Becoming Dante Read online

  Her response came just as promptly. “This isn’t a game. It never was.”

  He honed in on the bottom line, at least what he considered the bottom line. “I’ll pay you full value for the necklace. More than full value. Money is no object.” As usual, when it came to that damn necklace, every business skill and tactic he’d learned over the past decade vanished like mist beneath the rays of a hot summer sun.

  “My price isn’t money.” She waved the discussion aside as though it were of little consequence and offered a cool smile. “I believe you were going to get me a drink?”

  Damn, damn, damn. He’d spent no more than five minutes with the woman and she’d already managed to demolish years of effort to curb his emotions, to keep them walled off and under tight control. It had to be because he wanted her. Because she belonged to him. He stiffened in disbelief. Dear God, what the hell was happening to him?

  Without a word, he crossed to a wet bar. “Flat or sparkling?”

  “Flat.”

  “Ice?”

  “Thank you. It would make a nice change.”

  “That’s right.” Ice sang against crystal. “You’ve been hiding out in Europe for the past five years.”

  “I haven’t been hiding,” she instantly protested.

  Interesting. It would appear he’d managed to hit another hot button. It surprised him that a woman like Kat didn’t have her weaknesses better fortified. “Bull. You hightailed it out of the country within days of the news breaking that you were having an affair with your cousin’s fiancé, senatorial candidate Benson Winters. And you’ve stayed out of the country ever since, not even returning when Jessa and I married, let alone for her funeral.” He handed her the glass, noting with satisfaction that it trembled ever so slightly in her grasp. “But the minute you figure out how to get your hands on Heart’s Desire, you manage to find your way back to Seattle.”

  She took a quick sip of water, no doubt to give herself a precious few seconds to regain her equilibrium. “Is that why you’ve repeatedly refused to see me? Because I didn’t attend Jessa’s funeral?”

  “It’s as good a reason as any, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “If it were true.” She took another restorative sip, before meeting his gaze. “Which it isn’t.”

  Maybe if he focused on his anger, the desire would go away. Or at least, ease up. That’s all he needed, a few minutes of respite from the fierce wave of need lashing at him, eroding his control with every passing second. He didn’t understand it. The only emotion he should feel toward her was utter contempt. And yet... That wasn’t what he felt. Why?

  “Which part isn’t true?” he bit out. “That you couldn’t be bothered to attend your cousin’s funeral, or you returned only in order to get your hands on Heart’s Desire?”

  She gave a careless shrug. “Jessa wouldn’t have wanted me there.”

  “No question about that. And yet the second Matilda tells you she’s ill, you return to circle like a vulture. Or am I mistaken about that, as well?”

  She flinched, the movement barely perceptible, bringing a hint of vulnerability to those brilliant, haunted eyes. Of course, considering all he knew about her, she’d patented the look and incorporated it into her current scam, something he found far easier to believe than the alternative—that she possessed so much as a modicum of true vulnerability. He couldn’t trust his instincts when it came to this woman, not when they urged him to make her his.

  A ray of late morning sunshine shafted across the room, losing itself in the trace of red buried in the sooty darkness of her hair. “You’re not mistaken. I’m here because my grandmother is ill.”

  “That’s not why you’re sitting in my office though, is it?” Cynicism ran rampant through the question. “I believe you’re sitting here because you know how much I want Heart’s Desire.”

  Her chin lifted an inch. “You’re right. I am. I’m betting you’ll do anything and everything to get your hands on it.”

  “Then name your price.”

  “I don’t want money. What I do want in exchange for the necklace is quite simple and well within your ability to offer me.” When he didn’t reply, she continued. “I’ve heard you’re one of the best negotiators in all of Seattle. Possibly in the entire Northwest.” She set her glass aside and interlaced her fingers, the knuckles blanching white and betraying the nervousness lurking behind her calm façade. “Care to put it to the test?”

  “Take your best shot.”

