by Betsy Swann
Before he could stop her, she ran along the terrace and down the steps at the far end. Enzo turned round to face tonight’s host.
‘I guess she’ll find her way to the kitchen?’ he asked frowning.
‘She certainly will.’ Hetherington threw him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Sorry, if I have interrupted anything. I wanted to thank you for your most generous donation. ‘My Greatest Wish’ will greatly benefit from the money.’
‘That’s what I was hoping,’ Enzo replied truthfully. ‘So tell me, what gave you the idea to found this remarkable charity?’
‘To be honest, it was Clarissa’s idea,’ the other man admitted.
‘Your designer?’
Hetherington nodded. ‘She is my designer, but she is also…’ He hesitated. ‘In the two years she’s been working for me, Clarissa has swiftly become the life and soul of the Hetherington hotel group. Her ideas have brought the hotels into the new millennium, and her Clarissima collection is just to die for. I’m sure you’ve noticed the stunning evening gowns the waitresses are wearing tonight. Each and every gown is one of her creations.’
‘I’ve guessed as much.’ Enzo smiled. ‘But please tell me what your designer has to do with ‘My Greatest Wish’.’
‘It’s not that easy to explain,’ Hetherington replied. ‘Let’s just say that Clarissa’s greatest wish – in fact, everything she truly wished for – could not be fulfilled when I met her two years ago. At the same time she realised that so many wishes of other people are different. They can be fulfilled. In most cases all that’s missing is the necessary amount of goodwill, loving help or money.’
‘So Clarissa convinced you to found the charity and become some kind of fairy godmother?’
‘She did.’ This time Hetherington’s smile did reach his eyes. ‘And she spends most of her free time helping to fulfil other people’s wishes.’
‘She sounds like a truly remarkable woman. Is she here tonight? I’d very much like to meet her.’
Hetherington curled his lips. ‘That won’t be possible, I’m afraid. Clarissa has come and gone. She is a very… elusive woman. Most people think she doesn’t even exist.’
‘So she’s some kind of wallflower fading into the background?’ Enzo guessed. The mysterious designer started to intrigue him.
‘A wallflower…’ Hetherington’s gentle laughter wafted across the softly lit garden below. ‘Sorry to disappoint, but Clarissa is one of the most beautiful women walking this planet. Inside and out.’
Long after his host had returned to join his other guests, Enzo stood brooding on the terrace, his thoughts torn between two completely different women. One the beautiful temptress with the periwinkle-blue eyes and the mercenary heart, who was almost impossible to forget. The other one the kind-hearted designer, who devoted her life to creating beauty and hope in the hearts of others by fulfilling their dearest wish.
Once he had believed Izzy to be a woman like that. Kind, warm-hearted and truly lovable. It had turned out to be a misconception. Izzy was never like Clarissa, not for one minute, and she would never be. She had sunk too deep after selling herself to Carson and probably other men after him. Enzo gritted his teeth. It was lust he still felt for her, not love. There was no way back for her into his heart, even if she tried to convince him that she had changed. Which she wouldn’t. Dio, she had run away from his embrace as if he was the devil. Acting the innocent victim again, especially with Hetherington watching. But she couldn’t fool him. Judging by the way she had kissed him back, she had wanted that kiss just as badly as he had. So why had she run?
Enzo shrugged his shoulders. Actually he didn’t care. He’d manage to get Izzy out of his system and forget about her. There were other women in the world to pursue in earnest and the most fascinating of them being the elusive Clarissa, who preferred to stay invisible. Enzo smiled. He had always liked a challenge.
***
The following morning Enzo stood up early, had breakfast in the privacy of his spacious luxury suite on the top floor of the ‘Vallorini’ hotel and strolled down the corridor to reach his office. Carla, the redhead who had been his personal assistant for the last five years was already sitting behind her desk.
‘Welcome back,’ she greeted him with a warm smile. ‘It’s nice to see you in the flesh after all these video conference calls in the past couple of years.’
