The Italian's Blushing Gardener

by Christina Hollis

  ‘Maybe,’ she mused, trying to look and sound casual as she studied the closely typed document for snares and pitfalls. ‘I don’t like men who use their position in life as a lever for their sexual conquests. I like to keep my work and my private life strictly separate.’

  ‘You told me as much the other day. I’ll bear it in mind,’ he said gravely, but then his mouth twitched. ‘So in future, there will be absolutely no business talk whenever I visit your house after moving into La Bella Terra.’

  The thought of inviting Stefano over the threshold of her home raised Kira’s temperature in a frighteningly exciting way. She cleared her throat, trying not to squirm in anticipation. Her lips became dry, and she had to moisten them with her tongue before announcing, ‘I think we ought to get one thing straight right from the start, Stefano. I’m a genuine loner. I don’t fancy the idea of you dropping into my home at odd hours while I’m off duty, distracting me with…talk,’ she finished awkwardly.

  His reply was so simple, it shocked her. ‘That’s a shame.’

  She looked up, waiting for him to try and persuade her otherwise. His face was as poker fit as her own as he added, ‘Now come on, let’s have lunch.’

  Kira stood, mentally preparing herself. Lunch with Stefano was sure to be the stuff of fairy tales. That worried her. Powerful people liked to create a good impression—to begin with. They showered you with pixie dust until you were dazzled into falling in with their plans.

  ‘I’d be delighted, but don’t expect me to sign this contract on the strength of it. I’d rather my legal people had a good look at it before I make a final decision,’ she said airily.

  Kira’s only advisers were her cynical nature and a glass of pinot grigio, so she was rather looking forward to that consultation.

  ‘Good. That leaves us free to discuss much more interesting things over lunch.’ He smiled, pulling on his jacket as he led her to the door. ‘Although I’m rather surprised a forthright woman like you doesn’t go through her own paperwork!’

  She smiled as he strode across his office and opened the door to let her out.

  Kira’s journey to the ground floor couldn’t have been more different from her trip up to the executive suite. Then, she had spent every second checking her appearance. Now she kept her eyes riveted on the thick cream carpet. It wasn’t that she didn’t know where to look. She desperately wanted to gaze at Stefano, but somehow she couldn’t do it. She had to be content with hints of his aftershave or the jingle of change in his pockets as he stood so close to her, yet so distant.

  A limousine was waiting for them outside the revolving doors of the office block. Its driver opened the door for Kira. She slid in, glad of the excuse not to have to look at Stefano as he exchanged a few words with his driver.

  He was every bit as good as her fantasies. His first words to her when she walked into his office had been absolutely right. The past few days had tortured, tormented and distracted her with thoughts of what he had been doing, and with whom. Stefano was the only man who had ever moved her like this. It made her certain he must have a new girl every night. Who could possibly resist that clear-eyed gaze? Kira was terribly afraid she couldn’t. Her pulse increased to dizzying levels each time he looked at her. As he took his seat beside her in the car it felt as though her heart was trying to jump into her throat. Her mouth went dry, and she felt heat pool in the pit of her stomach.

  It had been hard enough not to reach out to him when he had been standing alone and aloof in his office stronghold. How much more difficult would it be to resist him when they were at lunch together?

  ‘When it comes to that contract, you’ll have no worries,’ Stefano said as their car pulled out into the stream of traffic outside the headquarters of Albani International. ‘I’m ruthless in business, but I’m always fair. That agreement is simple, straightforward and totally unthreatening. Working for me will be the smartest move you ever make. I’ve seen the design work and planting you did on the Bella Terra estate, and I’ve heard brilliant reports from your other clients. Your touch is exactly what I need. You’ll bring your talents to my properties around the world. In return, I’ll reward you well and give you free advertising among all my contacts. That will save you all the tiresome brown-nosing for business you hate so much. Think of it—all the work you could ever want, but none of the socialising.’

  He slid a smile towards her. Kira thought of the man she had seen silhouetted against the cityscape. His expression tangled her heartstrings before her brain had time to intercept it.

