realized he was taking her to the Andretti mansion on Mount Reservoir—a fortress that would be most difficult to escape from. She’d hoped that when he’d said he was taking her home, he’d meant the lakeside villa his succession of mistresses occupied during his affairs with them.
No such luck for her. To calm her anxiety, Nia took in her surroundings as they drove along. The streets, that a few days ago were crowded with weekend ski bunnies from the south, were now all but deserted. It was a lovely little town, a sort of unexpected mecca hidden at the foothills of the White Mountains, Nia thought as Massimo steered around a traffic circle surrounded by small businesses, local boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and other touristy shops, housed in beautifully renovated old mill buildings. The Aiken River that had powered the mills—many of which had been owned by the Andretti family for decades—now flowed unhindered behind the buildings.
Nia could only imagine how lovely the summers were here with the beaches teeming with the town’s residents, noisy children playing on the shores, and small yachts cruising along the beautiful Crystal Lake. Too bad she couldn’t stay long enough to enjoy some of it.
“Are you stopping at your office?” she asked as they traveled north on Industrial Drive and the glass tower that housed Andretti Industries headquarters loomed ahead of them. She could really use some time away from him. His nearness caused her mind to go into confusion and robbed her of her ability to think logically. And she needed to think and plot.
“No,” was his only response as he passed Andretti Way that led to his office, made a left turn on to Route 80, crossed the Aiken River Bridge, and headed west into the mountains.
Nia took a glance at him and noted his set face, clamped mouth, and fixed eyes. His mood had definitely changed since she’d left him to go up to her hotel room to pack. Nia wondered if it had something to do with his conversation with the French man who’d approached him in the lobby. During the first few minutes of that conversation, even though she’d had no idea what they were talking about, Nia had detected tenseness in Massimo as if he’d received unpleasant news.
Sensing he was in no mood to talk, Nia left him alone to his brooding.
Finally Massimo pulled off the highway and started a climb up a steep paved road. A thick white forest with branches bowing laboriously from the weight of snow encased them. After a few minutes, he made another turn and drove along a somewhat level road that took them further into the mountain. A wrought-iron gate opened automatically as they approached it then closed behind them.
A cold shiver raced up Nia’s spine. She felt like she’d just driven through the gates of hell with Satan at the helm. A flicker of real fear coursed through her veins as the gross enormity of what she had done took a heavy toll on her senses.
“Too late,” Massimo said as they rounded a corner and reached a small plateau that overlooked deep ravines and a labyrinth of lakes in the distance. He stopped the Mercedes, applied the parking brake, and unbuckled his seatbelt.
The sensual look in his eyes was unmistakable. As much as she resented him, Nia knew that if he touched her, she would instantly dissolve like a snowball on a hot tin roof.
“Come, Nia. I wish to taste you, now.”
“Massimo, we haven’t even had a date yet, and I don’t kiss on the first date.” Nia forced humor into her voice, but the quaking of her body belied the fear and desire she felt deep in her core.
With little effort, Massimo unfastened her seatbelt and pulled her halfway across the seat. “I’m a businessman, Nia. We made a deal. In business, it’s always wise to sample the goods before the final purchase. I will sample the goods you offered. The last thing I need is a scared little kitten in my bed.”
“I’m not scared
Donald Luskin, Andrew Greta