He grinned. ‘It’s nice to see you too, and quite unexpected if I may say so. I thought you’d gone on your dream holiday to the Caribbean.’
‘My flight is leaving later today,’ she replied. ‘I’m here because the temp who will cover for me is likely to need a little help on her first day.’
‘A temp?’ He frowned. ‘Actually, I had planned to use Luca’s personal assistant during his absence.’ Suddenly a strong suspicion caught him by surprise. Was it possible that the scheming gold-digger had already left for Las Vegas in chase of his brother? ‘She is due to come to the office today, isn’t she?’
Carla glanced at her watch. ‘No doubt she is already sitting behind her desk,’ she replied matter-of-factly. ‘Isabella would be my perfect replacement, of course, but your brother will certainly need her in the American office any time soon. The temp on the other hand…’
Isabella. An icy feeling crept up his spine. It couldn’t be Izzy, could it?
‘You assumed wrongly,’ he interrupted. ‘Our Las Vegas office has a perfectly capable PA to assist Luca, and as you’ve already pointed out this Isabella would be the perfect replacement while you’re away. What did you say was her surname?’
‘Jones,’ Carla said, her elegant eyebrows slightly raised. ‘Isabella Jones. Would you like to see her personal file before making a final decision?’
Minutes later Enzo stared at the information in front of him, his lips tightly pressed together. So he hadn’t been mistaken. Izzy was the two-timing temptress who had tried to lure his brother into marriage. How dare she try her luck with Luca after all she had done and, even worse, dare to attempt to land the part of his sister-in-law? The mere thought of having to suffer her presence at every family get-together for the rest of all times made him sick.
A bitter smile curled Enzo’s lips. No wonder Izzy had run from him yesterday night playing the innocent victim. With Luca gone she couldn’t have been happy about the way Hetherington had found them kissing on the terrace. Undoubtedly the man was the other fish dangling on her angle, reconfirmed by that little episode in the box room. Too bad Izzy had spoiled it all for herself now by returning his kiss in front of her lover’s eyes.
Frowning he turned the pages and read her CV, the references, everything. Luca would never allow a woman to charm him into giving her a job. So how come someone who had studied art and design had managed to bag a position like this? Enzo was surprised to find that Izzy had worked closely with Hetherington’s fabulous designer Clarissa since leaving university. The reference provided by Hetherington himself stated that Isabella had been Clarissa’s most trusted team member, and that Clarissa was most reluctant to let her go. Isabella wished to put the business degree she had acquired at evening college into practice and had decided to leave the Hetherington hotel group to broaden her horizons. The reference finished with Hetherington’s statement that he’d take her back with open arms, should she ever want to work for him again.
With open arms. No doubt Hetherington had already been Izzy’s lover when he wrote this gleaming report. If any of this were true Clarissa herself would have written the reference, wouldn’t she? She was the one who had witnessed Izzy work on a daily basis. She was the one who’d been in a team with her. There was no obvious reason why Clarissa should have passed the task of writing a reference for a lowly member of her design team to the big boss. No reason for Hetherington to accept that request either. The simple solution was that Izzy had used her obvious bedroom talents to persuade him to write a reference her next employer couldn’t resist. And Luca had not only fallen for the sham but al
so in love with the fraudster.
Enzo buried his face in his hands. He needed to decide on his next step and do it fast. The vision of Izzy’s face lit up behind his closed lids. These beautiful periwinkle-blue eyes, her soft pink lips… Yesterday’s kiss had been sweet and hot and sexy, utterly unforgettable. He tried to shake off the memory, just as he had tried throughout the night. He’d been tossing and turning between his sheets until he had finally given up and left his bed at the crack of dawn to have a cold shower. Damn her. He hated the knowledge that the little witch could still do this to him. And now that he had found out that she was Luca’s PA he hated her even more. Enzo cursed himself for never telling his brother about his short engagement to Izzy. As a consequence Luca hadn’t recognised her name when she applied for the job and had innocently fallen into her trap. The sheer cheek of her to try her luck with his brother after everything she had put him through. Dio, if Luca hadn’t caught Izzy up close and personal with Hetherington in that box room the ugly truth might never have come to light, and Enzo would probably have found himself being best man at their wedding.