  “My grandmother is a very traditional woman. Naturally, she’s concerned about me, and about my...” She hesitated, before adding delicately, “Shall we say, my unfortunate choices to date? Right now, she isn’t open to a reconciliation. She’s simply informed me that she intends to honor her promise to give me the necklace and to let me know that’s likely to happen sooner rather than later.”

  “I gather giving you the necklace isn’t good enough for you?”

  Kat shook her head. “No. I want more. A lot more.”

  “Your grandmother is a wealthy woman. Let me guess. You feel entitled to a generous portion of that wealth.”

  She lifted a shoulder in a negligent shrug. “What I want is a reconciliation. My reasons are my own.”

  “And how do I fit into the picture?”

  “Gam has made it clear that she needs proof of my respectability. I believe her exact words were...” She wrinkled her brow in reflection. “’I will need to see for myself that you’ve settled down with a respectable man who won’t put up with any of your nonsense.’”

  “Good God,” he said faintly.

  “Yes, that was my reaction, too. But, if I do what she asks, I believe Gam will welcome me home. That brings me to the aforementioned respectable man.” She fixed her spring-green eyes on him and smiled. “Hello, respectable man.”

  He stared at her, appalled. “You’re proposing marriage? No. Absolutely no way. You’re insane to think I’d agree.”

  The flat statement didn’t come close to mirroring his profound distaste for her outrageous proposition. Or his profound desire. Marriage. The marital bed. The wedding night. He recalled the first time he’d seen Kat and his hands balled into fists. She’d been nude, sprawled across satin sheets, her youthful face so falsely innocent. Sleeping Beauty well after the prince’s “kiss” had wakened her.

  Even then, he’d been knocked sideways by her, had felt the initial, confusing stirrings of what had exploded into something far more this time around. He’d assumed all those years ago it had been a natural male response to the sight of a beautiful, naked woman, though he’d never been able to explain why the image of her had been branded into his memory for the past five years, while images of his wife, who died two short years ago, had already faded away. No wonder he hadn’t recognized the older, more stylish version of Kat who’d swept into his office. The two couldn’t look more different—the buttoned-up sophisticate versus earthy temptation.

  She laughed in open amusement. “Relax, Gabe. I’m not proposing marriage. I’m proposing an engagement. Granted, a prolonged engagement. One that will prove to Gam that I’ve settled down. You’ll help make her final months happy ones.”

  “As if you give a damn about that.”

  “Actually, I do give a damn. Despite all that’s happened, she’s still my grandmother.” She paused to allow that to sink in, before continuing, “Besides, who could be more perfect? Since you were Jessa’s husband, our engagement takes me from infamous to respectable in one easy step. You’re renowned for your honor and integrity. For being a powerful man who, though fair, isn’t a pushover. You’re exactly the man Gam has in mind to...” Her amusement grew, encouraged him to join in on the joke. “To keep me in line.”

  “No.”

  “Think of it, Gabe.” She used her siren’s voice on him, along with those leaf-bright eyes and sultry smile. All of it bent on seduction. “I’ll be at your mercy. Forced to toe whatever line you draw. And in exchange, you get your Heart’s Desire. Win-win
.”

  He hesitated for a long minute, debating how to handle a proposition he should turn down flat, but found more tempting than he could have believed possible. What was that line from the TV show he’d watched as a child? Resistance is futile. He crossed to his desk and pressed a button on his phone. “Sarah?”

  “Yes, Mr. Moretti,” his assistant said immediately.

  “Cancel the rest of my appointments today. I’ll be leaving the office and won’t be back until the usual time Monday. Reschedule everything for next week. Give the Atkinson project top priority.”

  He didn’t bother waiting for a response. He turned his attention to Kat and gestured toward his office door. “Shall we?”

  “Shall we...what?”

  Her amusement faded, replaced by a wariness that caused Gabe to smile, though he suspected it lacked any semblance of humor. “Shall we see if we can consummate our future business agreement, of course. Assuming we’re able to reach an agreement.”

