Her Ruthless Italian Boss

by Christina Hollis

  ‘You must be the second luckiest person in the world, after me,’ she murmured to herself, and he laughed.

  ‘How do you make that out?’

  She twisted out of his arms and sat up, amazed. ‘You have everything! A beautiful home in the centre of Paris, a palazzo, apartments, private jets and limousines—what else could anyone possibly want?’

  ‘You’d be surprised.’

  He eased himself onto his back and lay watching her as she found her discarded dressing gown, pulled it on and flicked her hair out from inside its collar.

  ‘For instance—if you could have anything at all in the world, Beth, what would it be?’

  She had to get off the bed. There was only one answer to that question, and it was too painful to think about while she was so close to him. All she wanted was his love, and he didn’t have any to give her.

  ‘Well…it would have to be a home of my own,’ she said at last.

  ‘You’ve got one—Rose Cottage.’

  ‘No. I’m only a tenant there,’ she said without thinking, and then bit her tongue. Telling him was a mistake, but she had gone too far to stop now. Luca was bound to probe, so she got in first with her explanation. ‘The house belongs to my uncle. Since Dad died, I’ve been living there under sufferance. Although the family is far too polite to say it, they want me out so the old place can be sold.’

  Beth frowned, annoyed with herself. She had meant to keep that from Luca, in case he thought she was asking for help.

  She went over to the dressing table and picked up her brush. Running it through the thick waterfall of her blonde hair, she could see Luca reflected in the glass, over her shoulder. He looked concerned, rather than angry. It surprised her.

  ‘I thought you’d be horrified if I told you, Luca, but it doesn’t seem to bother you at all.’

  ‘Do you want me to buy the house for you?’

  ‘Certainly not!’ Colour flared in her cheeks. She whirled around to confront him, but he was laughing.

  ‘No, I don’t believe you’d accept it from me as a gift!’ He nodded. ‘Don’t say you’re coming around to my way of thinking—that property has no meaning, other than as a place to live?’

  Beth shook her head. ‘You know I’ve never seen it like that. Houses are somewhere to put down roots, to settle and stay. That’s why I’d really love to design my own home, so once I moved in I’d never have to leave again.’

  When she said that, he frowned. She turned back to the dressing table, and heard a faint rasping sound as he ran his thumb backwards and forwards over his chin.

  ‘I’d never thought of a house like that. But it brings me back to my point—I might have privilege, Beth, but I can no more live where I like than…your queen can, for example. I inherited the palazzo in Venice, and this apartment was bought to serve a practical purpose, not a whim. It’s a rock-solid investment in the best part of town. The fact my clients are speechless when I invite them here is a bonus. Whether or not it’s where I would choose to live never featured in my decision to buy it.’

  Beth was curious now. ‘So where would you like to live, if you had a completely free choice?’

  He stretched lazily, a sable cat in a sliver of evening sunlight as it slid through a gap between the closed curtains.

  ‘There is no point in considering a question like that. I have no choice. I must live in the Palazzo Francesco, and that is all there is to it.’ He pulled her pillow over to his side of the bed and propped himself up on it. ‘But tell me about your dream home. You really would not want to buy Rose Cottage?’

  ‘Yes, of course I would, but the real fantasy is to have so much money I could keep my old home and build a better one, with all the mistakes of centuries ironed out.’

  ‘I like the idea.’ He smiled. ‘Rose Cottage certainly has its share of problems. So you will make sure your next house has plumbing that doesn’t gurgle and bang all night, keeping your guests awake?’

  ‘Most definitely. And it will be a totally mouse-proof zone, too.’

  ‘But with plenty of room for your horses.’

  Beth put down her hairbrush and went into the dressing room of her suite. Finding something to wear for dinner gave her a chance to hide her pain from Luca as she spoke.

  ‘Sasha and Foxy have been sold. Before I got the job as Ben’s PA, I had a lot of temporary positions. When I was away from home, I couldn’t give them the attention they deserved. They love people so much, it seemed fairer to let them go to a place where they would get plenty of exercise and be spoiled rotten at the same time.’

  ‘But you loved them.’

  ‘Love isn’t always enough. Sometimes it’s better to let go and keep your distance,’ Beth murmured.

  She had learned to set everything free. Everything—except for the memory of Luca.

  Each time Beth and Luca made love it was better than the last. She had thought their experiences in Balacha were unbeatable, but this outshone it. Luca was like an avalanche, overwhelming her at every turn. He took her body with an urgency unusual even for him. Beth was quite happy to let him set the pace. Nowhere was safe from him. The only thing taking precedence over his body was her studies. Beth soon learned to hide her art textbooks when she heard his footsteps. If Luca thought he was going to interrupt her work, he would go off and distract himself with business.

  To Beth’s delight, Luca announced their time in Paris would be extended. He arranged everything. Andria was to move into Ben’s office while they were away. She could just about manage to keep him under control, while being kept in touch with Luca’s diary at the same time. This put Beth’s mind at rest, and she was grateful. In the intervals when Luca abandoned her for the city, she had discovered a real thirst for knowledge. It was no hardship to fill her few spare hours with visits to the contacts Luca made for her. She was learning a lot about the art business. But she was also learning a lot about herself. Her father had supported her for so long, and then there had been her dreams of becoming a career wife. All that was behind her now. Now she had plans for real independence. For the first time, she realised she could become a success in her own right. She could not wait to put all her lessons into practice.