  ‘You don’t know what that would mean to me,’ she said, the relief of getting work without having to pitch for it filtering through her words. Whenever she was in Stefano’s presence, her body refused to behave. It ignored all the warning signs. Her brain screamed danger but her soft, warm feminine core heard only temptation and remembered only their kiss.

  ‘We’re here,’ he said, sounding slightly husky, and Kira wondered if he was struggling with similar memories, but he leapt out of the car before she could see his face. By the time he had arrived to open her door, he was back to business.

  ‘This is one of my favourite restaurants,’ he explained as he escorted her into a beautiful old building in the heart of the city. Its glamorous receptionist was all teeth and talons. She greeted Stefano by name, and led them to a spacious table for two. It was like no business lunch Kira had ever attended. As a respected professional she was used to being treated well. Stefano’s idea of entertaining was in an entirely different league. The Michelin-starred restaurant was as perfect as its extensive menu, and Kira felt entirely uncomfortable. She looked down the list of tempting dishes, studying the menu intently, but it was no good. Eventually, she had to swallow her pride. It stuck in her throat, but as a regular Stefano was the best person to ask for help. ‘I’m sorry. This is a cordon bleu restaurant and I’m a cucina povera girl at heart. All these exotic things are way out of my zone. Which do you recommend?’

  ‘Definitely the lamb. It’s a favourite of mine.’

  Her mind made up, Kira ordered and handed her menu to the waiter.

  Stefano ordered the same for himself, and a bottle of wine to accompany their meal. When they were alone again, he leaned towards her. His eyes were keen with interest.

  ‘I would have thought a woman such as yourself would be entertained in restaurants like this all the time,’ he said quietly. ‘You deserve the best.’

  Kira withdrew from the intensity of his gaze. ‘I’ve told you—I enjoy plain Italian food.’

  Stefano smiled suddenly. ‘You are very much an Englishwoman. None of them are any good at truly indulging themselves.’

  Clearly, thought Kira wryly, he’s never met my mother.

  ‘There aren’t any fish-and-chip shops in the Bella Terra valley, so I’ve learned to adapt a little!’ she said, relaxing in spite of herself as she looked around at their luxurious surroundings. ‘It makes it easier when you bring me to a wonderful place like this. Everything is so beautiful, especially that dessert trolley over there. Mmm, I do so love my puddings!’ She laughed, suddenly overcome with amazement at where she was and who she was with.

  The waiter delivered their main course, and the glorious scent helped to relax her further. She ate a forkful and almost moaned in pleasure. Stefano watched her appreciatively. There was something suspiciously predatory in his eyes, but, overwhelmed and exhausted from fighting her attraction to him, when he held her gaze Kira didn’t look away. He smiled slowly and she felt her hunger change into a more immediate desire.

  ‘I wonder if this is a good time to tell you I haven’t thought about another woman since we met,’ he murmured slowly, in a voice silken with charm.

  ‘It wasn’t the thinking I was worried about!’ Kira sighed reflexively before snapping her mouth shut and blushing bright red. Too late, she corrected herself. ‘If I was worried at all, which I’m not.’

  His voice became a caress. ‘That’s good. I wouldn’t want to wo
rry you, Kira. The fact is, you intrigue me. I’ve spent the time since I left your side wondering about you, pure and simple.’

  ‘I’ll bet there was nothing remotely pure or simple about it,’ she retorted, although it was hard to stay angry with a man who gazed into her eyes with such intensity.

  Her tone had definitely mellowed. Stefano picked up on it. He put down his fork. For a moment his hands spoke for him. The fingers spread wide, his wrists rolled from side to side on the edge of the table.

  ‘Why block me when I’m trying to tell you something, Kira?’ His words were quiet, but intense. ‘Let me into your life a little. You won’t regret it. I can do things for you that you would never dream were possible. With your skill and my backing, there is no limit to what can be achieved. I want to start finding my pleasure much closer to home, and you are the one who can make it happen.’

