Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire

Chapter Seventeen



“You know,” Lia said to the horse she was grooming, “two weeks isn’t long in the scheme of things.” She sighed. “So why does it feel like forever?”

It was actually ten days ago that she had walked away from Luc at the Rome airport. Walked away and regretted it with each heavy step she had taken. It seemed like a lifetime. And four more days to go. Could she bear to wait that long?

She realized now that she had been in shock that day, unable to see things rationally, but her mind had cleared in the time since. She’d spent long hours going over and over what happened, and it always came back to an immutable truth—she loved Luc, and she believed he loved her in return. She’d never wanted love, been terrified it would turn her into a clone of her mother, but she wasn’t her mother, and Luc certainly wasn’t her father.

Her father had been a cruel man, and she had always believed her mother was a fool for loving him. Strangely, though, over these last weeks, she had come closer to understanding her mother than she ever had while she lived, and that tore at her heart. She’d been so hard, so unforgiving. She’d never understood why her mother couldn’t move on, forget about her father, and get a life, and she’d made her views perfectly clear. Now, she winced at the guilt that ate at her because she’d discovered for herself that love wasn’t something you could switch off at will. She had always believed she didn’t want love, but would she really turn her back on these feelings? With Luc, she had felt complete. Now it was as though the very center of her was missing. A big, gaping hole only Luc Severino could fill.

Right from the beginning, she had told herself that there was no future for her and Luc, but it had been fear. She had been terrified of falling in love, of giving over her hope of happiness to a man who she had sensed from the start had the ability to take her over, body and soul.

When his mother had come that last day, it was as if Lia had expected it, but even so the truths she told were worse than anything Lia could have imagined, and it had knocked her feet out from under her. If only Luc had told her himself—but then she realized with an almost blinding insight that perhaps Luc had been afraid as well. It seemed an impossible concept, but she remembered his face at the airport. The pain in his brilliant green eyes.

How could she do this to him? She had never even told him she loved him.

She didn’t want to speak to him on the phone. She needed to see him face-to-face. Would he even be in the country? Should she go to his office?

She hurried inside and picked up her bag, searching through it until she found the card from The Crazy Frog. Her fingers were trembling as she pushed the numbers.

“Can I speak to Harley Watson, please?”

She sank down into the seat behind her while she waited. Her hands tightened around the phone as she heard the receiver being picked up at the other end.

“Mr. Watson, it’s Lia Brent.”

He was silent for a moment, and Lia swallowed trying to clear the lump in her throat.

“Lia? What do you want?”

He sounded unfriendly, and Lia swallowed again and forced herself to go on.

“I want to see Luc. I thought you might know where he is. If he’s back in the country.”

“He’s back. He was here a couple of nights ago. Not in good shape.”

She didn’t know what to say to that and remained silent.

He sighed then spoke again. “Give me a bit of time and I’ll chase him down for you. Call you back.”

Lia released her breath then gave him her number. “Thanks,” she muttered.

“Just make sure you put things right.”

She was about to put the phone down when he spoke again. “Lia?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry about your mum,” he said. “You should have told me.”

“I know.”

“And your dad.” He was silent for a moment. “Well, maybe I’m not sorry about him.”

Lia put down the phone slowly. Just talking to Harley seemed to bring Luc closer, and for the first time since they had parted she felt a sense of excitement.

Her mind refused to concentrate on anything after the phone call. Now that she had made the decision, she was in a frenzy of anticipation.

…



She had a lesson at two o’clock, and Harley hadn’t called. She got changed and still no phone call. If he didn’t call back by the time she finished work, she was going into London anyway. She would go to Luc’s office, to the apartment. She would hunt him down, and whatever he felt now, she would tell him she loved him, that she would trust her life to him.

Her pupil, Molly, was one Lia had worked with before, and she forced herself to concentrate, finally managing to immerse herself in the work. She heard a car drive up but ignored it.

“Lia?”

She spun round. He was leaning on the wooden fence, dressed in a dark gray suit, white shirt, and red tie, incongruous in these surroundings, as though he had just stepped out of an office. For a moment, she wondered if she had conjured him up. His face was expressionless, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, but she could sense him watching her.

“Harley said you phoned.”

She nodded.

“You wanted to see me. I drove down as soon as Harley called me.”

