Chapter 1
Karin Norell shoved the cleaning cart inside the elevator and pushed the button in rapid succession to close the door. Once the doors closed and she slid her card for the penthouse suite, she slumped against the mirrored wall and let out a long breath.
Only twelve more weeks to go. Karin had to last just a few short months before she obtained the work credit needed for her hospitality degree. The second she finished her required internship, she was going to quit this lousy job and never think about the Palazzo again.
As the numbers above the door lit up, she pulled out her hotel-issued cell phone and dialed the housekeeping manager, Wes. It went directly to voice mail. Lovely. Sometimes Karin wondered why she even bothered. The owner of the ritzy Boston hotel, Marco Perconti, had gotten the entire staff phones to help improve communication. Since no one bothered answering theirs, the project had been a total waste of money.
Not that wasting money was anything new to the Perconti family. If the tabloids were correct, all six siblings had been fed with silver spoons since birth and wouldn't know a budget if it walked up and bit them in the ass. Just last week the gossip magazine Whispers photographed Marco with two Kennedy cousins and some young, hot actress at the exclusive restaurant Magnifique. According to the article, that meal cost more money than Karin had in student loans.
"Damn it, Wes, where are you?" Karin asked after the voice mail tone. She leaned her head back against the mirror and held the phone a few inches from her mouth. "Dante got drunk again last night and trashed the ninth floor. 'The General' will be arriving soon, so we need to clean up the penthouse suite, stat." "The General" was what Marco had called his older brother, Leo, during an interview in a men's magazine last year. It was meant as a joke, referring to how Leo micromanaged the company and Marco's personal life, but the tone was less than flattering. The press picked up on the tension between the brothers and so had the staff. It wasn't long before each Perconti sibling had their own unique nickname.
"Voice mailbox, full," a mechanical voice responded.
Karin rolled her eyes at the loud beep and shoved the phone in her pocket. She loved Wes like a brother, but the man was a total mess. His personal life had more drama than a soap opera, and he preferred to flirt with upper management rather than do his job. Most of the time Wes's behavior was only a minor irritation, since his flirting often got the staff perks like fresh coffee and a new microwave in the break room. Today, it was just one more thing that made her want to scream and hit something, hard.
The entire hotel staff was on edge. Leo was arriving within the hour to ensure that everything was on track for their youngest sister's upcoming wedding. Karin understood that all of their jobs depended on impressing the oldest Perconti brother, but a little extra cleaning wasn't going to reverse years of neglect in a couple of days. Nevertheless, Marco was making everyone work overtime so that the hotel could put its best foot forward.
This morning the staff had received yet another order in a long line of outrageous demands. Marco had insisted on giving Leo the Palazzo's only penthouse suite for his stay. It didn't matter that the room had already been booked, or that Leo and Marco's younger brother Dante liked to crash there after drinking all of the top-shelf liquor in the hotel bar. They had to make sure that the suite was spotless for Leo's arrival. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, but half of the housekeeping staff had called in sick that morning, and Wes was currently M.I.A. Since it was Karin's job to see that everything ran smoothly during Leo's stay, she was forced to leave her data-entry desk job to clean the three-bedroom, twenty-five-hundred-square-foot suite alone.
Some internship. While double-checking inventory spreadsheets wasn't her dream job, she didn't exactly want to clean other people's filth, either. Karin had hoped that this internship would give her some experience in management, but so far it seemed as if all she ever did was grunt work.
The elevator doors opened, revealing the large, open living area of the penthouse suite.
"Oh, fuck me." A tightness formed in the back of her throat as the stench of bad cheese and stale booze hit her full-on. She placed the back of her hand over her mouth as she surveyed the damage.
The beautiful, stately suite was in shambles. Empty liquor bottles and crushed take-out boxes littered the cream carpeting. The gold-toned couch and chairs were tipped over and half the decanters on the mahogany bar were smashed. Bar utensils were dangling from the ceiling fan and the poker from the large stone fireplace had been thrown through the glass of the television screen. The balcony doors were open and bedsheets hung over the lounge chairs and railings. The cool, late-April breeze did nothing to subdue the funky scent. It made her want to gag.
"Damn Perconti brothers." Tears filled her eyes as she picked up a fallen painting of a girl in a blue dress sitting on a swing. The late-afternoon sun shone on the picture highlighting the ringlets in her hair and her brilliant smile. She looked so free and uninhibited.