  Transfixed by his expression, Kira let him slide his hand over hers as it lay on the table. Incapable of resisting him, her fingers went limp. He began to stroke the back of her hand. His movements teased her with thoughts of how he had held her willing body against his only two weeks before. From the second he swept out of her front door, he left a yawning void in her life. She had spent so little time with him, and yet over those long, lonely days she had missed him so much. Kira felt every moment she didn’t spend gazing into his eyes must be wasted.

  A rising tide of emotion stirred her restlessly in her chair. Fine dining was nothing to the thought of Stefano making love to her. Suddenly she wanted him as urgently as she had desired him that day in her house. The colour of his eyes mirrored her needs. Beneath the long, flowing tablecloth she felt the slight movement of his foot as it slipped between hers. It happened as easily as his bare limbs might caress and possess her own.

  ‘The moment you agree to work for me and sign that contract, I shall take you to Silver Island and show you my new paradise. Sun, sand and warm blue waters. It is everything you deserve, cara mia…’ he whispered. His voice slipped over the words like a lazy tide lapping over land. Kira felt the last vestiges of her common sense slipping away. It was the powerful seduction in his eyes…

  She passed the tip of her tongue over her parched lips.

  ‘Stefano…I…’

  The yapping of a pocket dog at the reception desk broke the spell. Kira blinked as though waking from a dream. As she came to her senses she saw an unmistakable look pass across Stefano’s face. He might be a master at hiding his feelings, but he wasn’t quite quick enough to conceal them from her. He was anticipating something. She looked across the busy restaurant. An impossibly tall, thin blonde was handing over her designer shoulder bag. The head of a noisy chihuahua poked out of it like a ripe russet apple. Relieved of the sum total of her responsibilities, the blonde turned around and surveyed the restaurant as though she was at the end of a catwalk. After jiggling a hand at several acquaintances, her eyes fastened on the table where Kira and Stefano were sitting.

  In a cacophony of sleek designer fabric and sixinch heels she sashayed towards them. Kira tensed. Unconsciously her fingers went to her hair, then her smart but simple jacket, smoothing down its creases and fiddling with the buttons.

  ‘Ah, Chantal!’ Stefano turned as the woman got nearer.

  Kira couldn’t see his face, but heard his smile and could imagine the rest.

  ‘Darling Stefano!’

  With a winning smile especially for her, Stefano abandoned his plate and stood up. Greeting the blonde as though he was used to interruptions like this, he showed more style than Kira’s one and only lover had ever done. She wondered how many times a seasoned philanderer had to run through this routine before it became second nature. Stefano had obviously put in the hours. He had turned it into an art form. Grasping his friend Chantal by the elbows, he air-kissed her with great pleasure.

  ‘It’s been a while, Stefano!’ The blonde returned his gesture, running cool blue eyes over Kira’s clothes and hair in a way that didn’t simply give Kira a hint, it dug her savagely in the ribs.

  Stefano was totally unfazed. Taking Chantal’s hand, he pulled her fingers towards his lips for a real kiss. ‘How was Biarritz?’

  Chantal sighed theatrically. ‘Nothing without you, darling, of course! Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend? I haven’t seen you about before, have I?’ she said, giving Kira a bright, shiny look.

  ‘Kira is a business associate,’ Stefano said with barely a flicker.

  ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Chantal sent her a vague smile which failed to reach her eyes, before turning her attention back to Stefano.

  Kira wasn’t fooled for a moment. There was sympathy in that look. It told her—loud and clear—that Chantal didn’t see her as any sort of threat. That made her feel more alone than she had ever done in her life. Chantal and Stefano, two of the beautiful people, chatted easily about friends she knew only as employers. Several times, Stefano tried to include Kira in their conversation, but she was simply too self-conscious and had nothing to say. She sat in mortified silence until Chantal left. When Stefano turned his full attention back to her again, she couldn’t meet his eyes. She looked down hurriedly at her meal.

  He introduced me as his ‘business associate,’ she thought, catching sight of herself in the glittering silver cutlery. That really puts me in my place. I suppose I should be glad—it saves me having to worry about getting jumped on at every opportunity.

