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Luca looked slightly taken aback, his eyes flaring, mouth compressing. In the dim lighting of the restaurant he looked darker and more alluring than usual, the candlelight from the table throwing his face into stark contrast from the snowy whiteness of his shirt, his whole being exuding restless power, barely leashed energy. ‘What about me?’
‘Do you have brothers or sisters?’
His mouth flattened into a hard line and he looked away briefly. ‘No.’
So apparently he didn’t like answering personal questions, just asking them. Ha
‘I really shouldn’t...’ Ha
‘It won’t be on an empty stomach,’ Luca replied. ‘And I think you need to relax.’
‘Do you?’ Ha
‘Luca.’
‘Why?’ she burst out. ‘Why now?’
His dark gaze rested on her for a moment, and she had the sense he was weighing his words, choosing them with care. ‘Why not?’ he finally replied, and reached for his wine glass. Ha
Fortunately Luca stopped with the personal questions after that, and they ate their meal mainly in silence, which was far more comfortable than being the subject of her boss’s scrutiny, but even so she felt on edge, brittle and restless.
Which was too bad, she realised as Luca was paying the bill, because, really, she’d just had the most amazing evening—being bought a designer wardrobe and then treated to a fantastic meal by an undeniably sexy and charismatic man. Too bad it didn’t feel like that. It felt...weird. Like something she could enjoy if she let herself, but she didn’t think she should. Luca Moretti might have dozens of women at his beck and call, at his feet, but Ha
They drove in silence to her little house; by the time they’d arrived it was nearly ten o’clock. Her mother, Ha
‘I’ll see you here tomorrow at nine,’ Luca said, and Ha
‘I thought I would be making my own way to the airport.’
‘By Tube? And what if you’re later? It’s better this way. Here, let me get your bags.’
Ha
But he was waiting for her to open her front door. She fumbled with the key, breathing a sigh of relief when the door finally swung open.
‘Ha
‘I’m fine—’ Ha
He was frowning, his gaze moving from her to the narrow hallway behind her, her mother coming around the corner. Clearly he was wondering about her living situation.
‘Goodnight,’ Ha
Her mother, Diane, stopped short, her eyes widening as she saw all the expensive-looking bags by Ha
‘It’s a long story,’ Ha
‘Went to bed without a whimper, bless him,’ Diane said. Her gaze moved to the bags. ‘Goodness, that’s a lot of shopping.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Ha
‘I’ll make you a cup of tea,’ Diane said. Ha
Gently Ha
Guilt niggled at her at the thought. Ha
With a soft sigh Ha
CHAPTER THREE
LUCA DRUMMED HIS fingers against his thigh as the limo pulled up in front of Ha
Perhaps because since he’d met her he’d viewed Ha
Sighing impatiently at his own pointless thoughts, Luca opened the door to the limo and stepped out into the street. It wasn’t as if he was making Ha
He pressed the doorbell, and Ha
‘What happened to the outfits I bought you yesterday?’ Luca demanded.
‘Hello to you too,’ Ha
‘Of course not.’ Luca knew he couldn’t actually fault Ha
‘Of course.’ She reached for her suitcase but Luca took it first. ‘I’ll put it in the boot.’
‘Hello, Mr Moretti.’ An older woman with faded eyes and grey, bobbed hair emerged from behind Ha
‘Good morning.’ Belatedly Luca realised how snappish he must have sounded when talking to Ha