"That was my favorite painting," Karin muttered to herself. She had often daydreamed of being carefree like the girl in the picture. It had been a long time since she had been genuinely happy. After struggling on her own for so long, she had forgotten what it felt like.
"Hey, darlin'." Wes's voice drifted up from somewhere behind her. "I only got half your message, but-oh, damn." He came to a halt beside her. His long, blond locks fell into his eyes as he put his arm up to his nose. "What's that smell?"
"Bad cheese," Karin said as she lowered her hand. "Dante has been drunk dialing Sabrina's and ordering takeout again."
Wes let out a long breath as he rested his forearms on the top of his head. After a long moment, he relaxed his features and the playfulness in his bright blue eyes returned. "Dante sure knows how to throw a party, doesn't he?"
"That's putting it mildly." Karin wrinkled her nose and picked up one of the take-out boxes. "Just once I wish he'd fall asleep instead of ordering everything from that Italian place just to hear his ex's voice. He never eats what he orders, and it smells foul the next day." She dumped the leftover lasagna into the garbage.
Wes lowered his hands and straightened his white polo shirt over his torso. "Marco shouldn't let him drink so much. He knows how emotional Dante gets after a couple of Negronis."
"Are you kidding? They're Percontis. Restraint isn't part of their vocabulary." Karin looked around the room as hopelessness and anger filled every crevice of her body. "Where have you been, anyway? I called you three times."
Wes picked up pieces of a broken decanter and winked at her. "Oh, sweetheart, you know I'm not one to kiss and tell." He dragged his gaze over her disheveled white blouse, black pencil skirt, and messy bun. "But maybe for you I'll make an exception. You look like you could use a good erotic story."
"Wes!" Karin smiled despite her frustration. They had met when Karin did her internship rotation with the housekeeping staff and had been close friends ever since. There was something about Wes's Southern charm and boyish good looks that always seemed to make her relax. Three years ago, he'd moved up north to be with his boyfriend. After the relationship had run its course, Wes decided to stay in Boston, saying that the New England weather suited him. He never spoke of his family or friends from his native Alabama, and Karin didn't press. She was just happy to have a friend in this place. She had tried to strike a conversation with other staff members, but had yet to find one she got along with as well as Wes.
He smirked. "You need some good ol'-fashioned sex, girlfriend. A little tickle with a pickle will do wonders for your soul." He dumped the broken glass in the garbage. "And a tumble with a Perconti brother will leave a smile on your face for weeks. I should know." He winked and made his way over to the cleaning cart.
Karin stared at her friend. "Dante?"
Wes scowled and waved his hand at her, making him look more like a teenager than a man in his mid-twenties. "Darling, give me a little credit. Even if the man wasn't as straight as an arrow, he just broke up with his girlfriend. He's still in mourning."
"I don't understand. If it's not Dante, then..." She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, Wes. Marco's our boss. You could get fired for that."
Wes chuckled as he searched through the items on the cleaning cart. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Marco's like me and lives in the moment. It's all in good fun with no strings attached."
Karin pulled the cleaning cart away from him, forcing Wes to meet her gaze. "You have to stop this. Marco is a billionaire who likes shiny new toys and right now you are the shiniest. He uses people. These things never end well for common, working-class people like us. Trust me." Memories of her former supervisor flashed through her mind. According to him, Karin was good enough to fuck, but not for anything else. She should have known better than to fall for the rich, spoiled man's charm. While she didn't love him, she had hoped to be treated with respect. His careless disregard for her feelings had made her feel less than human. Karin had put up with it for a while, but eventually his lack of common decency had become too much. On impulse, she'd stormed into her former boss's office and quit her job. It was hell trying to find another internship, and the delay had set her entire degree program on hold.
She cared about Wes and wanted to stop him from making the same mistakes she had.
Wes straightened and put his hands on his hips. "I know what I'm doing."
"But-"
"We have an understanding. It's only a little fun, nothing more." He lowered his arms and considered her for a moment. "Marco could help put a smile on your face, too. I'm sure of it." He flashed her a knowing grin and winked.
Karin frowned as she turned her attention to the cleaning cart. "No, thanks. I'd much rather have sex with you."
