Business Temptations - Introduction
The Billionaire's Club
Matteo’s story…
“I’m not going to see him, Mama,” Matteo asserted firmly.
“Mi hermano, your father has asked to see you,” she replied, ruffling his dark hair.
He turned to glare at her. “And I should go? Just because he bellowed my name?”
His mother laughed, shaking her head slightly. “You know that your father never bellows, estimado. He,” she paused, tilting her head as she considered her next words, “asserts his wishes forcefully.”
Matteo snorted as he hefted the bin filled with dirty dishes into his arms. “And everyone jumps simply because he’s the Marquess, si?”
She shrugged and wiped down the table. The bar was empty now, but the lunch crowd would arrive soon. The scent of fresh bread and spicy soup filled the air. “You know how he is when he doesn’t get his way, Matteo. Why not just agree to speak with him and get it over with?”
“Because I’m sick of jumping whenever he calls, Mama.” He carried the bin of dishes into the pub’s kitchen, lowering everything into the sink. “He’s a tyrant, and I’m not going to listen to him any longer.”
His mother came up behind him, kissing his shoulder since Matteo was too tall now for her to kiss his forehead. “He’s still your papa.”
Matteo didn’t reply and his mother walked out of the kitchen, assuming that he’d simply walk up to the castle tomorrow to speak with his father. He wasn’t going to do it. Not anymore. What could his father do to him if he ignored this latest summons? Nothing, he asserted firmly.
Bailey’s story…
The stone wall was cold and uncomfortable, but Bailey didn’t jump off and find a more comfortable perch. She didn’t want to miss the handsome, angry boy coming out of the head master’s office.
“Don’t you need to get to class?” one of the teachers called out.
Bailey didn’t bother to look at the man. She simply flipped her blond braid back over her shoulder and shook her head. “It’s a vacation day for us,” she lied. But the private school teachers had no idea about the public school schedule. Bailey knew that the teachers wouldn’t care either. The teachers here at the private boy’s boarding school were too snobbish to waste their time looking into a kid that was too poor to attend their precious school. Not to mention, Bailey was the wrong gender. Only boys were allowed in the old piles of stones.
She preferred her school anyway. Public schools had a playground where she could run around during recess, bask in the sunshine and eat the honeysuckle plants that were currently in bloom.
This school had a football, soccer and lacross field. But no playground. There were no swings, no slide, no fun places to hide.
Well, that wasn’t completely true. She knew of one place where the boys hid. Or more accurately, she knew where the headmaster hid the boys when they were being punished.
The attic was not a place anyone wanted to go.
The boy came out of the headmaster’s office now.
“You will obey the rules, or face the consequences. Do I make myself clear?” the grouchy, old man demanded of the newest boy.
The question seemed somehow threatening, even though the boy had arrived just today. Why didn’t the headmaster assume that this new boy wouldn’t obey all of his tedious rules?
Something was up, Bailey thought. And she was just the person to figure out what! As a girl, the boys at this school were taught to look ignore anyone of the female persuasion. The older boys liked the girls in town, but Bailey knew to avoid the older boys. They were mean when they got older and were allowed to come into town.
But this particular boy looked…angry. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to look away from him. He was handsome, but there was something more…compelling about him. More interesting.
He was going to be her friend, Bailey decided. He was a lucky guy because she was more interesting than any of the icky boys here at the school!
