Cipriani's Innocent Captive

by Cathy Williams

  ‘To a field on the outskirts of London.’ She smiled. ‘Mr Cipriani has his own private mode of transport there. And, no, you won’t be blindfolded for any of the journey.’

  Katy subsided into silence and stared at the scenery passing by as the silent car left London and expertly took a route with which she was unfamiliar. She seldom left the capital unless it was to take the train up to Yorkshire to see her parents and her friends who still lived in the area. She didn’t own a car, so escaping London was rarely an option, although, on a couple of occasions, she had gone with Tim and some of the others to Brighton for a holiday, five of them crammed like sardines into his second-hand car.

  She hadn’t thought about the dynamics of being trapped in a room with just Lucas acting as gaoler outside, but now she did, and she felt that frightening, forbidding tingle again.

  Would other people be around? Or would there just be the two of them?

  She hated him. She loathed his arrogance and the way he had of assuming that the world should fall in line with whatever he wanted. He was the boss who never made an effort to interact with those employees he felt were beneath him. He paid well not because he was a considerate and fair-minded guy who believed in rewarding hard work, but because he knew that money bought loyalty, and a loyal employee was more likely to do exactly what he demanded without asking questions. Pay an employee enough, and they lost the right to vote.

  She hoped that he’d been telling the truth when he’d said that there would be no interaction between them because she couldn’t think that they would have anything to talk about.

  Then Katy thought about seeing him away from the confines of office walls. Something inside trembled and she had that whooshing feeling again, as if she had been sitting quietly on a chair, only to find that the chair was attached to a rollercoaster and the switch had suddenly been turned on. Her tummy flipped over; she didn’t get it, because she really and truly didn’t like the guy.

  She surfaced from her thoughts to find that they had left the main roads behind and were pulling into a huge parking lot where a long, covered building opened onto an air field.

  ‘I give you Lucas’s transport...’ Vicky murmured. ‘If you look to the right, you’ll see his private jet. It’s the black one. But today you’ll be taking the helicopter.’

  Jet? Helicopter?

  Katy did a double-take. Her eyes swivelled from private jet to helicopter and, sure enough, there he was, leaning indolently against a black and silver helicopter, dark shades shielding his eyes from the early-afternoon glare.

  Her mouth ran dry. He was watching her from behind those shades. Her breathing picked up and her heart began to beat fast as she wondered what the heck she had got herself into, and all because she had stumbled across information she didn’t even care about.

  She didn’t have time to dwell on the quicksand gathering at her feet, however, because with the sort of efficiency that spoke of experience the driver was pulling the car to a stop and she was being offloaded, the driver hurrying towards the helicopter with her bag just as the rotary blades of the aircraft began to whop, whop, whop in preparation for taking off, sending a whirlwind of flying dust beneath it.

  Lucas had vanished into the helicopter.

  Katy wished that she could vanish to the other side of the world.

  She was harried, panic-stricken and grubby, because she hadn’t had a chance to shower, and her jeans and shirt were sticking to her like glue. When she’d spoken to her mother on the phone, under the eagle eye of Vicky, she had waffled on with some lame excuse about being whipped off to a country house to do an important job, where the reception might be a bit dodgy, so they weren’t to worry if contact was sporadic. She had made it sound like an exciting adventure because her parents were prone to worrying about her.

  She hadn’t thought that she really would end up being whipped off to anywhere.

  She had envisaged a laborious drive to a poky holding pen in the middle of nowhere, with Internet access cruelly denied her. She hadn’t believed him when he had told her to the contrary, and she certainly had not been able to get her head around any concept of an unplanned holiday unless you could call incarceration a holiday.

  She was floored by what seemed to be a far bigger than average helicopter, but she was still scowling as she battled against the downdraft from the blades to climb aboard.

  Lucas had to shout to be heard. As the small craft spun up, up and away, he called out, ‘Small bag, Miss Brennan. Where have you stashed the books, the sketch pads and the tin of paints?’