Wes widened his eyes and straightened to his full six-foot height. "Well, well, Ms. Norell. I had no idea that I was on your list of potentials."
"Wes-"
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "It's okay, honey. I know you frown on fun of any kind."
"Excuse me?" She put her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that I love to have fun."
He raised his brows at her. "Really? When was the last time you had sex?"
To people like Wes and Marco, sex was a game, nothing more. Karin used to feel the same, but after the incident with her boss last year, she'd started being more careful. No longer did she have sex for physical pleasure. She was saving herself for something more meaningful.
And look where all of this holding out has gotten you. She was now alone and depressed. Karin wished that she could let go and enjoy herself like Wes did. Sex used to be fun and relaxing. Without it, she was stressed and irritable all of the time. It would be a dream to just give in to pleasure and not worry about her job, classes, or bills for a little while.
Maybe it was time to stop being such a hopeless romantic and have a little fun. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to find a partner to help her out. Her work hours had already doubled, and they'd stay that way until after the big Perconti wedding.
She waved her hand in the air between them. "Enough about sex. Just help me clean up this mess, okay? Marco's brother is supposed to be here any minute."
"'The General' is already here." Wes took back the cart and looked through the cleaning supplies.
"What?"
"He came in a few minutes ago." Wes picked up the mop and bucket. "The man is more gorgeous in person than on television, but also has a good dose of that classic Perconti temper."
"How do you know?"
"He was roaring so loud for Marco that it shook the chandelier in the foyer. I'm surprised you didn't hear it." He shrugged. "Anyway, I told Marco to keep him busy while we tidied up."
"You gave an order to our boss?" She shook her head as she remembered Wes's earlier confession. If Wes and Marco were sleeping together, then chances were that Wes could get away with things the rest of the staff couldn't. "Forget it. Just hurry."
Karin worked in the living room, while Wes started in the bathroom. They cleaned in comfortable silence until two of Wes's housekeeping team showed up to help. Between the four of them, they had the place put back together and aired out within a couple of hours.
"The suite doesn't have a television anymore, but at least it has curtains," Wes said after he dismissed his staff to attend to other duties. "I guess it doesn't matter. If 'the General' is anything like his brothers, he won't be watching much television, anyway." Wes winked at her as he loaded up the cart. "Now, let's get out of here before the big bad Perconti brothers show up." Wes made a face and shuddered.
Karin chuckled and shook her head as she followed Wes to the main elevators. Before she could push the button, a loud beep echoed through the foyer and the light above the door blinked on.
Karin's whole body froze with fear. "Shit, they're coming."
"What are we going to do?" Wes asked.
Karin ran through the floor plan in her mind. "There's the service elevator off the office area in back. It goes down into the laundry room in the basement."
"I thought it was broken."
She shook her head and bit her nail. "Facilities fixed it yesterday. At least, I think they did."
"I hope you're right. When I left those two downstairs, they looked angry enough to start throwing punches at each other. I think the only thing keeping them in line was the reporter from Whispers peppering them with questions."
"Is that gossip queen still at the hotel?"
"Yeah. She seems determined to get some dirt on the Perconti wedding for her column. Wouldn't it be incredible if she found something? That family is just full of secrets, I know it."
Karin rolled her eyes. "You need to stop reading those tabloids."
"You need to start. How else are we going to find dirt on our bosses if it's not from the media?"
Karin listened to Wes go on about the benefits of reading tabloid magazines as they wheeled the cart into the office area in the back of the penthouse and pushed the service elevator button. As the doors opened, Wes's boyish features hardened. "I forgot my cell phone."
"You what?"
"My cell phone. It's still in the bathroom on the other side of the suite." His features twisted into pure panic. "We can't leave it there. I need it." He started to turn the cart around, but Marco's thick Italian accent rose up from the other room, freezing him in his tracks.
"Leave it," Karin said. "Remember what Marco said this morning about us staying out of Leo's way?" Leo enjoyed his privacy and lacked the patience of his younger brother. Rumor had it that Leo once fired a bartender for not knowing his favorite brand of scotch, and a concierge for booking an important dinner at the wrong restaurant. No one wanted to cross paths with the oldest Perconti brother and risk messing up and losing their jobs.
