Bella's Impossible Boss

by Michelle Douglas

  It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, she flinched. There was a whole level of pain she hadn’t experienced yet. Her total vulnerability to this man appalled her, but there was nothing she could do about it.

  ‘Don’t look like that,’ he groaned.

  ‘You tell me you don’t like me enough to make love with me? How am I supposed to look?’

  ‘It’s not because I don’t like you!’ he shouted. ‘It’s because I like you too much!’

  She blinked.

  ‘You call it making love—I call it sex. At the moment your hormones are going wild, but tomorrow or the day after you’d regret the impulse. You’d regret having sex with me. I don’t want to be responsible for that.’

  She wouldn’t regret it. She knew that as well as she knew her recipe for chocolate mud cake off by heart. ‘I’m not building fantasies about you, Dominic. I’m not dreaming we’ll make love and suddenly you’ll be transformed into a prince who’ll declare his undying love for me and propose to me at sunset on a beach.’

  He stared. ‘Sunset? You never said anything about a sunset.’

  ‘It’s a work in progress,’ she shot back.

  And he had another thing coming if he thought he could deflect her. She stood. She walked around the table to him. He stood, too. He didn’t back away, but she could see by the tensing of his muscles how tightly he held himself in check.

  She reached out and placed her hand on his chest. Beneath her palm, his heart pounded. ‘I have never in my life wanted a man the way I want you, Dominic. You make me breathe harder just by looking at me.’ His heart pounded harder against her hand. ‘You touch me and for some reason my entire body comes alive. Colours and scents become sharper and clearer, but at the same time the rest of the world recedes. I want to make love with you. I want to know how truly amazing one night with you would be. I don’t want your promises. I just want your touch and your body, Dominic.’

  He stilled. A great sigh juddered out of him. His heartbeat continued to pound against her palm and a thrill shot through her. He seized her chin in his fingers and forced her gaze to his. Her breath caught. He was going to kiss her!

  He bent his head; her lips opened in anticipation, her eyelids fluttered closed...

  ‘Open your eyes,’ he ordered.

  She did.

  He peered into them with a brutal relentlessness that took her off-guard. He peered into her very soul with a merciless efficiency that stripped her bare and unveiled all her secrets. In panic, she tried to remove her chin from his grip, but he refused to release her. And there was nowhere to look except into his eyes.

  And she felt the exact moment he discovered the secret she most wanted to keep. She felt it in the shudder that wracked his body, felt it in the way his fingers tightened about her chin, and then in the way he let her go. Felt it in the space that yawned between them as he stepped away. Saw it in the shocked blue of his eyes and the momentary slackness of his jaw.

  ‘No,’ he choked out.

  She couldn’t lie about it; she wouldn’t. ‘It’s true.’ She shrugged and tried to smile.

  He flinched and swore.

  ‘So you see? It’s already too late. Whether we make love or not, Dominic, I’ve already fallen in love with you.’

  He stabbed a finger at her. ‘That wasn’t supposed to happen.’

  She shrugged. ‘I don’t have any expectations of you.’ Then she stuck out a hip, planted her hand on it and hitched up her chin. ‘Oh, except for a night or three of pleasure.’

  For a moment she almost thought he’d smile. Hope surged through her—hope, anticipation and a breaking heart.

  Dominic’s hand snaked around the back of her head and he pulled her in close. His lips slammed to her in a hard kiss—a thorough, plundering kiss that sent the blood surging through her veins and fire licking across the surface of her skin.

  He broke off and pressed his forehead to hers. ‘I’m sorry, Bella. I never meant to hurt you.’

  Fear froze her at the look in his eye. ‘I know that,’ she whispered. ‘It’s not your fault.’ It wasn’t anybody’s fault, but she doubted he heard her. He was already striding away. Her heart burned so hard she had to clench her hands to stop from doubling over. ‘Where are you going?’ she choked out.

  ‘To pack my things. I’m moving out. I’ll see you on Monday.’

  Bella sat at the table amid the ruin that was their dinner and watched him slam into his bedroom. Rather than one splendid night with Dominic, she’d driven him away.