  It was just as well she kept herself busy. Every time she stopped thinking about work, her mind was drawn back to how quickly she would lose Luca again. He kept stressing this was a temporary arrangement. Beth nodded when he said it, even though the idea was unbearable for her. So each time tears of regret began to threaten, she pulled herself away from him and headed for her desk. There, she plunged back into her textbooks. Filling her mind helped to dull her pain.

  CHAPTER TEN

  IT WAS all Beth could ever need. Luca wanted her more than ever. Work always came first, but he made plenty of time for play. For the next few days she was in a whirl of physical and mental arousal. When he had satisfied her body, he went on to stimulate her mind. She was in heaven. She could spend every waking moment with him. Better still, her work as his PA was actually managing to change him—for the better.

  ‘What time is it, Beth?’

  ‘Twenty minutes later than it was when you last asked me.’

  He stopped studying one of da Vinci’s virgins and looked at her with a glint in his eye.

  ‘At least you’ve cured me of needing a time check every thirty seconds.’

  Beth walked over to a bench. Sitting down, she swung her bag onto her lap and took out a bottle of mineral water.

  ‘Here you go. It’s almost time to consult that mysterious code in your organiser again.’

  Luca strolled over and sat beside her. Taking a small container from his inside pocket, he tapped a couple of small white pills into the palm of his hand.

  He accepted the drink she offered.

  ‘Originally, I thought it was women. But now I know differently,’ she said. Watching him grimace as he took the tablets, she frowned too. ‘I wish you’d tell me what you take them for, Luca.’

  ‘You don’t ne
ed to know, cara.’ He frowned, his expression guarded. He was soon smiling again. ‘In any case—what sort of a PA are you, if you haven’t noticed I’m not taking so many pills now, or so often?’ he teased.

  ‘A polite and discreet one,’ Beth countered, tucking the bottle of water back into her bag. ‘Except when you’re about to make yourself late for your next appointment!’

  Luca could be as discreet as Beth, but everyone must have known about their affair. No lift needed to stop between floors that often, but none of the staff ever made any comment.

  ‘You’re sad to leave?’ Luca noticed as he settled beside her in the Mercedes for their return trip to the airport. He loved driving, and often dismissed his chauffeur for the chance to get behind the wheel himself.

  ‘Paris is a wonderful city. It’s been so long since I had any sort of holiday, and working through it from the Louvre to the flea markets made me see the place in a completely different way. Not to mention all the bursts of excitement in between…’ They shared a smile, but Luca was quick to become serious again.

  ‘Yes, but there’s something else. I can see it in your face, Beth.’ He leaned in towards her, sliding his hand down her arm to take her hand. ‘You are too pale. Is it because you didn’t get much sleep last night?’

  Beth smiled and shook her head. It was true she felt tired, but nothing would have made her admit it to him. She knew from now on she had to keep pace with Luca. The threat of being replaced in his life by the next willing woman tortured her all the time.

  ‘Your visits are never a problem, Luca. I only wish I could persuade you to stay with me all night.’ She sighed, meshing her fingers with his. ‘It can’t be relaxing for you, getting up to go back to your own suite every night. You don’t need to do it. I know better than to make any claim on you. It would give you a complete night’s rest, too.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me,’ he assured her. ‘In any case, I’m not due to go into the office until tomorrow.’ Raising his hand, he carefully brushed a stray strand of blonde hair back from her brow.

  ‘You have some time off? But according to your schedule—’ Beth looked away and began scrabbling for her bag, but he caught her chin and turned her face to his again.

  ‘I cancelled,’ he whispered. His voice was like melted milk chocolate. ‘I thought we could try a little extra rest and recreation in the bridal suite this afternoon.’

  Leaning forward, he gave her a long, slow kiss. And it took Beth’s breath away.

  ‘But—but I thought this arrangement of ours was only lasting for as long as our trip…’ she said faintly.

  ‘It will last for as long as I want it to,’ he murmured, kissing her again. Beth’s hand went to his hair.

  ‘Now we are back in Venice, you will sign a new, permanent contract with Francesco Fine Arts. That will give you financial security for as long as you want to go on working here. You’re a good student and I can’t take the risk of you flouncing out at a moment’s notice. As a fully contracted staff member of Francesco Fine Arts, you’ll be able to apply for formal courses to broaden your experience. Although I hope you won’t object if I continue some of your education myself…’

  His hand slid up to caress the smooth skin between her stocking and panties. Beth closed her eyes. In Paris, she had been overcome by a physical need for him so strong it had scattered all her guilt and fear in an ecstasy of desire. But now she wondered whether things were going too far. The rational part of her brain said she ought to put an end to everything now, before he found someone else and hurt her yet again…

  ‘Are you all right, Beth? It isn’t like you to be so quiet.’