Wes rubbed his forehead and shifted his feet as Marco's voice became louder. "Fuck. I can't leave that work phone, Karin. It's got private stuff on it."
"You keep personal things on your hotel phone?"
He flashed her an angry look. "Not normally, no. Let's just say that if that phone is found, it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to know it was mine." He ran his hand over his face. "And then everyone will know how I got Marco to sign off on a new coffee machine in the break room."
"You have pictures of yourself and Marco on the work phone?" Karin widened her eyes in shock.
"He likes to be photographed. I was going to use my personal phone, but I was running late this morning, and left it on the kitchen coun-"
"Are you insane?"
"I was going to delete them, but someone needed me to help her clean the penthouse suite." He peeked around the corner as the voices got louder. "What am I going to do, Karin?" he whispered. "They can't see me. And if Marco's brother sees the pictures on that phone..." Wes shuddered. "I'm a dead man."
Karin bit her already-too-short nail as footsteps sounded on the hardwood floors. "Go," she said after a moment. "Take the cart downstairs. I'll go back for the phone."
"I can't ask you to do that."
"It's okay. I'm much smaller than you, so there are more places for me to hide." She grinned and motioned to her five-foot-three frame. "Just get out of here and send the service elevator back up so I can make a quick escape."
He hesitated, but then became resolved as the voices grew louder. "Bless your heart. I don't know what to say."
"Say 'thank you.'"
He beamed. "Thank you, darlin'." He kissed her cheek. "I owe you one." He kissed her other cheek. "Maybe two."
"Now go." She shooed Wes and the cleaning cart onto the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors closed.
The voices seemed to stay down the hall, thank goodness. Karin tried to remember the layout of the suite. She had to walk through the living area to get to the bathroom and the phone. Unless she could make herself invisible, she wasn't going to be able to pass by unnoticed.
Her heartbeat quickened as she weighed her options. If she left, then the cell phone would most certainly be discovered. If Leo saw those pictures, her best friend would be fired. Marco had pulled Karin from her regular office duties and given her the responsibility of making sure Leo's stay went off without a hitch. The months leading up to the Perconti wedding were where Karin would put months of learning to the test. If Leo found anything unsatisfactory, Marco would hold her personally responsible and report her failings to her advisor. Karin's degree depended on keeping the grumpiest Perconti sibling happy.
If she snuck back in, at least there was a chance that both she and Wes could emerge from this incident unscathed.
She crept to the office doorway and peered around the corner. Marco stood in the middle of the living room, waving his arms and talking. His medium-length hair hung in a mess around his face and his suit looked disheveled. Worry lines framed his gray eyes as he pressed his lips into a tight, thin line. Karin had never seen the suave man-nicknamed "Casanova"-look so out of sorts before.
A second man lounged on one of the couches with his feet up on the coffee table. Leo. Karin steeled her jaw as she thought about how hard she'd scrubbed polish into that coffee table only an hour ago. Clearly, none of the Perconti brothers had any regard for the furniture, or her hard work.
Marco turned his back to her and Karin knew that she had to move if she ever hoped to leave the suite unseen. She pushed aside her frustration and tiptoed her way through the living room. Luckily, the furniture was arranged to make a natural barrier between the comfy living space and the elevators. There was plenty of space for her to hide as she made her way across the carpeted floor. She hid first behind the chair, then the sofa, as she made her way to the bathroom to get the phone.
"You should have been honest with me, Marco." The commanding voice vibrated through the room and caused her to pause behind the couch. She looked up at the long, tanned fingers draped over the upholstery.
"God, Leo, it's been a nightmare," Marco said as he paced in front of the couch. "And it wasn't like you were accessible these past two years. You were with Gio in Milan-"
"Mother's idea. She still thinks that Gio will make it as a model."
"Will he?" Marco turned to face Leo, forcing Karin to crouch lower against the leather couch.
Leo let out a long sigh. "He might, if he focused his energy. Right now he's too busy throwing lavish parties and missing appointments to get very far."
"Such a waste. We could really use that money." Marco loosened the tie on his suit and took a large gulp of his cocktail.
"I couldn't very well order him to stop modeling without telling both him and Mother about the company's finances being in the red."
"You should just be honest with her."
"No." There was a note of finality in Leo's voice that gave Karin goose bumps. "She has been through enough."
