Her Ruthless Italian Boss

by Christina Hollis

  ‘I’ll fetch you a spoon, Elizabeth,’ he murmured.

  ‘No! No, I can manage with just a fork,’ she said frantically, looking from Luca to the waitress and back again.

  ‘Nonsense.’ Luca switched on his old, devastating smile as he turned to the girl who had brought their order. ‘Miss Woodbury always eats with a spoon as well as a fork, Bella. It is her good English breeding.’

  Beth burned with shame. She could not remember the last time she had been able to afford to eat pudding, let alone worry about how to do it.

  ‘Times change, Luca,’ she muttered when he returned from a trip to the counter for more cutlery.

  ‘I know. That is why you went off with the man who called himself my friend.’

  ‘It was a big mistake.’

  ‘As I told you at the time.’

  Beth paused as she went to pick up her spoon and said softly, ‘I would never have thought you were mean-minded enough to say “I told you so”, Luca.’

  Pained, she turned her head away. She could not afford to let him see how much he still affected her.

  He paused, grazing his lower lip with his teeth. ‘You’re right, of course. I should not have gone so far. But you must admit, it was not without provocation, Elizabeth.’

  ‘Please call me Beth. I prefer it nowadays,’ she said faintly. ‘I’ve given up on formality.’

  ‘I find that hard to believe.’

  Luca picked up his pastry fork and cut through the mouth-watering dessert, but Beth noticed something.

  ‘Wait, Luca, they’ve only given you a small portion. Here—take mine—it’s much bigger.’

  ‘This is the way I like it.’ He spoke without looking at her. ‘I don’t eat so much these days.’

  I can see that, Beth thought, eyeing him with concern. His suit was expensively tailored, but this new-style Luca was built like a greyhound rather than the mastiff she had known back in Balacha.

  ‘There isn’t much call for route marches and midnight manoeuvres in Venice,’ he added by way of explanation.

  ‘I’ll bet your girlfriend is pleased.’

  He shrugged. ‘They don’t complain.’

  His casual reply gave Beth almost as much of a shock as the way he looked at her before speaking again.

  ‘You used to do a lot of that, didn’t you, Elizabeth? Complaining, I mean.’

  ‘Can you blame me?’ she countered before looking pointedly at the fine lines of his linen jacket. ‘And you don’t want to lose too much more weight, Luca.’

  Without breaking eye contact, he put one hand over Beth’s, and removed her plate. A wave of excitement broke over her as she felt the rough, parched touch of his fingertips, once so familiar but now moving with clinical precision.

  ‘It doesn’t take much to convince me.’ He nodded, replacing her portion with his own, smaller one.

  ‘Then it’s a good job I’m not hungry.’

  He sat back and laughed. ‘Oh! That was almost a retort. And I thought something must have extinguished your spark, Beth. Perhaps I was wrong, for once.’

  ‘No.’ Beth scowled, remembering just how infuriating one of his greatest talents had always been. ‘You were right, as always. It’s just that life has doused me pretty well over the past few years.’

  Beth could hardly hold Luca’s piercing gaze as he answered, ‘Then welcome to the club.’ He sat back, his legs stretched out in front of him. ‘When the army let me go, I had no alternative other than to come here to Venice. This was my great-uncle’s firm. He died a couple of years ago, and left everything to me. His home—and his business, which I have developed into the success you see now.’

  Beth gaped, still trying to catch up.

  ‘Luca—you left the army?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  She stared at him. All sorts of images tumbled through her head. They must have thrown him out for some reason. She knew he had a short fuse. But he had always managed to control his temper, when they were together.

  When they were together…

  What on earth had she started, the night she had abandoned him in Balacha?

  ‘But…the army was your family.’

  ‘They had to let me go.’ His features were unreadable as he took a small container from the breast pocket of his jacket and shook out a couple of small white tablets.

  ‘Oh, Luca…’

  He took no notice, but concentrated on taking the painkillers. Beth moved forward, but he stopped her by stabbing a finger on the table between them. It was a noisy gesture of ownership.

