Taming Ricardo, The Italian Billionaire

“Er, nothing important. Just that perhaps I can start taking birth control pills. And I can do well the breakfast you offered.” On cue, her stomach growled.

He chuckled. “Let’s go.”

*****

“Do you have to watch me eat?”

“I love watching you eat. I love watching you, period.” Ricardo laced his hands behind his head and leaned back his eyes never leaving her.

Kyra’s cheeks warmed. He was so damn intense. Every look he gave her was capable of melting her into a horny puddle. “Well, if you insist on witnessing me pig out, who am I to stop you?”

One side of his mouth curled into a sexy grin and she nearly swooned. Damn, I’ve got it bad, she thought, taking a big bit of her toast.

“You look better in my shirt than I do,” he said, giving her a heated look from head to toe.

“I do, don’t I?” She said with a giggle. “So, how was your trip?”

He sat up in his chair. “It was successful.”

“Awesome.” It was funny how she went from timid to sitting in a man’s kitchen wearing nothing but his shirt and having a casual chat. But it wasn’t any man. It was Ricardo, who made her feel comfortable.

“I didn’t really go to Miami on business.”

Her fork, filled with scrambled eggs, stopped on its way to her mouth. “Oh?”

“Well, it didn’t have anything to do with my business. I got wind of a Hematology Oncologist. She’s rumored to be the best on this side of the country. I went to Miami to consult with her. I wanted to surprise you.” Kyra put the fork down and stared at him in askance. “I’ve heard you mentioned a little girl, Chelsea Griggs, several times. I hear the love in your voice when you speak about her. It would mean a lot to you if she got the help she needs. I doubt she’s been getting the proper help.”

Kyra swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. “She hasn’t. Her mother can barely afford treatment. I did manage to get them assistance with the bills but that’s not enough.”

“I’ll pay the cost for consultation as well as any treatment issued by the specialist for Chelsea.”

She gaped at him for a few seconds before bursting onto tears. Ricardo looked on with confusion and horror. “For Christ’s sake, Kyra, I didn’t tell you all of that to make you cry.”

She grabbed a napkin and dabbed her eyes. “I know. I’m just happy and grateful. Oh, Ricardo, I…thank you.”

He let out a relieved breath. “I can see how much the girl means to you, cara.” His head tilted as he studied her closely. “There’s a deeper story as to why you’re so passionate about helping her, isn’t there?”

“How do you gather?”

“I’m a perceptive man. I pay attention, especially when it comes to people I care about.”

Her gaze landed on the granite counter and stayed there. “My older sister died of leukemia. It was just my mother, sister and me. We didn’t have much. My mother couldn’t afford my sister’s treatment. She could barely make ends meet as it was. Karla, that was my sister’s name.” Kyra smiled.

 “She was the sweetest and most gentle person in the world. She took care of me when our mother drank too much and checked out for days at a time. She died when she was fifteen. I was ten. After that, my mother checked out on me permanently. I guess she couldn’t handle Karla’s death. She just left and never came back. I had no idea who my father was. I had no other family. I ended up being bounced around in the system until I was eighteen. That’s why I became so shy and closed off. The more invisible I made myself, the safer I was. I didn’t speak or make myself seen most of the time, especially when I ended up with foster parents who didn’t like kids much. It was awful. I still don’t know what became of my mother. I haven’t bothered to look for her. I figure since she didn’t care much about me as a child to stay and be a parent, she wouldn’t be thrilled to see me as an adult.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t be all that thrilled to see her either. I suppose I blame her for Karla’s death too. She could have done more, fought more to help her child regardless of financial difficulty. I blame her as much as I blame myself. I’ve carried guilt over Karla’s death, thinking that I should have done more to help her, as well.”

“What could you possibly have done, Kyra? You were just a child.”

Wiping her eyes again she murmured, “I don’t know. Maybe I could have asked someone for help even though I was just a child. Maybe a teacher or anyone. There’s no telling if someone would have offered help or gotten us government assistance. I could have done something. That’s why I became a social worker. That’s why I fight so hard for other families. I guess I’m looking for redemption. I try to save families because I couldn’t save my own.” She released a long breath, feeling like the burden had been lifted off her chest. She’d never shared her story with anyone.

Hands rested on her shoulder and she looked up, surprised that Ricardo had moved. He pulled her to her feet and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. “You can’t feel guilty about what you had no control over.” He planted a kiss on her cheek. “And I know you feel guilty about something else that isn’t your fault.”

“What’s that?”

“The people who are losing their homes because of my project.”

She stiffened against him. “I-I haven’t really thought about that.”

“Liar.”

She huffed. “Okay. It’s been eating away at me. But there’s nothing I can do. You made it clear that the project would continue. Honestly, I’ve been trying to keep that part of things separate from us.”

“I appreciate that, Kyra, but things have changed. I’m no longer renovating that building to resell. I’m renovating to give those who already live there a better quality of life. They will be relocated temporarily. I’ll take care of that expense of course. And they will return to their home after renovations to no changes in rent. I wish to take on more projects like that. Hearing your story, I’m also inspired to start some kind of charity for children suffering from cancer and other illnesses. But we can focus on the development project for now. I might as well use my billions for good. Right?  I can think of no better partner to take on these missions with than you. Will you help me, Kyra?”

Kyra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What about your brothers? Didn’t you go into the development project because of them? This is far from what they had planned.”

“They’re not thrilled with the changes. I’m sure I’ll get no help from them so I need your help.”

 “Yes! Of course. It all sounds so wonderful. I would love to be a part of something that helps people in such major ways. I’m in.”

In that moment, she fell deeper in love with Ricardo than she suspected she already was. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “You’re an amazing man.” It almost slipped. She almost said she loved him but held back again.