Chocolate and Italian Wine (Music and Mayhem Book 1) Read online

  Karisma watched as the fine looking man, this dazzling stranger, walked toward her. Dayum, she thought. He was about six foot three, she estimated, and wore a tuxedo that was impeccably tailored to his muscular, confident frame. And his face…beyond handsome. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of shyness swept over her as she struggled to avert her gaze from his. She was staring, but so was he.

  As he neared her, Karisma could see that his eyes were the color of sapphires…and he was certainly a gem. A flush came over her cheeks as he moved in closer, now just one step away.

  “Miss Montgomery,” he drawled in a sexy baritone with just the hint of an accent. His silky tone flowed through her, making her feel all girly and she found herself involuntarily rubbing her thighs together in that same way that Erica Kane used to do on the old soap opera All My Children. An invasive and intriguing desire, to be certain.

  He extended his warm hand to her, and like the magnet he was, her hand lifted to his. He kissed it, leaving a trace of his full, sexy lips lingering on her skin.

  “I wanted to come and introduce myself. My name is Paolo Montovani. I own FutureShock and have been looking forward to meeting you.” He said this all the while holding onto her small, delicate hand. Paolo felt the energy of their connection and although he was nervous, he knew women enough to sense that Karisma had felt it, as well.

  Karisma dropped her hand and smiled radiantly at the man before her. She was used to getting hit on, but the way Paolo went about it was absolutely tempting. “It’s nice to meet you, as well, Mr. Montovani,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’m Karisma. Call me Kari.”

  “If you’ll call me Paolo.”

  The two were quiet briefly and Karisma noticed the way he looked at her, absorbing every detail of her the way she was him. “Paolo it is,” she finally said.

  “And these are my brothers, Davit,” he said while holding his arm out to indicate his brother standing on his right. “And Daniel,” he said, pointing to the left.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Karisma said. The two brothers were very handsome, too, but in a different sort of way than Paolo. Plus, Karisma thought she might be seeing double and she knew she hadn’t overindulged in the champagne. “Oh, you’re identical!” she exclaimed. She could have bitten her tongue for letting that roll off it. Of course they’re identical, Karisma, duh! Then she smiled brilliantly and quickly recovered. “But I’m sure you already know that!” She laughed and so did they.

  “Yeah, we’ve heard that before,” Davit said, not minding at all. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kari,” he said, also taking her hand and kissing it.

  Karisma’s eyes naturally trailed off toward Paolo and she saw that his forehead creased ever so slightly from his brother’s innocent kiss. It made her smile and she gave a gentle, cheery laugh.

  “They even dress alike,” Paolo told her. “My mother started it. Poor guys are terrified of change.”

  “Hardly,” Daniel said, putting his hand in his pocket and wearing a complacent grin. He looked thoroughly entertained by the entire situation.

  “Well, I’ll bet you two have played a lot of jokes on unsuspecting victims, haven’t you?” she asked, looking at the handsome twins.

  “Of course we have,” said Daniel as he moved in for a turn to taste Karisma’s delectable hand. “And may I say that you are more beautiful in person than I could possibly have imagined.”

  “Thank you, Daniel,” Karisma said, trying to look for some defining characteristic to tell him apart from Davit. “So, you must be the flirt.”

  “Guilty as charged,” Daniel said.

  Then Karisma turned to Davit. “And are you the quiet one?”

  Davit stepped forward and said, “No, no, Kari. I’m the one who doesn’t have to work as hard.”

  Paolo and Daniel both groaned as Karisma laughed. Paolo watched the woman who had starred in his dreams at night, and felt emboldened when her attention went back to him. He didn’t care for it being centered on his younger brothers. “So, then what does that make you, Paolo?” she asked playfully.

  “It makes me wish I hadn’t brought these two with me,” he said with wry humor. They all laughed again and then there was silence, an awkward silence that forced their attention to turn back to each other.

  Karisma was officially nervous, and turned on. Clearing her throat, she asked, “So, you’ve recently acquired FutureShock? I heard it was up for sale, but didn’t know anything had been finalized.”

  “Indeed, and you own Goldtone, a very successful label, I must say. You beat us out tonight, twice.”

