Sleeping Beauty's Billionaire Read online

  She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it as it occurred to her that if she ever wanted to see him again, and she did, this might not be the best time to tell him he had no reason to apologize, either. That she’d wanted to kiss him ever since the wedding reception, and that far from being a hapless victim he’d overpowered with his virile magnetism, she’d more than welcomed his embrace.

  She dampened her lips; the Almighty was no doubt going to get her for what she was about to do. “If you’re truly sincere about believing you were out of line, there’s a way you can make it up to me.”

  Gavin suddenly looked just the slightest bit wary. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

  “My family’s having a little get-together to launch the newest Baronessa gelato flavor. Come with me.”

  Gavin stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No.”

  “Under the circumstances, I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

  “On the contrary. It will be nice and public and will give us a chance to talk in depth about Brett and the challenges he’s facing. It’s not as if it would be a…a date, or anything.” Poor Father Brennan. He was going to get an awful shock when he heard her confession on Sunday.

  Gavin considered her for a moment so long it felt like an eternity, then heaved a sigh. “When is it?”

  “Friday.” Her hopes skyrocketed, only to plummet as he yanked open the door.

  “I’ll think about it, okay?”

  “But how will I know—”

  “I’ll call you.” And with that the door banged shut and he was gone.

  Frustrated in more ways than one, Colleen let loose a sigh of her own. Terrific. Now, in addition to everything else, every time the phone rang for the next few days she was going to have to deal with a case of yo-yo stomach.

  Apparently the Lord wasn’t wasting any time getting her started on her penance.

  Some little get-together.

  Taking a sip of champagne, Gavin lowered his wineglass and considered the scores of people crowding the reception area of Baronessa’s main corporate headquarters.

  In addition to most of the Barone family and dozens of their longtime friends and key employees, a number of local restaurateurs and dignitaries were in attendance, including several national food writers. And because today just happened to be Valentine’s Day, a little fact Colleen hadn’t seen fit to mention when she’d asked him to come and he’d completely overlooked when he’d agreed to attend, a sizable number of the Boston press was covering the event, no doubt considering it good local color.

  God knew, the family had spared no expense. Dozens and dozens of huge bouquets of red roses in genuine cut-crystal vases decorated the room, giving it an air of festive elegance. Add the quintet of ornate fountains spouting champagne and the constantly circulating tuxedo-clad catering staff, and he had to give the Barones credit. They knew how to throw a party.

  Under different circumstances Gavin might even have enjoyed himself. Say, for example, if he’d been here because the family was courting his business.

  But that wasn’t the case. Hell, no. No matter what kind of twist he tried to put on it, he was here tonight because of Colleen.

  He considered her as she stood a few feet away, listening intently to her younger sister Rita, who was talking and gesturing animatedly.

  At first glance, Colleen, the oldest of the Barone daughters, looked perfectly respectable. Her makeup was a study in elegant understatement, just a kiss of color at her eyes, cheeks and lips. And the gleaming, slightly tousled cap of her hair was exceedingly casual compared to some of the other women’s more ornate upsweeps or geled, cutting-edge hairdos. Likewise, her wine-colored dress with its high neck and long sleeves was outwardly demure and almost plain.

  Until you noticed that it was made of some sort of stretchy lace material that clung to her every slender curve. And that it exposed tantalizing glimpses of smooth, peachy skin every time she moved. Which was about the same time you began to wonder how much of the plum color glistening on the full curve of her lips was lipstick and how much was just her. And then, try as you might, you couldn’t help but remember how silky her unlaquered hair felt against your fingertips, and how…

  Whispering a curse, Gavin tossed back the last of his bubbly. There was a stir at the far end of the room, and grateful for the diversion, he dragged his gaze away from the pale, vulnerable curve of Colleen’s neck and along with everyone else, turned to watch as her father, Carlo, took center stage on a low dais. Facing the crowd, the older man waited for silence before he spoke.