"It's been years since Father-"
"I'll deal with it." Leo raised his hand and made a weary-looking gesture in the air. "Meanwhile, you need to get a grip on yourself."
"This hotel is not your concern. Father gave it to me. All I need is a little money to help fix it up."
"Good Lord, Marco, listen to yourself." Leo stood and walked over to the bar, giving Karin a clear look at his profile. "You may run this hotel, but I run the company that owns it. Mismanagement not only reflects poorly on you, but myself and the rest of the family. It is my responsibility that the Perconti name continues to be respected, not made fun of in some two-dollar tabloid."
"I swear to you, with a little more money-"
Leo held up his hand, cutting off his brother's words. Marco pulled his tie loose as his older brother moved toward the bar.
As Karin watched, she noticed that Leo was much leaner and more handsome than his younger brother. While Marco's face was round and smooth, his brother's was harder, more angular. His jet-black hair was trimmed short in a professional business cut. The touch of gray above his ears and the day-old stubble along his square jaw added to his commanding presence. She could see why Marco had told the paparazzi that his relationship with his brother was complicated. Leo's presence seemed to fill up the room. It was commanding and hypnotic. Karin was drawn to him and afraid of him at the same time. She found it difficult to look away.
Leo used the metal ice tongs to drop ice into his glass, then slipped his long, tapered fingers around the decanter as he poured himself a scotch. The man practically radiated testosterone. Karin held her breath and slid her gaze over his tailored suit, appreciating how the gray fabric hugged his muscular frame. The knot in his maroon tie had been loosened and the silky fabric hung loosely around his neck. The top few buttons of his white dress shirt had come undone, giving her a peek at the smooth, tanned skin of his chest.
Karin's heartbeat thudded in her ears as Leo brought his drink to his lips. Marco had told her Leo's favorite brand of scotch, but had she gotten the right year? A small twitch of his lips as he lowered the glass told her that she had succeeded. For the moment, her internship was safe.
As Karin slowly let the air out of her lungs, she noticed that there was something rather erotic about the way the older Perconti brother caressed the barware. Heat slid along her center as she imagined those long fingers caressing her pale skin, awakening parts of her that had been asleep for far too long.
"I can't give you any more money," Leo said as he stared at the contents in his glass. "There's nothing left."
"What do you mean, there's nothing left?" Marco closed the distance between them. "I thought that there were savings-"
"Lawyers' fees." Leo turned and faced his brother. His eyes were hard and his jaw set, as if he was daring Marco to challenge his authority.
"That bitch," Marco spat. "You should go public with whatever she has over you. That woman is killing us."
Leo glanced down at his glass. "I know." He swirled the contents around in his tumbler, but didn't drink. "I can't go public, however. She would ruin us."
"She's already ruining us."
Karin had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn't matter. She needed to get out of there before someone noticed her. Instead of going after the phone, she was crouched behind the sofa, drooling over the eldest Perconti brother and listening to a private conversation. Just the sound of Leo's voice made her body tight and ready. Perhaps Wes was right in saying she needed to get laid. Clearly, finding release by her own hand wasn't fulfilling her needs.
Focus. She needed to get out of there before she got in trouble. Right now, both brothers' backs were turned to her. She wouldn't have a better opportunity to get to the bathroom undetected than right now. Karin inched her way toward the bathroom as Leo spoke.
"Forget about her," Leo said. "All we can do is control our spending and hope that this wedding goes off without a hitch. With Arianna marrying that aviation tycoon, we'll be able to unite our companies and offer vacation packages that will bring in more income. The packages will undercut Stone's discounts and that bastard will finally get what he deserves."
Everyone knew of the famous feud between Leo and Jason Stone. Not only were they number one and two inWhisper magazine's top eligible bachelors list, but their businesses were the top two hotel empires in the world. When Jason learned that he came in second on both lists, he made a very public announcement that his goal was to better Leo both personally and professionally. Over the past few months, he had been rolling out a new publicity campaign that had left the people at both Whispers and Travelers magazines speculating that he might succeed.
Jason had begun offering bulk discounts to Web sites in order to gain customers and then kept them through their loyalty program. They had managed to steal approximately one-third of the Palazzo's repeat customers. Leo had been asked by Travelers magazine what Perconti Enterprises was going to do to stay competitive, and Leo had said that he was working on something that would please even the most finicky tourist. Karin wondered if the merging of families and offering vacation packages was what Leo had in mind.