  “Consummate,” she repeated, stiffening. Nerves jittered across her expressive face. Nerves and something else, something he couldn’t quite place. Dread?

  He couldn’t explain what prompted him to provoke her this way. Perhaps it was that damned vulnerability he’d picked up on, the need to determine whether or not it was just an act. Or maybe he sensed a weakness, something he could exploit in order to gain the upper hand in their battle of wills. More likely it was the lust that had dogged him since the moment she stepped into his office.

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the end result when a proposal is accepted? The parties consummate the agreement. I suggest we go somewhere more private where we can do so. After all, you’ve just said that part of the deal was having you at my mercy, forced to toe whatever line I draw. Well, sweetheart, consummating our agreement is my line. So, I suggest you plant the toes of those sexy Valentinos along my line and start begging for mercy.”

  “You must be joking.” She shot to her feet, outrage lacing her words. Not exactly flattering, considering most women were quite eager to...consummate with him.

  Maybe that was why he didn’t instantly reassure her. Or maybe it was that damnable inner voice driving him on. Whatever the cause, he gave her another verbal shove. “No, I’m not joking. I am open to conversation beforehand. Perhaps a call to my lawyer to draft something nice and legal so you can’t default on our agreement. After that...” He moved in on her, stopping mere inches away. The sizzle between them increased to almost unbearable levels. “Well, let’s just say you were right. I’ll do whatever it takes to get my hands on that necklace.”

  “Even bedding me?” The question sounded almost bitter, which roused his curiosity.

  “If you insist.”

  “I don’t insist. In fact, I don’t want to sleep with you or any other man.” Her carefully constructed façade cracked and passionate intensity lashed through her words, increasing his curiosity. “All I want is to satisfy my grandmother’s request.”

  “And all I want is Heart’s Desire. You were the one who suggested an engagement as a means to achieve our mutual goals.”

  “That doesn’t mean we have to—” She broke off, her lashes sweeping downward to conceal her expression. One of distaste, if he didn’t miss his guess.

  “I believe that’s something we’ll need to negotiate. And as you mentioned, I’m an expert negotiator.” He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with dark demand. “You put yourself in my path. You possess something I want. Why act surprised when I take what you so foolishly dangle in front of me, even if it means you get more than you bargained for?”

  “That wasn’t my intent,” she protested. A hint of panic edged her words. “You know it wasn’t.”

  “But it is the result. Now we’re going somewhere private, somewhere we won’t be overheard or interrupted, and we’re going to figure out precisely what it will take to seal this devil’s bargain. Because nothing—not our engagement, not consummation of our engagement and definitely not my late wife’s infamous cousin—will stand in the way of my getting that necklace. Are we clear?”

  Kat’s uneven breathing shattered the sudden silence between them and her creamy complexion grew stark. She stared at him, her brilliant eyes dark with frustration. He expected her to cave. She didn’t. Somehow she found the presence to gather her self-control and confront him with a look of total defiance. “No man tells me what to do. Not even my future fiancé.”

  In that moment Gabe realized he would do whatever it took to have this woman, regardless of who and what he knew her to be. How was that possible? His late wife had gone into explicit detail about her notorious cousin. He’d witnessed Kat’s fall from grace with his own eyes. She was precisely the sort of woman he avoided at all costs. He attempted to put his attraction down to the superficial resemblance between the cousins—both fine-boned and sable-haired. But Jessa had possessed eyes as black as ink, her hair equally so, lacking that hint of fire buried deep within the dark strands. And her features were cheerleader pretty versus elegantly stunning. She’d also lacked the womanly curves that gave Kat’s Dior suit such eye-catching definition. In addition, his late wife’s sweet, compliant personality couldn’t have been any more dissimilar from her cousin’s prickly defiance. Not that who—or what—this woman was made the least difference. Only one thing mattered to him and nothing would come between him and his Heart’s

  Desire.