  “Welcome, friends,” he said, smiling genially. “On behalf of my family and everyone who works at Baronessa, I thank you for coming tonight.”

  Gavin felt a tingle run down his spine and knew, without turning his head, that Colleen had come to stand at his side.

  “We at Baronessa pride ourselves on making only the finest gelato from the highest-quality ingredients from around the world,” Carlo continued. “To that end we are always extremely selective before we introduce a new flavor, testing and tasting and tinkering with the recipe until we are one hundred percent certain it will live up to the Baronessa reputation for excellence.

  “And as I’m sure you all know—” Carlo leaned forward, as if imparting a great secret to his closest friends “—that means that only a very few, very unique, very special new flavors get the privilege of becoming part of our line.

  “And that is why we are so very proud to introduce to you tonight the newest jewel in the Baronessa crown.” With a crook of his fingers he beckoned to the left, and a procession of waiters holding high over their heads silver trays loaded with scoops of deep raspberry-colored dessert nestled in sparkling glasses began to enter the room. “We’ve named it passionfruit.” He gave a dramatic flourish, a sudden twinkle lighting his eyes. “And when better than St. Valentine’s Day to unveil it, eh?”

  There was a burst of appreciative laughter. It was quickly followed by a spontaneous swell of applause as the Barone patriarch gave a genial nod and exhorted everyone to enjoy the new icy treat as the waiters began to move through the crowd distributing it.

  Gavin turned to Colleen. “That was a pretty good show. I can see your father hasn’t lost either his flair or his enthusiasm for the business.”

  “Yes and no.” She glanced at the older man, and Gavin didn’t miss the way her face softened as she watched him accept a bowl of his company’s newest creation. “Papa loves everything about it and always will, from actually making the gelato to marketing it to scooping cones at the gelateria on Hanover Street. But when it comes to the nuts and bolts of the day-to-day operation, Nick, Joe and Gina have taken over more and more of it the past few years.”

  Gavin gave a slight shrug. “I guess it’s bound to happen as his generation ages and ours grows up.” He paused. “I heard about Joseph losing his wife. That must’ve been tough.”

  She nodded, her expression sobering as she considered her always serious second-eldest brother. “It was, but he’s doing all right. Although now that Nick and Gail are settled, I suppose he’ll be Mother’s next matrimonial target.” Her lips quirked mischievously. “That is, if she doesn’t find out about Rita first.”

  He raised an eyebrow in question. “Rita?”

  “Uh-huh. It seems someone sent my little sister an anonymous gift today, of all things. She appears to have acquired a secret admirer and is going crazy trying to figure out who it is. But not nearly as crazy as she’ll be if Mother finds out about it and decides to ‘help’ her discover her mystery man’s identity.”

  “It doesn’t sound like your mom’s changed much.” Gavin did his best to make his voice light, but it wasn’t easy. Moira Barone had been coolly polite but nothing more when he and Nick had become friends, and as a teenager, each time he’d visited the Barone brownstone he’d always suspected that the second he left she’d made a beeline to the silver to count it.

 
And though later on, her opinion of him had never become an issue since he and Colleen had broken up before they’d gotten around to informing her family they were a couple, he was pretty damn certain Mrs. Barone would not have considered him a suitable suitor for her daughter.

  As if reading his mind, a shadow passed briefly over Colleen’s face, only to vanish as she determinedly summoned a smile. “No, I’m afraid you’re right. One can always count on Mama to be Mama—just like death or taxes. Although—” her smile grew more genuine “—if you ever quote me as saying that, I’ll deny it to my very last breath.”

  To his surprise, Gavin found he couldn’t help but smile back, which sent a jolt of uneasiness through him. He was also surprised by the accompanying thought that Colleen was no longer the young woman he’d known more than a decade ago. She’d changed.

  Well, yeah, Einstein, what did you expect? Up until not too long ago, she was a nun. That’s bound to change anyone.

