.

‘Is that supposed to be an apology?’

‘Yes, I apologise unreservedly for making observations about your body.’

‘That’s almost as bad as saying “I apologise if your feelings are hurt” instead of “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings”.’

‘Let’s not dwell on the pedantic. You have my unreserved apologies.’ His gaze was steady and clear.

Ruby chose to believe he meant it. ‘Thank you.’

‘Good. I tried to reach Stone. I’ve been informed he’s on vacation and can’t be reached.’

She took a huge gulp of coffee and nearly groaned at the superb taste. Then his words broke through. ‘Right. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.’

The seriously gorgeous grin returned. ‘I know, and I’m very grateful for that.’

‘Get to the point, please.’

‘Stone is trekking in the Amazon for the next three weeks.’

Alarm skated through her. ‘I can’t wait another three weeks. I’ll lose everything I’ve poured into getting the restaurant off the ground so far.’

‘Which is what exactly?’

‘Simon secured the rent but I put up my own money for the conversion of the space and the catering equipment.’

He froze. ‘Who is Simon?’ he asked in a silky tone threaded with steel.

‘My ex-business partner.’

‘Enlighten me why he’s your ex,’ he said in that abrupt, imperious way she’d come to expect.

The ache from Simon’s betrayal flared anew. ‘We didn’t see eye to eye so we parted ways.’

Narciso’s eyes narrowed. ‘Was he your lover?’

She hesitated. ‘Almost,’ she finally admitted. ‘We met in college, but lost touch for a while. A year ago we met again in New York. I told him about opening my restaurant and he offered to become my partner. We got close...’

He tensed. ‘But?’

‘But he neglected to tell me he had a pregnant wife at home and...I almost slept with him. He almost made me an accomplice in his infidelity.’ The thought sent cold anger through her.

‘How did you find out?’

Her hand tightened around her coffee cup. ‘We were on our way to Connecticut for a romantic getaway when his wife called to say she’d gone into labour. I trusted him, and he turned out to be no better than...’ She shook her head angrily and jumped when his fingers touched hers. Looking up, her eyes connected with his surprisingly gentle ones.

‘I think you’ll agree he takes the douche-bag crown, no?’

She swallowed the lump in her throat. ‘Yes.’

He remained silent for several minutes, then he drained his cup. ‘So my company’s contribution is to help finish your restaurant?’

‘That and the advertising costs for the first six months.’

‘Do you have any paperwork?’

‘Not with me, no. I couldn’t exactly bring a briefcase to the job last night. But Nigel can prove it...’

‘I’m taking over from Nigel,’ he said abruptly.

‘Excuse me?’

He set his cup down. ‘As of now, I’ve relieved him of his duty to you. You’ll now deal with me and me alone.’

That felt a little too...sudden... Ruby assured herself it was the reason why her heartbeat had suddenly escalated. She refused to let hope rise until she’d read the small print in his words. ‘So...you’ll sign over what NMC promised me?’

His eyes gleamed as he regarded her. ‘Eventually,’ he said lazily.

‘Ah, there it is. The big, fat catch. What does eventually mean?’ she demanded.

‘I need proof that you’re as good as you say you are. I don’t endorse mediocre ventures.’

‘Wow, are you always this insulting in the morning?’

‘Sexual frustration doesn’t sit well with any man, amante, least of all me.’

‘And you think bringing your sexual frustration into a business discussion is appropriate?’

Silver eyes impaled her where she stood. ‘You followed me thousands of miles and inveigled yourself into my company under false pretenses. You wish to discuss who holds the monopoly on what’s appropriate right now?’

‘What other choice did I have? I couldn’t lose everything I’ve worked for because your employee is chasing orangutans in the Amazon.’

‘I may be way off the mark but I don’t think there are any orangutans in the Amazon. Borneo, on the other hand—’

‘I didn’t mean it literally. I meant...’ She sighed. ‘Bottom line is, NMC agreed to help me launch my business and it’s reneging on the deal.’

‘And I’m giving you a chance to get things back on track.’

