Catering to the Italian Playboy Page 7

  Heat eased into Sophie’s cheeks, but she couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t have to remind me what an idiot I made of myself.”

  “I thought it was very brave of you.” Max tried to keep a straight face, but his lips twitched, betraying the grin underneath. “Though I wasn’t quite sure about that dance you were trying to pull off. What was that anyway? The Robot?” Max jerked his arms and waist in stiff electronic motions to demonstrate.

  Sophie’s smile dissolved into a giggle at his rendition of the eighties dance. This was a side of Max she’d never seen but rather enjoyed. His version of the silly dance seemed at odds with his usual serious nature, yet this was the side she could see relating to Alex. Hope plucked at her heart. This was how a real dad should be and maybe, just maybe, Max could be what Alex needed after all.

  Sophie swatted his arm playfully. “Why don’t you try balancing on a slick lacquer table in three-inch heels and see how well you do?” He didn’t need to know she couldn’t have pulled it off in her sensible flats in the grass. Coordination was not one of her strong suites.

  Max’s laugh rumbled through her. “I think I’ll pass. I don’t believe I’d look nearly as sexy as you did.” His tone turned silky, his eyes darkening to a sensuous shade of gray as he caught her hand in his. Sophie’s breath hitched. “But that bird’s eye view of the birthmark on your thigh was more than enough to make up for the God-awful dance.”

  Sexy?

  Her stomach somersaulted. He thought she was sexy?

  Sophie licked her suddenly parched lips. “M–my birthmark?”

  “Mmm.” His hand slipped from hers and his fingers teased nerve-endings in her arm she didn’t even know existed. Her pulse kicked into third gear. “A cute little half-moon that’s been driving me wild for days now,” he murmured in her ear, his warm breath blowing a strand of hair at her temple.

  Sophie’s brain fuzzed over as his fingers continued their trail of ecstasy along her arm. “It has?”

  “Absolutely. I can’t seem to get it out of my mind. Or this.” He lowered his head and his firm, wet lips claimed hers, forcing them to part. The huskiness in his voice slid over her like a satin sheet.

  Max hauled her against him, his need for her evident against her thigh. Sophie pulled a jerky breath as he deepened the kiss, his lips demanding more as his tongue slid past her teeth and met hers in frenzied dance of passion.

  A soft sigh shuddered through her. She responded to him hot touch for hot touch as the scent of exotic musky spice tantalized her senses. God, he smelled delicious. Her hands somehow found their way around his neck and tangled in the short spiky curls just above his collar.

  Max’s groan, low in his throat, stirred a heat wave in her body. He jerked her closer and yanked the bottom of her white button-down blouse from the waistband of her black trousers.

  “Dio, woman! You’re driving me out of my mind!” Max muttered hoarsely against her mouth as his hand slid underneath the silk material and stroked her stomach before sliding it around her waist to her caress her the length of her spine.

  Sophie melted into him as hot flames of desire seared through her body and pooled in her core. Her stomach flittered again. He felt so good against her.

  “You’re not exactly helping my sanity either,” Sophie whispered back, streaming her fingers through his hair. Her heart thudded so loud against his chest she was sure he could hear it.

  “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. Not after the last time. But, Christo, I can’t help myself.” Max trailed her chin with his lips before settling on an erogenous zone in her neck. Sophie arched to give him full access practically purring at the soft kisses raining down her neck.

  “Why not?”

  Why not? That’s all she could think to say? How about ‘No this isn’t a good idea. We need to think about Alex.’ Or ‘I’d have to be completely deranged to even contemplate getting hot and bothered with you.’ Anything would have been better than why not.

  “I took advantage of you that night. Believe me when I say I wouldn’t have if I had realized…” He nibbled an oh-so-delicate spot on her neck. Sophie’s nipples tightened as she pressed her breasts against his chest. “I should have known…” Self-remorse laced his voice, but he didn’t pull away.