  Katy gritted her pearly teeth together but didn’t say anything, and he laughed, eyebrows raised.

  ‘Or did you decide to go down the route of being a good little martyr while being held in captivity against your will? No books...no sketch pads...no tin of paints...and just the slightest temptation to stage a hunger strike to prove a point?’

  Clenched fists joined gritted teeth and she glared at him, but he had already looked away and was flicking through the papers on his lap. He only glanced up when, leaning forward and voice raised to be heard above the din, she said, ‘Where are you taking me?’

  Aggravatingly seeming to read her mind, privy to every dark leap of imagination that had whirled through her head in a series of colourful images, Lucas replied, ‘I’m sure that you’ve already conjured up dire destinations. So, instead of telling you, I’ll leave you to carry on with your fictitious scenarios because I suspect that where you subsequently end up can only be better than what you’ve wasted your time imagining. But to set your mind at rest...’

  He patted the pocket of the linen jacket which was dumped on the seat next to him. ‘Your mobile phone is safe and sound right there. As soon as we land, you can tell me your password so that I can check every so often: make sure there are no urgent messages from the parents you’re in the habit of calling on a daily basis...’

  ‘Or from a married ex-boyfriend?’ She couldn’t resist prodding the sleeping tiger and he gave her a long, cool look from under the dark fringe of his lashes.

  ‘Or from a married ex-boyfriend,’ he drawled. ‘Always pays to be careful, in my opinion. Now why don’t you let me work and why don’t you...enjoy the ride?’

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE RIDE PROBABLY TOOK HOURS, and felt even longer, with Katy doing her best to pretend that Lucas wasn’t sitting within touching distance. When the helicopter began descending, swinging in a loop as it got lower, all she could see was the broad expanse of blue ocean.

  Panicked and bewildered, she gazed at Lucas, who hadn’t looked up from his papers and, when eventually he did, he certainly didn’t glance in her direction.

  After a brief hovering, the helicopter delicately landed and then she could see what she had earlier missed.

  This wasn’t a shabby holding pen.

  Lucas was unclicking himself from his seat belt and then he patiently waited for her to do the same. This was all in a day’s work for him. He turned to talk to the pilot, a low, clipped, polite exchange of words, then he stood back to allow her through the door and onto the super-yacht on which the helicopter had landed.

  It was much, much warmer here and the dying rays of the sun revealed that the yacht was anchored at some distance from land. No intrusive boats huddled anywhere near it. She was standing on a yacht that was almost big enough to be classified as a small liner—sleek, sharp and so impressive that every single left wing thought about money not mattering was temporarily wiped away under a tidal wave of shameless awe.

  The dark bank of land rose in the distance, revealing just some pinpricks of light peeping out between the trees and dense foliage that climbed up the side of the island’s incline.

  She found herself following Lucas as behind them the helicopter swung away and the deafening roar of the rotary blades faded into an ever-diminishing wasp-like whine. And then she couldn’t hear it at all because they had left the helipad on the upper deck of the yacht and were moving inside.r />
  ‘How does it feel to be a prisoner held against your will in a shabby cell?’ Lucas drawled, not looking at her at all but heading straight through a vast expanse of polished wood and expensive cream leather furniture. A short, plump lady was hurrying to meet them, her face wreathed in smiles, and they spoke in rapid Italian.

  Katy was dimly aware of being introduced to the woman, who was Signora Maria, the resident chef when on board.

  Frankly, all she could take in was the breath-taking, obscene splendour of her surroundings. She was on board a billionaire’s toy and, in a way, it made her feel more nervous and jumpy than if she had been dumped in that holding pen she had created in her fevered, over-imaginative head.

  She’d known the guy was rich but when you were as rich as this, rich enough to own a yacht of this calibre, then you could do whatever you wanted.

  When he’d threatened her with legal proceedings, it hadn’t been an empty threat.

  Katy decided that she wasn’t going to let herself be cowed by this display. She wasn’t guilty of anything and she wasn’t going to be treated like a criminal because Lucas Cipriani was suspicious by nature.

