The Ultimate Playboy

Chapter ELEVEN


RUBY ENTERED THE upscale restaurant at the stroke of six and gave her name.

A waiter ushered her to a window seat. It took seconds to recognise the man at the table. Shock held her rigid as she stared at him.

Without his mask, Giacomo Valentino bore a striking resemblance to his son. Except his eyes were dull with age and his mouth cruel with entrenched bitterness.

‘I knew I recognised you from somewhere, Ruby Trevelli,’ Giacomo Valentino said the moment she sat down. ‘The wonders of modern technology never cease to amaze me. A few clicks and I had everything I needed to know about you and your parents.’

She tensed. ‘What do you want?’

‘A way to bring my son down. And you will help me.’

She rushed to her feet. ‘You’re out of your mind.’

‘I met with your loan shark today,’ he continued conversationally. ‘As of three hours ago, I own twenty-five per cent of your yet-to-be-built restaurant. If you walk out of here, I’ll call in the debt immediately.’

Heart in her throat, she slowly sank back into her seat. ‘Why are you doing this?’

His face hardened. ‘You saw how he humiliated me in Macau.’

‘Yes, and since then I’ve also heard what you did to him. And I know you met with Maria yesterday.’

A flash of fear crossed his face but it was quickly smothered. ‘So Narciso knows?’

‘Yes.’

The old man visibly paled.

‘Give it up, Giacomo. You’re out of options because there’s no way I’ll help you further your vendetta against your own flesh and blood.’

The flash came again, and this time she saw what it was. Deep, dark, twisted pain. ‘He’s a part of me that should never have come into being.’

She shook her head. ‘How can you say that?’

‘He took away from me the one thing I treasured most in this world. And he struts around like the world owes him a living.’

Ruby heard the black pain behind his words and finally understood. Deep down, Giacomo Valentino was completely and utterly heartbroken over losing his wife.

A part of her felt sympathy for him. But she could tell Giacomo was too set in his thinking to alter his feelings towards his son.

Narciso, on the other hand, wasn’t. Ruby had seen gentleness in him. She’d seen compassion, consideration, even affection towards Paolina, the grandmother of the woman who’d betrayed him. He had the capacity to love, if only he’d step back from the brink of the abyss of revenge he was poised on.

And will you be the one to save him?

Why not? He’d helped her come to terms with her own relationship with her parents. She’d called her mother this afternoon, and, sure enough, her father had strayed again. But this time, Ruby had offered her mother a shoulder to cry on. They’d spoken for over an hour. Tears had been shed on both sides. An hour later, she’d received a text from her mother to say she’d contacted an attorney and filed for a divorce from her husband.

Ruby knew the strength it’d taken for her mother to break free. Taking a deep breath, she looked Giacomo in the eye. ‘You probably don’t want my advice but I’ll give it anyway. You and Narciso both lost someone dear to you. You were lucky enough to know her. Have you spared a thought for the child who never knew his mother?’

‘Ascolta—!’

‘No, you listen. Punishing a baby for its mother’s death went out with the Dark Ages. Do you have any idea how much he’s hurting?’

Pale silver eyes narrowed. ‘You’re in love with my son.’

Her heart lurched, then hammered as if fighting to get away from the truth staring her in the face. Her fingers tightened on her bag. ‘I won’t be a party to whatever you’re cooking up.’

‘You disappoint me, Miss Trevelli. Before you go, I should tell you that your loan shark provided me with an extensive file on you, which details, among other things, a building on Third and Lexington.’

Panic flared high. ‘My parents’ restaurant?’

Giacomo gave a careless nod.

‘I swear, if you dare harm them I’ll—’

Giacomo put a hand on her arm. ‘My request is simple.’

She wanted to bolt but she remained seated.

His speculative gaze rested on her. ‘My son is taken with you. More than he has been with any other woman.’

Her insides clenched hard. ‘You’re wrong—’

‘I’m right.’ He leaned forward suddenly. ‘I want you to end your relationship with him.’

Her mouth dried. ‘There is no relationship.’

‘End it. Sever all ties with him and I’ll make sure your parents’ livelihood remains intact. I’ll even become your benefactor with your restaurant.’