  The click of the apartment door closing a short while later echoed in her heart. He hadn’t even said goodbye.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE grand opening night for the Newcastle Maldini was going exactly to plan. Dominic knew that Bella had visualised tonight down to the minutest detail and as he moved through the crowd he couldn’t imagine that she was anything but elated beyond measure.

  All the beautiful people of Newcastle and farther abroad were here. The restaurant and bar areas, lounge and foyer, were filled with glittering patrons milling, talking, mixing and being seen. He’d received a multitude of compliments about the décor, the grandeur of the foyer with its stunning chandelier, the comfort and luxury of the guest rooms, and for the efficiency and pleasantness of the staff.

  Not to mention the food. There’d been a lot of praise for the food. The diners in the restaurant were literally gushing with tributes. It couldn’t be denied that the restaurant was the unofficial hub for this evening’s festivities and Dominic could clearly see why. Bella and her staff had created a sophisticated and stylish dining room which was the most inviting space in the hotel.

  The entire project was a tour de force. Something inside Dominic lifted when he glanced across the room at Marco. The older man could not keep the grin from his face. His evident pleasure, his almost childlike delight, was the highlight of Dominic’s evening. He knew it would be Bella’s, as well.

  So why the hell wasn’t he beaming, too? Why was he finding it so hard to keep a smile on his face?

  He glanced at Bella—again. He’d given up counting the number of times his eyes sought her out. As the restaurant’s hostess this evening, she’d stolen his breath. She wore a fitted black lace dress, black tights and killer heels that highlighted the length of her glorious legs. Her dress moulded to her curves, emphasising her lethal hourglass figure. All that womanly perfection made his mouth dry and an ache start up somewhere deep inside.

  It wasn’t her beauty, though, that had charmed the restaurant’s patrons. It was her warmth. She moved through the restaurant with unhurried ease. She seemed to anticipate her diners’ every need before they did. It was obvious that her most important goal for the evening was that her diners enjoy themselves.

  Her staff responded to her directions with respect and eagerness, and he noted that she was quick to praise them, too. In fact, he noted every damn thing about her.

  His hands clenched. Wherever Bella moved she radiated charm, and unaffected hospitality. That was, she radiated them to everyone except him. His lips twisted. Twice he’d spoken to her this evening. He’d wanted to tell her how exquisite the restaurant looked. He’d wanted to tell her what an outstanding job she’d done.

  She’d listened politely, she’d thanked him politely and then she’d moved on. Her distance rankled. He missed the shared jokes, the banter and teasing. He missed her enthusiasm for everything except mornings.

  Hell, he missed living with her.

  You were the idiot who moved out of the apartment.

  He’d had to.

  He turned and headed back towards the bar area, away from the restaurant and Bella. He did another circuit of the lounge and foyer, spoke to the VIPs, flirted with the socialites, but inevitably he ended up back at the restaurant. It drew him as an unguarded plate of food called to a stray dog that hadn’t eaten in several days.

  Marco waved him over to his table. Dominic answered the summons with alacrity. ‘
Where are your dinner companions?’ He gestured to the empty table.

  ‘They’ve deserted me to sample the delights of the bar and the lounge. They tell me they mean to report back to me in an hour with their opinions. Now sit, sit,’ he ordered. He waved a waiter over. ‘Champagne please, young Robert.’ The fact that Marco knew his waiter’s name made Dominic grin. Like father, like daughter. ‘This one, if you please.’ And he pointed to the most expensive bottle on the wine list.

  ‘Very good, Mr Maldini.’

  Marco’s eyes danced. ‘And will you tell my daughter I would like to see her?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Bella was halfway across the room, and when the waiter spoke to her she turned and glanced at Marco’s table. Her smile faltered for a moment when her eyes landed on Dominic. His heart burned in protest, but his blood kicked to life as she made her way towards them. She made slow progress as the people at nearly every table wanted to stop her and compliment her.

  ‘Isn’t my Bella beautiful?’

  She was stunning! Dominic forced his gaze to his employer. ‘She is a remarkable woman, Marco. She has done an amazing job here. You have every reason to be proud of her.’