‘By making me jump through even more hoops?’

‘I employ the best people. There must be a reason why Stone delayed in honouring the agreement.’

‘And you think the fault is mine?’ Irritation bristled under her skin. He stood there, arrogant and nonchalant as she flailed against the emotional and professional sands shifting under her feet.

‘I’m trying to meet you in the middle.’

‘All you have to do is review the show’s footage. There were world-renowned food critics who judged my cuisine and cocktails the best. I won fair and square.’

‘So you keep saying. And yet I’m wondering if there’s something else going on here. If everything was above board, why didn’t you use lawyers to hold my company to account? Why the very personal touch?’

‘I don’t have the kind of money it takes to involve lawyers. Besides, I was hoping you’d be reasonable.’

He moved towards her, his gaze pinned on her face. Danger blazed from his eyes. Along with hunger, passion and a need to win at all costs.

Her heart hammered as she forced herself to return his stare.

‘You lied in order to get close to me. And you continued to lie until we were alone together. Having caught a glimpse of who I am, Ruby, how reasonable do you think I am?’ His tone was silky soft, but she wasn’t fooled. Underneath the lethally thrilling charm and the man who’d shown a surprising gentle side moments ago lay a ruthless mogul who ate amateurs for breakfast.

During her internet trawl she’d come across his moniker—The Warlock of Wall Street.

It took a special kind of genius to reach multibillionaire status by twenty-five and even more to attain the kind of wealth and influence Narciso Valentino wielded by his thirtieth birthday. If she didn’t tread carefully, she’d leave Macau the same way she’d arrived—with nothing.

‘I’m not unwilling to renegotiate our terms, Mr Valentino...’ she ventured.

‘I’ve had my mouth on parts of your body that I believe have earned me the right to hear you say my first name.’

Her blush was fierce and horrifyingly embarrassing. ‘Fine! You can have thirty per cent,’ she blurted.

His eyebrows shot up. ‘Thirty per cent of your body?’

‘What are you talking about? God, you think I’m renegotiating with my body?’ She gasped in shocked horror. ‘I’ll have you know that I’d rather die than do something like that!’

His discomfiture was evident as he slowly straightened and spiked a hand through his hair. ‘I’m...sorry,’ he murmured.

A touch of warmth dispelled the ice. ‘Apology accepted.’

‘Per favore, enlighten me as to what you meant.’

‘Part of the deal for winning was that you’d help with the cash prize and advertising and I’d give you a twenty-five-per-cent share in my business for the first three years. After that I’d have the option to buy it back from you. I’m willing to go up to thirty per cent.’

His shook his head. ‘I have a new proposal for you. Agree to it and you can keep your extra five per cent.’

‘Do I have a choice?’

‘There’s always a choice, cara.’

‘Okay, let’s hear it.’

‘Convince me of your talent. If you’re good enough, I’ll hire you to cater my upcoming VIP party. If you’re better than good, I’ll recommend you to a few people. Now, the only thing you need to decide is if it’s a choice you wish for yourself.’

‘But I’ve already proved I deserve this by winning the show.’

‘Then this should be a doozy.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you agree to my terms?’

The sense of injustice burned within her, the need to stand her ground and demand her due strong.

But from what she’d seen of him so far he could destroy her just as easily as he’d offered to help her. He’d rightly pointed out that she’d sought him out under false pretences. She should be thanking her lucky stars he hadn’t turned her over to the security guards.

The small print in her Petit Q contract had warned of serious repercussions if she breached confidentiality or behaved inappropriately towards a Q Virtus member.

So far she’d breached several of those guidelines. It was therefore in her interest to stay on the right side of Narciso Valentino.

If he could throw away thirty million dollars with the careless flick of those elegant fingers, surely it was worth her while to endure this small sacrifice to prove herself to Narciso. Getting her restaurant opening back on track would also send her parents the message once and for all that she had no intention of bowing to their pressure to join the family business.

She sucked in a breath, which hopelessly stalled when his eyes darkened. ‘Yes, I agree to your terms.’