Frantically she shook her head. ‘I don’t want your charity.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Do you really want to risk crossing me? I urge you to remember where my son inherited his thirst for revenge from.’

Feeling numb, she rose. This time he didn’t stop her.

Her thin sweater did nothing to hold the April chill at bay as she blindly struck through the evening crowd. She only realised where she was headed when the subway train pulled into the familiar station.


Her apartment was soothingly quiet. Dropping her bag, she went to the small bar she’d installed when she moved in.

Blanking her thoughts, she went to work, mixing liqueurs with juices, spirits with the bottle of champagne she’d been gifted on her birthday. Carefully she lined up the mixtures that worked and discarded the rest. She was on her last set when she heard the pounding on the door.

Breath catching, she went to the door and glanced into the peeper.

Narciso loomed large and imposing outside her door. Jumping back, she toyed with not answering.

‘Let me in, Ruby. Or so help me, I’ll break this door down.’

With shaking hands, she released the latch.

He took a single, lunging step in and slammed the door behind him. ‘You said you’d be an hour, tops.’ Silver eyes bore into her, intense and frighteningly invasive.

She forced a shrug. ‘I lost track of time.’

‘If you wanted to return here all you needed was to say.’ There was concern in his voice, coupled with the vulnerability he’d been unable to hide on the yacht.

Knowing what had put that vulnerability there, knowing what his father’s lack of love had done to him, made her chest tighten. She so desperately wanted to reach for him, to soothe his pain away.

But in light of what she faced, there was only one recourse where Narciso was concerned. ‘I didn’t realise I had to answer to you for my movements.’

He frowned and speared a hand through his hair. The way it fell made her guess he’d been doing it for a while. Swallowing hard, she forced her gaze away and walked into the small living room.

He followed. ‘You don’t,’ he answered. ‘But you said you’d come back. And you didn’t.’

‘It’s no big deal, Narciso. I wanted to return home for a bit.’

‘Are you ready to return now?’ he shot back, his gaze probing.

The need to say yes sliced through her. ‘No. I think I’ll spend the night here.’

He started to speak. Stopped, and looked around. She didn’t even bother to look at her apartment through his eyes. Annie had used the term shabby chic when they’d picked up knick-knacks from flea markets and second-hand shops to furnish their apartment. The plump sofas were mismatched, as were the lamps and cushions. The pictures that hung on the walls were from sidewalk artists whose talent had caught Ruby’s eye.

‘Why are you here, Narciso?’

Narciso walked over to a lampshade and touched the bohemian fringe. ‘I tried to tell you earlier. I’ve called off the vendetta with my father.’

Shock rocked through her, followed swiftly by sharp regret. ‘Why?’

He shoved his hand into his pockets and inhaled. ‘In a word? You. You’re the reason.’ Again that vulnerability blazed from his eyes. Along with a wariness as she remained frozen.

‘I shouldn’t be the reason, Narciso. You should do it for yourself.’

He shrugged. ‘I’m working my way to that, amante. But I need your help. You set me on this road. You can’t walk away now.’

Oh, God!

She choked back a sob and fled to the bar. He followed and saw the drinks lined up on the counter.

‘You were working?’

‘I never stop.’

‘What have you come up with?’ There was a genuine interest in his tone. For whatever reason, he wanted to know more about her passion.

His softening attitude towards her sent her emotions into panicked freefall. Belize had warned her she was at serious risk of developing feelings for Narciso Valentino. Seeing him in her home, touching her things, making monumental confessions, made her want to rush to him and burrow into his chest, hear his heart pounding against her own. But she couldn’t. Not now.

She shoved her hands into her jeans pockets and shrugged. ‘This and that.’

He flicked a glance at her. Then he picked up the nearest drink and took a sip. ‘What’s this one called?’

Push him away!

She took a deep, frantic breath. ‘Sleazy Playboy. The one next to it is The Studly Warlock, the blue one is the Belize Bender, and the pink one I’ve termed The Virgin Sacrifice.’

He stiffened.