His voice was as expressionless as his face, but his hands gripped the railing, his knuckles tight with tension.

She walked slowly toward him, coming to a halt just in front of where he stood. Reaching up, she removed his glasses. She needed to see his eyes.

“I wanted to tell you I love you.”

He was silent, but his green eyes were searching hers, waiting for her to continue.

“I never actually told you, and it seemed important. I was going to come and see you tonight.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

He reached across the fence and picked up her hand, holding it against his chest. “So tell me,” he said.

She bit her lip. Her heart was thundering against her rib cage, and she took a deep breath. “I love you.”

There, it was done. And not so difficult. She searched his face for some sort of answer. It was clear in his expression. He opened his mouth, but they were interrupted by a loud cough from behind them. Lia turned. It was Molly, still sitting on her horse, waiting.

“Molly, I’m sorry, I...”

“Forgot me? Don’t worry, it’s entirely understandable.” She cast a quick glance at Luc. “But I think I’ll get off now and put Buster away. No need to come, I know where.”

Lia hurried over to the gate and opened it so Molly could lead the horse through.

When they were alone, she turned back to Luc. His gaze slid down over her body, lingering on the long length of her legs.

“I love that outfit,” he said, his voice low and husky, and shivers ran through her body.

She peered down at herself in confusion. “What?”

“The first time I saw you in it, I had an almost overwhelming urge to...” He paused. “Never mind. Anyway I’ve been having the most outrageous fantasies ever since.”

Lia licked her lips, felt his gaze follow the movement. “Fantasies?”

“Hmm…stables, bales of straw, you...”

She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat seemed to have dried up. She coughed, swallowed. “I know where there’s a stable. I could probably even find a few bales of hay.” Reaching out, she stroked her fingers down the scar on his cheek. “My father did this.”

Luc put his own hand over hers and pressed it to his cheek. “Not personally. Besides, it gives me an air of mystery. Helped me attract women when I was younger.”

Lia smiled at the thought of Luc ever having difficulties attracting women. “What about when you’re older?”

He pulled her hand down to his mouth and kissed her palm. “You tell me. You’re the only woman I’ll ever want.”

Lia melted at the words. Suddenly she needed to touch him, to feel him against her, convince herself this was really happening. She glanced around the yard. It looked deserted, only the horses watching from their stables. Still it was way too open for what she wanted to do.

“Come on,” she said.

“Where are we going?”

“To that stable of course.”

He took her arm in a hard grip. “Which one?”

Lia led him across the yard, almost hustling him into the empty stable, shutting the door firmly behind them. The stable was being used to store hay bales, and they were piled up against the walls. Luc smiled as he looked around.

Lia turned to face him, sliding her arms around him beneath his suit jacket, feeling the hard resilience of muscle beneath the smooth silk. Leaning close, she breathed in his scent, hot male and exotic aftershave. Her hands slid lower, down over the hard curve of his buttocks, and she pulled him to her. He was already rock hard, and she pressed her belly against the rigid line of him, heard him groan against her hair. His hands clasped her shoulders and he held her tight for a moment then put her from him slightly.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“We need to kiss.” She kissed his chest, then his neck. “We can talk afterward.”

He groaned again and pulled her to him, tilting her head so he could stare down into her eyes. He kissed her mouth, gentle at first, then harder as Lia melted against him.

“I love you,” he said against her lips.

“I know.” And the last lingering doubts were banished forever.

He kissed her again, his tongue slipping into her mouth. After a moment, he became still against her. He examined the room, his gaze settling on a hay bale. He backed her toward it, then turned, sank down, and pulled her down so she sprawled across his lap. He pulled the band from her hair, ran his hands through the curls so they fell around her shoulders.

His fingers shook as he unbuttoned her white cotton shirt, baring her breasts. She shivered in anticipation as he stared down at her.

“No bra,” he said, his hands brushing over the already swollen peaks. The light touch sent lightning bolts to her groin. Lowering his head, he took one taut nipple between his lips, sucking, then biting gently until she whimpered at the sensations running through her. She had missed this so much; she needed his touch, needed to touch him.

Reaching down between their bodies, she found him hard, and she fumbled with the button of his pants. Finally, it opened beneath her fingers, and she slid her hand inside. His mouth went still at her breast. He groaned against her hair as her fingers wrapped around the length of him. She felt all the masculine strength concentrated, eager, and impatient under her fingers, and the moist heat welled up between her clenched thighs.

