Page 14 of Sev’s Blackmailed Bride (The Dante Dynasty #1)

To her delight, Sev drove them into wine country, where he’d booked a room at a charming bed-and-breakfast. They spent the day at several of the local wineries sampling the wares before enjoying an impromptu picnic that consisted of generous slices of the local Sonoma Jack cheese and freshly baked bread.

That night they dined out at a small, elegant restaurant specializing in French cuisine, their day together one of the most enchanting Francesca had ever experienced.

The sun had long since set when they returned to their room and silently came together.

She’d been waiting for this from the moment she’d agreed to spend the weekend with Sev, had been anticipating it, desire fomenting with each passing hour.

And now that the moment had arrived, she tumbled, falling headlong into his arms and into his bed, if not into his heart.

Because she couldn’t quite convince herself that what they felt could be anything more than physical.

“We can make this work,” he told her, during the still hours between deepest night and earliest morning. “If we agree not to discuss anything job-related, this will work. ”

“For how long?” she protested.

“Look, Iknow TH is after a big-name actress to pull them out of their financial hole. Eventually, I’ll find out who she is. Idon’t need you for that. There are far more interesting ways to spend my time with you.”

She managed a smile, even though she continued to worry. “Our jobs mean everything to us, Sev. Even you can’t deny that. They’re as much a part of us as our flesh and bones. We won’t be able to share that part of ourselves.”

He conceded the point with a swift nod. “We’ll discuss other things, instead.”

“Like what?”

He rolled onto his side to face her. “Like, growing up in foster care. Coming from such a huge family, Ican’t begin to imagine it. Why were you never adopted?”

She tugged the sheet over her breasts and tucked it beneath her arms. Aridiculous reaction, she conceded, and more than a little telling. But talking about her childhood left her exposed. Any covering, even a sheet, helped compensate forthat.

“I almost was,” she said in answer to his question. “When I was eight. I’d been in foster care for three years by then. ”

He traced a scorching finger from the curve of her cheek down the length of her neck. As always, she flamed beneath his touch, her breath growing ragged. “What happened?”

Francesca shrugged. “They were about to adopt me when Carrie unexpectedly became pregnant with twins. The doctor ordered complete bed rest and her husband insisted I be placed elsewhere because it was too much for his wife. Iheard him tell the social worker that taking care of me put their babies at risk, and that the babies were their most important consideration.”

Sev swept her hair back from her face, regarding her with heartbreaking compassion. “What happened then?”

“I went through a succession of homes after that. Four, Ithink.” She dismissed the memory with a careless smile and rolled over on top of him.

His warmth became her warmth and helped diminish the coldness that streaked through her veins and sank into her bones.

Acoldness those particular memories always engendered.

“Acting out, Iguess, because I’d been foolish enough to imagine that Carrie and her husband might actually want me as much as the children they were about to have. ”

“I’m sorry.” He released his breath in a rough sigh, causing the curls at her temples to swirl and dance. “That’s such an inadequate thing to say. But I mean it.”

“Like I said, don’t feel sorry for me.” Pity was the last thing she wanted from him. “I survived.”

“And found your father. That must have helped.” He studied her curiously. “You haven’t told me anything about him. What’s he like?”

“There’s not much to tell,” she claimed, aware of how evasive she sounded. “He... he had a one-night stand with my mother. Since he was married at the time—is still married—Ididn’t feel comfortable intruding in their lives.”

Sev swore. “You just can’t catch a break, can you?”

“What about you?” She deliberately changed the subject. “You’ve said that after your father’s death you had to dismantle most of Dantes. Igather that included Timeless Heirlooms.”

“Yes.”

She could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, but pushed, anyway.

“Which explains why you’re so determined to get it back again.

That must have been as difficult for you as foster care was for me.

” She hesitated before asking, “Why has it become such an obsession? Imean, if your father was the one responsible for Dantes’ decline—”

He wrapped his arms around her and reversed their positions, bracing himself on his forearms to lessen the press of weight on top of her. “Why have I become so obsessed with rebuilding it?”

He looked so fierce. So determined. “Yes.”

“Because my father tried to tell me something about the business the day before he died.” His words grew ragged. “And I was too impatient to listen to another of his crazy schemes. Maybe if I had—” He broke off, amuscle jerking in his cheek.

“What?” Her eyes widened in sudden comprehension. “You think he had an idea for saving Dantes? One that didn’t involve dismantling the entire business?”

“I don’t think. Iknow. He called it Dante’s Heart. Even my mother thought it would work. I— reluctantly —agreed to meet with them the next day when they returned from their sailing excursion.”

“Only they didn’t return.”

He closed his eyes, grief carving deep lines into his face. “No.”

“Didn’t he write down his idea? Leave some sort of clue behind? ”

“I tore both home and office apart looking for it. There was nothing. Nothing except—”

She recalled what he’d told her when they’d visited his Pacific Heights house. “Letters detailing his affair with a designer.”