‘There’s a black Sambuca one I’m intending to call Crazy, Stupid Revenge—’

‘Enough, Ruby. I get the message. I’ve upset you. Again. Tell me how to make it better.’ He looked over at her and his eyes held a simple, honest plea.

Dear God. Narciso wasn’t all gone at all. In fact, right at that moment, he was the single, most appealing thing in her life.

Heat and need and panic and lust surged under her skin as his gaze remained steady on hers. With every fibre in her being she wanted to cross the room and launch herself into his arms.

Giacomo’s face flashed across her mind.

‘There’s nothing to make better because there’s nothing between us.’

His eyes widened. ‘Scusi?’

‘We had what we had, Narciso. Let’s not prolong it any further.’

His eyes slowly hardened. In quick strides, he crossed the room and jerked her into his body. The contact threatened to sizzle her brain. Throwing out her hands against his chest, she tried to break free. He held tight.

‘Let me go!’

‘Why? Scared I’ll prove you wrong?’

‘Not at all—’

He swooped down and captured her mouth. His kiss was raw, possessive and needy.

‘What the hell’s happening, Ruby?’ he whispered raggedly against her mouth.

Again her heart skittered.

Briefly, she thought to come clean, tell him where she’d been. Panic won out.

‘Dammit, Ruby, kiss me back!’ he pleaded raggedly against her lips.

She couldn’t deny him any more than she could deny herself what would surely be her last time of experiencing this magic with him.

Desperate hands grazed over his chest to his taut stomach. Grasping the bottom of his T-shirt, she pulled it up. He helped her by tugging it over his head and flinging it away. Eyes blazing with an emotion she was too afraid to name met hers. Stepping forward, she placed an open-mouthed kiss on his collarbone.

His hiss of arousal echoed around the room. Emboldened, she used her teeth, tongue and mouth to drive them both crazy. When he stumbled slightly, she realised she’d pushed him towards the sofa. With a hard push she sent him sprawling backwards. Within seconds he was naked, his perfect body beckoning irresistibly. Driven by guilt and hunger, she stripped off her T-shirt and bra and unsnapped her jeans.

With a shake of his head, he covered her hands with his. ‘Let me.’

The slow slide downward was accompanied by hot, worshipful kisses that brought tears to her eyes. Afraid her emotions would give her away, she hurriedly stepped out of the jeans and pushed him back down again and resumed the path she’d charted moments before.

His groan when her lips touched the tip of his shaft was ragged and raw. But encouraging hands speared through her hair, holding her to her task.

Boldly, she took him in her mouth. ‘Dio, Ruby!’

She looked up at him. His eyes were closed, his neck muscles taut from holding on to his control. Taking him deeper, she lost herself in the newfound power and pleasure, her heart singing with an almost frightening joy at being able to do this, one last time.

Tomorrow would bring its own heartache but for now—

‘Basta!’ he rasped. ‘As much as I’d love to finish in your mouth, my need to be inside you is even greater.’

He pulled her up and astride him. Reaching for his discarded jeans, he took a condom from his back pocket.


The thought that he’d come prepared dimmed her pleasure for a second. But realising what the alternative would’ve meant, she took the condom from him, tore it open and slipped it on his thick shaft, experiencing a momentary pang at how big he was.

Silver eyes gleamed at her. ‘We fit together perfectly, tesoro, remember?’ he encouraged gently.

Nodding, she raised her hips and took him inside her.

Delicious, sensational pleasure built inside her, setting off fireworks in her body. His face a taut mask of pleasure, his hands settled on her thighs and he allowed her to set the pace. But this new, deeper penetration was her undoing. Within minutes, her spine tingled with impending climax. She had no resistance when Narciso reared up, sucked one nipple into his mouth and sent her over the edge.

She surfaced from the most blissful release to find their positions reversed. Narciso’s fingers were tangled in her hair and his mouth buried in her throat.

When he raised his head, the depth of emotion on his face made her breath catch.

‘I need you, Ruby,’ he repeated his earlier statement. Only this time, she was sure he didn’t mean sexually.

The knowledge that things would never be right between them sent pure, white-hot pain through her heart.

