Taming Ricardo, The Italian Billionaire

Right now, however, she had to force herself to stop working. A headache was imminent and she was exhausted. She put away her documents and grabbed her handbag.

“Good night, Mr. Henry.” She nodded to the janitor as she passed.

“Another late night, I see,” he said with a smile.

“As always.”

He chuckled. “Well, you’re making the world a better place. Have a good night, ma’am.”

She smiled broadly and headed through the door. As she strolled toward her car, a pang of loneliness shot through her. To think that Mr. Henry was the last person she would see and talk to for the remainder of the night was a tad depressing. There were times, like now, when she wished she had someone to go home to. But she was young. She had plenty of time to find someone.

He won’t just fall from the sky. You have to actually put yourself out there. Kyra scowled at the thought echoing in her mind. One, she had no idea how to put herself out there. Two, she hadn’t the slightest idea how to flirt with or engage any man. For an instant, she thought about Allegra’s offer, to go out for drinks and invite Marcus Swaby. Maybe with Allegra present, she wouldn’t completely crash and burn.

The scenario played in her mind. Her sitting at a bar, staring at Marcus like a lost idiot while Allegra was on the dance floor gyrating with a man she just met. Kyra shook her head. She definitely just had an accurate prediction of what would happen. Allegra would ditch her for sure and she would be left to sink or swim with Marcus. And she knew herself. She would sink and drown within minutes.

“Okay, so Friday night is definitely not happening,” she whispered, sliding into her car.

 As she usually did, she pushed the thought of venturing out to find someone to start a relationship with from her mind and told herself that maybe her life was fine just the way it was.

*****

“Would you like something else to drink, Mr. Bianchi?”

Ricardo glanced up at the air hostess and then back at the empty glass still in his hand. He almost said yes to another drink but changed his mind. “No thank, you.” He placed the glass down. Alcohol had been his constant companion for the past two years and he figured it was time to cut down since he was on his way to making a fresh start. He had been living his life, merely going through the motions as an empty shell for the past couple of years, with alcohol as his fuel. It temporarily alleviated his sadness, and allowed him to sleep at nights.  However, when he woke up, he continued the cycle. Work, drink, sleep. He was like a robot.

It took his twin brothers to pull him from his haze of depression and self pity. Now he was on his way to New York to possibly begin a new venture. He didn’t know how long he would stay away from Italy.  Hopefully, he would be kept busy long enough to put his demons behind him. Even if he wasn’t taking the trip for the major purpose of business, getting as far away from home was probably the best idea.

Caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t realize that he still had company. The air hostess still hovered over him, wearing a suggestive smile. “Would you like anything else? And I mean anything, Mr. Bianchi.” Her voice had dipped to a seductive purr.

Ricardo kept a nonchalant demeanor, his gray eyes cold and piercing, as he studied the woman. She was quite lovely, silky blond tresses caught in an elegant bun and a figure that most women would kill for, accentuated by her tight uniform. Her blue eyes shone with lust, promising a good time. It was too bad he wasn’t interested. It had been two years since his wife passed. It wouldn’t be wrong of him to indulge a little. He still had needs, after all. But he still mourned her death at the moment, he wasn’t in the mindset for that kind of fun. Memories of the past haunted him and uncertainty about the future plagued him.

“No, I’m fine,” he replied gruffly.

To his annoyance, she didn’t move. “Are you sure? We have about two more hours before we land. You look mighty lonely out here. I could help you pass the time.”

Ricardo’s jaws clenched. Where in the world had professionalism gone? The woman’s boldness amazed him. His eyes roved over the woman and she stood straighter, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. She thought she had him hooked. “I enjoy my own company, thank you. If I need another drink, I’ll call.”

The woman blinked, disbelief flickering across her face. She nodded and stiffly walked off. The scowl on her face didn’t go unnoticed. Ricardo cocked a brow. It wasn’t the first time he had disappointed a woman. Women constantly threw themselves at him, especially when they discovered how much he was worth. He wondered when and if he could ever get back into the movement of dating and romance. Focusing on work was all he had been doing for two years. Work and alcohol served to keep his mind away from the ghosts of the past. He glanced in the direction where the attendant had disappeared behind a curtain.

Maybe he could…

“No, not tonight,” he murmured. Ricardo sat back and closed his eyes, deciding to relax until he reached his destination.

Hours later, he stepped off the jet and took a deep breath. The cool November breeze felt good against his skin. His eyes swept the tarmac and he frowned. Of course, his brothers were late. He should have arranged his own pick up. Just as he pulled his cell from his pocket, he spotted something in his peripheral. Ricardo looked up.

“For the love of, God,” he groaned.

A black limo crept on the tarmac toward him and came to a stop. The back doors opened and his brothers emerged, one from each side. Their sandy blond curls went wild in the wind. He sometimes had a hard time telling the twins apart and he wasn’t ashamed to admit that. It was when they both smiled, he knew who was who. Alfio wore a mischievous grin. He was the charmer and always looked like he was up to no good. Mario’s smile was serene, giving off a friendly, welcoming vibe, though Ricardo knew better. Mario could be just as mischievous as Alfio. The two together were big trouble but they were his brothers and he loved them. 

“Ricardo! Fratello!” Alfio embraced him tightly. “It’s good to see you again brother. It’s been almost two years.”

“It’s good to see you too, Alfio.”

Mario playfully shoved Alfio out of the way. “Hello, brother.”

“Mario.”

They embraced and Ricardo suddenly felt a bit better about leaving home. Perhaps being close to the only family he had left was for the best. “I’m glad you guys showed up. I was worried for a second there.”

“Of course we showed. We’re not that irresponsible, Ricardo,” Mario stated with a scowl.

Ricardo snorted. “I beg to differ,” he muttered.  His brothers were the most reckless young men he knew. Their recklessness and devil-may-care attitudes were his reasons for keeping them away from the business their father started, the business that Ricardo had work to turn into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise after their father’s death. “Was a limo really necessary, guys?” He eyed the limo and shook his head.

Alfio let out a laugh. “Of course, it was. You showed up in a private jet. Picking you up in a limo is only fitting.”

“I like discretion. A simple car would have been fine.”

Alfio slapped a hand on Ricardo’s shoulder. “Don’t be a joy kill, Rico. Just go with it.”

“You two can afford a limo?”

 Ricardo usually took care of his brothers financially. He had ensured their education and had supported them long after they left school. When he saw that they made no move to find employment and how they squandered money on women, cars and fast living he had cut down, wanting them to become more responsible. So, he was thrilled when he received a call from them, mentioning an idea for a business venture.