He didn’t move. He just stood there staring at her. Ruby had the weird sensation he was weighing her up, judging her...

Unable to stand his stare, she started to turn away. His eyes dropped to her bare legs, heat flaring in his gaze. The power of it was so forceful she took a step back. Then another.

‘Stop,’ he rasped.

‘Why?’

‘I need you.’

Her heart hammered. ‘What?’

His nostrils flared as he reached and captured her arm. Strong fingers slid down her elbow to her wrist. Ruby’s pulse raced harder under the pressure of his fingers as he raised her right arm.

The electronic beep as he activated the smartwatch on her wrist knocked her out of her lust haze. Biting the inside of her cheek to bring her down to reality worked for a few seconds, until he started to speak.

Sicilian wasn’t in any way similar to the language she’d learnt growing up, but she managed to pick up a few words that had her frowning.

‘You’re not returning to New York?’

‘Not yet. My plan was to take a long-needed vacation after Macau.’

Her heart sank. ‘So I still have to wait until you come to New York to finalise this agreement.’

‘Not at all, Ruby. I leave for Belize tonight. And you’re coming with me.’

* * *

The sight of her open-mouthed was almost amusing. Almost. Had he not been caught up in the maelstrom of severely thwarted desire, Narciso would’ve laughed at her expression. As it was, he couldn’t see beyond the need to experience again the sensational taste of those lips.

Pure sin. Wrapped in sweet, angelic deliciousness.

He’d never kissed lips like hers. Or tasted nipples like hers. In fact, so far Ruby Trevelli was proving disconcertingly unique in all aspects. Even the confession of her bastard of an ex’s betrayal had touched him in a way he most definitely did not desire.

The flash of pain he’d seen had made his insides clench with an alien emotion that had set even more alarm bells clanging.

He hadn’t intended to go to Belize till after the party he’d planned for when his Russian deal was completed.

But he was nothing if not adaptable.

‘Belize?’ Astonishment blazed from her stunning blue eyes.

‘Yes. I have a yacht moored there. We’ll sail around along the coast, dive in the Blue Hole. And in between, you’ll stun me with your culinary delights. But be warned, nothing short of perfection will satisfy me.’

‘I’ve never provided anything short of that. But...’ She hesitated, again displaying that reticence he’d sensed in her earlier. If she wanted to play hard to get, she was going about it the right way. He wanted her...hard. But he was no pushover.

‘But what?’

‘We need to agree on one thing.’ Her pulse throbbed under his thumb. He wanted to stop himself from caressing the silky, delicate skin but he couldn’t help himself.

‘Sì?’

‘From now on things remain strictly business between us. The next time we have a discussion, I’d rather do it without the need for ropes.’

The hard tug of arousal the image brought almost made him groan out loud. ‘I guarantee you, amante, the next time I tie you up, it’ll be because you beg me to.’

She snatched her wrist from his grasp.

‘Okay. And Superman rides on a unicorn, right?’

‘I have no idea about that. Ropes, on the other hand—’

‘Will play no part in our interaction for the duration I’m to prove myself to you. Unless, of course, you’re bringing your girlfriend along. In which case, what you get up to with her is your business.’

Irritation fizzed inside him. Having the attraction he knew she reciprocated dismissed so casually stuck like a barb under his skin. ‘I’m currently unattached. But I don’t think I’ll stay that way for much longer,’ he said.

Her eyes widened but her lips pursed. Again arousal bit deep.

Suddenly, he wanted to leave Macau. Wanted to be alone with her so he could probe her deeper. The double entendre brought a grim smile.

Veering away from her, he stalked out of the kitchen.

The case he’d asked his personal butler to fetch was standing by the sofa in the living room. She spotted it the same time he did.

‘You had my things removed from my room?’ The incredulity in her voice amused and irritated him at once.

‘I don’t believe in wasting time when my mind is made up.’

‘And what about my mind? You didn’t know what choice I would make!’

‘That’s where you’re wrong. I did. I’m very familiar with the concept of supply and demand. You want something only I can provide. You wanted it enough to hop on a plane on the strength of an eavesdropped conversation between complete strangers. I wagered on you being ambitious enough to agree to my demands.’

