Marco hesitated. He wanted to delve deeper, but if he wanted to get closer to her he was going to have to break down her defences and get her to open up to him. Maybe now wasn’t the time.
He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment before making a decision. For now he would drop the personal questions and concentrate on things from the safety zone of work. He was going to have to take things slowly.
‘OK …’ Marco looked up and fixed her with a dark, penetrating look that made her insides tighten ‘… as you know, your contract with me is coming to an end soon. But I’d like you to consider extending it, staying on.’
She hadn’t been expecting this! ‘How long were you thinking?’ she asked swiftly.
Marco shrugged. ‘Another twelve months, possibly longer, we’ll see how we go from there.’
Charlie felt a dart of pleasure mixed with relief. ‘That would be great.’ She smiled at him. ‘To be honest, the offer couldn’t have come at a better time. I think the agency I work for will be sold soon and I was wondering what I should do after that.’
‘It will suit us both, then.’ Marco sat back in his chair, feeling pleased. He had been planning to offer Charlie a permanent job regardless of his personal interest in her. He really didn’t want to lose her from the office. Things had never run as smoothly as they did now. The added advantage that this would make it easier to get closer made the agreement very sweet. ‘Shall we say the same hours?’ he said nonchalantly. ‘I know it’s not easy working full-time having a young child, but I can be flexible.’
‘Thanks, I’d appreciate that.’ She looked over at him gratefully. ‘It can be a nightmare sometimes if Jack’s ill.’
‘I understand.’ Marco nodded. ‘The only thing is I’ll need you to accompany me on a few trips now and then, seminars … that kind of thing.’
Charlie hesitated before answering him, and he could see her weighing up the fact that she didn’t want to leave her child alongside the fact that she wanted this job.
‘It will be mainly over the next few months but after that things should settle back to normal,’ Marco told her gently.
She nodded. ‘Well, it shouldn’t be a problem, then.’
‘Great. As you know, I’ve got a very busy period coming up with this book tour so I’m delighted to sort that out.’
She smiled at him, feeling a surge of happiness. Twelve months working with Marco sounded like bliss. She really did like him, Charlie thought suddenly. Maybe she even liked him too much. The thought distracted her from what he was saying, and her gaze started to drift over the rugged, handsome contours of his features. She found herself lingering for a moment on his lips as she remembered how sensational his kiss had been.
‘So you are OK with all of that?’ He fixed her with that intently sexy look of his and she felt her heart starting to slam against her chest again.
Was she OK with all of this? The exuberant feeling of relief she had experienced when he’d asked her to stay on began to fade a little. How was she going to maintain a professional relationship with a man who made her feel like this?
‘Charlie?’
Aware that he was waiting for an answer, she quickly pulled herself together. She had a pile of bills waiting on the sideboard and a house that desperately needed even more money spent on it. According to the plumber this morning, she was probably going to need a whole new central-heating system. She couldn’t afford to allow irrational feelings to mess up a job opportunity.
‘Yes, perfectly.’
‘Good.’ He smiled at her and for a moment his eyes drifted lazily over her. ‘Well, now the main business is out of the way, we should relax and order something to eat.’
Charlie picked up the menu from the table. Relaxing around Marco was probably not a good idea, because that was when these feelings of attraction started to strike. Things would be OK once they got back into the office, she reassured herself firmly. They were always so busy; there would be no time for anything personal.
‘I have to go to Tuscany at the weekend,’ Marco said suddenly.
‘Oh?’ She looked over at him with interest. ‘You were telling me on the phone that you grew up there. What was it you said—a century-old farmhouse? It sounded lovely.’
‘Yes, it is. Have you ever been to Italy?’
Charlie shook her head.
‘Well, the villa is set in a very beautiful area. In the summer the meadows are alight with the gold of sunflowers … just hectare after hectare of them under a blazing blue sky. And right now there will be a mellow warmth in the air and they will be harvesting the vines.’
‘How did you ever bear to leave a place as beautiful as that?’
‘Very easily actually.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I’m not the sentimental type.’
‘Of course.’ Charlie forgot herself for a moment and looked at him teasingly. ‘Because that could go under the heading of being romantic … and you wouldn’t want that.’
‘Definitely not.’ Marco smiled.
As their eyes met that feeling of awareness and intimacy suddenly sprang forcefully to life between them again. Charlie could feel it twisting in the air like a living entity ready to coil around her and draw her deeper and deeper under its spell.
Desperately she tried to ignore it. ‘So are your parents still at the farmhouse?’ She moved the conversation on.
‘Unfortunately my parents died in a car crash five years ago.’
‘I’m so sorry, Marco. That’s awful!’
‘Yes.’ He met her eyes candidly. ‘I’ve come to terms with it now. But it was a traumatic time.’
She nodded.
‘I still own the farmhouse and sometimes my sisters bring their children there for holidays, but apart from that the place lies empty.’
‘That’s a shame.’
‘I suppose it is.’ Marco shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ll be there for the weekend. It’s a business trip but it will give me the opportunity to check on the place. And the reason I’ve mentioned it is that, now you have agreed to work for me permanently, I want you to accompany me.’
