Taming Ricardo, The Italian Billionaire

She was upset, he could tell, that they hadn’t discussed what she’s come to dinner to discuss. Each time she raised the topic, the loquacious Allegra cut her off. He had seen her quench her irritation several times. 

It occurred to Ricardo that he could use that to his advantage later and decide not to press the issue. Instead, he proceeded to entertain Allegra while Kyra silently fumed. She eyed the bottle of wine sitting on their table longingly several times and he shoved down his amusement. 

“Are you alright, Kyra?” He asked when Allegra momentarily stopped talking.

“I’m peachy,” she grunted.

“Enjoying the food?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said with a sigh.

Allegra leaned into him. “Don’t mind her, she’s always been shy. A bit of a joy kill at times if you ask me.”

“Since, I’m not good company, I guess I should get going, then,” Kyra said, pushing her chair back.

 Ricardo mirrored her movement. “Kyra, wait-“

“It’s time I got going. I had a long day and I’m exhausted.” She was on her feet in a flash and gathering her handbag. “It was a pleasure meeting you. Mr. Bianchi. Thank you for dinner. If you two will excuse me.”

“Let me follow you to your car, at least.”

She held up both hands. “Oh, no. You stay here with Allegra and enjoy the rest of your meal. I’ll be fine.”

She wheeled around and marched to the door with stiff shoulders. Anger, which she tried to hide, radiated off of her in waves. He watched her leave, tempted to follow her. He almost did but Allegra placed a hand on his arm.

“Let her go. She’s not very sociable, trust me, I know her well. I think she felt uncomfortable.”

Ricardo gave her a scowl but took his seat. He decided to finish dinner with Allegra so as not to be rude but he never stopped counting down the time until he could get rid of her.

Over two hours later, Ricardo watched in relief as Allegra shut her door. He looked skyward and let out a long sigh. He had literally had to pry the woman off of him. Walking back to the car, he slid in and told his driver to return to the coffee shop Allegra had introduced him to.

Shortly after, he was on his way to Kyra’s place. As the vehicle wove through traffic, he stared out the window, wondering what on Earth he was doing. In all his thirty-nine years, he’d never felt the need, much less had to, pursue a woman. Before he’d gotten married and even while he was married, women had flocked him and they still did. It was surprising to him now that he was actually showing interest in one. Usually, he was too caught up in his grief and bitterness to entertain the thought of any romantic relationship. 

For a second, the thought entered his mind that maybe he wasn’t really interested in a relationship. Maybe he simply needed to bed Kyra once and she would be out of his system. Maybe the intrigue would disappear once he had her in his bed. But in the back of his mind, he knew he was wrong. There was something more to the attraction he felt for her than just the physical. After all, the allure had started with just the sound of her voice and it had increased tenfold after seeing her.

Ricardo leaned his head back and let out a breath. He felt like he was way in over his head. He was out of practice when it came to the dating scene and the woman he was interested in was younger. What if she wasn’t interested in him? He let out a laugh. Since when did he, Ricardo Bianchi, feel insecure about anything? 

It was like Kyra Fisher had woven a spell and ensnared him. And it didn’t seem like she was even aware of the effect she had on him. “Amazing,” he muttered.

“Sir? We’re here,” his driver announced, peeping into the rearview mirror.

“Thank you, Anthony. Why don’t you take a drive around? I might be here a while. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

It was presumptuous of him to think that Kyra would invite him into her home, but he was hopeful. And he was determined that he would have her. Whatever he put his mind to, he accomplished. He didn’t build a billion-dollar empire being weak-minded.

“Sure thing, sir,” Anthony said with a nod. “Do you want me to wait until you’re inside?”

Ricardo laughed. “I may not know my way around New York, but I can take care of myself.”

The driver chuckled while Ricardo grabbed the bottle of wine beside him and the cup of coffee he’d stopped to get. He slid out of the car and waved Anthony off. When the car disappeared down the street, he turned to study the area. It seemed quiet with well-kept apartment buildings. He headed toward Kyra’s. What would she say when she discovered he was there? She would no doubt be upset that he had looked up her address but he could deal with that.  What he couldn’t deal with was not seeing her again, not knowing why she captivated him so much, not knowing what it was like to touch her, kiss her, and not knowing what it was like to have her naked in his bed.

He entered the lobby and frowned when he didn’t see any security guard or doorman. Who saw to the residents’ safety? To Kyra’s safety? Pushing the thought aside, he got into the elevator. On the fourth floor, he found Kyra’s apartment and knocked.