  At least it meant she could sign that contract safe in the knowledge nothing more than work would be on offer.

  Somehow, having seen Stefano in action as he charmed Chantal, that didn’t feel like such a good thing any more.

  He went back to his meal as though nothing had happened. Kira was left to burn with embarrassment in silence. She tried to console herself that an affair with Stefano would be like this all the time. There would be constant interruptions from glamorous women in designer dresses. It would be Kira’s idea of hell on earth.

  After savouring another mouthful of lamb, Stefano looked up and smiled at her again.

  ‘Now, where were we?’ he said in a confiding murmur.

  Kira put her heart and soul into a dazzling smile. It was the only way she could speak without screaming.

  ‘I was about to tell you I wasn’t in the ego-massaging business, Stefano. I’ve been fooled by a plausible rogue once before and I’ve got no intention of being caught out a second time, thank you!’

  A look came into his eyes that she could not name, but it definitely wasn’t remorse.

  ‘I never for one moment imagined you would be,’ he said, looking so serious that she knew straight away he was telling the truth. ‘Although you’ve touched on something I’ve been unable to get out of my mind since I met you at Bella Terra. When we were talking the other evening, it sounded as though you left England under a cloud. If you feel able, I would like to know more about what happened.’

  Kira stared at him. His eyes hadn’t left her since he said goodbye to Chantal. He had never once looked over his shoulder to see what the other woman was doing. Whatever she might have been to him in the past, he’s gazing at me now, she thought in a desperate attempt to steady her nerves. She thought of everything that had happened over the past two weeks. Throwing away that begging letter from her stepparents had been a wonderfully freeing gesture. She remembered how close she had come to unburdening herself upon their first meeting. It was so tempting to let him in, to give Stefano a tiny insight into her problems. She took a deep breath, trying to summon up the courage to shed a little more light onto her murky past.

  ‘Yes, I did—but the cloud wasn’t of my making,’ she began, but the memory of Chantal’s contemptuous gaze and how separate a world Stefano came from shook her, and at the last moment she could not bring herself to go into details. ‘Although I helped make it into the thunderstorm that sent me scuttling over here. I was escaping a disastrous affair. I abandoned the rat, and started all over again. I found myself a new life, and made a
new start.’

  Realising she would go no further, Stefano nodded. ‘I might have guessed. There are two sorts of people—those who crumble at the first hint of disaster, and those who conquer it and thrive.’

  ‘I didn’t exactly bounce back the next day,’ Kira said ruefully, waving away his concern. ‘But you’re right—drawing a line under my mistake was the best thing I did. It let me move on. I took stock of my life, and then decided to apply for a course in horticulture. I’ve always liked working with plants, and it turned out I had quite a talent for it. One thing led to another so fast I was exhibiting before the world at Chelsea within three years. Shortly after that I found my home in La Ritirata. I’ve been here ever since.’

  ‘And achieved wonders.’ Stefano leaned forward and quietly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Kira melted. It would be so easy just to lean forward and kiss him…In less than an hour he had delighted, infuriated and confused her, sometimes all at once. She could hardly think straight. Then, from the other side of the room, she heard Chantal’s laugh and suddenly tensed.

  Maybe she’s laughing at me, she thought, hopelessly hypnotised by a consummate seducer. If they’re not laughing now, then surely it’s only a matter of time…

  That was all it took. Her mind cleared, but her words were unsteady. ‘I thought we came here to talk about work, Stefano?’

  Lifting his glass of wine to her in a silent toast, he treated her to a devastating smile.

  ‘Yes, but there’s no need to restrict ourselves, Kira.’

  Colour rushed into her cheeks. The days fell away and once again she was in his arms, her hands hungry for his perfectly formed body. The powerful bulk of him was so close she could have reached out and touched him. Right now his body was hidden beneath the beautifully tailored lines of a white shirt and business suit, but the look in his eyes concealed nothing. He expected to take her to his bed. He demanded nothing less—and Kira wanted nothing more.