The invitation was tagged on so casually that Charlie wasn’t sure how to take it. She looked across at him and her heart started its rapid tattoo again. ‘You mean on business, of course?’
‘Of course.’
Charlie cringed and wished now she hadn’t sought clarification!
‘There will be time for us to get to know each other along more personal lines as well,’ he added softly.
As their eyes met her emotions seemed to race with peculiar intensity, pleasure … panic and a large helping of desire all seemed to merge and flutter. A weekend in romantic Tuscany getting to know Marco Delmari would probably be better than all her wildest fantasies put together.
Stop it, Charlie, she warned herself furiously. This is dangerous territory.
Marco watched the uncertainty chasing across the shadows of her green eyes and smiled. ‘I was thinking a trip to Florence and dinner,’ he said teasingly. ‘Sharing a bedroom is optional.’
The provocative words made her skin flare a bright crimson. ‘You know, Marco, I think you like to make outrageous statements just to ruffle my equilibrium and get a rise out of me.’ With difficulty she kept her tone light.
She noticed the gleam in his dark eyes. ‘You’re probably right,’ he said. ‘You do look very attractive when you blush. And it’s such a rare attribute these days.’
Charlie tried as hard as she could to remain impassive to that remark. She was damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction of getting another response. ‘Just for the record, I wasn’t worried about the sleeping arrangements.’
‘Good.’ He smiled at her and she felt her insides starting to heat up again.
And that was when she knew for certain that she was lying. The knowledge curled uncomfortably inside her.
She wasn’t worried that Marco would pressurise her into sleeping with him—she knew instinctively he wasn’t that kind of man.
Apart from anything else, there was any number of women who would willingly do that. And, despite the way he had kissed her and his teasing comments, she was sure Marco’s priorities where she was concerned were mainly businesslike. The only thing that had changed between them was that he now believed she was on his wavelength emotionally, which meant he viewed her as fair game for a casual fling …
What concerned her were her reactions to him. The way she had found herself responding to his kisses scared her a little. She hadn’t been turned on like that in such a long time and now she wondered what would happen if he touched her or kissed her when they were alone together in Italy.
Would she be able to pull back from the situation?
She felt a swirl of deep anxiety. If anything happened between her and Marco and things went wrong she could ultimately lose her job. Going away with him could be a big mistake.
But how could she avoid it? She bit down on her lip and tried to think sensibly. This was business … and Marco had made it clear that he expected her to accompany him on a few trips. It was hardly an unreasonable request, given the salary he was paying. And. although it was fairly short notice, she knew her mother would be only too happy to have her grandson with her for a whole weekend.
‘So what exactly is involved work-wise?’ she asked cautiously.
‘It’s fairly straightforward.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m giving an interview for Italian TV to promote my book. That will take up a lot of time on Sunday and I have a stack of notes in my office at the villa that need to be catalogued ready for a meeting later that evening back in London with Professor Hunt.’
It sounded reasonable enough. And if she couldn’t handle her emotions around him she was going to mess this opportunity up before it started. ‘Fine,’ she said calmly. ‘It’s only one weekend it shouldn’t be a problem.’
Was it her imagination or was there a gleam of triumph in his dark gaze now?
Charlie hurriedly dismissed the thought. This was business and she needed the job.
CHAPTER FIVE
WHAT was she doing, Charlie wondered in agitation as the fasten-seatbelt sign came on and the pilot told them to prepare for landing. She should never have agreed to this … it was madness!
As she looked up her eyes connected with Marco’s. ‘Not long now and we’ll be on the ground.’
Charlie forced herself to smile at him.
The sudden panic had hit her mid-flight out of nowhere, which was strange because during the week she had managed to convince herself that she wasn’t in the slightest bit concerned about this trip. She supposed the fact that it had been extremely busy in the office had helped.
Marco had been his usual friendly self but the familiarity that had flared over last weekend had seemingly been forgotten. In fact as soon as he had dropped her off at home after lunch last Saturday it had been forgotten, although maybe not entirely by her. Sometimes when she had glanced up and caught his eye the memory of that kiss had been there, but it had been a fleeting thing and it hadn’t encroached on work.
But now, sitting next to him on the plane, she felt all those dangerous feelings of desire flooding back in force. Suddenly she was aware of everything about him. The scent of his cologne, even the way his arm brushed lightly against hers as he moved made her tingle with consciousness.
It was only because they were out of their usual environment, she told herself soothingly. As soon as they started to work at his office in the villa things would be fine again, common sense would snap back into place and these silly feelings would go.
‘You’ve forgotten to fasten your seat belt,’ Marco reminded her.
She made to reach for it, but he had already found it and was leaning across to slip it into place.
For a second he was so close that she could feel the strength of his hard-muscled arms through the light material of her blouse. She tensed at the fleeting touch of his hands against her waist, her senses pounding.
‘There.’ He smiled at her and her gaze drifted from his intensely sexy eyes to the firm, sensual curve of his lips.
‘Better safe than sorry—isn’t that what they say?’ he said lightly as he sat back.
