The Secret Kept from the Italian

by Kate Hewitt

  He shrugged, the phantom pain searing his shoulder blades.

  This woman’s work threatened to throw the book he had planned to commission—stressing the country’s adaptability and new modern outlook—into stark relief if she found out the sordid truth about how he had come to live in Narabia. But shutting her down wasn’t the right response. He had always been a firm believer in challenging problems head-on. ‘Never trust anyone’ had been one of his father’s favourite maxims—and one of the many harsh lessons Zane had learned to embrace wholeheartedly.

  ‘You want me to write a book on the kingdom?’ She seemed astonished. He wondered why.

  ‘Yes, it would mean accompanying me to Narabia. You would have three months to complete the project but I understand you’ve already spent over a year doing research on the kingdom?’ Research he needed to ensure hadn’t already uncovered information he wished to conceal.

  She moistened her lips, and his gaze was drawn to her mouth. Even though she appeared to wear no lipstick, he became momentarily fixated by the plump bow at the top, glistening in the half-light. The surge of lust was surprising. The women he slept with were usually a great deal more sophisticated than this woman.

  ‘I’m sorry. I... I can’t accept.’

  He dragged his gaze away from her month, annoyed he’d become fixated on it. And annoyed more by her response to his proposal. ‘I assure you the fee is a lucrative one,’ he said.

  ‘I don’t doubt that,’ she said, although he suspected she had no idea how lucrative the fee he would propose actually was, certainly more than an academic could make in a decade, let alone three months. ‘But I couldn’t possibly write a comprehensive account in that time. I’ve only done preliminary research so far. And I’ve never written something of that magnitude. Are you sure you don’t want a journalist instead?’

  No way was he inviting a journalist to pry into his past. That sort of uncontrolled intrusion into his affairs was precisely what this carefully vetted account was supposed to avoid.

  Heat pulsed in his groin at her surprising show of defiance. He ruthlessly ignored it. However much he might want to devour that cupid’s bow mouth, he was not in the habit of seducing subordinates—especially not ones who looked about eighteen years old.

  ‘How old are you, Dr Smith?’ he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

  She stiffened and he suspected he’d insulted her with the question. She must be used to people questioning her credentials, which was hardly surprising—she didn’t look old enough to be in college, let alone to hold two PhDs.

  ‘I’m twenty-four.’

  He nodded, relieved. She was young and probably sheltered if she’d managed to gain that much education so quickly, but not that young.

  ‘Then you are still at the start of your career. This is an opportunity for you to make a name for yourself outside the—’ his gaze drifted over the worn leather textbooks, the musty academic tomes, all dead history to his way of thinking ‘—world of academia. You wanted official accreditation for your research into Narabia...’ Accreditation he would give her once he had final say on the content of her work. ‘This is the only way you will get it.’

  He waited for her to absorb the offer, and the threat—that if she didn’t agree to his proposition, any chance of getting official accreditation would be lost.

  It didn’t take long for the full import of his position to sink in—her expressive face flushing with something akin to alarm.

  ‘I could continue my work without the accreditation,’ she said, but her teeth pulled at her bottom lip. The nervous tug sent another annoying jolt to his crotch, but also revealed her statement for what it was—a heroic bluff.

  ‘You could. But your tenure here would be withdrawn,’ he said, his patience at an end. No matter how attractive or heroic she was, he did not have time to play with her any longer. ‘And I would personally ensure you were not allowed access to any of the materials you need to continue researching my country.’

  Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. The flush on her cheeks highlighted the sprinkle of freckles across her nose. ‘Are you... Are you threatening me, Mr Khan?’

  Placing his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers, he stepped closer. ‘On the contrary, I’m offering you a chance to validate your work. Narabia is a fascinating and beautiful place—which is about to come out of its chrysalis. And finally fulfil its potential.’

  That was the end game here: to turn the country into somewhere that could embrace its cultural heritage without being held back by it.

