The Billionaire's Daughter (3 page)

“Stop
punching me or I’ll punch you back,” he warned, ignoring her protest. 
“Tell me” he said quietly, molding her into his body.  “Why aren’t you at
work?” 

 “Ok
- you’re right.  I was fired,” she admitted, her face still buried in his
chest, her nostrils inhaling the sweet, spicy smell of him.  “It doesn’t
even matter.  I don’t care. It’s no big deal.  And how did you know
where I was working anyway?”

“Your
father keeps me posted on things from time to time,” he replied coolly.

Then
to her surprise, he released her and settled himself on the edge of the
bath. 

“I
need to get in the tub but you need to help me remove my shoes.  I think
my ankle is swelling.”

He
was looking up at her.  She felt transfixed.  What had just
happened?  Didn’t he just kiss her, madly kiss her, passionately kiss her?

“Kate
- my shoes!” he reminded her, firmly.

A
strange sensation moving through her body, Kate sank to her knees in front of
him.  It felt odd - but not odd-bad, just odd - to be kneeling in such a
way.  She unlaced his hefty boots, and as she pulled off the first one,
followed by his wet sock, he began to stroke her hair.  Sexual sparks
surged through her body and she let out a soft, unexpected moan.  She
paused, staring up at him. 

“Why
did you stop?” he queried. 

“Sorry,”
she muttered, and turned her attention to the foot that was injured.  She
undid the laces and gingerly began to pull.  She heard Dante wince and
looked back up at him.

“It’s
ok.  Keep going,” he said.

She
pulled as gently as she was able and it finally came off. Peeling back the sock
she could see Dante’s ankle and the top of his foot was puffy and swollen.

“Oh
dear,” she murmured.  “It doesn’t look too good.”

“Look
more closely.  See if it’s discolored by the heel,” he crooned, leaning forward,
softly pressing down on the top of her head.

She
swallowed. Something strangely wonderful was happening to her, and as she
lowered her head to stare at the tender, bruised, sensitive skin, there was an
unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“It’s
kind of puffy and purple,” she murmured.

“Thank
you,” he purred.  “Give me your hand.”

She
looked up as she raised her arm, and he wrapped his fingers around her elbow
and helped her to her feet.

“I
think there’s hope for you, Kate,” he said, sounding weirdly formal.  “You
may go now.  Please put the clean clothes Cecil will have left for me on
my bed.”

“Um
- sure,” she replied, and feeling decidedly peculiar, turned and walked out the
door, closing it behind her. 

What the hell just happened?  What
does he mean, hope for me? That kiss - oohhhh
--

CHAPTER TWO

Totally
unnerved, Kate meandered from the room and moved slowly up the stairs totally
forgetting about the clothes Cecil had left.  Entering her bedroom she
flopped on her kingsized bed.  He had almost seduced her.  In fact he
could have if he’d kept kissing her.  It was heaven.
 
Better than heaven.

Laying
back she closed her eyes and relived the moment.  It was to die for. 
Her thighs squeezed together of their own accord.  Dante Giordano. 
He was incredible looking.  But he always had been. There was just more of
him now.   Much more.  And he was - he was - she couldn’t find
the words.

Taking
a deep breath she thought back to that ‘thing’ he had done to her.  A warm
chill shivered up her spine.  That ‘thing’ was fifteen minutes in her life
she would never, ever forget.

She
was about to ride her favorite horse, Odessa in a big show.  The mare was
being transported out later that day and Kate would be leaving the following
morning.  Having not attended many horse shows in recent years, she was
nervous but very excited about the prospect and was determined to do well.

  It
was a beautiful morning and she had run down to the stables thinking she had
just enough time for a much needed practice ride before lunch.  
Bouncing into the barn she found Odessa gleaming from head to foot.  There
was not a spot of dirt on her and her mane and tail had been braided ready for
the show ring.

She
called out to Javier, the groom.  There was no answer.  Running to
the back of the barn she saw him standing a little distance off deep in
conversation with Dante.  She’d had no idea Dante was even on the property
and her heart had skipped a beat.
 
It was perfect.
 
She'd ask
him to have lunch with her after the ride.  She called to Javier, who
looked up and saw her waving her arm trying to get his attention.  He
immediately came running up the small incline.

“Is
something wrong?” he asked, slightly out of breath, concern on his face.

“I
need a practice ride.  Tack her up please,” she said impatiently. 

“But
Kate, if you ride her I’ll have to groom her again.  It’s a big job. 
I don’t know if I can finish before the horse van gets here,” he replied,
hoping she would understand.

“Of
course you’ll have time, and if the van has to wait a little while then they
can wait,” she argued.

“But
Kate,” the groom pleaded, “you don’t understand what ---”

“What’s
the problem?” Dante interjected, having jogged up to see why Javier and Kate
appeared to be having an argument.

Kate
and Javier turned to face him.  She swallowed hard.  He looked
amazing.  That black hair and those blue eyes, and he was wearing a tank
top.  Talk about muscles.  She took a deep breath attempting to shake
off the distraction.

“I
want to ride and Javier is refusing to do his job and tack up my mare,” she
explained curtly.  

Dante
frowned and looked at Javier.

