The Lesson

By Bella D'Amato

Sweet as pie and sexy as hell, Bianca Russo cares more about finishing her degree and taking care of her grandfather than anything else.
Then she meets Mason Freeman. A smoking hot bad boy with caramel eyes and a devil-may-care attitude, he seduces Bianca with one look. Before long, they’re head over heels for each other.
But loving Mason means a lot of complications: his casual disregard for money, his rich and powerful family, his inability to take charge of his life. And when tragedy strikes, everything comes crashing down around them.
Six years later, Bianca’s career is taking off and a new man is making her question her single status when an unexpected Facebook message sets her world spinning.
Mason is back in town and he’s determined to prove to Bianca he’s learned his lesson and win her back.
But is she ready for him? Bianca's fear overwhelms her, and she soon realizes she has her own love lessons to learn.
Can Bianca forgive Mason? Or is their great love a thing of the past?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bella D'Amato
• Release date: Feb 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310163906

Bella D'Amato

Bella D’Amato lives in a picturesque little cottage on the shores of Coeur d’Alene Lake in idyllic Coeur d’Alene Idaho. She grew up mere blocks away from the lake, and never could bear the thought of leaving. She shares her home with two loyal tabby cats, Peaches and Cream.When Bella isn’t writing, she’s usually indulging in her second favorite hobby, photography, although she mostly takes pictures of her cats. She also likes to tend her garden, create culinary vegetarian masterpieces, and read. Of course, her favorite genre is romance! In the summer she spends as much time at the beach as possible, but since the Pacific Northwest is known for its winters, she also skis as much as possible during the snowy months.Being a natural born lover, Bella dreams of the day she meets her Mr. Right. In the meantime, she enjoys the single life as much as possible.

Book preview

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THE LESSON

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by

Bella D’Amato

Copyright 2016 Bella D’Amato

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

This story is dedicated to my two main men, Peaches and Cream.

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THE LESSON

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CHAPTER ONE

Beep.

Bianca Russo typed away, transcribing her supervisor’s speech for his upcoming convention in Las Vegas, when she heard the social media alert from her diminished web page. She ignored it for a moment, concentrating on the speech. Martin Trayne was the best salesman within Montoya Healthcare, the large insurance company they worked for. She had worked hard as his assistant, knowing she could learn enough from him to move into sales herself.

She knew there were no specific office policies against checking your social media accounts at work, but she also knew they didn’t like employees to spend too much time on social media during office hours. It was an unspoken rule most of the employees ignored.

Bianca rarely worried about the time she spent checking her Facebook or Twitter accounts since she knew there wasn’t another administrative assistant within the company better than her. No one managed paperwork better than her, no one understood the intricacies of networking better than her, no one maintained their supervisors schedule better than her, and no one worked harder.

Plus, she didn’t look at social media that much anyway.

Besides, she thought, I have a life outside the office. Everyone does. They can’t expect the two worlds to stay separate forever.

Really? A little voice inside her asked. Do you really have a life outside this office? The only reason you’re so good at what you do is because you have no life. Work IS your life.

Go away, she told the voice.

Still, she glanced around to make sure no one lingered near her desk before she opened the page to see what the message was about.

What she saw stopped her in her tracks.

The alert was for a message sent from Facebook, not an unusual occurrence, but what was unusual was who it came from.

Mason Freeman.

Mason Freeman. There was a name she hadn’t thought of in years.

Liar, said the little voice. You think about him all the time.

Go away, she told the voice as she diminished the page and sat back in her chair. Mason.

She smiled at first as she thought of him, then frowned a little as she remembered more.

Mason hadn’t been her first crush, but he’d been her only love. She had never loved a man like she loved him, and when things had ended, she withdrew from dating and romance altogether. Love was too damn hard.

It wasn’t that she lacked for attention. In fact, her problem was the exact opposite. As hard as she tried to disguise her lush curves under shapeless suits, and pulled her thick ebony curls back into a severe bun, her full lips and heavy lidded eyes the color of emeralds betrayed her. Men often leaned in a little too close, or shook her hand a little too long. It happened at work all the time, almost every salesman taking the time to brush up against her on purpose.

Of course, she maintained a professional demeanor at all times, and regarded them all with a cool disinterest until they eventually gave up and moved on. The only man at work who hadn’t tried to take advantage was Mr. Trayne, another reason Bianca liked working for him.

She still lived in Portland Oregon, her hometown, born and raised. She liked the city and saw no reason to leave.

She’d met Mason at Portland State University as a fresh twenty-one year old taking her first business classes.

Bianca had never been overly ambitious, but she found college to be a liberating experience after living in her grandfather’s quiet household. She loved him, truly she did, but he didn’t offer much excitement for a young woman like Bianca.

Her parents had died in a car accident when she was a toddler, and she had no memory of them. Nonno Joe, her grandfather, had been the only family she had left. He had taken her in, raised her and loved her, but it wasn’t until college that she began to realize there was anything outside the five o’clock dinners and reruns of Jeopardy before bedtime.

Nonno Joe had been so proud of her when she started at the university. The first Russo to go to college, he told her, his chest puffing with emotion. I’m so proud of you, my sweet girl. I was blessed the day you came into my life.

Bianca would smile and kiss him on the cheek as she drove off each morning to class, promising to pay attention.

It was in economics that she first saw Mason. He sprawled in his seat more than he sat, choosing a desk in the last row so he could lean back against the wall. Bianca walked into the classroom the first day and saw him, his head lolling back against the wall, seemingly asleep.

She frowned a little and shook her head in disapproval just as he opened his eyes and stared directly at her.

