Her Italian Boss’s Agenda

CHAPTER SIX

HE STARED at her. ‘Your ex? Are you sure?’

‘Yes, that’s David-I think.’

‘Does it matter?’ he asked, shocked to realise that she was trembling. ‘It’s not as though you still love him-do you?’

‘No, of course not. But it’s the first time I’ve seen him since we split. Perhaps it isn’t him,’ she added, almost hopefully.

‘But you can’t be easy until you’re sure?’

Suddenly her carefully honed confidence deserted her. ‘What can I do? I can’t walk over there and take a look.’

‘You can if we’re dancing.’

‘But-’

‘Olympia, you’ve got to do this. If you flunk it you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror again.’

She knew it, but she was too nervous to think straight.

‘Let’s leave it,’ she whispered. ‘The past is the past.’

His hand tightened over hers. ‘Nonsense. The past is never the past until you’ve faced it and told it to get the hell out of your way. What happened to the “can do” tycoon I’ve got to know?’

‘She turned into a “can’t do” wimp,’ she said with a shaky laugh.

‘No, she didn’t. She just needs a friend to take her hand, like this.’

Giving her no chance to refuse, he drew her to her feet and on to the dance floor.

With a shock Olympia realised that he was finally holding her. So many times he could have taken her into his arms, and so many times he’d refused. Now he’d done so under the guise of a dance. But that was what dancing was for-to embrace, to hold each other closely and feel the pressure of each other’s body and the exchange of warm breath, without admitting that was what you were doing.

‘Which way?’ he murmured, his breath brushing her cheek.

‘Near the orchestra.’

Closer and closer they went while her eyes searched the tables at the edge of the dance floor until she found what she was seeking.

Her first thought was to wonder how she’d ever recognised him. David was plumper, sleeker, beginning to lose his hair, and there was an expression of discontent on his face that mirrored that of the woman sitting near him.

Rosalie! It took Olympia a moment to identify this stodgy creature with the elegant nymph who had persisted in her memory, but this was Rosalie now.

‘Is that him?’ her partner asked.

‘I think-yes, it is.’

‘And the woman with him?’

‘Rosalie, his wife.’

‘He made a bad bargain when he traded you for her,’ said her friend.

Now Olympia saw that there were six people at the table. David’s father-in-law was there with his wife, David and Rosalie, and two men who Olympia guessed were business contacts being entertained. One of them asked Rosalie to dance. Smiling, she took the floor with him.

It seemed to Olympia that there was an element of relief in that smile, as though anything was better than her husband’s company. As she glided around the floor in her partner’s arms, David watched them sourly.

Suddenly the movements of the dance brought Olympia close to the couple. Rosalie’s eyes flickered vacantly over Olympia before moving on to the man holding her in his arms. She seemed suddenly interested, turning her head as she moved, trying to keep him in view. Only at the last minute did she really seem to notice Olympia and then there was a shocked look in her eyes, disbelief, almost outrage.

‘She didn’t know you at first,’ Primo whispered, ‘but she does now.’

‘I guess I’ve changed a bit since those days.’

The dance ended and the other couple headed back to their table. But the next dance started at once and Olympia found herself whirled into it without a by-your-leave.

His hand was in the small of her back, holding her close against him as his legs moved against hers. The sight of David had been a shock, bringing back sharp memories that she’d spent years banishing, but, faced with the reality, they were fast fading. It was hard to be aware of anything but the man swinging her around and around, holding her so close that their bodies were as one.

The room was whirling about her, making her cling to him as the only fixed point in the world. He’d said he was her friend, and that was partly why she held him so eagerly. And partly it wasn’t that at all. Everything seemed to vanish but his face. She must make him stop this, but she wanted him never to stop.

At last he slowed and the room came back into focus. Now, she could see David again, listening to Rosalie, who was talking to him with animation and pointing back on to the floor. He rose and they started to dance together.

‘She’s told him,’ Primo murmured. ‘Now he wants to see for himself if it’s you. Look, they’re working their way towards us.’

