CHAPTER THREE
August—Palermo, Sicily
‘THIS EVENING IS going to be a great success. Pure Seas and Oceans is really getting noticed now,’ the coordinator of events informed Rafe as he scanned his speech for the final time. ‘We even have someone from Charity Resources’ London headquarters in attendance.’
‘Really? How did you pull that one off?’ Rafe asked, intrigued enough to look up.
‘I have been working with Kaliana for the last month on this event, so when she said she wanted to attend tonight, how could I say no?’ The triumphant look on the young man’s face made Rafe smile. ‘And she’s requested a meeting with you afterwards.’
‘Then who am I to disappoint someone who has helped our cause? After all, the charity needs all the exposure and promotion it can get.’ Cleaning up the seas around the globe was something Rafe was as passionate about as he was his own renewable energy business. He’d agreed to be patron of the charity, hoping to help the cause. Judging by the expected turnout for this evening’s event, having Charity Resources behind them must be having a good impact. The whole evening looked as though it would far exceed his expectations.
All the preparation for tonight had been better than dwelling on the ever-pressing need for him to find a wife. His father’s health was not good and now Enzo had taken on the role of protector of their family’s future. He’d even had the audacity to call Rafe and remind him time was not on their side, pushing him towards marriage, worried about the family fortune. Where was Enzo’s remorse for all he’d done? Rafe had long ago let go of his love for Emma, but this threatened to permanently destroy the tense relationship between him and his twin for good.
His father’s diagnosis made that family duty impossible to ignore. The noose around Rafe’s neck was tightening. He didn’t want marriage. Or a family. How could Enzo do this and expect him to step in where he had failed?
Rafe shook his head in annoyance. He was allowing his problems to infiltrate his commitments. He wasn’t here to find a way out of this situation; instead, he had to keep his focus where it needed to be. Once this event was over, then he would give serious consideration to just how he was going to find a woman to marry—without bringing emotion and sentiment into it. He needed a marriage deal.
Annoyed with himself for letting those thoughts in now, he left the hall as the guests began to arrive and headed backstage. Rafe needed to try and shake off the anger induced by just thinking about Enzo and what he’d done.
Instead, he allowed his mind to drift back to that night in London. To the one and only time he’d ever had a real connection with a woman. Something that might have gone beyond pure sexual attraction had she not run out on him, slipping from his bed in the early hours while he’d slept.
He pushed that memory away, refusing to care. Refusing to be affected by the emotional intimacy he and Ana had shared so briefly that night. Refusing to think what could have come of that night if he didn’t have duty hanging over him. If he and Ana had taken longer to explore that powerful sexual chemistry between them.
Emotions threatened to cascade over him—emotions he would never allow. Still the image of Ana wouldn’t leave his mind. Why hadn’t he found out who she really was? Two months on, she still had a hold on his imagination. His body. Why did he crave her still?
He’d tried to tell himself it was for the best, that she’d left without asking for more than just that night, without even leaving her full name or number. But it had jarred his ego. She’d had her fill of him, but he had been left wanting more. Not a situation he was used to at all.
Rafe shut his mind to those thoughts. Tonight was important. He had to make an impact on the audience, the many influential businessmen and women who could help. And especially the visitor from Charity Resources. If she wanted a private meeting with him, he was going to ensure he got her backing for the cause.
The spotlight was well and truly on Rafe as he made his speech. He kept his focus on several influential business owners in the audience but he could feel intense scrutiny from the front row. From where the visitor from Charity Resources had been assigned a seat. The lighting was too bright, he couldn’t see the faces of anyone in the front row and it wasn’t until he’d finished and the audience applauded that the lights burning on him dimmed. Finally, he could see who had been watching his every move for the last half an hour.
His breath turned to fire in his lungs. His heartbeat thudded to a halt.
It was her.
Ana.