‘You make me sound so mercenary.’

‘On the contrary. I like a woman who states what she wants upfront. Subterfuge and false coyness are traits I actively despise.’

‘Somehow I don’t believe that.’

‘You think I like liars?’

Her gaze slid away. ‘I didn’t say that.’

He forced himself to turn away, resume his path towards his bathroom and another cold shower. Maledizione!

‘As for your case, I had it brought here to avoid any awkwardness. Or would you rather have answered questions as to why you’ve been absent from your duties for the last several hours?’

She groaned. ‘Oh, God! What will they think?’

‘They’ll think the obvious. But you’re with me, so no one will question you about it.’

‘I...I...’

‘The words you’re looking for are thank you. You can use the second bedroom suite to get ready. I have a brunch meeting in the Dragon Room in half an hour.’

‘And you want me to come with you?’

‘Of course. From here on in, you serve no one but me.’ His words echoed in his head and his fists clenched.

For the second time in less than ten minutes another unwanted emotion sideswiped him. Possessiveness.

Just as he’d trained himself not to trust, he’d trained himself not to become attached. Possessiveness suggested an attachment to something...someone.

Narciso didn’t do attachment. And yet—

‘What happens after your meeting?’

He forced nonchalance into his voice. ‘We return here to indulge in...whatever we please. Tomorrow when the lock down is lifted, we leave.’

CHAPTER SIX

THE REST OF the morning turned out to be a study in how the very rich and influential operated. Having grown up in relative wealth and seen the lengths to which people went to keep what they had, Ruby had imagined she knew how power and influence were wielded.

Watching Narciso Valentino command a room just by walking into it took her education to a whole different level. People’s attitude transformed just by him entering their presence, despite his mask now being back firmly in place.

Although dressed more casually than he’d been last night, he exuded the same authority and attention as he moved from room to room, chatting with other well-heeled guests. The brief time he left her to attend his meeting, Ruby was left with a floundering feeling in her stomach that irritated and shocked her at the same time.

She was finishing her buttered brioche and café Americano when she sensed a gaze on her. Anticipating another of the speculative looks she’d been on the receiving end of since she came downstairs with Narciso, she stemmed her apprehension and raised her head.

The man who’d played against Narciso last night and won thirty million dollars was watching her with stormy grey eyes.

He moved forward and pulled out a chair. ‘May I join you?’ He sat down before she could stop him.

‘Sure. It’s a free country, I think.’

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He steepled his fingers together and stared at her. ‘Where’s my... Where’s your companion?’

‘At a meeting...’ She paused and stared down at his wrist. ‘I thought those smartwatches could tell you where each guest is. Why are you asking me?’

‘Perhaps I just wanted a conversation opener.’

‘Needing an opener would mean you have something specific to discuss with me. I don’t see what that could be.’ Her discomfort grew underneath that unwavering, hostile stare. She started to put her flatware down, thought better of it and hung on to the knife.

His gaze went to it and swung back to hers. ‘You won’t be needing that.’

‘I’ll be the judge of that. Now, can I help you with something?’ As she’d thought last night, there was something vaguely familiar about him. But like every single guest present, his mask was back on and nothing of the rest of his features was enough to pinpoint where she might have seen him before, and she was not going to commit another faux pas by asking him his name.

‘I merely came to offer you a warning. Stay away from The Warlock.’

‘Considering you won over thirty million dollars from him last night, I’d have thought you’d be in a better frame of mind, perhaps even celebrating your huge windfall, not wasting your time casting aspersions on someone you defeated.’

‘He thinks he has bested me but he’ll soon learn the error of his ways.’

‘Right. Okay...was that all?’ she asked, but his eyes had taken on a faraway look, as if he were somewhere else entirely.

‘He’s been poison ever since...’ His mouth tightened and his eyes grew colder. ‘For as long as I’ve had to deal with him, he’s been nothing but trouble. He was given his name for a reason.’

‘The Warlock?’