Her own eyes widened when his caramel colored eyes captured hers for a moment, then he smiled lazily, exposing gleaming white teeth. Bianca had very little experience with men, but even she recognized his smile as that of a predator. Everything about him invited her in; his broad shoulders, dark chocolate locks brushing his forehead, his deliberate five o’clock shadow, wide jaw and cheekbones slashing across his face like carved granite. For a moment, her imagination ran wild as she imagined him unclothed and she couldn’t stop herself from blushing when she finally gained control of her thoughts.

He grinned wider, the light glinting off his teeth.

He knows, she thought as her heart skipped a beat. He knows exactly what I was thinking.

He continued to smile at her as his gaze dropped to her lips, her neck, her chest, all the way down to her feet and back up again. By the time his eyes met hers again, she knew he was picturing her unclothed as well.

She frowned, making sure he caught her disapproving look before she lifted her chin defiantly and found a seat, turning her back to him.

The rest of the hour she could barely concentrate. She was certain he watched her the entire time, although how she knew, she couldn’t say. It was all she could do to not turn around to check. She forced herself to stay still the entire class, and by the end she felt as if she could jump right out of her own skin.

When the class finally ended, she leapt from her seat and hurried for the door without looking at him again. She burst out of the building, squinting under the bright fall sun, and breathed deeply as she paused on the stairs. The fresh air calmed her for a moment until she heard a deep voice behind her.

Why do I get the feeling you’re running away from me?

She gasped and spun around, nearly falling over as she ran face first into his chest.

He laughed. Easy there, he told her as his broad hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her. She held her breath as she looked up. And continued to look up. At five seven, Bianca was by no means a short woman, but he was easily half a foot taller than her.

By the time her eyes reached his face, she found him smiling down at her, one eyebrow quirked, giving him a rakish expression.

I- I-, she stammered, and found she couldn’t speak. I must look like an idiot with my mouth hanging open.

His grin widened, and he reached over to place a finger under her chin and gently closed her mouth. I’m Mason, he told her as his thumb lingered just a moment too long on her jaw after her mouth was closed. Mason Freeman.

As he withdrew his hand, she could swear the same thumb brushed ever so softly against her lips, but the sensation was so slight and over so quickly, she couldn’t be sure. Her heart beat an erratic tattoo inside her chest.

This is where you tell me your name too, he laughed again. I’m Mason, he pointed at his chest, and you are … He pointed at her, his finger grazing the collar of her blouse, and Bianca wanted to scream with embarrassment when she felt her breasts tighten and pull at the mere nearness of his hand.

He knows, the small voice inside her jeered. He knows exactly what he’s doing to you.

Shut up, she told the voice, and managed to finally muster up a whispered response. Bianca. She tried to swallow but her throat felt like sandpaper. My name is Bianca Russo.

Bianca, he smiled. A sweet Italian name for a sweet Italian girl. He reached for her hand, his thumb grazing her palm, the sensation shooting through her body all the way to her core. Will you let me take you to dinner, sweet Bianca?

Staring at him, she knew he was trouble, saw it in the playful glint of his eyes and the mischievous grin dancing across his face, but as his thumb caressed her hand she found herself powerless to say no.

Instead, she nodded wordlessly.

Tonight? he pushed.

She nodded again, writing her address down on a scrap of paper before fleeing down the brick stairs of the campus building.

CHAPTER TWO

What am I going to tell Nonno Joe? Bianca thought as she drove home in her battered white Toyota Corolla. I know nothing about him.

When she reached home, she went about her afternoon routine, washing clothes, doing homework and preparing dinner for her grandfather. They sat at the small Formica table, Nonno Joe eating heartily while Bianca pushed her noodles around with a fork.

Are you sick? Nonno Joe asked. His brow wrinkled as he looked at her still-full plate.

No. She shook her head. She knew she had to tell him before Mason showed up at the door and rang their bell, so she took a deep breath and forced the words out. Actually, Nonno, I … I have a date tonight.

His fork paused halfway to his mouth, but after a moment it continued on its path and he chewed thoughtfully. Do you like this boy? he asked.

She shrugged. I don’t know. I barely know him. He seems nice.

He glanced at her and she felt her face flush.

Ah, he said with a knowing look. Handsome, is he?

I suppose, she answered with reluctance. She didn’t want Nonno Joe to think she only liked him because he was good looking, but if he asked too many questions, he’d realize quickly she knew nothing about Mason.

Well, you should wrap up that food, he pointed at her plate with his fork. You don’t want to spoil your dinner and make him think you’re a picky eater. Men like women who aren’t afraid of their food.

Bianca’s jaw dropped as he grinned at her.

What? he asked with a shrug. You think I forgot what it was like to be a young man?

I guess I never thought about it. She blinked as she considered it.

Tsk! he admonished her. Your nonna was the sweetest girl in my entire neighborhood. And she picked me, he told her with a smile of pride. I know a thing or two about life and love, and I can tell you that life isn’t worth living without love. Go, he shooed her. Go get ready for your young man.

She wrapped her supper in aluminum foil and scurried off to her room to change her clothes and brush her hair. After fussing with her clothes, she finally decided on pale pink blouse and black slacks. Simple and classy, not too revealing, and it allowed her to maintain a polished demeanor.

About twenty minutes later, she heard Nonno Joe’s voice calling for her down the hallway. My sweet girl, your friend is here.

She grabbed a light cardigan and started to race down the hallway and stopped herself before she reached the living room. Slowly, she told herself. You don’t want him to think you’re too eager.

She took careful, measured steps the rest