  “Oh, dear.”

  The totally unexpected note of alarm in Colleen’s voice jarred him out of his reverie. Pushing his unsettled thoughts to the back burner, he shifted his focus and took a good look at her, concerned as he saw that her eyes were wide with growing alarm as she glanced around at the surrounding crowd. “What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t know. But there seems to be something wrong. Look at Mr. Marino.” She indicated a short, paunchy gentleman who looked to be about her father’s age.

  Sure enough, the older man appeared to be in distress. His face was red, his eyes watering, his breath coming in raspy gasps as he stared accusingly at the ice-cream bowl still clutched in one hand. Tossing his spoon away with a clatter, he reached over, snatched a champagne glass off the nearest table and took a hearty gulp, only to promptly begin to sputter even harder.

  Nor was he alone, Gavin realized as he took a quick survey of the crowd. Dozens of people toward the front of the room—those who’d been first to be served Baronessa’s new dessert—were showing various signs of distress, albeit less severe than Mr. Marino’s, from scrubbing at their mouths, to indelicately spitting spoonfuls of gelato back into their bowls, to coughing as they struggled to get air, to fanning their faces and dashing tears from their eyes.

  “Call 911,” Gavin said to Colleen. “There’s something in the ice cream that shouldn’t be there.”

  “Oh, but that can’t be—”

  “Make the call,” he ordered crisply, “and we’ll argue about it later.” He waited a second for her to head off to find a phone, then crossed to Mr. Marino and slipped the bowl out of the older man’s unresisting hand. Dipping a finger into the gelato, he touched it lightly to his lips.

  In less time than it took to light a match, the affected part of his mouth felt as if it had encountered a blowtorch.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  The alarmed sound of his old friend Nick’s voice turned him around, and he found the other man standing no more than a few feet away, his legs splayed in a fighter’s aggressive stance and a combination of concern, frustration and anger darkening his good-looking face.

  “I think something caustic’s been added to your gelato,” Gavin said, keeping his voice down since he didn’t want to alarm the people around them. “Maybe some sort of pepper, judging by the way my lip feels right now, numb and tingling at the same time. For almost everyone, it doesn’t seem to be causing anything more than discomfort.” He glanced over at Mr. Marino, who seemed to be having some trouble breathing. “But that gentleman seems to be getting worse.”

  “Did anyone call 911?” Nick couldn’t hide the alarm in his voice.

  “Yes, Colleen did. The paramedics should be on their way.” Gavin clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “In the meantime you might want to make some sort of announcement telling everyone to lay off the champagne. If it is a pepper or some sort of derivative, booze will just make the burning worse. A piece of bread or a cracker would be better.”

  “What does this look like, the Fourth Street Deli?” Nick demanded. Despite his tension, he reached out and shook Gavin’s hand. “Thanks. I promise I’ll buy you a drink when this is all over and you can tell me how you got so smart.”

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” Glad to have been able to help, if only a little, Gavin watched Nick stride away, purpose and determination in his every step as he began rattling out orders to a variety of people, including several of his brothers and sisters.

  Stripping off his jacket and tossing it over a chair in anticipation of following Nick’s lead, Gavin realized how much he’d missed his friend these past few years, missed his energy and intelligence and his basic goodness.

  But not nearly as much as he’d missed Nick’s little sister, he belatedly realized as he turned to find Colleen standing only an arm’s length away, watching him with unmistakable admiration in her eyes.

  Twelve years ago, he would’ve done just about anything to see her look at him that way.

  He made a sudden vow that for tonight, at least, he wasn’t going to let her get away.

  Five

  There was nothing quite so pathetic as a thirty-two-year-old virgin plotting seduction, Colleen reflected as she stood in her kitchen hours later, waiting impatiently for the teapot to whistle. Every neuron in her body tingled and twitched at the thought of Gavin O’Sullivan waiting for her in her living room. Just as they had throughout the evening, especially when she watched him commandingly take charge of the scene at Baronessa headquarters. During that whole time she couldn’t stop thinking of what she’d like to do when they were alone later.

