He reached over to press down on the intercom button and told Rose, ‘Mrs Stewart is leaving. Would you please have security escort her from the building?’
A split second later, the door was opened and the security man asked Lidia to accompany him. It was a far less confident woman who left his office—a woman who faced bankruptcy. If she was true to form, she’d bounce back and find her next meal ticket it record time. That was what the Lidia Stewarts of the world did.
Raking his fingers through his hair, Marco moved restlessly around his office. An executive punching bag would be good to alleviate this swirling mass of angst in his gut. Lidia’s announcement had re-stirred the raw pain he’d lived with each day for the last four years because it brought back so many haunting memories—memories of why this baby couldn’t possibly be his.
Mentally, he cursed. He was fairly certain Lidia wouldn’t threaten him again. As for Chloe being pregnant—it was either all a hoax or it was someone else’s child. A dull weight settled in his chest and he was forced to acknowledge the thought of her carrying another man’s child unsettled him.
It was ridiculous—completely illogical.
He had to put this episode in the Stewart-Salvatore drama behind him and focus on the meetings he’d organised for the rest of the afternoon. He’d make a quick trip to congratulate his staff, then there was a meeting with a group of German investors. He smothered a groan of irritation, remembering that he’d also agreed to an interview with a business magazine in order to spread more positive publicity for the bank. He’d won a prestigious award recognising how the bank had tripled its profits under his leadership while still managing to keep interest rates low for clients borrowing money. The magazine wanted to run a feature article about his success and management strategies.
He thought further forward to his date with Cynthia this evening. The prospect of the evening with the supermodel should alleviate some of his agitation, but it failed to do so. After about half an hour, the internal intercom buzzed. ‘Yes, Rose?’
‘Your Highness, I’m so sorry to disturb you again.’ His assistant’s voice was troubled. ‘Miss Chloe Salvatore is downstairs in the foyer requesting to see you. She said it was a personal matter, and given that you’d wanted to see the last lady I thought it may be related.’
Chloe was here?
Gesù.
‘Shall I ask reception to send her up, Your Highness?’ Rose queried.
Marco stared through the window. Below him the city bustled. The London Eye circled slowly, double-decker buses travelled toward Westminster Abbey and life in London proceeded as normal.
Chloe was downstairs.
‘Your Highness?’
He closed his eyes and swiftly reopened them as visions of Chloe’s face during their lovemaking played in his memory.
‘I beg your pardon, but should I have Miss Salvatore come up or am I to tell her you’re unavailable?’
His gut felt like a cauldron of seething emotions—an irrational, urgent desire to see Chloe again versus a need to send her as far away as possible. Marco answered, ‘Send her away and tell her I’m not available to her. Ever.’
There could only be one reason for her visit—to continue on with this pregnancy charade and attempt to extort money from him. Although it beggared belief, she’d told him she was a lawyer. She must know she ran the risk he’d press charges against her, and that if she’d purposely fallen pregnant to claim the child was his, he’d demand a paternity test—had he any reason to believe she might be telling the truth. Unbeknown to them, the plan mother and daughter had hatched was completely flawed.
‘Absolutely, Your Highness, I’ll have security send her on her way.’ There was a pause before she continued, ‘I contacted Miss Drysden as you directed, and she’s free this evening.’
‘Excellent,’ he responded without any real enthusiasm.
‘I’ve booked the theatre tickets,’ she continued. ‘The show starts at seven-thirty pm and I’ve made reservations for dinner at Guido’s for six pm. Miss Drysden said she’s close to your home doing a fashion shoot today so she’d like to come to your place to freshen up before dinner, if that’s okay?’
His voice was steely when he said, ‘Thank you, Rose. Tell Miss Drysden that’ll be fine, and please phone my housekeeper and let her know of the arrangements.’ He’d make sure he was home in time, even though he didn’t feel remotely like taking the leggy blonde model out for dinner now. The idea of having those long naked legs wrapped around him had lost any appeal, but he was damned if he was going to cancel the date because Chloe’s visit had unsettled him.
Marco groaned. This would be the last time he’d allow Lidia and Chloe to interrupt the smooth flow of his life. Cynthia was generally good company, but it was going to be hard for him to enjoy a night with anyone after all the disturbances of today. Clenching his teeth together, he bit back another curse. He needed his head read, allowing Chloe to affect him like this.
He’d keep his date with Cynthia tonight and make sure he was good company. He’d take his date to bed after the theatre, he’d lose himself in her, and make sure it was the best damned sex she’d ever had. He wouldn’t spare Chloe a second thought.
He’d only just settled back into the briefing papers on his desk ten minutes later when there was a quiet knock on his office door. It opened and Rose announced, ‘Miss Salvatore insisted this note be delivered.’
Marco steeled himself to take the note from his assistant. When she left, he sat turning it over in his hands several times, contemplating whether to read it or throw it in the bin. Finally, he tore the envelope open and read the neatly handwritten note.
Marco,
Our night together has resulted in pregnancy. I’m telling you because I believe you have a moral right to know. I am more than capable of giving this child everything it needs. I’m flying back home tonight. I’ll wait here in the foyer for you for half an hour. If you decide you want nothing to do with the child, I’ll never contact you again, and will respect your wish not to be named as the father on the birth certificate.
