Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) (7 page)

“Said naked lady is excited and can’t wait to start
the adventure.”

* * * *

Allan wanted to sigh in relief, but he held back. He
wasn’t sure she would agree to it. Hell, Loraine hadn’t given him any hope that
she would when she stressed how sweet and innocent she is, nothing like the
type of women he had occupy his bed. And when ‘two months’ slipped out, he was
sure she was going to say no, but he kept his own startled reaction under
wraps.

 
One couldn’t
survive in his line of work if they didn’t possess an excellent poker face.

He’d done another thing he hadn’t planned—promised to
flack off work to show her all of Italy. Allan didn’t like not being present
during large takeovers like he knew
Casa
Italiano
was going to be but, for once in his life, he
was going to put himself ahead of everyone else, including Melody.

Taking care of Melody had been his only interest since
their father’s death three years ago. Their mother had died four years before
that, leaving their father a shell of who he used to be. Allan always thought
the day Rose Sullivan took her final breath was the same day Allan Senior died,
too. He only stayed alive long enough to teach Allan the ropes on running
Sinclair Enterprises.

The day he closed on his first takeover was the day
Allan Senior announced he had stage four pancreatic cancer and had no intention
of trying to fight it because, ‘he was a lonely sixty-five year old and as much
as he loved his children, he wanted nothing more than to join the love of his
life.’

Allan clenched his jaw, the familiar resentment coming
to surface. The man had been diagnosed a year before and only took medication
that would keep him around long enough for a long, final, all-issues-covered
goodbye.

Melody saw their father’s death—Allan saw it as a
suicide—as an incredible love story and she cried more tears of joy than of
sorrow at his funeral. She wasn’t as broken as when they had laid their mother
to rest. According to her, their father’s lunacy was a romantic gesture and she
wanted a husband who showed such dedication to their love even in death. She
wanted a soul mate who’d feel as incomplete as their father did when his soul mate
died—one who couldn’t go on with life without her.

The girl had only just become legal to drink, what did
she know?

Allan just found the old man to be selfish. And
because of that, he didn’t want to fall madly, emphasis on mad, in love and
have children, only to pull the same selfish act when ‘the love of his life,
his soul mate died. No, he enjoyed this arrangement just fine. A different
woman for each trip to keep him company and keep him entertained for a short
while. He’d even contemplated proposing to Theresa. It would have been a
parasitic, she being the parasite, union, but one that would keep his heart out
of it and no offspring. Theresa cringed at the sight of kids.

Allan felt his body get pushed back and he took a step
back to steady himself. He looked down and couldn’t help but smile at her
quirked brow, the edge of her lips turned down in a slight frown.
Does she know how innocently cute she looks
with that puzzled look on her face?

“Hey, where did you go just now?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m back now.” He pulled her to
his side and led them to the black Escalade that just pulled up next to the
plane. “How about some shopping?”

She shrugged, hugging his waist. “We do need a few things.
A change of clothes for one, and something light for you, because that suit
looks good on you, but you must be burning up.”

Allan almost stopped walking.
We?
She said
we
and not
only that, but she was worried about him getting heat stroke. All the women
he’d brought, especially Theresa, would have started with
I
. Instead of worrying about him, they’d be demanding to know if
they were going to a five star hotel and if his black Visa was going to buy a
dinner gown that would multiply to an outfit for different times of the day.

And the yacht thing—sailing and living in the yacht
instead of flying first class from city to city. They would have thrown a hissy
fit, which would’ve immediately lead him to calling a taxi and booking them the
next flight back home. Riana hadn’t even asked where they were going to stay!
Or had she just assumed it would be the best of everything because he was a
billionaire?

Why not put it to the test?

He ushered her into the car, handed the driver his
briefcase then climbed in after her. With a noncommittal grunt he began. “Where
would you like to stay and would you like to buy a dress for dinner?”

Riana stared at him like he’d asked her for the
solution to world hunger. He arched his brow, prompting her to speak.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Anywhere you want is
fine. And a dinner dress? I figured we’d order room service. We’ll be tired
after sightseeing.” She blushed, quickly turning away from him. “And you
know…the whole making love at night thing you wanted to do. I’m cool with that
plan, unless you want to change it?”

Yes, she was proving his theory of her being a unicorn
with every single word she said.

