vengeance!
Because he intended to blackmail her into his bed ? His cheeks burned, a rarity to be sure.
But for all his shrewd business sense, he’d never mistreated a woman in his life. Never! Not even the one he’d brought home to meet his parents and who set her sights on his brother.
But that anger that always roared to life failed to come.
In its place was a new emotion. Stronger. More volatile.
This business between him and Gemma had meaning. This fired his blood.
This was archaic thinking. It was something he’d never done and never thought to do with a woman.
But he couldn’t back down. Not now. Not when the scent of her filled his senses, when the brief kiss they’d shared inflamed his desire.
“Marinetti,” he told the guard at the door.
The man nodded and stepped aside without a word.
Gemma hesitated, but Stefano’s hand to her back hurried her inside. A row of plush chairs cast in shadow faced the tables.
She eased onto a chair and stared at him with eyes that were too huge and too filled with an emotion he couldn’t grasp. The deep sense of hurt that dimmed her eyes charged the tension-filled air and raised the hair at his nape.
“Call,” said the Russian mogul playing against Cardone.
The last chips where thrust forward. The cards revealed. Cardone lost.
She looked at Stefano and asked in a whisper, “Is it over?”
He nodded in answer, and her narrow shoulders bowed. In fact her entire body seemed to cave in on itself.
Damn her brother for doing this to her. Then he damned himself for letting her get to him. For wanting to take her in his arms and comfort her.
“All players must purchase the required chips before the start of the next game.”
Cardone pushed from the table and stalked to the bank, a trip he’d undoubtedly made countless times. “I have title to property. Will you take that as surety for a stake in the next game?”
“Yes, if you have it with you.”
“What is he doing?” Gemma said, her tension so acute Stefano felt it abrading his nerves.
Cardone produced a document and handed it to the bank. “The inn on Manarolo is in good condition and makes a modest profit.”
The bank took the paper. “One moment to verify this, sir.”
“No! He doesn’t own the inn.” She rushed to her brother, drawing all eyes to her.
Stefano followed on her heels, wanting to believe that Gemma had lied all along about the ownership of the inn. But her reaction was too genuine to be staged.
She was shocked by her brother’s actions to the point of hysteria.
Cardone whirled on her then, eyes widening with surprise before narrowing in anger. “What are you doing here?”
“Stopping you from making a mistake,” she said. “How did you get Nonna’s shares of the inn?”
Her brother let out a smug laugh. “Nonna is already heart-broken that you lost your half of the inn to Marinetti.”
“You told her about that?” she asked, her voice dropping to a choked whisper.
“Of course. She signed over her half of the inn to me, the family who has stayed by her side this past year.”
“The family who is about to gamble away our heritage!” She clasped trembling hands over her mouth and stared at her brother as if he were a stranger. “What are you thinking? The inn is your home. It’s our family’s livelihood. You live there. Your wife works with Nonna and affords you a modest income off the guests.”
“Peasant wages,” Cardone spat. “I want more for my family and myself.” He flicked a damning glower at Stefano. “I want the kind of life your rich boss enjoys.”
“Then work for it!”
“Trust me in this, mio serella ,” Cardone said to Gemma,the endearment sounding false to Stefano’s ears. “When I win this pot you’ll never have to bow and scrape for a milionario again,” he said, inclining his head Stefano’s way. “You would be independently wealthy.”
“You can’t risk our home,” she said, and Stefano realized the source of her
Because he intended to blackmail her into his bed ? His cheeks burned, a rarity to be sure.
But for all his shrewd business sense, he’d never mistreated a woman in his life. Never! Not even the one he’d brought home to meet his parents and who set her sights on his brother.
But that anger that always roared to life failed to come.
In its place was a new emotion. Stronger. More volatile.
This business between him and Gemma had meaning. This fired his blood.
This was archaic thinking. It was something he’d never done and never thought to do with a woman.
But he couldn’t back down. Not now. Not when the scent of her filled his senses, when the brief kiss they’d shared inflamed his desire.
“Marinetti,” he told the guard at the door.
The man nodded and stepped aside without a word.
Gemma hesitated, but Stefano’s hand to her back hurried her inside. A row of plush chairs cast in shadow faced the tables.
She eased onto a chair and stared at him with eyes that were too huge and too filled with an emotion he couldn’t grasp. The deep sense of hurt that dimmed her eyes charged the tension-filled air and raised the hair at his nape.
“Call,” said the Russian mogul playing against Cardone.
The last chips where thrust forward. The cards revealed. Cardone lost.
She looked at Stefano and asked in a whisper, “Is it over?”
He nodded in answer, and her narrow shoulders bowed. In fact her entire body seemed to cave in on itself.
Damn her brother for doing this to her. Then he damned himself for letting her get to him. For wanting to take her in his arms and comfort her.
“All players must purchase the required chips before the start of the next game.”
Cardone pushed from the table and stalked to the bank, a trip he’d undoubtedly made countless times. “I have title to property. Will you take that as surety for a stake in the next game?”
“Yes, if you have it with you.”
“What is he doing?” Gemma said, her tension so acute Stefano felt it abrading his nerves.
Cardone produced a document and handed it to the bank. “The inn on Manarolo is in good condition and makes a modest profit.”
The bank took the paper. “One moment to verify this, sir.”
“No! He doesn’t own the inn.” She rushed to her brother, drawing all eyes to her.
Stefano followed on her heels, wanting to believe that Gemma had lied all along about the ownership of the inn. But her reaction was too genuine to be staged.
She was shocked by her brother’s actions to the point of hysteria.
Cardone whirled on her then, eyes widening with surprise before narrowing in anger. “What are you doing here?”
“Stopping you from making a mistake,” she said. “How did you get Nonna’s shares of the inn?”
Her brother let out a smug laugh. “Nonna is already heart-broken that you lost your half of the inn to Marinetti.”
“You told her about that?” she asked, her voice dropping to a choked whisper.
“Of course. She signed over her half of the inn to me, the family who has stayed by her side this past year.”
“The family who is about to gamble away our heritage!” She clasped trembling hands over her mouth and stared at her brother as if he were a stranger. “What are you thinking? The inn is your home. It’s our family’s livelihood. You live there. Your wife works with Nonna and affords you a modest income off the guests.”
“Peasant wages,” Cardone spat. “I want more for my family and myself.” He flicked a damning glower at Stefano. “I want the kind of life your rich boss enjoys.”
“Then work for it!”
“Trust me in this, mio serella ,” Cardone said to Gemma,the endearment sounding false to Stefano’s ears. “When I win this pot you’ll never have to bow and scrape for a milionario again,” he said, inclining his head Stefano’s way. “You would be independently wealthy.”
“You can’t risk our home,” she said, and Stefano realized the source of her
Similar Books