  She wished she could believe that after the debacle of the gelato-tasting earlier tonight, the evening could only improve. Yet she had a strong suspicion that when it came to matters of the flesh or, she supposed, most anything else, it didn’t quite work that way.

  If only she had more experience. Heavens, if only she had any experience. She was a relatively intelligent woman; why had it never occurred to her after she’d left the order to find someone on whom she could practice her feminine wiles?

  Well, let’s see… Could it be because no one except Gavin has ever interested you that way?

  She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, but just barely. After all, it was her tendency to follow her heart, instead of using her head that had resulted in her present predicament.

  Not that bemoaning her past—or, more precisely, her lack of one—was going to improve matters. Yet even so, she couldn’t seem to stop wishing there was some way to make certain that if she made the first move tonight, it wouldn’t end up like her and Gavin’s last encounter, with him bolting for the door.

  Unfortunately if there was one thing she’d learned over the past dozen years, it was that absolutely nothing, with the obvious exception of God’s love, came with guarantees.

  Good grief, Colleen, with just a smidgen more effort you’re going to talk yourself out of a moderate case of nerves and into a full-blown panic attack. And won’t Gavin find that alluring?

  She had a vision of herself running into the living room babbling that confession was good for the soul and demanding to know if Gavin found her the least bit attractive, because she really, really, really wanted to kiss him silly and more. So much more.

  She gave a violent start as she heard a floor-board creak. Freezing in place, she held her breath, then realized it was only Gavin moving around in her living room. With a slight shake of her head, she exhaled and raised her hands to the fiery heat throbbing in her cheeks.

  The mere idea of putting herself in such an emotionally charged situation might have been laughable if she’d been in the mood to see the slightest humor. But she wasn’t exactly the dancing-on-the-edge type, and with each passing moment she became less and less certain what Gavin’s reaction would be if she actually had the courage to follow through on her desires.

  It was not a comforting thought. Even so, a persistent thread of sensual excitement kept drawing her mind back to the entic
ing image of his mouth. And to the way his every movement hinted at the hard muscle beneath his smooth, olive-toned skin and how the most innocent touch of his long-fingered hands made her nerves sing with pleasure—

  The shrill of a ringing phone snapped her out of her growing fantasy that, with any luck, she was going to finally make love to Gavin tonight.

  Oh, sure, she thought as she reached for her cordless phone. And right after that she was going to sprout wings and fly. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Col, it’s Nick.”

  Relief flooded through her at the sound of her brother’s voice. “Thank goodness. I’ve been hoping you’d call. Is everyone okay? How’s Mr. Marino?” The last she’d seen of the neighborhood friend of her sister Gina he was being taken away in an ambulance. “And is Papa all right?”

  “Papa’s fine—if you don’t count his being mad as hell about what happened. Everyone’s okay, but the doctor wants to keep an eye on Mr. Marino. Apparently he was allergic to whatever was put into the gelato and he had some trouble breathing. They call it anaphylaxis.”

  “I still can’t believe it really happened,” Colleen said. “Thank heaven he is going to be all right. That could have been tragic.”

  “Don’t think I haven’t thought of that,” Nick said grimly. “We were just lucky Gavin happened to be there and could give us a head start on what to do.”

  “Yes.” Even though she knew it was silly, she felt a sort of possessive pride every time she thought about how calm, controlled and effective Gavin had been in the face of the crisis. “We were.”

  “Yeah, well, be sure and tell him thanks.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to Nick’s certainty that Gavin was there with her. Thankfully she was saved by the shrill whistle of the tea kettle. “Nick, I’ve got to go.”

  “Okay. But do me a favor and tell Gavin I’ll call him tomorrow.”