Chloe Salvatore.
Screwing up the letter, he threw it into the wastepaper basket violently as he cursed colourfully in each of the six languages he spoke.
Mother and daughter had changed their tactics now they knew he wouldn’t respond to threats. It seemed Chloe had been sent to appeal to him on moral grounds. If only they knew that despite the torn condom they were completely wasting their time, because it was impossible the child was his. Chloe could wait the rest of her life in that foyer if she wanted to and, if she was pregnant, she could give birth to the other man’s child there for all he cared.
Toxic.
Mother and daughter were both pure poison.
Over the next thirty minutes, he couldn’t stop his eyes from continually straying to his wristwatch. And when the half hour was up, he rolled his chair back from the desk, swivelled around and stared out through the window onto the street below—watching the pedestrians as they passed by the front of the office.
There she was. He recognised her instantly, even from this distance and angle. There was nothing about the way she moved that gave him any indication of how she felt, she merely walked along the footpath and stood at the intersection along with everyone else, waiting to cross the road. Just another woman in the crowd.
So why did he feel this strong pull—this unsettling disturbance—as he watched her walk away from him? The woman was an avaricious schemer; it defied all belief that he could imagine some sort of special connection with her.
With a growl of aggravation, he picked up the phone on his desk, jabbed his finger against the keypad and was instantly connected to security.
‘There’s a woman outside at the intersection dressed in dark jeans and a white blouse. She’s carrying a red handbag and she’s been in the foyer the last thirty minutes. Send someone to get her and bring her to my office immediately.’
Chapter Seven
Marco prepared himself to meet the woman who’d haunted his dreams, and many of his waking moments.
‘Hello, Marco,’ Chloe said quietly.
The difference between her and her mother couldn’t be more obvious. Where Lidia had virtually knocked Rose out of the way, Chloe turned toward his assistant and sent her a small grateful smile.
But when Chloe moved forward into better light, her pallor and drawn features hit him straight in the chest and almost winded him. She looked dreadful.
‘Would you like me to bring tea or coffee, Your Highness?’ Rose asked.
He barely managed to stop himself from agreeing. ‘No,’ he said sharply. ‘That will be all. Thank you, Rose.’ This was not a social occasion and he had no intention of entertaining Chloe, so why had he instructed the security personnel to chase after her? What did he hope to achieve?
He had no blasted idea and already regretted the impulse.
Rose withdrew and closed the door softly, but eyed Chloe with concern as she did. It was obvious that Marco’s visitor wasn’t physically well.
He resisted walking to Chloe and helping her into a seat. He needed to keep this impersonal. Formal. Without preamble, he launched, ‘Weeks ago you told me you wanted to take the next flight back to California.’
‘That was my intention.’ She swayed a little, as though she was too exhausted to stand.
‘Sit down.’ He gestured to a chair, noting she hadn’t put on weight but had lost it. Was her conscience troubling her because she was embroiled in her mother’s scheme?
No. That would imply she had a conscience.
He couldn’t afford to believe in her.
Inferno. He’d already caved and brought her to his office.
Sitting, she placed her shoulder bag on her lap and looked at the straps as she fiddled with them.
‘You have three minutes of my time. Talk.’
Her beautiful blue eyes were full of trepidation when she looked up at him again. ‘I... I told you I was on the pill.’
A tight ball of unease lodged itself in his solar plexus when he realised she was about to persist with the lie her mother had started.
He watched as her eyes darted around the room to look anywhere but at him. Determined not to make this any easier on her, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to speak.
Hear her out. Face-to-face with her as she perpetuates the lie and tries again to blackmail you, perhaps then you’ll finally be able to forget about her. Yes. That was his subconscious motivation for allowing her into his office.
‘I’ve been on a low-dose oral contraceptive pill since my late teens to regulate my period. What I didn’t account for was my sickness on the flight over to London. It was my first time on an aircraft and I didn’t realise I’d suffer from motion sickness.’ She broke eye contact with him for a moment as her head bent forward and she seemed to take great interest in the nervous movement of her hands as they twisted the leather straps of her handbag. Then her shoulders squared and she bit her lip before she looked at him and said, ‘Being physically ill must’ve thrown everything out of whack and meant I wasn’t protected that night.’
Same story as Lidia. ‘Your mother’s attempts at extortion have already failed this morning.’
Her eyes widened and her luxuriously long dark eyelashes fanned out against her pale skin. ‘Lidia’s contacted you?’
‘Don’t play me for a fool.’ He uncrossed his arms and slashed one hand angrily through the air in her direction. ‘You expect me to believe you’re unaware of her visit less than an hour ago?’
She shook her head, her expression aghast. ‘I had no idea.’
Cynical disbelief coursed through him. His eyes didn’t leave her as he watched the play of emotions across her face. Ah, but she was good. She could’ve been headlining a major Hollywood production. There was a spark of anger in her eyes, then her shoulders rounded in defeat and she sank back into the chair.
A good actress or innocent?