  “What do you mean? You didn’t take advantage of me. As I recall I was a willing participant.” Goose bumps sprinkled over her body as his mouth found another sensitive area at the base of neck. A very willing participant she might add.

  “You’d just lost your mother. Had I known, I wouldn’t have taken you back to my penthouse. You obviously weren’t thinking clearly.” His response was muffled against the soft skin of her neck. “And neither was I.”

  “I’m thinking clearly now,” Sophie murmured, letting her fingers trail down his back and noting with pleasure how his muscles quivered beneath her fingers. Actually she wasn’t, but who was keeping score?

  Max lifted his head, his eyes hooded with desire. “I want to make love to you, Sophie. Right here, right now.” He stepped away from her and let out an unsteady breath. “I can’t promise you forever, but I can promise you this moment.”

  This moment sounded pretty good to her. She knew Max wasn’t a house-in-the-suburbs kind of guy, and for what it was worth he at least had the decency to tell her right up front not to expect anything other than some delicious better-than-chocolate, mind-blowing sex, so what was the harm? She was a big girl. She worked hard. She deserved a little fun every now and again. And it had been a lo-o-ng time. Six years to be exact.

  Why not indeed?

  “Yes.”

  Max blinked. “Yes?” He pulled in a ragged breath and shoved his hand through his hair. “You’re sure? I want you to understand what I’m offering.” His jaw tightened and twin gray beams pierced hers. “And what I’m not.”

  Sophie knew what he was saying. There would be no flowers, no I-love-you’s and no happily-ever-afters. It was this moment only.

  She could deal with that.

  Felicity may have been off target about her falling for Max – she wouldn’t be that stupid, of course – but she was right about one thing. Getting horizontal with the sexy Italian might be just what she needed.

  “I’m sure.” Sophie smiled and stepped into his arms.

  ** SEVEN **

  “Then we need to get to my suite as soon as humanly possible.” Max wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. God, he wanted her so bad his lower anatomy ached in a way he’d never experienced before. “I’d hate for someone to walk in on us in flagrante delicto.”

  Sophie splayed her hands across his chest and gave him a sexy smile. “Yes. We really should get to your penthouse.” She loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Her fingers trailed the vee to the dark wiry hair beneath. Max’s breath froze in his lungs. She reached for the second button. Then, “Oh, Crap! I almost forgot. The party–”

  “Can wait.”

  Sophie’s eyes grew round as green saucers. “Felicity–”

  “Is a big girl. She’ll get everything started when she gets here, I’m sure.” He glanced at his watch: four ten. “We’ve got plenty of time.” His hands slid to the swell of her slender hips. Another flare of heat surged through him. In one quick movement he cupped her buttocks with his hands and hauled her to him. “I need you right now.”

  “But I really should stay and help her. This is a big assignment.”

  Max stiffened. “Have you changed your mind?” God, he hoped not. She was like a drug, addictive and mind-altering and he needed a fix. Now!

  “No.” Sophie traced his jaw with her finger, a muscle flexed in his chin. “I want you so much right now it hurts, but I have responsibilities.”

  “I’m the boss. I’ll let you off the hook this time and you won’t get fired. I promise,” Max growled, jabbing her mouth in a firm, possessive kiss before suckling her bottom lip.

  Sophie pulled away and shook her head. “I can’t Max. Not ri
ght now no matter how much I want to. I’m a professional and I want this party to be a success. It’s important to me.”

  Max expelled a long, ragged sigh. Figures. Just when I’m about to explode, she drops the bombshell. He would have been angry if he hadn’t been for two things. Her forlorn expression – maybe she regretted it as much as he did? – and the fact he knew how important her business was to her.

  She was right, of course. A successful business required responsibility and commitment. He would have done the same thing, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Grudgingly, he had to admit he did respect her decision and a little part of him even admired her for her principles, but the other part – the part throbbing in his slacks – still demanded attention. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be getting any straight away. “Fine. Stay. Get everything ready. But tonight after the party you’re mine.” He dropped a quick, hard kiss on her mouth then turned on his heel to leave. “I’ll be in my suite if you need me.”

