Chapter One

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html CHAPTER ONE FROM the first moment she saw Venice from a waterbus, Beth was entranced. La Serenissima rose from the lagoon like crystals growing u through mist. !f a city could be described as being like a woman, then this one was straight out of a nineteenth"century no#el. $#erywhere murmured with the sound of water whis ering against wood and stonework. Beth could identify with all this gentle melancholy. She was miles from home, and feeling sick with fear at the ros ect of arri#ing at the head%uarters of Francesco Fine &rts for the first time. !'ll lo#e this new (ob once ! get there, she thought, des erately trying to con#ince herself. She was tired, alone and scared. )here had been too many challenges o#er the ast few years. )he immortal serenity of Venice was in stark contrast to the confusion of consultants and hos itals she had needed to arrange for her father. *is e#entual death had been so hard to bear, and the after effects had cast her adrift from all the security she knew and lo#ed. & wa#e of e+citement suddenly engulfed the other assengers in her boat. *alf a do,en Venetian matrons eru ted with coos of admiration, and then e#eryone started ointing through the fine dri,,le. )hey were all talking at once, and it didn't take long for Beth to see why. & s ectacular craft was a roaching. )he thoroughbred's streamlined beauty swe t ast them with an assurance that made it seem a whole lot faster than the s eed limit. )he ilot drew as many admiring looks as his boat did. *e was tall, lean and concentrating like a erfectionist. )he fingers of one hand s layed casually against the boat's aintwork, while the other dealt with the controls. *is attitude was totally out of lace in that soft"focus, watercolour landsca e. &nd yet it was strangely familiar-Beth's heart sto ed dead, and ama,ement itched her to her feet. ./ood grief0 1hat's he doing here2' She gas ed, before coming to her senses. 3eo le were looking at her, and grinning. Sinking back into her seat with an embarrassed grin, Beth muttered some a ologies. ! must be going mad with the stress of it all, she thought. *allucinating about Luca should ha#e sto ed years ago. *e was a career soldier on frontline duty, and the #ery last erson who would be found iloting a lu+ury s eedboat around Venice. &s for dressing in Milan tailoring and wra around shades4it was laughable, but that didn't dull her ain. Silenced by heartache, she watched her #ision disa ear into the distance, swee ing off to his own ri#ate kingdom like the royalty he ob#iously was. 1hoe#er he is, he robably didn't e#en see me, Beth thought. She was right. Self"made billionaires didn't need to notice ordinary mortals. Luca Francesco was no e+ce tion. *e had checked his e"mails three times already that morning, and his mind was full of schedules and a ointments. )hank /od Ben Sim son's et 3& was finally arri#ing from $ngland today, he mused4the woman must be a saint to ut u with him. Reaching the head%uarters of Francesco Fine &rts, Luca left his docking attendant to moor the craft, and strode into the building. 5odding in the direction of the rece tion staff, he stabbed the button of his ri#ate lift. *e was still irritated by the reality of Ben Sim son. )he man might be a genius in his field, but he had no common sense at all, and no social skills. Luca had merely wa#ed through the re%uest from FF&'s *uman Resources de artment to include Ben's girl Friday as art of his em loyment ackage. &t the time, it had seemed like a harmless erk of the (ob.
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ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html $#eryone had disco#ered since then she must be a #ital art of Ben Sim son's life"su system. ort
)he ele#ator arri#ed. Luca ste ed in, wincing as the mirrored doors clicked shut. )hat final glass of #in santo last night had been a mistake. *e had flown to Florence, to taste 6ount /uido's latest #intage. &s he always did, Luca had agreed with his host that the wine was e#en better than /uido's re#ious releases. *e had been saying that for fi#e years. Luca had no enthusiasm for socialising any more, but his manners were faultless4right down to acce ting that last shot of alcohol. )hinking about it now made him flinch. Luckily, one of his chauffeurs had been acting as co" ilot, and had flown him back to Venice a few hours ago. )here had been no time for slee , and he had acce ted 6ount /uido's offer of a guest wing for the night it would ha#e ushed Luca se#eral con#ersations too far. *e was a man with a thousand in#itations, who had lost all desire for friendshi . &nd now he had to force himself to face office life4again. Luca had been sharing his own 3&, &ndria, while they all waited for Ben Sim son's girl to sort out her . ersonal roblems' back in $ngland. *e was thinking of gi#ing this shadowy wonder" woman an immediate ay rise, sight unseen. Feeling the way he did this morning, the ne+t roblem Luca met with Ben was liable to end with blood being s illed all o#er the e+ecuti#e car etBy the time she reached her new work lace, Beth's heart was hammering so fast, she thought it might burst. Ben had arranged to meet her in the #estibule and escort her u to their office suite. *e led her through a busy honeycomb of acti#ity. &lthough it was set within a rambling old building, full of cubby"holes and s%ueaking floorboards, e#erything at FF& ran with the high" tech efficiency of an international multibillion"dollar business. 1hile firewalls and #irus checkers rotected in#estments, the building's real walls were dra ed with ta estries. &s she was shown around Beth wondered if the dra es hid any secret assages. )he eo le who li#ed here in the Renaissance had been high on security4in those days, li#es as well as fortunes were at stake. Ben guided her through a warren of assages, sto ing e#ery so often to ask directions back to his office. Beth didn't mind. !t ga#e her a chance to admire her surroundings. Beautiful anti%ue side tables and grand car#ed chairs were laced at regular inter#als along each corridor. *er father would ha#e lo#ed it. *e had adored treasures, and this lace was stuffed with them. $ach time he had gone out to buy stock, /erald 1oodbury had brought home at least one more e+%uisite iece he could not bear to ut u for sale. 7nfortunately, his bank account had em tied at much the same s eed with which his belo#ed Rose 6ottage had filled u with beautiful things. &s soon as they reached their office Beth lunged straight into her (ob of making Ben's life run as smoothly as ossible. )heir suite had been formed out of the building's old ballroom, and it did not take her long to con#ince him that his desk should be re ositioned, right at the far end. *e was too easily distracted to ha#e his seat any closer to the door. *er workstation would stand guard there, fending off unwanted #isitors. 8isaster struck only a short time after they had settled down to work. & frantic call drifted o#er to where Beth was setting u some com uter records.
.Beth4Beth4!'#e (ust sat on my glasses0' .)he s are air is in the to right"hand drawer of your desk, as always.' .)his is the s are air0 ! lost a lens from the other ones (ust after ! got here-' Beth icked u the tele hone on her desk and made a %uick call. )hen she walked o#er and handed Ben a note. .8on't anic. *ere are the details of your new $nglish"s eaking o tician. )hey're e+ ecting you.' Ben beamed, stood u and ulled on his (acket. .!f e#er Signor Francesco wants to know why ! need you here, !'ll tell him about little things like this0' Seconds after Ben left, Beth came to his rescue again when the tele hone on his desk rang. .Oh4hi, you must be Beth0' a friendly #oice said. .!'m &ndria, Signor Francesco's assistant. 6ould you send Ben u to the e+ecuti#e lounge, lease2 Signor Francesco wants to see the notes for his address to the ceramics con#ention ne+t month. ! thought the two of them could cosy u o#er a latte.' .Oh, !'m sorry, &ndria, Ben's had to dash out for a while4' Beth heard a shar intake of breath from her o osite number. )hat was a clear danger signal, and nothing could be allowed to blot Ben's re utation. Beth s rang into action. .But ! can deli#er the notes myself. !'#e got them right here, and they're all ready.' .Brilliant.' &ndria's relief was audible. .Signor Francesco is a good boss, but he's totally single" minded when it comes to work. !f he thought !'d sent him on a coffee break without the chance of fitting in a bit of a erwork, !'d ne#er hear the end of it0' Beth laughed, rinted out the document and sli ed it into a co#er. !t sounded as though she would ha#e her work cut out kee ing Ben on the right side of his boss. 5o wonder he had wanted her hel and su ort in this new (ob. Ben was as disorganised as he was accident" rone. She had better get out of her silly habit of wincing each time she heard the surname of their new em loyer. 1hen Ben had announced the eo le at Francesco Fine &rts had a roached him, Beth's stomach had gone into a s in. )he sim le mention of a name shared by millions of eo le around the globe had thrown her into turmoil. )hen reality had su lied a arachute, and told her not to be so stu id. Luca had been a soldier, and the original bull in a china sho . 1hat connection could he ossibly ha#e with international fine art2 )he only interest he e#er showed in glass was how much li%uid it could hold. &ll the same, Beth was still not comfortable hearing the name
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .Francesco'. !t would be a relief to meet their new managing director at last. 1hen his real"life image re laced the tall, dark fury that still haunted her, life would become easier. 5egotiating the ma,e of corridors, Beth was scared in case her rusty holiday !talian let her down, but e#eryone she met in the building was really friendly. She soon found the e+ecuti#e lounge, and walked in with a broad smile. !t e#a orated the instant she saw the man who was silhouetted at the window. )he im ressi#e figure had his back to her, but she still recognised him. *e was the same man who had been iloting that s eedboat, and the realisation hit her heart a hammer blow. 5ow there could be no mistake. *is sable"dark hair had not been gi#en its regulation trim in a while and now curled almost to his collar, but it didn't matter. Beth was con#inced that when the managing director of Francesco Fine &rts turned around, e#ery word, $nglish or !talian, would desert her. She already knew this billionaire workaholic would turn out to be the man she desired most in the world. &nd the only one she would e#er lo#e. Beth had been %uiet and discreet, but Luca still heard her enter the room. *e glanced o#er his shoulder with a smile4and then sto ed. !n one second his o en e+ ression turned from leasure to dee , dark distrust. Beth went cold with dread. &lthough he was not handsome in the way of soa stars or male models, Luca was de#astating to look at. )hose dark, wide"set eyes might ha#e lashes to die for, but the effect was com elling, not sentimental. *is masculinity was car#ed, not manufactured. !t had been honed on the assault course, gi#ing him a form e#ery woman wanted to touch. Beth was no e+ce tion. 8es ite his ten"kilowatt glare, the first thing she noticed was how ale and tired he looked. &nd then his %uiet words tore the years away. .Mio 8io-! must ha#e died and gone to hell-' Beth was shattered. *is eyes were like chi s of black diamond. )he man who meant e#erything to her was now trying to intimidate her, not melt her. *e succeeded in no time at all, because Beth's soul still bore the indelible brand of his hard, dark anger. !t had been seared into her on that last burning night in Balacha. Fi#e years later, it still hurt. She began inching inches along the edge of the file she carried, measuring her embarrassment and shame. .Luca-! had no idea-! would ne#er ha#e come here if !'d known4' *e silenced her with a single, shar gesture of his hand. )heir time a art had increased his natural authority a hundredfold. *is a earance had always been uncon#entional. 5ow he looked dangerous. !nstead of tanned and o en, his face was drawn and watchful. )hose beautiful eyes with their swee ing lashes now had dark hollows beneath them. Beth was horrified, but all the old attraction was still there. She could sense it, but she could also feel wa#es of resentment flowing from him.
Shock and shame forced her words out in a torrent of a ology. .Look, ! can hardly blame you for being angry with me, Luca. ! icked u a en a thousand times to try and write to you but4' .8on't gi#e me any more lies, $li,abeth. Or Beth, or whate#er your name is these days. ! don't need your e+cuses.' *is tone was like silk drawn o#er sand a er. .! su ose you must be this indis ensable 3& Ben Sim son needs to kee him in check2' *e mo#ed forward. Beth ste ed back. Seeing her flinch, he e+haled angrily. .)here's no oint in retending to be afraid of me. 1e both know that's ne#er been the case. Besides, what's done is done. &s far as ! am concerned you are art of my ast, and a art that ! ha#e no wish to remember. My interest is in the here and now.' *e aused, and raised his right hand to the side of his head. Beth watched him dig his fingers into his tem le before continuing. .! won't go back on the agreement to em loy you. Ben is fast becoming a world e+ ert in ceramics. ! want him on my team and, for that ri#ilege, ! am willing to endure anything. $#en your resence,' he finished meaningfully. Somehow, Beth ulled herself together. O#er the ast cou le of years she had sur#i#ed a lot, but much of it had not been of her own making. Luca's cold fury was a different thing altogether. )his was entirely down to her, so she would (ust ha#e to ut a bra#e face on it. .8on't worry4now ! can see how things are, ! won't be staying here for more than si+ months. )hat's the length of my initial contract with FF&, and ! won't be asking you to renew it. ! wouldn't dream of utting you to any trouble, Signor Francesco.' She managed to kee her #oice calm, but her mind was in chaos. &ll she knew was that she had to esca e from his resence, to get away.But while you are here, you will gi#e e#ery assistance to Ben in his (ob as my new *ead of /lassware and 6eramics.' !t was a command, not a %uestion. .Of course. )hat's why you are em loying me, Signor Francesco,' Beth re lied cris ly. .But ! shall make arrangements to train a re lacement, so ! can lea#e the moment my contract comes u for renewal.' .&s long as we both know where we stand,' Luca said grimly. *e aused as if he wanted to say more, but then turned away from her. .Let me call for some refreshments.' One end of the e+ecuti#e lounge had been fitted out as a kitchen, making e#erything from anti asti to ,abaglione. Beth tucked the file of a erwork under her arm and set off to fetch him something. &ny good 3& would ha#e done the same, but she intended this as a statement as well. She wanted to show Luca she knew her lace as a loyal em loyee. .!'ll fetch you a latte and4'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .$li,abeth, you don't ha#e to wait on me. 3lease find yourself a seat.' Beth had ne#er thought of Luca's !talian accent as dynamite before. 5ow it was enough to send her hurtling towards one of the softly u holstered settees scattered around the room. She sat down, her eyes fi+ed on the edge of the table in front of her. !t was iled with maga,ines, but she was not in the mood to look at them. &fter summoning a waitress and gi#ing his instructions, Luca re(oined her. *e did not sit on the settee. !nstead he icked u a hard, angular chair and dro ed it o osite where she was retreating into the shelter of comfortable cushions. &lthough he tried to hide it, Beth saw him wince. She wondered if he was in ain but thought better than to ask. )he waitress, in a smart la#ender a ron, brought a tray to their table. )he girl set down two cu s of coffee and two astries, laying a monogrammed na kin and fork beside each lace. 1hen he saw she had brought nothing else, Luca clicked his tongue and began to le#er himself u from his chair. .!'ll fetch you a s oon, $li,abeth,' he murmured. .5o0 5o, ! can manage with (ust a fork,' she said frantically, looking from Luca to the waitress and back again. .5onsense.' Luca switched on his old, de#astating smile as he turned to the girl who had brought their order. .Miss 1oodbury always eats with a s oon as well as a fork, Bella. !t is her good $nglish breeding.' Beth burned with shame. She could not remember the last time she had been able to afford to eat udding, let alone worry about how to do it. .)imes change, Luca,' she muttered when he returned from a tri to the counter for more cutlery. .! know. )hat is why you went off with the man who called himself my friend.' .!t was a big mistake.' .&s ! told you at the time.' Beth aused as she went to ick u her s oon and said softly, .! would ne#er ha#e thought you were mean"minded enough to say 9! told you so:, Luca.' 3ained, she turned her head away. She could not afford to let him see how much he still affected her. *e aused, gra,ing his lower li with his teeth. .;ou're right, of course. ! should not ha#e gone so far. But you must admit, it was not without ro#ocation, $li,abeth.' .3lease call me Beth. ! refer it nowadays,' she said faintly. .!'#e gi#en u on formality.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .! find that hard to belie#e.' Luca icked u his astry fork and cut through the mouth"watering dessert, but Beth noticed something. .1ait, Luca, they'#e only gi#en you a small ortion. *ere4take mine4it's much bigger.' .)his is the way ! like it.' *e s oke without looking at her. .! don't eat so much these days.' ! can see that, Beth thought, eyeing him with concern. *is suit was e+ ensi#ely tailored, but this new"style Luca was built like a greyhound rather than the mastiff she had known back in Balacha. .)here isn't much call for route marches and midnight manoeu#res in Venice,' he added by way of e+ lanation. .!'ll bet your girlfriend is leased.' *e shrugged. .)hey don't com lain.' *is casual re ly ga#e Beth almost as much of a shock as the way he looked at her before s eaking again. .;ou used to do a lot of that, didn't you, $li,abeth2 6om laining, ! mean.' .6an you blame me2' she countered before looking ointedly at the fine lines of his linen (acket. .&nd you don't want to lose too much more weight, Luca.' 1ithout breaking eye contact, he ut one hand o#er Beth's, and remo#ed her late. & wa#e of e+citement broke o#er her as she felt the rough, arched touch of his fingerti s, once so familiar but now mo#ing with clinical recision. .!t doesn't take much to con#ince me.' *e nodded, re lacing her ortion with his own, smaller one. .)hen it's a good (ob !'m not hungry.' *e sat back and laughed. .Oh0 )hat was almost a retort. &nd ! thought something must ha#e e+tinguished your s ark, Beth. 3erha s ! was wrong, for once.' .5o.' Beth scowled, remembering (ust how infuriating one of his greatest talents had always been. .;ou were right, as always. !t's (ust that life has doused me retty well o#er the ast few years.' Beth could hardly hold Luca's iercing ga,e as he answered, .)hen welcome to the club.' *e sat back, his legs stretched out in front of him. .1hen the army let me go, ! had no alternati#e other
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html than to come here to Venice. )his was my great"uncle's firm. *e died a cou le of years ago, and left e#erything to me. *is home4and his business, which ! ha#e de#elo ed into the success you see now.' Beth ga ed, still trying to catch u . .Luca4you left the army2' .! didn't say that.' She stared at him. &ll sorts of images tumbled through her head. )hey must ha#e thrown him out for some reason. She knew he had a short fuse. But he had always managed to control his tem er, when they were together. 1hen they were together1hat on earth had she started, the night she had abandoned him in Balacha2 .But-the army was your family.' .)hey had to let me go.' *is features were unreadable as he took a small container from the breast ocket of his (acket and shook out a cou le of small white tablets. .Oh, Luca-' *e took no notice, but concentrated on taking the ainkillers. Beth mo#ed forward, but he sto ed her by stabbing a finger on the table between them. !t was a noisy gesture of ownershi . .8on't worry about me. ! ha#e all this now.' *is hand had landed on the co#er of the latest )ime maga,ine, and she wondered if he was grinding in a further insult. & haunting hotogra h of Luca's face ga,ed u at her, abo#e the headline $7RO3$'S R!6*$S) M&5. 5ow he had money, and she had none. )here's irony for you, Beth thought bitterly. .! can only ho e you ha#e better luck than !'#e had, Luca.' .Luck has nothing to do with it.' *is eyes burned into her like glowing coals. .5obody has e#er been lower than ! was when they brought me back here, fi#e years ago. From a osition of authority, tra#elling the world, and fending for myself, ! was reduced to nothing more than a oor relation. 1orse than that, ! was tra ed indoors for twenty"four hours a day.' 8es ite his story, there was no self" ity in him. *is low laugh was a dry, humourless sound. .)hat didn't last long, belie#e me. ! whi ed myself, and Francesco Fine &rts, into sha e at the same time. 5othing sto s me, $li,abeth. 5ot e#en life. &nd certainly not you,' he finished meaningfully. She looked away from him and the intensity of his words, focusing instead on the delicate astry
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html in front of her. 3rinci les were sli ery things when it came to lu+ury, and she had not tasted cake like this for a #ery long time. &t last she came to the crumbs, then ut down her s oon and fork. )here was nothing for it now but to try and make a dignified e+it from Luca's watchful resence. .1ell, delightful though this has been, Signor Francesco, !'#e deli#ered Ben's notes so ! really must be getting back to my work,' she said in a cool, detached #oice. .!s there anything else you would like to discuss with me2' .5o.' .! mean with regard to Ben's conference notes.' .So do !.' *e checked his Role+. !t was identical in design to the one she had resented to him, all those years ago. /i#en the look in his eyes, it was robably not e+actly the same watch. *is glance flicked across the table. *e was clearly waiting for her to add something. But Beth's heart was hammering so hard in her chest that s eech was im ossible. For an instant she wondered if he could hear it, too. &s she looked into those dee , dark, irresistible eyes it brought back the delicious thrill of his hand mo#ing o#er hers a few moments before. &ll of a sudden, nothing mattered to her any more e+ce t winning his forgi#eness, so she could ha#e that sensation again. )hen reality hit home. Luca was the boss in more ways than one now. She was nothing more than the hired hand. She would ha#e to stifle her own feelings4all of them. .!'d better get back to work, Signor Francesco. ! always match my hours to Ben.' She met his stare calmly. .*e won't take a midday break today because he's had to go out for an o tician's a ointment, so ! won't, either.' Luca did not look im ressed. .;ou must eat, Beth. ! shall tell the staff to e+ ect you here at one o'clock. )hat is the time you eat at Rose 6ottage, yes2' *is e+ ression was se#ere, but then she remembered how she had always managed to get around him in the ast. &nd his mention of Rose 6ottage seemed like a reminder of their time together. &s she handed him the co y of Ben's notes she risked e#erything. .)hat almost sounded like an in#itation to lunch, Luca.' .5o.' *e shook his head and turned away from her. .5ot today, Beth. 3erha s some other time, eh2 6iao, bella0' *o e flickered again, until Beth realised his last remark was not directed at her. *e was raising a hand in salute to the waitress who had ser#ed them. Beth watched him go, but he didn't once look back at her. Luca was abandoning her in the same brisk way he left the room. *e could not wait to get back to a world in which she had no lace at all. !t was the ultimate dismissal.
CHAPTER TWO B$)* continued to stare after Luca until the door of the e+ecuti#e lounge eased itself closed. )hat broke her trance, but she ga#e him a few minutes to get back to his eyrie before lea#ing the room herself. )o meet him a second time so soon after that brush"off would be awful. She needed time to steady her ner#es before she saw him again. Burying herself in the reassurance of work would hel . &s she walked back to her desk she wondered how long it would be before she could face Luca with courage. & long time, a small, sad #oice re lied. From that moment on, Beth could not concentrate ro erly. She had always wondered if Luca still hated her. 5ow she knew. *e had made it clear e+actly how dee his feelings ran. *e had e#ery right to feel that way. 3ainful though it was, she would ha#e to isolate herself from him as much as ossible. She did not want to increase his bitterness. )he only way to co e was to forget they had e#er meant anything to each other. She would ha#e to stifle all her emotions, and treat him with nothing but cold formality. But something was busily working away at the back of her mind. !t would not lea#e her alone, and fi,,led through her body like a slow charge. )he sensation grew as the day wore on until her limbs were as hea#y as her head. &n uncomfortable truth was beginning to see along her #eins. !t mingled with the hot, urgent feeling that had lea t into life the moment she recognised him. )he combination was sensual, yet terrifying. She had ne#er sto ed lo#ing Luca, so it was no wonder her body melted now at the thought of him. 1hat shocked Beth to the core of her being was the disco#ery that, no matter how much he hated her, no matter how much his attitude towards her had altered, or the weight of her own guilt4nothing changed the way she reacted to him. She still wanted him as much as e#er. !nstead of going u to the e+ecuti#e lounge at lunchtime, Beth sli ed out of the building. )he thought of bum ing into Luca and being tra ed by his turbulent ga,e again made her feel sick. !t was artly embarrassment, but mostly shame. She was angry her body was not strong enough to resist him. Fi#e years ago he had refused to make any commitment to her. 5ow he was blaming her, because she had stood u for her rinci les, and gi#en him an ultimatum. &nd the worst art of it was, Beth knew those rinci les would crumble into dust now, the instant he laid another finger on her!n the end she had to gi#e herself a mental e talk. !'m worth more than this, she thought, grinding her teeth so hard her head began to throb. Mooning after a man who hates me is a fast track to heartache. She threw all her energy into her work, but it was no use. 5o matter how many (obs she found to do around the office that afternoon, the memory of Luca haunted her for the rest of the day. $ach time there was a knock at the door her head (erked u in alarm. $#ery ringing tele hone set her ner#es (angling. She was so glad to see Ben ull his (acket off the back of his chair and try out his .6iao0' at the end of the day she almost ushed him out of the door. Beth had been so des erate to lunge into the ordeal of her first day at work she had tra#elled
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html straight from the air ort to the office. )here had been no time to find her new home. Once she had cleared her desk and ulled the co#er o#er her com uter monitor, it was time for her second shift to begin. )his time, Beth's (ob title was .& artment *unter'. )rying to track down the flat Ben had rented for her was a nightmare. By the time she had u,,led out his ho eless directions, it was raining and she was soaked. )he .a artment' turned out to be little more than twenty s%uare metres of furnished hell, on the sad side of town. )he agency em loyed by Ben had thrown Beth's few ieces of luggage into the middle of the dirty car et. )he whole room had a dank, unfriendly feel, and smelled of mushrooms. !t looked as cheerful as Beth felt. &t least ! won't ha#e time to feel sorry for myself, she thought, dro ing her handbag and going o#er to the single small window. !t was sticky with disuse and she had to force it o en. 5o refreshing bree,e burst in from outside< only the relentless rattle of raindro s on rusting ironwork. She ga,ed down onto a cobbled courtyard, wondering how long it would be before all the uddles (oined u to make a lake. & single igeon hunched on ne+t"door's window ledge, fluffed u against the deluge. !t looked sick. 8es erate for com any, Beth wondered if she ought to try and coa+ it closer. Before she could try, a knock at her door sent the bird rocketing off into the rain. )he thought of ha#ing a con#ersation with a real erson made Beth throw common sense after the bird. 6rossing her room in a cou le of strides, she o ened the door and instantly the smile fro,e on her face. !t was Luca. )he im ulse to throw her arms around his neck and beg to be rescued died as she saw the look in his eyes. !t nailed her to the s ot. *e looked as though he would res ond only too %uickly, but not in the way she needed. Beth wanted to kee him there, not send him away. She stared at him for what felt like hours. *e had changed out of his business suit, but Luca in casual clothes looked e%ually stunning. 8ressed in beautifully cut (eans and a blue o en necked shirt, he was glittering with raindro s. )hey s arkled in his (et"black hair and darkened his trousers to na#y, but could not dilute his disa ro#al. )here was a bottle of Bardolino in his left hand and a i,,a bo+ in his right, but he lowered them as Beth's hand went to her hair. Subconsciously, her fingers searched for the honey"blonde strands she always twiddled when she was ner#ous. .*"how in the world did you know where to find me2' She gas ed. .$m loyee records.' 6oncern creased his brow. .8on't you know how dangerous it is to o en your door without finding out who is calling first, Beth2 ! might ha#e been anybody.' For a second Beth allowed herself to think that his concern might mean he still cared, but %uickly realised that he was (ust rotecting his in#estment4doing his (ob. .! heard you ski ed lunch. !t's a bad habit, Beth. &cce t this as a eace"offering. 1e shouldn't ha#e arted on such bad terms this morning, after so long a art.' *is words were meant kindly
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html enough, but his e+ ression didn't soften. Beth nodded, and backed into her room. )his was the ultimate re#ersal of fortune, and it hurt. .!4!'m sorry about the state of this lace, Luca-' .8on't be. !'#e seen worse.' Both of them silently added the words .in Balacha', but that was not something to be s oken out loud. .Ben insisted on booking my accommodation himself, and the agency made some sort of mi+" u . & arently,' she said, staring at her sandals. .)hey found him a cosy canal"side hotel room, ! notice.' Beth made a ner#ous, fluttering gesture with her hands. .!t doesn't matter. Sit down, Luca.' )he choice was between her a artment's s%uashy old armchair, and the edge of her bed. Beth ointed to the chair. Luca remained standing. .;our reactions u,,le me, Beth.' *e hesitated o#er her name, still finding it unusual. .!t's almost as though you really ha#e changed since we were together.' .! told you so.' *e raised a dark brow. .So you are throwing my own taunt back at me, eh2' She took the i,,a from him and set it down on the a artment's single table. O ening the cutlery drawer, she tried to take out a knife, but recoiled in horror. 1ithout comment, Luca mo#ed in to do it for her. & re#ious tenant had left e#erything in the drawer horribly sticky. Luca went o#er to the small, scratched sink but could find no washing"u li%uid. 6leaning the knife as best he could, he rinsed it well under a noisy, intermittent stream of te id water. Returning it to Beth, he watched her di#ide u the i,,a with the care she always used when she knew he was watching. *e acce ted a single slice and as he watched her nibble ner#ously on her iece commented, .3erha s ! shouldn't ha#e bothered bringing a full"si,ed one. =nowing you, Beth, you'll throw the rest away as soon as !'#e disa eared.' .! would ne#er do a thing like that now.' She blushed, remembering all the times she had been fli ant about money, dining out and always after something new. .Really2' *e raised his eyebrows in a knowing gesture. .Really,' she re eated with feeling.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .! ho e this 9new: Beth is still as keen on arties as she always used to be,' he said. .!'#e decided to throw one to introduce Ben to all the eo le who matter. &s his assistant, you're in#ited as well, of course. !t will be a chance for you to do some socialising, fine dining, and dancing4all the things that mean so much to you.' So that's the only reason he's come to see me, Beth thought, absolutely deflated. 1hen she had first o ened the door to find Luca standing there, it had taken all her strength not to wee with relief. )hank goodness she hadn't. She made the necessary effort and forced herself to smile. .So-when is it, e+actly2' .! ha#en't decided yet. ! came to consult you first. *ow much notice does it take to get Ben to the right lace at the right time2' She looked at him scornfully, but he was %uick to cut short any smart remark she might ha#e made. .!t had better be on Friday night, or Saturday. )hat's for the benefit of the guests coming from abroad.' .*ow much notice will they need2' *e ga,ed at her, %ui,,ically. .1hat do you mean2' .3eo le will need to check their diaries, and make arrangements.' *e raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in mystification. .!t's ne#er bothered them before. &ndria rings around. !f they're free, they come. !f they're not, they don't. )hough ! can't remember e#er ha#ing a refusal.' 5o, thought Beth. !'m sure you can't. .&s you ob#iously don't ha#e any strong ob(ections, !'ll go ahead. )his weekend is good for me. !'ll ring &ndria now, and she'll get things going.' .;ou're off duty, but your assistant is still at work2' Beth gas ed. Luca was offended. .Of course not4what do you think ! am2' ! know e+actly what you are4whate#er you're doing, you're bound to be a workaholic, Beth thought. She watched him e+tract a hone from the ocket of his (eans. )hey were cut to erfection. Memories of his beautiful body had been haunting her since their first meeting in the e+ecuti#e lounge. 5ow they struck her low down, with a #engeance. *er tem erature began to rise as she saw the fabric stretched tight around the tem ting cur#e of his flank. Luckily, Luca was too busy with his call to notice the effect it was ha#ing on her.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html *e looked o#er in Beth's direction and smiled, but she had more sense than to think it was directed at her. !t must ha#e been the stream of words chattering from his handset that s arked his amusement. Beth could imagine what oor &ndria felt like, being tele honed at home on office business. She turned away to make sure their call was ri#ate but, in a room as small as hers, it was im ossible. .&h, yes, you know me too well,' she heard Luca say. .)hat's why you're my assistant, &ndria.' &s he s oke he cast his eyes around Beth's new flat. .&ndria, ! don't see any signs that the firm has sent Beth a welcome basket4you know the sort of thing4flowers, a few basics like coffee and washing"u li%uid, fruit, a guide to local attractions-' Luca finished his call. Beth turned to watch him ut his hone back into his ocket again, although she was careful to kee her e+ ression bland. .&ndria is the best assistant ! ha#e e#er had. )hat girl is a mind"reader.' *is satisfaction was ob#ious. .)hat isn't %uite as tricky as you might think, Luca. &ll it would take is for her to sacrifice e#erything for the sake of your career.' *is smile e#a orated. .&h, so you still think you made the right decision in lea#ing me2 )hen you ha#en't seen e#erything my hard work has brought me. 6ome on4!'ll show you now.' 8ragging out his hone again, he called u his ilot and arranged to be icked u . .*e'll be docking my launch in ten minutes,' he informed Beth. .!f you want to grab that bottle and the i,,a, we can eat later.' Beth had to hurry to kee u with Luca as they left her a artment. *is long strides led her beneath festoons of washing threaded o#er the back lanes. !t had all been abandoned to the rain. )hat had sto ed, but the laundry still dri ed reminders of the deluge onto their heads. )hese alleys were hidden away, where the tourists did not #isit. !t was the dim, claustro hobic Venice only local eo le saw. Beth was glad when they reached the canal. She was e#en ha ier to recognise the smart new craft Luca had been dri#ing earlier that day. *e hel ed her in, his gras firm and warm as his hand closed o#er hers. Beth tensed at his touch, but he let her go the moment she was safely on board. &s their ilot steered them away from the mooring an argument broke out between a tenant of one of the waterside a artments and a boatman below. !t resulted in a bucket of water being thrown out of an u stairs window, com lete with #egetable eelings. Beth was not im ressed, and wrinkled her nose. .! thought Venice was su so histicated than this.' osed to be more
.1inter is coming. )em ers get shorter as the nights get longer. But it is not always like this. ;ou will soon grow to lo#e the lace, all year round.' .My contract with Francesco Fine &rts comes u for renewal in si+ months' time.'