  ‘Yes.’ Marco’s brow momentarily darkened. ‘So what the hell has happened between the pair of you? What have you done to her?’

  ‘What have I—?’

  They both broke off as the champagne arrived. And then Bella. At her father’s urging, Bella sat, too. She took the seat closest to her father opposite Dominic. The candlelight danced across her face, turning her eyes to dark pools of mystery.

  Marco did the honours with the champagne. He handed them each a glass. ‘Dominic, Bella, you have made my dream a reality. You have exceeded all my expectations, all my wildest dreams. You have made me a very happy man.’ He raised his glass. ‘A toast to you both for all your hard work and brilliance. You have my gratitude and my admiration.’

  They clinked glasses. Just for a moment Bella met his eyes, and Dominic’s heart leapt into his throat. She glanced away, no smile lighting her face, and his heart slumped to his knees. His chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. It took all his strength to force one sip of champagne down his throat.

  He came to, to hear Marco say, ‘You called the restaurant “Francine’s”?’

  ‘In honour of Mama.’

  ‘She would be very proud of you, Bella. I am very proud of you.’

  In the candlelight Dominic could see her eyes shimmer with unshed tears. She blinked hard a couple of times and he found his own throat thickening. She’d achieved what she’d set out to—Marco’s respect and regard. He knew how much this moment meant to her. When she reached over to cover Marco’s hand with hers, he saw that Marco had to blink hard, too.

  ‘Papa, I want to thank you for being so patient with me these last few years, and I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to prove myself. It means more to me than I can say.’

  Marco gripped her hand. ‘My Bella, all I want is for you to be happy. I have failed you so badly these last few years.’

  Bella’s jaw dropped. ‘Failed me?’

  ‘You have struggled to find your place in the world and I didn’t know how to help you. Everything I did seemed to make things worse. Seemed to make you unhappy.’

  Her mouth opened and closed. Finally she shook her head ‘No, Papa, you didn’t fail me.’ Her eyes suddenly twinkled. ‘But I think we need to work on our communication. I was only unhappy because I thought I was letting you down.’

  Marco’s jaw dropped. ‘But...’

  ‘No.’ She held up a hand. ‘Dominic made me see that I needed to prove to myself that I could do it, too.’ She pulled in a breath. ‘He was right.’ She gestured around the restaurant. ‘Yes, I wanted to make you proud of me, but I had to learn to be proud of myself, too. And I am.’

  The glance and the tiny smile she sent across to him pierced Dominic to his marrow.

  ‘I will always be grateful to you, Papa, for giving me this chance, and I will always be grateful to Dominic for so generously sharing his knowledge. I know what I want now and I know where I’m going. My future feels brighter because of my experiences here.’

  Marco’s face clouded over. ‘Will you be going back to Italy and that restaurant you love so much? I understand if that’s what you want but, my Bella, I will miss you.’

  She leaned across and kissed his cheek. ‘No, Papa. I want to stay in Australia and open my own restaurant.’

  Marco’s face lit up. He said something jubilant in Italian that suddenly made Dominic laugh.

  Bella laughed, too. Then she sat back and sipped her wine. ‘I’m afraid I’ll be flying out to Italy on Monday, though.’

  Marco nodded his head morosely. ‘Yes, yes.’

  Dominic stiffened. ‘What? Why? We agreed to stay on for another week to ensure the handover of responsibilities goes without hiccup.’

  ‘I have to make a cake.’ Bella didn’t look him in the eye. ‘My cousin Immacolata’s wedding is in a fortnight and something has gone wrong with the cake.’

  Her natural generosity would’ve ensured that she’d offered her services and expertise to help.

  ‘Be warned,’ Marco muttered. ‘Your aunt has a young man lined up for you.’

  Bella laughed. ‘Just the one?’

  ‘No, three, but there’s one in particular that she thinks you will like.’

  Dominic’s hands clenched. He wanted to punch someone. Bella with another man—laughing with another man, kissing him, making love with him, confessing her fears and dreams to him, building a life with him?

  Whoa!

  He physically pushed himself up and away from the table when he realised the direction his thoughts had taken. He wasn’t a schmuck like his father. He didn’t make a fool of himself over any woman.