  ‘Don’t worry about me. I have all this now.’

  His hand had landed on the cover of the latest Time magazine, and she wondered if he was grinding in a further insult. A haunting photograph of Luca’s face gazed up at her, above the headline EUROPE’S RICHEST MAN. Now he had money, and she had none. There’s irony for you, Beth thought bitterly.

  ‘I can only hope you have better luck than I’ve had, Luca.’

  ‘Luck has nothing to do with it.’ His eyes burned into her like glowing coals. ‘Nobody has ever been lower than I was when they brought me back here, five years ago. From a position of authority, travelling the world, and fending for myself, I was reduced to nothing more than a poor relation. Worse than that, I was trapped indoors for twenty-four hours a day.’ Despite his story, there was no self-pity in him. His low laugh was a dry, humourless sound. ‘That didn’t last long, believe me. I whipped myself, and Francesco Fine Arts, into shape at the same time. Nothing stops me, Elizabeth. Not even life. And certainly not you,’ he finished meaningfully.

  She looked away from him and the intensity of his words, focusing instead on the delicate pastry in front of her. Principles were slippery things when it came to luxury, and she had not tasted cake like this for a very long time. At last she came to the crumbs, then put down her spoon and fork. There was nothing for it now but to try and make a dignified exit from Luca’s watchful presence.

  ‘Well, delightful though this has been, Signor Francesco, I’ve delivered Ben’s notes so I really must be getting back to my work,’ she said in a cool, detached voice. ‘Is there anything else you would like to discuss with me?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I mean with regard to Ben’s conference notes.’

  ‘So do I.’ He checked his Rolex. It was identical in design to the one she had presented to him, all those years ago.

  Given the look in his eyes, it was probably not exactly the same watch.

  His glance flicked across the table. He was clearly waiting for her to add something. But Beth’s heart was hammering so hard in her chest that speech was impossible. For an instant she wondered if he could hear it, too. As she looked into those deep, dark, irresistible eyes it brought back the delicious thrill of his hand moving over hers a few moments before. All of a sudden, nothing mattered to her any more except winning his forgiveness, so she could have that sensation again. Then reality hit home. Luca was the boss in more ways than one now. She was nothing more than the hired hand. She would have to stifle her own feelings—all of them.

  ‘I’d better get back to work, Signor Francesco. I always match my hours to Ben.’ She met his stare calmly. ‘He won’t take a midday break today because he’s had to go out for an optician’s appointment, so I won’t, either.’

  Luca did not look impressed. ‘You must eat, Beth. I shall tell the staff to expect you here at one o’clock. That is the time you eat at Rose Cottage, yes?’

  His expression was severe, but then she remembered how she had always managed to get around him in the past. And his mention of Rose Cottage seemed like a reminder of their time together. As she handed him the copy of Ben’s notes she risked everything.

  ‘That almost sounded like an invitation to lunch, Luca.’

  ‘No.’ He shook his head and turned away from her. ‘Not today, Beth. Perhaps some other time, eh? Ciao, bella!’

  Hope flickered again, until Beth realised his last remark was not di
rected at her. He was raising a hand in salute to the waitress who had served them. Beth watched him go, but he didn’t once look back at her. Luca was abandoning her in the same brisk way he left the room. He could not wait to get back to a world in which she had no place at all. It was the ultimate dismissal.

  CHAPTER TWO

  BETH continued to stare after Luca until the door of the executive lounge eased itself closed. That broke her trance, but she gave him a few minutes to get back to his eyrie before leaving the room herself. To meet him a second time so soon after that brush-off would be awful. She needed time to steady her nerves before she saw him again. Burying herself in the reassurance of work would help. As she walked back to her desk she wondered how long it would be before she could face Luca with courage. A long time, a small, sad voice replied.

  From that moment on, Beth could not concentrate properly. She had always wondered if Luca still hated her. Now she knew. He had made it clear exactly how deep his feelings ran. He had every right to feel that way. Painful though it was, she would have to isolate herself from him as much as possible. She did not want to increase his bitterness. The only way to cope was to forget they had ever meant anything to each other. She would have to stifle all her emotions, and treat him with nothing but cold formality.