*e made no further comment and, hurt, Beth stayed silent until their launch swung around a gentle bend. )hen she gas ed, and Luca's smile showed his satisfaction. .So you like my new house2' .)hat's yours2' Beth could hardly s eak. &head of them, a beautiful creamy" ink alace rose out of the water. 8es ite the cloudy sky, its four storeys were still a shimmering reflection of grace and ageless beauty. .Oh, Luca-it's wonderful-' she breathed. *is smile had an ironic twist. .She's falling to bits. &nd sinking. !t would be chea er to ha#e the whole lace trans orted o#er to the mainland, stone by stone. )here, we could at least use modern lu+uries like solid foundations.' *e clicked his tongue. .! don't know. )his lace eats money. ! ha#e to s end my working days stuck inside an office4the things ! do to kee my family name ali#e.' Beth thought back to the one and only time Luca had taken her back acking. *e was born to be wild. !t took imagination to see him en(oying life in a erfectly ro ortioned, stone and shuttered lace like this, lo#ely though it was. .;ou ke t #ery %uiet about this grand family of yours when ! knew you first, Luca.' .My background wasn't im ortant to me then. &t that oint there was no more than this old wreck to inherit. Besides, you were %uite ha y laying the art of a grand lady consorting with her 9bit of rough:, back then.' )he ilot tied u their launch. &s Luca ste ed off the boat he e+tended his hand to hel Beth ashore. She hesitated, ner#ous of the effect of his touch, but she had no choice. &s she sus ected, when her fingers met his her body betrayed her and wanted more of what she couldn't ha#e. 1hen they were both safely on the broad a#ed way in front of the ala,,o, Luca dismissed his ilot with a smile. 5ow they were alone together. Beth could not stand the silence. .! really am sorry for what ha ened between us in Balacha, Luca,' she said %uietly. .! don't doubt it.' *e was studying the fa>ade of his house in minute detail. .6an't you look at me, Luca2' 8ro ing his ga,e to her face, he looked at her with all the emotion of a rofessional oker layer. .*ow's that2'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .! did a stu id thing back then. !t was in the heat of the moment, because ! was angry. )ristram was always there. ;ou weren't. )hen one day it all got too much for me.' $yes burning, she looked to him for sym athy, or at least understanding. She saw neither. Luca was listening to her, but his e+ ression showed he sim ly no longer cared. My /od, she thought, his hidden, gentle heart has turned to stone. ! might as well be e+ laining the running order at an $nglish gymkhana. .So-the way ! treated you hasn't affected you at all, Luca2' .!t was a long time ago, Beth. ! am o#er it now.' .!s that all you can say2' *e hea#ed an e+as erated sigh. .O osites attract, Beth. ;ou mo#ed on when you disco#ered we did not differ %uite as much as you thought. 1e both like to get our own way. !t's called infle+ibility, and that is not a good ingredient in relationshi s. Or so ! am told.' .&nd you honestly belie#e that2' .;es,' he said slowly, .! belie#e that.' She stared at him, staggered by his uncaring attitude. She did what she always did, and fell back on good manners. .! think4! think that as you ha#e been kind enough to bring me here, Luca, ! would like to see inside your home.' CHAPTER THREE L76& led her towards his house without a word. )his was another change in him. !n the ast, he used to laugh at her interest in bricks and mortar. Beth e+ ected him to make some remark about her obsession with laces and things, but he said nothing. &s he wasn't in the army any more, she su osed he could not argue about settling in one lace. But this giant ste into restige ro erty ownershi must ha#e stretched e#en Luca's owers. Beth mar#elled to see the great doors of the ala,,o swee a art before them, as though he had said .o en sesame'. $fficient staff met them on the threshold. )wo of them took charge of the i,,a and wine Beth and Luca had brought back, while another whisked Beth's (acket away. )he ala,,o was far too grand to ha#e anything as sim le as a coat"stand. !nstead, her (acket was sli ed onto a added hanger and laced carefully inside an enormous mahogany closet. 1hate#er Beth felt about Luca's silence faded the moment she ste ed inside his house. *er first sight of his home knocked all the breath from her body. !t really was a alace. Large winged lions to ed each lintel, looking down on e#eryone with aristocratic scorn. &ny surface that was not olished to a glass"like finish glittered with gold leaf. )he entrance hall was high and wide, but Beth could hardly take it all in. She was too busy admiring the floor. !t was a cold sea of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html marble, which ga#e the whole s ace an echoing, church"like feel. )he grey"#eined ground was inlaid with coloured geometric sha es of sienna and cy ress, all worked into a beautiful re eating design. .)he stone was brought here from many different %uarries,' Luca said, noticing her interest as he guided her ast statues of his ancestors. .1hen ! was at school in $ngland, the boys would bring back sou#enirs from their e+otic foreign #acations. ! was not lucky enough to ha#e that sort of family. My guardians arranged for me to stay in the boarding house, e#en during holidays. )o go anywhere more romantic than 1indsor was unthinkable for me then. But now-' *esitation was not usually art of his nature. Beth glanced at him. She had ne#er seen wonder in his face before, but his e+ ression came close to it now as he looked around his great #aulted hall, la#ish with the art of Renaissance masters. )hen he realised she was looking at him. !n a flash he was back to his normal, decisi#e self. .)his must be the ancient #ersion of holiday kee sakes. & reminder of all the trading missions my ancestors made to far"flung laces like &sia, $gy t and /reece. ! am lucky to ha#e the (ob of rotecting it all for future generations.' .!t sounds as though you really lo#e this ala,,o.' Beth smiled at the ride in his #oice. Luca shrugged his shoulders, but the action seemed more like someone who was ad(usting to a hea#y burden. .! am growing to like it. )his building and all the eo le who ha#e li#ed here in the ast must not be forgotten. )radition is im ortant. )o me it is #ital, as ! grew u without any sense of close family. )his lace is a treasure, so, e#en if ! would rather s end my time out in the fresh air, ! owe it to my ancestors to ut the needs of their ala,,o first.' .&nd the generations that will follow you2' Beth suggested, but he did not seem to hear. !nstead he sauntered on, through to an inner courtyard. *ere, herringbone brickwork and cool colonnades surrounded a high stone font, richly car#ed with shields and heraldic lions. $#erywhere showed the chi s and scratches of centuries, gi#ing it the beauty of e+ erience. .1hen this house was built, the architects thought of e#erything. ! e#en ha#e my own well.' Luca indicated the central stone structure. Beth ste ed u onto its linth and lanted her hands on the gritty surface of the well's wide stone li . Leaning forward, she looked o#er the edge. .! can't see the bottom. *ow dee is it2' Luca shrugged. .!t was intended as a ri#ate water su enough to make it secure.' ly in times of siege, so it has to be dee
!ns ired, Beth glanced at him again. )his time she risked a smile.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .8oes it grant wishes2' Luca narrowed his eyes and ga#e her a look that was enough to melt any woman, and Beth was lost. *er heart hesitated, and then almost sto ed as he raised one dark eyebrow. .)ry it, and see,' he murmured. She didn't need to be told twice. Ra idly churning through the contents of her bag, she managed to find a single $uro and tossed it into the blackness. Luca watched with amusement as she craned o#er the edge, listening, and then smiled at her childlike e+citement at the resulting . lo '. She caught him watching her, and s arkled. .! really ho e it works, Luca.' & warm glow began to stroke o#er her body. !t shimmered with tension, and she blushed. !f he can read my mind !'m in trouble now, she thought breathlessly. &lthough not the sort of trouble ! would want to a#oid.Oh, it does, Beth. !n fact, that well works a lot harder than many eo le ! know,' he said, already starting off u a narrow stone stairway leading to the ne+t floor. .5o #isitor can resist testing its owers by throwing in money, so we dredge it regularly. )he coins we ull out hel to ay the bills.' .Luca0' Beth laughed, running to catch him u . .&nd you used to be so romantic0' *is laughter echoed off the ancient walls. .$+ erience has taken its toll on me, cara.' Beth's heart bounced again at the casual endearment. )hen she caught sight of his e+ ression. !t was full of ride in ownershi , nothing more. She should ha#e known better. Luca ne#er ut his real feelings into words until it was far, far too late. Of all eo le, ! should know that, she thought. Lost in memories, she hardly took in anything as Luca escorted her around a series of e#er more stately a artments. She was so distracted when he merely wa#ed a hand in the direction of his own rooms, she did not ask to see them. !t was only when they reached a se arate wing of the building she managed to rouse herself. .)his is where the official tour ends,' he said with some relief. .)hese final rooms ha#e always been called )ie olo's bridal suite, as he is su osed to ha#e been the last decorator.' Beth guessed Luca was trying to make a oint by running down the work of such a grand artist, so she said nothing. Ste ing ast him, she went straight into the suite. !t was dark in the rece tion area. )he still air was hea#y with the fragrance of la#ender. She sto ed, afraid of blundering into anything in the gloom. Luca strode straight ast her and, one by one, o ened all the airs of tall shutters at the far side of the room. 1atery e#ening sunshine streamed in and, des ite all the other wonders she had seen, Beth gas ed. She was stunned.
For a few seconds, all she could do was walk around in a small circle, ga,ing at the high, graceful beauty of the a artment. .! thought the rest of your home was lo#ely, but this lace is truly magical,' she breathed, lost in wonder. )he entire ceiling was decorated with e+%uisitely ainted gods and goddesses billowing across ink and sil#er clouds. $#ery surface was transformed into hea#en. 1andering on into the suite, Beth was glad the click of her stilettos was silenced here. !t would ha#e been an intrusion. )hick anti%ue rugs softened the cold acreage of marble, and muffled the echoes that made the rest of the ala,,o feel so formal and unwelcoming. &ll the car eting here was in shades of rose and old gold. )he softly u holstered chairs icked u these colours and e#erything was reflected in the highly olished sheen of ancient oak furniture. Beth walked from the rece tion area into the ri#ate a artments in a da,e. &t the heart of the suite stood an enormous bridal bed, cano ied with gau,e and lace hangings. )hese fell in sum tuous folds from somewhere near the ceiling, and she looked u to see how it was done. )hen she began to ha#e second thoughts about her dream a artment. .!t's awfully dark u there. &re you sure there aren't any bats2' .&nyone would think you were afraid, Beth.' .5o,' she retorted ner#ously. .!t's (ust that-' *e laughed. .Let me ut your mind at rest. )hough-! think electric light is too harsh for such a setting, don't you2' Beth heard a ras ing sound and light flared in the dusky gloom. !t danced o#er a golden crown, sus ended high among the ancient, smoke"blackened beams of the ceiling. She turned to see what Luca was doing. *e had lit a candle. Setting it into a sconce on the wall, he took se#eral more candles from a drawer and touched their wicks alight from the first flame. Shadows lea t u all around, mo#ing softly through the e#ening light. .;our a artments are on the other side of the building where it's so formal and cold, Luca. 1hy don't you use these rooms instead2 )hey feel much more friendly and welcoming,' she asked as he went around the room fi+ing lights into more of the s ecially designed holders on the walls. .! don't need laces to be 9friendly:. &nd, besides, why would ! need a bridal suite2' *e aused and turned to look at her. .! am not cut out for marriage.' She had used that (ibe on him in their distant ast. 5ow her own words were being bounced back at her. )ears stung her eyes as she looked around the room. She soon s otted another good reason why Luca wouldn't slee here. !t was decorated with do,ens of cu ids. .!t was a silly %uestion, ! su ose. ;ou aren't one for all these baby dim les, that's for sure.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .)hese are merely an artistic ideal, not a literal re resentation of what this room was e+ ected to roduce.' Beth swung around and ga ed at him. )hat remark and its language were totally at odds with the Luca she had always known. 1hat she saw now was e%ually ama,ing. *e was looking o#er the wall aintings with the air of a true connoisseur, ointing out the %uality to her with one e+ ressi#e hand. Once she had got o#er the shock, Beth could not resist a sly dig at him. .6areful, Luca4you're beginning to sound like my father0' *e dro ed his arm, and hooked a thumb into one of the belt loo s of his (eans. *er sarcasm did not bother him at all. *e ut his head on one side, and looked at her with an e+ ression close to ity. .! always take my res onsibilities seriously, Beth. 1hen ! arri#ed here, my great"uncle's art business was failing. ! was not about to sit back and watch it die. 5either was ! going to let my disa ointment at ha#ing to lea#e the army blight the rest of my life. 1ith lenty of s are time on my hands, ! began to read. ;ou saw the library here earlier.' Beth nodded. )he ala,,o's reading rooms held more books than she had e#er seen in one lace at any one time. .1ith my great"uncle always on hand, ! untangled the mysteries of art a reciation for myself. )hat meant ! could combine new knowledge with my organisational skills, and ro el Francesco Fine &rts into the twenty"first century. From there it was an easy mo#e into international markets. ! ne#er waste my time, Beth. !f ! see something ! want, ! go for it. !n this case, the ro(ect was to make a success of my family's business.' .&nd there's no doubt at all you'#e succeeded.' Beth thought back to the efficiency of his head office, the co y of )ime maga,ine, and the riceless lu+ury in which he li#ed. She wandered o#er to a small side table, made of glistening yew wood. & retty little orcelain dish sat on it. She icked it u , turning o#er the delicate, shell"like iece in her hands. !ts base was marked with cobalt"blue crossed swords. .;ou ut Meissen on dis lay in a room you ne#er use2' .! may not use it, but ! ha#e lenty of guests.' Luca ga#e a wolfish smile. Beth guessed he meant most of them were women. .)hat makes it worse,' she muttered. Bewitched by the room's beauty, she had hardly taken in the fine details at first. 5ow she began to look at its contents more closely. Some of her father's enthusiasm for his work had rubbed off on her, and Beth could recognise the styles of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 6hi endale and 1edgwood. )here were many other e+%uisite ieces of furniture, glassware and orcelain that she could not identify, but they all murmured of %uality and taste. She had no doubt e#ery item was as genuine as Luca. )he things in this bedroom alone must be worth hundreds of thousands. She ga#e a silent whistle of ama,ement. .But you're such a erfectionist, Luca. &ren't you afraid your lo#ely things will get broken or stolen2' .1hat sort of a host would ! be, if ! worried about little things like that2' he said airily, strolling o#er to the window. Beth watched him walk away from her. !n the ast, she had done it do,ens of times, but always when feeling the normal fear of any soldier's artner4that he might not return to her arms. Back then, the ain had been all in her mind. 5ow, Luca's new coldness had stam ed it all o#er her heart as well. She ga,ed at his broad back and wide shoulders. )he fine designer cut of his blue silk shirt could not disguise the ower of his body. /radually, her angs dissol#ed into need. )his time, she was feeling the agony of a se aration from him that could ne#er be re aired. *er anguish was so real it trembled through her body, willing her to rush u and throw herself on his mercy all o#er again. &s she watched he ut u a hand to ush aside the gau,y curtains with his slender bron,e fingers. She saw the contrast of his oli#e skin against the white net. She remembered his touch so #i#idly that it hurt. )houghts of what they had shared tugged at her like stitches in a wound that would not heal. 7nable to fight her desire any more, Beth felt herself drawn across the few metres se arating them. &lthough the thick &mritsar rug muffled all sound, Luca still sensed her mo#ements. )urning his head, he looked at her with lim id dark eyes. )hey told her nothing. She was so close now she could breathe in the warm, familiar fragrance of his cologne, although the faint shadow along his (aw line showed it was hours since he had last sha#ed. *er whole body ached with the des erate urge to reach out and touch him4to feel his raw masculinity. &ll he did was look at her, silently and steadily. !t was a tigerish e+ ression, daring her to get within his danger ,one. )here would be no o en in#itation any more. Beth had to risk making contact on instinct alone. 5er#ously, she raised her hand until her fingerti s could no longer resist the magnetic attraction of his roud, car#ed cheekbones. *is skin felt e+actly as she remembered. &s her inde+ finger traced the slo e of his (aw she felt where the smooth, flawless surface of his cheek became roughened at his beard line. &s infle+ible as Sanso#ino's statue of Mars, Luca allowed her caress to mo#e slowly to his hair. *ardly daring to breathe, she continued to stroke him. *er touch drifted down around his neck to the front of the lain white fabric of his shirt. &ll the time his unblinking stare challenged her to continue, to tem t him beyond endurance. But there was not any direct res onse. Finally, Beth closed her eyes. She could not carry on laying her emotions bare like this without any encouragement. *er hand faltered and fell away. She was unable to go any further, in case he re(ected her. )hen she sensed a sudden darkening of the world outside. O ening her eyes again, she saw Luca
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html had mo#ed his hand and let the curtain fall. 5ow they were both com letely surrounded by shadows. *e stood before her in his magnificence, a coiled s ring erfectly contained by his tall, lean body. )he challenge of his eyes was re laced by the defiance of his stance. .*ow does it feel to be denied the one thing you desire, tesoro2' *is nati#e language whis ered into the growing darkness but the endearment could not hel her. *is tone had been too ainful. .Oh, Luca-it's unbearable, es ecially when you s eak to me like that.' *er #oice was hardly strong enough to tremble the nearest candle flame, but there was no doubt Luca heard it. !n res onse, he mo#ed towards her until barely a dream could sli between them. Beth dro ed her head, unable to stand the ain of feeling him so close, and yet so far away. &nd it was then that he laced a finger under her chin and lifted her head so her ga,e connected with his. *e met no resistance as he took ossession of her as easily as he had always done. Beth should ha#e known what was coming ne+t, but she was still sur rised when his mouth closed o#er hers. *is tongue enetrated her with all the fierce assion she cra#ed. For a few moments it was as though they had ne#er been a art. Beth could fool herself she had ne#er said goodbye to him, on that last terrible night in Balacha. Luca's thrusting urgency fired Beth's des erate need for him. She clung to him with urgent hands. For fi#e years she had %uashed e#ery emotion he ins ired in her. 5ow her feelings rushed out in a torrent of release. She fretted o#er his body with her li s and tongue and fingers, but as %uickly as he had embraced her he stood back. *e was breathing fast? his e+ ression was masked. Beth felt herself crumble4Luca hadn't changed at all0 8es ite e#erything, he was still, and always would be, in control. *e might allow her to touch his body, but she would ne#er reach his heart and soul. )his was no bitter"sweet reconciliation between friends. &ll her fierce desire and need were useless in the face of his iron will. *e was re(ecting her as easily as he had snatched her u . .8on't you want me after all2' she asked, wide"eyed with realisation. *is eyes narrowed. .1ant, certainly. But you answer your own %uestion with those two little words 9after all:, Beth. &fter all that has ha ened o#er the ast few years ! don't need you,' he said, his #oice dangerous and dark. Beth felt his scorn like a blow. She tried to take a dee , steadying breath. Seconds before, the erfume of la#ender and candles had seemed so romantic. 5ow it seared her lungs like acid. Luca smiled, but while his mouth might ha#e softened, his eyes did not. *e was watching her like a cat watching a mouse. .1hat is the saying49Once bitten, twice shy2: !'m sur rised a cle#er girl like you didn't remember that, tesoro.'
*er hands reached out to him, but dro ed to her sides before they made contact. 3assion was still burning within her, but he had discarded her. .Luca-you were en(oying yourself-)he feeling wasn't only on my side, was it2' *e ga#e an elo%uent shrug. For a few glorious seconds, they had been ressed together so tightly, the smallest mo#ement of his body had rubbed against hers with wicked intent. Beth lost e#ery shred of self"res ect. She had come so far she could not gi#e u on him now. .Luca-look at me, lease0 )hen tell me you didn't en(oy what we were doing (ust then.' 6andlelight flickered in the black ools of his eyes. !t was a long time before he s oke. .! en(oyed it #ery much.' *e could hardly deny it. Beth had felt the unmistakable, insistent ressure of him crushing against her. But now the look on his face mocked the flames of light dancing around the room. .!f ! wanted to, ! could take you right here and now, Beth. But as it would mean nothing to either of us, there would be no oint.' .;ou don't know that.' She looked u at him with the ho eful ghost of a smile. .! know enough. Self"knowledge is a wonderful thing, Beth. ! could ha#e you any time ! wanted, but it won't be today.' She took a ste back and stared at him, confused. .1hat2' *e checked the Role+ on his wrist. .!t is getting late, Beth. My ilot will take you home, before your new neighbourhood comes ali#e4if you know what ! mean.' Beth groaned. )he fear of what might be waiting for her back at that horrible a artment s%uashed all her dee est hysical needs in an instant. .8on't worry. ! shall tell my ilot to see you right to your door,' Luca added %uickly. .*e will ha#e instructions not to lea#e until you are safely inside. &nd remember4don't o en that door to anyone o#ernight. 5ot e#en me.' $s ecially not you, Beth thought, with a hea#y sense of finality. .Of course4but, Luca4Luca, what has ha ened to you2' *er words dro ed like beads and rolled across the widening ga between them. .;ou're as cold and uncaring as your beautiful
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html ossessions. &fter fi#e years a art, ! was ho ing you could ha#e found it in your heart to forgi#e me-' .1hy2 So that we could be together again2' he re lied %uite reasonably, then ga#e her a killer blow. .! don't think so, Beth. ! think we'#e both come too far. )he ast can't be an issue for either of us any more. &ll ! did with that little e+hibition (ust now is to ro#e it to both of us.' 3ushing his hands dee into his ockets, he sauntered out of the bedroom, heading for the main door of the suite. .&nd now, as you ha#e seen e#erything here, ! shall go and arrange for my launch to take you back home.' )he sky o#er the city had long ago faded from a cloudy, milky dusk into glowing #el#et. !t made no difference whatsoe#er to Luca. *e remained seated beside the window of the bridal suite. *e was as still as any of the marble statues guarding his iece of hea#en on earth. )here was a glass in his hand. Sensing trouble, his barman had mi+ed him a large Bellini. Luca had not touched it. )he room became dark as one by one the candles around the room burned down. *e did not relight them. )his was a time for shadows. Showing Beth e#erything she was missing had been harder than he had imagined it would be4much harder. But it was o#er now. 5othing would e#er be so difficult for him again. *e had freed her from the burden of her guilt by letting her ut it into words. )hat should ha#e freed him, too. 5ow they could both mo#e on. Luca had faced his own demons. By utting himself to the test he knew he could resist her, though it took a huge effort. Beth now thought his lo#e for her was dead, and he had cut her out of his life for e#er with his trademark military recision. !f only he could be sure of that himself. Self" ity wasn't in Beth's nature, but she knew the change in Luca was because of the way she had treated him in the ast. Memories gnawed at her, bringing tears to her eyes. She was trying so hard not to cry she had to meet Luca's ilot with her head down. *er torment was so acute she ste ed into the ala,,o's s eedboat without any of her usual hesitation. She had not been in Venice for long enough to use boats with the casual ease of the locals. )hey thought no more of tra#elling o#er water than she would of ho ing into a car, but Beth was only a beginner. )he ilot hel ed her in, before remo#ing the water roof co#er from a seat so she had somewhere dry to sit. )onight, she did not ha#e the heart to en(oy the lu+ury of her lift home. 3assengers on the waterbuses gas ed and ointed as Luca's s eedboat swe t ast them, but Beth hardly noticed. She huddled down in her (acket, going o#er the wrong turnings she had taken in life, and rubbing her eyes raw with the ain of re(ection. Luca was the only man she wanted4now and for e#er. !f he didn't want her, then Beth's heart had no future. !t was unbearably ainful, but she knew she must turn her disaster into an o ortunity. 5ow, she ought to be able to throw all her energy into making something of the rest of her life. )houghts of Luca threatened to choke her with tears, but she refused to cry in front of his ilot. She would work out how to get herself back on track, if only to show Luca she didn't need him any more, or his money.
)he lights of a #a oretto rose u out of the growing gloom. )he glare made her blink, as though it were shining right into her murky ast. *er father had managed to send her to a good school, but Beth had been more interested in making well"connected friends than in getting an education. Scra ing through /6S$s and dro ing out before & le#els had set her u for a glittering career as a arty animal. )hen her father's health scares had brought a reality check. Beth had started to realise that life was about res onsibilities, as well as the right to arty. She had had to face facts then, and find some way of su orting her father. )rying to find a (ob had gi#en her a nasty dose of reality. Beth had disco#ered she was almost unem loyable, des ite all her contacts. 5obody would risk taking on such an airhead. She had been forced to grow u almost o#ernight. Staff at her local ublic library had gi#en her lots of hel , and she had decided #oluntary work would be a good way to im ro#e her image. &s usual, she had called on a friend of a friend to ro#ide something. )his time she had got what she deser#ed4a osition nobody else had wanted. )he (ob of dogsbody for a charity team in a tense foreign country had felt like the world's re#enge on all her time"wasting. 7 dating com uter records, running errands, mo ing u and hosing down had meant Beth was soon absorbed by eighteen"hour days. She'd had no enthusiasm left for a social life. )hen Luca had arri#ed at the medical unit where she was working, to #isit one of his men. Beth had seen him, and burst back into life. )he s eedboat hit a atch of cho y water, and Beth instincti#ely grabbed her seat and held on. She tried to forget her wonder at meeting Luca for the first time, and to focus only on his coldly ractical loan of this craft and ilot for her (ourney home. )hat was the no"nonsense Luca she had to deal with now. But his generosity ke t reminding her of how things had been, once u on a time. )he moment he had returned from that hos ital #isit in Balacha, he had sent her two do,en roses and a handwritten note thanking her for all her hard work. From then on, Beth had been entranced. =nowing Luca had made her life worthwhile again. 8uring all their desert icnics, Beth had been too starry"eyed to wonder where the contraband cham agne had come from. )oday, she ran her hand idly o#er the smooth leather u holstery of this brand"new boat. !t made her realise (ust how shar the contrast was between her and Luca now. *e must ha#e as many glamorous contacts as she'd had, back in the good old days. *e (ust didn't flaunt them. )hey were a roaching a (etty. Beth looked around, already ner#ous. )he shadows were growing, and she wanted to get behind her locked door before it got any darker. &s the ilot tied u and hel ed her ashore Beth tried to cheer herself u with thoughts of the good times. Luca was an irresistible man, and he had been an e#en better soldier. 8edicated to his work with the eacekee ing force in Balacha, he had always ut the army first. )o begin with, the little notes he had sent Beth #ia office ca tain )ristram &nderson had been a sweet touch. &nd the making"u after each absence had been s ectacularBack then, life as Luca's wife had really a ealed to Beth. !t had offered the dream of a lot more fun, and no swabbing of floors or sterilising instruments. )he trouble was, Luca might ha#e been romantic, but he had always made it clear his work meant more to him than marriage. *e had not wanted to be tied down. )he army had ro#ided more than enough order in his life. Freedom from all other commitments had been #ital for him.