“I
just spent two hours grooming the horse,” Javier explained,  “and 30
minutes braiding the mane and tail.  If she rides I have to groom her
again.  If the horse comes back  sweating and needs a bath the braids
could get messed up.  The van is coming but I don’t have an exact time,
and I don’t think ...”

“And
I told you,” Kate interrupted, “the van can wait if it needs to.”

“Javier,”
Dante said, calmly, “do me a favor and give Kate and me a few minutes.”

“Wait
a second!” Kate declared.  “Javier don’t ---” but it was too late. 
Javier was already jogging away.

“Damn
it, Dante,” she snapped, then wished she hadn’t.
 
And wished she had better control over her temper. 
She really wanted to have lunch with him and the last thing she wanted was
get to get into an argument.  

“Kate!”
he frowned, “if you don’t calm down you’re going to have a problem.”

“Oh
really!” she scoffed.  Then caught herself just in time.
 
She’d been about to tell him to mind
his own business. 

"Listen. 
I'll ride, and then you could stay and we can have lunch,” she continued,
trying to change the subject.  “We haven't caught up in ages.”

Dante
glared at her, and Kate, caught in his icy blue stare, felt a heady rush. 
An unexpected, unfamiliar something that was making her temples throb.
 
And for no apparent reason her mouth
had become inexplicably dry.

“What
you’re asking is selfish and unreasonable.  Just think about it for
a  moment.  That guy just --”

“---
just what?  Did what he’s paid to do?” she spat.
 
Now she was really frustrated and there was no stopping
her.
 
Her temper had taken hold!
 

 “Kate. 
I’m warning you.  Settle down or you’ll be sorry.”

“I
just want to ride my frickin' horse!” she yelled, leaning her shoulders
forward.

Dante
shook his head. 

“Okay
Princess.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

What
happened next both appalled and horrified her.  With one foul swoop she
was up off the ground, over his shoulder and being carried up to the house.

“DAMMIT
PUT ME DOWN!” she’d screamed.  “NOW!”

Dante
had completely ignored her protestations, but when she kicked out and squirmed
violently, almost dislodging herself from his hold, he stopped and said in a
very deep, stern voice,

“I
promise you, one of these days I’m going to spank you silly,” and swatted her a
couple of times.

 She
was absolutely mortified.  She couldn’t believe that he’d smacked her and
even worse what he had threatened. But it had stopped her kicking.  If
he’d been brazen enough to throw her over his shoulder he could just easily be
brazen enough to make good on his frightening promise.

When
her father met them at the door to see what all the commotion was about, Dante
had stood her down and explained very calmly the details of her
unreasonable request.  She had interrupted him at the outset,
but Dante had shot her a look with those warning eyes and she felt herself
wither under the gaze.  Her father, to her shock and dismay, had actually
sided with Dante.  Absolutely furious she had raced up to her room
slamming the door as hard as she could.  

Not
only didn't she get to ride her horse, she'd gotten into a fight
with Dante and blown a golden opportunity to spend time with him.

The
incident haunted her for months and often crossed her mind in the years that
followed.  And always - every single time it came to mind - she felt
a hot erotic spark travel through her sex.  Now the wetness and wanting
was evident again. Her hand slithered into her tights and her fingers
touched her delicate, sensitive little button.

She
let out a long, deep sigh.  Now he was in the house and
actually soaking in a tub just down the stairs. 

Oh good grief,
she thought. 
I can’t stand it!

Impatiently
she ripped off her leggings and laid back down, envisioning his face and chest
and recalling his intoxicating aroma. She let her mind drift, surrendering
to its whims and fancies.  She imagined she was still in the
bathroom and he was pulling her sweater up and over her head, admiring her
full, round, perfect breasts.

She
imagined his rough hands roaming across her shoulders and moving down to cup
her tits, then feeling his warm and wicked tongue as he licked and sucked at
her nipples.  She moaned softly, believing he would never stop, and every
time she pulled back he would close his hands firmly around her mounds of
flesh, insisting she stay right where she was.

Her
eyes shot open.  No man had ever treated her in such a fashion and she
didn’t understand why she loved the idea of Dante doing just that.  She
had always been the one who called the shots, she who controlled the pace and
tempo.  But in her fantasy Dante was no such man.  Oh no!  Her
body was his to enjoy as he wished.  

  
Oh Dante
, she moaned. 
That kiss.  That kiss was unbelievable. 
I have dreamed of that kiss for sooooo long.

 
She ran her fingers across her mouth.  The way he had clutched her
hair ...! 

She
squeezed her thighs together with the memory, thinking how she wanted him
to do it all over again.  She couldn't stand it.  She
wanted him to make love to her so badly.  Had wanted it for so
long.  And he was just through the door, down to the guest suite...
 

Dare
she?  Dare she go to him?
 
She
might never have this chance again!

Impulsively
she jumped from her bed and raced down the stairs, her heart hammering in
her chest.
 
Walking quickly to his
bedroom she poked her head in.  Empty.
 
But she could hear him in the tub. Throwing caution to the
wind she walked forward and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yes?"  

She
paused -

Do it!  Go on - you know you want
to!

“It's
me.  Can I come in?"

She
thought her voice sounded feeble and shaky and prayed she was wrong.

"Kate? 
Sure.  Enter at your own risk!"