The hot, sexy siren who’d filled his dreams since that night in London sat in the front row where the visitor from Charity Resources should be sitting. The slim-fitting black dress offset with a pearl necklace couldn’t disguise her. There was no mistake. It was Ana. His body kick-started into life again, his heart thumping, his breath shallow and rapid.
Ana. Or, as he’d been informed, Kaliana. His mystery woman of passion. The woman who’d given him her virginity, creating a connection between them he hadn’t been able to sever. He bit back the harsh obscenity, wishing he’d kept himself up-to-date with the event’s organisation while he’d been away from Sicily. But that was what he paid his event organiser for.
Shock mixed with the heady, heated need flowing in his veins. Unbidden, the spirited beauty of that night in London flashed into his mind, overriding the elegant vision who sat in the front row.
He saw the woman of that night again, her naked body so perfectly formed. He felt the telltale scorch of the heat of desire which had erupted in him like the volcano of his homeland.
Enough. He gritted his teeth against the slow slug of lust which echoed in his body, his limbs, his mind, even now. The persistent and unsatisfied ache of need. The annoyance that she’d walked away, keeping his lust very much alive.
The air in the room became heavy as those gold-flecked dark eyes met his, alive with sparks of mischief and laughter. Did she think this was amusing? He couldn’t look away. All he wanted to do was drink in this vision. Savour the sexy body that had filled his restless nights all too often.
She smiled, cracking the veneer of control she wore so well. Dio mio, why had fate seen fit to tempt him once again with this woman?
The audience began to leave, chatting among themselves as they went. Rafe made his way towards the woman who’d got completely under his skin. A woman he’d never expected to see again. The woman, damn it—who’d given him her virginity then walked out of his life as if it was nothing.
The sensation of being a stallion at stud reared up again. But wasn’t that exactly what his father wanted him to be? Needed him to be?
Ana moved to him and offered her hand. By some miracle Rafe maintained his composure. ‘Ana,’ he said, his voice harder than he’d heard it for a long time. ‘Or is it Kaliana?’ What kind of fool had he been to allow himself to be so utterly seduced by her charm? Her sexiness.
No questions.
The voice of reproach careered around in his head. But she had seduced him then left without a word. Why? Questions raged through him as he looked at her. The expression on her face was calm and devoid of emotion. Was it possible he had been fooled? That she hadn’t just happened to be in the bar that night and found him irresistible. But, instead, had she set out to seduce him—and he had willingly allowed it to happen? Why had he believed her story about the loss of her fiancé?
Because you wanted her. At any price.
Her brows rose in haughty indignation. Was that amusement dancing in the gold flecks of her eyes, behind the superiority which radiated off her in waves? ‘Is there somewhere we can talk privately?’
The audacity of the woman. To boldly stand before him, so regal and elegant on the surface, while he knew, with every nerve cell in his body, the sex siren he’d first met simmered beneath her refined exterior.
‘Talk?’ Talking was not something she’d been much interested
in last time.
‘I have a proposition to put to you.’ The firmness of her voice couldn’t quite disguise the huskiness and he couldn’t resist the urge to tease her.
‘I think, Ana...’ he deliberately used the name she’d given him that night, satisfied when her cheeks flushed ‘...that you may have already done that.’
Annoyance sparked in her eyes. ‘I have a deal to put to you. A business deal that will be of benefit to both of us.’
Rafe laughed softly as she glared up at him. She was challenging him, not just with her words, her request, but with her body. Yes, that sex siren was still there—and fighting for release.
‘A deal?’
‘Yes, a deal.’ Her voice was sharp as she looked around her, suddenly seeming uncertain. Nervous. ‘Is there somewhere private we can talk?’
* * *
What was she doing? Why had she thought this was a good idea? That it would work?
Kaliana followed Rafe into the small office and waited until the door had closed tightly behind them. She didn’t want anyone else to be a witness to what she had to say to Raffaele Casella, the man she’d given herself to with complete abandon.