  “I need you now–”

  Max’s heart screeched to a halt.

  “–but I guess I’ll have to wait until tonight.” Her lips curved up. “Thank you, Max.”

  Sophie’s relieved smile tugged on a place deep inside him. A place he thought he’d buried a long time ago. His chest tightened. He couldn’t offer her more than a night or so of pleasure, so why did he feel like he’d just won an Oscar?

  Dio! He needed to get this woman out of his system once and for all.

  * * *

  Max took a sip of his drink and tried to concentrate on the woman seated next to him in the alcove. Painted red lips, immaculate blonde hair pulled back in a chic French twist and a revealing little black dress that emphasized her full breasts and womanly curves. A woman Max might have taken an interest in if his mind wasn’t occupied by a certain fiery redheaded caterer now serving cocktails to his guests.

  His sharp gaze followed Sophie as she deftly helped serve the hundred plus people mingling for six o’clock drinks in the Venetian room. A twinge of something he couldn’t quite place flared inside him as she said something to one of the young men who threw back his head and laughed. Sophie smiled and handed the man another drink.

  Max clenched his jaw. Was that man flirting with her?

  “Max, darling. You don’t seem to be paying attention.” The woman’s full red lips formed a petulant pout.

  Max pulled his eyes from Sophie and focused on the woman beside him. “Sorry, Janine. What were you saying?” He turned up his glass and downed the remaining liquid. The burning sensation in his throat didn’t help the flash of irritation he suddenly felt watching Sophie entertain the young man across the room. She was just doing her job, of course. The job he’d hired her to do. Yet it bothered him in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

  “I said it has been a long time since we hooked up. I was thinking a trip to the Hamptons might be just the thing we need.” She placed her hand on his arm and gave him a sultry smile. “I’ve missed you, Max. It’s been several months now, you know?”

  Max indulged her with a pat on the hand. His relationship with Janine was one of mutual understanding. Neither expected anything other than an occasional night of release. And even those were few and far between. “I’m sorry, Janine. I’ve been busy and I’m afraid I won’t be free for quite a while.” His gaze drifted back to where Sophie was now preparing the appetizers at a back table.

  Janine’s blue eyes followed his to Sophie, then she looked back at him with interest before letting out a throaty laugh. “Well, I’ll be. I never thought I’d see the day Maximus Rinaldi actually fell for a woman.”

  Max hitched a breath and shifted uncomfortably on the seat. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”

  Janine laughed again. “Relax, darling. It’s happened to the best of us. I just never thought it would happen to you.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “I hope the poor girl knows what she’s getting into.” Her smile let him know she meant no harm. “I’ll miss our little rendezvous, of course, but it’s about time you opened up that heart of yours. You deserve someone who makes you happy.”

  Max stiffened. “You’re mistaken. I haven’t fallen for anyone.”

  Janine slid out of the booth. “Poor darling. It’s going to hit hard when you finally do realize it.” She dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. “I wish you the best, love. Now I’m going to see if I can find a man here who’s actually available tonight. By the way, great party.” She shot him another smile then stopped in mid-step. “Don’t run this one off with that stubborn pride of yours, Max.”

  Max frowned as Janine disappeared into the crowd. He might want Sophie in his bed but he certainly hadn’t fallen for her. Not the way Janine imagined. His heart would never be open. He’d closed it off years ago as a little boy’s dreams of a real family dissolved into a bitter man’s reality that he wasn’t worth loving. No one would ever get close enough to him to hurt him like that again. At least after tonight he’d be able to get the fiery redhead out of his system once and for all.

  The rest of the evening seemed to drag on forever and Max must have looked at his watch at least a hundred times. Normally, he would have enjoyed talking with his friends and colleagues, but tonight he only had one thing on his mind. Getting Sophie to his penthouse suite. ASAP.