The reporters downstairs would pay a lot of money for information like that. Not that Karin would tell them. No, she knew that if she told the reporters what the Percontis were planning, she'd make some fast money, but no one would trust her again. More than anything she wanted to run a hotel someday. It wouldn't be wise to start burning bridges before she even earned her degree.
"We'll be ready for the wedding," Marco replied. "I promise."
Leo placed his drink on the bar. "This hotel has to be perfect, Marco. Not just for Mother and Arianna, but for the press. Those reporters can't see the mess you've made of this place."
"What do you mean, mess?"
Leo grabbed his glass and faced his brother. "This place is an embarrassment to the Perconti name. While you've been spending your time partying, the hotel has been spiraling out of control."
Karin snuck into the bathroom, grabbed the phone, and paused. She peeked around the corner. Perhaps she could stay a few more minutes. It would be nice to see Marco get reprimanded for once. It was about time he got a taste of his own medicine.
"Leo, don't say that." Marco put his drink down on the coffee table next to the coaster, making Karin grind her teeth in frustration. If that glass left a mark on the mahogany wood, there was going to be hell to pay.
"Why not? It's true." Leo turned away from Marco and took a long sip from his glass. "No one likes to do any work around here."
Amen. Karin clutched the phone closer and took a good look at the handsome Perconti patriarch. His hazel eyes were hard, but they also held a weariness that Karin could easily identify with. As he continued to talk to Marco, Karin was drawn to Leo's rich baritone voice, falling deeper and deeper under his spell.
Marco placed his hand over his chest. "Leo, my staff has been working double shifts and-"
"Please, Marco. Spare me the sob story. This wedding is much too important for such theatrics. Our sister is much too important." He ran his fingers over his stubble and then pulled his hand away in disgust. "Until we can get this hotel running in the black, I'm taking charge."
"Perhaps if that woman wasn't bleeding us dry-"
"I don't want to hear it." Leo put up his hand, stopping Marco's words. "There's nothing that can be done, so we have to work around it."
"Leo, you're being unfair."
"Am I? You're the one who has been spending the company money on lavish outings with the Kennedy cousins-"
"I have not-"
"Don't act so shocked, brother. It's all over the tabloids."
Marco swallowed and fisted his hands. "That was a special occasion."
"The company credit card says otherwise." He held up his hand as Marco stepped forward. "I don't care what you have been doing. The point is you haven't been focusing on the business. Now Stone has managed to steal away our once-loyal customers. If things continue like this, the Palazzo will be bankrupt by the end of the year."
No. Karin put her hand to her mouth to cover her gasp. They couldn't go bankrupt. She had planned on leveraging this internship into a job once she graduated. All of her hard work would be for nothing if all of her references were no longer employed.
"You worry too much," Marco said.
"You don't worry enough."
Marco let out a long breath and pushed his hair from his face. "You need a break. Arianna said that you've been traveling for six weeks straight."
"Someone has to look after this mess," Leo muttered.
"You're worn out, brother." Marco pulled out his personal cell from an inside jacket pocket. "I'm well connected, as you know. With one phone call, I can get you someone to help relieve some of your stress," he offered. "Here's one. This woman likes to take charge."
"No." Leo's hazel eyes hardened as he narrowed his gaze. "No women."
Marco raised his brows. "Okay, then." He flipped through his phone. "If you prefer men, I know someone who-"
"Marco..." Leo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No men, either."
Marco considered him for a moment. "A more submissive girl, then. I know one who is short, blonde, and eager to please. Some amazing sex with an experienced woman will-"
"I said no." Leo opened his eyes and lowered his hand. Karin saw the frustration flash through his features. "Marco, I really need to rest. I have a meeting tomorrow morning with my linguist, and-"
"You're not still trying to sound American, are you?"
"Americans spend the most money, and they're more comfortable around people who sound like them. It's in our best interests to assimilate as much as possible. You were supposed to take lessons as well."
"Yes, I know, but I've been busy-"
Leo held up his hand, stopping Marco's words. "I'm too tired to talk about this right now. If you don't mind..." Leo waved his hand toward the elevators.