Ever since that night she had dreamed of seeing him again. Dreamed that he would find her and tell her that night had been more than just passion. More than just lust. That he would tell her he loved her. Each one a fanciful dream which had faded once the light of day dispelled the magic.
That night she’d glimpsed the possibility that love could happen for her again. That out there, somewhere, was a man who could make her happy again. A man who could love her as much as Alif had. Ever since that realisation she’d been torn apart by guilt. Did the fact that she yearned for love make what she and Alif had shared any less real?
Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would see Rafe again—or that she would be seeking him out so boldly. She could still hear Claire’s advice now as her friend had made one last-ditch attempt to stop her.
‘So what if he is the man who gave you the most pleasurable night of your life? You can’t go to Sicily and ask him to marry you.’ Panic had been in every word Claire had spoken, as well as in her expression.
‘He is wealthy. He needs to not only marry, but to have a son. He is everything I need to escape marriage to Nassif.’
‘But marriage, Kal,’ Claire had pleaded.
But Kaliana had no choice. Not any more. It was barely two months until her twenty-sixth birthday—and her wedding day. There was no way the man waiting for her at the altar was going to be Nassif. No way at all. Even Claire understood that.
‘And how may I assist you?’ There was an aloofness in Rafe’s voice as he looked at her, his back to the door, his face as impassive as stone. He hadn’t looked at her like that the last time she’d seen him. Then his eyes had burned with passion, sparked with wild desire. For her.
She gathered her composure. Fought the urge to turn and leave. To run. But she couldn’t. She needed a husband. And she’d made her choice. ‘I have a deal to put to you, Signor Casella. One that will be of benefit to both of us.’
His brows flicked up. ‘I’m sure we can dispense with such formalities, Ana. I’d much prefer Rafe.’ This time his voice held a hint of the man she’d met in London. A hint of the man who’d shown her what real passion could be like.
She relaxed a little. ‘And I’d prefer Kaliana.’
‘So, Kaliana, how can we benefit one another?’ He walked towards her and the air seemed to have been sucked from the small office. Her heart was thudding as her body betrayed her, reacting to his nearness as if the last two months hadn’t elapsed. As if only hours had passed since he’d taken her on such a wondrous journey of discovery. To a place where she’d discovered the sensual woman deep within her.
She pushed that image, that memory aside. The man before her now was different. Detached. Was it possible the man she’d given herself to in London was just part of her imagination, her wishful thinking? That her memory was tricking her? Did he even exist?
‘In London, you told me you needed to marry.’ She forced the words out over a tongue so dry it was almost impossible to sound in control, in charge.
Rafe stiffened, his expression impassive. Emotionless. She’d touched a nerve. A raw one. ‘That is what I said, yes.’
This was harder than she’d imagined. His scrutiny, those dark piercing eyes, made her nervous. She swallowed down her nerves and gathered herself. Pushed on, before her courage failed her.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, watching her steadily, the tension in the room—in her body—increasing. ‘What is this deal, exactly?’
‘You also said that providing the next generation of your family fell to you.’ Her words sounded calm. Cool and collected. Yet her heart was thumping. She clenched her hands, digging her red painted nails into her palms.
She could still feel the shock when she’d seen the photo of the patron of Pure Seas and Oceans while researching her new client. The image of the man she’d lost her virginity to in London smiling back at her. Not at all the waiter she’d first mistaken him for—or even the everyday businessman she’d later decided he was—but a man whose family and personal wealth was astounding.
A man who needed a wife and a son to continue the family name.
She’d stared at the image, her mind resisting the urge to revisit memories of that night as the realisation sank in that he could be the man to solve her problems, while she solved his. A mutually beneficial marriage arrangement. A marriage that could offer more still—the desire and intimacy her heart craved—if she was brave enough.
It had all seemed so simple. So clear-cut and easy to follow through on. Even on the flight here, it had seemed that way. But everything had changed as she’d sat watching him talk so passionately. He hadn’t recognised her, even though she’d sat in the front row. Doubt had filed in.