‘Oh, no!’ she said involuntarily.

‘Why “oh, no!”? This is your moment of triumph.’

‘Is it?’

‘Isn’t it? Look at them. Sad and middle-aged before their time because they’ve made too many compromises, betrayed too many people. Then look at you, young and beautiful as a mermaid, every man’s head turned to you in admiration. They’ve had it, and now it tastes sour. You’ve got it all before you, and it’s going to be great.’

‘Yes,’ she breathed excitedly. ‘Oh, yes!’

‘Let him find out what he threw away. Make him sorry he let you go. Then hold your head high and walk out of here with me.’

‘You’re right.’

Again there was that frisson of excitement at how totally he understood her, as though their minds were linked even more closely than their bodies.

Closer and closer they danced until she was a couple of feet away from the man who had once filled her world, then broken her heart when he’d declared her not up to standard.

As Jack had promised, there was satisfaction in seeing the shock in his face as he recognised her. Her partner kept her there, dancing on the spot so that David could be in no doubt who he was seeing. Olympia met David’s eyes in a moment of blazing victory.

‘Look up at me,’ said a voice close to her ear.

She did so, and immediately felt his lips on hers. She gasped, almost stumbling, but his arms held her safe, keeping her in the dance so that her feet seemed to move of their own accord while her mouth relished his.

It meant nothing, she thought desperately. He was a friend, helping her to make a point to David, boosting her pride like the true friend he was. She must accept his kiss in the same spirit, keeping a cool head, ignoring the wild feelings that went through her.

‘Is he watching?’ she gasped against his mouth.

‘His eyes are on stalks,’ he murmured back. ‘And so are hers. Let’s give them a repeat run. Kiss me-as though you really meant it.’

‘Right!’

Her arms slid up about his neck, one hand curving pleasurably against his head, drawing him down to her, ready for him, eager for him. She did as he’d said, giving it everything as though she meant it, and felt his answering response.

Now he’d released her hand and tightened both arms around her, holding her so that she would have been helpless to resist, if that was what she’d wanted. But she had no thought of resistance. Her body had been aching for this, longing to know how it would feel to be held by him, and all the time she had been denying her instincts the need had been building within her.

If only they were not in public so that she could yield to the need that was overwhelming her, the need to touch him again and again and offer herself to his touch.

But that was what she mustn’t do, she thought wildly. Being alone with him would tempt her to reveal too much. Touch would follow touch, deeper and more intimate until touching wasn’t enough.

However hard it was, she must try to keep her distance. But this felt like a very strange way of keeping her distance.

He released her just enough for her head to fall back so that she was looking into his face. He seemed to be frowning as though something had startled him, and she understood that reaction because she felt the same.

‘What’s happening?’ she whispered.

‘I’m not-quite-sure-’

And suddenly the world seemed to burst in a glitter of flashlights. People cheered, champagne bottles popped, red roses fell on them. Olympia saw that they were surrounded by waiters, all waving champagne and cheering.

‘What on earth-?’ she said.

A man in a glittering coat, who seemed to be the Master of Ceremonies, made his way towards them and bowed.

‘Congratulations!’ he cried. ‘You are tonight’s winners.’

‘Winners at what?’ she asked hazily.

‘In our Lovers Competition. Every night this week, one lucky couple is declared our Premier Lovers-’

‘But we’re not lo-’ she started to say, then gave up. She was being drowned out by cheering.

‘Jack, what are we going to do?’

‘Put up with it,’ he said, close to her ear. ‘We’ve no choice. It’ll be over in a minute and we can slip away. In the meantime, try to look convincing. Smile. This is where the movie queen gives the hero the full power of her dazzling orbs and he goes weak at the knees.’

‘Don’t do that,’ she begged. ‘You’re holding me up.’

He gave a crack of laughter, his eyes gleaming in appreciation of the joke.

The Master of Ceremonies was shouting, ‘That was the most impressive kiss anyone’s ever seen. How about another?’