That saying should be branded on her consciousness for the entire weekend, Charlie thought wryly, because if she didn’t get a grip she was going to be in deep water.
‘Thanks.’ She smiled politely and then turned to look out of the window into the darkness of the night.
She hoped he didn’t know what kind of an effect he was having on her because that would be too embarrassing. He would be totally amused.
A picture of the kind of amusement he could find flicked through her mind in a searing, red-hot vision of them entwined in a double bed.
Stop it, Charlie! If you value your job you won’t even think about that.
She clenched her hands at her sides and reminded herself in severe terms of just how important this job was. Karen was in the process of selling the agency … they had talked a few days ago and it seemed the deal would go through pretty quickly.
If she didn’t stay on with Marco she could be in financial limbo for a while. She had no doubt that she would find another job but it could take time and she would be lucky to find something as well-paid.
The plane touched down and there was a screech of brakes.
Don’t let yourself think about anything that isn’t related to business, she told herself briskly. It was Friday night now, and their flight home was booked for late Sunday afternoon. All she had to do was hold her nerve and keep her distance for two short days.
As the plane came to a halt Marco stood up and collected the hand luggage from the overhead compartment.
He put an arm around her as they stepped out into the mellow warmth of the night air. ‘Welcome to Italy …’ He murmured the words against her ear, making her senses sizzle.
It didn’t mean anything … he was just being Italian, she assured herself. But even so, it was enough to bring her panic racing back. Yes, it was only two days and two nights … with Marco … a man who could turn her on with a mere whisper.
‘Thanks …’ She tried very hard to sound businesslike. ‘Maybe one day I’ll come here for pleasure rather than business.’
‘I think we can make some time for pleasure,’ Marco said with amusement.
Would sharing a bed come under that remit? she wondered suddenly. The question pulsated through her along with the touch of his hand and the knowledge that she was aching to be even closer!
With difficulty she broke the contact and stepped away from him. ‘Well, we’ll see. But we have a lot of work to do,’ she said briskly.
He smiled. ‘I knew we would make a good team. With you by my side I need never fall behind with work again.’
She wasn’t sure if he was being facetious or serious. There was a gleam in his eye that was very disconcerting. ‘I’d better go collect my luggage …’
Marco watched her walk away, a look of contemplation in his eyes. She was as jumpy as a skittish colt. This weekend in Italy was just what they needed. He would break through her barriers, he told himself firmly. He was determined about that. When he wanted something he usually got it.
Marco didn’t have any luggage to collect, as everything he needed was already at the villa, so he went to see about their hire car while Charlie waited by the carousel for her case.
They met in the arrivals hall a little while later, and within a few minutes Charlie was installed in the passenger seat of a Mercedes and they were heading away from the town of Pisa into the countryside.
Charlie switched on her mobile phone and checked to see if there were any messages from her mother. There was nothing, which probably meant that everything was fine and Jack was in bed.
Marco glanced over and noticed the phone. ‘Are you going to give Jack a ring?’
‘He goes to bed at seven-thirty, so he’ll be asleep now. I like to keep him in a routine.’
Marco nodded. ‘Kids like routine. It makes
them feel safe.’
Routine could also make adults feel safe, Charlie thought as she watched the powerful headlights slicing through the darkness of the narrow lanes. Usually at this time on a Friday after she had read Jack his bedtime story and tucked him in, she would catch up on chores around the house before settling down to watch TV. If she was honest she had to admit that she had been hiding away behind her routine for the last few years. She had preferred it and she hadn’t wanted a relationship. The bottom line was, if you didn’t open up to people then you didn’t get hurt. But, as Karen said, she couldn’t hide forever and it was time she started dating again.
But not with Marco, she reminded herself firmly. She needed this job too badly to risk any involvement with him … he was out of bounds.
‘This is the first time I’ve left him overnight.’ She snapped her phone closed again.
‘It must feel a bit strange, then.’
‘Yes … a bit.’ She smiled over at him. ‘Although not quite as strange as dropping him off at school for the first time at the beginning of this month, he looked so grown-up in his uniform.’
‘At least he likes school. My sister’s youngest child cried every morning when she was dropped off. It broke Julia’s heart.’
‘How distressing for her.’ Charlie glanced over at him curiously. ‘Where does your sister live?’
‘Julia is in Ireland. She’s married and has four children. My sister Tess is in France working as an interpreter for a law firm. Then my sister Maggie lives in Norway with her partner and they have three children.’
‘How lovely to have sisters. Have you any brothers?’
‘No, there was just me.’ He grinned. ‘I’m the eldest. The one who bosses them around.’
‘And looks out for them,’ Charlie guessed. She had heard the warmth in his tone. ‘It must be nice to be part of a big family,’ she said wistfully.
‘You don’t have any siblings?’
‘No, I was an only child.’ She glanced over at him curiously. ‘So what was it like growing up in a predominantly female household?’
‘Put it this way, I was very glad when we had some en suites fitted, because before that I seemed to spend years queuing outside bathroom doors.’
Mistress to the Mediterranean Male (Mills & Boon By Request) Page 34