Beth had been different. She had wanted a ro er home, and to en(oy the kind of stability her father used to ro#ide for her. She had cra#ed a nine"to"fi#e e+istence, with no worries about how the ne+t su ermarket sho ing would be aid for. One final demand, and Luca had wrecked all her dreams. &nd now she was marooned in this dreary Venetian backwater. &s the ilot made Luca's boat secure Beth tried to take in her surroundings. )enement buildings leaned o#er her like sea cliffs. &s she was led through the lanes a million mangy cats disa eared into doorways. Luca's ilot refused her offer of coffee, and she was glad. )he moment her door was locked she shut her eyes and clutched her head in lonely des air. 1hy, oh, why did )ristram &nderson make me tell Luca it was marriage or nothing2 Because he was too s ineless to make an o en lay for me himself, Beth thought bitterly. *e wanted Luca safely out of the way before he tried anything. Luca's friend and messenger )ristram had had a nice, res ectable desk (ob inside the army. )he closest he had got to action was writing bullet oints. )he only thing Beth and Luca had e#er argued about was the future, and their worst fights had always ha ened within )ristram's earshot. )hey had been carried on o#er the hone, with Beth safe at base cam and Luca out in the field. )ristram had always been there for her in the office armed with tea, sym athy and lenty of tissues. 8uring one e+ losi#e argument with Luca, Beth had sna ed and done what )ristram had been suggesting for months. & wedding, or you can walk away, she had said. &nd that had been the end of it all. Beth's guilty conscience had lenty of com any on her first night in Venice. )a "dancing mice, a er"thin artition walls and noisy neighbours all added to her misery. )hings died down around three. By that time she was so scared of slee ing through her alarm and being late for work, she could not risk staying in bed. !nstead, she got u and made herself busy. )hrowing herself into housework concentrated Beth's mind. She was facing a ainful truth. !n the s lit second between recognising Luca and realising his feelings for her had changed, Beth had imagined her father's #oice. 6atch yourself a rich husband, and you're made for life, it had whis ered. !t was a horrible reminder of the clinging arasite she had been, back in Balacha. Luca must think she was still like that, and the realisation made Beth cringe. She had changed. )he crucible of Balacha had altered e#erything. Beth did not want to be de endent on others any more. !t had made her #ulnerable in the ast, when she had thought she was safe. Once, she had made a career of relying on her so"called friends for e#erything. )hen, snaring Luca sim ly for the si,e of his ension fund would ha#e been totally in character for her. 5ow, she was determined to find her own way in life. She was roud of being such a good 3&. )he trouble was, Luca aid her salary now, not Ben. 7nless she could ersuade him she was serious about this new way of life, her time at FF& would be limited. )here had to be a way of making her osition more secure. She had to show Luca she could be an asset to him, and his firm, after all. )he only way she could do that was to immerse herself in FF& work and absorb all she could about the business. &s she scrubbed and cleaned and rearranged her few ieces of rented furniture in the grisly flat Beth came to a decision. )he ne+t chance she got to s eak to Luca alone, she would ask him what she could do to learn more.
!t wouldn't be a climb"down, or a return to her bad old ways, she told herself. !t was sim ly networking. )hat was what sensible eo le did. )hey used contacts to kee themsel#es u to date and get the best ad#ice. She really needed this (ob. !t was s ectacularly good ay for someone with few %ualifications and no e+ erience, and she knew how lucky she was to ha#e it. She needed money, and fast. )here were all her father's debts to settle, and she was only managing to kee the tenancy of Rose 6ottage through the generosity of her uncle, the landlord. )his was the ideal situation4she would make a fresh start through work, here in Venice. &nd, howe#er she might yearn, there would be no romance on the hori,on4she would ha#e to force herself to get used to that idea. *owe#er difficult it might be. Litres of black coffee later, Beth dragged herself into work. )hen she wished she hadn't bothered. !t was hell. She made a lot of silly ty ing mistakes, and only remembered she hadn't backed u the morning's work when she accidentally deleted a whole s readsheet. $+as erated, she decided to go out and fetch Ben's ele#enses from a deli, rather than ni ing u stairs for something from the e+ecuti#e lounge. )he fresh air would wake her u , and Luca was bound to be hard at work in his own office. !n the brutal light of day, the thought of seeing him again made her uneasy about her grand lans. 3retending to care more about her work than she did about him would take an almost unbearable effort. )he way she felt now, e#erything would robably end in tears. &t least if she was careful, there was no chance of meeting him beyond the e+ecuti#e floors of FF& during working hours. Or so she thought. &s she hurried ast a articularly smart caf@ in a #ery fashionable strada she heard his #oice. .$li,abeth-Beth2 !t's not like you to be out in broad daylight. 1hat's the matter2' *is soft, beautifully accented $nglish drifted o#er of the strains of the caf@'s resident iano layer. She sto ed, and had to look back to see him. Luca must ha#e watched her ass by before deciding to s eak. *e was leaning against the door of the building4 erfectly groomed women and aunchily ros erous men regarded him with awe as they assed on their way in, or out. .;ou look like a tiger in a dogs' home,' she obser#ed, and was rewarded with a wry smile. .!'#e been hosting a business meeting here. My clients like to see me li#ing their dream. )hey en(oy a little easy listening while we work, and refer the international snacks ser#ed here, rather than the local food on offer back at FF&. ;ou don't think ! would come to a lace like this #oluntarily, do you2 ! lea#e that to social climbers4much like you once were.' Beth blushed, remembering her ast. .! needed a walk,' she said cautiously. Switching her handbag to the other side, she clam ed it under her arm like someone tra ing a secret. .6oming out to fetch a snack seemed ideal, but Ben is waiting. ! ha#e to hurry back.' .Oh, let him do his own running about for once.' Luca made an e+ ansi#e gesture. .6ome and ha#e a hot chocolate, to show there are no hard feelings between us.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Beth's face drained like a bank account. .!n a rit,y lace like that2' .8on't worry, !'ll ay. ! know how rich $nglish families get to stay that way. )hey are careful ne#er to s end their own money.' Luca rolled his eyes, but as she got close enough for him to study her ro erly he whistled. .Our brand of fresh air ob#iously doesn't agree with you, Beth0 1aiter2' *e called o#er his shoulder into the de ths of the caf@. .*old the chocolate, lease? the lady will ha#e a double es resso instead.' .More coffee is the last thing ! need today, thanks. !'m fine.' She wa#ed away his concern. .! didn't slee #ery well last night. )hat's all.' *e looked intently into her face. .!t does not look as though you ha#e sle t at all.' She shrugged. .)he amorous neighbours and the blood feuds ke t me awake.' She tried to laugh at the horror of her night. .&nd the assorted #ermin.' Luca reached inside his (acket and ulled out his mobile. &fter stabbing out a few numbers, he began s eaking %uickly in !talian. .$ttore2 ! want you and a cou le of guys to come to the office. 6ollect the keys to Miss 1oodbury's a artment and ha#e all her ossessions brought home to the ala,,o. ! shall tell Sil#ia to ut her in a guest suite. Miss 1oodbury will be staying with us for a while. 6iao0' *e sna ed the hone shut before Beth could react, but she flared u anyway. .5ow wait a minute, Luca4!'m not ha#ing strange men stri ing my flat0' .O=4so take the rest of the day off and go with them to su er#ise.' .&nd how can ! ossibly mo#e into your lace, anyway2 1hat if Ben finds out2' Luca called for his bill. *e was looking at her as though she were mad. .!t won't be a matter of finding out, because this isn't a secret. ;ou can tell him4and anyone else who bothers to ask4the truth. )hey will understand. 1hat is wrong with that2 ;our a artment is uninhabitable. ;ou and ! shared a-mutual friend. So ! am hel ing you out, tem orarily. 1hy look so shocked, Beth2 )hat's all there is to it.' &fter their confrontation of the night before Beth was ainfully aware of that, but she wasn't fooled by Luca's careless manner. She had seen the way he'd grimaced when he'd referred to )ristram as their .mutual friend' and knew e+actly what must be going through his mind. *er day had started badly. !f Luca was going to bring u her self"seeking ast, she was on the way down to an e#en dee er circle of hell. .!'d rather you said we were related0' she said with a shudder. .1ith your background, it's belie#able. 8oes Ben know your mother came from London2'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .$#eryone who reads the financial ress must know that by now.' *e finished his drink. *is e+ ression thoughtful, he said, .)here's no need for any dece tion in my dealings, Beth.' *is #oice ran like e+ erienced fingers u and down her s ine. 6ombined with his smile, the effect was hea#enly. But Luca was soon back to business. .1hy should Ben need to know where you li#e2 !f anyone starts asking any awkward %uestions, send them to me. !'ll soon con#ince them it's nothing more than a con#enient arrangement. &ren't you going to get mo#ing2 &nybody would think you were en(oying my com any, Beth. ;ou need to be back at your desk as soon as ossible, in time to meet $ttore and the boys.' Before she could get a word in edgewise, he held u his hand. .5o arguments0 By mo#ing into my ala,,o you will be right on the s ot for my arty on Friday night. !t will also mean you can be taken to work in my launch each morning. ;ou will ne#er be late while you are li#ing in my house.' She could belie#e it. Luca was unctual to a fault. !t was Beth's fault she wasn't often unctual. .Li#ing in my house will be erfect for you,' he went on, warming to his idea. .;ou will not ha#e to worry about tottering through the streets, trying to get to that horrible flat on those retty little high heels you lo#e so much.' .1ind back a minute4so this arty you're hosting for Ben is going to be at your ala,,o2' .Of course. )here could be no finer setting. &nd after ! told my clients all about my two new em loyees, they cannot wait to be im ressed by you.' Beth ga#e a hollow laugh. .;ou'#e seen the lu+ury in which ! li#e right now, Luca0' *e ushed himself u right and strolled with her as they headed off. .!'m in#iting you for your beautiful $nglish #oice and your social skills, Beth, nothing more. ! intend eo le to ha#e a good time.' *is smile was da,,ling. .&nd ! know you'll bring your own s ecial brand of class to the e#ening. !t's my (ob as host to gi#e eo le what they want. Only one thing really im resses a member of the !talian chattering class, and that's real, li#ing members of the aristocracy. !'ll ha#e $arl Ben and his 3&, who is the granddaughter of a duke, on dis lay under my roof. )hey'll lo#e it.' Beth had been waiting for the chance to interru t him and e+ lain her wish to learn more about the business and maybe get more in#ol#ed. *earing that he wanted her to do nothing but im ress his guests changed things. She ursed her li s and fell into ste beside him. 3erha s it would be better to kee %uiet about her idea, at least for the moment. Luca might think she would try and use his arty (ust for her own selfish reasons, not for the good of FF&. !f he did, she would ne#er con#ince him she wanted to find her own way out of the mess she was in. She had to let him see how determined she was to succeed on her own terms. 7ntil he had roof of that, he'd think she wanted him to bail her out. But the emotionally needy girl Luca had re(ected in Balacha was gone for e#er4although he didn't know it yet.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html So Beth decided to kee %uiet and sit on her own ambitions, at least until his arty was o#er. CHAPTER FOUR B$)* tra#elled light. !t didn't take the workmen long to ack all her belongings and ferry them o#er to the ala,,o. )aking Luca's ad#ice, she left Ben to fend for himself for the first time since she had taken the (ob as his 3&, and went with them. )houghts of Luca had been racing through her mind all morning. )he memory of his low, dee #oice whis ered continuously in her ears. &s she ste ed onto the wide a#ement in front of his home she looked u at the grand west front of the building and sighed. )here were three words she ached to hear him say. ! lo#e you. But it was an im ossible dream. )he looks of dark disdain he could gi#e her now told Beth that. &nd he had recoiled the instant she had melted into his arms. She still winced at the ain of that re(ection. But as she remembered that embrace her body reacted with a rush of adrenalin. )here had been a reaction between them. 5ot e#en Luca could deny the insistent ressure of his arousal. )he thought of it made her close her eyes and imagineFor a few recious moments she could almost con#ince herself her fantasies might still come true. )hen the main doors of the ala,,o creaked o en, and she was escorted inside. *er surroundings hel ed to fan the flames of ho e, if only for a few seconds. )he entrance hall Beth remembered as being cold and formal was now much more welcoming. )he crackle and hiss of a huge log fire brought it to life. )all yellow flames danced in a great black hearth, outshining the glow of a do,en electric lights. &s each twig caught it crackled like gunfire and sent s arks bouncing across the marble floor. *ad Luca ordered it in honour of her arri#al2 1ith one look at the woman who greeted her, Beth realised it might be better if he hadn't made any s ecial arrangements. Sil#ia, his housekee er, did not look the sort to en(oy entertaining guests. She wore a se#ere black uniform and an e+ ression to match. )oo scared to smile, Beth greeted her with a formal handshake. Sil#ia burrowed beneath her s otless white a ron and brought out a hea#y iron ring noisy with keys. .&s we ha#e no idea how long you will be here, Signorina 1oodbury, ! ha#e ut you in the bridal suite.' Sil#ia's li curled with distaste. Beth wondered how many of Luca's girlfriends Sil#ia had seen come and go. !t wasn't something she wanted to know. But to (udge from her e+ ression, she might (ust tell me unless ! can bra,en this out somehow, Beth told herself. .)hank you, Sil#ia, that's wonderful,' she said with a wide, innocent smile. .1hen Signor Francesco showed me around, it was the art of the house ! liked best.' Sil#ia's face fro,e. !'#e managed to sur rise her, Beth thought, and felt e#ery muscle in her body rela+ a fraction. .But those rooms are furthest away from the master suite, signorina.'
.1hich suits me fine, Sil#ia. May ! go straight u 2' Beth said lightly, already heading for the stairs. .1hat has Signor Francesco told you about me2' .5othing, as usual.' )he housekee er snorted. Beth had to laugh. ./ood, then !'ll get in first with the truth, Sil#ia, so you can hate me for a reason rather than waiting for me to ounce on your em loyer. Luca and ! used to be an item, a long time ago. ! was young, and too stu id to know how lucky ! was. ! left him for another man. So !'m only here today because of his generous nature, belie#e me.' )he housekee er sto ed. Beth went on walking u the wide, shallow staircase, only ausing when she realised Sil#ia was staring at her, horrified. .;ou left him2 Our signor2' .;es4im ossible to belie#e, isn't it2' Beth outed. .But ! had my reasons at the time. ! lo#ed him, but he didn't lo#e me as much as ! thought ! deser#ed. Luca li#ed for his work. )hat's hard to take when you are young. &nd when another man offers you a shoulder to cry on-' .3ah0 ;ou are still young.' Sil#ia rustled u the stairs, assed Beth and started off along the wide, ortrait"hea#y landing. Luca's housekee er was the model of efficiency again, but Beth was glad to see she no longer looked %uite so bad"tem ered. &ll Beth's luggage had been taken u in the ser#ice lift, so she s ent the ne+t cou le of hours arranging her belongings. *er suite was ure lu+ury. )he Meissen dish and many others like it had been filled with dried rose and la#ender etals, and their subtle erfumes drifted through the warm air. &lthough there was no one else around, the rooms were so grand Beth found herself cree ing about like a mouse. One of the first things she did was to o en e#ery window. !t let in a cheerful racket from the canal below, which made her smile. &s she looked down Beth saw Sil#ia lea#ing the ala,,o by the front door. )hat was a sur rise4she had assumed all the staff li#ed in, but Sil#ia was ob#iously off for the night. Beth wondered where she was going, and ho ed it wasn't far. Mist was already beginning to drift in from the lagoon. !t smudged the lights of bobbing water ta+is into glowing dots, dancing like fireflies as dusk a roached. !t wasn't long before Beth reali,ed she was hungry. *er lunchtime snack had not gone #ery far. She should ha#e checked with Sil#ia about what would be ha ening while she was staying at the ala,,o4was she su osed to re are her own food, or would it be ro#ided2 &nd she would ha#e to ask about aying rent. Beth's s irits had been ke t ali#e by the idea of li#ing under the same roof as Luca. 5ow she began to feel uncertain again. Mo#ing into the bridal suite was bound to be as e+ ensi#e as it was lu+urious. She looked around, uncomfortable at the way she had made herself at home. 3erha s she ought to go and ask in the kitchen what the arrangements were.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html She didn't get that far. &s she was walking down the grand staircase a member of staff was o ening the doors for Luca to ste in. Beth sto ed, transfi+ed. )he only man she had e#er lo#ed arri#ed in a billow of fog. 5o matter how many times she looked at him, Beth knew it could ne#er be enough. For recious moments she feasted on the sight of him, striding into the sanctuary of his house. *er osition on the stairs meant he did not see her straight away. She was able to watch him s reading out his ca able hands to the warmth of the fire, which was now roaring like a furnace. !t was only when the butler caught her eye that Beth managed to struggle out of her trance. .L"Luca0 ! was coming down to see if there was anything ! could do towards dinner.' She reached his side as he shrugged off his coat gi#ing Beth another e+cuse to watch him co#ertly. *is sable hair was misted with dro lets of water, each one ali#e with light from the hearth. &s the fire warmed him he began to rela+ into something like the Luca she had once known. &nd yet there was something missing. )he hollowness in his eyes reflected that new, strange heartlessness. &nd brought her u short. )hinking back, she remembered all the romance Luca used to bring to her life in the way of flowers, chocolates and midnight dri#es into the middle of nowhere. 6ould she honestly say what she felt for the man behind all those gestures was lo#e2 *ad she been so infatuated back then it had made her blind to this side of him2 3erha s Luca had been hiding these same feelings beneath all his charm, back then. She ni ed her li . &ll she could rely on now was his generosity. .;ou are a guest in my house.' Luca's #oice brought her back to the resent. .)he only thing ! e+ ect from guests is that they should be olite, and good com any. ! know you are both. )hat's enough for me.' Beth clas ed her hands. &lthough the entrance hall could ne#er be called .cosy', it was warm beside the fire. !t made the cold clamminess of her alms come as a shock. .Look, ! must talk to you, Luca. !t's so kind of you to let me stay4' Still looking into the de ths of the fire he cut her off. .! know what you are going to say, so !'ll sa#e you the trouble.' *is smooth, lilting accent en#elo ed her. .! would not dream of asking you to ay rent during your stay here, Beth. )hink of it as a sim le bonus. ;ou need some kind of recognition for all the work you ha#e to ut in as Ben Sim son's 3&. )here's no need to hurt his feelings by telling him, though. *e can think of your stay here as merely a ri#ate arrangement between-'he looked down at his hands, wriggling his cold fingers to bring back the circulation .-friends.' *is hesitation made Beth think that was the last thing they would e#er be. Swallowing her disa ointment, she nodded. .)hat's generous of you, Luca. But you must let me do something for you in return4why don't ! go and arrange dinner2' *e smiled, glancing at his watch again. .)here's no need. !t must be nearly ready by now, Beth.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html !'m assuming you would refer to dine in your room.' )he desire to ut her arms around him and lead until he let her sit with him almost o#erwhelmed her, but Beth knew what she was e+ ected to say. .)hank you, Luca. !f you are sure you won't mind #ery much if ! left you on your own tonight2' she said slowly. .5ot at all.' *e looked relie#ed. Beth's heart sank. *iding her disa ointment, she went back u stairs in silence, but it was not the last she heard of Luca that night. & handwritten note was deli#ered (ust before her meal. &s she o ened it the faintest familiar hint of Luca's aftersha#e drifted out. Beth began to tingle. &s she looked at the flowing handwriting she knew so well the a er trembled beneath her hands. !t must be a call to (oin him for dinner after all. $+citement filled her with li%uid warmth. !n her dreams she was already running through the big old house to find him, but her fantasy was short"li#ed. Luca's note was cool and businesslike. !t was light years away from the seduction she wanted. Beth< my arty is to be a masked ball. ;ou may wish to #isit Beccas near the Rialto tomorrow, to ick u a costume. 6harge anything you like to my account there4and don't worry, Ben will be gi#en e+actly the same instructions. 6ostumes are always ro#ided for new members of staff. ! don't e+ ect them, or those on limited contracts, to ay for such lu+uries them sel#es. Beth folded the sheet of handmade note a er and slid it back into its tissue"lined en#elo e. )his time, Luca had made a oint of mentioning her tem orary status with his firm. )hat's to underline how little he thinks of my feelings, and me, she thought. Standing u , she went o#er to the fire burning in the hearth of her rece tion room. She ought to throw his message away. !t was (ust a note, after all. She should dro it into the flames without a second thought. But the fragrance of him haunted her again. She walked back to her seat at the dining table, the note still in her hand. 5e+t day, Beth s ent the whole of her lunch hour at Beccas. )he e+ erience took her back to a time when she could afford to sho without limit, and it was lo#ely. She made the most of e#ery second. &t the mention of Luca's name, the staff lost their haughty looks and treated her like a rincess. She was settled in a soft, comfortable armchair with a large latte. &ll she had to do was rela+, while they hurried u stairs and down, bringing beautiful gowns for her to look at. Soon she was surrounded by a collection of sum tuous dresses in sensual brocades, lace, and #el#et in (ewel"like colours. $#erything was erfumed with e+ ense and sleek with e+tra#agance. !t was like the old days. Beth was so ha y? she could not resist taking Luca at his word. She did not ask the rice of anything, but this time it wasn't because she didn't care. !t was because she was afraid of losing her ner#e. For years, she had been counting e#ery single enny she s ent. She had de#elo ed an allergy to large bills, and wasn't going to risk it flaring u with an attack of guilt. !'m only following Luca's instruction, she ke t reminding herself, and ordered on. She took her time, choosing e+actly what she wanted right down to the finishing touches of hat, bag
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html and full"length e#ening glo#es. !t was lu+ury to gi#e instructions for the bill to be deli#ered to the ala,,o, along with her arcels. &nd then a little china clock in the changing room discreetly chimed the hour, and she (um ed like 6inderella. !t's time to go back to the real world, she thought with a sigh. 3eo le who ga#e a ala,,o as their address shouldn't ha#e to worry about little details like time, but Beth was an em loyee as well as a guest. She finished her sho ing, and said goodbye to the staff with a hea#y heart. !t was only when she was safely out of their sight around a corner she could break into a run, des erate to get back to work on time. Beth did not see Luca all day. *e had left early for work and stayed late. !t ga#e her no o ortunity to thank him, or tell him about the things she had bought. She had to hug her e+citement to herself until she got back to the bridal suite that afternoon. !t was worth the wait. & magnificent selection of sil#er bo+es were neatly stacked on the table of her rece tion room. )hey begged to be torn o en and en(oyed. !t took all Beth's will" ower to walk straight ast and head for the bathroom, but getting ready was a treat in itself. )he huge co er bath took ages to fill, and the sensation of sinking neck"dee in rose"scented bubbles was indescribable. She sighed again at how lucky Luca was. *is ala,,o combined all the gracious li#ing of days gone by, with e#ery modern lu+ury. !ts ainted ceiling was rotected from the steamy atmos here by s ecially designed gla,ing, allowing Beth to admire it without being troubled by reflections. She lay back, soaking away the strains of the day to the soft sounds of Mo,art. )he music was being discreetly i ed through from a so histicated audio#isual control centre in her li#ing room. 1hen she ste ed out of the bath, her feet sank into a floor co#ering as thick and soft as the s ecially warmed towels laid out ready for her. Sim ly rela+ing in Luca's house was beyond wonderful. She could hardly wait to find out what sort of arties he held. 5aked e+ce t for a towel around her freshly washed hair, Beth added through the suite to fetch her ri,es. She laid all the bo+es out on her bed, and then stood back4but only for a second. )he tem tation was too much. Snatching at the ink ribbons tied around each arcel, she sent sil#er wra ing and tissue a er flying as she del#ed into bo+ after bo+. $#ening glo#es, a mask and her hat were disco#ered and wondered at before she reached the greatest treat of all. She o ened the largest arcel with great care, like the stellar resent it was. .! knew it was beautiful, but !'d forgotten (ust how lo#ely it was0' She breathed, stirring the rustling folds of tissue. !nside the bo+ lay a full"length #el#et gown, in a shade of blue e+actly matching her eyes. )he dress was lined with satin, and Beth needed both hands to lift it from its soft, lu+urious bed. )he bodice was hea#ily boned and designed to make the most of her waist, hi s and breasts. Beth gul ed. )he neckline had not seemed that low in the sho . )hank goodness she would be able to hide her blushes behind a mask0 She checked the clock, and realised she should not ha#e s ent so much time in the bath. Auickly, she icked u the new underwear Luca's generosity had brought her. !t was then she began ha#ing second thoughts. She had been carried away by the e+citement of her sho ing e+ edition, and this had been an e+tra#agant mistake. Luca could ne#er resist the rustling
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html romise of silk and stockings, so she had treated herself. Looking at the froth of lacy underwear now, she knew it had been a waste of his money. !n the old days he had always lo#ed seeing her wear things like this. 1hat were the chances of him e+ eriencing any of it tonight2 Feeling a tremor of uncertainty, she looked at herself in the mirror. *er reflection stared back, the same as e#er. &ll the changes !'#e made are on the inside, she thought. )hey're hidden away, (ust like this lo#ely lace and silk will be. Luca will ne#er allow himself to en(oy any of it now. So much has ha ened since we were ha y together. !'m ruined, while his career has gone into orbit. )hough it ob#iously hasn't made him ha y. ! can see that e#ery time ! look into his face. !f only ! could find some way to ease his ain and bring a smile back to his faceShe ut on the beautiful underwear as one tiny act of defiance against her heartache. 8es ite the fact it would be hidden, her s irits rose straight away. &t least ! shall know !'m wearing it, she thought. )hen she dried her curtain of honey"blonde hair and ste ed into her gown. )he friction of new silk underwear against her skin had been wonderful, but it was nothing com ared with the hea#y lu+ury of her dress. Beth rose to the occasion. She felt like a million dollars. )he moment was only broken when she caught sight of herself in the mirror again, and saw her bra would ha#e to go. Stra s were not an o tion in an e#ening gown like this. Remo#ing it, she had to admire the way the bodice fitted her like a second skin. !t su orted and enhanced her natural cur#es until she billowed like a Renaissance goddess. )his is dressing"u as an art form, Beth thought as she added accessories one by one. 1hite silk e#ening glo#es and matching court shoes meant she was co#ered from head to foot, a art from that tantalising amount of clea#age. )he Venetian obsession with mas%uerades meant the costumiers had thought of e#erything. Beth's outfit e#en included a wig. 1ith great care, she arranged its tumble of lu+urious auburn curls o#er her own straight hair. &s a last touch she added an airy coronet of stri ed feathers and net, which had been dyed to match her dress. )he effect was ra#ishing. 5ot e#en Luca would recognise her tonight4and in the security of her own room Beth wondered if it might gi#e her the break she needed. Behind this disguise, anything might be ossible. She cross"e+amined her mirror, but it did not reflect her e+ ression. )he white mask she was wearing ke t its Mona Lisa smile, whate#er worries tortured her beneath the surface. & table had been set u in the grand marble entrance hall. !t was co#ered with a floor"length damask cloth, and sil#er urns acked with bottles of cham agne on ice. Behind it, waiters stood in readiness, immaculate in white (ackets and black ties. )hey were getting some last"minute instructions from a tall figure in a full"length black ca e, lined with blood"red satin. & sil#er mask dangled from his fingers as he ointed out details. 5o disguise would ha#e hidden his identity from Beth. !t was Luca. )here was no mistaking him, e#en when he had his back to her. She caught her breath. *e looked magnificent, so she sto ed on the stairs and en(oyed watching him for a few seconds. Feeling her ga,e, he turned around. *is face was dark and serious4but then he saw her. .8on't mo#e.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html )he way he was looking at her drew Beth like a magnet. !t was hy notic. She had to disobey4 there was no choice. *er body made her take two more ste s4not downwards, but towards the stone balustrade. She leaned o#er, held by the look in his eyes. .;ou look-ra#ishing, Beth.' .!'m su osed to be in disguise,' she began, but he shook his head.