Gritting his teeth he got up and made his way to the door. It was time to face the enemy.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Wearing a just above knee-length black skirt combined with a white blouse, pink jacket and black court shoes Izzy walked through the entrance hall of the ‘Vallorini’ and towards the lift. Passing the reception desk she smiled at the brunette behind the counter.
‘Good morning.’
The girl waved back at her picking up the phone with the other hand. Her name must be either Tilly or Josephine according to Bella’s notes, but Izzy couldn’t be sure so it was better not to address her by name. Bella had sent her all the information she needed for the job, from a map of the offices to the names of the people she would be working with as well as their characters and little habits. But with two brunette receptionists working in shifts at the hotel reception she didn’t want to make a vital mistake by mixing up their names.
Although the memory of her last visit still hurt more than she wanted to admit, Izzy was glad that she had been here before. Confidently she entered the lift and pressed the button to the fifth floor. Nervously she checked her appearance in the mirrored walls of the lift, but there was nothing that would arouse the suspicion that she was not her sister. She wore simple pearl earrings like the ones Bella preferred to wear at work and had made sure her nails were polished in the French style her twin usually fancied. Like Bella she could touch-type at high speed, and she was acquainted with the usual computer programmes. Izzy had passed her business degree with top marks, so she didn’t expect Bella’s work to be particularly challenging. Long hours probably, maybe exhausting, but nothing she could not manage. The only thing making her nervous was that Enzo was in London, most likely within the walls of the hotel. All things considered, he might cross her path at any moment. That and the memory of her terrible mistake of kissing him yesterday evening had kept her awake all night. Now she could only hope he’d stay in his office without bothering to peek into Luca’s. With some luck he’d never even find out she was Luca’s PA.
When the lift doors slid open Izzy took a deep breath and stepped out into the corridor. To the right she recognised the highly polished wooden door leading to Enzo’s office and that of his personal assistant, the redhead. She frowned. The woman had seen her two years ago when she had come to see Enzo. Obviously she had not remembered her visit, or otherwise she’d probably have made a comment to Bella. Izzy was not surprised. Her hair, dress and make-up had been in such a state that morning that she showed no resemblance to the polished personal assistant she presented now.
She hastened to open another glossy wooden door right opposite the lift and entered. This, she knew from the little sketch Bella had sent her, was the ante room to Luca’s office. Her work place. Izzy shivered. She still couldn’t believe she had been so tremendously stupid as to agree to Bella’s request.
I promise you Enzo will be in Italy, over a thousand miles away…
But of course, with her bad luck he was in England now. In London. At the ‘Vallorini’. Probably right next door in his office and no doubt ready to pounce at her like a panther as soon as he became aware of her presence.
Stop it, Izzy scolded herself. There was no point worrying about this now. She’d cross this bridge once she got there, and after forcing her to dance with him at the charity event and the subsequent kiss Enzo had probably seen enough of her anyway.
I hope I’ll never have the misfortune to set eyes on you again, had been his words when he’d thrown her out of his office two years ago, she remembered with a shiver. Get. Out. Now.
There was no reason to believe that he’d changed his mind, especially not after their unpleasant encounter yesterday night.
She put her bag under the large desk, started the computer and filled the kettle in the adjoining small kitchen. While the water was heating she returned to the office and made herself familiar with her surroundings including the small box room housing the photo copier. So this was the place where Luca had caught her sister in Nick’s arms, and the whole charade had taken a turn for the worse.
Swiftly she opened cupboards, drawers and storage units and made a mental list of what could be found where. After having finished with her own room, she repeated the process in her boss’s office before preparing herself a cup of instant coffee and settling behind the computer.