  The party by and large was a success, the food exceptional and the service impeccable; by the end of the evening several of his guests had already asked for Sophie’s business card.

  Satisfied she wouldn’t have any trouble keeping her business alive, Max leaned back against the booth and waited for her to finish cleaning up. With these connections and a few more he intended to send her way, she’d have more than enough business to make A Touch of Spice a roaring success. Pleasure rippled through him. He wanted to see her succeed.

  Max was still staring at her when Tom Moore, a long-time friend and attorney, slid into the booth across from him. “We have a problem,” Tom informed him tersely.

  “What is it?” Max didn’t care for the pinched look on the older man’s face. That look usually meant trouble.

  “Another buyer has made an offer on the property you have a bid in for. A very generous offer.” Tom took off his glasses and rubbed them with the linen napkin. “I don’t think he’s going to give it up easily either.”

  “Who?”

  “I’m not sure. Phil called this afternoon to tell me the price has gone up. The buyer is a developer who plans to demolish the building and build high-rise apartments.” Tom put his glasses back on and peered at Max. “What do you want to do?”

  Max’s stomach twisted so tight pain shot through his gut. No way! He wouldn’t allow it. His fist curled into a tight ball. “Make them another offer. I don’t care how high you have to go. I want that property.”

  Tom nodded. “I thought you’d say that. I just wanted to be sure. The price will be steep, you know.”

  Max slammed his fist on the table so hard his wine glass teetered for a moment and the silverware rattled against the marble top. “I don’t care about the price and I don’t care whose toes we have to step on or how many arms we have to twist to get it. I want that property. Make sure it happens. Do whatever it takes, Tom. The property will be mine.”

  “Done.” Tom reached for his cell phone as he slid out of the booth. “I’ll put the call in now.”

  Max turned to find Sophie standing behind his booth, lips drawn into a tight line and disapproval etched in her brows.

  Damn. He’d rather she hadn’t witnessed that.

  * * *

  Sophie’s heart tanked. Max was exactly like her father. Ruthless. Demanding. Determined to have his way and he didn’t give a flying fig who got hurt in the process. Getting involved with Max even for one night would be a mistake.

  “I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Max slid out of the booth and came to stand in front of her. Two hands landed lightly on her shoulders. A pleasant shiver crossed her shoulder blades and danced down her spine. Much to h
er back’s protest, she shrugged off his hands.

  “So am I.” She lifted her chin and forced her expression to remain professional. “We’ve finished here. Everything is packed and cleaned. I’m leaving.” She turned to go. Max’s arm shot out and grabbed her wrist.

  “Wait. This doesn’t have anything to do with us. It’s just business.”

  Hackles on the back of her neck stood on end. He just didn’t get it. “That’s what my father used to say. It’s just business. And he didn’t’ mind trampling over other people either as long as he got what he wanted.”

  “It’s not what you think, Sophie. This property … it’s important to me.”

  “Aren’t they all?” She threw back, eyes blazing. “What is this time? Perfect location for another hotel? You aren’t making enough money on this one so you need more and more? When does it stop? When is it enough?”

  “No.” Max’s voice turned to steel. “This has nothing to do with my hotels.”

  “Then what? What could possibly be so important that you don’t care how many people you hurt to get it?”

  He hesitated. “It’s complicated.”

  “Try me.”

  Max’s eyes shuttered and a note of steel entered his voice. “It’s personal. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”

  Sophie arched a brow. “Trust you? Fat chance. You don’t trust me enough to even tell me what is so important about this property that you’d pay any price to have it and twist arms to do it, yet I’m supposed to blindly trust you? Fall into bed and pretend everything is just dandy?” Not a chance, buster.

  “Sleeping together has nothing to do with my business.”

  “It has to do with trust. I don’t sleep with men I don’t trust and I sure don’t get involved with them.”

  Max set his jaw. “There isn’t any involvement, Sophie. It is a night or two of mutual pleasure between two consenting adults. I never promised you more than that. I thought I made myself clear.”