  She had always been encouraged by her parents to speak her mind and she wasn’t going to be turned into a rag doll because she was overwhelmed by her surroundings.

  ‘Maria will show you to your suite.’ He turned to her, his dark eyes roving up and down her body without expression. ‘In it you will find everything you need, including an en suite bathroom. You’ll be pleased to hear that there is no lock on the outside of your room, so you’re free to come and go at will.’

  ‘There’s no need to be sarcastic,’ Katy told him, mouth set in a sullen line. Her eyes flicked to him and skittered away just as fast before they could dwell for too long on the dark, dramatic beauty of his lean face because, once there, it was stupidly hard to tear her gaze away.

  ‘Correction—there’s every need to be sarcastic after you’ve bandied around terms such as kidnapped. I told you that you should look on the bright side and see this as a fully paid two-week vacation.’ He dismissed Maria with a brief nod, because this looked as though it was shaping up to be another one of those conversations, then he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at her. She looked irritatingly unrepentant. ‘In the absence of your books, you’ll find that there is a private home cinema space with a comprehensive selection of movies. There are also two swimming pools—one indoor, one on the upper deck. And of course a library, should you decide that reading is a worthwhile option in the absence of your computer.’

  ‘You’re not very nice, are you?’

  ‘Nice people finish last so, yes, that’s an accolade I’ve been more than happy to pass up, which is something you’d do well to remember.’

  Katy’s eyes narrowed at the bitterness in his voice. Was he speaking from experience? What experience? She didn’t want to be curious about him, but she suddenly was. Just for a moment, she realised that underneath the ruthless, cool veneer there would be all sorts of reasons for him being the man he was.

  ‘Nice people don’t always finish last,’ she murmured sincerely.

  ‘Oh, but they do.’ Lucas’s voice was cool and he was staring at her, his head at an angle, as if examining something weird he wasn’t quite sure about. ‘They get wrapped up in pointless sentimentality and emotion and open themselves up to getting exploited, so please don’t think I’ll be falling victim to that trait while we’re out here.’

  ‘Get exploited?’ Katy found that she was holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

  ‘Is that the sound of a woman trying to find out what makes me tick?’ Lucas raised his eyebrows with wry amusement and began walking. ‘Many have tried and failed in that venture, so I shouldn’t bother if I were you.’

  ‘It’s very arrogant of you to assume that I want to find out about you,’ Katy huffed. ‘But, as you’ve reminded me, we’re going to be stuck here together for the next two weeks. I was just trying to have a conversation.’

  ‘Like I said, I don’t intend to be around much. When we do converse, we can keep it light.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ She sighed, reaching to loop her long hair over one shoulder. ‘Believe it or not, I can almost understand why you dragged me out here.’

  ‘Well, at least drag is an improvement on kidnap,’ Lucas conceded.

  ‘I’m hot, tired and sticky, and sitting quietly at my desk working on my computer feels like a lifetime ago. I’m not in the best of moods.’

  ‘I can’t picture you sitting quietly anywhere. Maybe I’ve been remiss in not getting out and seeing what my employees are doing. What do you think? Should I have left my ivory tower and had a look at which of my employees were sitting and meekly doing their jobs and which ones were pushing the envelope?’

  Katy reddened. His voice was suddenly lazy and teasing and her pulses quickened in response. How could he be so ruthless and arrogant one minute and then, in a heartbeat, make the blood rush to her head because of the way he was able to laugh at himself unexpectedly?

  She didn’t know whether it was because she had been yanked out of her comfort zone, but he was turning her off and on like a tap, and it unsettled her.

  After Duncan, she had got her act together; she had looked for the silver lining and realised that he had pointed her in the right direction of what to look for in a man: someone down-to-earth, good-natured, genuine. Someone normal. When she found that man, everything else would fall into place, and she was horrified that a guy like Lucas Cipriani could have the sort of effect on her that he did. It didn’t make sense and she didn’t like it.

