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‘I’m Diane Stewart, Ha
‘Lovely to meet you.’
‘I should go, Mum,’ Ha
‘I’ll say goodbye to Jamie for you,’ Diane promised and Luca looked sharply at Ha
Jamie—a boyfriend? Clearly someone close to her. Although maybe Jamie was a girl’s name. A friend? A sister?
‘Thanks, Mum,’ she muttered, and quickly hugged her mother before walking towards the limo.
Luca handed the suitcase to his driver before getting in the back with Ha
‘Do you live with your mother?’ he asked.
‘No, she just stayed the night because I was so late getting home.’
‘Why was she there at all?’
She gave him a quick, quelling look. ‘She’s visiting.’
Ha
Ha
‘I never said you were.’
Which was true. But he felt nettled anyway, as if he’d done something wrong. It was that damned guilt, for tricking her into this. He didn’t like lying. He’d always played a straight bat, prided himself on his plain dealing. He’d lived with too many lies to act otherwise. But this was different, this was decades-deep, right down to his soul, and his revenge on Andrew Tyson was far more important than his PA’s tender feelings. Feeling better for that reminder, Luca reached for his smartphone and started scrolling through messages.
* * *
Ha
Now she tried to banish all the thoughts and worries that had kept her up last night as she’d wondered what she was getting into, and if she was doing the right thing in leaving her son for two days. She wanted to stop wondering if she was coming across as gauche as she felt, or why her normally taciturn boss was suddenly turning his narrow-eyed attention to her.
No, today she’d told herself she was going to simply enjoy everything that came her way, whether it was champagne and caviar or a first-class plane ticket. This was an adventure, and she’d got out of the habit of enjoying or even looking for adventures. Since she’d had Jamie her life had become predictable and safe, which wasn’t a bad thing but sometimes it was boring. She realised she was actually looking forward to a little bit of a shake-up.
‘You’re smiling,’ Luca observed and, startled, Ha
‘I was just thinking about flying first class,’ she said.
‘Ah yes. Something else you haven’t done before.’
‘No, and I’m looking forward to it.’ She smiled wryly. ‘I’m sure it’s same old, same old for you.’
‘It’s refreshing to see someone experience something for the first time.’ His mouth curved in a deeper smile, the look in his eyes disconcertingly warm. ‘Tickly or not.’
She lifted her chin, fighting a flush. ‘I admit, I’m not very experienced in the ways of the world.’
‘Why aren’t you?’
‘Maybe because I’m not a millionaire?’ Ha
‘I’m well aware. But plenty of people have tasted champagne.’ He cocked his head, his warm gaze turning thoughtful. ‘You seem to have missed out a bit on life, Ha
Which was all too perceptive of him. And even though she knew it was true, it still stung. ‘I’ve been working,’ she replied with a shrug. ‘And I have responsibilities...’ She left it at that but Luca’s eyes had narrowed.
‘What kind of responsibilities?’
‘Family,’ she hedged. ‘Nothing that interferes with my work,’ she defended and he nodded, hands spread palm upward.
‘As well I know. I do appreciate you coming for the weekend.’
‘I didn’t think I really had much choice,’ Ha
The warmth left Luca’s eyes and Ha
‘Yes, I did some research on them when I was booking your travel,’ Ha
‘Right.’
‘You don’t like the idea?’
‘Not particularly.’
She shouldn’t have been surprised. Luca Moretti had never struck her as the wife-and-kids type, which was why she’d kept her own son secret from him. He was never short of female company, though, and none of them lasted very long. A week at the most. ‘Why are you going after these resorts if you don’t really like the idea behind them?’
‘I don’t make business decisions based on personal preferences,’ Luca answered shortly. One hand closed in a fist on his powerful thigh and he straightened it out slowly, deliberately, his palm flat on his leg, his fingers, long and tapered, stretching towards his knee. ‘I make business decisions based on what is financially sound and potentially profitable.’
‘But Andrew Tyson only has a handful of resorts, doesn’t he? The Santa Nicola resort, one on Tenerife, one on Kos, one on—’
‘Sicily, and then a couple in the Caribbean. Yes.’
‘It’s small potatoes to a man like you,’ Ha
Luca shifted in his seat. ‘As I told you before, the land alone makes this a lucrative deal.’
‘Okay, but you still haven’t told me why this is a social occasion.’
‘Because Tyson wants it to be one. He’s always espoused family values, and so he wants each potential owner to socialise with him and his family.’
‘So chatting up little kids?’ Ha
‘His children are grown up,’ Luca answered. ‘The son is only a year younger than I am.’
‘Do his children have children?’
‘I have no idea.’ Luca sounded eminently bored. ‘Probably. The son is married.’