"Give me a minute and have a seat," Andrea said as they walked into his office. He immediately walked over to his desk and accessed the file on Rocco on his laptop.
And there he found the brief reference to Elena as Elena Mario, Rocco's only child who was just twenty-two years old. She must have been so precious to him for him to keep her out of the limelight.But he didn't blame Rocco at all. A girl so beautiful deserved to be hidden from the world. She was far too precious to be let out.He took a quick glance at her and inhaled. Her blonde hair which fell carefully across her face highlighted her beautiful features. Her lips were full and he wondered if anyone had tasted them.Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he decided it was time to hear what she had to say about her father."Miss Elena," he drawled, casually leaning back in his chair. "Why have you come?""I told you earlier." She replied quickly. "I want to talk about my father.""I'm surprised you think I would be interested in whatever you have to say."Elena stiffened in her seat. "My father is innocent. He is a businessman who doesn't need your money to—""You mean, he doesn't need my money because he embezzled it? Your father stripped my business of its premium capital.""Do you have proof that he did?"Andrea chuckled. "Your father confessed to his crimes already. I would have him tortured before sending him off to jail. A man with no dignity and self-respect should be treated the way he upholds himself. With no dignity."Elena jumped to her feet. "No," she said, tears pooling in her eyes. "My father doesn't deserve that. He is a good man.""To you, yes. He may have been the perfect father." Andrea replied, leaning out of his chair. "But I don't need the goodness of his fatherhood. I need my money and your father will have to pay for his crimes."Elena couldn't believe that her father was actually guilty of embezzling money. He had been living such a dishonest life. She had only made a fool out of herself defending him for the past few hours.The anger that Andrea should have felt as he spoke about Rocco was replaced by curiosity and satisfaction. Rocco's daughter was standing before him. He now had two people to play with and she was very beautiful.Fortunately, she believed her father was innocent. Her naiveness to the entire situation was going to make it quite easy to play with her. He would take her for himself, crush her heart and that would destroy Rocco."Can the money be repaid?" Elena asked in desperation. "My father has properties that can be sold and put towards repayment."Andrea's eyes scanned her with renewed intensity. She evaded his gaze as she became aware that he was scrutinizing her again.Her throat was dry and tight. Her palms were perspiring and her heart was hammering in her chest. How could she be so terrified of him? How could he make her react in such a way?"I understand that you want to save your father," Andrea began. "Please have a seat." He waited for her to sit back before he continued. "But if any of those properties were bought with the embezzled funds, it cannot be sold to provide compensation. They are simply mine and will be confiscated by the court."He saw the hope in her eyes fade away immediately. She was so oblivious to the crimes her father committed and even worse, she had no idea how to save him."My father can work toward getting some business deals or taking a loan to pay off the debt. Please, he just needs time."Andrea shook his head slightly. "He is not a debtor. Rocco is a thief. However, I won't hurt him anymore because of you. But he would have to go to jail.""Thank you," Elena nodded eagerly, happy with any prospect of agreement. She was becoming confident that she could after all save her father from Andrea.She tore her attention from him and tried to focus her mind on things that a rich billionaire could possibly want. She could not help but feel the effect he had on her.Although he was a complete stranger to her, he roused her physical consciousness that was usually buried and dormant. But she didn't need to let him know that. She was there to talk about her father and not her sudden attraction to a man who was holding him captive."Can I do anything to keep him out of jail?"A cold smile crept to Andrea's lips. She was finally approaching the topic he had been waiting to discuss.He watched her brush a strand of her blonde hair back. The more he stared at her, the more he realized that she was beautiful. His usually disciplined body was responding to the sexual charge of her presence.Barely any woman made him feel that way and he had an overwhelming desire to see her hair falling loose as he made love to her. She was every man's dream and he didn't even know that.He had definitely not expected to find Rocco's daughter in his company after her father was arrested. When he had seen her earlier, he had tried to get angry but couldn't.His attraction to her doused every feeling that he had. Even his mind was warning him that he was making a mistake but for a woman like Elena, he didn't care about mistakes.She was the sort of woman that could make a man go weak on his knees. She commanded so much authority and she didn't even know it. He didn't think women like her still existed and he was certain her father kept her hidden for the same reasons."You cannot keep him out of jail," Andrea replied. "Business is all about the passion and repercussions of our actions. Your father is facing his and I suggest you go home and take care of your mother." But his eyes were saying a different thing.Elena genuinely did not know how to appeal to such a man. His eyes were cold and lacked every bit of empathy. But she knew that everyone had a price. She just had to know what it was and if she could offer it.Rising to her feet, she leaned closer to him. "What would it take to tempt you? What would it take to pay for my father's sins?" Elena asked, feeling intimated.Andrea studied her with a smile on his face. "You."Elena staggered back with shock. "What?""Yes, you." He replied calmly. "I want you."Elena blinked rapidly, trying to understand if one of the wealthiest and most ruthless men in L.A was trying to make such a proposal with her. "I don't understand," she breathed. "You want me?""Yes," Andrea replied casually. "Are you always this slow to figure things out?""Are you talking about sex?""What else?" He said shrugging. "I want you to be my mistress in exchange for your father.""Is this some kind of test?""I don't do tests."Elena studied him for some seconds, sitting proudly behind his desk, in his beautifully tailored designer suit. He was dashingly handsome but she pushed the thoughts at the back of her mind immediately. "Are you saying that you will keep my father out of prison if I sleep with you?" She asked."Yes." Elena was shocked by his revelation. Indeed, everyone had a price but Andrea's was nearly impossible to fulfill. "Don't you think that's wrong? Sleeping with me in exchange for my father?""We're two consenting adults. It's your choice to make, Elen