  “It was a good night,” Karisma agreed. “However, Goldtone isn’t just mine; it is family- owned.” She smiled that beautiful white toothed smile at Paolo again, and he wished it were just the two of them in the room, and not the couple hundred partygoers that were crowding the space. He didn’t want to share Karisma with others, yet everyone felt it was their turn to get a bit of her attention. They kept interrupting, giving her kisses on the cheeks and come hither looks.

  Scooting over to the group quickly, a young woman came up to Kari and planted a fresh red kiss on her cheek. Paolo and his brothers eyed the other beauty, as she looked somewhat similar to Karisma. “Hey, here I am. I made it,” she said breathlessly.

  “Hey Karla,” Kari said, as she air kissed her. Karla was lovely. Whereas Karisma’s beauty was overt and extreme, Karla’s was more understated, girl next door. Her burgundy wine colored hair was swept to the side and the gown she wore was a white Emilio Pucci design. Floor length and lacy, the dress revealed lots of back and cleavage. A high split showed off the butterfly tattoo on her lower thigh. Zoning in on the handsome brothers, she said, “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Kari?”

  Kari smiled and said, “This is my sister, Karla. These are the...” Karisma began to say, but someone else grabbed her from behind, making her stop and whip her head around. Caught off guard, she was about to scream, when she realized she was looking into the face of none other than Raymond Bryant, known to the world by his rap moniker Alleged.

  “Sup, Shorty,” Ray said, smirking down at her.

  “Ray,” Karisma said, frowning slightly. She looked toward the ballroom entrance. “How did you get in here?” She tried not to sound too annoyed, but couldn’t hide her discontent. No invitation should have been a clue and meant something, but not to him—the rude jerk.

  Ray grinned wide and toothy at her. “It’s like that, huh?" he asked, taking a step back. “You been a’ight, girl? You lookin’ fly as usual. You wearin’ the hell outta that dress and shit. I just wanna say congratulations on all them Grammys y’all won tonight. That album is dope. And I know how hard y’all, especially you Kari, worked on that shit. You deserve all them damn awards.”

  “Thanks,” Karisma responded politely.

  “Hey, Ray, can’t speak? Or don’t you see me standing here?” Karla asked with sass and a hand placed on her hip.

  Ray looked at Karla as if just seeing her. “What’s up girl? You know it ain’t like that.” He pulled her elbow toward him to plant a kiss on her cheek. Kari watched them warily.

  Paolo observed, sensing Kari’s discomfort and noticing that she’d also lost her genuine, million dollar smile. He also knew that she and Ray used to be a couple, and that they’d broken up very publicly. From this scene, it was clear that Karisma was indifferent toward Ray, which pleased him. He was a good-looking guy, Paolo supposed, and a rumored sex addict and serial cheater. How anyone could cheat on a woman like Karisma was beyond Paolo’s understanding.

  She turned to the Montovani brothers and introduced them. “Ray Bryant, Karla Montgomery, these are the Montovanis. They own FutureShock.” Pointing to each man she said, “This is Paolo, Davit, and Daniel.” She readjusted the diamonds around her neck and looked at the brothers, instead of Ray or Karla.

  Paolo picked up on the palpable tension as he kissed Karla’s hand. “Karla,” he said.

  “Hi,” s
he nearly giggled. He turned to Ray and shook his hand a bit too firmly. “Ray, nice to meet you. I’m a fan of your work. Congratulations on your Grammy tonight.”

  “What’s up, man, thanks, a lot. FutureShock, huh? That’s tight,” Ray said.

  Davit and Daniel shook hands with him and greeted Karla as well. “I need to holla at you for a minute, Kari. Karla, baby, hold up, you got next,” he said, touching Kari’s arm. She moved slightly out of his grasp. Paolo watched the exchange with interest, his hands in his pockets.

  She was about to decline just as she saw Wolfe walk up.

  “Ray, can I see you over here a second?” he said in a tone that wasn’t to be argued with. Clearly, it was not a request.

  Ray looked at Wolfe suspiciously, much to Karisma’s relief. There was no love lost between the two. They didn’t like each other, and right now that was working to her advantage.

  “What’s up, Wolfe?” Ray asked, putting his chin up.

  “Don’t want problems, man. Let’s go,” Wolfe said. He was about to grab Ray’s arm, but at that exact moment, two discretely dressed members of hotel security walked up, as well.