  Bella and Marco turned startled eyes to him. ‘I, uh...’ He pointed behind him. ‘There’s something I have to check.’

  He stalked away, but there were too many people, too much noise. He needed to think. He pushed his way towards the staff domain of the kitchen.

  Luigi glanced up when Dominic lurched through the doors. ‘Mr Dominic, is everything all right?’

  ‘Yes, yes.’

  ‘Can I get you—?’

  ‘I just need a moment of quiet,’ he snapped as he made for the staff exit and the quiet of the night-lit alley. The ground beneath his feet swayed. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

  He would not make a fool of himself over Bella. He would not become some spineless sap a woman could manipulate.

  Bella said she loved you. She hasn’t become a sap.

  No, Bella was lovely and brave. Not a sap.

  In that instant it finally hit him where Bella’s love of life, her passion, came from: it came from loving. It came from caring about things. Lots of things: her father, her friends, Minky, homeless men, her cousin Immacolata... Yet each and every one of those things had the potential to hurt her.

  Bella said she loved you. She hasn’t become a sap.

  He backed up to lean against the brick wall. He’d had the potential to hurt her. He clenched his hands. And he had.

  But she hasn’t become a sap!

  The message the internal voice had been trying to beat into his brain finally impacted with his grey cells. For a moment everything inside him stilled, even his breath. Bella had told him she loved him and he’d walked away. But she hadn’t collapsed into a heap. She hadn’t sought him out during these last few weeks to cry or remonstrate with him, to try to change his mind. She’d acted professionally in their meetings. She’d held her head high. She’d maintained her dignity.

  When are you going to realise you are not like your father?

  He’d treated Bella the same way women had treated his father—with callousness. With coldness. And as a form of defence. But Bella hadn’t collapsed into a heap the way his father always had.

  He swallowed and tried to slow the whirling of his br
ain.

  He didn’t want to be like his father.

  He didn’t want to be like his father’s ex-wives and girlfriends either.

  And finally he could see there were alternatives. It wasn’t an either-or situation. Something inside him started to lift.

  He replayed his first meeting with Bella. He went over their ensuing arguments, her challenges, their laughter and their kiss. He thought back to the time before he knew Bella, to the boredom and the blankness. He stiffened with a curse. He might not be a sap, but he was an idiot!

  He pushed away from the wall and shot back into the kitchen. ‘Luigi?’ he hollered, glancing around wildly for the other man.

  ‘Yes, sir?’ Luigi raced over. ‘I’m here, Mr Dominic. Are you all right?’

  ‘I...’ He loved Bella. He wanted for ever with Bella. He had to win her, prove himself to her. ‘Luigi, I need your help. I need a bottle of our finest champagne, some strawberries—’ he grabbed the older man’s shoulders ‘—hell, tell me there’s chocolate mud cake left?’

  ‘We have Signorina Bella’s favourite.’

  He sagged in relief and then held up two fingers. ‘I need two slices and a picnic basket.’

  ‘And glasses, plates and forks.’

  He could’ve kissed the older man.

  ‘A blanket too, perhaps?’

  ‘Luigi, you are worth your weight in gold.’

  The older man chuckled. ‘No, no. But Signorina Bella is.’

  Dominic didn’t ask him how he knew. He paced impatiently while the basket was prepared and tried to work out exactly what he should say to Bella when he had her alone, but his mind refused to work.

  Luigi handed him the picnic basket but kept a firm grip on it before Dominic could race away. ‘You take good care of her, Mr Dominic.’

  ‘I will,’ he promised. He made a mental note to give the man a pay raise. Anyone who cared for Bella like that deserved good things.

  * * *

  ‘What on earth?’

  Bella broke off, her throat closing over as Dominic approached her father’s table. He strode towards her with a purpose that made her heart thump.

  Don’t be ridiculous. He’d made it clear—more than clear—where they stood. He halted in front of them. She nodded to the basket he held. ‘All you need is a red cape,’ she quipped, hoping wisecracks would keep the tears at bay. She would not let them fall until she was in bed alone tonight.