Another cheer went up and the crowd began to chant, ‘Kiss-kiss-’

‘Jack-’

‘We’ll have to give them what they want, or they won’t let us go,’ he murmured.

‘But we-’

‘It can’t be helped. Lie back and think of England.’

‘You cheeky-’

‘Hush,’ he said, lowering his mouth to hers.

He was right. Who needed words when there were feelings like this? She gave herself up to what was happening, while all around them the crowd cheered and clapped.

When at last he released her she had a vision of David’s face. It was a vacuous face, she realised, especially now, with his jaw dropping.

She had beaten him. The man who’d rejected her as dowdy and dull, who’d betrayed her love for money, had been made to regret it.

And she couldn’t have cared less.

The Master of Ceremonies was dancing around them.

‘It’s wonderful what people will do to make sure they win,’ he carolled.

‘We didn’t-’ Olympia said breathlessly. ‘We didn’t know there was a contest.’

‘You mean you normally act like that? Hey, folks, did you hear that? Boy, are these some lovers!’

More cheers, more applause.

‘Can we sit down?’ the Master of Ceremonies asked. ‘Then we can sort out the details.’

She wanted to ask, what details? But she couldn’t think clearly. Her legs were trembling, as though all the strength had drained away.

When they were seated at the table the Master of Ceremonies poured champagne and toasted them.

‘And now for the big moment,’ he said, ‘when you get to choose your prize from among our glorious range. There’s this-’ He produced a catalogue showing some very fancy and high-priced entertainment equipment.

‘Or there’s this, a fortnight for two at a luxury health spa. Or two gift vouchers for the most expensive store in London. Or a vacation in any town in Europe, flights, hotel, the lot.’

He finished with an expansive gesture, like a man expecting applause. Primo indicated Olympia.

‘It’s her choice,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you take the gift vouchers and blow the lot on clothes?’

‘Oh, no,’ she said. ‘I’ve got a much better idea. I’ll take the trip to Europe.’

‘Wonderful!’ the Master of Ceremonies exclaimed. ‘And which city shall it be?’

Olympia smiled at Primo.

‘Naples,’ she said.

On the drive home he said, ‘What do you want to happen about David? Shall I get Leonate to buy out his firm and fire him? Or employ him? Say the word.’

‘No need,’ she said contentedly. ‘If I wanted revenge, I’ve had it. I’m so glad that happened. He really is in the past now. Thank you. You knew just what to do.’

‘Good. Then can we talk about Naples?’

She gave a soft laugh. ‘Your face was a picture!’

‘I’ll bet it was. You were winding me up, weren’t you? Good joke.’

‘That man said the Vallini Hotel was the best. Do you know it?’

‘Yes, it’s about halfway up the hill, overlooking the bay. It costs a fortune just to walk past it.’

‘I like the sound of that,’ she said with a sigh.

‘But you weren’t serious, were you?’ he asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

Choosing not to answer this, she diplomatically closed her eyes and pretended to doze for the rest of the journey.

When they reached home he came upstairs with her, and it was only when they were in her apartment that she said, ‘Actually, I wasn’t joking back there. I’m going to Naples and I’m going to stay in that luxury hotel while I look around. I’m due for some time off. I haven’t had any for ages, and you can authorise it. It’s simple.’

‘It’s not a good idea.’

‘It’s a wonderful idea. It’s fate. And after what happened tonight I’m even more certain that this happened because it had to.’

After what happened tonight. That stopped him in his tracks.

‘Jack, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking-about the way things are going.’

‘I know,’ he said slowly.

‘You know what I want and how determined I am to get it. It doesn’t make me a nice person, but I can’t change. I simply have to go for my goal.’

‘Primo Rinucci. But he isn’t here.’

‘I know. And he’s never going to be here, I see that now. So I must go to him.’

‘What?’

‘That’s what I mean about fate. I can work on my Italian, learn some Neapolitan. It’ll give me better chances than staying here.’

‘But what about Curtis? It was your ambition to take over.’

‘Well, maybe the world doesn’t begin and end with Curtis. Maybe I’m broadening my horizons.’