  Ray looked at Karisma and blew a kiss. He threw his hands up. “I don’t want no problems, either. I’m out,” he said and pointed at Karla before he left with the three men.

  Karla looked to Kari, who gave her the slightest arch of her brow. Karla went after Ray. “Excuse me, I need to see what’s going on,” she said as she scurried off.

  Paolo stepped to Karisma and said, “I take it he wasn’t invited.” She smiled and shook her head. “Ah, the ex who can’t let go,” Paolo added, taking a step closer. Of course, he really couldn’t blame the guy, but he’d done it to himself.

  Karisma looked at Paolo and saw so many appealing things in those deep blue eyes, including concern.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “That’s been over a long time.”

  “Well then, I hate to say goodnight so soon, but my brothers and I have had a long evening, as I’m sure you have. And we still have to make an appearance at FutureShock’s party. But I wanted to meet you and congratulate you on a most successful evening.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her away from his brothers.

  She smiled shyly at him and felt warm at his firm touch. She moved closer to him, not able to resist. Paolo asked, “I was wondering if you would have lunch with me tomorrow. I have a business proposition for you. You’re still in town, aren’t you?”

  What type of proposition? Karisma wondered. She knew what type she’d like. There was no denying that she felt a serious attraction toward Paolo, and standing so close to him as she inhaled his cologne was intoxicating. He smelled good. She looked up into his beautiful face and almost sighed instead of speaking. “Yes, we’ll be here for a month before we have to leave again. Then we start a twelve week tour.”

  “Very good, then…lunch, tomorrow? May I pick you up, or would you feel more comfortable meeting me?” Paolo asked.

  She thought about it. She didn’t want to appear too eager. “Business proposition, huh? How about I meet you there. Just tell me when and where. No offense.”

  “Of course not. I’m not offended, at all. I’m honored that you agreed. I have a restaurant on the sunset strip. La Mia Calabria. Have you ever been there?” he asked.

  “No, I’ve never had the pleasure.”

  “Well, then, Miss Montgomery, it gives me immense pleasure that you’ll be joining me,” Paolo said, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Suddenly, she felt her skin prickle. Were their fingertips touching? When did he reach for her hand? Or did she reach for his?

  “Is 1:00 good for you?” he asked, removing his light touch.

  “Perfect, I’ll see you then,” Karisma cooed, still recalling the feel of Paolo’s lips and fingers on her hand.

  “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Kari.” They stood quietly, breathing slowly, her ample breasts heaving ever so slightly. He kissed both of her cheeks in parting. His brothers were talking to others, but were aware and ready when Paolo approached them.

  “You good?” Davit asked.

  “Fuck, yeah,” Paolo replied.

  “Was she what you’d imagined?” Davit asked, grinning.

  “Better. I couldn’t dream up anything like her,” he said, willing himself not to look back at her.

  “You getting with her?” Daniel asked.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Shit, man. That’s fantastic,” Davit commented, laughing.

  Daniel looked back at Karisma and winked. She smiled and waved. Karisma watched Paolo and his brothers leave. She thought he had more swag than any man she’d ever seen. With his model looks, and chiseled features, he was a record exec?

  She turned back to the party as her agent, Valerie, walked up behind her and gave her a kiss toward her cheek. “Who was that?” Valerie asked, watching them leave as well.

  “The Montovanis. They’re brothers,” Karisma said, still watching.

  “Good looking brothers,” Valerie said. They giggled and gave each other high fives.

  “Hell yeah!” Karisma agreed.

  “I know you got his number,” Valerie said, raising an arched brow.

  “I’m seeing him at his restaurant tomorrow, in fact,” Karisma replied.

  “Very nice. Have fun, girl. Oh, and by the way, Maxim Magazine is considering you for their Woman of The Year.”

  Karisma clasped her hands together and bent her knees in excitement. “That’s good news! Wonderful, in fact. When will we know, Val?”

  “In a few weeks,” Valerie told her.

  “Aah, good job, Val. Thanks, girl. Who else is in the running?” she asked.

  “Bitches that can’t hold a candle to you, Queen,” she said, already looking at her cell phone log.