.! would ha#e recognised you anywhere.' *is a reciati#e eyes made u for e#erything. &ll her fears and worry #anished as she descended the stairs in a swish of hea#y #el#et skirts. *e watched her all the way across the hall. &s she reached him the corners of his li s lifted momentarily in a smile. .1e ha#e your fa#ourite ink cham agne, Beth.' &lthough he ke t his #oice low, the rich tones of his accent echoed around the great hall. O ening the bottle himself, he oured out a slender glass and held it u to her. .5obody was su osed to know it was me under this disguise.' She sighed, acce ting the drink from him. .! thought the whole idea of these masked balls was mystery.' *e di ed his head and whis ered, .;ou will always be an enigma to me, Beth.' )hen, ouring himself half a glass of cham agne, he touched it lightly to hers. )he crystal rang with the same erfect itch of e+citement that was #ibrating down Beth's s ine. *is eyes had softened, encouraging her to go further than she thought ossible. .!t doesn't ha#e to be like this,' she began in a low #oice. *e watched her for a moment and then he smiled a dark, mesmeri,ing smile. )hose beautiful long, dark lashes lifted as the light in his eyes began to dance in the way she had missed for so long. &nd as his hand began to rise slowly from his side she knew e+actly what was going to ha en. *e was going to cu the side of her face with his long, strong fingers and raise it for a kiss. 6losing her eyes, she waited, but (ust as he brushed her skin the hall eru ted in chaos. .5ot another con%uest, Luca0' a woman's #oice drawled as guests swirled around them like floodwater. $#eryone laughed4e+ce t Beth. )wo, three, four eo le ushed between her and Luca. She let them do it. *er moment had gone. Luca might be retending to gi#e her soft glances o#er the heads of the new arri#als, but Beth could see the truth all too clearly. *e had two re utations to kee u , and she wasn't art of either of them. &s a serial womaniser and dedicated businessman, he was ne#er going to ush his guests aside to make a s ecial s ace for her. 6rushed, she retreated from this new life he had made for himself. She could see, as he ut clients and ossible in#estors at their ease, Luca was working hard this e#ening. *e might as well ha#e been sitting behind a desk. *e wasn't the man she had known in Balacha any more. *er hard"bitten soldier had been transformed into a so histicated host. !t was a shock. )rying to
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html come to terms with it, she let the growing crowd carry her away from him and into the ala,,o's grand ballroom. &lthough her feelings were in turmoil o#er Luca, Beth could not hel but notice the gas s of ama,ement as she crossed the threshold. )he ballroom was a erfect fairy"tale setting for a mas%uerade arty. $#eryone was im ressed. !t was the largest salon in the building. Four huge crystal chandeliers, shimmering with candles, hung from the ceiling, which was a work of art in itself. 6enturies before, a genius had ainted it with scenes from &ncient Rome. Faded figures feasted o#erhead, their tables o#erflowing with wine, fruit and flowers. Luca's arty reflected those scenes. $#ery hori,ontal surface in the room was rich with food, cham agne and e+otic flower arrangements. Swags of orchids cascaded from edestals, and crowned Luca's roud ancestors. )ables co#ered with gold lates of cana @s were set u across one end of the room. Beth wandered o#er to them, drawn towards an enormous central arrangement of strelit,ias and roteas. Sil#ia the housekee er had already told her some of the flowers were being s ecially flown in from South &frica, along with their florist. Beth could not belie#e such e+tra#agance. She was still more ama,ed to disco#er the flower arrangement hid a bubbling fountain. &s she drew nearer a waiter in cris white (acket and glo#es ladled a glass of li%uid from its ool and handed it to one of the guests. )he fountain was rushing with ure cham agne. 5o wonder e#eryone looks so ha directed towards her. y, Beth thought, and then noticed many of the smiles were
She si ed her drink, and tried to smile back. *er heart might be bruised and battered, but all those a reciati#e looks began to steady her ner#es. )he glass of cham agne hel ed, too. She almost began to look forward to the e#ening. )he only roblem was Luca. She knew each time their eyes met across the crowded room, she would melt. )his new Luca would see that as his right. Bust the thought of trying to make a more ersonal a roach made her shi#er. She walked around the ballroom, trying to take in her beautiful surroundings. !t was no good. $#erything reminded her of Luca. !t all came back to him. *e had been generous enough to mo#e her into his home, but that was (ust his way. !t didn't mean anything. She ought to be able to treat it as nothing more than a kind gesture. But this was such a romantic setting-Seeing the ain always resent in Luca's eyes these days made her long to reach out to him, but she dared not do it. *e'd changed. &nd if Beth ga#e in to the urge to try and transform him again, she would lose him a second time*undreds of eo le had acce ted Luca's in#itation to arty. )he enormous ballroom shimmered with o ulent outfits. 6on#ersation flowed as easily as the cham agne. )o one side, an orchestra layed softly as the guests arri#ed. Soon, e#eryone was mingling. &t first Beth hid behind her mask, but soon she couldn't resist (oining in. )aking off her mask made talking easier, but meant she could not watch for Luca. *er interest would ha#e been too ob#ious. She had to listen for his beautiful #oice instead, or try to catch the lilt of his distincti#e aftersha#e on the warmed e#ening air.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Beth was grabbed by a des erate need to watch him for as long as ossible, and, to her ama,ement, it was easy. Luca was absorbed in his work as host. *e looked far too busy to notice her. *ere was a man who claimed to hate small talk, working his arty like an e+ ert. *e was chatting, smiling and circulating as though born to it. Beth could not take her eyes off him. &ll the familiar feelings of longing warmed her body with a rising fe#er. !f only she could go u and claim him, and ush her hands through the dark lu+uriance of his hair, surely he'd ha#e to res ond by ulling her into one of his all"consuming kisses.&re you all right, Beth2' &ndria's #oice bounced her back to reality. .;"yes-!'m (ust feeling the heat, that's all.' .Oh, well, that's soon fi+ed0 ;ou'll need some 8utch courage. $s ecially as !'#e been sent o#er to start introducing you to e#eryone0' &ndria giggled, hailing a assing waiter. .5o more cham agne for me, thanks.' Beth shook her head and handed her crystal flute to the man. 1hen he offered her some freshly s%uee,ed orange (uice instead, she acce ted with relief. She needed something to cool her ner#es as &ndria began leading her through the hordes of artygoers. &s grou after grou of strangers greeted her, Beth heard things about Luca that only made her yearning more acute. 1hene#er a waiter arri#ed to to u their drinks or offer cana @s, someone in the crowd would (oke, .)here's always lenty more where that came from0' !t didn't take her long to realise Luca was famous for his la#ish entertaining. 1hen they disco#ered Beth was not one of his latest con%uests, the guests rela+ed enough to laugh about the way he had a different girl for e#ery occasion. )hey all agreed he showed the ro er billionaire s irit, but Beth wasn't so sure. Luca had always been generous, but she'd ne#er known him to be wasteful. 3ri#ately, she wondered if he had started using money to dull the anger that was so ob#iously working away inside him. )heir li#es might ha#e taken totally different tracks, but Beth couldn't hel wondering if Luca would e#entually wind u as lonely as she was. )he orchestra launched into a series of show tunes, and a few cou les mo#ed onto the dance floor. Beth acce ted se#eral masked artners, but none of them could ignite the rush of e+citement Luca always stirred in her. She was escorted to the buffet, or chatted leasantly with anyone and e#eryone, but her heart was elsewhere. &ll the time she was listening for the sound of Luca's #oice. 1hene#er she thought her latest artner would not notice, she scanned the crowd trying to catch sight of him. &ll she saw was a glim se of his broad back, or finely chiselled rofile as he bent to listen to one of his guests. Once or twice she felt he was near, but the crowd always swirled between them. =nowing he was near but in#isible fed her simmering need for him. !t was so unfair. *e was hysically close to her, yet emotionally they were far a art)he room grew hotter. Beth felt less and less like dancing, but the men grew merrier. 1hen one man with large sweaty aws tried too hard to ersuade her, Beth (erked back, colliding with a cou le who were standing at the edge of the dance floor. )here was a confusion of s illed cham agne, cana @ crumbs and laughing. Beth was horrified, es ecially when the man who had
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html been so keen to dance with her ulled out a large white handkerchief. *e started to dab at the s lashes of cham agne on her bodice. *ot with embarrassment, Beth looked around for rescue. !t arri#ed. )he crowds arted, and the masked but unmistakable figure of Luca swe t toward her. CHAPTER FIVE 37LL!5/ off his mask, Luca stared accusingly at the crowd around Beth. *e said something in !talian and the crowd dis ersed. *is accent was harsh, and he motioned for a waiter to take her glass. Beth hung onto it defiantly. *is dark eyes dared her to resist as both his hands clam ed o#er hers. Beth knew his touch would tra her, but it was still a shock to feel all her resistance drain away. She could do nothing but watch as he lifted the glass of orange (uice from her fingers, then re laced it with a full one from the tray. .!'m sorry. ! seem to ha#e frightened your new friend /iulio away.' Beth flushed, resenting the suggestion she could be interested in anyone but him. .! was trying to get rid of him myself, actually.' .My arri#al seems to ha#e done the (ob for you.' Luca nodded with satisfaction. .So you can rela+, Beth. )here's no reason to breathe %uite so fast now.' She looked down. *er breasts were rising and falling ra idly, fluttering abo#e the tightly boned bodice of her dress. She became aware that the ressure of it against her ni les was caressing them into eaks of e+citement. 6ombined with the nearness of Luca, it made her tem erature shoot off the scale. )o try and hide the tell"tale signs of her arousal she clas ed both hands around her glass and held it u to her chest. Luca res onded with a hint of his old amusement. .;ou're looking warm, too. Some of the other girls ha#e brought fans. Shall ! ask around and see if ! can borrow one for you2' Beth thought she saw the darkness fade from his eyes for a second as he looked at her. )hen the s ell was broken, and he turned away to signal for more ice. 1hen it arri#ed, he icked u one of the glittering cubes with a air of sil#er tongs. .*ow many2' *e ho#ered it o#er her new glass of (uice. .Bust one2 Or4' & free,ing dro let of water fell straight down into her clea#age. 1ith a s%ueal of sur rise Beth cla ed one hand to her mouth. She looked around guiltily, but hardly anyone had noticed, and only one erson cared. Luca was laughing. Really laughing0 .8o you remember the time when42' he began, but as the ice hit her drink the tem erature lummeted again. .5o-no, we mustn't start going o#er old ground like that.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html )he usual guarded look sli ed back o#er his face, hiding his feelings like a cloud. ;ou don't need that sil#er mask to com lete your disguise, Beth thought. ;our features are set in one for most of the time. )hanking him for the ice, she tried to think of some way to bring the long"lost smile back to his face again. .1ill the two of us be eating our way through lefto#er arty food for breakfast tomorrow, Luca2' She laughed softly. *e looked around the crowd, and almost sto ed frowning. .)here won't be any lefto#ers. )his lot are worse than locusts. !t's the same at all my arties4! want my guests to be able to indulge.' !t was then she saw the first hint of a smile from Luca. .!t leases them. &nd seeing eo le en(oy themsel#es leases me. 1hich reminds me4why didn't you make your customary grand entrance to the arty, Beth2 1hen ! looked around you were edging your way in here like a little mouse. !t isn't like you to ass u the chance of being the centre of attention.' She smiled ner#ously, fluttering her fingers around the rim of her glass. .! don't really know anyone in Venice yet, e+ce t you and Ben.' .&ll the more reason to make a statement, ! would ha#e thought.' *is #oice became low and teasing, and what ha ened ne+t almost sto ed Beth's heart. )aking the glass of orange (uice out of her hands, he lodged it on the nearest table. )hen he reached for her arm and loo ed it into the crook of his elbow. !n an instant she went from being a lost soul to being held firm against the warm stability of him. .6ome with me to the orchestra latform, Beth. !t's time for my two new members of staff to be introduced to e#eryone.' Beth could hardly take in what he was saying. !t was difficult enough to belie#e what was ha ening, but the effects con#inced her. Luca's a reciation always transformed her. )onight was no e+ce tion. *is magic worked instantly. &s he swe t her across the room on his arm she felt taller, lighter, and somehow more beautiful. )he crowd ebbed away before them like a sea? with the rustle of beautiful costumes and whis ers of .1ho is she2' echoing in wa#es through the ballroom. 1ith Luca's re utation, Beth knew the %uestion must be asked e#ery night of the week. $scorting her like this could mean nothing to him, but for her it was riceless. For a few glorious seconds, she had all his attention. Right now, nothing else mattered. On their way across the dance floor, Luca made a small mo#ement of his hand to summon Ben. *e fell in behind his boss like the dutiful em loyee he was. .3ull your mask down if you're going to laugh, Beth,' Luca whis ered with a twinkle. .)he old Venetians knew what they were doing when they erfected the mas%uerade. !t gi#es e#eryone the chance to hide their real feelings.'
*e was right. &ll sorts of intrigues could be carried on behind masks. Romances might start and secrets could be assed, all behind a #eil of res ectability. 5o names, no ack drill, was the hrase Luca used. Beth had been right to think it was a shame he had seen straight through her disguise. &nonymity might ha#e gi#en her the ner#e to ask him for some ad#ice. Beth so des erately needed Luca's su ort. *e had the e+ erience of turning a bad situation to his own ad#antage. )hat was e+actly what she wanted to do, but she was afraid. )he thought of seeing his haunted, beautiful eyes harden if she asked for his hel meant she could ne#er come straight out with a re%uest. 8uring the e#ening, she had watched him talk so easily with his other masked guests. !f only she could ha#e asked him for ad#ice anonymouslyShe stood and listened while Luca said how delighted he was to welcome his two new em loyees. Most of his raise was directed towards Ben. !n the ast, Beth would ha#e com lained at being sidelined. )onight she was relie#ed Luca glossed o#er her arri#al, as there were many im ortant s onsors in the audience. )hey didn't need reminding that the wages of Ben's et 3& would be coming out of the com any's rofits. ! don't want to be a arasite any more, Beth thought. )he sooner ! can strike out on my own, the better. She had grown to hate relying on other eo le. &sking Luca for hel in finding a new career would be the last time she used anyone4if only she could find the courage to take that first ste . 1hen Luca's announcement had been made, Ben thanked him on behalf of himself and Beth. 1ith relief, she realised this meant she didn't need to say anything, (ust la u the raise. )he whole, #ast room a lauded them. )hen Luca announced the music would begin again. .)hank you,' Luca nodded to Ben and Beth in turn. .&nd now, ! romised the ne+t dance to the &ustrian minister's wife. !f you would both e+cuse me-' )reating them to his usual rofessional smile, Luca swe t off without a backward glance at Beth. .Luca, wait0' Beth called, but he did not seem to hear her. She stared after him in bewilderment. 1ere things so bad between them he only aid attention to her when she could be useful to his image2 Men immediately surrounded Beth, all asking her to dance. She acce ted se#eral offers one after another, but it was only to kee Luca's show on the road. *e wanted his guests to ha#e a ha y e#ening. 8ancing with some of them was the least she could do to hel him, but none of them made any im ression on her. Luca was the only artner she wanted, but it was a ho eless dream. *e ke t himself fully occu ied with e#eryone else. She didn't want to notice, but, as always, Luca was im ossible to ignore. *e had become a chameleon, fore#er changing according to his surroundings. &nd his surroundings were now out of this world, Beth thought, looking around at the ha y, well"fed guests en(oying his o ulent ala,,o. Luca had ada ted, and s ectacularly. Somehow, she was going to ha#e to do the same. &t one o'clock in the morning, a ball su er was announced. 6ocktails were mi+ed by a flock of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html uniformed staff. Sil#er dishes of seafood snacks were handed around, and e#ery #ariation on the theme of coffee was on offer. Beth was looking forward to a rest, but she didn't get one. One minute she was trying to find a lace to ark her em ty glass. )he ne+t second Luca was standing in front of her< tall, broad and wearing what he used as a smile nowadays. .! knew ! could rely on you to make a good im ression tonight, Beth.' She was not fooled for one second. .*mm-! can hear a 9but: ho#ering in your #oice, Luca.' .Some of the men who work for me ha#e what you might call4'he raised his shoulders and s read his hands .4elastic morals2' .1ell, you're a fine ot to be calling kettles black0' *e looked at his watch, and his smile faded. .;es, but ! can look after myself, Beth. ! came o#er to gi#e you some ad#ice. )ry and kee your distance from my male guests. )hey aren't all to be trusted when it comes to a beautiful woman in such a stunning outfit. $s ecially /iulio Rossothere is a rumour going around he wants to set u in business on his own account, ho ing to use contacts he has made while working for FF&.' Luca s oke as though it was an unforgi#able sin. .Oh-' Beth ni ed her li .
*e saw the gesture and looked concerned. .;ou're worried, ! can tell. 1hat is it, Beth2' She had been screwing u her courage all e#ening. !t had reached a oint where she was almost ready to ask Luca for hel and to hell with the conse%uences. 5ow he was telling her he hated eo le who used contacts they made through him. *ow could she try and take ad#antage of his knowledge after a warning like that2 .!4!'m sorry, Luca. !'#e had to romise /iulio the ne+t dance, in return for a few minutes' eace now.' Luca looked around like a hawk at the chattering crowds. .So where is he now, then, this latest con%uest of yours2' .*e's gone to fetch me a coffee.' Luca raised his brows in mock irritation and summoned a waiter. .;ou don't need to change the habits of a lifetime, Beth. & night like this calls for more.' Beth thanked the waiter, but refused a drink from his tray of s arkling cocktails. .Auite honestly ! was glad of an e+cuse to send Signor Rosso off for refreshments, Luca. *e seems the sort who might easily get distracted by someone else on the way. ! was ho ing he'd ne#er make it back to me.'
Luca was about to ick u a glass from the cocktail tray but when he heard that, he abandoned it. .8amn it4forget him, forget all this and dance with me instead. ! can show you that although ! may ha#e gone too far last night, it was an e+ce tion,' he added, with an unusually mischie#ous twinkle. Beth hesitated. &ll she wanted was to feel Luca's arms around her again. 3erha s the tiny thaw she had noticed when he had added ice to her drink was still going on. She hadn't seen him look this rela+ed since her arri#al in Venice. *e raised a brow and smiled wickedly. .&nd, anyway, a good host will always lease his guests.' Beth's dream of rekindling their romance faltered and died. She ought to ha#e guessed that asking her to dance was nothing but a gesture to him. 1hy can't he see it means so much more to me2 she thought des erately. )oo scared to s eak in case she said something silly the moment he touched her, Beth looked u at him. Luca was already tired of waiting. 3utting out his hand, he took hers, crushing her soft skin in the sand a er gri she knew so well. *is other hand slid around her waist and drew her in towards his body. Suddenly, words were no longer a roblem because nothing could e+ ress the way Beth felt. )he only thing that mattered was the certainty of his hands. *e guided her into the dance. She was s eechless with delight at the way he took control, holding her close and swee ing her around the floor. .;ou can sto looking so sur rised, Beth. !t's only a walt,, after all.' *e looked down at her e+ ectantly as they circled the room together. 8es ite her breathless anic, she managed to mumble something in re ly. *is smile widened. .!t's a #ital skill for an officer, Beth. &s you would ha#e known if you had bothered to ask me, once u on a time.' Beth flushed. .But you would ne#er take me to formal dances0' she managed to say. .)hat was why ! acce ted )ristram's first in#itation, and all the trouble started. *e was your friend, and ! thought he was only being friendly to me in turn. By the time ! realised he had more in mind, it was too late.' Luca's snort of derision brought her back to earth. *is disbelief stung, and in seconds all the disa ointment and rage she had stifled o#er the years came flooding back. She lanted her feet down firmly in the middle of the dance floor and sto ed, which meant Luca had to sto , too. .! was lonely, Luca0' .! ho e you aren't trying to shift the blame for what ha ened onto me, Beth. !t was your decision to finish our affair.'
.)ristram only asked me out in the first lace because he felt sorry for me.' Luca's face changed. She had shocked him, and it was a second or so before he managed to ut it into words. .&nd you went with him, des ite the fact he itied you2' he said incredulously. .But ! didn't know that at the time0 !t only came out after we4when he and !-' Beth faltered, trying not to notice all the other dancers circling around them. $#ery other cou le was busily trying to ignore the fact their host and his artner were facing u to each other in the centre of the floor. .;ou're telling me &nderson threw that accusation back at you after the e#ent2' Luca grimaced. .)hat isn't the way to treat a lady.' Beth could hardly belie#e what she was hearing. .;ou didn't do much better0 ;ou were the one who ut me in that osition in the first lace0' she cried softly, des erate not to draw any more attention to their argument. .;ou left me on my own all the time0 ;ou were ne#er there0 !'m not a nun, Luca.' .Of course you aren't. )hen, as now, you were always a real little rinci essa.' !t was a (ibe that angered Beth, and Luca knew it. 1ithout gi#ing her a chance to come back at him, he swe t her off her feet and back into the dance. S inning her into a series of elaborate turns, he forced her to concentrate on her footwork. )he a lause at this dis lay sto ed Beth from retaliating, and ga#e Luca the chance to air a theory he'd been working on for a long time. .! was 9ne#er there:, Beth, because ! was always so busy with the 9acti#e: art of acti#e ser#ice. )ristram &nderson did nothing more dangerous than office work. )hat must ha#e made him feel inferior. So he tried to steal you, as a way to get back at me.' *is gri tightened on her fingers, but the band was reaching its finale. )o a laud them, Luca dro ed her hand like a red"hot ember and stood back from her. Beth studied his face as e#eryone cla ed. *e was smiling, but at his other guests4not at her. Strolling off to the stage, Luca brought the e#ening to a close. Beth stood and watched him, her mind and body in turmoil. *e had held her so close during their dance that for a second or two anything seemed ossible. But that was o#er now. She felt confused and angry, as though she had woken u too soon and seen a wonderful dream snatched away from her. Luca was so handsome, so ca able and once u on a time he had been hers. But she had thrown it all away. ! must ha#e been out of my mind, she thought. Sil#ia the housekee er was right4it was madness to walk away from a man like Luca. )he audience here tonight was ractically in lo#e with him. ;ou could see it in their eyes. *is easy manner and beautiful s eaking #oice charmed them all o#er again as he wished them goodbye. &nyone would be insane to turn their back on him.
&nd ! was, she thought sadly as she (oined in the final a
lause.
Beth took ad#antage of the gaggle of eo le flocking out of the grand entrance hall to sli away unnoticed. She went straight u to her rooms. Locking the door of the suite behind her, she fell back against its solidity and stood there for a long time. She was filled with a strange mi+ture of relief and gloom. !n the short time she had been in Venice she had come close to making a fool of herself half a do,en times. Luckily4although it hardly felt like that to Beth4Luca's attitude had always managed to sto her going the whole way, in any sense of the word. $#ery time she seemed to be making rogress with him, he raised his defences and shut her out. !f she could only make him realise she wasn't the flighty arty girl he'd once known. She had done a lot of growing u , but was it enough2 7ntil a few hours ago, Beth had con#inced herself all she needed from Luca was the chance of a career. 8ancing with him had scattered all her grand lans like gold dust. )he touch of his hands had brought all her dee est emotions back to the surface. &ll she really wanted was Luca, but that fairy tale had no ho e of coming true. She flicked on a light switch. !ts da,,le s arkled o#er the se%uinned e#ening bag she had decided against taking to the arty. 1alking o#er to the table, she icked it u . !n the silence of her lonely suite she heard a few forgotten coins roll from one end of the urse to the other. !t ga#e her an idea. )aking out the handful of change, she dro ed the bag and let herself out onto the landing again. Looking to left and right, she decided it was safe to make a %uick tri downstairs. )here was no one to see where she was going. & art from the sound of cleaning staff clattering away in the ballroom, the whole house seemed deserted. Lifting her hea#y #el#et skirts, she ran down the stairs and into the central courtyard. 6old moonlight fell in ools on the ancient herringbone brickwork. )he wellhead cast a big black shadow o#er the narrow staircase leading to the u er floor, but there was enough light for Beth to see what she was doing. Ste ing u onto the linth, she clutched the coins she had brought until their metal forged new creases in her hand. S%uee,ing her eyes tightly closed, she made a heartfelt, des erate wish and threw her money into the blackness of the well. &s the hailstorm of coins rattled against the brickwork, Beth heard a slight rustle behind her. & frisson of fear ran u and down her s ine and she turned. &t the e+act moment her offering s lashed into the in#isible water far below Luca ste ed out of the shadows. CHAPTER SIX B$)* ressed one hand to the ounding ulse in her throat. .So this well is magic.' Luca shrugged. .! was assing through.' .8on't say you came here to make a wish, too2' Beth tried to laugh, but found she could not make any sound at all. *e said nothing. !nstead he rowled around the well until he was standing right beside her. )he nearness of him forced words from her with the des eration of a woman drowning in guilt.
