Page 11 of Wicked (Wicked Billionaires #2)
DANTE
Her question in the bathroom last night has thrown me, even if she was out of it. Have I ever had sex with someone I’ve been in love with?
How dare she?
In reality, there are three things I do well in the world: building fashion labels, identifying design talent, and making women come. I have taken pleasure in all three, and I still do with two.
I claimed way too many women in the day, and I am making a huge effort to control myself. I’ve never had trouble bedding women, but sex became boring.
I bore fast when it is not earth breaking.
I have also given up on finding the one, and maybe that relates to her ridiculous question.
As I move around the castle and understand the tasks at hand, I use the notebook I was given. It has good detail within, and I plan what I want to do each day for the next week.
As I travel around the building, I’m reminded of how messed up the castle sale is. I decide to walk around the castle’s outer wall again, and really take her in. After circumnavigating the glorious old building and family stronghold, I sigh in the sun.
There is no way we can sell it. No fucking way. I just need time to form a strategy.
I look around the coast and down the cliffside into the cove, glancing down towards the villa.
It’s a spectacular view and likely why in the day they built the castle here. I find myself staring back at the villa and wondering if Raven is writing or if she is laying down. And if so, what she is doing.
I shake my head and lecture myself on getting my act together.
“You’re just like a kid,” I say, “Get it together!”
After carrying dozens of swords from several rooms in a wing, I place them carefully along a wall. I then place a dozen shields from around the castle in the same area. Boxes of rare antiques sit in lower rooms and there are lines of canvas oil paintings.
The castle is not damp, and the weather is dry. Nothing at all is in danger of aging.
The castle has modern and electronic alarms outside, and the details are in the back of the small notebook my mother gave me.
After doing another sweep of the wing, I find the last Renaissance era carpets and I roll them and bring them below.
As my phone chimes, I check my watch. It’s time to Zoom Nico to discuss his streaming channel.
After sipping sparkling water, and watching his new presentation, I nod. I’ve just seen what is likely one of the best montages ever cut in the world.
“Bravo, Nico. Spectacular.”
“Grazie,” my friend says before updating me on our plans.
We talk about the timeframe, schedule, and budget, and I agree to all proposals. The channel is his baby, and it will go out in a dozen nations and languages.
I am simply a silent investor, buying hours of airtime to show off my brands.
I lose focus twice during the Zoom, and Nico calls me out on it. Embarrassed, I reassure him I’m good. I do not tell him a virgin is doing bad things to me.
Part of me wants to race down to the villa and tell Raven I must have her. Part of me wants to tell her I need to be inside her, and now.
Another part of me wants to tell her I’ll teach her all I know. That I’ll have her coming like a waterfall.
After Nico and I end the Zoom, I walk away distracted. I eventually get back to work and growl at the universe. I do not deserve this, especially when I’m here and trying to do good.
There is no way the universe should be trying to derail me or play with me with a hot, tight, wet, and pure young thing. No way! Nothing good will come of this.
Nothing at all!