Unable to find the right words to respond, she cradled his face. Locked in that position, his eyes not leaving hers, he surged inside her and resumed the exquisite, soul-searing lovemaking. Eventually, he groaned his release and took her mouth in a soft, gentle kiss, murmuring words she understood but refused to allow into her heart.

Tears sprang into her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away, glad that he was rising and putting his clothes back on.

‘I can stay here, or we can return to my place.’ Although his tone wasn’t as forceful as before, she knew he wouldn’t accept a third choice.

‘I’ll come back with you.’ Despite all that had happened, she still had his dinner party to cater for.

They dressed in silence and she studiously avoided the puzzled glances he sent her way.

When he caught her hand in his in the lift on the way to the ground floor, she let him. When he brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it, she sucked in a deep breath to stop the tears clogging her throat from suffocating her.

In his car, he pulled her close, clamped both arms around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. In the long drive back to the Upper East side, neither of them spoke but he took every opportunity to run gentle hands down her arms and over her hair.

Unable to stop herself, she felt tears slide down her cheeks.

Dear God, what the hell had she done? Of all the foolish decisions she could’ve made, she’d gone and fallen in love with Narciso Valentino.

‘Qualunque cosa che, oi facevo io sono spiacente,’ he murmured raggedly in her ear. Whatever I did, I’m sorry.

The tears fell harder, silent guilty sobs racking her frame.

He led her to the shower the moment they returned to his penthouse. Again, in silence, he washed her, then pulled a clean T-shirt of his over her head. Pulling back the covers to his bed, he tugged her close and turned out the lights.

‘We’ll talk in the morning, Ruby. Whatever is happening between us, we’ll work it out, sì?’

She nodded, closed her eyes and drifted off to a troubled sleep.

She jerked awake just after 5:00 a.m., fear and anguish churning through her body. The need to tell Narciso the truth burned through her.

She needed to tell him about the meeting last night. Needed to let him know that Giacomo’s thirst for revenge burned brighter than ever.

Her fear for her parents had blinded her to the fact that she was stronger than Giacomo’s blackmail threats. There was no way Ruby would do as Giacomo asked.

She loved Narciso, and, if there was any way he reciprocated those feelings, she didn’t intend to walk away.

But she had to warn him that Giacomo might come at him by a different means once he found out Ruby had no intention of walking away.

Turning her head, she watched Narciso’s peaceful profile as he slept. Her heart squeezed and she sucked in a breath as tears threatened.

She’d never have believed she could fall in love so quickly and so deeply. But in less than a week she’d fallen for the world’s number-one playboy.

But there was far more to Narciso than that. And if there was a chance for them...

Vowing to speak to him after the party, she slid out of bed, dressed without waking him and left the bedroom.

Armed with the black card he’d given her yesterday, she went outside and hailed a taxi. The market in Greenwich was bustling by the time she arrived just before six. For the next hour, she lost herself in picking the freshest vegetables, fruit and staples she needed for the dinner party.

Next, she stopped at the upmarket wine stockist.

Narciso had enough wine and vintage champagne so she only selected the spirits and liqueurs she needed for her cocktails.

She was leaving the shop when her phone buzzed. Heart jumping into her throat because she knew who it would be, she answered.

‘You left without waking me,’ came the quiet accusation.

‘I needed to get to the market before sunrise.’

He sighed. ‘I’m sorely tempted to cancel this event but I have several guests flying in specially.’

‘Why would you want to cancel it?’

‘Because it’s coming between me and what I want right now.’

Her heart thundered. ‘Wh-what do you want?’

‘You. Alone. A proper conversation with no disturbances. To get to the bottom of whatever last night was about.’

‘I’m sorry, I should’ve told you...’ She stopped as a phone rang in the background.

‘Scusi,’ he excused himself, only to return a minute later. ‘I need to head to the office but I’ll be back by five tonight, sì?’

‘Okay, I’ll see you then.’

He paused, as if he wanted to say something. Then he ended the call.

* * *

Ruby was glad for the distraction of getting everything ready for the dinner party. By the time Michel showed up midafternoon, she’d almost finished her preparations.

They talked through the recipes she’d planned and settled on the timing.