  ‘I think my opinion doesn’t count one way or another,’ she said lightly. ‘I can’t speak for other people, but no one in my office actually expects you to swoop down and pay a visit.’

  ‘You certainly know how to hit below the belt,’ Lucas imparted drily. ‘This your normal style when you’re with a man?’

  ‘You’re not a man.’

  Lucas laughed, a rich, throaty laugh that set her senses alight and had her pulses racing. ‘Oh, no,’ he murmured seriously. ‘And here I was thinking that I was...’

  ‘You know what I mean.’ Rattled, Katy’s gaze slid sideways and skittered away in confusion.

  ‘Do I? Explain.’ This wasn’t the light conversation he had had in mind, but that wasn’t to say that he wasn’t enjoying himself, because he was. ‘If I’m not a man, then what am I?’

  ‘You’re...you’re my captor.’

  Lucas grinned. ‘That’s a non-answer if ever there was one, but I’ll let it go. Besides, I thought we’d got past the kidnap analogy.’

  Katy didn’t answer. He was being nice to her, teasing her. She knew that he still probably didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her, but he was worldly wise and sophisticated, and knew the benefits of smoothing tensions and getting her onside. Constant sniping would bore him. He had been forced into a situation he hadn’t banked on, just as she had, but he wasn’t throwing temper tantrums. He wasn’t interested in having meaningful conversations, because he wasn’t interested in her and had no desire to find out anything about her, except what might impact on his business deal; but he would be civil now that he had told her in no uncertain terms what the lay of the land was. He had laughed about being called her captor, but he was, and he called the shots.

  Instead of getting hot and bothered around him, she would have to step up to the plate and respond in kind.

  They had reached the kitchen and she turned her attention away from him and looked around her. ‘This is wonderful.’ She ran her fingers over the counter. ‘Where is Maria, your...chef?’ She remained where she was, watching as he strolled to an over-sized fridge, one of two, and extracted a bottle of wine.

  He poured them both a glass and nodded to one of the grey upholstered chairs tucked neatly under the metal kitchen table. Katy sat and sipped the wine very slowly, because she wasn’t accustomed to drinking.

  ‘Has
her own quarters on the lower deck. I dismissed her rather than let her hang around listening to...a conversation she would have found puzzling. She might not have understood the meaning but she would have got the gist without too much trouble.’

  Lucas sat opposite her. ‘It is rare for me to be on this yacht with just one other person. It’s generally used for client entertaining and occasionally for social gatherings. Under normal circumstances, there would be more than just one member of staff present, but there seemed little need to have an abundance of crew for two people. So, while we’re here, Maria will clean and prepare meals.’

  ‘Does she know why I’m here?’

  ‘Why would she?’ Lucas sounded genuinely surprised. ‘It’s none of her business. She’s paid handsomely to do a job, no questions asked.’

  ‘But wouldn’t she be curious?’ Katy couldn’t help asking.

  Lucas shrugged. ‘Do I care?’

  ‘You might not care,’ she said tartly. ‘But maybe I do. I don’t want her thinking that I’m... I’m...’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I wouldn’t want her thinking that I’m one of your women you’ve brought here to have a bit of fun with.’

  Lucas burst out laughing. When he’d sobered up, he stared at her coolly.

  ‘Why does it matter to you what my chef thinks of you? You’ll never lay eyes on her again once this two-week stint is over. Besides...’ he sipped his wine and looked at her over the rim of his glass ‘...I often fly Maria over to my place in London and occasionally to New York. She has seen enough of my women over the years to know that you don’t fit the mould.’

  Katy stared at him, mortified and embarrassed, because somehow she had ended up giving him the impression that...what? That she thought he might fancy her? That she thought her precious virtue might be compromised by being alone with him on this yacht, when she was only here because of circumstances? The surroundings were luxurious but this wasn’t a five-star hotel with the man of her dreams. This was a prison in all but name and he was her gaoler...and since when did gaolers fancy their captives?