"I'm going." Marco pushed some buttons on his phone. "I'll send up the blonde for you, brother. Just give her a chance. That's all I'm saying."
Leo fisted his hands. "You need to stop spending so much time looking for a prostitute and spend a little more time fixing up this hotel."
"They're not whores, they're friends-"
"You keep interesting friends, brother. They might not be whores in the classic sense, but they are all using you to get something they want. Take the Kennedy cousins, for example-"
"I thought we might need the political connections." Marco slid his phone into his pocket. "And political connections aren't cheap."
"And the reporter? The police chief's daughter?"
Marco shrugged. "You never know when you might need to pull in a favor."
"I fail to see how that actress could possibly help-" Leo waved his hand in the air. "That is not important. What is important is that these outings stop and your focus switches to fixing this hotel. We won't need any connections if the building crumbles from disrepair."
"But-"
"Enough. No more money will be spent on these ... connections." Anger sliced through Leo's features, causing Karin to move deeper into the shadows. The man looked positively venomous. There was something about the way he spoke and carried himself that suggested that this man was used to having his orders carried out. Karin guessed that not many people besides Marco questioned Leo's authority and hearing him put her boss in his place sent tendrils of heat sliding through her core.
Then the anger was gone, replaced by a weariness that reminded Karin of how she felt that morning when she learned that half her staff had taken the day off. "In the morning, I'm going to go over all of the Palazzo's financial statements from the past two years," he said.
Marco stopped in the doorway and stared at his brother. "But that would take days to pull together."
Leo narrowed his gaze. "My point, exactly. The squandering of our family money has gone on long enough. Tomorrow, we shall set out to make things right."
"But-"
"Good-bye, Marco."
Pain flashed over Marco's features before he schooled them into an expressionless mask. Karin didn't know when she had seen him look so upset. "Of course, brother. Father might have left me in charge of the Palazzo, but father left you in charge of Perconti Enterprises." Marco pushed the elevator button and glanced back at his brother. "But then again, he always did like you best, didn't he?"
The elevator rang and the doors swung open. Marco strode into the elevator and pressed the panel. The sound of the doors closing echoed through the silent penthouse.
"Damn," Leo muttered and downed the rest of his glass. "Political connections." He shook his head and turned toward the bar. "They're all playing him for a fool."
Oh shit. Karin had been so caught up in the exchange she'd forgotten to move. How was she going to get across the living area and back to the service elevator without him noticing?
Leo let out a frustrated growl and gripped his tumbler until his knuckles turned white. Tension filled the room, and Karin held her breath.
"Everyone in this family is so self-centered. None of them can see what their selfishness is doing to the company." He tightened his jaw. "Or to me."
Karin thought he was going to throw his glass, but he didn't. Instead, he placed it on the bar and pulled a small pill bottle out of his suit jacket pocket. Karin tried to focus on the writing, but couldn't make out the words. Leo placed the bottle on the bar next to the ice bucket and pinched the bridge of his nose. Dismissing the bottle, he let out a long breath as he refilled his drink and made his way toward the bathroom. Toward her.
Shit, shit, shit. Karin glanced around the bathroom. There was nowhere to hide. She clutched the cell phone to her chest and squeezed behind the door. Leo breezed past her into the room and turned on the hot water in the large tub. Steam rolled up from the marble basin, filling the small space. Karin held her breath as Leo undid the buttons of his suit coat and shrugged it onto the floor.
He's undressing. Karin tried to force her muscles to move, but they refused to listen. She watched as Leo placed his glass of scotch on the floor and then peeled off his layers of clothing, one by one.
For once, Karin didn't mind the mess. Wes was right, the Perconti brothers were sinfully handsome, and the oldest brother was the best looking of the lot. His tan stretched up his muscular arms, around his perfectly formed shoulders, and down his lean, angular back. Even his firm, tight ass was a golden color, putting delicious thoughts of Leo sunbathing nude in her mind.
She could easily picture his sleek body stretching out on some Italian beach, soaking up the sun. Karin wondered what it would feel like to press up against such a flawless physique and feel those solid hips between her legs.
She dropped her gaze down his torso as he turned toward the marble tub. Dark hair dotted his chest and lower abdomen, drawing her attention to his long, thick cock. Karin's heartbeat drummed in her ears as he stepped into the bath. Something fluttered inside her as she imagined crawling in alongside him and running soap along his athletic frame.