He hooked his finger under her chin and turned her
head around to face him. She kept her eyes low, her lower lip pulled into her
mouth—something he’d come to notice as her being nervous, especially when she
nibbled—and her hands folded at her lap.

“Look at me, Riana,” he whispered. After a heartbeat
or two, she looked up. He could see the worry in her eyes. He leaned down
slightly and taking his cue, she tipped her head back. “No. I like that plan,
we’ll stick to that.” She released her lower lip just in time for him to
capture it in a kiss.

She planted her hands on his shoulders and pushed him
back. Allan groaned. He was just getting into that kiss. He was beginning to
get the feeling she was more excited about Italy than him.

 
“Are we going
to take a train? If we are we better buy backpacks. It will be easier—”

Allan pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. Her
wonderful taste got him each time. She was soft, naïve, innocent, and just so
sweet. Pulling away always felt like torture to him, but he did to answer her.

“Yes, we’ll be taking the train. It’s the best way to
see the landscape and practical since we’ll be spending only two to three days
in each place. No we don’t need backpacks. We are not trekking all over Italy
and camping out at the beach like hippies. We’ll get suitcases and fill them as
we go along, and we’ll make sure to get Loraine some things, too. Have I
addressed all your traveling concerns?”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’ve noticed you
always kiss me to stop my rambling.”

Allan chuckled. He’d noticed that too, but not because
it annoyed him but because he didn’t want her to worry about anything. She
always rambled when she was nervous, worried, and overly excited. “That’s
because your rambling turns me on, and we aren’t exactly in a suitable place to
address that.”

“Oh,” she giggled quickly sliding off his lap. “So
where are we going?”

“
Casa
Italiano
. You’ll go shopping, and then up to the room to
rest while I straighten out a few details with my work. Then we’ll go
sightseeing. Is that alright with you?”

She nodded, her lips parted in the brightest smile
he’d ever seen, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She turned to look out the
window like an animated child when they pulled out of the airport and into the
first signs of life as the city began its day. “Perfect.”

Allan felt something twist in his chest as he stared
at her. He realized she was just that. “Absolutely perfect.”

Chapter Five

Riana stepped into the Imperial suite. She’d never
seen a hotel as beautiful as this. The moment she stepped into the lobby, it
took her breath away. The crystal chandeliers wowed her, the diamond-like
structure sparkling when the crystals hit the light, and the exquisite,
old-fashion furniture and traditional decorations spoke of their cultural
history.

“Is this where we are staying?” she whispered to
Allan, in complete awe.

Allan nodded, his lips turned down in a frown. “Yes.
It does look old fashioned, nothing like The Ritz.”

“Oh no, it’s just perfect.”

She turned full circle, trying to take the entire room
in. “Don’t you see what they are trying to do? The best centuries were the
eighteenth and nineteenth when royalty meant something more than Prince William
and Puff Daddy having equal celebrity status.” She stopped before him. “Anyone
into art, photography, painting, design…whatever the genre, this is art heaven.
It’s like stepping back in time, I just love it.”

Allan looked down at her with a lopsided grin. Did he
find what she said amusing? “What’s so funny?”

 
“It’s going to
be wonderful experiencing Italy through your eyes.” Then he handed her to the
concierge and moved down one hall, a man joining him from the counter, falling
in step with him and they immediately began to speak in Italian while she went
down another hall.

Now she stood alone in the middle of their suite. It
was disappointing how modern it was, like there was a different designer for
the suites. He or she could have at least tried to make the two designs blend.

Once she walked into to the suite, she entered the
living room, which was furnished with plush couches and a glass coffee table in
the middle with magazines and the hotel brochure on top. She climbed two steps
up into the dining room area close to the glass wall. The table sat four
people, with a bowl of fruits in the middle and all the place settings already
done. Riana moved to the glass wall and looked out.

She gasped. The view matched the royalty design in the
lobby. It was breath taking. One could almost see all of Rome from where she
stood. She wondered if this was the reason Allan picked the room, because it
would be the only reason why she would pick the room.

She pulled herself away from the view and ventured
through one of the doors opposite each other. There was nothing spectacular
about it. It was a normal room with twin beds, a bathroom and a walk-in closet.
This was definitely not where they’d be sleeping.