.!4! found some loose change. )here's no oint in kee ing it rattling around4all it was doing was rubbing holes in the lining of my urse,' she gabbled, ner#ously running her hands u and down her arms. .;ou look cold, Beth.' She sto ed. & shaft of moonlight glittered o#er his dark hair and made his sad, sweet smile look almost erfect. !t twisted her heart until she had to look away. .!'m all right.' .5o, you aren't.' *is fingers sli ed gently beneath her chin. )urning her head until she had to face him again, he ga,ed into her soul. .! shouldn't ha#e brought all those old frustrations to the surface again. !'m sorry.' .;ou don't need to a ologise for anything, Luca.' Beth sighed. .! was a stu id fool.' .5o. ;ou were misguided, though. 1ere you wrong to lea#e me2 Of course.' *e allowed himself a small chuckle, but it faded into silence long before his final words. .But ne#er call yourself stu id.' *e mo#ed closer to her and Beth found herself enfolded by his warmth, wra ed u in his arms and into+icated by the fragrance of him. .;ou were s ectacular this e#ening,' he breathed, .but then you always were. 1hy do ! try and fool myself2' Beth's hands went to his chest, her fingers s reading o#er the fine fabric of his shirt like a lea. She could feel his lightest breath whis ering o#er her hair, running o#er her skin until she was delirious with ossibilities. But what could she do2 1hene#er she tried to reach out to him now, he re(ected her. 8es ite his words, she could not bring herself to try again. *er head sank. 8isa ointment was already shining behind her eyes and she did not want him to see it. .Beth2' Luca s oke her name softly. She trembled. *e was holding her close to his body, and must ha#e felt her mo#e. 1hen his fingers traced their way around the heart"sha ed outline of her face, she looked u . )ears were threatening to fill her eyes, but before she could a ologise for it he kissed her. !n an instant, all her fear and ain sli ed away. 8esire filled the #oid he had left in her body. )he warmth of longing infused her. !t was such a long time since he had held her with genuine
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html assion like this. She rela+ed, sa#ouring e#ery second of the e+ erience. She was in Luca's arms. 5othing could hurt her when life was as good as this. For long moments he held her as though she were a iece of fine orcelain, cradling her body with the greatest care. Luca's mind was as finely tuned as a set of balance scales. Right now, he was weighing u his o tions. 3ure chance had led to him taking this short cut to his suite at the same time Beth came downstairs. & roaching her had been a gamble. *e could ha#e remained hidden in the shadows, kee ing his resence a secret. But s ying on a woman was not his style. *e had to do the right thing, and let her know he was there. &nd now this)he ast taunted him. )hey had been here before, so often. 1hate#er the crisis, whate#er the argument, Beth always managed to worm her way back in. She was at work now, beneath his fingerti s, but Luca was not going through that again. Beth had almost managed to ensnare him, that last night in Balacha, but he had called her bluff. *e wouldn't let her in#ade his s irit a second time. Life ran on Luca's terms now, and he was determined to kee a tight rein on this situation. *e ran his hands o#er the bodice of her dress. &ll the fine #el#et and corsetry in the world could not disguise the delicate framework it held. !t can't hide the oints of her ni les either, he thought, feeling a surge of testosterone as he remembered the silhouette she had made as he had watched her from the shadows. & man would ha#e to be car#ed from stone to resist such tem tation. Luca was all male, and he ne#er missed an o ortunity to ro#e it. One kiss is nothing, he told himself. .Luca-does this mean-2' Beth breathed as he drew back from her. *e was crushing her so tightly to his body she could barely get the words out. .6ould there be another chance for us2' she managed to say. *e was looking down as though he could de#our her, body and soul? he held her for an eternity. *is fingers dug into her back in an agony of ossession. &nd then he s oke. .!'#e told you before, Beth. ! don't need com lications in my life. ! ha#e too much authority and too many res onsibilities already. From now on, !'m only interested in inde endence. But as for this-' *e robbed another kiss from her. !t left her breathless and weak, des erate for more. Feeling the effect he was ha#ing on her, Luca ulled away. Beth felt the agony of re(ection all o#er again. 7nless she managed to make something out of this situation, she would lose him for e#er. !f she couldn't, she would sink beneath the weight of her guilt and loss and there would be no esca e. *er hold on him tightened, but this time her need for su ort was com letely hysical. She clung to him because her legs could no longer su ort her. &ll she wanted was for Luca to swee her into his arms and carry her off. She would do anything, go anywhere he wanted if only she could ha#e the chance to show him how much she needed him.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html *is kisses mo#ed from her li s to her nose, and then to her forehead. Beth rela+ed totally into his arms and was taken u into hea#en. Luca caressed the silken sheen of her hair with his cheek, while the fingers of one hand worked through its thickness with a relish she could sense and a reciate. She had thought dancing with him was wonderful. )his was infinitely better. !t was hea#enly beyond her wildest dreams. She wasn't going to do anything to burst the bubble of her ha iness. !f it meant she had to stand here until the end of time, she was more than ha y. !t didn't take that long. .1hy don't we continue this con#ersation somewhere more comfortable2' he breathed. )he words whis ered as softly as a sigh through the darkness. *er heart was too full for her to re ly. !t was im ossible to ut into words what she felt so she nodded. *e sa#oured the moment for a long time. )hen both his hands went to her hair. *e stroked it gently, before mo#ing o#er her shoulders. She shi#ered again, but this time it was with antici ation. *is fingers continued their (ourney o#er the fine fabric of her dress. Reaching her waist, he encircled it with one arm, and then drew her towards the stone staircase leading to the second floor of the ala,,o. Beth walked u the ste s in a dream. Leaning against him, she watched the toes of her shining satin court shoes flickering in the blue"white moonlight. .)his is like the old days,' he murmured. Beth giggled. .*ardly-0 1e're not in the middle of a war ,one.' .5o, but ! s ent the e#ening watching you en(oy yourself. ;ou were a credit to the firm tonight, cara.' )hat single word wasn't much, but Beth knew it was something she could build on. .!t was my leasure. Luca, you can always count on me if there's anything ! can do to hel FF& become more successful.' *e laced a kiss on the crown of her head. *is li s lingered, and Beth knew he was re#elling in the fragrance of her hair again. &s they reached the landing he sto ed. .)his takes me back,' he breathed, then lifted his head. Beth looked u to %uestion him. *is e+ ression was ambiguous. *e took two slow ste s towards his wing of the ala,,o4sto ed4 and then turned, drawing her in the o osite direction instead. .! thought erha s you were going to swee me off to your rooms, Luca.' She smiled, but her #oice was hesitant, %uestioning. .5o, not tonight.' *e shook his head.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html She reached u . *e had left his tie somewhere, and the to three buttons of his shirt were undone. She sli ed her hand inside. *e caught her wrist. .! like to ha#e a ri#ate bolt"hole, es ecially after e#enings like this one. )he ressure is on me to erform, to ut on a good show and ro#ide e#erything my guests want. &nd you wouldn't belie#e how much that is, tesoro. $#erybody needs a iece of me. ! ha#e all the friends in the world4as long as ! kee beha#ing e+actly as they want, and handing out the cash.' .)hat's terrible0' Beth was shocked. *er alarm was magnified a hundredfold as he started to laugh. .&nd that's irony, coming from you.' *e ulled her roughly against him and kissed her again. .;ou made it bearable for me tonight, Beth. Seeing you at that arty, kee ing e#eryone entertained, but without running to me e#ery few seconds was a re#elation.' So he had noticed her0 )hat must be why he had been on the s ot so fast when the drinks were s illed. Beth glowed with the idea of Luca watching her secretly all e#ening4her guardian angel, (ust as he had been in the ast. *er heart was bouncing. )his was the closest they had been so far, but she dared not let her feelings show. Luca was such a ri#ate man. )o say something like that must ha#e cost him a lot, and so she couldn't risk losing the ground she had gained. Mouth dry, heart ounding, she forced herself to kee her res onse low"key. .!'#e learned to stand on my own two feet,' she said e#enly as they reached the door to the bridal suite. .&nd #ery beautiful feet they are.' *e smiled. Sto ing, he gathered her into his arms for a long, lingering kiss. !t swe t e#ery thought out of Beth's head as her body li%uefied beneath his strong, warm hands. )o feel him so close, wanting her after all the agony of se aration-She knew with a certainty that burned like fire they must ne#er be arted again. .Oh, Luca-' she sighed as he e#entually released her from aradise. *er hands slid from his soft dark hair to the flawless white of his shirt. !n the darkness she heard his hand o erate the door handle behind her. )he door to her suite swung o en and the rich warm fragrance of roses and la#ender stole out to erfume the air around them. .*ow ! wish !'d ne#er told you ! was only going to work here for si+ months. 6an ! take it back2 !'d do anything to kee this (ob at FF&. !f only you knew-' She sighed, wishing she could tell him the whole truth about her lo#e and her longing for him. But that was e+actly what he didn't want to hear. 3ainful e+ erience had taught her that, so she was careful to conceal her real meaning. .! need this (ob so badly4' *is reaction was totally une+ ected. Straight away, his hands began sliding down her body. )hey were ebbing away from her, his touch filled with regret. .Of course you do. ! su ose it's because of the money.' *is #oice became flat and cynical. .*ow much do you want2'
.5othing0 Oh, Luca, !'d ne#er ask you for money0' .1hy not2 ! get begging letters all the time. 1hy should you be different from anyone else2' She stood back from him, alarmed. .! don't want your money0 ! want my inde endence. )hat's ne#er going to come through someone else's bank account, and certainly not yours.' &lthough his hands abandoned her, his e+ ression melted slowly from sus icion to curiosity. .So what are you talking about2' Beth drew in a long breath. !t was ainful. Luca had ut the shutters u . *e was standing before her, one hand in his ocket. )he rattle of his loose change fell through the night like hailstones. .1hen 8ad died, he left enormous debts. !'#e had to sell #irtually e#erything, Luca. )he only thing left is a storage unit full of anti%ues. ! was too sentimental to get rid of the things 8ad lo#ed when he died, but the time is coming when !'ll ha#e to do it.' *is face was gra#e. 1hen he sighed now it was a faintly irritable sound, not the low, smooth seduction that had filled her heart only a few moments earlier. .!'m at my wits' end, but don't worry4!'m not e+ ecting you to ut in an offer, Luca. 8ad may ha#e s ent a small fortune on anti%ues in total, but he was a mag ie rather than a connoisseur. $#en with my limited knowledge of the trade ! know none of it will be of any interest to Francesco Fine &rts.' )here was enough light from a nearby table lam to see he looked relie#ed at that, so she carried on. .But ! was wondering4! do need some information, Luca. !t would only be to hel me get the best rices. &lthough-after the way you s oke about /iulio Rosso's lans to make money out of his connections with FF&, ! thought it best to be com letely honest with you about it, as soon as ossible.' She finished slowly, watching his e+ ression for any signs of anger. *e caught the fabric of her skirt and ulled it through his fingers. )he hissing sound it made rustled through the darkness between them. .;ou are only assing through. Rosso may try to oach our business, which is why ! resent his lans. !t is not as though you would be setting u in o osition to me,' he said thoughtfully. Beth breathed again. .)hat's true. !'d be working in a com letely different market, and hundreds of miles away4' .So you really won't be staying in Venice2' he said %uickly, but co#ered his reaction with a laugh. .Oh, of course not4it will be chea er to sell off /erald's stock in $ngland, to $nglish
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html eo le.' .)hat's e+actly what ! thought.' Beth started to think there might still be some ho e for them, after all. She reached out her hand to him, but he a eared not to notice. She tried harder. .!f you taught me the secrets of your success, Luca, ! might be able to carry it further and actually set u in business on my own account.' .Of course.' *is #oice was emotionless. .&s ! said, it always comes down to money in the end.' .! want a ro er career, so no man thinks !'m going to s onge off him,' she said with steely determination. .&ndria won't thank you for thinking 3& work isn't a ro er career.' .! didn't say that, because it is,' Beth said, keen to defend her choices. .! lo#e the (ob !'m doing now, but !'m ne#er going to rogress while !'m working for Ben. !t's like rein#enting the wheel e#ery day. ! need more satisfaction from my life, Luca. &nd ! intend to find it,' she finished meaningfully. *e did not act on the hint that she had changed. & sudden shaft of moonlight lit his face. But his e+ ression no longer held the romise of seduction she so des erately needed. )he light in his eyes was guarded now, not teasing. .&ll right, Beth. !'ll see what ! can do. & masked ball, followed by a little ne otism and intrigue 4what could be more fitting in a lace like this2' *e raised his arm towards the #aulted ceiling in a furl of silk. .Luca0 !'m being serious.' She laughed, and tried to cuff him layfully. For a second it was the old days all o#er again as he caught her raised hand. .So am !.' )hen he bent his head close to hers, and his li s brushed her on the forehead. )his time it was nothing more than a kiss between friends, Beth thought with a falling heart. She had s oiled it all again. Luca was showing her business and leasure did not mi+. 1hy hadn't she realised he would think like that2 *e was a rofessional, abo#e all things. Mentioning her lans had dri#en a wedge between them, when she had been so des erate to a#oid it. .! don't want to rely on anyone else e#er again, Luca,' Beth said when she had swallowed her disa ointment. ./ood. )hat's #ery good4and e+actly what ! would want.' *e nodded. .So !'ll think about it-'
*is #oice whis ered like a dream as his hands rested on her neck. )hen his touch mo#ed lightly o#er her shoulders. )he ras of his fingers against her satin skin made her tingle with antici ation. But then he withdrew his touch and turned to walk away. Before Beth could swallow her disa ointment, he threw some words o#er his shoulder. .)here4!'#e thought about it, Beth. !'m flying to 3aris tomorrow. 6ome with me.' She was staggered. .Luca-what are you saying2' *e turned back to look at her. .! need a to "class 3& on hand for my meetings ne+t week. 1hat ! don't need is a girl who can't sur#i#e without a man. ! normally s end any downtime doing research, networking and making new contacts. ;ou can watch, and learn as ! do it. !t will be your introduction to working my way, in this business. ;ou'll ha#e a week to show me how willing you are.' .&nd what will you want in return, Luca2' she asked, hardly daring to ho e. *e laughed. .From you, Beth2 5ot a cent. &ll !'m offering is a tem orary osition as my 3&. ;ou'#e managed to work for Ben Sim son for this long without murdering him. )hat ro#es to me you are the world's best at the (ob4hard"working, an inde endent thinker, discreet and loyal. )his tri to 3aris will show if you'#e got the s irit to translate those skills into a different arena. ;ou'll e+change your %ualities for my e+ ertise and contacts.' Bust when she thought she had lost him again, Luca was offering her the chance to work at his right hand. She would be s ending e#ery minute of her working day beside him. )he whole idea made Beth feel light"headed, but one tiny corner of her mind carried on working. .1hat about &ndria2 ;ou can't (ust re lace her with me0' .)hat's not a roblem. &ndria knows better than to challenge any decision ! make. But if you were wondering about the effects this tri might ha#e on your friendshi with her-how badly do you want to make this career change2' Beth swallowed hard. .!'#e only e#er wanted one thing more, Luca.' *e ga#e a slow, satisfied smile. .)hat's not on offer, !'m afraid.' Startled at his tone, Beth o ened her eyes wide. *er reaction amused him.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .;ou will ha#e to make do with (ust my com any, Beth. My fortune and my ala,,o are most definitely off this menu.' .1hy should ! think otherwise2 1hat do you mean2' She gas ed, following him towards the stairs. .8on't look like that. !t's erfectly ob#ious what ! mean. 1hile we are in 3aris ! shall be offering you the benefit of my knowledge and e+ erience, while you work as my 3&. &nd then as e#ening falls-' he aused, and then made a totally im ulsi#e gesture< reaching out, he ushed his fingers through the fine lu+uriance of her soft blonde hair again and cradled her head in his strong, s%uare hand .-we will each return to our own ri#ate suites.' *er heart stood still. *ow could he talk like that, but touch her like this, with such tenderness2 Beth knew she would ne#er be able to resist him, but Luca's self"control was legendary. Or at least it had been, once u on a time)wo could lay the tem tation game. *owe#er much it hurt, Beth decided she had to retend to turn off her feelings to order, in the same way he did. .&ll right.' She nodded, ste ing away from his touch. .1hen do we lea#e for 3aris2'
*er #oice was husky with antici ation, but Luca stilled it with a sentence. .$arly in the morning, which is why ! must lea#e you right now,' he murmured, reaching out to gi#e her cheek a final, idle caress. )urning away, he started along the landing. *is final words were thrown casually o#er his shoulder. .&nd thanks again for being such a great success at the arty this e#ening, cara. !'m glad you en(oyed it0' She stared after him, lost for words. *e ke t gi#ing her the sweetest ossible hints of what she had been missing for so long. *ow could he walk away e#ery time, lea#ing her body simmering with this boiling need for him2 Luca strolled toward his room, wondering why he didn't feel good about what had (ust ha ened. *e'd ro#ed once again Beth had no hold o#er him. *owe#er owerful his hysical need for her, he could still master it. )hen his e+ ression altered. Beth had sur rised him. !n Balacha, she had told him it was marriage or nothing. )onight, she had come u with the idea of forging herself a career. 3erha s she had changed-but then, look at the way she had (um ed at the chance to #isit 3aris with him. )hey might be going as boss and 3&, but they would be staying in the most romantic city in the world& sudden riot of ain in his lower back made him sto with a gas . Before Beth 1oodbury had walked back into his life, he would ha#e blamed it on too much dancing. 5ow it was memories
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html of one fateful night in Balacha twisting the knife. Black thoughts crowded in on him again. 1hat if she hadn't totally gi#en u the idea of ensnaring him2 )his might be the chance she was looking for, to seduce him. *e checked his watch and then took a few slow ste s, testing himself. )he ain eased, but ne#er really went away. 1hen it returned like this, it brought back all those agonising memories. &s he aused in the silence the cold moon showed its face again. Shafts of sil#ery light streamed into the gallery. !t skimmed the nearest statue, striking bitter s arks from & ollo's marble fingers as he tried to ossess a nym h. Luca looked at his own hands. Only moments before, they had been ressed against Beth's skin. !t did not take much to imagine her warm softness under his fingerti s now. *e looked at the tormented marble figures beside him. )he scul tor had fro,en their frustration for all time4a god doomed to lust after the one thing he could ne#er ha#e. !n a few hours' time, Luca would be taking Beth to 3aris, with no need to worry about any conse%uences. )hey had an agreement. *e needed a 3&. &ll she wanted4she said4was a career, and while she was working for him he could teach her. )hat was all there was to the bargain. Once trained, she would disa ear from his life again as suddenly as she had entered it. &nd that would be the end of their story. Luca began to feel strangely uneasy. *e tried to shake off the sensation. !t was im ossible. *e had no idea why his mind ke t returning to the idea of Beth going away. &fter all, it wouldn't be the first time she had left him. *e ought to be used to it. &nd back in Balacha, he would ha#e been delighted if she'd started showing some inde endence. She hadn't managed to tie him down then, so if she wanted to strike out now he ought to be leased. *is life was his own, and if Beth got as much satisfaction out of her future career as he got from his*e grimaced again, and dro ed his hands to his side in irritation. )hen he straightened u and force"marched on towards his suite. 1hate#er his body might be telling him, he refused to be tra ed by anything< lust, ain or any woman4es ecially Beth 1oodbury. Right now, art of it was becoming as rigid as the statue of & ollo, but Luca knew he could con%uer the feeling. 1hen it came to Beth he could take her, or he could lea#e her alone, he reassured himself. !f her interest in the fine"art business was more than a whim, the tri to 3aris could be a #ital art of her education. !t meant nothing to him, other than the fact she was there to act as his ersonal assistant. By the time he reached his rooms, Luca had rationalised all his roblems away. 8ro ing his mas%uerade mask on a chair, he went straight into his bedroom. 3ouring out a long glass of iced water, he took a cou le of ainkillers. *e counted the minutes until they took effect, his fingers dancing o#er the only good thing to come out of Balacha. !t lay on his bedside table. Sil#ia the housekee er insisted all his other medals should be on dis lay in one of the cabinets in the dining hall. Luca refused to ha#e this one stared at, and commented on by his guests. !t stayed in his ri#ate rooms, which were out of bounds to e#eryone e+ce t Sil#ia. $#erything else he #alued was locked away, out of sight.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html )he ain gri ed him again. *e ut a clenched fist to the small of his back, using ressure to counteract it. 1hat he needed was distraction. )he contents of that secret com artment inside his dressing chest were guaranteed to deflect his mind. 6rossing the room, he o ened the to drawer and o erated a hidden catch. )he com artment held only two things< a hotogra h, and a seashell threaded onto a fine gold chain. )he necklace was broken, its delicate fastening torn wide o en and useless. Luca icked it u . For a while, he had carried it with him e#erywhere. But, unlike ain, e#en Beth's fragrance had disa eared e#entually. 5ow her broken necklace li#ed here, instead of in his wallet. )onight, its chain swung between his fingers like a endulum marking time. )urning the shell around to catch the light, he studied it intently. 8elicate as sea"washed orcelain, it was iridescent with mother"of" earl. )he endant had ke t all its colours, but the sna shot stored with it had not lasted so well. 6hea film and a throw"away camera meant it had faded badly. Luca laced the necklace carefully back onto its bed of cotton wool. )hen he icked u the hotogra h and looked at it closely. $#ery detail was still there, although he didn't need to look at it to remind himself what they were. )he hoto gra h was of Beth, and she was smiling. *er e+ ression s oke to him clearly now, but at the time he had been too busy to listen. )he icture showed a girl who had com letely con#inced herself she was in lo#e. &s the shutter clicked she had e+ ected him to feel the same way4as if it were her /od"gi#en right to be adored. Luca went o#er all the old arguments. *er talk of marriage had been the final touch" a er. From birth, other eo le's e+ ectations had ma ed out his life for him. *e had been acked off to board at the best schools. Later he had become a soldier, always with the uns oken under standing he would bring honour to the Francesco family name in e#erything he did. But now Luca was the only one left. *e was in total control, and calling all the shots. *e had more money than anyone could e#er s end, and he could do what he liked. $#erything about his life had changed com letely o#er the ast fi#e years. $#erything, e+ce t the erfect seashell Beth had once worn around her neck. CHAPTER SEVEN B$)* took her time getting undressed. *er mind was too full to think of slee . Luca's assion ebbed and flowed like the sea, but she was continually at high tide. She wanted him so much4 why did he always shut her out at the last moment2 She stroked the hea#y #el#et of her gown with the same wistful longing she wanted to use on him. 3acking all her mas%uerade clothes away with her dreams, she got into her lonely bed. For a long time slee was im ossible. Luca was only metres away, and the thought ke t her mind racing. 1hen at last she managed to do,e, #i#id dreams of him rolled her about fitfully until she woke u hot with e+ ectation. *er mind and body were already alight with the thought of tra#elling to 3aris with him. *e was such a seasoned tra#eller he robably wasn't gi#ing it a second thought, but Beth's mind was full of it. She was ready to go down to breakfast long before it was light. By the time he walked in, she
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html was idling o#er her second ca uccino. )he moment he swung into #iew she stood u and created his first coffee of the day. .One macciato, with a teas oonful of 8emerara sugar.' .;ou remembered.' *e looked im ressed, but then his face fell. .&lthough ! ga#e u sugar a long time ago.' .)his much won't kill you.' *e took a si , and smiled. 1anting to kee the a ro#al in his eyes, Beth went o#er to the buffet table. !t was loaded with enough fresh fruit, (uices and bakery to feed an army. $#erything was set out in crystal bowls or wicker baskets lined with mono grammed liners. She icked u a neatly folded na kin, and a late. .*a#e what you like.' .!'#e already finished mine. )his is for you.' She began looking o#er the rolls, already wondering whether he would refer a seeded roll, a astry or crackers. Luca curled his li . .)hanks, Beth, but no.' *e mo#ed forward shar ly, abandoning his coffee and taking the late from her hands. .)his arrangement of ours will be strictly business.' She looked u , slightly flushed with embarrassment. .Fine4then !'ll get on with rogramming my la to .' She sat down and began fiddling with her com uter. .;ou'#e started work already2' *e sounded im ressed. .Of course. 8on't forget, ! saw how you worked in4' she hesitated, changing what she had been about to say .4in the ast. )he way &ndria's always ke t so busy must mean nothing has changed.' .)hat's true,' Luca said bitterly. *e assed behind her to take his lace at the dining table. 1atching him ull out his chair and sit down, Beth winced at the way his hand"crafted suit em hasised the lean lines of his body. Luca always looked smart, but he rarely looked satisfied. Beth waited until he had settled himself before she began to s eak. .5ow, signor, ! need to feed your timetable into this thing-' *e reached into his ocket and slid his organiser across the table towards her. 1ithout looking u , Beth began going through the entries.
.)he first thing ! must do is ring &ndria and e+ lain4' .!'#e done it.' *e di ed one end of a croissant into a ool of strawberry conser#e, but aused when he saw Beth's look of concern. .She's fine.' *e smiled. .! told her she could mo#e in here, at the ala,,o, for a week of lu+urious li#ing free of charge.' 1ith a sigh of relief, Beth went back to studying his timetable. .;ou don't ha#e anything scheduled for tomorrow morning-.' She looked u , confused. .!t's because !'#e cancelled a working breakfast to make time for teaching you,' he said, chasing a last few crumbs around his bone china breakfast late. Beth stared at him in horror. .Luca0 ! mean4Signor Francesco. ;ou can't do that, (ust for me. !'ll ring whoe#er it was, and e+ lain there's been a mistake4' .5o, you won't.' Luca reached out. *is hand went o#er hers, sto looked u . ing her busy fingers. She
.3etit de(euner with the 6omte was going to be as much a social occasion as anything else, and you know how much ! en(oy those.' She smiled at him, but his attention was elsewhere. Standing u , he went o#er to the buffet and brought back a whole basket of rolls and a glass dish of low"fat s read. &fter eeling an almost white flake off the block of margarine, he dro ed the knife in disgust. Beth had been trying not to notice, but that was too much for her to bear. 1ithout a word, she fetched a re lacement knife from the buffet4along with a crystal bowl of sunflower"yellow butter. .;ou can blame me for leading you astray, signor.' .)hank you.' She retended to study his organiser, but watched him all the time from beneath her lowered lashes. *e s read the butter o#er the soft white bread of his roll with great care. 1hen he took a bite it was with real relish. *iding a smile, Beth ta ed the stylus on the screen of his organiser to concentrate her mind on the (ob in hand. .Right4!'#e finished transferring e#erything, so it looks as though my last %uestion for the moment is-what time would you like your alarm call set in the morning, signor2' .)en minutes before yours.'
Luca's #oice was low with meaning. Beth looked u to find his dark eyes twinkling at her o#er the rim of his coffee"cu . .! shall call it my inde endence time. )he only moments !'ll be able to call my own.' .&ll right, ! can take a hint0' She laughed, and began to ack her things away. .!'ll lea#e you to en(oy the rest of your breakfast? although there's one more thing ! need to ask. 6an ! go and ick u a few books from the ala,,o library to read on our flight2' .)here's a selection all ready for you, iled u on the table nearest the window.' .)hank you, that's great.' Beth was relie#ed, and it ga#e her enough confidence to ask a second %uestion. .!'#e transferred all those mysterious little symbols e ered through your schedule into my own diary, but where can ! find out what they mean2' .;ou can't.' *e concentrated on buttering another roll. .)hey don't mean anything to anyone but me.' .But as your 3&4' .Beth, you don't need to know. )rust me.' .Fine. O=.' Beth carried on getting ready to lea#e the table. 1hen she handed him his organiser, he mo#ed forward slowly as though he could hardly belie#e she was doing it in silence. .)hat's it2 ;ou mean you aren't going to argue2' *e was looking at her with curiosity. )urning away, Beth headed for the dining"room door. .5o e.' *er re ly was offhand, and she didn't look at him. She couldn't. *is reaction told her e#erything she wanted to know. !t filled in the ga s between all the hints dro ed by his arty guests the night before. )he code must mean Luca's a etite for women was as ram ant as e#er. )here could be no other e+ lanation. !t's (ust me he doesn't want, she thought, feeling her heart turn inside out. 1ith delight, Beth found Luca did not tra#el by scheduled airline. 1hen they got to the air ort, a ri#ate lane was waiting for them on the tarmac. She recognised its crest immediately. !t was the same design used all around the ala,,o, from its doors to the bed linen. & smartly dressed steward escorted her u the ste s and into the lane. )here, she was settled in a roomy armchair" like seat. She almost had to inch herself as a second man handed her a tall glass of freshly s%uee,ed orange (uice. !t was almost like going on holiday, and it had been years since Beth had
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html been able to afford one of those. 5ow she was being waited on hand, foot and finger. !t was incredible. 5ot only was she rela+ing in a s ace that looked and felt like an e+ecuti#e lounge, she had a ersonal flight attendant. &mong other things, he told her there was a fully e%ui ed bathroom on board. .;ou could almost li#e on this lane,' Beth (oked as Luca (oined her in the cabin. .!t's ossible. )he bedroom is behind us,' he re lied, but ke t his smile for the steward who greeted him with a rundown of tra#el conditions. .&lthough it won't be needed today. ;ou'll be glad it's a short flight for once, Sam,' he added as the steward handed him a drink. )here was always real warmth in Luca's tone when he talked to his staff. !t ne#er failed to catch at Beth's heart. She longed for him to s eak to her like that, but he was already being handed his la to . &s he lugged into the onboard business facilities he s oke without looking u . .3lease e+cuse me, but !'#e got a mountain of work to deal with. !f you need anything, Sam or the others are constantly on hand.' *e settled into one of the wide seats and logged onto his com uter. )he steward showed Beth how to access the ower circuit herself, assuming she would be working, too. 1ith a flutter of horror, she realised she had not thought of it. .Oh, no0 ! didn't think there would be time to do anything, so e#erything is acked away in my case.' .Fetch it for her, would you, lease, Sam2' Luca said leasantly, but the look he ga#e Beth was iercing. .;ou can get a lot done in only half an hour, if you ut your mind to it.' .! know. )hat's why !'m going to start the moment ! get my books.' Beth tried to sound rofessional, but she was kicking herself for making such an error. *is answering smile made sure she wouldn't make such a mistake again. Beth ke t her eyes on her books but her mind was always a cou le of metres away, totally focussed on Luca. *is resence meant e#erything to her. She was des erately conscious of the effect he was ha#ing on her body, e#en when he was busy with his work. &lthough he was miles away, lost in his corres ondence, she was li%uid with the nearness of him. )hey were surrounded by all this lu+ury, and with the tem tation of a bedroom almost within reach4yet Luca had ne#er felt further away. &s the lane ta+ied along the runway Beth felt her heart beat increase. She tried to distract herself by looking out of the window. !t did no good. 5othing could e#er sto her wanting Luca. )he one thing she desired so much her body ached with need was the single thing he held in his ower to deny her, now and for e#er. )he (et lifted off, but her heart remained ainfully grounded.
& glossy limousine was waiting for them at the air ort. Beth e+ ected it to be a hire car, so when Luca greeted the chauffeur by name she was astonished. .!s this man em loyed by FF& too2' she asked as they were swe t towards the city. .*e works for me, yes.' Luca leaned back with the slightly bored air of a regular tra#eller. .! own the a artment in 3aris, and as ! lead such a busy life it's easier to kee it ermanently staffed. ! often o o#er here for a few days, and it means ! can walk in and out without utting &ndria to the trouble of making fresh hotel arrangements each time.' .&re you staying there now2' .1e both are.' *is eyes flickered. )here was a ause, and then he looked away from her and out of the window. !t had been a tiny, in#oluntary gesture but Beth's heart had fli ed at e+actly the same moment. Bust the mention of slee ing arrangements fired a starting istol in her head. 5ow all her senses were racing with the thought of sharing his a artment. *ad Luca's eyes betrayed the same feelings2 Beth s ent the rest of their (ourney wondering. Staying in 3aris with Luca would be art dream, art nightmare. *e was tantalisingly close, but e#ery time she tried to make a mo#e he shut her out. 1hile he ke t raising this in#isible barrier between them, he could ne#er be near enough for her. 1hen they reached the city, their limousine came to a halt in an e+clusi#e arrondisement. Beth assumed it was something to do with traffic restrictions. 1hen the chauffeur got out and o ened the car door for her, it took a few seconds to realise they had arri#ed. Luca's a artment was in one of the most beautiful a#enues in the world4and one of the most e+ ensi#e. 1hen he (oined her for the short walk across its wide a#ement, he looked almost leased. *e ought to be, she thought as a uniformed commissionaire a eared at the doors of a tall, gracious building. Luca greeted him like a friend, and introduced Beth. )he man looked momentarily sur rised, but managed to hide it from his em loyer. Only Beth noticed, and it made her feel uneasy. )he marble entrance hall was tiled like a Roman #illa, inlaid with mother"of" earl and decorated with classical scenes. !t didn't feel like Luca's style at all. 5ot that ! know what that is any more, Beth thought. *e's a different man from the one ! lo#ed in Balacha. But then, the feelings she had were different, too. *er need for him had ne#er changed, but now she was in awe of his success, and leased at the way he had achie#ed it through his own hard work. .)he a artment is di#ided in two4one half for working, the other for li#ing.' Luca e+ lained as they headed towards the lift. .;ou can get to the offices from this lobby. &nd there's a connecting door from my ersonal suite, too.' )here was that look in his eyes again4wary, and fleeting. *e had been careful to turn away as he s oke, but Beth still saw it4or thought she did. She brushed a hand across her forehead, in case she was running a tem erature. *er skin was cool to the touch. *er feelings were red"hot,
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html but Luca remained as collected as e#er. *e ushered her into a glass"sided ele#ator and they were whisked u to a land of olished ar%uet floors and lush otted alms. Luca's li#ing rooms were airy, s acious and the last word in gracious li#ing, but they lacked any ersonal touches. )here were some e+%uisite ieces of anti%ue furniture, and a small rainforest of greenery. But there were no hotogra hs on the grand iano, or ornaments on the high marble mantel ieces. Floral arrangements burst like fireworks from the cold hearths and glass"to ed tables. )hey made the room look beautiful, without feeling lo#ed. Beth strolled o#er to the windows. Luca reached them first. O ening the French doors, he led her out onto a balcony. .!sn't this #iew o#er the &#enue Foch wonderful2' *e gestured across at fa>ades almost as grand as his own building. .;ou won't be able to see it for much longer.' Beth nodded towards the filigree of climbing roses trained u from big lead lanters hemming the balcony. & few late lemon flowers billowed o#er the carefully colour co"ordinated etunias around their feet. .! need the countryside, and this is the nearest ! can get to it.' *e ointed out o#er the iron railings. & wide e+ anse of grass se arated them from the road. !t was lanted with street trees, but they were already losing their lea#es. Stark skeletons would soon be all that stood between Luca and the city. .&nd !'#e ne#er felt further away from Rose 6ottage.' Beth sighed. .)his isn't a lace to feel gloomy.' Luca's rich !talian accent made his words sound almost caressing, but his e+ ression was still guarded. .1e'll start work on your studies straight away. )hen you won't ha#e time to be homesick, and you will be closer to starting your new career. )he sooner that ha ens, the sooner you can ay off your debts and settle back in your #ery own house. )hat's what you want, isn't it2' *e managed a smile, and Beth wondered if she would e#er be able to think of her decaying old home and do the same. Luca worked her hard, but Beth was a willing sla#e. !t was worth taking ages of notes, (ust for the leasure of being with him. &nd it was not all work. *is staff at the a artment acked them snacks of %uails' eggs, cheeses and fruit to kee u their strength between coffee breaks. 1hen Luca wasn't entertaining clients or being entertained, they (um ed on and off almost e#ery sto on the metro, #isiting do,ens of laces, walking for miles, and idling o#er e#ery salon in the Lou#re. )here, to her delight, Luca showed her the secret li#es of aintings. !n disco#ering why ictures looked as they did, she learned to sto hating e#erything she didn't understand. .&lways remember< not e#eryone shares your idea of what is beautiful,' he told her. .1hen you are buying on behalf of clients, they look for #alue for money. &sk yourself if their in#estment is likely to increase.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .But ! thought the first rule of buying art was to s end only what you could afford to lose2' .)hat's gambling4something we ne#er do at Francesco Fine &rts.' Luca's absolute honesty showed in his face. .Our clients are ready to s end #ast amounts, in order to di#ersify their in#estment ortfolios. FF& must find treasures worthy of them. !t's a tricky (ob, but satisfying when e#erything goes right. For e+am le, last year ! icked u a iece by a rising star for an internationally famous actor. 1ithin months, ublicity for the ainter's other work caused it to almost double in #alue.' .1ho were you buying for2' Beth looked into his face, des erate for clues. *is smile ga#e nothing away. .)hat's another im ortant lesson for you, Beth. &bsolute discretion is the way to gain a client's trust, and their future business. $s ecially if they are a regular at the Oscars.' *e strolled o#er to a bench and sat down. .! used to be the first one who wanted to find a seat,' Beth said as she followed him. Luca did not seem to ha#e heard her. .!t's been a long day, Beth. ;ou must ha#e writer's cram from taking all those notes. ! think we'll head back to the a artment.' )hey were on their way home along one of the grand boule#ards when they assed a sho with hardly anything in the window. Beth knew the less there was on dis lay, the more e+clusi#e it was. She sto ed. Luca strolled on a few aces before he realised she was no longer at his side. .1hat's the matter2' he frowned. .6ome and look at this beautiful rug0 !ts design has all the tension and colour of Miro, but with the soft lu+uriance of chenille. )he contrast of modern style and retro fabric is ama,ing.' Luca laughed. .;ou're a %uick study, aren't you2 5o wonder you'#e made such a success of being Ben's 3& in so short a time.' !t was the first time Beth had seen him look really ha y. She smiled, and for a fraction of a second they had something to share. But, elusi#e as a falling leaf, it was gone with the ne+t breath. )hey looked away from each other, and Beth blushed in confusion. $#erything felt so right4but only for an instant. 5ow they were two strangers looking in a sho window again. From the corner of her eye, Beth saw Luca make a sudden mo#ement. 1ithout meaning to, she glanced at him. *e was grimacing as though a sudden ain had gri ed him. Realising she was looking, he focused his e+ ression to im assi#e and sli ed one hand inside his (acket. .!t isn't fine art, but if you really like it, Beth, !'m sure my accountants won't mind.' 3ulling out his wallet, he headed into the sho . Beth chased after him.