He ignored the annoying demand of his inner voice.
‘I didn’t know she was coming to see you,’ she said heavily, ‘but I guess I’m not surprised.’
Of course she’d say that, the cynic in him scorned.
‘I am pregnant.’ The words were flat rather than triumphant. ‘Well, at least I think I am. I only found out this morning.’ She moved her hands anxiously as she spoke. ‘It was a pharmacy kit and although I realise now that I’ve had some early signs, I haven’t actually had a chance to have it confirmed by a doctor.’
‘Unconfirmed. How convenient. You’ve come here to make this claim before you’ve even seen a doctor?’
‘I’m sorry.’ The furrow between her brows marred her beautiful features. ‘I’m not really thinking straight. It’s been such a shock. But there was no time to wait.’ Chloe’s slender throat worked up and down a few times. ‘I’m booked on a flight home tonight. I thought you should know and I thought it better to tell you in person.’
It was a successfully proven strategy. She obviously wanted to give him limited time to think and react—telling him she was heading out of the country.
He waited for her to state her demands but none were forthcoming. Was she going to pretend she wasn’t going to make any demands on him—that she was here on a mission of conscience? He reasoned Lidia had tried and failed, therefore Chloe was attempting a different approach. ‘You’re claiming that if you’re pregnant, the child’s mine?’
Blue eyes flashed up at him and her lush lips parted on a swift intake of air. ‘Of course it’s yours. I told you, I’m not promiscuous. My last boyfriend left Wild Horse Valley over two years ago.’ She frowned at him and her shoulders squared in indignation. ‘You think I jumped into some other guy’s bed after being with you?’
Frankly, he wasn’t sure what to think. He just knew there was no way this child was his. Steeling himself to remain detached, he asked, ‘What do you expect me to believe, Chloe? Despite your assertions that it wasn’t usual for you to do so, you certainly weren’t slow in having sex with me.’
She stood up abruptly from the chair, then groped for the arm of the chair as she looked likely to lose her balance. ‘Fine, Marco.’ The strength of conviction in her voice was far stronger than her apparent physical strength. ‘I’ve done what I thought was the right thing. I’ve told you about the baby. If you don’t choose to believe me, that’s on you, but at least you can never say you weren’t told.’
‘What do you expect of me, Chloe?’ He reassured himself that he simply wanted to toy with her—to see how far she wanted to play this out. The question had nothing to do with him wanting to keep her from walking away. The more she demanded, the more cause he had to loathe her.
She started worrying her lower lip with the edges of her perfect white teeth. Teeth that had nipped into his bare shoulder during their lovemaking.
‘I... I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to think it through.’ A film of moisture made her eyes watery, so they truly resembled the ocean.
Her whole feminine air of vulnerability called to every one of his protective male instincts like a siren calling out to an unsuspecting sailor. Part of him wanted to reach out to her, wrap her in his arms and give her comfort, but he couldn’t afford to follow his instincts and get closer to her—couldn’t afford to trust her this time when she’d already used her allure to set him up. He refused to be the sailor whose ship was smashed against the rocks—especially when he knew those rocks were there.
Her voice faltered as she said, ‘I just thought you should know. A letter may or may not have reached you. At least now I know you’re aware.’
She transferred her weight from one foot to another and took a half step toward him. ‘Look, Marco, I know you probably won’t believe me, but I truly had no knowledge of Lidia’s plans to blackmail you at the par
ty—nor that she was coming to see you today.’ She looked at him and must’ve registered his unyielding expression because she sighed. ‘I wish I could tell you she isn’t my mother, but unfortunately she is.’ She raised a hand to her forehead and looked exasperated as she said, ‘Actually, Lidia doesn’t even know for sure that I’m pregnant. I did the pregnancy test she left for me, but I didn’t tell her the result.’ Her frown deepened and she muttered, ‘Unless the maid fished the damned test result out of the bin and reported back to her. Oh.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘She’s had the maid spying on me. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what’s happened. I—’
The story became more and more inventive.
‘Why haven’t you seen a doctor to have a formal test?’ he demanded, putting an end to her long-winded speculation.
‘I phoned the local doctor this morning to organise one when the test result was positive, but he was all booked out because of a stomach bug that’s going around—a bug he originally thought I had.’
Right. He regarded her with intensity as he aimed to test her reaction. ‘Lidia demanded I pay for an abortion.’
Her body went rigid before she thrust her handkerchief back into her pocket angrily. ‘The operative word there is Lidia. I’m not here to get money from you and I wouldn’t contemplate an abortion.’ She sank back into the chair, covered her face with her hands for a moment and gave a good show of trying to compose herself. Her eyes were wet and her lips trembled as she lowered her hands to her lap and looked back up at him.
Crazily, he had to fight against the strong urge to take her in his arms and to kiss her. Worse still, the very thought of holding and kissing her had his libido stirring to life.
How was it possible to feel such an intimate physical response for a woman he had every reason to despise?
Madre de Dio. How on earth did she still manage to affect him like this? Why did she make him feel so hot when the thought of his date tonight with an ex-lover left him indifferent?
The Irresistible Royal Page 10