Riana drew in a heavy breath, her stomach in knots.
She closed the door and walked across the living room to the other room. She
stumbled and then stopped. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she was
having a panic attack.

“Really, Riana, you’ve already slept with the guy. Get
a hold of yourself!” She then took a deep breath and opened the door without a
second thought.

“Oh my…” She took slow steps inside as she admired the
room.

The bed was king size with dark grey, silk beddings
and a heavy, light grey comforter folded at the foot of the bed. The view was
just as spectacular as the dining room’s with the light from outside falling on
the bed.

The bathroom was large. The toilet was separated from
the rest by a short wall, there were his and hers sinks, a bathtub that could
fit three people, and a jet shower that could fit two. She could already see
herself in both with Allan, doing a lot more than taking a bath or shower.

She smiled, her heart beating a little harder. Yup.
She was going to enjoy the bathroom.

 
She turned
around away from the bathroom and faced the walk-in closet. The entire wall was
a closet, a two
seatter
facing it like in one of
those bridal stores.

On the mirror, there was a note stuck to it. ‘Thought
you and Riana would need the clothes and the toiletries’ and it was sighed
Wilma.

Riana appreciated the thought, but she wondered who
Wilma was and how Allan knew her. She shrugged, deciding to enjoy the kind
gesture. She turned to the bathroom and began stripping off her clothes. First
things first, she was going to have a very long, rose scented bubble bath.

* * * *

Riana walked out of the room when she heard the door
open. A smile automatically dominated her face when she saw Allan. “Hey, I’ve
been waiting for you.”

“
Aha
,” he
responded noncommittally, his eyes moving over her. She could almost feel him
touch her and that meant trouble.

“Why don’t you take a shower and change your clothes.
Wilma—whom I’m assuming you know—stocked the bathroom and the closet, so we are
good for two days.”

He took a step closer to her and his eyes settled on
her bosom. “She’s my secretary.”

She moved into the living room, placing the large
couch between them. “Allan, sightseeing first, you promised.”

He stopped moving and looked up at her. She held his
gaze and pointed behind him. “Go through that door. All that you need is inside
there. I’ll just wait here for you.”

After a long pause filled with complete silence, Allan
groaned and then quickly turned around, forcefully shedding his jacket as he
stomped into the room. Riana let out a sigh of relief, falling onto the couch.
She wanted Allan as much as he wanted her, but she didn’t agree to stay with
him in Italy for two months only to spend it indoors.

It only took a few minutes for Allan to get ready. He
looked good in khaki shorts and a linen button down shirt. Almost like the rest
of the human males. The other normal male gesture he made was holding her hand
as they walked the streets of Rome.

The first place they went to was the
Trevi
Fountain and it looked just like the scene in the
movie
La Dolce Vita
. Riana threw a
coin in and made a wish. Allan found it hilarious and Riana was sure a little
naïve but he still indulged her by throwing his own wishing coin in.

She hoped his wish would come true, because with every
minute that went by, hers was. She was living a fairytale she only saw in
movies.

From there they walked to the museum
Castle San Angelo
and looked out at the
superb view of Rome. It was hard for her not to feel excited and romanced
seeing the romantic city laid out at her feet.

If Allan was trying to get her to fall in love with
him by taking her to the city of love, he might just succeed.

They then went to the longest and widest staircase in
Europe, the Spanish Steps, which led to the church of
Trinita
Dei
Monti
and watched the choir sing
with the other tourists. It was a little embarrassing standing in a church with
Allan hugging her from behind and kissing her neck. She felt like she should be
praying for forgiveness or something, but the other tourists looked at them
like they were watching true love exist before their eyes. It was funny seeing
how uncomfortable that made Allan and he quickly dragged her off to the
Colosseum
.

That got to Riana. The impact of being in a monument
that old was like nothing she’d felt before. It made her feel like she’d died
and gone to art heaven. She wanted to sit right in the middle of the monument
and soak up all the inspiration and just paint. Her fingers were already
itching for a paint brush. Its beauty was just…she wasn’t sure there was a word
that effectively described how being there made her feel.

She was grateful to Allan because without him, there
was no way she would experience the passion and all the feelings bombarding her
at the moment.

