Taming Ricardo, The Italian Billionaire

He watched Kyra walk through the restaurant with purposeful strides. Unlike Allegra, she was dressed in no nonsense business attire, but still managed to look sexy, alluring.  He couldn’t help the smile that reached his lips. Of course, she took their dinner as a business meeting. It was, after all, he who implied that it was, except he had ulterior motives. His motives would have to be put aside due to Allegra inviting herself along. Ricardo gritted his teeth and stood up as Kyra neared the table. His eyes never left her, taking in every detail. Her hair wasn’t loose today but in a simple up do that accentuated her heart shaped face. She wore minimal makeup and he took the time to appreciate her natural beauty.

Somehow he gathered that she was unaware of just how attractive she was. Not once did she look to the left nor the right at any of the men who gave her second and third glances. He, however, took notice and he felt a sudden surge of jealousy and the need to commit acts of violence. She was his. She just didn’t know it yet.

How he wished he could have taken her somewhere more elegant and expensive to attempt to impress her. But he’d settled on a Mexican restaurant his brothers raved about. He figured the restaurant’s casual, friendly atmosphere was more appropriate since Allegra had included herself. 

When Allegra saw him stand up, she glanced around. Disappointment was evident on her face when she saw Kyra. “Oh, Kyra is here.”

Ricardo ignored her tone and gave Kyra a broad smile. “Kyra, I’m glad you made it.” He pulled out a seat and gestured for her to sit.

“Mr. Bianchi, I’m sorry I’m late. I got held up at work.”

He gritted his teeth, annoyed that she insisted on being so formal. “Not a problem.”

“Hey, Allegra,” she smiled at her friend as she took her seat. “You look nice.”

She responded with a lukewarm smile. “Kyra. Thanks. “

Ricardo arched a brow at the way Allegra responded to her supposedly good friend. Kyra didn’t seem to notice the lackluster greeting or she chose to ignore it. “Now that we’re all here, we can order. Would you like a drink first, Kyra?”

“Water please.”

Allegra laughed. “Kyra you’re such a bore. Water?”

“I’m driving, Allegra. Remember?”

“Right. You know Ricardo and I had a nice drive here. It turns out we have a lot in common.”

Glancing at Ricardo, Kyra murmured, “Do you?”

For a brief moment Ricardo thought he detected disappointment in her lovely eyes. But perhaps it was wishful thinking. “I wouldn’t say a lot. I’m Italian and she happens to be half Italian. I believe that is where the similarities end,” he said dryly.

Allegra let out a string of giggles, which grated on his nerve. Obviously, the woman couldn’t take the hint that he wasn’t interested. She was either obtuse or in denial.

“Oh, come on Ricardo. I’d say that’s a big deal.” She leaned into him and caressed his arm.

 Kyra’s eyes followed the movement and something akin to defeat played across her face. He couldn’t analyze her reaction further because a waitress chose that exact moment to arrive. After they ordered, Allegra looked around. “We really should go somewhere nicer next time, Ricardo. I’m sure you can afford it.”

Ricardo’s brows elevated. “You don’t like it here? Pity.” He didn’t attempt to cover up that fact that he cared less whether she liked the place or not.

Kyra gasped and sent Allegra a look of disbelief. “Allegra. Really? This place is just fine, Mr. Bianchi. Thank you for inviting us. Now, maybe we can have our discussion while we wait for our food.”

“As you wish, Kyra,” Ricardo acceded.

“Oh, come on you two. Let’s at least eat first before getting into the boring stuff. Plus, I’m interested in getting to know Ricardo.

Kyra’s jaws clenched and Ricardo waited for her to reply but she remained silent. “There’s nothing exciting to share, Ms. Romano.”

“I doubt that. Everything about you appears to be exciting. Where in Italy are you from?”

“Milan, but I grew up in a small town named Africo.”

Allegra gasped and leaned toward Ricardo. “Oh, Milan. The fashion capitol of Italy. How I would love to go shopping in Milan.”

“I don’t have much interest in fashion.”

“Actually, there’s more to Milan than shopping, Allegra. There’s a rich cultural heritage and influential history to behold. Many greats like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo lived and worked there. Plus, there are many arts and architecture to enjoy there.” She fell silent when Allegra snorted.

“Leave it up to you to ruin a good time, Kyra.”

Kyra seemed embarrassed as she reached for her water. Ricardo was furious that anyone would dare humiliate her for her depth and intelligence. “You are absolutely right, Kyra. I’m impressed with your knowledge of my home. Have you ever been to Italy?”

She let out a small laugh. “Goodness, no. I would love to go there one day. I would love to go to many places. I just have to wait until I win the lottery.”

She smiled and Ricardo chuckled. “I hope you get the chance to go everywhere you desire, Kyra.”

Her eyes lit up and she bestowed on him the brightest smile he’d received since meeting her. It was like the sun suddenly rose in the small restaurant. “Thank you. Me too.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.  Her passion, her aura, everything about her drew him in. The more he got to know her the more he wanted to know and he’d only been in her presence for less than half an hour. 

Perturbed that she wasn’t receiving Ricardo’s attention, Allegra cleared her throat loudly. “Ricardo, how long are you planning to stay in New York? I hope we can arrange a few more dates. I can take you to the trendiest hang out spots. “

He let a long suffering sigh. The last he checked he wasn’t on a date with her to begin with. He refrained from blurting out that fact, however. “A man of my age does not hang out, Ms. Romano.”

“How old are you, Mr. Bianchi?”

Ricardo was both surprised and pleased that Kyra finally showed a shred of interest in him even it was merely to inquire about his age. “I’m thirty-nine.” He held her gaze, gauging her reaction. Would she think him too old for her? To his disappointment, all she did was nod before returning her attention to her glass of water. Ricardo clenched his jaw and reached for his own glass, taking a gulp of wine.  Her interest seemed to have vanished. It was back to listening to Allegra’s mindless chatter.

When their food arrived, Kyra kept her eyes downcast and rolled her food around her plate while Allegra shared story after story, all of which he had no interest in. He barely heard a word she said. He was too preoccupied with watching Kyra’s every move and taking note of every emotion that played across her face. Sometimes she scowled, sometimes her delectable mouth formed a pretty pout and sometimes she let out a sigh that was barely audible.