She used her other hand to lower his zipper so he sprang free.

“Lia,” he muttered, and she squeezed him gently.

Someone banged on the door. “Lia!”

Pete. Lia closed her eyes for a moment, thought seriously about pretending she wasn’t there. Luc had no such thoughts. He swore softly, took a deep breath, and then swore loudly. At Pete.

Pete ignored the suggestion. “Lia, are you okay?”

Lia cleared her throat, unsure whether her voice would work.

“I’m fine,” she croaked, stumbling to her feet.

“I knew this was too good to be true.” Luc reached up to fasten her buttons. “I guess this is fated to stay a fantasy, unless I do buy you a stable. Though you know, there are stables at Shellwood.”

“Let’s go,” Lia muttered. “Now.”

Luc smiled. He stood up, wincing slightly as he refastened his trousers.

“Go on,” he said. “Go put your protector’s mind at rest, reassure him that I’m not in here ravishing you. Or worse.”

Lia went over and opened the top half of the stable door. “Hi, Pete.”

Pete’s eyes widened as he took in her disheveled state. He peered into the stable as Luc came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder in a sure sign of possession.

“As you see, she’s all in one piece, and you can be the first to congratulate us. The engagement is back on.”

Resignation flickered across Pete’s face. Then he smiled. “Good, perhaps she’ll stop moping around now and get some work done.”

He leaned over the door and kissed her on the cheek. Lia felt Luc’s fingers tighten, but he said nothing.

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Luc said and gently shut the door in Pete’s face.

He pulled her against him. “Now where were we?”

Lia wriggled out of his grasp. “About to have that talk.”

He sighed but nodded. “So, why did you leave? Why didn’t you stay and work it out?”

“I was scared,” she said.

“Scared of me?” He sounded almost shocked at the idea, and Lia smiled.

“You can be very scary, you know. But no, not really of you. The thing was, I wasn’t expecting to fall in love, and the feelings were too strong. Everything seemed so perfect, and I was waiting for something to go wrong. And I knew there was something you weren’t telling me.”

She reached up and stroked her finger down the scar on his cheek again. “All that stuff about my father, if I’d thought about it at all I probably would have guessed. But I shut it out, shoved it to the back of my mind, pretended it didn’t exist.

“That time on the island was like a fantasy for me, a dream, totally cut off from real life, like we were existing in some sort of bubble that protected us from the real world. I didn’t want to spoil it. I told myself I could have that time, that it was all I would ever have of you, so make the most of it. Then your mother turned up, and the bubble well and truly burst.”

“I’m sorry about that. I’d gone to see her, to talk to her, but by the time I got to Rome she was on her way to the island. I raced back. All I could think about was getting there, telling you I loved you, that we would somehow work it all work out. But you were already gone. I couldn’t believe it.”

“When did you know you loved me?”

“Probably that first night in the apartment. I found myself wishing you were someone else, someone who had nothing to do with Jimmy Brent. I realized I would give up all chance of revenge for a normal relationship with you. It’s not something I’d ever wanted before.”

“Me neither. Luc, can you really forget what my father did to you?”

He considered her question. Then shook his head. “No. But it doesn’t really matter anymore. You’re not your father, thank God.”

“And Mike. Can you accept Mike? He’s an important part of my life.”

“If you can accept my mother after what she did, I can accept anyone.”

“Your mother hates me,” she said.

He reached out a hand and smoothed back a stray curl. “My mother doesn’t know you,” he said gently. “When she does, she’ll love you as much as I do.”

“And if she doesn’t, if she can’t get over who I am?”

Luc’s smile faded, and she caught a glimpse of the ruthless man who had been willing to blackmail her to get what he wanted. “She’ll have to,” he said, “if she wants to spend time with her grandchildren.”

“Grandchildren?” Happiness bubbled up inside her at the thought of Luc’s babies. “I like that idea.”

“Good, because I want plenty, but not just yet. For now, I want you to myself.” He reached into his pants pocket. “I’ve been carrying this around since you left the island, hoping I would get this chance.” Taking her hand in his, he stroked his thumb over her palm and then slid the sapphire ring onto her finger. “Lia Brent, will you marry me?”

She closed her fist around the ring, holding it tight.

“I will.”