Then he’d looked at her, his dark eyes locking with hers. He had recognised her.
Now, standing before his intense scrutiny, what she’d come here for was anything but simple.
‘I understood you were here to represent Charity Resources. What does my personal life have to do with tonight’s event?’ There was a coldness in his voice. She could see his mind working, see the questions, the deep suspicion and mistrust flashing across his handsome face. A face she’d kissed. A face she’d pressed hers against as her body had been taken over by the pleasure of an orgasm.
‘I know how it feels...’ she paused, wishing she’d kept to her rehearsed script ‘...to be forced to marry.’
He frowned. ‘I find that very hard to believe.’
She braced herself. If he didn’t believe her, didn’t feel something for her plight then she’d lost. She’d have to marry Nassif. ‘It’s true. My father is insisting I marry. He has even selected a husband.’
‘That sounds like something from a movie, or a fairy tale.’ He smiled at her and her heart flipped over as he moved closer, the atmosphere in the room changing instantly. Heating up. As if it were still that night. ‘And are you going to marry this man?’
‘No. I will do anything to avoid that.’ Her response was instant. Full of indignation.
Rafe laughed again, his lips staying in a sexy smile, reminding her of their night together. ‘So, Ana... Kaliana...have you come to share some kind of plan with me? One I can also use to find a wife?’
She smiled bravely at him, crossing her fingers. ‘Actually, that is exactly what I am here for.’
He came so close to her that she could reach up and brush her lips over his. ‘Then tell me, sweet Ana. What is this plan of yours?’
His eyes searched hers, dragging her mind and body back to the passion they’d shared. She couldn’t think of that now. She had to remain focused. Had to put her deal to him in a strong and confident way. She had to be the Princess she was, not the wom
an he’d awakened. ‘I will be your wife.’
‘My wife?’ He stepped back, his dark eyes thunderous as he looked at her, taking in every detail, scanning down over her body with suspicion. ‘Are you pregnant?’
‘No.’ The response was instant, but she was ready for it. Claire had warned her he might think that and Kaliana sent up a silent prayer of thanks for her friend. For having at least one person on her side, willing to fight her battles with her. ‘No, I’m not pregnant.’
‘Then what the hell? Dio mio, Ana. Marriage!’ He flung his hands up in a wild gesture of disbelief, his use of her name snagging at the remorse she’d felt walking out on him that morning. But her need to flee had been driven by guilt. Guilt that she’d enjoyed such a night with him. Sadness that she’d never known it with Alif, the man she’d loved. She’d been so torn she’d had to leave. Had to walk away whilst he slept.
‘We both need to marry. Wouldn’t it be better to marry one another than marry strangers?’ She held her breath as he looked at her then walked past her, across the room to the window. He looked out at the view of Sicily’s rugged coastline. She stood still, rooted to the spot. ‘Or to accept partners arranged by our families?’
Rafe’s silence did little to instil any kind of hope in her. The tension in the room was explosive as she watched him. His broad shoulders were rigid and square. He couldn’t even look at her.
‘Why do you need to marry, Ana?’ He paused, continuing to glare out of the window, and for a moment she floundered, unable to find an answer. At least one that wouldn’t give away just how much she’d wanted him. Wanted that night. Needed it. To know she was desirable for herself, not her title.
She sighed. She owed him this truth at least. ‘I am Princess Kaliana Benhamed of Ardu Safra and, as such, am expected to marry for the good of my country, my people.’
The room sparked, tension exploding. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. Never again would she be Ana to him. She could see it in his eyes, see the shock, the accusation. Her normal life was over. Whatever happened next, she could never go back to being a managerial assistant at Charity Resources. She could never have nights out with her friends again, never enjoy the quiet evenings at home with Claire when they’d talked about all sorts of things.
A Shocking Proposal In Sicily (HQR Presents) Page 5