To Blackmail A Di Sione. Rachael Thomas

       Extract

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CHAPTER ONE

      BIANCA DI SIONE SCANNED the busy conference room from her vantage point at the back, looking for her sister Allegra. The buzz of voices became louder as the room filled but she was too preoccupied to notice. She couldn’t quite shake off the sensation that things weren’t right with her sister. Not that she’d mentioned anything to her. That would be so unlike Allegra.

      As the conference got under way, Bianca saw Allegra walking onto the stage and knew something was wrong. She was pale beneath the polished exterior she always showed to the world and Bianca felt guilty. She was about to add to that worry. The weight of their terminally ill grandfather’s request would only exacerbate whatever worried Allegra, but she had to talk to her. She needed to confide in someone and Allegra had always been that person. She’d stepped into the role of mother after the tragic loss of their parents when they were young and had always been there for her.

      The final speaker was introduced but Bianca couldn’t concentrate; her mind kept replaying what her grandfather had asked of her last week. He’d been so frail, so weak, she hadn’t wanted to press him for more information, but now wished she had. All she had to go on was the tale of his Lost Mistresses, which she and her brothers and sisters had grown up on. Even more intriguing, she wasn’t the only grandchild to be sent on a mission to retrieve one of these Lost Mistresses, but she did understand how important they were to him. She recalled the many times he’d told them that these precious pieces were how he’d managed to set up Di Sione Shipping when he arrived in America. He’d always referred to them as their legacy.

      ‘Ms Di Sione. This is an unexpected pleasure.’

      That voice, that accent which hadn’t quite had the roughened edges smoothed from it, startled her from her reverie. She turned and looked up into the hard but undeniably handsome face of Liev Dragunov.

      He looked immaculate, his dark suit emphasising the hardness which sparked from his ice-grey eyes, his brown hair short and as severe as his expression. He looked formidable. Just as he had the first day she’d met him, when he’d approached her company to represent his. The firm line of his mouth hinted that a smile lingered just beneath the surface. Inwardly her heart plummeted. She didn’t need this, not today. Couldn’t the man take no for an answer?

      ‘Mr Dragunov. I trust you are here for legitimate reasons.’ The same unease she’d felt the very first time he’d stood in her office last week shivered down her spine. She even began to wonder if she was losing her ability to read a person. Allegra was being unusually evasive, probably due to all the travelling she’d done recently. But this man, with his commanding presence and dominating aura, unsettled her far too much.

      ‘Everything I do has a legitimate reason.’ Was that an undertone of threat in his accented voice?

      She lifted a brow in speculation as she looked at him, not totally immune to his bad-boy looks. Her gaze slid discreetly over him as he surveyed the room. He pulled at the cuffs of his white shirt, visible beneath his dark suit, as if he was preparing himself for some kind of battle or confrontation. In response she found herself compelled to stand just a little taller, as if hoping to match his height.

      ‘That may be so, but what possible reason could you have to be here, Mr Dragunov? Geneva is a long way from New York.’ He turned his attention back to her and she looked directly into his eyes, resisting the urge to shiver at the coldness in them. Instead she kept her chin lifted and her face a mask of composure, hiding her unease, something she’d become more than adept at over the years.

      ‘As I made a sizeable donation to the Di Sione Foundation, I think it is prudent to see what work is being done. Would you not agree, Ms Di Sione?’ He moved a little closer to her, lowering his voice, and even though his polite smile didn’t falter she sensed something more.

      ‘Do you have an interest in creating opportunities for women in developing countries, Mr Dragunov?’ Bianca couldn’t keep the crispness from her voice. Neither did she miss the hardening of his jaw, or the glint of steel in his eyes. Could he really be using the Di Sione Foundation as a way of speaking to her again? She’d made it clear her company was not in a position to handle his next launch campaign, something he obviously had difficulty accepting.

      She clutched her folder tighter against her chest, unsure what it was about this man that made her feel nervous and also excited. He’d unlocked something inside her, provoked her in a way no other man had, and her instant response was to defend herself. But against what?

      Already it was a sparring of words, just as it had been the first time he’d arrived in her office. She’d put her reaction to him down to shock of her grandfather’s request, but wasn’t so sure any more. Liev Dragunov was a force to be reckoned with and right now that was the last thing she wanted to do.

      He didn’t take his eyes off her but she refused to look away, refused to give him even one tiny amount of power over her. She’d learnt that trick early on in life—how to outwardly remain in control when inside she was all nerves and apprehension. It was many years since a man had made her feel so uneasy, but it had never been quite like this. Not that she’d ever allow the Russian billionaire to know that, not when he brought out her insecurities and vulnerabilities with just one glacial look.

      ‘No. But I do have an interest in you.’ The answer was blatant and she almost let a shocked gasp slip out but managed to hold it back.

      Only once before had a man been so bold about his interest in her and she’d almost fallen for it. Ten years on, the humiliation of her prom night still raced through her. Brought into the present by a man she instinctively didn’t trust, yet was drawn to, like a moth to an irresistible flame.

      What was it about him? Well, there was no way she would be finding out. Life was far too busy at the moment to indulge in such nonsense.

      ‘I explained last week, Mr Dragunov, that I am not in a position to represent you or your company.’ Irritation caused her words to be sharp and unyielding and his eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, adding to his aura of power.

      ‘I don’t believe that.’ He moved a step closer and she caught a hint of his aftershave, as strong and dominating as the man himself.

      She couldn’t look away, her gaze locking with his. Her pulse leapt and she wondered if she’d ever breathe normally again. Just when she thought she couldn’t keep up the pretence of indifference any longer he stepped back.

      ‘And I don’t believe you do.’ He continued before she could gather herself and form a reply. He looked back out across the room as he spoke, giving her much-needed time for recovery. When he turned his attention to her once more she was ready for him. ‘You don’t believe it at all.’

      He really was pushing her too far and she glared at him, wondering if she should summon security. Then she recalled what he said, that he’d made a sizeable donation to the charity. Her sister’s charity. She couldn’t very well have him thrown out.

      Allegra had enough worries at the moment and she couldn’t heap on more, just because of a man who didn’t understand no. She would have to deal with this herself. There was no way she could run a PR campaign for his company when it was a competitor of her biggest client. Couldn’t he understand that?

      ‘I meant what I said, Mr Dragunov.’ She stayed behind the protective mask of professionalism she always wore, even though inside, things she’d long ago locked away were now being disturbed, just by his very presence. ‘I am not in a position to discuss this now, but you are welcome to make an appointment with my secretary on your return to New York.’

      Applause filled the room and she forced her attention to the stage, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he still had power over her. Somehow he’d gained the advantage;