She fisted his shirt in her hand, dragged him behind a
pillar, and kissed him with all that inspired passion. He kissed her back and laughed
until he felt how serious she was. He turned them around and pressed her
against the pillar. She felt his hand on her thigh as he pulled her leg up then
he released her, quickly ending the kiss. After a few minutes of fighting to
clear her passion hazed vision, Riana noticed the security guard with a
cheshire
smile on his face.

She felt a little disappointed and very embarrassed
for being caught. Nothing could have topped making love at the
Colosseum
, which she knew would have happened if they
weren’t interrupted. She could still feel him pressed against her belly, his
hands shaking on her waist as Allan struggled to regain control.

She stepped away from him and began taking pictures
before the security guard threw them out. She moved around, Allan following
behind her quietly keeping his distance. He told her it was best until he could
either get something cold to cool off his body or return to the suite, which he
was all for. She voted for lunch and as may cold drinks as he wanted. He
groaned his disapproval but agreed.

The day was off to a wonderful start and she didn’t
want it to end. There was so much to see and so many places to go and she only
had two days to do so.

* * * *

Allan’s fork halted at his mouth when he heard her
groan. He looked up. Her eyes were closed as she pulled the fork out of her
mouth with a sweet sigh. She’d done that with every dish she’d sampled that
day, and it was getting damn difficult not to drag her back to the hotel. They
almost didn’t make it out when he saw her in that short white dress—thank you
Wilma—her damp curly hair free around her shoulders.

 
He noticed she
didn’t wear makeup except for lip gloss and he liked that about her. It made
him realize the only reason he’d liked his women dressed to perfection from the
hair on their heads to the nails on their toes was because he’d liked having a
trophy on his arm.

But Riana was no trophy. She was something else. Something
much better. He just didn’t know what exactly. He hadn’t put his finger on it
yet.

She picked up a meatball with her tiny fingers and
lifted it to her mouth. Her lips covered half of it as she took a slow bite. She
savored the taste and rewarding it with another eye closing sigh before she
tossed the entire thing into her mouth. She sucked the sauce off her fingers
with a smile, her head leaning lazily to the side.

Fuck!
Allan had never been so turned on in his life. All he
could think about was her savoring a part of his anatomy in the same way.

Damn! Fuck!
He shifted uncomfortably on his chair as he watched
her lift another fork full of pasta to her supple lips. They either had to end
their touring early or he had to occupy his mind with something other than
those lips on his…

“How do you like Rome so far?” he blurted out,
settling his fork back in the pasta bowl. There was no way he was going to be
able to eat with how tight his stomach was with lust. He needed to relieve the
pressure first and she was having too much fun to attend to his needs.

He checked his watch. In another…six hours! He groaned
closing his eyes, he wasn’t going to last that long!

“Allan, are you all right?”

Allan opened his eyes and met her worried ones. “Yes,
I’m fine,” he said with a strained voice. He picked up his fork and forced the
pasta into his mouth for emphasis.

Her face brightened again. “Good. I’ve never had so
much fun in my life! It’s so wonderful here I may never want to leave. And the
food, wow, I mean wow. The Italian restaurants at home don’t even come close.
Every ingredient they use is so fresh and juicy. Did you know they make their
own pasta from scratch, no one does that anymore and—” She suddenly stopped
pulling her lower lip into her mouth. “I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

And turning
my balls blue!
He smiled. “I
don’t mind.” The hell he didn’t, but what else could he say?
Let’s go to the bathroom so that I can
release myself inside you?

Her brows arched the way they did when she was
worried. “I know you must have seen all this before. I just hope it’s not
boring for you.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “I like
seeing Italy through your eyes. It feels like I’m seeing it for the first time.
I like that and it’s more exciting than ever.”

She smiled. “I’m glad.” She bounced excitedly in her
chair. “So what next?”

Allan chuckled. “More sight-seeing, and then
finally
back to the hotel and we can
order dinner in our suite. Is that agreeable?”

“Most definitely,” she said, her eyes widening as she
looked over his shoulder. “Oh, I like that.” Then she was up out of her chair
and rushing for whatever it was she saw without another word.

Allan turned around after her, laughing. He watched
her try to communicate with the street vendor, pointing at a hat in his cart
but the man was more interested in placing ornaments in her hair as the woman
with him fastened a beautiful pendant around her neck both praising her beauty
in Italian. Finally Riana turned to him with a helpless smile on her face.