‘Which means-?’ he asked suspiciously.

‘Ambition alone is not enough,’ she declared with the air of someone quoting eternal truth. ‘Ambition plus flexibility yields results.’

He stared at her. ‘Who said that?’

‘I did.’

‘I mean, who said it first?’

‘I did. You just heard me.’

He passed a hand over his eyes, trying to get control of his thoughts.

‘You sounded as though you were quoting an authority,’ he explained.

‘I was. Me.’

‘Oh, well, in that case-!’ he said wildly. ‘Why not jot it down and put it in a book when you’re running the Stock Exchange? Notes On How I Did It. You too can rule the world. Just roll over everyone like a steam-roller.’

‘How dare you call me a steam-roller!’

‘It’s that or a three ton tractor. Take your pick.’

‘Jack, where’s your spirit of adventure?’

‘It passed out under the table in the nightclub, and as far as I’m concerned it can stay there. Olympia, what’s got into you? It’s bad enough for you to be laying traps for this poor fool-’

‘Don’t call my benefactor a fool!’

‘So now he’s your benefactor?’

‘He will be, when I’ve finished with him.’

‘Then he is a fool,’ he said recklessly. ‘And so are you for hunting him down, because it’ll frighten him off.’

‘He won’t even know. I’ll just turn up in Naples, look around-’

‘You’re out of your mind.’

‘You mean you won’t help me?’

He took her shoulders, shaking her very slightly as though this would get him into her head.

‘Olympia, you’re living in a dream world. It’s a delightful fantasy, but not if it means turning your back on what’s happening between us.’

‘We’re having a pleasant flirtation. It’s lovely, but it doesn’t lead anywhere. We enjoy each other’s company and then pass on. That’s always been the deal.’

‘I don’t remember making any deal.’

‘I was always honest with you. You knew my terms and you didn’t refuse them.’

‘Then I guess I just hoped you’d soon see things a bit more clearly. I don’t think it’s all on my side. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t feel anything for me.’

‘After tonight, I can’t. But I won’t let it happen. I felt something like that once before, and I know where it leads.’

‘I know where it would have led if you’d stayed with him. You saw him in the nightclub. You saw his wife, what marriage to him has turned her into. Be glad you escaped.’

‘I am glad, but that’s hindsight. All that kind of thing is over for me. You’ve always known that.’

‘All right, I’ve known it, but I’ve tried not to believe it. And I won’t believe it now. You keep trying to make me think badly of you-’

‘I want you to see me as I am,’ she flashed. ‘I’m hard and cold-’

‘You weren’t hard and cold in my arms tonight.’

‘That’ll never happen again. I won’t let it.’

‘Stop it,’ he said fiercely, seizing her in his arms and giving her a little shake. ‘Don’t talk like that. I forbid you.’

‘Who are you to forbid me?’

His answer was to tighten his grip and pull her hard against him, kissing her with something close to ferocity.

For a moment she tensed against him, but then her refusal melted in the warmth and sweetness he could inspire in her with such treacherous ease.

‘This is who I am,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘Don’t you recognise me now?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered, kissing him back.

‘You know me-you know me-’

She knew him. He was the one who haunted her dreams, resisting all attempts to banish him. She would escape him now while she still could-while there was time-but there was no time-

She kissed him again and again, each time promising that this would be the last.

‘How can you leave when we have this?’ he demanded hoarsely.

‘Don’t you see, it’s because we could have this that I’m doing what must be done.’

‘You mean you’re running,’ he said scornfully. ‘Running like a coward who’s afraid of life.’

The words were bitter, brutal, but he couldn’t help it. The pain of her rejection was intense.

‘Maybe I am,’ she said. ‘But I don’t want to feel all that again, Jack, and you frighten me. You could take me to a place where I don’t want to be-’

‘If we were there together, like tonight-’

‘It will never happen again. I won’t let it.’

He drew apart from her, gasping.

‘Wait here,’ he said through gritted teeth, and walked out of the room without a backward glance.