  But something was busily working away at the back of her mind. It would not leave her alone, and fizzled through her body like a slow charge. The sensation grew as the day wore on until her limbs were as heavy as her head. An uncomfortable truth was beginning to seep along her veins. It mingled with the hot, urgent feeling that had leapt into life the moment she recognised him. The combination was sensual, yet terrifying. She had never stopped loving Luca, so it was no wonder her body melted now at the thought of him. What shocked Beth to the core of her being was the discovery that, no matter how much he hated her, no matter how much his attitude towards her had altered, or the weight of her own guilt—nothing changed the way she reacted to him. She still wanted him as much as ever.

  Instead of going up to the executive lounge at lunchtime, Beth slipped out of the building. The thought of bumping into Luca and being trapped by his turbulent gaze again made her feel sick. It was partly embarrassment, but mostly shame. She was angry her body was not strong enough to resist him. Five years ago he had refused to make any commitment to her. Now he was blaming her, because she had stood up for her principles, and given him an ultimatum. And the worst part of it was, Beth knew those principles would crumble into dust now, the instant he laid another finger on her…

  In the end she had to give herself a mental pep talk. I’m worth more than this, she thought, grinding her teeth so hard her head began to throb. Mooning after a man who hates me is a fast track to heartache.

  She threw all her energy into her work, but it was no use. No matter how many jobs she found to do around the office that afternoon, the memory of Luca haunted her for the rest of the day. Each time there was a knock at the door her head jerked up in alarm. Every ringing telephone set her nerves jangling. She was so glad to see Ben pull his jacket off the back of his chair and try out his ‘Ciao!’ at the end of the day she almost pushed him out of the door.

  Beth had been so desperate to plunge into the ordeal of her first day at work she had travelled straight from the airport to the office. There had been no time to find her new home. Once she had cleared her desk and pulled the cover over her computer monitor, it was time for her second shift to begin. This time, Beth’s job title was ‘Apartment Hunter’.

  Trying to track down the flat Ben had rented for her was a nightmare. By the time she had puzzled out his hopeless directions, it was raining and she was soaked. The ‘apartment’ turned out to be little more than twenty square metres of furnished hell, on the sad side of town. The agency employed by Ben had thrown Beth’s few pieces of luggage into the middle of the dirty carpet. The whole room had a dank, unfriendly feel, and smelled of mushrooms. It looked as cheerful as Beth felt.

  At least I won’t have time to feel sorry for myself, she thought, dropping her handbag and going over to the single small window. It was sticky with disuse and she had to force it open. No refreshing breeze burst in from outside: only the relentless rattle of raindrops on rusting ironwork. She gazed down onto a cobbled courtyard, wondering how long it would be before all the puddles joined up to make a lake. A single pigeon hunched on next-door’s window ledge, fluffed up against the deluge. It looked sick. Desperate for company, Beth wondered if she ought to try and coax it closer. Before she could try, a knock at her door sent the bird rocketing off into the rain.

  The thought of having a conversation with a real person made Beth throw common sense after the bird. Crossing her room in a couple of strides, she opened the door and instantly the smile froze on her face.

  It was Luca.

  The impulse to throw her arms around his neck and beg to be rescued died as she saw the look in his eyes. It nailed her to the spot. He looked as though he would respond only too quickly, but not in the way she needed. Beth wanted to keep him there, not send him away. She stared at him for what felt like hours. He had changed out of his business suit, but Luca in casual clothes looked equally stunning. Dressed in beautifully cut jeans and a blue open necked shirt, he was glittering with raindrops. They sparkled in his jet-black hair and darkened his trousers to navy, but could not dilute his disapproval. There was a bottle of Bardolino in his left hand and a pizza box in his right, but he lowered them as Beth’s hand went to her hair. Subconsciously, her fingers searched for the honey-blonde strands she always twiddled when she was nervous.