Elena stared at Andrea with shock as he pulled away from the kiss. She couldn't believe he kissed her. She touched her lips slightly and shivered. Elena truly didn't believe he was going to kiss her. Not until she felt his mouth against her own. As he lowered his head to hers, she just stared up at him in shock.Then she felt his lips against hers, rough and hot, hard and sensual as silk. She gasped, closing her eyes as she felt the caress of his embrace like a thousand shards of light.When he finally pulled away, she sagged against him, dazed beneath the force of her own surrender.But Andrea just sat back against the seat as if he hadn’t just changed her whole world—forever.“Why...” she whispered, touching her tingling, bruised lips. “Why did you kiss me?”Andrea glanced back at her. “Oh, that?” He shrugged, then drawled, “I can barely call that a kiss."Elena had never thought of herself as a violent person. If anything, she was the type to hide and quiver from conflict. But at
Rocco slowly shook his distinguished head. "I’ll have nothing left, not even my independence.""Do you really care about wealth now? Don't you care about your life in jail?" Elena questioned her father anxiously. She had told him about her endeavors with Andrea, leaving out the part where she had to become his mistress to save him. She had only mentioned that he was willing to let him go if they became friends. She didn't know how her father would take the news that she was selling her freedom in exchange for his. Her family meant everything to her and she was willing to do anything to save them."I would say that I still have a good chance of being set free if they do not find any evidence"Elena frowned. "Andrea said that you confessed to your crimes. What did he mean by that? Your confession will stand against you in court.""I didn't confess to my crimes. He has no proof that I embezzled money from his company," Rocco reminded her. "That will give me a chance in court. Although m
The next day, Elena drove slowly to the nursery in the van. There was nothing more that she could do for her father at present, she thought unhappily. He was going to have to deal with the fact that his life was never going to be the same again, but that would take time. Her brow was pounding out her tension. Reasoning was a challenge when she felt as though the shock of recent events had set up a barrier between her and her family. She was still struggling to accept that, in the space of five days, her whole life had fallen down round her like a house of cards and with it the future that she had taken for granted. The city where she had lived from birth would no longer be her home. She would be barred from the gardens where she had grown up and happily worked whenever she had a moment free. The business she had labored so hard to build would pass on to a stranger and might not even survive. After all, the profit margins at the nursery were low and, with Andrea taking over her fat
"Why would almighty Andrea Santino be bothered over a phone call? Are you jealous by any chance?"Andrea scoffed. "I've never been jealous of anyone and that will certainly not change now.""Then, why do you ask about Michael?" She asked, strolling next to him but keeping a good distance. "Because once you're mine, I would hate to share you with anyone." He said, eyeing the distance between them. It irritated him that she didn't take delight in his presence. She was simply trying to keep her distance. Was he losing his touch or was she just different? It would be erotic to bend her to his will. To make her crave his existence and desire him greatly. "You say that like you don't see me as anything more than a plaything," Elena voiced. No man had ever expressed their desire for her like Andrea. But he only wanted her for selfish reasons. "You are a honorable woman, Elena." Andrea responded, and her eyes widened with shock. "You hardly know how much influence you can have over any ma
She was seriously ashamed of her own behaviour and the fact that she couldn't resist a man she met few hours ago. Violet had saved her from losing her virginity because she was sure she wouldn't have been able to push Andrea away. And she did not believe that Andrea Santino would have called a decent halt. He did what he liked when he liked. He had hauled her into his arms like a Viking on the rampage. He was violently oversexed. Those daunting truths had sunk in on her. Her mouth felt hot and swollen and she was afraid to look at him. "The gardens are a wasteland beyond the wall. There’s really not anything more to show you." She said, trying to steady her breath. "The ancestral mansion?" He asked. "Are you kicking me away so soon?"A few minutes later she came to a halt a hundred yards from the large shell of the Regency house where her mother had been born. Andrea kept stealing a glance at her and even as he stared at the house, she could feel his disapproval. "What’s the ins
Andrea settled his black gaze on the ugly little dog messily digging up the border behind her back. The dog with a foolish owner twisted round its short but crooked tail. No way was he prepared to share house-room even briefly with her pet. ‘He goes to the hotel. My staff will choose the very best available.’‘But if I’m not there he won’t eat—’‘Nonsense.’‘It’s not nonsense—’‘I’m not into animals indoors,’ Andrea pronounced with finality.Elena breathed in very deep and reminded herself that it was two years since Violet had starved himself to skin and bone while she was on holiday. The following year, Toby had helped her to get the little dog a pet passport so that he could travel with his mistress. But now it was very much to be hoped that he had got over such excessive reliance on her for his sense of security. She could feel her eyes prickling at the prospect of life without Violet and would have died sooner than betray her weakness. Andrea Santino would be fed up with her with
Four days later, Elena was in London. The morning after her arrival, she was met at her hotel by an elegant brunette in her thirties. A senior coordinator in Andrea Santino’s employ, it had been Josephine Carper who liaised with Elena on the phone and orchestrated all the arrangements to be made on her behalf.‘It’s my job to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to city life. You have a full programme of appointments today,’ Josephine trilled with a polished smile that displayed her perfect white teeth to advantage. ‘First on the agenda, I’ve organised a viewing of the property Mr Santino has selected for you.’A smooth transition? Elena could have wept at that useful little cover-all phrase that took no account of the drastic upheaval in her once tranquil daily existence. Only now that her contentment had been wrenched from her did she appreciate just how happy she had been pottering about with plants. The same day that Andrea had visited, her father had signed over all the prop