Page 58 of Ruthless Beast

“Thank you.”

“Is it Chanel?”

“It is. You have a good eye, Olivia.”

“I’m studying fashion design in my spare time.”

“That must be tricky.”

“Not really. Mr. Lucchese is very generous, and I get a lot of time off between scheduled flights.”

Olivia is very pretty. I can’t help but wonder if that has anything to do with Lucas’ generosity. What the hell? That thought came out of nowhere. Am I jealous? Surely not. Lucas and I had one crazy sexual encounter. That’s it. Why the hell would I be thinking about his other conquests right now?

“How sweet of him,” I say nonchalantly.

It’s nice to have a conversation with another woman. I feel as if I’ve been locked away with no one to talk to but Lucas and occasionally Dominick. Not that I feel the need to talk about handbags and pumps, but even so.

Lucas reappears at around 6 p.m. while I’m flipping through a magazine, trying to keep myself occupied.

“Hi. How are you holding up? You’re welcome to watch a movie if you like.”

“Maybe later.”

“Are you bored?”

“No. I know how to entertain myself. You and Andreas have been at it for a long time. How’s Operation World Domination coming along?”

“Swimmingly, if you must know. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, not much. Reading, eating, checking the cabin for parachutes.”

“Still plotting your escape, are you?” he grins. “Or are you thinking of using the ropes for other, more pleasurable uses?”

Am I blushing? Because it sure feels like I am. My ears are hot, and my face is tingling at Lucas’ remark. All I can think about is the belt he used to tie me up while he rocked my world.

“What time is dinner?”

“Nicely sidestepped,” he laughs. “We can eat whenever you like.”

“Good. All this sitting around is making me hungry.”

Lucas is staring at me. His gaze is far too erotic for comfort. I gather from his comment that he too is thinking about sex. I read somewhere once that men think about sex about nineteen times a day on average, and I bet that Lucas is knee deep in one of those times right now.

* * *

It’s morning when we land in Paris. I managed to sleep through the night, so I’m well rested. The city is her captivating self as we drive along the streets to Lucas’ chateau. I’m happy to be back on land, and I intend to see as much of this stunning place as I can.

“My first meeting is only tomorrow. Are you up for some sightseeing?” Lucas asks as we enter the gates of his chateau.

“Definitely.”

“Where would you like to go first?”

“I’d love to visit the Louvre. I’ve been dreaming of walking its hallowed halls since I was knee high to a grasshopper.”

“Le Louvre it is, then.”

“I take it we’ll have more freedom here.”

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