  ‘H-how in the world did you know where to find me?’ She gasped.

  ‘Employee records.’ Concern creased his brow. ‘Don’t you know how dangerous it is to open your door without finding out who is calling first, Beth? I might have been anybody.’

  For a second Beth allowed herself to think that his concern might mean he still cared, but quickly realised that he was just protecting his investment—doing his job.

  ‘I heard you skipped lunch. It’s a bad habit, Beth. Accept this as a peace-offering. We shouldn’t have parted on such bad terms this morning, after so long apart.’ His words were meant kindly enough, but his expression didn’t soften.

  Beth nodded, and backed into her room. This was the ultimate reversal of fortune, and it hurt.

  ‘I—I’m sorry about the state of this place, Luca…’

  ‘Don’t be. I’ve seen worse.’

  Both of them silently added the words ‘in Balacha’, but that was not something to be spoken out loud.

  ‘Ben insisted on booking my accommodation himself, and the agency made some sort of mix-up. Apparently,’ she said, staring at her sandals.

  ‘They found him a cosy canal-side hotel room, I notice.’

  Beth made a nervous, fluttering gesture with her hands. ‘It doesn’t matter. Sit down, Luca.’

  The choice was between her apartment’s squashy old armchair, and the edge of her bed. Beth pointed to the chair. Luca remained standing.

  ‘Your reactions puzzle me, Beth.’ He hesitated over her name, still finding it unusual. ‘It’s almost as though you really have changed since we were together.’

  ‘I told you so.’

  He raised a dark brow. ‘So you are throwing my own taunt back at me, eh?’

  She took the pizza from him and set it down on the apartment’s single table. Opening the cutlery drawer, she tried to take out a knife, but recoiled in horror. Without comment, Luca moved in to do it for her. A previous tenant had left everything in the drawer horribly sticky. Luca went over to the small, scratched sink but could find no washing-up liquid. Cleaning the knife as best he could, he rinsed it well under a noisy, intermittent stream of tepid water. Returning it to Beth, he watched her divide up the pizza with the care she always used when she knew he was watching.

  He accepted a single slice and as he watched her nibble nervously on her piece commented, ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have bo
thered bringing a full-sized one. Knowing you, Beth, you’ll throw the rest away as soon as I’ve disappeared.’

  ‘I would never do a thing like that now.’ She blushed, remembering all the times she had been flippant about money, dining out and always after something new.

  ‘Really?’ He raised his eyebrows in a knowing gesture.

  ‘Really,’ she repeated with feeling.

  ‘I hope this “new” Beth is still as keen on parties as she always used to be,’ he said. ‘I’ve decided to throw one to introduce Ben to all the people who matter. As his assistant, you’re invited as well, of course. It will be a chance for you to do some socialising, fine dining, and dancing—all the things that mean so much to you.’

  So that’s the only reason he’s come to see me, Beth thought, absolutely deflated. When she had first opened the door to find Luca standing there, it had taken all her strength not to weep with relief. Thank goodness she hadn’t. She made the necessary effort and forced herself to smile.

  ‘So…when is it, exactly?’

  ‘I haven’t decided yet. I came to consult you first. How much notice does it take to get Ben to the right place at the right time?’

  She looked at him scornfully, but he was quick to cut short any smart remark she might have made.

  ‘It had better be on Friday night, or Saturday. That’s for the benefit of the guests coming from abroad.’

  ‘How much notice will they need?’

  He gazed at her, quizzically. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘People will need to check their diaries, and make arrangements.’

  He raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in mystification. ‘It’s never bothered them before. Andria rings around. If they’re free, they come. If they’re not, they don’t. Though I can’t remember ever having a refusal.’

  No, thought Beth. I’m sure you can’t.

  ‘As you obviously don’t have any strong objections, I’ll go ahead. This weekend is good for me. I’ll ring Andria now, and she’ll get things going.’

  ‘You’re off duty, but your assistant is still at work?’ Beth gasped.