LITMIR.BIZ

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always noticed everything. She could see him sitting in his favourite chair, watching them. Did they create a picture of happiness? From the look on his face, she thought they might be achieving that at least.

      Liev greeted her grandfather with a firm handshake, regardless of the fact that he wasn’t able to stand up and greet him properly. They sat together and she was aware of her grandfather’s scrutiny as they made polite conversation about the weather and the house.

      ‘You must make Bianca very happy.’ She blushed as he launched into the protective parent mode, straight to the point as always.

      ‘I hope so.’ Liev’s hand tightened around hers as he answered.

      ‘She has never brought a man home before. I’m not even aware that she has dated before.’

      ‘Grandfather,’ Bianca scolded him. Liev didn’t need to know such details, especially now, after he’d rejected her because of that innocence.

      ‘I’m just doing my job, Bianca.’ His words were as firm as an elderly man’s could be, but there was humour in his eyes. Whatever the test was, Liev had passed it.

      She stood up, knowing they were tiring him. ‘We’ll leave you to rest now.’

      He had nodded at her, obviously more exhausted than he was letting her know. Liev took her hand and they walked towards the double doors of the lounge.

      ‘Bianca.’

      She turned as he called her name, her heart filling with love for the man who had raised her and protected her as best he could—and still was, if the past half an hour was anything to go by.

      ‘Any news on the bracelet?’

      Inwardly she deflated. That was the worst thing he could have asked. Why hadn’t he done that when she’d gone to see him? Beside her she felt Liev stiffen and his fingers tightened on her hand.

      ‘Not yet, but I’m hopeful that it won’t be long.’

      * * *

      Liev felt Bianca become rigid at his side, felt her hand loosen its grip in his as if she wanted to escape, but he held hers tighter, keeping her right where he wanted her, right where he could find out exactly what was going on.

      I’m hopeful that it won’t be long. Those had been her exact words.

      He forced down the bile which rose in his throat. He’d wrung himself out with guilt at taking her virginity, felt lower than he’d ever felt in his life for using her so appallingly when she’d talked of her growing affection, telling him that their pasts meant nothing. Then she’d told him of her prom night, adding to that guilt. All that must have been part of her game plan.

      She’d been desperate to get her hands on the bracelet, to give it to her grandfather. She’d bartered something as precious as her virginity. Would she now throw herself at him again, as their time together drew to a close, just to ensure she got the piece?

      Disgust rushed over him, hotly followed by annoyance. He’d believed her declarations of growing affection, believed that maybe, if it wasn’t for his need to wipe out ICE, they could be lovers. She knew more about him now than many of his friends did. But obviously, he didn’t know enough about her.

      ‘We should change for dinner.’ Her voice was light, but he heard the guilt lacing through it.

      He wanted to tell her dinner wasn’t a good idea and that he would be going straight back to his apartment in New York. But that first reaction gave way to a gut instinct which urged caution. If she could use him so shamelessly, he shouldn’t have any remorse or guilt about finding out about Dario’s new product—or using that information. He knew it was a phone, one that would revolutionise the market, but he had to know much more. Leaking half the story and expecting the share prices to fall enough for him to make a takeover was business suicide.

      Despite what he thought of Bianca right now and the way she’d sold herself to him, he had to keep that connection going between them and, above all, put aside anything he’d begun to feel for her and remember his promise as he’d stood at his parents’ graveside over twenty years ago.

      ‘Maybe we can sort out our differences over dinner?’ He lowered his voice, keeping it smooth, effectively offering an olive branch to her.

      She stopped and looked up at him, hope lingering in her eyes. ‘Yes, perhaps we can.’

      He nodded in approval. ‘Are we still changing for dinner?’

      ‘I think it would be best. Grandfather would approve—if he does join us, that is.’ There was a hint of anxiety in her voice and he suppressed the urge to offer comfort.

      After he’d changed for dinner, he sat on the balcony, watching the sun set over an estate that made him seethe with anger for what his parents could have had if ICE hadn’t been so mercenary. Dario Di Sione had pointedly ignored the fact that the company he now owned was only so lucrative because of the businesses it had wiped out. Liev’s father had built his up from nothing, creating an inheritance for his only son, but had been duped by the cunning and underhand deal offered by ICE. Driven by the need to put the past right, Liev had rebuilt it from nothing using his knowledge, intuition and, above all, the need to survive, making it bigger and better. His father would be proud.

      ‘Ready?’ Bianca asked, dragging him back from the darkness of his black thoughts.

      She looked beautiful, even more vulnerable and innocent if that was possible. How could he have fallen for her soft words, her assurances that all that mattered had been that night in his villa?

      ‘You look lovely.’ He spoke the truth but hoped to pick up the gauntlet where she’d thrown it and lull her into a false sense of security with loving words and gestures. This time he would be well and truly in charge.

      ‘I don’t think Grandfather will be joining us, so I hope you don’t mind standing on ceremony just to have dinner with me.’

      ‘It will be a pleasure to dine one last time with my fiancée.’

      ‘Last time?’ She frowned, looking far more worried than she probably was. ‘So you are happy that we have achieved all that was needed?’

      ‘Yes. I strongly suspect that the exclusive on the island will more than clinch that deal.’ He kept his voice free of the emotion raging through him. Everything was becoming too mixed up, getting too close to something real, exposing too many vulnerabilities, and he didn’t like it one bit.

      ‘And the bracelet?’

      Did she now regret using her virginity to secure the bracelet? He smiled, fighting hard against the urge to tell her to forget the damn bracelet, but somehow he managed to hold it all together. ‘I will have the bracelet delivered as soon as I am convinced the acceptance I wanted has been achieved.’

      ‘Thank goodness,’ she said as they left their suite and entered the large family dining room, the table looking odd set only for two. ‘I’m going to be so busy with Dario’s launch I won’t have time to parade our engagement.’

      He pulled out her chair and the temptation to place his hands on her shoulders, to kiss the back of her neck, almost made him miss the inadvertent opening she’d just presented.

      * * *

      Bianca closed her eyes and held her breath as Liev lingered briefly behind her chair. She could almost feel his hands on her shoulders and his lips against her skin. Her heart rate accelerated wildly and memories of just how good his kisses were heated her body.

      What had they been talking about? The phone and its launch, yes. ‘It is set to take over the market. There’s nothing else out there that can do as much from just one handset. Business will be revolutionised with it.’

      As she spoke, he walked around the table to take his place opposite her, and as he came into her line of vision, she remembered who she was talking to. He might be the man she’d fallen in love with, but he was also her brother’s competitor.

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