Izzy nearly burned her tongue when suddenly the door flew open and Enzo stood in the frame. If angry glances could kill she would certainly be dead by now.
‘Well, well Isabella’ Enzo drawled. ‘So you are the sexy employee who gives our business associates extra warm welcomes in that intimate little box room. What about offering an extra warm welcome to me, too?’
Izzy forced herself to swallow the explicit reply forming on her lips. After all he was her boss now, and she couldn’t risk Bella’s job by throwing his insults back into his face.
‘Good morning and an especially warm welcome to you, sir.’ She presented him with a sugary smile. ‘May I help you in any way?’
‘You may indeed,’ he said curtly. ‘Pack your things and carry them over into my office. From now on you’ll be working as my personal assistant while Luca is out of the country.’
Izzy looked at him at disbelief. ‘But…’
‘But nothing,’ he interrupted. ‘You’ve been employed as the PA of the managing director, and in this instance this is me.’
Bastard! She narrowed her eyes in anger. ‘So what if I refuse to work with you?’
He shrugged his shoulders, obviously he couldn’t care less. ‘You can always hand in your notice, if you wish. But just to let you know, there will be no easy way out. I’d make you work until the very last day of your contract, and if I’d have to drag you to the office myself.’
She bet he would. ‘So eager to have me close at all times,’ she purred. ‘I feel flattered.’
‘No need to be so smug.’ He smiled, his eyes gleaming cold as diamonds. ‘I merely want to keep an eye on you, and if you hope to bedazzle me like you did my brother, forget it. That’s not going to happen. As far as I’m concerned you can go straight to hell, but you’re still my brother’s PA so I’m willing to put up with you for the time being.’
Izzy was glad she was sitting down, shaky as she felt. How could he be so infuriatingly nasty, and still her treacherous heart cried out for him? Why could it not understand that this man was not her soul mate after all, that he was nothing but a cold-hearted monster for whom the words love and trust meant nothing at all?
Don’t cry now. She had to pull herself together. The last thing Izzy wanted was for him to notice the vulnerable state of her mind. Or even worse, that she still couldn’t forget about him and the tender moments they had shared. The dream of their future together. Their perfect happy ever after. Only that it had never been his dream, as it had turned out. He hadn’t even listened when she�
��d tried to explain herself and had equally refused to listen to Samuel Carson. Had Enzo loved her, had he ever really loved her, they would have sorted out this mess together. A misunderstanding, that was all it had ever been, but his complete lack of trust in her had prevented that he found out the truth. His behaviour had caused her so much pain, and she had shed so many tears that she’d almost feared she could never drag herself out of this deep dark hole of agony. That she’d never get over his betrayal. But now she didn’t care any longer, if he trusted her or not. He meant nothing to her now, absolutely nothing, and one day her stupid heart would understand that as well.
‘You seem to forget that I’ve already bedazzled you quite successfully some time ago,’ she said, hating to have to be so crude in order to fend off his insults. ‘So relax, I don’t need to prove myself a second time where you are concerned.’
Enzo pressed his lips into a thin line. Clearly he didn’t like to be reminded of their former relationship. For a second she wondered if he’d ever told his family about their engagement. Probably not, otherwise Luca might have recognised the name when Bella applied for the job.
‘Good to know that this will be a work relationship and nothing but a work relationship, Bella,’ he finally gritted.
‘My name is Izzy. Only your brother calls me Bella.’
‘In the bedroom, I assume,’ he hissed, pure ice in his voice. He turned to the door. ‘So be it then, Izzy. I expect you in my office in half an hour.’
As soon as he’d left, Izzy slumped back in her swivel chair and took a deep, calming breath. She was highly tempted to hand in her notice, but this was really Bella’s decision and anyway, Enzo wouldn’t let her go before the bitter end. He had made his point clear enough, so she would have to suffer at least a fortnight as his personal assistant, she guessed without knowing the exact details of the contract.
Her phone bleeped, a text message had come in.