  “Cool. You’ll tell me who those bitches are, though, right?” Karisma asked, looking at Val. “Every queen needs to know who’s in competition for her crown.”

  Valerie laughed out loud. Together they rejoined the party, and were converged upon, as everyone in attendance wanted an audience with the most famous woman in the world.

  2

  As she sat on the tall island stool in her modern, white, gourmet kitchen, Karisma looked at the steam wafting up into the air, bringing a smile to her face as she smelled the rich, aromatic scent of her coffee. She raised the ceramic mug to her lips and sipped the delightful brew. Umm, she thought. Coffee was her morning indulgence and a pleasure she made sure to partake in no matter how busy her schedule was. She liked it with lots of sugar and just enough cream in the hot liquid, making it a rich creamy color that was not unlike her own skin tone.

  Glancing over at the clock on the Keurig coffee maker, she saw that it was 10:17 AM. She’d barely slept a wink, not getting home until nearly 5 in the morning, but managed to catch some sleep, only to awake with one eager thought—lunch with the fine Mr. Paolo Montovani.

  “What is Mr. Montovani’s story,” she said out loud and tapped her long, slender fingers on the counter top. She reached out for her MacBook Pro and powered it up, entering his name into the Google search box. His handsome image came up right away, along with a Wikipedia definition. Soo good looking, she thought. “Wow!” escaped her lips.

  “You say someting, Miss Kari?” her house manager, Stella, asked in that lyrical Jamaican patois of hers that Karisma loved to hear.

  “No, Stella, just looking at something on the internet,” she mumbled, not bothering to turn around. Her eyes were glued to the computer screen and the masculine beauty that was Paolo Montovani. She eagerly read all about him:

  Born October 2, 1985 in Calabria, Italy. That makes you twenty-eight. Perfect, she thought. Received a BS in Business from USC in 2007. Graduated from Stanford University four years ago with an MBA. Hot and smart, huh? Owns the Montovani Towers in West Los Angeles, La Mia Calabria Restaurant on Sunset, and has just recently taken over the majority share of
FutureShock Records to become its owner and CEO. Son of Raffaelo Montovani, a Calabrian businessman with ties in the US, Canada, Australia, and Germany. Fiancé, Maria Elena Bianchi.

  Uh oh. Back up. Everything screeched to a halt. Fiancé?! No way! “Really?” Kari said aloud again. The fiancé was a real downer and she looked for some images of them together, but there was nothing. It was like she didn’t exist, not in his life anyway. Perhaps the information was outdated.

  This time Stella came into the room and walked over to see what was going on. “Whachu talkin’ to yourself like dat for, girl?”

  Karisma’s large eyes widened. She smirked at Stella. “I’m going crazy. You’ve said so a thousand times.”

  “You can go crazy if you want. Just make sure I get paid every Friday while you’re in the nut house,” Stella said with a rich, hearty laugh.

  “Wow, Stella. I always knew you loved me for me,” Karisma tossed back, grinning at her. She adored Stella and her sassiness, embracing their back and forth banter. Turning the computer screen to Stella, Karisma said, “Look, Stella. Isn’t he gorgeous?”

  Stella leaned over and peered at the sapphire blue eyes staring back from the screen. “Why are his eyes so blue? Are dose contacts he’s wearin’?” Stella asked.

  “They didn’t appear to be. I met him last night. His name’s Paolo,” she said slowly, with a saccharine smile and batting her eyelashes like a diva.

  “You better be careful. He’s as pretty as you. You don’t want no man you gone have to fight with for da mirror.”

  Karisma burst out laughing. “Oh my gawd! The things you say, Stella.” She shook her head.

  “Alright,” Stella said in warning, raising an eyebrow as she moved toward the sink.

  Stella Swanson had been Karisma’s house manager for the past five years after they met at a hotel in Miami where she was a housekeeper. Goldust had stayed there while on tour and Stella hadn’t realized Karisma was still sleeping when she went in to clean the room. Yeah, she was very surprised to see Karisma Montgomery standing there in white satin pajamas with black polka dots as she hummed a song to the tune of the vacuum cleaner. She’d been fearful of losing her job that day, but Karisma was kind and had assured the woman she had nothing to worry about. Months later, she got hired by Karisma, who adored her, her musical voice, and her mastery of Jamaican cuisine.