.;ou'd buy it for me2' she gas ed as he assed one of his credit cards to the watchful sho assistant. .1hy not2' *e sounded sur rised. .;ou'#e been working well, Beth. 6all it encouragement, to kee you working (ust as hard in the future.' .&re you sure2' she said as the assistant hesitated, looking from one to the other and back again. .! mean, ! know you were leased with the way ! handled your arty, but you don't ha#e to be %uite so generous.' .1hy not2' Luca ga,ed at her as though he could hardly belie#e anyone would try and sto him s ending money. .!f money was no ob(ect to you, you'd buy it for yourself in a flash.' .!'d tram le o#er any other customer to get it.' Beth looked back at the window dis lay, ra#ishing it with her eyes. .But you can't buy me something like this0 !'m only your 3&.' .)hat's true4but !'#e been watching the way you work.' )here was no flirtation in Luca's e+ ression, only his trademark honesty. Beth could hardly belie#e it. !n the ast their relationshi had been one of e+tremes. *e'd seduced her, he'd been angry with her, but he had ne#er s oken to her like this before. !t was as though he might be starting to belie#e in her ability to do something more than sim ly gi#e and recei#e leasure. .So if you want it, Beth, then it's yours. !'d do e+actly the same for &ndria.' She looked into his eyes, and saw it was true. *er heart sank. For a few recious seconds she had almost belie#ed this might be a sign her romance with Luca could be rekindled. 5ow she saw his gesture for what it was4a resent for a good em loyee. 1hile she was distracted, he let go of his lastic. .&nd ! can think of it as an in#estment too, Beth. ;ou'll need something to furnish your restige office, when you start your new career.' )he moment the assistant saw the name on his client's card, he s oke into a discreet micro hone beside the till. 1hile Beth was still trying to work out if Luca's latest comment was a com liment, the sho 's owner materialised. *e smiled and bowed to them from behind the counter. .Signor Francesco0 ! was not aware you were due to #isit us today2' he said in a well"bred whis er. .!f ! had known, rest assured you would ha#e been met at the door, as usual4' .8on't worry, 3ierre. 1e were (ust assing. )his is an im ulse buy.' Luca smiled. )he owner and his assistant rela+ed instantly. Beth mar#elled again at Luca's knack of utting eo le at their ease, until he began to talk about deli#ery details. *e turned to look at Beth. .;ou can't ha#e it sent to Rose 6ottage if you aren't going to be there
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html for months. &lthough-' he ta ed his fingers on the edge of the counter .-it might be better to ha#e it sent straight to your rooms in the ala,,o. 3ut a note with the deli#ery that it must be sent direct to the bridal suite at my Venice address, would you, 3ierre2' .&h4so congratulations are in order, Signor Francesco.' )he sho owner and his assistant smiled still more. *e laughed, dismissing their congratulations. .5o4my colleague Beth is learning the business. !'m writing the che%ues at the moment, as it'll be a while before she can do it herself,' Luca said smoothly. .&nd don't bother logging this on the business account, 3ierre. !t's a ersonal transaction.' Beth went red"hot from to to toe. !t was beginning to sound as though Luca really did belie#e she might make it one day. !t was a lot to li#e u to, and it made her think. .;ou'#e gone #ery %uiet,' he said a while later as they waited on the latform of the metro. .My mind is s inning like a mouse on a wheel,' she said, when she could find the words. .! can guess. &s ! said in the sho , you'#e been working hard today.' *e ut his hand to her elbow. Beth looked u , and thought she saw a glow of real ride in his eyes. )hen their train arri#ed, and he mo#ed her to the edge of the latform. *e was careful to make sure the doors did not close before she was safely on board. )here was only one em ty seat, which he gestured for her to take, standing himself. She felt as if he were rotecting her, when really she knew he was only being a gentleman. .;ou must let me ay you back for the rug as soon as ! can.' She tried to reca ture the moment as they were reunited on the &#enue Foch. *e shook his head in a good"natured way. .;ou were such a fast learner when it came to style and substance, it was a leasure to buy you something as a reward.' .&nd you don't e+ ect anything in return, Luca2' she said slowly. *e did not look at her, so this time his eyes remained a mystery. But his #oice was firm. .1e ha#e an agreement this tri is about work, and nothing else. ;ou know you can always trust me, Beth.' .Of course ! do. ;ou're the most honourable erson ! know.' 1ith no answer, he turned right away from her and ulled back the slee#e of his (acket. But instead of checking the time, he swore softly. .1hat's the matter, Luca2'
.!'#e lost my watch.' *e sto ed and looked back along the wide a#enue. .! had it when we left 3ierre's sho -'
Beth aused, recounting the last few minutes in her head. .8on't worry. !t can only ha#e gone in the last hundred metres or so. ! asked you the time before we agreed to sto at that maga,ine stand, remember2' )hey started back along the a#ement, scanning e#ery centimetre. Beth had reached the knot of eo le (ostling around the newsagent before turning to Luca, admitting defeat. .Sorry, but ! can't see it anywhere.' .5either can !. )here's such a crowd here. ! was distracted, so the stra might ha#e broken at any time. !t may e#en ha#e been stolen,' he finished grimly. Beth shook her head. .)hat would be an awful thing to ha#e ha ened0 !'ll contact the olice for you. )here are lenty of honest eo le around, though, so if it fell off innocently, it might ha#e been handed in. Let me ha#e a descri tion, and !'ll get onto it straight away.' .;ou know what my watch was like. &lthough you're hardly in a osition to buy me another one now.' *e almost smiled. .;ou mean it really is the same one ! ga#e you, so long ago2' Beth stared at him. .;ou're still wearing it2' .!t was a good watch. )here's no oint in abandoning something that worked so well.' .5o,' Beth said thoughtfully. CHAPTER EIGHT L76& was silent all the way back to the a artment. Beth was worried. She had a lan in mind. !t seemed to ha#e got off to a good start, but now she was beginning to ha#e second thoughts. .!'m really sorry about your watch, Luca.' .!t doesn't matter.' She rela+ed, at least for a moment. Luca could ha#e afforded e#ery watch in any (eweller's showroom they assed, yet he hadn't considered sto ing to buy a new one. 6ould she dare to ho e that it held more than (ust monetary #alue for him2 She looked u at him and said, .&ll the diaries are flagged u with reminders, and cross" referenced. ;ou can lea#e e#erything to me, Luca. !t's my (ob to make sure you ne#er miss anything.'
.! miss my watch,' he (oked sardonically. )hey walked on in silence. She noticed he still ke t mo#ing his right hand toward his left slee#e, but each time he remembered a little bit sooner. She might ha#e smiled, but something else concerned her. .&re you sure there's nothing else wrong, besides your watch2' she said e#entually. .;ou look as though you'#e got a lot of things on your mind, Luca.' .!'m fine,' he said, but did not look at her. 1hen they reached his building, he went straight towards the door leading to his office com le+. .;ou can finish work now, Beth, but ! must check my e"mails and log into the FF& com uter system. Business doesn't sto (ust because !'m not there to deal with it in erson. But, of course, you'll want to go out after dinner4to take in a show, or something.' *e glanced at her then, and managed a half"smile. Beth almost laughed with relief. She was keen to ease all the tension that was so #isible in his face. Some time off together might hel . .Marie is the name of the girl in charge of the social side here. Let her know what you would like to do, and she'll arrange it for you4' Beth sighed. Once again he had considered her4but not in the way she desired. .5o, thank you, Luca.' !t was all too ob#ious he e+ ected her to go out on her own. *e didn't intend taking her anywhere himself. 8isa ointed but unable to gi#e u , Beth tried again. .! really don't fancy going out a second time today, Luca. !'d much refer a %uiet e#ening here.' )ogether, she added silently. *e ga#e her a enetrating stare. .5ow it's my turn to ask if you are all right, Beth2' .!'m (ust a bit tired, that's all. !t's been a hectic few days for me, rounded off with this route" march around the wonders of 3aris. 1hat !'d like more than anything else would be to stretch out and rela+ in my room for a while.' 1ith you beside me, her body begged. She ached to in#ite him, but could not bear to risk her feelings being tram led. *e had refused her often enough o#er the ast few days. She couldn't bear to be re(ected again. !t would s oil e#erything. &t least if she ke t her dreams to herself, she could hang onto them for a little while longer. Beth went straight to her room. She was so tired and disa ointed she could no longer en(oy the cool, im ersonal beauty of her suite. She wandered from its cream drawing room to the marble
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html and sil#er wet room in a da,e. Stri ing off her clothes as though they were as hea#y as her heart, she switched on the shower. She e+ ected it to wake her u , but it had the o osite effect. Later as she towelled her hair dry her eyes began droo ing. Switching on the sound system, she selected some Mo,art and settled at her desk with a workbook of nineteenth"century designs. !t was all #ery interesting, but the sunshine was so low and bright it made her s%uint, and while her eyes were half shut they decided to go the whole way and then4and then4 *er elbow sli ed off the desk, bouncing her awake. )his was ridiculous0 She rang to ask housekee ing for a double es resso in the ho e of waking herself u . !t might ha#e worked, if she hadn't decided to mo#e out of the direct line of the late sun streaming through the windows. She went o#er to sit on her enormous feather bed to drink it. )he dee , downy softness of it was so comfortable and rela+ing after racing through the streets all day that not e#en coffee could kee her from sliding gently into slee Luca honed down their order for dinner, but his mind wasn't on the (ob. *e e#en forgot his own rule about only eating food in season. )houghts of Beth were filling his mind so com letely his chef had to ask him if he really wanted fresh as aragus in autumn. )he way she looked at him today was so different from the feral mischief he had known in Balacha. &ll the fun had e#a orated from her. She'd become so serious. )hose big blue eyes were trusting now, rather than wicked. &nd the way her small, neat hand flew across the a er as she noted e#erything he had told her was ama,ing. *e ne#er imagined she could work so hard. !t was as though she really meant it, when she said she wanted a real career. She was trusting him to teach her e#erything. &fter seeing the way she worked, he was beginning to wonder if it would be enough. !t wouldn't be long before she would ha#e to mo#e on, in search of a er %ualifications. )hat would take money she didn't ha#e at the moment. Luca guessed she wouldn't acce t it from him, unless he ut the case ro erly. She had tried to sto him buying that rug, after all, and the thing had cost less than a thousand $uros. *is conscience had been uneasy for a while, but today it was unbearable. )here was only one thing to be done. *e would go to her room now and e+ lain that his im ulsi#e offer to teach her might not be the best way for her to learn. She deser#ed a formal education. )hat needed money, and he was the man to ro#ide it. 1hat's the worst that can ha en if ! offer to hel 2 he thought, but still hesitated. Beth was a roud woman. She would robably grab her things and storm out. Luca considered the conse%uences of that4he'd be losing touch with her again, after she had started to show such romise&nother sudden s asm in his back reminded him of Balacha. So what if she does walk out on me2 $asy come, easy go, he told himself. &nd this time !'ll be in the comfort of my own a artment, rather than under fire in some /od"forsaken corner of a foreign airfield. !'#e said goodbye to her once, and if it ha ens again-well*e took his time getting to Beth's suite. *e half ho ed to find her engrossed in one of her new
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html glossy maga,ines, rather than working on one of the tasks he had set her. )hat would make her feel guilty, which would take some of the ressure off him. )hey would both be starting at a disad#antage. )a ing on the door, he thought he heard a welcoming call. O ening it, he went inside and realised his mistake straight away. Beth's lounge was deserted, but the 68 was laying. Still e+ ecting to catch her shirking rather than studying, Luca mo#ed silently to the o en door of her bedroom. *e was ready with a %uick remark about slacking, but forgot it the instant he looked into her room. Beth was curled on her side, fast aslee . Luca sto ed. 1hen he saw what she had been doing, he could not resist mo#ing closer. *e was enchanted. *er head was illowed on one of the books he had gi#en her. Far from wasting time as he imagined, she must ha#e dro ed off while working. Luca watched, hardly daring to breathe in case it disturbed her. )he curtains fluttered in a bree,e and her skin ri led with the chill it brought. Silently, he fetched a blanket from the nearest armoire. &fter laying it lightly o#er her, he eased the te+tbook from beneath her head, a millimetre at a time. *e thought he had got away with it, but at the last moment Beth stirred and whis ered his name with such feeling he sto ed and caught his breath. )here was no way on earth he could resist her now. !t was a wonderful, unforgettable, heart"sto ing mirage of a dream. Luca came to her through the darkness, bringing that well"lo#ed feeling of warmth rushing through her body once more. She felt the familiar urge low in her belly as her muscles tensed with e+citement. *e rolled her o#er in the bed, holding her so tightly she lunged straight o#er the waterfall of orgasm. *el less, all she could do was gas his name, o#er and o#er againShe o ened her eyes. )he dream #anished, but Luca was still there. *e was fully clothed and standing beside her bed rather than naked and lying in it, but he was as gorgeous as e#er. .Luca0 1hat are you doing here2' she s%ueaked, ink with confusion. Snatching u handfuls of bedclothes for co#er, Beth threw herself o#er to the far side of the bed. Fantasy Luca was one thing4but to wake u with him bending o#er her-For an instant, dreams and reality mingled and she didn't know which to belie#e. !t was as though she could still feel the caress of his li s on her cheek. She touched the lace Luca had kissed in her dream. !t was burning like fire. .! had to mo#e this-' Luca gestured to the workbook he had rescued and laced it on the table beside her. 1hen he looked u she was caught in his ga,e. *e was oised, and she knew he was waiting for her. 5o language in the world could ossibly con#ey the need and desire of that moment. )heir minds and fantasies met and melded in silence. )oo many words had assed between them already. She shi#ered, and it broke the s ell. Silently he turned away and went o#er to close the window.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html &s she watched him Beth caught sight of herself in a mirror. 1hat she saw there made her gas . *er eyes were as large and dark as his, and there was a dewy glow on her skin. )hat only came from the sort of se+ she had been dreaming about. For another wonderful, terrible moment she wondered if Luca had managed to ra#ish her as she sle t. )he idea made her smile. !t was unthinkable. 5o woman could slee while Luca was around0 From behind her bundle of bedco#ers, she became acutely aware of the warm erfume rising from her body. Beth's dream had seduced her into e+ ecting a real"life encounter. 1hen Luca added back, she was ready. She dro ed her defence and acce ted him into her arms. *is body enfolded her. )hey fitted together erfectly, as always. .Let me warm you, carissima.' *is u ils were huge. & smile began laying around his li s, teasing her almost beyond endurance. &s he held her against his body she could feel he was as hysically aroused as she was. She could hardly breathe with the e+citement of it all. *er alms were dam , but she didn't care. She was in Luca's arms, and nothing else mattered. !f only this moment could go on for e#er)he sus ense was wonderful and terrible at the same time. 1ould he walk away from her again2 1ould he stay2 &ll the uns oken %uestions beaded her lashes. *is hands swe t u to cu her head. &nd when he kissed her all her doubts and fears seemed a million miles away. CHAPTER NINE )*$!R kiss was ten thousand times better than her wildest dreams. *e o#erwhelmed her, and Beth was only too willing. 1aking from her fantasy, she found that reality e+ceeded it. 1hen Luca broke contact with her li s, he only sto ed kissing her for long enough to murmur< .Beth-cara-tesoro-how ha#e ! managed to resist you for so long2' *is #oice had the husky de th of a testosterone rush. Beth knew she had to make a gesture for the sake of her self"esteem, but it could be nothing more than a token. )he only barrier remaining between them was her fear of re(ection. !t was going to fall any second. )hen her heart, soul and mind would be wide o en for Luca to do e+actly as he wanted. .;ou took a risk, Luca,' she whis ered, almost shyly. .*ow did you know ! wouldn't scream blue murder2' *e threaded her golden hair through his fingers, caressing her. .;ou looked totally irresistible. *ow could you e+ ect me to turn and walk away from such tem tation, laid out before me2 &nd we both know from e+ erience e+actly how good things can be between us. )he need to be adored is so strong in you, it can't be hidden by anything else.' )he smoky %uality of his accent thickened to the te+ture of wild Maccia honey< rich, sweet and
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html full of the memory of summer. Beth knew his touch came at a rice, but she no longer cared. )he same wisdom that made her des erate for him also warned she would be nothing more than his ne+t con%uest. Still she could not resist. She would only be the latest in a long line. She had known that from the moment she'd seen him again. *e makes lo#e to them all, but lo#es none of them. /etting into his bed will be no real trium h for me, she thought bleakly. !t will be se+ layed as a game to his rules, as always. *e mo#ed against her, making no attem t to hide the ridge of his masculinity. Beth found it im ossible to concentrate on anything else. 1ith a su erhuman effort, she managed to murmur something to remind them of the lea they were about to take. .But you're the managing director of Francesco Fine &rts. !'m only your tem orary 3&. )his must break e#ery rule in the book4' she managed faintly. Luca was unfa,ed. .!t's my com any. !'m the one who makes the rules,' he said smoothly. .! want you, Beth, right here and now. &nd !'m going to ha#e you.' 1here she could think only of lo#e, she new he focussed on sensations. &nd yet-She had been yearning for his touch constantly for fi#e years. )his would be a way of e+ eriencing it, one last time. *ere was a chance to reca ture e#erything life could be, if only she could grab the moment. But my heart will always want so much more-she thought. She tried to swallow and s eak, but her mouth was dry. Luca aused, but only until he realised Beth was in no state to re ly. )hen he continued, in a #oice soft with seduction. .)his was bound to ha en in the end, carissima. )here is no need to fight it.' *e arched his eyebrows in silent in#itation and, as always, was in no mood to wait. *e lundered another incredible kiss, and her final defences crumbled. She was all his. *er smooth, cur#aceous lu+ury was soft beneath his hands. *e had cra#ed this for so long, after sending her away from Balacha. 5o woman had come close to satisfying him since then. 5o woman could match Beth, either in tem tation or erformance. )here could be none better. *e'd ro#ed it to himself do,ens of times, but until this moment she had been nothing but a ainful memory to him. 5ow she was here in his arms again, he could ut reality to the ultimate test. Surely she could ne#er be as good in bed as he remembered2 )his one emotionless burst of lust was calculated to satisfy his body, while easing his mind. )heir kiss after the arty had ro#ed he could still resist her if he wanted to, but right now he didn't want to. *e was determined to ha#e his way with her one last time. )hen he could get on with his life. *e would cleanse himself of Beth 1oodbury.
Beth's mind was in free fall. &ll her worries had #anished under the ressure of his first, mind" altering kiss. 5ow he was in com lete control of her body. She was in hea#en. *is fingers ran o#er her skin, setting light to e#ery ner#e ending. She tingled with antici ation, willing him to fly her higher, to a lace where leasure became almost too much to bear. She ressed her naked body against his clothed one, re#elling in the friction of his cotton shirt and leather belt against her skin. .! thought you would ne#er ask for this,' she breathed. .;ou should know by now ! take what ! want. ! don't need to ask.' *e clam ed one hand on her bottom while the other fastened on her shoulder. She was inned to him like a butterfly, ri,ed by a collector. .5ot that you're utting u much resistance,' he growled into her hair. ./o on, fight me if you dare.' *is laughing challenge ins ired her. &rching her back, Beth twisted in his gras . *e was not about to let her go, and they wrestled with a kiss full of the fierce (oy of life. Lissom as a seal, she brought her body u , tem ting him to lift her off the ground. .5o4onto the bed,' he ordered. 1aiting until she settled ro#ocati#ely on the s un silk of the du#et, he eased his body down ne+t to hers. )hen his kisses consumed her with fire, teasing her face and neck before encircling her breasts with a million stars of arousal. 1ith a cry her head fell forward, her golden hair cascading and mingling with his ra#en wa#es as she curled her body around his and dug her fingers into the fine white fabric beneath his shirt. )he cotton hissed as she dragged her nails across it in an ecstasy of delight. .3lease4)ake it off,' she moaned, scrabbling to try and ush her hands u beneath it. )he crushing ressure of Luca's alms sto ed her. .!'m the one who decides when to do that,' his #oice rumbled softly. 1ith one hand he grabbed the remote control for the curtains from her bedside table. & single keystroke sent the green #el#et dra es swishing o#er the windows. Beth's room was transformed into a shadowy alace of secrets. Only a little sunlight filtered through, gi#ing the room an air of underwater mystery. 8ro ing the remote, Luca began using both hands on her again. /ently a reciating her with the ti s of his fingers, he stroked e#ery inch as though her delicate skin held the romise of eaches. She re#elled in his attention until the need to e+ erience his body got the better of her. She reached for the buttons of his shirt but his hands dro ed o#er hers, crushing them again. .5o. !t's you who ! want to be naked in this bed,' he murmured. *is breath hissed with su ressed se+uality. !n seconds, her fingers loosened his belt. *e was already hot and hard beneath her hands. 1hen
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html she worshi ed him with the warm insistence of her mouth, he res onded with a moan wrenched from the #ery core of his being. *is fingers traced the outline of her face, lingering o#er the soft leasure of her li s. She mo#ed, and caught his thumb between her teeth. 5ibbling her way along the skin at the side of his hand, she reached the soft s rinkling of dark hair beginning at his wrist. !t held the sweet fragrance of his body and she aused to inhale as Luca rolled on to of her. *e knew how much she en(oyed the weight of him bearing down on her. 1ith a fierce kiss of ossession he com ressed the hardness of his body against hers. She res onded, ushing u wards to caress the most delicate arts of her body against him. Feeling her arousal grow, he di ed his head and took the eak of her ni le between his teeth, gra,ing it gently until she shuddered with antici ation. *er hands swe t down to gri his hi s. &s she held him he rolled again, ulling her o#er on to of him so he could carry on caressing her bottom in the way she lo#ed. Beth was hungry for his body. She wanted to sa#our it in e#ery way. She swi#elled her body around so she could ay more attention to his towering maleness. )here was nothing Luca lo#ed more than the sensation of her tongue laying o#er him, her kisses teasing him into a thrashing fren,y of arousal. .5obody does this as well as you-! was so wrong to think they could.' *e sighed. Suddenly, e#erything was right between them, and always should ha#e been. Beth felt the familiarity of his lust while he re#elled in her willingness. )he tem erature rocketed, their bodies twining and dancing in white"hot desire. First she caressed him with her hair, twining its silken softness around him until he moaned with leasure. 1hen he could not stand it any more, he caught her shoulders and ulled her u the length of his body. She was as light as air, but the effect of his erection nu,,ling against the soft warm folds of her femininity was too much for them both. 1ith a surge of ecstasy their bodies united. Swe t along in an eternity of desire, they rode the tidal wa#e of need together. Luca e+haled and ushed his hand into the glory of her hair, twining it through his fingers. !t was what he always used to do. Beth's smile faded. )hose fi#e ainful years di#ided them. )heir worlds had been s inning a art for all that time. She had lost her only chance to lo#e, and he had s ent the time disco#ering new leasures with do,ens of other women. She knew that much from office gossi . )here had been no one else for Beth, and ne#er would be. )he last wa#es of leasure la ing through her body were stilled by the knowledge this was the #ery last time she would e+ erience such hysical satisfaction. 5o man came within a million miles of Luca. !f she could not ha#e him, then she was doomed to li#e her life alone. She des erately wanted to ut her arms around him now and hold him close for these last few moments together. !t was im ossible. *e was sure to mistake the gesture. *e would think she was trying to cling onto him. )hat would send him lea ing out of her bed, and Beth wanted to treasure e#ery ossible second of his resence. !t was so sad to think that kee ing her hands off Luca at a time like this was the only way to kee him at her side. &ny tiny gesture of affection might re el him. 8isa ointment and desire esca ed from Beth in one long sigh. .!t's such a shame to think we'll ne#er e+ erience any of this again, Luca.' *e sto ed stroking her hair. /radually, his hand rested a little more weight against the side of her head. &nd a little more-She held her breath. 1hen he re lied, his #oice did not ha#e its
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html usual brisk edge. .Beth, what we'#e (ust e+ erienced was far too good to waste.' 3u,,led, she raised herself u on one elbow and looked into his face. *e reacted with a wry smile. .On this tri , Beth, ! want you in my bed e#ery night.' Beth could hardly belie#e what she was hearing. *e might not be gi#ing her his heart, but (ust being close to him was something. .;ou mean-we can do this again2' .Of course.' She could ha#e kissed him, but did not dare. She made herself count to ten, slowly. )hen she added another ten, des erate not to sound too keen. !n Balacha she had made the mistake of gi#ing him an ultimatum4marriage or nothing. O#er the inter#ening years she had cross" e+amined herself a thousand times, trying to work out where it had all gone wrong. $#entually, she realised Luca was like a wild stallion. )o tell him he must be ro ed and tied by marriage had been so wrong. !f she'd used a different a roach back then, they might ne#er ha#e arted. &s they lay together in today's soft shadows, she began to wonder. &fter all she had done, might there still be a chance for them2 !f she could manage to treat all this as casually as Luca, he might realise she had changed. *e could become curious enough to care, des ite the mess she had made of e#erything in the ast. !f Beth could con#ince him she didn't want to tie him down, he might realise commitment didn't need to be stifling. But it would mean kee ing her des erate need for him under total control. Beth ached to nestle further into his touch, but she was so afraid he might take it the wrong way. !nstead, she rolled off his body and backed against the warm security of him. *e res onded by encircling her with his arms. She smiled into her illow, but did not mo#e. .;ou must be the second luckiest erson in the world, after me,' she murmured to herself, and he laughed. .*ow do you make that out2' She twisted out of his arms and sat u , ama,ed. .;ou ha#e e#erything0 & beautiful home in the centre of 3aris, a ala,,o, a artments, ri#ate (ets and limousines4what else could anyone ossibly want2' .;ou'd be sur rised.' *e eased himself onto his back and lay watching her as she found her discarded dressing gown, ulled it on and flicked her hair out from inside its collar. .For instance4if you could ha#e anything at all in the world, Beth, what would it be2'
She had to get off the bed. )here was only one answer to that %uestion, and it was too ainful to think about while she was so close to him. &ll she wanted was his lo#e, and he didn't ha#e any to gi#e her. .1ell-it would ha#e to be a home of my own,' she said at last. .;ou'#e got one4Rose 6ottage.' .5o. !'m only a tenant there,' she said without thinking, and then bit her tongue. )elling him was a mistake, but she had gone too far to sto now. Luca was bound to robe, so she got in first with her e+ lanation. .)he house belongs to my uncle. Since 8ad died, !'#e been li#ing there under sufferance. &lthough the family is far too olite to say it, they want me out so the old lace can be sold.' Beth frowned, annoyed with herself. She had meant to kee that from Luca, in case he thought she was asking for hel . She went o#er to the dressing table and icked u her brush. Running it through the thick waterfall of her blonde hair, she could see Luca reflected in the glass, o#er her shoulder. *e looked concerned, rather than angry. !t sur rised her. .! thought you'd be horrified if ! told you, Luca, but it doesn't seem to bother you at all.' .8o you want me to buy the house for you2' .6ertainly not0' 6olour flared in her cheeks. She whirled around to confront him, but he was laughing. .5o, ! don't belie#e you'd acce t it from me as a gift0' *e nodded. .8on't say you're coming around to my way of thinking4that ro erty has no meaning, other than as a lace to li#e2' Beth shook her head. .;ou know !'#e ne#er seen it like that. *ouses are somewhere to ut down roots, to settle and stay. )hat's why !'d really lo#e to design my own home, so once ! mo#ed in !'d ne#er ha#e to lea#e again.' 1hen she said that, he frowned. She turned back to the dressing table, and heard a faint ras ing sound as he ran his thumb backwards and forwards o#er his chin. .!'d ne#er thought of a house like that. But it brings me back to my oint4! might ha#e ri#ilege, Beth, but ! can no more li#e where ! like than-your %ueen can, for e+am le. ! inherited the ala,,o in Venice, and this a artment was bought to ser#e a ractical ur ose, not a whim. !t's a rock"solid in#estment in the best art of town. )he fact my clients are s eechless when ! in#ite them here is a bonus. 1hether or not it's where ! would choose to li#e ne#er featured in my decision to buy it.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Beth was curious now. .So where would you like to li#e, if you had a com letely free choice2' *e stretched la,ily, a sable cat in a sli#er of e#ening sunlight as it slid through a ga between the closed curtains. .)here is no oint in considering a %uestion like that. ! ha#e no choice. ! must li#e in the 3ala,,o Francesco, and that is all there is to it.' *e ulled her illow o#er to his side of the bed and ro ed himself u on it. .But tell me about your dream home. ;ou really would not want to buy Rose 6ottage2' .;es, of course ! would, but the real fantasy is to ha#e so much money ! could kee my old home and build a better one, with all the mistakes of centuries ironed out.' .! like the idea.' *e smiled. .Rose 6ottage certainly has its share of roblems. So you will make sure your ne+t house has lumbing that doesn't gurgle and bang all night, kee ing your guests awake2' .Most definitely. &nd it will be a totally mouse" roof ,one, too.' .But with lenty of room for your horses.' Beth ut down her hairbrush and went into the dressing room of her suite. Finding something to wear for dinner ga#e her a chance to hide her ain from Luca as she s oke. .Sasha and Fo+y ha#e been sold. Before ! got the (ob as Ben's 3&, ! had a lot of tem orary ositions. 1hen ! was away from home, ! couldn't gi#e them the attention they deser#ed. )hey lo#e eo le so much, it seemed fairer to let them go to a lace where they would get lenty of e+ercise and be s oiled rotten at the same time.' .But you lo#ed them.' .Lo#e isn't always enough. Sometimes it's better to let go and kee your distance,' Beth murmured. She had learned to set e#erything free. $#erything4e+ce t for the memory of Luca. $ach time Beth and Luca made lo#e it was better than the last. She had thought their e+ eriences in Balacha were unbeatable, but this outshone it. Luca was like an a#alanche, o#erwhelming her at e#ery turn. *e took her body with an urgency unusual e#en for him. Beth was %uite ha y to let him set the ace. 5owhere was safe from him. )he only thing taking recedence o#er his body was her studies. Beth soon learned to hide her art te+tbooks when she heard his footste s. !f Luca thought he was going to interru t her work, he would go off and distract himself with business. )o Beth's delight, Luca announced their time in 3aris would be e+tended. *e arranged e#erything. &ndria was to mo#e into Ben's office while they were away. She could (ust about
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html manage to kee him under control, while being ke t in touch with Luca's diary at the same time. )his ut Beth's mind at rest, and she was grateful. !n the inter#als when Luca abandoned her for the city, she had disco#ered a real thirst for knowledge. !t was no hardshi to fill her few s are hours with #isits to the contacts Luca made for her. She was learning a lot about the art business. But she was also learning a lot about herself. *er father had su orted her for so long, and then there had been her dreams of becoming a career wife. &ll that was behind her now. 5ow she had lans for real inde endence. For the first time, she realised she could become a success in her own right. She could not wait to ut all her lessons into ractice. !t was (ust as well she ke t herself busy. $#ery time she sto ed thinking about work, her mind was drawn back to how %uickly she would lose Luca again. *e ke t stressing this was a tem orary arrangement. Beth nodded when he said it, e#en though the idea was unbearable for her. So each time tears of regret began to threaten, she ulled herself away from him and headed for her desk. )here, she lunged back into her te+tbooks. Filling her mind hel ed to dull her ain. CHAPTER TEN !) 1&S all Beth could e#er need. Luca wanted her more than e#er. 1ork always came first, but he made lenty of time for lay. For the ne+t few days she was in a whirl of hysical and mental arousal. 1hen he had satisfied her body, he went on to stimulate her mind. She was in hea#en. She could s end e#ery waking moment with him. Better still, her work as his 3& was actually managing to change him4for the better. .1hat time is it, Beth2' .)wenty minutes later than it was when you last asked me.' *e sto ed studying one of da Vinci's #irgins and looked at her with a glint in his eye.
