Bought for the Sicillian Billionaire's Bed (Unabridged Audiobook) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Jessica Martin a 23 year old office manager by day and janitorial office cleaner by night is asked by Salvatore Cardini, billionaire merchant banker to pose as his pretend girlfriend during a dinner party to ward off his friends from match making.

Jessica is a very likable character for several reasons; first she is intelligent, hardworking and sassy. Even though she and Salvatore are poles apart in the financial stakes, he seems comfortable confiding in her about personal matters and appears to respect her opinion, and their camaraderie seems to have been built up by the author even before Salvatore ask for Jessica `s help. O f course she agrees to help him because she thinks it will be a bit of fun, something out of the ordinary of her humdrum well ordered life, not to mention she had a bit of a crush on him but over all keeps a level head about the temporary role she'll play in his life for one night.

Salvatore is a handsome, rich, arrogant and very aware of his physical and monetary attraction to the opposite sex. He's tired of having to fend off fortunate huntresses and when who are with him only for superficial reasons.

These two strike up their deal of a little play acting only to find that the physical attraction is mutual and very real on both sides, Jessica is reluctant at first to turn what was suppose to be a pretend relationship into the real thing, she lays out the pros and cons of getting involved with Salvatore, basically letting him know that although there is an attraction their, he is too use to getting whatever he wants from women, and that she does not want and will not play by his rules. Salvatore is intrigued of course by the novelty of having a woman he won't fall into his hands like a ripe peach, and being that its Jessica someone he has considered a confidant of sort up until recently, makes the chase of getting her into his bed all the more desirable.

The story takes a few twists and turns for both characters, when a straightforward no strings attached affair becomes much more than either of them had bargained for. Salvatore discovers that he can't peg Jessica in the mold of fortune huntress/gold-digger because she doesn't give to figs about his money or how she can benefit from it and him. Jessica who is fearlessly independent, smart, naïve and some what innocent (but not a virgin) learns that love doesn't come in the calm and easy going form that she wanted, but rather messy and complicated but rewarding all the same once she willing to compromise and forgive a somewhat clueless but well meaning Salvatore.

I liked this book a lot because for a change there was no melodramatic plot or damsel in distress, but on the reverse a hero in distress. Salvatore although an alpha-male was definitely likable because even though he had some major flaws when it came to how to be in a none superficial relationship, learned from his mistakes and attempted to rectify them. Also I felt like the author did a good job developing a relationship between these two from friendship to more, so when they finally made the transition from friends to lovers it was believable. I recommend this book as a good weekend read. Happy Reading!

The story begins with Sicilian billionaire Salvatore asking his office cleaner Jessica to pose as his date, because he his tired of predatory women and business associates who continually try to set him up. She agrees, basically because she has grown to like him and because she fancies seeing a glimpse of his rich and glamorous lifestyle. On the way back he makes a pass at her in the limo. She really wants to fall into bed with him, but resists, because it makes her feel cheap.

She says she will not just sleep with him, because it's not the way things are done. What about wining and dining her? So he asks her on a date to an exclusive restaurant, but they leave early to go back to bed. She agrees to be his mistress but knows that it is only temporary because one day he will return to Sicily to marry a virgin.

I enjoyed this story and found their developing relationship believable. Salvatore is arrogant and bossy, but he is not intentionally mean to her. But his treatment of her makes her feel used and cheap. I wished Jessica would stand up for herself more, but she knows from the start what her role in his life is. I respected the fact that she didn't flounce around making demands, but I wanted her to leave him sooner and make him realise what he was missing. Also it was an interesting twist that all the time she carried on working and seeing him at night, she maintained some sense of self-esteem. After two months he decides he wants to take her out of the bedroom and gets her a glamorous makeover, and that was the start of their relationship troubles.

On the whole I enjoyed this story, but I thought Salvatore got off a bit too easy. The end came as a natural progression of the relationship and was not overdramatic, but it was satisfying.

Salvatore Cardini sees Sicilian women as virginal and good enough to marry all others are gold digging hussies and only good enough to be mistresses. He uses his office cleaner/friend, Jessica Martin, to hold OW off. He wants Jessica and believes she should give in to what her body wants as well. Of course, once he gets her in bed he informs her he won't marry her because she isn't a virgin. Then he proceeds to make her his mistress.

What was annoying about this book is that Salvatore continually flip-flopped on things. He wanted Jessica to behave as a mistress and then when she did he didn't like it. She couldn't win no matter what she did. Then of course you have Jessica claiming that she has pride - but that falls by the wayside when Salvatore kisses her; and she also believes she has a strong work ethic yet she calls in to spend time w/ Salvatore. Where was that work ethic then? Oh maybe she had a stronger work ethic for the mistress job rather than the cleaning job which circles back to where the heck is her pride??

Throughout most of the story Salvatore treated Jessica like a second class citizen. He claimed that Jessica was playing games yet I felt like Salvatore was projecting upon Jessica and he was the one playing those games. He sets down the rules and then he changes them up in the middle of the ride as though he just wants to keep her on her toes.

UUGGGHHHH then he had the gall to tell her that it is a pity that she wasted her virginity on a man she is no longer with (however she believed she would still be w/ that man), but a good thing too because if she didn't she wouldn't be with him now. Actually I don't believe that, I think he would have taken her virginity because he wanted her and I don't think he would have been able to stop himself no matter what he thinks. She gets angry at Salvatore, but she lets it go as she believes she won't be able to change him!!!

Salvatore gives her a piece of jewelry - it is a gift, but then he gets very angry that she did something else w/ his gift. He felt that she should have explained things to him, yet he was the one that set out the rules of a mistress/protector type of relationship. He didn't really seem too invested in what else was going on in her life he seemed more distracted when she tried to explain. He believes they are having a relationship which entitles her to ask for things from him - yet he also thinks she is a gold digger and just a mistress, therefore I got lost!

I kept feeling that the only thing between them was sex. Didn't see much in the way of love, perhaps she loves him but I couldn't buy him loving her. At some points he had her so twisted up that she found a way to blame herself for what she did w/ his piece of jewelry. Getting close to the end of the story, Jessica is realizing that her self-respect and self-worth are being whittled away by continuing on as his mistress. She informs him and he gets angry and kicks her out! He continues to have horrible thoughts of her and we are closing in on that last few pages.

**SPOILERS**

He feels she is making him fight for her so he will do so and with a few words . . . she is his! OMGosh what kind of fight was that? It was the same thing she was just thinking (women give him what they think he wants) and she did it too. It is literally like someone possessed his body and spoke for him and he is completely changed from all that we endured for the entire book! He says to her, "Believe that I love you." I had no idea. Did you? Idiot Jessica might believe it but I don't. Cue the HEA music! Yee haw . . . Hold it there is an epilogue. Oh granny and Jessica move to Sicily and Salvatore married Jessica and of course family is everything to Sicilians! Okay I thought there would be more of a closing but I was sadly disappointed. My prediction is that in a few years Salvatore will wander off to find a mistress because that is the Sicilian way. Jessica has no backbone but hey she THINKS she does, that is something!!