“Yes.” His mouth slid into a smile. Without fail, that simple quirk of his lips caused her body to quicken in anticipation. “Seems to run in the family.”

She acknowledged his comment with a sad smile before returning to the heart of the matter. “You think if you’d only taken the time to listen to your father, you wouldn’t have had to sell off all the Dante subsidiaries?”

His hands swept over her, settling on the softest of her curves. “If you’re asking whether I blame myself, I’ll make it easy for you. Ido.”

She fought to speak through her shiver of desire. “Seems we both have something to prove.”

“So it does.” He traced a path of kisses from the hollow of her throat downward. “The first thing I want to prove is how much I want you.”

In the hours that followed he did precisely that. Their lovemaking took on a desperate edge, as though beneath the passion they sensed how much they needed one another .

Sev gave no quarter. He took with a ruthless power Francesca couldn’t resist. He branded her with his fire, taking her to heights she’d never, ever experienced before, taking her in ways she’d never, ever experienced before.

The level of intimacy should have terrified her, the knowledge he gained over her body, and even more overwhelming, her heart, allowing her nowhere tohide.

He forced her from hiding and into the light, forced her to connect with him on every possible level. She might have resisted, but for one thing. He gave every bit as much of himself as he took, baring himself to her need, her touch. Her desire. And in doing so, filling the emptiness within.

Their weekend together changed everything, convincing Francesca that maybe she could have it all. Despite the small warning voice, she couldn’t quite silence, she allowed herself to be talked back into Sev’s bed. Or blackmailed there, he frequently claimed with a teasinggrin.

As the days slid into weeks, she became more and more certain Sev didn’t have an ulterior motive, other than to get her in his bed as often as possible.

But since that was her motivation, as well, nothing could make her happier.

Of course, he continued to offer her a job at Dantes at regular intervals, making the tempting offers as such casual asides they felt more like a joke than a true offer.

Foolishly, she even managed to convince herself he’d forgotten about identifying which actress Timeless Heirlooms hoped to sign as their spokeswoman.

Or so she believed until he picked her up one evening and handed her a brightly wrapped package. “This is for you. Fair warning, Iwant major good-guy points for this one.”

“That depends.” She picked up the box and shook it. “What did you get?”

“Something you mentioned last week. Go on and open it. It’s just a DVD.” His expression turned gloomy. “It has chick flick written all over it, but for you, I’m willing to take it like a man.”

Ripping off the outer wrapping she realized he’d bought her the latest Juliet Bloom release.

She stiffened, wondering if this was his subtle way of telling her he knew about the possibility of TH using Bloom as their spokeswoman.

“Thanks,” she murmured. She cleared her throat, forcing a more natural tone to her voice. “I can’t wait to watch this.”

“Then we’ll do it tonight,” he responded promptly. “We’ll order in Chinese and crack open that bottle of Pinot Grigio my family sent over from Italy.”

All through the beginning of the movie she remained on edge, praying she wouldn’t do or say something to give away TH’s plans.

The entire time, Sev remained his normal self.

As far as she could tell, he didn’t watch her with any more intensity than usual.

There were no double entendres or suspicious comments.

Halfway through the film, she managed to relax and even enjoy herself, perhaps in part due to the glass of wine Sev kept toppedoff.

By the end of the movie, she was in her usual position whenever they watched a DVD, on the couch curled up in Sev’s arms. Tears filled her eyes as the film reached its stunning climax, ascene in which the heroine stood before the villain, clothed in nothing but defiance and diamonds.

“It reminds me of our first night together,” Sev murmured. “You were wearing your amethyst-and-diamond set, remember? Bloom would look stunning in one of your designs.”

Francesca couldn’t tear her eyes from the film. “Yes, she will,” she murmured.

It took a full half-dozen heartbeats before she realized what she’d said. It took even less time to realize he’d understood the implications. She ripped free of his embrace and stood. “Oh, God.”

Sev climbed slowly to his feet, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Honey, don’t. Don’t overreact. Iswear to you, Ialready knew. ”

She shook her head, not believing him. “This was a setup, wasn’t it?”

“Not even a little.”

Tears of anger blurred her vision. “And I fell for it. Igot complacent. Even when I saw which movie you’d chosen, Iconvinced myself not to read anything into it.” The breath hitched in her throat as she looked around for her purse. “I have to go.”

“No, you don’t,” he argued. “You need to stay so we can talk this through.”

She ignored him, scooping her purse off the coffee table and crossing to the entryway to snatch her sweater from the antique armoire he used as a coat closet. “Just answer me one question, Sev.” She spun to face him. “Are you going to use the information about Juliet Bloom to try and take down TH?”

At least he didn’t lie to her. “Yes.”

“Then there’s nothing left to be said, is there?”

“There’s more to be said than you can possibly imagine. But since you’re in no mood to listen to me tonight, it can wait until tomorrow.”

“You’re wrong, Sev.” She yanked open the door to his apartment and stepped through. “There is no tomorrow for us.”