.&t least you'#e cured me of needing a time check e#ery thirty seconds.' Beth walked o#er to a bench. Sitting down, she swung her bag onto her la and took out a bottle of mineral water. .*ere you go. !t's almost time to consult that mysterious code in your organiser again.' Luca strolled o#er and sat beside her. )aking a small container from his inside ocket, he ta ed a cou le of small white ills into the alm of his hand. *e acce ted the drink she offered. .Originally, ! thought it was women. But now ! know differently,' she said. 1atching him grimace as he took the tablets, she frowned too. .! wish you'd tell me what you take them for, Luca.' .;ou don't need to know, cara.' *e frowned, his e+ ression guarded. *e was soon smiling again.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .!n any case4what sort of a 3& are you, if you ha#en't noticed !'m not taking so many ills now, or so often2' he teased. .& olite and discreet one,' Beth countered, tucking the bottle of water back into her bag. .$+ce t when you're about to make yourself late for your ne+t a ointment0' Luca could be as discreet as Beth, but e#eryone must ha#e known about their affair. 5o lift needed to sto between floors that often, but none of the staff e#er made any comment. .;ou're sad to lea#e2' Luca noticed as he settled beside her in the Mercedes for their return tri to the air ort. *e lo#ed dri#ing, and often dismissed his chauffeur for the chance to get behind the wheel himself. .3aris is a wonderful city. !t's been so long since ! had any sort of holiday, and working through it from the Lou#re to the flea markets made me see the lace in a com letely different way. 5ot to mention all the bursts of e+citement in between-' )hey shared a smile, but Luca was %uick to become serious again. .;es, but there's something else. ! can see it in your face, Beth.' *e leaned in towards her, sliding his hand down her arm to take her hand. .;ou are too ale. !s it because you didn't get much slee last night2' Beth smiled and shook her head. !t was true she felt tired, but nothing would ha#e made her admit it to him. She knew from now on she had to kee ace with Luca. )he threat of being re laced in his life by the ne+t willing woman tortured her all the time. .;our #isits are ne#er a roblem, Luca. ! only wish ! could ersuade you to stay with me all night.' She sighed, meshing her fingers with his. .!t can't be rela+ing for you, getting u to go back to your own suite e#ery night. ;ou don't need to do it. ! know better than to make any claim on you. !t would gi#e you a com lete night's rest, too.' .8on't worry about me,' he assured her. .!n any case, !'m not due to go into the office until tomorrow.' Raising his hand, he carefully brushed a stray strand of blonde hair back from her brow. .;ou ha#e some time off2 But according to your schedule4' Beth looked away and began scrabbling for her bag, but he caught her chin and turned her face to his again. .! cancelled,' he whis ered. *is #oice was like melted milk chocolate. .! thought we could try a little e+tra rest and recreation in the bridal suite this afternoon.' Leaning forward, he ga#e her a long, slow kiss. &nd it took Beth's breath away. .But4but ! thought this arrangement of ours was only lasting for as long as our tri -' she said faintly.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .!t will last for as long as ! want it to,' he murmured, kissing her again. Beth's hand went to his hair. .5ow we are back in Venice, you will sign a new, ermanent contract with Francesco Fine &rts. )hat will gi#e you financial security for as long as you want to go on working here. ;ou're a good student and ! can't take the risk of you flouncing out at a moment's notice. &s a fully contracted staff member of Francesco Fine &rts, you'll be able to a ly for formal courses to broaden your e+ erience. &lthough ! ho e you won't ob(ect if ! continue some of your education myself-' *is hand slid u to caress the smooth skin between her stocking and anties. Beth closed her eyes. !n 3aris, she had been o#ercome by a hysical need for him so strong it had scattered all her guilt and fear in an ecstasy of desire. But now she wondered whether things were going too far. )he rational art of her brain said she ought to ut an end to e#erything now, before he found someone else and hurt her yet again.&re you all right, Beth2 !t isn't like you to be so %uiet.' She o ened her eyes. *e shot her a look of concern that was an echo of his #oice. !t sur rised her. .;es4!'m fine, thanks. !t's (ust that-! don't want you to be accused of fa#ouritism, Luca. 5ow se+ is back in the e%uation, !'m not sure how to react when ! get back to the office.' .Se+4so that's all it is for you, this time around2' Luca icked u on the word straight away. *is e+ ression hardened, challenging her to deny it. Beth felt adrenalin flood through her #eins in a tingle of danger. & warning note in his #oice alerted e#ery ner#e in her body. .! thought this was su osed to be a fresh start for us, Luca. 1e agreed to forget the ast.'
.;es, but the ast has a way of forcing itself to the front of my mind now we're lo#ers again, tesoro.' .;ou are your own man, Luca. ;ou always ha#e been. 1hy should ! be looking to in you down now, when we'#e been there, done that and suffered all the conse%uences2' .&nd ! ha#e the scars to ro#e it,' Luca growled. *e ulled away from her. Settling back in the dri#ing seat, he started the car. *e did not need to watch Beth running her fingers through her hair or fiddling with her clothes to realise she was uneasy. She might be saying one thing, but Luca's #ery male instincts told him she was thinking %uite the o osite. .!t's in your nature to seek commitment, Beth. ;ou come from a fine $nglish family. ;our
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html eo le are e+ ected to su ress all their emotions in fa#our of making a good marriage.' *e set out the truth as he saw it. .;ou know from e+ erience ! won't be forced into a relationshi , and you're not sure you can go through all that again.' She leaned her head against the assenger window of the car. )here was no oint in trying to deny it. .! can't change the ast, Luca. &ll ! can do is try and influence the future.' .&nd you can only do that if ! let you.' !t was the fear she had ne#er dared to face. 5ow he was making her confront it. .! know ! can't e+ ect anything from you, Luca. !t would ser#e me right if you ended u treating me as badly as ! treated you, that night back in Balacha.' .Re#enge is not what ! am after,' he stated firmly. .&nd this is nothing like a one"night stand.' &fter a ause, she found the courage to come out with something she had wanted to tell him for a long time. )here might ne#er be another chance to o en her heart, so she had to do it now. .! was ne#er really unfaithful to you, Luca. )here was nothing hysical between )ristram and me. But ! had to choose between loneliness with you, and a sym athetic ear from him. ! could either s end my life fore#er waiting for you, or acce t second best. Back then, a man who ne#er tra#elled further than the office coffee machine looked like the better bet for a 9normal: life.' .;ou always deser#ed better, Beth,' Luca said brus%uely, a earing to concentrate on the traffic rather than her. ;es, but that was then and this is now, Beth thought, feeling an agony of tears build u behind her eyes. .But you ha#e set yourself free from all that now, free to fly with me for a while,' his #oice interru ted her thoughts %uietly. .! always tried to get you to cast off con#ention. )his arrangement of ours has ro#ed you're willing to try, Beth. ;ou are right4you ha#e changed. )he first time ! saw you walk into the e+ecuti#e lounge of FF&, my heart went black and cold. ! thought you were the same girl who referred weddings to work. But seeing what you ha#e become has taught me something about myself.' *e sto ed, and she saw his knuckles whiten as he gri ed the steering wheel. She braced herself for a shock. 1hen it came, it was far more of a sur rise than she could ha#e imagined. .!'#e disco#ered ! ha#e a weakness. !t's for you, Beth. !t always has been. ! know that now.' Beth was so ama,ed she could not s eak. *e shot a glance across the car's interior, laughing at her confusion.
.So why don't we forget all about commitment, and fly together for a while longer2' )hey connected4and for a fraction of a second it was an almost s iritual moment. )heir minds came together4but then he had to switch his attention back to the road. Beth had no distraction. *er mind could absorb his words while her body re#elled in the thought of ha#ing first call on him, for at least a little while longer. *er reaction s read to Luca. Out of the corner of his eye he saw she was mo#ing in the seat beside him. *er hands o ened and closed in a hel less gesture, as though she did not know what he wanted her to say. )iny wordless sounds came from her beautiful, in#iting mouth. .;ou don't need to answer straight away, Beth, unless the answer is no,' he said in a #oice low with feeling. Bust the nearness of him had an effect on her? it was all she could do to restrain herself. *e was talking about swee ing her off to aradise. 1hen Luca was in#ol#ed, it could be nothing less. !n su ressing a moan of desire, she rocked forward in her seat and her eyes closed momentarily. 1hen she o ened them again, her ga,e connected with Luca's in a s ark of recognition. 1ordlessly, he reached across the central console of the automatic car and took her hand. !f he was honest with himself he had sto ed being interested in casual se+ the moment Beth had walked back into his life, but could he ut the ast behind them2 )heir clas ed hands hung together for a moment as he fought the im ulse to draw her fingers towards his body. 1ith growing e+citement, Beth saw he was as aroused as she was. )he formality of the black linen business suit and stockings she always wore while tra#elling felt far too constricting. 3erfectly attuned to the sound of her silken underwear brushing against the lining of her skirt, Luca's hormones almost got the better of him. .Sit still0' he commanded with a glint in his eye. .!t's hard enough trying to kee my mind on the road as it is.' )his was the oint of no return. Beth had to risk her heart, throwing it out to him in the ho e he would catch it. 1hether he ke t it safe, or merely tormented it, hardly mattered any more. .)hen why don't you turn off the road right now, Luca2' she whis ered. .5o-' *e stretched the word out with relish. *is attention might ha#e switched back to the road, but his hand had fallen into her la . *e was gently caressing the cur#e of her thigh through her thin skirt. .1hat ! ha#e in mind for you needs s ace and time. ! am going to kiss you all o#er, tesoro, from the ti s of your toes to the ti s of your fingers, and e#erywhere in between.' She moaned again. .Luca, sto -! can't wait-' *e smiled, and ressed his foot to the accelerator. .&nd neither can !. Let's get home.'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html 1hen they got to the ala,,o, Luca took her straight u stairs to the bridal suite. )here he made lo#e to her with a relish that closed o#er her like the night. &fterwards, they lay together in the afterglow caressing each other gently. Beth wanted the moment to last for e#er. She stretched out in the huge warm lu+ury of the double bed. .)onight's e+ erience has been better than anything !'#e known in my whole life,' she whis ered, rela+ing into the warm security of his arms. .For the first time it felt as though you weren't holding anything back, Luca. ! thought !'d sacrificed the chance to be ha y like this.' *e did not re ly. 1ith a smile, Beth realised he had drifted off to slee . So she whis ered, .! ne#er imagined ! could e+ erience actually being lo#ed by you like that, but here ! am.' She woke in darkness, but still in a dream. For the first time, Luca had stayed beside her into the darkness. 7ntil now, he had always left her shortly after se+. )he most he e#er did was do,e for a few minutes, with her in his arms. )hen he would lea#e her. Slee ing together all night would make things too ermanent, he said. *e always made a oint of going back to his own bed. 7nable to bear the thought of him lea#ing her this time, Beth made herself stay awake. &ll she wanted to do was snuggle into him, but she resisted the tem tation. )he moment he tries to lea#e, !'ll ask him to stay, she thought. But Luca sle t on. )onight, unlike other occasions when she had seen him with his eyes closed, he looked totally at eace. *is breathing was slow and regular. 1hen he mo#ed, it was only to mould his body closer to hers. Luca sle t so dee ly that e#entually Beth's mind began to lead her astray. 1hen she checked the small tra#el clock on her bedside table, she saw it was almost four o'clock in the morning. *e ne#er stayed this late in any bed. &n early riser, he s ent the hours before work in his gym, or the length ool. *e would robably wake at any moment, ready to swing into his morning routine. & frisson of e+citement dared Beth to do something reckless. 1hat if she antici ated him2 She could cree away and sli into his bed. 1hen Luca woke, he would think she had gone into her own bathroom, and lea#e without disturbing her. But there would be a sur rise waiting for him, back in his own room0 Smiling, she eased her way out from within the rotection of his arms. 5ot taking her eyes off him, she reached for her robe and ulled it on before adding out into the silent corridor. )he door to his suite was not locked. Beth walked in, breathing dee ly. Masculine fragrances of sandalwood and cy ress filled his rece tion area. &lert to e#ery sound, she sto ed once or twice on the way through to his bedroom. $#ery creak, e#ery rustle made her look back o#er her shoulder, but she was still alone. 1ithout switching on the light, she crossed to the shadowy rectangle of his bed. 3ulses ounding, she launched herself onto it with a gas of delight, but a sudden rattle and crash almost made her heart sto . She had knocked his bedside table, sending e#erything on it clattering to the floor. She fro,e, e+ ecting somebody to rush in and confront her. 5othing ha ened. )he loudest sound in the room came from her thundering heart. &fter waiting for it to steady, she started
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html gro ing for the bedside light. Blinking in its glare, she saw a confusion of things lying on the floor where they had fallen. )here was a small black bo+, a fold of a er, and what she took to be a large coin. 6limbing off the bed, she knelt to see if she had done any damage. !t was not a coin. !t was a medal. Reading the details engra#ed on the re#erse, Beth disco#ered it had been awarded to Luca for e+treme bra#ery. 7nfolding the sheet of a er, she disco#ered what he had done to deser#e it. )he first shock was the date mentioned in the citation. !t was the same day she left Balacha for the last time. She read on with growing horror. 8es ite terrible in(uries, Luca had gone into a burning building to sa#e one of the rebel soldiers. !t must ha#e ha ened straight after he iled me onto the last lane to lea#e the airfield, she thought. & lace he fought to kee o en, so she could sur#i#e. *er last image of that terrible time was the sight of Luca, lunging back into the firestorm she was lea#ing behind. $#erything fell into lace. *er blood ran cold. *e must still be suffering from the in(uries he recei#ed that night. !t was why he was on medication. &t their first meeting in the e+ecuti#e lounge, Beth had been shocked by his ale, drawn face. She had seen the agony in the e+ ressions he tried so hard to hide. .! ne#er wanted you to see that.' Beth (um ed #iolently. !t was Luca. *e had entered the room %uietly, and she hadn't heard him. )he sound of his #oice sur rised her so much the resentation bo+ almost hit the floor again. )errified, she looked o#er her shoulder. *e was silhouetted in the doorway, one hand resting lightly on its frame. 1hen he did not shout or rush forward she realised he was disa ointed, rather than angry. .1hy didn't you tell me about all this, Luca2' she said softly. .! didn't want it to make a difference. ;ou might ha#e seen me differently.' Beth didn't know whether to be relie#ed or worried by his calm acce tance. .But it would ha#e e+ lained such a lot0 &bout those tablets you take, for a start, and ! imagined all sorts of awful things when you said you'd left the army. !t ne#er once occurred to me you might ha#e been in#alided out.' .So, now you know.' .;es. ;es, ! do4and do you know what2 ;ou were right. !t does make a difference to the way ! feel about you. & #ery big difference.' She ut the medal back in its bo+, and re laced it on his bedside table. )hen she turned to him, and ut all her dee est ho es and dreams on the line.
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .)here's a art of your life you want to kee to yourself. )hat must be why we'#e always made lo#e in my bed, ne#er yours. &nd it e+ lains why you'#e ne#er really let me touch you. &ll !'#e e#er wanted is to feel your warm skin against mine. !t e+ lains why the lights are always low, or you'#e ke t my hands off your body. 1hy you won't stay the night in my bed. ! thought you wouldn't let anyone close because ! had wrecked your mind. 5ow ! realise what ! did to you must ha#e wrecked your body, as well.' *e shook his head. .!t wasn't all down to you, Beth. ! had a choice about that.' *e nodded towards the medal in its #el#et"lined bo+. .!s it #ery bad2' she said %uietly. .Bad enough.' *e sighed, and walked o#er to the bed. Sitting down on it slowly, he leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs. .&lthough the headaches are easing off at last.' .!s that what the tablets are2 3ainkillers2' .Some of them4others are to com ensate for s ending my life stuck in an office,' he finished grimly. .)hat must be why you ha#en't needed to take so many since we went to 3aris. )he ressure wasn't so bad, away from Venice.' .;es-! su ose so,' he said.
.So why do you carry on doing a (ob you hate2' Beth challenged him. *e looked at her intently. .Because so many eo le de end on me.' .! don't.' Still on her knees, Beth worked her way o#er to where he sat, and reached u to ut her arms around his neck. 1hen he turned to her, she leaned her head against his. .Once !'#e learned all ! can from you, ! shall be off, Luca. ;ou won't need to fret !'m getting too attached to you. )hat's one worry off your list, at least. ! shall soon be off to $ngland to make my fortune in the anti%ues trade4ha, ha,' she added with irony. .;ou're really determined to do it2' Beth found she could not meet his eyes. Mo#ing her head slightly, she buried her face in his hair. She was trying to swallow her des erate need to hear him say the words don't go. .;es.' She managed to sound firm, but she was dying inside. .!'#e always romised !'ll ne#er need to rely on you again, after this. &lthough-if you e#er feel like telling Francesco Fine &rts where to go, !'ll in#ite you to $ngland and you can be my gigolo, instead.' *e ut his arm around
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html her waist and ulled her close. .;ou,' he said with slow amusement, .ha#e a #ery #i#id imagination4' Beth nodded, unable to s eak .&nd a flair for this work ! ne#er sus ected,' he finished. .! ha#e to work, Luca. !t sto s me worrying about you4' She sto ed, a alled. !t was the worst ossible thing she could ha#e said to a man who #alued his inde endence abo#e e#erything else. For a s lit second they stared at each other. )eetering on the boundary between ast and resent, Beth waited for him to brush off the comment, but it didn't ha en. &ll she could do was correct herself as fast as she could. .! mean4it sto s me worrying about whether !'m going to be able to ay off my father's debts before you sack me for tres assing in your bedroom, Luca,' she said in a rush, and then tried to laugh. .!'m glad you're not worried about me.' *e eased away from her, and stood u . .Because !'m fine.' .&s long as you are.' She clambered off the bed, sensing it was time for her to go. .My mind started working o#ertime when you said you'd left the army. ! was beginning to wonder what horrible truths you were hiding from me, Luca.' .5othing that won't kee .' *e glanced at the clock on his mantel iece. .$s ecially as it's nearly time to start getting ready for work.' 5either of them mo#ed. $#entually, Beth could resist it no longer. Reaching out her hand, she laid it on the reassuring bulge of his bice . .!n that case-why don't you take a shower with me now, Luca2' she said im etuously. .1e always used to en(oy it so much.' )he room was dim, but she could still a reciate the look in his eyes. .So !'m su osed to start taking orders from you, am !2' he growled.
!t had no effect on Beth. She laughed softly. .Only this one4and, in any case, since when ha#e you taken any notice of orders2 ;ou were told not to take me to Balacha air ort that night, but you did. &fter that, you were told to retreat from the airstri , but you didn't, gi#ing our ilot time to get away. ;ou were under orders to sto
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html the rebels, but now ! see from the citation that you went inside the burning communications tower to sa#e one of them4' Luca kissed her into silence. .;ou know your trouble, Beth2 ;ou talk too much.' *e breathed against the silken skin of her neck. She chuckled again. .!'#e embarrassed you, and you don't e#en know what !'m going to say ne+t0' .*ow can it be any worse than what you'#e dug u already2' *e half smiled, but sto he saw the look in her eyes. .6ome on, Luca. ;ou used to lo#e getting me in the shower.' She looked at him steadily. *is reaction was like %uicksil#er. *e let her go and turned away. .5o.' .!t's because of what ha ened that night, isn't it2' She nodded towards the #el#et"lined bo+ on his bedside table. Beth walked around to face him. 7nconsciously, Luca s read one hand across the taut e+ anse of his tee shirt, drawing it backwards and forwards in an instincti#e gesture. .&ll the bits you'#e let me see so far ha#e been erfect, Luca.' She went closer. Lifting one hand, she began stroking his hair, and then his face. 1hen he did not sto her, she sli ed her other hand around to caress the small of his back. .!'m in your room. 5o one else can e#er ha#e got this far, or you wouldn't ha#e left your medal out on the table. 1hy not let me be the first one to go all the way with you, Luca2' She looked u at his face. *e had his eyes closed. Beth smiled, taking time to sa#our the ma(estic lines of his (aw and the dark swee of his lashes before she s oke again. .;ou don't need to hide anything any more, Luca. )o me, you're the most irresistible man on earth. &nd you always will be.' *e did not mo#e a muscle. 1ith a sigh, Beth leaned against him. &fter a while, she felt him rest his head against hers. )hey stood in silence. 5either could rela+. Beth was too conscious of his taut frame. She knew it was a tension held between her own hands, that only she could release. Sliding her fingers beneath the hem of his white shirt, she began caressing the skin beneath. She soon disco#ered why he was reluctant to stri right off. &t one time his chest and the small of his back had been com letely misted with soft dark hair. 5ow she could feel bare skin slashing it in ed when
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html se#eral laces. .8oes that hurt2' she whis ered to him as she touched the damage lightly, and felt him shake his head. )aking his hand, she started cautiously towards his bed. )o her delight, he followed. )hey lay down together in the darkness. Rolling his tee shirt u a little bit at a time, she kissed each centimetre she re#ealed. 1hen she reached his arm its, she sto ed. .!'#e always told you this thing gets in the way. 1hy don't you get rid of it now, Luca2' *e did not react immediately. For minutes on end they lay together in silence. )he rise and fall of his chest was the only mo#ement he made for a long time. )hen he sat u , ulled the tee shirt off o#er his head and threw it aside. Beth sat u , too. 6urling her body around his, she used her li s to test all the arts of him that he had ke t hidden from her until now. .;ou don't mind, Beth2' .1hen ha#e ! e#er minded kissing you2' *e made a strange noise, and she looked u shar ly. .Sorry, did that tickle2' .!'m not laughing.' .8o you want me to sto 2' .)here isn't much sensation in the scar tissue,' he began as she continued her gentle e+ loration of the ale streaks. .&lthough-that still feels good-' *e sighed into the silence. .Shall ! start running the shower, or will you2' She smiled between kisses. )he last taboo had been broached. )here were no secrets between them any more. )ime whirled ast for Beth as Luca taught and guided her during the day, and then took her to hea#en e#ery night. *is ride in what she was achie#ing at work was only matched by her res ect for his bra#ery. )hen one day Sil#ia the housekee er arri#ed for work in a worse mood than usual, and Beth lummeted back to earth with a crash. .5atale is less than a month away, so ! su ose signor will be cluttering u the house with a flock of guests as usual. Me4!'m e+ ected to guess, these days0 *e hasn't told me a single thing. *as he said anything to you2' )he housekee er ierced Beth with a glare. .5atale2' Beth recoiled from a bowl of yoghurt on the buffet and chose a ear and a glass of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html water for her breakfast instead. !t meant Luca would be teasing her again about her ra#enous a etite o#er dinner, but somehow she could ne#er face eating much for breakfast any more. .;ou know, the birthday of the baby Besus2' Sil#ia fla ed her hands as she translated her way through more com laints. .5ot that the seasons mean anything to anyone any more. Beccas ut u their window dis lay in October4!'m sur rised you ne#er noticed0' Beth hardly heard, because there was something else she hadn't noticed4and it was serious. 1hile Sil#ia grumbled on, Beth sifted through her handbag. *er diary was right at the bottom. /rabbing it, she flicked through its ages first backwards and then forwards. Recently, her stomach had been a bit delicate in the mornings. &s she began counting days, and then weeks, it shut down altogether. )here might be a #ery good reason for the #ague sym toms haunting her. 7nusual feelings had been ebbing and flowing through her for a while, but Beth had been managing to ignore them. 5ow she began utting two and two together4and it made for a disaster. She had been drinking nothing but mineral water for weeks. Both wine and coffee tasted odd to her now. She was always tired, and #eered from star#ing to %ueasy. She had been utting it all down to e+citement, and not enough slee . But now her diary was hinting something else. Because she hadn't seen a eriod since lea#ing $ngland. CHAPTER ELEVEN &S SOO5 as she could sneak away to a distant harmacy, Beth bought a regnancy"test kit. )he result was a formality, and e#erything fell into lace. !t e+ lained her e+haustion and the strange feelings she had been e+ eriencing. )he thought of carrying Luca's child made her heart bounce 4but only as high as the ceiling of reality. She would ha#e a ermanent reminder of Luca to cherish, but her e+citement was almost crushed by the thought of ha#ing to tell him. )his was totally un lanned and une+ ected. Beth had no idea how it could ha#e ha ened, but she knew e+actly how he would react. )ime after time, he'd made it crystal"clear he would ne#er be cornered into a relationshi . !t had taken so long for him to rela+ in her com any again5ews like this would destroy all his trust in her, once and for all. She had worked so hard to con#ince him she wasn't (ust another scheming woman, after his fortune. 5ow nature was doing her best to ro#e otherwise. Of all the things that could ha#e ha ened, this was the one guaranteed to turn Luca against her for e#er. Beth had tried to tra him into marriage once before. *e would ne#er belie#e this was a genuine accident. She sat alone in the rece tion room of her suite. Staring at the test result without seeing it, she wondered how she could ossibly break the news to him. !t would wreck the erfect little world they had created together o#er the ast weeks. )here were no secrets between them now4e+ce t this one, Beth thought ho elessly. Luca had shown her all the damage done to him, that last night in Balacha. 1ith e#erything out in the o en, she had been able to ease his mind that her lans for
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html the future didn't include hitching a free ride. She had shown him, too, that his hysical scars made no difference to her. Beth had always thought it would be im ossible for her to lo#e anyone else the way she lo#ed Luca. But as she sat there in her suite a subtle change started to cree o#er her. She lo#ed him (ust as much as e#er, yet owerful emotions built u as she thought of the new life growing inside her. *er baby was art of Luca. *e would hate it, but it was something she would rotect and nurture for as long as she li#ed. She closed her eyes, trying to make sense of e#erything. 1hen she o ened them again, the first thing she saw was the beautiful rug Luca had bought her in 3aris. !t was laid out in front of the rece tion room hearth, re lacing a far more e+ ensi#e anti%ue. !t's totally out of lace here, like me, Beth thought. She looked around the rooms that had been hers for such a short time. 1hen Luca hears about this, memories will be all ! ha#e, she told herself, trying to reli#e e#ery moment. She wanted them rinted on her mind for e#er. )his room was where she had made that first, tentati#e mo#e on him, the day he had first shown her around. *e had been rigid with scorn then. Only a few minutes ago she had left him stretched flat out in his own bed, fast aslee . *e looked totally rela+ed today, like a lion at rest. Beth had been able to kiss him and ruffle his hair, with no res onse. She stifled a sob. !t would be her last moment of intimacy with him. *e wouldn't want her now. )he more she tried to hold back her tears, the more ain rose u in her chest. !t threatened to burst out in a wail of anguish. $#ery second she s ent in this rose"scented hell made the agony worse. She had to get away. 6ramming a few things into a case, she ran downstairs and sli ed out into the dam , dark, early morning. Lea#ing the ala,,o meant losing Luca for e#er, but she owed it to his child to be strong, and do it. &ll her life she had e+ ected other eo le to take care of her. 5ow it was u to Beth to take res onsibility for something4her baby. Luca wouldn't want to su ort her, and she didn't intend cram ing his style. )hey had both been free s irits, once u on a time, but that was o#er for her. Beth had to ho e two things would e#entually soften the ain of losing Luca. One was the thought he would be able to go on li#ing this life he had chosen, without needing to worry about her. )he other idea that ke t Beth running was that she would be rotecting his unborn baby. 7ntil now, she had always managed to ass the res onsibility for her actions onto someone else. )hat time had assed. She knew it was far better to hide her heartache for e#er than to see it reflected e#ery day in Luca's face. Venice was already filling with wintry smells< weeds, water and sodden wood. Beth's tri to the air ort assed in a dismal, rain"s attered blur. $#en the sky is crying, she thought, dragging herself into the shelter of the air ort building. !t took her a long time to make any sense of the de arture information. *er mind was too full. &ll she could see was Luca's e+ ression, if he e#er found out about their child. She wanted to sa#e him that, but it was killing her.