His hand fluttered in a dismissive gesture. ‘No, I meant his real name. Take my advice and remember that once he tells you who he really is.’

‘I’m not supposed to know who he is, so what you’re saying means less than nothing to me.’

‘Or you could understand perfectly what I mean.’ His upper lips twisted. ‘Unless spreading your legs for him has robbed you of all common sense.’

The barb struck too close to home. ‘How dare you?’ She jerked back at the sheer hatred pouring from him. Ice-cold sensation drenched her veins at the same time as warm hands cupped her shoulders.

‘Ruby?’ Narciso clipped out her name. ‘What’s going on here?’ The question was quite rhetorical because she was sure he’d caught part of the exchange.

Certainly, his flint-hard gaze and tense jaw made her think of her earlier assessment of just how dangerous an opponent he could be.

For whatever reason, the man sitting across from her spewing vitriol had wronged Narciso Valentino on a very deep level. The skin around his mouth was white and the hands curved over her shoulders were a little less than gentle.

Ruby carefully set her knife down and took a deep breath. ‘Nothing. He was just leaving. Weren’t you?’

The older man smiled and took his time to rise. His eyes locked on Narciso’s and for a moment Ruby thought she understood the connection, then dismissed it. What she was imagining couldn’t be possible.

Pure visceral hate existed between these two men. It coloured the air and crawled over her skin.

In her darkest days before she’d actively distanced herself from her parents, her father’s behaviour had permeated every single corner of her existence and she’d imagined she hated him. She could never accept the way Ricardo Trevelli lived his life, or the careless way he treated her mother. But she’d never encountered hate this strong. It was a potent, living thing.

She shivered. Narciso felt it and glanced down at her before refocusing on her unwanted guest.

‘Do I need to teach you another lesson, old man?’

‘Keep your money, hotshot. I understand the need to brag in front of your woman. Shame it had to cost you so much last night.’

‘It was worth it to see your face. If you need a refresher on how to win, I can accommodate you.’

The old man sneered. ‘The time is coming when I’ll wipe that smug look off your face once and for all.’

Narciso’s smile was arctic. ‘Do it quickly, then. I’m growing tired of your empty promises.’

Ruby sucked in a shocked breath at the blatant taunt. With a thick swear word that would singe the ears off a Sicilian donkey, the old man swivelled on his heel and walked away.

Narciso pulled back her chair, caught her up and swung her around to face him. ‘What did he say to you?’ he demanded, his nostrils pinched hard with the anger he was holding back.

‘Oh, he was educating me on the real meaning of your name, albeit very cryptically. Who is he anyway?’

He looked after the departing man and visibly inhaled.

‘I told you—he’s no one important. But I want you to stay away from him.’

‘That would be difficult since I don’t even know who he is.’

Tucking her arm through the crook of his elbow, he led her out of the dining area styled with large, exquisitely scrolled Chinese screens. She’d heard one of the guests comment that the stands holding up the scrolls were made of solid gold. Q Virtus, its mysterious owner, Zeus...in fact this whole place was insane with its surrealistic extravagance, secrecy and decadence.

‘You’re an intelligent woman, hopefully equipped with enough of that intuition you women are so proud of. Use it and stay clear of him.’

‘Funny, he said the same thing about you. And why does that sound suspiciously like a threat?’

He led her into another express lift and used his thumbprint and her smartwatch to activate the panel before pressing the button for the sub-basement.

‘Because it is one.’

‘So we’ve graduated from ropes to threats?’ Her attempt at humour fell flat when his face tightened further.

‘Don’t tempt me. I’m this close to breaking point.’ He held two fingers together for emphasis.

She froze when the arm imprisoning hers drew her closer to his warm body. ‘Did something go wrong with your meeting? A deal fall through or something?’

‘What makes you ask that?’

‘Aside from the confrontation just now, you seem to be in a foul mood. Did something happen?’

‘No, sweet Ruby. The “network hard” part of my day is ticking along nicely. It’s the “play harder” part that has failed miserably.’

So she was partly to blame for his disagreeable mood.