He went all the way downstairs before he called Italy on his cellphone, taking no chance of being overheard. First he called Cedric Tandy.

‘Cedric, I know it’s late but I need a favour from you-’

It was a short call, very satisfactory, and ended with him saying, ‘Cedric, you’re a lifesaver. Go back to bed now.’

Next he spoke to Enrico, who wasn’t best pleased at being hauled out of bed, but who also agreed to what Primo wanted, because people always did. After nearly half an hour he returned to Olympia. Secretly he was glad she’d forced the issue, driving him to a decision.

‘It’s settled,’ he said when he rejoined her. ‘I’ve been telling them about you and Leonate wants me to take you out there so that he can get to know you.’

‘And what then?’

‘You’ll work in Naples for a while, then in a few months you’ll know what you want to do. You may decide you want to return here and run Curtis. If so, you’ll make a better job of it for having worked at the centre of things. Or you may decide that you like Naples and want to keep your job there.’

‘What about you?’

‘I’m flying out with you and staying for a while, to see you settled in, but I won’t be living at the hotel. I have an apartment.’

‘Wait, I can’t get my head round this. Who’ll run Curtis while you’re away?’

‘Cedric. His retirement package contains an option for another six months.’

‘Does it? I saw it and I didn’t see anything about another six months.’

‘It’s a recent development,’ he said hurriedly, not choosing to tell her how recent. ‘It gives me a breather while I make decisions about his replacement. He won’t mind if I invoke that option. It keeps your options open too.

‘And now that we’ve settled everything, I’ll leave.’ His voice became brisk. ‘I want you in the office first thing tomorrow. There are arrangements to be made. Is your passport in order?’

‘Of course.’

‘Have you got the number that man in the disgusting jacket gave you to ring when you’d settled the date?’

‘Of course.’

‘Fine. Tell them we’ll travel in two days. We’ll sort out the final details tomorrow. Goodnight.’

He left without another word.

Olympia stood watching the closed door, feeling more confused than she’d been in her life. He threatened her peace, and she’d told herself that the time had come to escape him. But somehow he’d wrested control from her. The trip to Naples would be on his terms.

She’d outwitted him-and then she hadn’t.

Suddenly the future was more exciting than it had ever been.

As he’d said it was all systems go in the office next morning.

‘How can you leave so soon, when you’ve barely got here?’ Olympia protested.

‘But I’m only obeying orders,’ he said innocently. ‘Just a humble cog in the Leonate wheel, doing as I’m told, that’s me.’

‘Why don’t I find that convincing?’

‘Maybe you’re just not a very good judge of character,’ he said simply.

From then on packing and making arrangements about her apartment occupied all her time, and when she finally closed the door to start the journey to the airport she hadn’t seen him for two days. She had to take a taxi. He didn’t even bother to collect her.

She was glad of the time apart. It gave her a breathing space to get her ideas together and remind herself what really mattered. He was attractive, no doubt about it, but so what? She could enjoy a flirtation without compromising her mission, couldn’t she?

But then these cool thoughts would be invaded by memories that were anything but cool: the way he’d held her in his arms, the fierce crushing kiss with a hint of some suppressed feeling that might have been desperation, the skilled movements of his lips, knowing so well how to incite her to respond.

He knew her too well. He could speak to her in a silent language they both understood. He was dangerous. She must escape him.

But she was glad with all her heart that he was coming with her.

He was waiting at the airport, greeting her with an air of tension that puzzled her.

‘Are you all right?’ she asked.

‘Fine, fine. Just not too keen on flying.’

In fact he was an excellent traveller, but he’d just completed what he promised himself would be the last, the very last piece of trickery.

Realising that his ticket would be provided in the name of Cayman, he’d intercepted it when it had been delivered to the office the previous day, then booked himself another ticket in his true name and got to the airport early to collect it.

Now he was vowing that it would all soon be over. Safe in Naples, he would confess everything to Olympia over a glass of wine. They would share a laugh, and she would forgive him.

Eventually.

And he would never tell another lie as long as he lived. His nerves couldn’t stand it.