Oh God, she needed to focus. It had been far too long since she'd had sex, even longer since she'd had great sex. Looking at the grace and muscular beauty of Leo Perconti's body, she knew that a night with him would go a long way toward alleviating all of the stress that had been building up inside of her.
A dull ache formed between her thighs as she imagined straddling his hips and taking his hard cock deep inside her channel. She reached down her torso and pressed her hand against her mound and imagined his muscular body pressing up against hers. Embarrassment at her boldness heated her cheeks.
She bit back a groan of disappointment as Leo slid under the warm bathwater. His back was once again facing her and she knew that if she wanted to save her job, then she had to get out of there, fast.
Enough daydreaming. It was time to go. After one long, wistful glance at Leo, she slipped out from behind the door and edged out into the hallway.
"Stop."
Karin froze as the thick Italian accent rose up from the tub.
"Come here."
Karin turned back to the bathroom, unsure of what to do. She judged the distance from her spot to the elevator and wondered if she should make a run for it. Her escape depended on Wes having sent the elevator back up for her. If she had to wait for the doors to open, then she'd be caught. If Leo found cleaning staff in his room, she could get in trouble. Could she trust Wes to send the elevator back for her?
"I know Marco sent you."
Karin blinked. "Excuse me?"
Leo chuckled. "There's no need to be coy with me. I know all about my brother's 'connections.' If the man spent as much effort fixing up this hotel as he did bedding socialites, we wouldn't be in this mess." He raised his glass to his lips. "So tell me, are you the pushy one, or the one who was willing to please?"
"I'm sorry, I..." Did Leo think she was one of the socialite friends Marco had offered him earlier? She scrunched her nose in disgust. She wasn't an empty-headed socialite. And yet, there was something rather appealing about the idea of pleasing him.
"Don't tell me you're a man," he said.
"I-no." She glanced back at Leo's long, lean form as it lounged in the tub. Wes's words floated through her mind. You need some sex, girlfriend. Loosen up. "Not a guy."
"I thought as much. You don't sound like a man. Come here and let me see if my brother's friends are as beautiful as he claims."
Leo Perconti was brazen. She should feel offended, but that voice did things to her body that made her want more. Karin wanted to obey his command and see where things led. Besides, Leo didn't ever have to know her real identity. It was the perfect opportunity for a glorious night of passion without consequence.
No, there was one consequence, a huge one. Leo was her boss's boss. If he found out that she'd tried to deceive him, then he'd take it out on Marco. Not only would she be fired, but Marco could and probably would make the entire staff suffer for her indiscretion.
But then again, wasn't she in charge of making sure Leo had a pleasant stay? If the night went well and he was in a better mood around his brother, then she would have done her job. It wasn't like they'd be constantly running into each other. The staff was supposed to stay out of sight as much as possible. If by chance they should see each other again, she could always play ignorant. No one would have to know what had happened in this hotel room except her.
Karin looked from the hallway to the bathroom and back again. All she had to do was accept the night for what it was-pure physical bliss. No strings attached. If she could get away with this ... it would be one hell of a night.
Resolved, Karin pocketed Wes's cell phone and straightened her skirt. She paused over the hem as a new revelation hit her. Shit, my uniform. Leo would mark her as an employee as soon as he saw her.
Perhaps it could be part of the game. She could tell Leo that she'd needed the uniform to get past the paparazzi downstairs undetected. All she had to do was come across confident in her abilities.
Confidence. Ever since she had caught her former boss fucking a politician in his office, Karin's confidence had remained hidden. She wasn't sure if she had it in her to pull something like this off.
"Are you coming?" Leo asked. "Or am I going to have to come out and get you?"
"No, I'm coming." She could do this, she just needed to stop overthinking.
Didn't Wes just accuse her of being too serious? This night was about de-stressing and relaxing.
Karin cleared her throat and adjusted her bra. Her breasts were on the small side of normal, but hopefully they'd be enough to please him. She undid the top few buttons of her blouse, revealing the upper curve of her breasts. After pinching her cheeks, she hid her shaking hands behind her back and concentrated on swaying her hips as she moved closer to the large, marble tub. Here goes nothing.
Copyright © 2015 bySuzanne Rock