  “If you want to squirm your way back into Matilda’s good graces as much as I want my family’s necklace, you’ll do whatever is required. And if that means a legally consummated agreement, than that’s what you’ll do.” She started to protest and he cut her off without compunction. “Anything you have to say can be said in a more private setting than this.”

  “But—”

  “Not. Here.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Well, I’m not going to your place. So, it looks like it’ll have to be your office, or nowhere.”

  “Fine. If you want to do it in my office, my office it is. Just let me lock the door and we can get this over with. Which do you prefer, desk or couch?”

  She backed up a telling step. “Neither.”

  “Then I suggest we go somewhere private in order to discuss the situation. And that would be my place. It has the added advantage of giving the impression that my future wife has just flown in from overseas and we can’t wait to be alone to...consummate our engagement.”

  “Which I have no intention of doing,” she shot back.

  He gestured toward the door. “Shall we?” She hesitated and he fought for patience. “By all means stand up for yourself. But I suggest you choose your battles. Fighting over every single issue is going to be exhausting, and frankly, it’s pointless. If we can’t agree on something as simple as where to hold our discussion, we might as well put an end to this farce right now.”

  “Fine. We’ll go to your place. But all we’ll be doing is talking.”

  “An excellent place to start.”

  He didn’t give her time to come up with any further arguments. He ushered her from the office, then from the building, and into his car for the drive to Medina. They accomplished the vast portion of the trip in taut silence, whatever slumbered between them seething just beneath the surface, slowly intensifying until it reached almost unbearable levels.

  They pulled into the drive of the sprawling estate fronting Lake Washington and Kat spared him a swift, startled glance. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured. Could she sound any more surprised?

  “Wait until you see the views of the lake.”

  He led the way to the front door, entered his code and, without giving Kat warning, swept her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. The instant he set her on her feet, she attempted to pull away, but he didn’t give her the chance.

  “Welcome to my home, Ms. Malloy.”

  He could never explain what happened next, what sort of insanity seized him. He heard the voice in h
is head again, the dark, insidious voice that echoed with unmistakable demand. Take the woman! She’s the one. Maybe he caved to temptation because he’d wanted her from the instant she’d walked into his office on those sexy peep-toed Valentino pumps with their “screw the world” siren-red spike heels. Or maybe he did it because she so clearly didn’t want him. Or maybe it was to make a statement about who would be in charge of this unholy union. Whatever the reason, he took her hand in his to yank her into his arms. At the same instant, he lowered his head and took her mouth in a kiss of sheer demand.

  The moment their hands and lips touched, passion exploded, a spark that flared to life, followed by a burn of need that flashed between them, melded them, connected them in a way he’d never experienced before. It flashed from mouth to fingertip before centering in his palm and sinking inward, straight through to his bones where it became part of the very fabric of his being. Desire crashed down on him, so insistent and undeniable that it took every ounce of the ice-cold discipline he was renowned for to keep himself under some semblance of control. To stop himself from carrying her off to his bedroom and consummating her proposal in every conceivable way.

  And in that moment Gabe discovered that he couldn’t maintain his self-control. Didn’t want to. He deepened the kiss and allowed the insanity to consume him. More than anything he was driven to put his mark on her, brand her with his possession. To claim her for his own.

  His woman. His future fiancée. His mate.

  The one.

  Two

  Kat had no idea what Gabe Moretti had done to her.

  A kiss. Just a simple kiss. That’s all it should have been.

  But the instant his lips touched hers, desire crashed down on her, a desire unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. One minute she’d been her own person, and the next she’d become someone else, someone who burned. Who needed. Who wanted with every fiber of her being.

  No man had ever touched her like this. Not physically. Not emotionally. She’d worked so hard to protect herself, to build barriers that resisted all attempts to get too close. And yet, with one kiss this man—her soon-to-be fiancé—had swept away those barriers as though they were no more than flimsy tissue paper. How was it possible?