She went o#er and o#er his warnings in her mind. *e ne#er wanted to be tied down. *e had enough commitments already. *e had no time for marriage. Beth had known all that from their earliest days together. 1hen their first relationshi had colla sed, she had accused Luca to his face of not being the marrying kind. *e had agreed. )his time around, she had signed u to his idea of an arrangement based on se+ without strings. &nd yet somehow, knowing what she knew and doing what she had done, she had still let this ha en0 Memories gouged ieces from Beth's heart. &s she aced around the de arture lounge dangerous thoughts began to form in her mind. She had been mad to walk away from him the first time. 3erha s regnancy had altered her state of mind again2 Luca was a roud man. 3erha s she should ha#e forced herself to tell him the truth from the first moment they had met at FF&. !f she had e+ lained straight away she had always lo#ed him, and wanted to stay with him for e#er, it might ha#e changed things. )he worst that could ha#e ha ened was that Luca threw her out straight away. !nstead, she had tried to hide it and they had grown closer once more, like new skin meshing across an o en wound. )his baby was sure to burst them a art again, with no ho e of any re air. $#er. Beth's heart began to ound, dragging her breath in great silent sobs. !f only she could o en her heart to Luca now, bloody and battered as it was4he might take ity on her. 1as it too much to ask2 She couldn't bear to think of the endless longing. *is unborn baby was the only thing she had left in the world. 1hat chance would the oor child ha#e if she turned her back on its father2 Only a little while ago, the thought of e+ osing her dee est feelings to Luca like this would ha#e been unthinkable. 5ow it was far too late. Beth knew she should ha#e done whate#er it took to kee him. But now she could ne#er go back. She would ne#er see him again4 .Beth2' 5obody s oke her name as beautifully as Luca did. !t was the last lace she e+ ected to hear his #oice, but it was unmistakable. She sto ed, and whirled round. )here he was. *is midnight"dark hair glistened with raindro s, and he was breathing fast as though he had been running. .Luca2' *is name whis ered from her li s, then (um ed out in a shout that turned e#ery head for metres around. .Luca0 1hat are you doing here2' .;ou forgot something.' )hey stared at each other. Say< Me0 ;ou forgot me0 Beth willed, but he didn't. !nstead, he tra ed her with the magnetism of his ga,e. *e watched her wordlessly for a long time, as he had done so often before. *e looked to be on the brink of making some great s eech, but no words came out. $#entually, he ut his hand in his ocket and ulled something out. *anding it to Beth, he waited for her to
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html su ly the words.
.!t's the necklace you made for me0' she said in ama,ement. .But4where did you find it2 ! thought that was long gone. ! tore it off and threw it away.' .!n Balacha, yes,' Luca said. .! icked it u .' Beth stared at him in wonder. .&nd you'#e ke t it safe for me, for all these years2 But-why wait until now to hand it back2' *is e+ ression hardened as she tucked the sou#enir away in her bag. *e looked around, and caught the attention of a uniformed man standing nearby. .3lease could you arrange for someone to retrie#e Miss 1oodbury's luggage2' he called. )he man grimaced. .)hat's not my (ob. Luggage is nothing to do with me. ;ou'll ha#e to4' .! am Luca Francesco, Managing 8irector of FF&.' Luca silenced him with deadly intent. .;ou will ha#e Miss 1oodbury's things loaded into my Mercedes immediately, or !'ll want to know why.' )he man blanched and scuttled away. Luca took hold of Beth's arm, and escorted her towards the e+it. .! don't like ulling rank, but this is a s ecial case. )he alternati#e is to ay bribes, which ! des ise.' *is face was im assi#e. .;ou are coming back home with me, Beth. 5ow.' *is words tore stri s from her heart. .Oh, Luca-!4! can't-' .1hy not2' .!4! need some time alone. ;ou'#e always been so keen on kee ing your inde endence. My time in Venice has made me realise how im ortant that is to you. !'#e started to feel ! need it too. $motional s ace is something neither of us will ha#e while we're both li#ing under the same roof.' !t was all lies. She had to gul down air to sto the truth screaming out. *e sto ed. *e looked her u and down. )hen he let go of her arm and began rowling around her. *is relentless dark eyes scrutinised her. Beth felt a shimmer of fear. 6ould he sense it wasn't only the hormones of desire fuelling her now2 8id she look different already2 .!'#e noticed you'#e been %uiet for a while,' he conceded. .But this running away is such a drastic mo#e4and so sudden. 1hy didn't you mention these feelings last night2' .)hey come and go.' *er #oice sank, like her s irits.
.But they were articularly bad, first thing this morning2 Bad enough for you to dro e#erything, abandon me and lea#e a letter on our breakfast table2' *is brows knitted together in a thunderous frown. *e must be about to guess. ! can't let him know0 Beth thought in a mad anic. Summoning u all the courage she had, and some she'd ne#er known she ossessed, she rose to his challenge. .5o-' Beth began hesitantly, but managing to say that single word ga#e her enough ner#e to look u at him directly again. .5o4actually, it was last night when ! decided we were getting too close.' & lum rose in her throat. She choked back her ain and battled on. .! ke t it to myself, ut a bra#e face on things and thought it all o#er. )hen ! got a good night's slee . )hings usually look better by daylight, but today, for me, they didn't. ! decided a clean break would be best for both of us. My idea was to cut out all the awful argument and agonising that went on in Balacha. But now you'#e followed me here, and s oiled e#erything. ! didn't want this, and neither should you. So let me go, Luca0' she finished defiantly. *e sto ed acing around her, and stood silent for a moment. !f Beth hadn't known better, she would ha#e thought he was cranking u the tension to see how much more she could take. 1as he determined to see her colla se in a tearful confession2 !t was starting to feel like that. Beth balled her hands into fists. 8igging her nails into her alms, she willed herself to be strong. She had to4for the sake of the little life growing between them. 1hile Luca scrutinised her Beth's eyes darted about, looking for the %uickest esca e route when he decided to release her from his ga,e. .5o. )hat e+ lanation doesn't con#ince me at all, Beth. 1hy do ! get the feeling you aren't being entirely honest with me2' *is e+ ression was fierce. *is li s were a narrow, angry line. She shrank beneath his stare. )hey stood in the middle of the concourse, two indi#iduals tra ed in time. Luca's watchful silence went on and on. &nd on. Beth felt a trickle of ers iration run down between her breasts. She knew how single"minded Luca could be. *e would stand there for as long as he thought she was hiding something from him. She had to get away. $#en if it meant losing one of the mementos of him she had been determined to kee . .&ll right. ;ou'#e beaten me again, Luca. ! confess.' She o ened her bag and took out a small, hea#y ob(ect care fully wra ed in tissue a er. .;ou'#e gi#en me back my necklace, so you ought to ha#e this in return.' *anding it o#er to him, she stood back, out of his reach, as he eeled back the ta e. .My Role+.' *efting the watch in his hand as though estimating its #alue, he shot a look at her.
*e shook his head, u,,led. .*ow did you get it back2' Beth rolled her li . .!t was ne#er lost. 1atching the street kids at work in Balacha taught me a lot. 1hile you were distracted at that crowded newsstand in 3aris, it was the easiest thing in the world to take it off your wrist.' She hung her head in shame. .;ou stole it2 But why2' .Luca, you were killing yourself0 ;ou were working too hard, and too stressed out to look after yourself ro erly4! had to sto you being such a sla#e to time. &nd it worked, didn't it2' *e smoothed down the front of his new suit, and considered what she'd said. *is tailor had been the first to notice the change in him, but now it was ob#ious to e#eryone. Luca had ut on some of the weight he had lost, he was s ending less on rescri tions, and his last health check had been nothing but a formality. *e couldn't remember the last time his back had sei,ed u , or he had been flattened by a migraine. )hat left more time for e+ercise, which in turn made him feel better about indulging occasionally. !t was something he had only (ust started doing again. So, yes, he had Beth to thank for all that. .!'m sorry ! stole your watch, Luca,' she muttered. .!t's been reying on my mind e#er since ! did it.' .But you didn't think to lea#e it behind with your note, when you left the ala,,o2' She shook her head. .! wanted to hang onto it. &s a kee sake of you4as if ! needed a reminder.' *is e+ ression changed. !nstead of accusation, his ga,e became searching. !t threatened to stri out the last of her secrets, e+ osing her #ery soul. .&nd is that your last guilty confession2' She nodded, eyes downcast. 8es ite e#erything, she could not feel any guilt about their baby. )he oor little thing hadn't asked to be concei#ed. .)here's nothing else you want to tell me2 5othing that might make me sto you getting on your lane2' Luca ersisted. .5o4no, Luca-you must let me go-' She tried to turn away, but he caught her firmly by the arms and ulled her back. .5ot this time.' *is face was ali#e with con#iction. Beth looked down, conscious of an unusual feeling. *is fingers were working into the skin of
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html her arms, but that wasn't the reason for it. Luca saw her grimace. )hinking he was the cause, he released her instantly. .;ou are not lea#ing my country unless you can look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you want to go. )hat you want to lea#e me.' *is words wrung another confession from her, but it was not one either of them e+ ected to hear. .Oh, Luca, !'m lea#ing because ! do lo#e you, and ! always ha#e0 !'#e ne#er sto ed lo#ing you, not for a second. )hat's the truth4but ! know it's the last thing you want to hear, so now you'll ha#e to let me go. 3lease-' *is hands mo#ed to her shoulders and for long, agonising moments he held her at arm's length, searching her face. !t was as though he was making u his mind about something. )hen in a characteristic flash of im etuosity he ulled her into his arms and kissed all the breath out of her. *ungry for all the kisses she would miss, Beth res onded. 3eo le milled ast, but the two of them were alone in each other's arms. 5othing else mattered. )he sheer ower of their lo#e ulsed through them again like a wa#e, but it was interru ted by a ang of ain. !t clutched Beth where she should ha#e been feeling only leasure, and made her break away from him with a gas . Luca was not about to let her go. .Beth-!'#e come to take you home,' he whis ered into her hair, his #oice husky with assion. .&nd this time, no arguments.' )he s asm assed. .;es, Luca,' she managed, because she could say nothing else. .!t doesn't sound as though you'll ut u much of a fight.' .5o, Luca.' Beth knew there was no way she could get onto a lane now, feeling the way she did. !'ll try again tomorrow, she told herself. !'ll be better then. She was unable to think straight. Only the feel of Luca's hand beneath her elbow ga#e her enough strength to stay u right. *e led her all the way through the building, but Beth was in such turmoil she was hardly aware of the (ourney. She would not ha#e been able to deny him if she had wanted to. *e looked magnificent. *is (aw was set, and he strode through the air ort as though absolute mastery was as natural to him as breathing. &s they reached the main doors Beth began shi#ering uncontrollably. Luca's flinty e+ ression instantly softened with concern. .;ou're cold.' .!'m dressed for a flight, not a kidna her side. ing0' She tried to laugh, but had to %uickly ress a hand to
*e shook his head. .!'m not doing anything ! shouldn't ha#e done the instant you walked back into my life, Beth.' *er heart was so full she ulled his hand u to her li s and kissed it. !n re ly he ut an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. )hey walked o#er to where his Mercedes was waiting. 1hen Luca s oke now, he was holding her so tightly she felt his words resonate through her body. .Marco0 Miss 1oodbury is feeling the cold. )urn the heater right u 4oh, and find your own way home, would you2' *e ulled a bundle of notes from his ocket and eeled off a sheaf, which he handed to the chauffeur. Marco res onded with a broad smile, saluting smartly as he o ened the assenger door for Beth. 7nable to bear a second's se aration from her, Luca slid into the dri#er's seat before she had finished fastening her seat belt. *is ne+t words were whis ered between sim le, re#erent kisses. .!'#e wasted far too much time, Beth. ! sent you away from Balacha because your ha iness meant more to me than my own ain. 1hen you left me again this morning ! knew ! had to get you back, no matter what-' *is #oice died. *e turned away from her and began concentrating on backing his car out of its arking s ace. 1hen his attention went back to Beth, it was his turn to gas . She had fallen forward, her arms wra ed rotecti#ely around her waist. & faint sheen of ers iration glittered on her brow. .Beth2 1hat is it2' 1hen she could answer, she s oke without looking at him. .! ha#e a ain.' .1here2' She couldn't re ly. Something was s%uee,ing all the life out of her. )he only thing she could do was draw her hand back and forth, low down o#er her groin. .Mio 8io0' Luca hit the accelerator like a man ossessed. CHAPTER TWELVE B$)* sat in the car, shaking with cold and fear and anguish. Luca arked his Mercedes cra,ily in a forbidden ,one outside the hos ital. Rushing round to the assenger side, he bent to take Beth in his arms. .)hank goodness,' she anted. .! don't think my legs can carry me.' .3ut your arms around my neck, tesoro.'
*e reached into the car and gently lifted her out. *e winced in ain momentarily but was %uick to mask it so Beth didn't notice. 1ithin seconds he was rushing her down a corridor that smelled of disinfectant and disaster. .Luca, no-you'#e taken a wrong turning. )he sign said it's this way to maternity and gynaecology. ! must be an emergency4' .$+actly.' *e ra ed out the word. Before Beth could react, a woman doctor rushed out of a side room and greeted Luca by name. She was still ulling on her white coat, but made time to smile at Beth. )he orderly with her brought a wheelchair for Beth. .Miss 1oodbury2' .)hat's right, but how do you know who ! am2' .Signor Francesco rang me at home. Buon giorno4! am 8onata Bruni, his ersonal hysician.' Beth thought she had reached rock"bottom, but one glance at Luca's beautiful, smiling woman doctor brought new meaning to the word .des air' for her. .So why are we in a women's de artment, if you're Luca's doctor2' .!t's the best lace for you.' Luca answered for 8onata. *is tone was so strange that, des ite her ain, Beth made herself look u at him. .But what about all the doctors and nurses who work here already2' .)hey will ha#e to get used to working with 8onata while you are here,' he said shar ly. .$#eryone does what ! tell them, when it is as im ortant as this.' .3eo le must get a endicitis e#ery day,' Beth said through gritted teeth. She was saturated with ers iration, and clenching her fists so hard her fingers ached almost as much as her stomach. &n e+ losi#e curse from Luca startled both women into silence. S inning the wheelchair round, he sei,ed Beth by the shoulders. .*ow much longer can you kee u this act2' .&s long as it takes,' she whis ered. )he doctor cleared her throat ointedly. .! think you'd better go back to Rece tion for a moment, Signor Francesco. )here are admission forms that need to be filled in. !'m sure Miss 1oodbury would like all that a erwork taken off her hands.'
Luca looked from doctor to atient, then back again. !t was the first time Beth had seen him look so ale and sick since her arri#al in Venice. She felt her lower li starting to tremble. .6ould you do it for me, lease, Luca2' she said in a small #oice. *e nodded. .;es. ;es, of course.' *is head di ed forward as though to kiss her cheek, but at the last moment he sto Releasing his hold on her shoulders, he straightened u . .!'ll be back as soon as ! can.' )here was no oint in trying to answer him. *e was already se#eral metres away, striding back towards the rece tion area. .6an ! take it you don't want this baby, Miss 1oodbury, as you'#e been denying it so furiously2' the doctor said %uietly as she wheeled Beth into a side room. Beth was horrified. .! want it more than almost anything !'#e e#er wanted0' She gas ed. .But Luca mustn't know !'m regnant0' .!t's a bit late for that, !'m afraid.' 8onata sighed as she scrubbed u , ready to e+amine Beth. .*e told me you were losing his baby.' .B"but-why on earth would he think such a thing2 *ow can he know !'m regnant2' Beth closed her eyes. 5o torture in the world could be worse than this. Luca knew, and she hadn't been the one to break the news to him. *e had known she was lying to him, all through that scene in the air ort. 5ow it was too late to e+ lain why. She turned her face to the wall. She had lost him. *e would ne#er trust her again after this. Luca did not come straight back. Beth had to e+ lain and cry in the treatment room alone. Much later, an orderly arri#ed and began taking the brakes off her bed. She assumed he was going to e#ict her from the hos ital, out onto the street. !nstead, he ushed her into a ri#ate room full of flowers. She was s eechless. Luca arri#ed as the orderly was lea#ing. .1hy didn't you tell me about the baby straight away2' *is dee #oice carried across the room from where he stood in the doorway. Beth looked down, unable to meet his ga,e as she answered, .Because ! knew you wouldn't want it.' .So you tried to get rid of him2' ed.
.5o0 5e#er0' Forcing herself u from her illows, she wailed in agony. .!f you'd let us esca e back to $ngland, you need ne#er ha#e known4' &lmost as if against his own will Luca crossed the room towards her. .! was his father. ! had a right to know,' he said softly. *e had been absolutely con#inced from the first moment that any baby of his was bound to be a boy. !n his mind, there could be no doubt about it. *e could ha#e had a son. Ours should be a team of three. !n those few recious minutes between their reunion in the air ort and the start of their tragedy, Luca had been trying to mould a new future in his mind. *e was certain his son would ha#e been the tallest, darkest, most handsome hero of the Francesco line. *e was destined to be cle#er too, and a real asset to his father4e+actly like Beth. 1hile he had been waiting for her to confess, certain that she would, Luca had begun to think that her regnancy might ha#e been the best thing that could ha#e ha ened between them. *is own arents had li#ed hard and died young, chasing leasure. &s a result, he had sworn ne#er to become too attached to anyone. ;et the instant he had seen Beth again, he had changed his mind. !n a s lit second, he had realised the way to lasting ha iness lay in commitment, not esca e. *e needed Beth4for e#er. )hey were a team. )hat was how life should be. &nd then, within seconds, his strange new future had colla sed. 5ow he had nothing left4 e+ce t the knowledge that the woman he wanted ran away from him because she was scared he didn't want their baby. .;ou may ha#e had a right to know, but you had absolutely no right to make our li#es a misery0' Beth sent a bla,e of raw emotion streaking across the room to meet him. .&nd that's e+actly what would ha#e ha ened if !'d told you, Luca0 95o commitments,: you always said.' Luca walked slowly to her side. .;ou didn't tell me, Beth. &t the air ort ! did e#erything but come straight out and ask you, but you still didn't tell me-' .Because you didn't really want to know.' Beth's #oice was an arrow of ice, and it hit its mark. *e turned away from her and silence hung in the air. )hen, in a #oice she thought barely strong enough to reach him, Beth found the courage to s eak. .Luca-now you know e#erything. But tell me, how did you find out2' *e looked back at her. .&fter ! disco#ered your letter at breakfast, ! went straight u to your suite to see if you had acked e#erything. Or if there was a chance you might be back.' *e aused, raking a hand through his hair, then went on. .)here was a scra of ackaging on the floor beneath your table. !t was small, but big enough to tell me ! woke u alone this morning because you were doing a regnancy test.'
Beth rolled o#er and buried her face in her illow. !t was already drenched in the fragrance of e+otic flowers, which co#ered e#ery shelf in her room. For e#er afterwards that rich scent would remind her of what ha ened ne+t. .! would ha#e lo#ed him,' Luca said with %uiet authority. Beth turned her head. She s oke to the ceiling, rather than risk letting him see the truth hurt her all o#er again. .Really2 ! didn't think you could ossibly lo#e anyone.' 1hen he didn't re ly she looked across at him, but he didn't meet her ga,e. )here was something about his lack of res onse that made her think. .;ou ke t my necklace,' she said slowly. Freed from the ain and anic she had suffered at the air ort, all sorts of details were coming back to her now. .;ou'#e sent me all these flowers-and you're still wearing the watch ! ga#e you, so long ago. &nd you sto ed me lea#ing for $ngland-' *er #oice was becoming stronger by the second. Luca ste ed in to re#ent her from going any further. .Of course ! did. ! could hardly stand by and watch while you walked away from me a second time, could !2 $s ecially as you were carrying my son.' .Oh, Luca-' She burst into tears again, but this time he was there to catch her. )his time he held her tenderly, telling her that one day4not today, not tomorrow, but one day4e#erything would be all right again. .;ou are the only one who matters now, tesoro,' he murmured into her hair. But as her tears sto ed, and she started to feel safe in his arms, Beth felt him ull away from her. *e stood u from the bed and began to ace the room. 1hen she looked u at him she saw his face contorted with des air. .Luca-2' she whis ered. .1hy did it ha#e to ha en to you2 )o me2' .Luca-come back. *old me.' *e res onded to her lea so fast, Beth was being scoo ed u in his arms before she knew it. *is body was taut and hot beneath the silk of his ristine white shirt. She rested her cheek against it and let her fingerti s slide down and around his waist, holding him close. She could feel the life force throbbing through him. !t raced at a terrific rate, reminding her of how much she ins ired
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html him. /radually the adrenalin ebbed away. 1hen his ulse steadied, she s oke into the silence. .Luca-' )here was no res onse. .Luca2' She tried again. .!t doesn't ha#e to be like this. ;ou don't need to be a sla#e to the ast. ;ou'#e ro#ed it once already, by re(ecting e#erything that ha ened between us in Balacha. )his could be the start of something wonderful-if you want it to be-' she whis ered, hardly daring to ut her ho es into words. *e shook his head, torn a art by conflicting emotions. .!'#e ne#er sto ed wanting you, Beth, though /od knows !'#e hated myself for it sometimes. But it's more than that now. 1hat ha ened here today has shown me how fragile life is and how !'#e got to make the most of e#ery second. Marry me, mio tesoro0' She blinked. .1hat did you say2' Beth could hardly belie#e it. .Marry me. From today, FF& will ha#e to do without me. !'m taking a non"e+ecuti#e role until you're better. 1e'll ha#e an e+tended break at Rose 6ottage. &nd if it's what you want, we'll li#e there ermanently while you design us that brand"new house you'#e always wanted.' .But-what about the tradition2 ;ou can't lea#e the ala,,o, Luca4there's been a Francesco in residence for more than fi#e hundred years.' .Some things are more im ortant, es ecially to an !talian man,' he said with growing assion. .! need you, carissima. 5othing else matters to me now.' *is eyes burned into her. Beth steeled herself. She had to bring u the one thing that had single"handedly torn them a art and brought them back together again. )here was no getting away from it. .But-what about our baby2' she whis ered, blinking %uickly to hold back her tears. Luca's strong, bron,ed hand closed o#er hers as she twisted the cris white hos ital sheet. .!'ll s eak to 8onata. 3erha s in a little while-we can try again2' he said, with a rare hint of diffidence. Beth frowned. She looked into his face, u,,led. .;ou mean4you ha#en't s oken to her already2'
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html .5o. ! walked around for a while, and then ! went to the florist's. !t took me some time to make it back here, and ! didn't want any more delay. ! wanted to see you straight away,' he said. She could only guess at what it had taken him to return. .So-you still don't know that all this was a false alarm2' Luca went as white as Beth felt. *is li s mo#ed, but for once he was lost for words. She ut a hand to his hair, calming the unruly wa#es. !m etuously, she took one of his hands and ressed it against her waist. She got her reward. *is fingers s read across the smooth lane of her belly as ride and wonder filled his e+ ression. .)hen we are to ha#e a second chance2' She nodded, unable to s eak for ha y tears.
.&fter all !'#e ut you through4' *e shook his head. .6an you find it in your heart to4Beth, we can start all o#er again2 From the beginning2' She looked into his eyes, and didn't need to answer. *er e+ ression said it all. *is slender oli#e fingers danced restlessly o#er the stiff white sheet co#ering her, hinting at uncertainties he would ne#er ut into words. 1ith a smile, she touched his hand. .Of course.' &s she looked into his eyes all her doubts disa eared. .!'#e dreamed of nothing else, Luca.' Slowly, and with all the tenderness she could ha#e wanted, he kissed her. &fterwards, his breath esca ed in a long sigh. .! will make u for e#erything, Beth, and for all the time we'#e s ent a art. From now on, !'m going to treat you e+actly as you deser#e. !'m going to shower you with roses, la#ish you with e#erything you could e#er need and kiss you o#er and o#er and o#er again4' She silenced him with a kiss of her own, sweet and gentle. .)hen ! really will be your little rinci essa,' she whis ered, .although all !'#e e#er wanted is your heart, Luca, to treasure for e#er.' *e lifted her hand to his li s and kissed it. .!t's yours,' he said tenderly. !SB5< CDE"F"GHIE"HDIG"E *$R R7)*L$SS !)&L!&5 BOSS
ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html First 5orth &merican 3ublication HJJC. 6o yright K HJJE by 6hristina *ollis. &ll rights reser#ed. $+ce t for use in any re#iew, the re roduction or utili,ation of this work in whole or in art in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter in#ented, including +erogra hy, hotoco ying and recording, or in any information storage or retrie#al system, is forbidden without the written ermission of the ublisher, *arle%uin $nter rises Limited, HHL 8uncan Mill Road, 8on Mills, Ontario, 6anada MMB M=C. )his is a work of fiction. 5ames, characters, laces and incidents are either the roduct of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual ersons, li#ing or dead, business establishments, e#ents or locales is entirely coincidental. )his edition ublished by arrangement with *arle%uin Books S.&. N and )M are trademarks of the ublisher. )rademarks indicated with N are registered in the 7nited States 3atent and )rademark Office, the 6anadian )rade Marks Office and in other countries. www.e*arle%uin.com
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&nd ! was, she thought sadly as she (oined in the final a

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