  She opened her eyes. He shot her a look of concern that was an echo of his voice. It surprised her.

  ‘Yes—I’m fine, thanks. It’s just that…I don’t want you to be accused of favouritism, Luca. Now sex is back in the equation, I’m not sure how to react when I get back to the office.’

  ‘Sex—so that’s all it is for you, this time around?’ Luca picked up on the word straight away. His expression hardened, challenging her to deny it.

  Beth felt adrenalin flood through her veins in a tingle of danger. A warning note in his voice alerted every nerve in her body.

  ‘I thought this was supposed to be a fresh start for us, Luca. We agreed to forget the past.’

  ‘Yes, but the past has a way of forcing itself to the front of my mind now we’re lovers again, tesoro.’

  ‘You are your own man, Luca. You always have been. Why should I be looking to pin you down now, when we’ve been there, done that and suffered all the consequences?’

  ‘And I have the scars to prove it,’ Luca growled.

  He pulled away from her. Settling back in the driving seat, he started the car. He did not need to watch Beth running her fingers through her hair or fiddling with her clothes to realise she was uneasy. She might be saying one thing, but Luca’s very male instincts told him she was thinking quite the opposite.

  ‘It’s in your nature to seek commitment, Beth. You come from a fine English family. Your people are expected to suppress all their emotions in favour of making a good marriage.’ He set out the truth as he saw it. ‘You know from experience I won’t be forced into a relationship, and you’re not sure you can go through all that again.’

  She leaned her head against the passenger window of the car. There was no point in trying to deny it.

  ‘I can’t change the past, Luca. All I can do is try and influence the future.’

  ‘And you can only do that if I let you.’

  It was the fear she had never dared to face. Now he was making her confront it.

  ‘I know I can’t expect anything from you, Luca. It would serve me right if you ended up treating me as badly as I treated you, that night back in Balacha.’

  ‘Revenge is not what I am after,’ he stated firmly. ‘And this is nothing like a one-night stand.’

  After a pause, she found the courage to come out with something she had wanted to tell him for a long time. There might never be another chance to open her heart, so she had to do it now.

  ‘I was never really unfaithful to you, Luca. There was nothing physical between Tristram and me. But I had to choose between loneliness with you, and a sympathetic ear from him. I could either spend my life forever waiting for you, or accept second best. Back then, a man who never travelled further than the office coffee machine looked like the better bet for a “normal” life.’

  ‘You always deserved better, Beth,’ Luca said brusquely, appearing to concentrate on the traffic rather than her.

  Yes, but that was then and this is now, Beth thought, feeling an agony of tears build up behind her eyes.

  ‘But you have set yourself free from all that now, free to fly with me for a while,’ his voice interrupted her thoughts quietly. ‘I always tried to get you to cast off convention. This arrangement of ours has proved you’re willing to try, Beth. You are right—you have changed. The first time I saw you walk into the executive lounge of FFA, my heart went black and cold. I thought you were the same girl who preferred weddings to work. But seeing what you have become has taught me something about myself.’

  He stopped, and she saw his knuckles whiten as he gripped the steering wheel. She braced herself for a shock. When it came, it was far more of a surprise than she could have imagined.

  ‘I’ve discovered I have a weakness. It’s for you, Beth. It always has been. I know that now.’

  Beth was so amazed she could not speak. He shot a glance across the car’s interior, laughing at her confusion.

  ‘So why don’t we forget all about commitment, and fly together for a while longer?’

  They connected—and for a fraction of a second it was an almost spiritual moment. Their minds came together—but then he had to switch his attention back to the road. Beth had no distraction. Her mind could absorb his words while her body revelled in the thought of having first call on him, for at least a little while longer.
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br />   Her reaction spread to Luca. Out of the corner of his eye he saw she was moving in the seat beside him. Her hands opened and closed in a helpless gesture, as though she did not know what he wanted her to say. Tiny wordless sounds came from her beautiful, inviting mouth.

  ‘You don’t need to answer straight away, Beth, unless the answer is no,’ he said in a voice low with feeling.

  Just the nearness of him had an effect on her; it was all she could do to restrain herself. He was talking about sweeping her off to paradise. When Luca was involved, it could be nothing less. In suppressing a moan of desire, she rocked forward in her seat and her eyes closed momentarily. When she opened them again, her gaze connected with Luca’s in a spark of recognition.

  Wordlessly, he reached across the central console of the automatic car and took her hand. If he was honest with himself he had stopped being interested in casual sex the moment Beth had walked back into his life, but could he put the past behind them? Their clasped hands hung together for a moment as he fought the impulse to draw her fingers towards his body. With growing excitement, Beth saw he was as aroused as she was. The formality of the black linen business suit and stockings she always wore while travelling felt far too constricting. Perfectly attuned to the sound of her silken underwear brushing against the lining of her skirt, Luca’s hormones almost got the better of him.

  ‘Sit still!’ he commanded with a glint in his eye. ‘It’s hard enough trying to keep my mind on the road as it is.’

  This was the point of no return. Beth had to risk her heart, throwing it out to him in the hope he would catch it. Whether he kept it safe, or merely tormented it, hardly mattered any more.