‘Monsieur tells me you’ll be manning the bar tonight?’

‘The idea is to divide my time between the bar and the kitchen. I know I can trust you to hold the fort here?’

‘Of course.’ He peered closer at her. ‘Is everything all right?’

She busied herself placing large chunks of freshly cut salmon in its foil wrappings.

‘It will be when the evening’s over. I always get the jitters at these events.’

His knowing glance told her he hadn’t missed her evasiveness. Thankfully, Paolina entered the kitchen and Ruby sighed with relief.

The planning team arrived at four. After that, deliveries flooded in. Flowers, a DJ and lighting specialists who set up on the terrace.

But the most unexpected delivery came in the form of a couture designer bearing a zipped-up garment bag, which she handed over and promptly departed. The note pinned to the stunning powder-blue floor-length gown was simple—a beautiful gown for a beautiful woman.

Joy burst through her heart, made her smile for the first time that day.

For the job she had to do tonight, it was severely impractical, as were the silver shoes almost the exact shade as Narciso’s eyes, but as she walked into Narciso’s bedroom and hung up the dress she knew she would wear it.

Narciso was late. He arrived barely a half-hour before his guests were due to arrive and walked into the bedroom just as she was putting finishing touches to her upswept hair.


He froze in the doorway, and stared. ‘You look gorgeous, bellissima.’

She turned from the mirror, a cascade of love, trepidation and anxiety smashing through her. How would he take the news of his father’s continued scheming?

Remember where my son inherited his thirst for revenge...

Forcing down the shiver of apprehension, she murmured, ‘Grazie.’

His eyes darkened with pleasure. ‘You need to speak more Italian. Or better still Sicilian. I’ll teach you,’ he said as he shrugged off his jacket and tugged at his tie.

Then he strode to where she stood. Snaking a large hand around her nape, he pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. Then with a groan he stepped back.

‘Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be with you.’

‘Okay.’

‘Dio, I must be growing a conscience, bellissima, since I keep dismissing the idea of calling this party off.’

She forced a laugh. ‘You must be.’

Shaking his head, he entered the bathroom. She stood there until the sound of the shower pulled her from her troubled thoughts.

She was behind the bar, pouring the first of the cocktails into glasses, when he emerged.

The sight of him in a superbly cut grey suit and a blue shirt that matched her dress made her heart slam into her throat. He’d taken a single step towards her when the doorbell rang.

He rolled his eyes dramatically, then his gaze drifted over her in heated promise before he nodded for the butler to answer the door.

For the next two hours, Ruby let her skills take over, serving food that drew several compliments from the dinner guests.

She declined when Narciso invited her to join them at the dinner table. Although his eyes narrowed in displeasure, there was very little he could do about it, much to her relief.

She was preparing a round of after-dinner cocktails when she looked up and gasped.

Giacomo was framed in the penthouse doorway.

Her gaze swung to Narciso; frozen, she watched his head turn and his body tense as he saw his father.

For several seconds, they eyed each other across the room.

Giacomo sauntered in as if he belonged. Several guests, sensing the altered atmosphere, glanced between father and son.

‘Hey, watch it!’

She jerked and looked down to find she’d overfilled a glass and the lime-green cocktail was spilling over the counter.

Setting the shaker down, she grabbed a napkin.

‘Bona sira, Ruby,’ came the mocking voice. ‘How lovely you look.’

Her head snapped up and connected with Giacomo’s steely gaze. Surprise that he hadn’t headed straight for his son held her immobile. Long enough for him to calmly reach across the counter, take her hand and press a kiss on her knuckles.

She tried to snatch her hand away but he held on tight, a triumphant smile playing about his lips. ‘Play along, little one, and all your problems will go away,’ he said in a low voice.

‘I have no intention of playing along with anything.’

‘It doesn’t matter one way or the other. Narciso is infatuated with you. He’ll see what I want him to see.’

With the clarity of a klaxon, everything fell into place.

She’d been played. Giacomo had always intended this to be his revenge. By meeting with him last night, she’d only given him more ammunition.

Heart shattering, she glanced over to where Narciso stood stock still, his eyes icy lakes of shock.