  ‘How can you write about a country you’ve never seen? A culture you’ve never experienced? And a people you’ve never met?’

  * * *

  The passion in Zane Khan’s eyes only made the cerulean blue more stormy and intense. And deeply unsettling.

  He’s calling you a coward.

  The implication stung, touching a nerve she had spent years cauterising. But really, how could she dispute his assessment?

  Ever since she’d arrived in Cambridge, arrived at Devereaux College, she’d immersed herself in learning because it made her feel safe and secure.

  But ever since her father’s death, she’d wanted to spread her wings, to stop being scared of the wanderlust she’d banked so carefully as a child.

  Don’t be so boring, darling. Daddy won’t know if you don’t tell him. What are you? A cat or a mouse?

  The image of her mother’s bright—too bright—smile and her milk-chocolate eyes, full of reckless passion, flickered at the edge of Cat’s consciousness like a guilty secret.

  Don’t go there. This has nothing to do with her. This is all about you.

  She forced herself to meet Zane Khan’s pure blue eyes again, dark with secrets her research so far had only hinted at. This man was dangerous to her peace of mind, but why should that have anything to do with her professional integrity? So what if she felt completely overwhelmed and she’d only been in his presence for five minutes? Surely that was just a by-product of all the things that had held her back for so long. Confidence had to be earned. And that meant facing your fears. And not being a coward.

  All you have to do is believe you can, Cat. Then you will.

  Her father’s supportive voice and the encouragement he’d given her when she’d been crippled with anxiety on her first day of primary school, of secondary school, of sixth-form college, of university and then graduate school, echoed through her head.

  A bubble of excitement burst in her blood. Yes, the thought of this trip was terrifying. But it was way past time she stopped living in her comfort zone. She was twenty-four years old. And she’d never even had a proper boyfriend—the flush rode up her neck—which probably explained why she’d practically passed out when she’d met Zane Khan.

  She’d pored over pictures and artefacts from Narabia, been captivated by the country’s stunningly diverse geography and its rich cultural heritage—but she’d only been able to scratch the surface of its secrets. She already knew she needed to experience the country and the culture first-hand to validate her work. The chance to experience what might well be a tumultuous time in the country’s history was also tantalising—professionally speaking.

  And the only time she would have to spend in Zane Khan’s company would be for her research.

  ‘Would I be able to have full access to the archives?’

  ‘Of course,’ he answered without hesitation.

  An anthropological book detailing the country’s rich cultural heritage, its monarchy and the challenges they were facing made sense. Zane Khan and his own past were surely at the centre of that.

  ‘I’d also like to interview you at some point,’ she said before she could chicken out.

  She saw the flicker of something brittle and defensive in his eyes and the muscle in his jaw tensed. ‘Why would that be necessary?’

 
‘Well, you’re the country’s ruler,’ she said, not sure why she was having to explain herself. ‘And also because you had a Westernised childhood—you would have a unique perspective that spans both cultures.’

  ‘I’m sure I can arrange to speak to you at some point,’ he said, but his tone was strangely tight. ‘So do we have a deal?’

  She let out a deep breath, feeling as if she were about to jump off a cliff—because in a lot of ways she was... But she’d been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time.

  You don’t want to be a mouse for ever.

  ‘Okay—you’ve got a deal,’ she said, the surge of excitement at her own daring almost overwhelming her panic.

  She reached out her hand, but then long strong fingers folded over hers—and she yearned to snatch it back. His grip was firm, impersonal, but the rush of sensation that raced up her arm was anything but.

  ‘How long will it take you to pack?’ he asked.

  ‘Umm... I should be able to fly over in a week or so,’ she said, grateful when he released her hand. She needed to rearrange her teaching schedule, pack up her flat on campus and give herself more time to make absolutely sure she was happy jumping off this cliff.

  ‘Not good enough,’ he said.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ she said, disturbed by the no-nonsense tone, and the sensation still streaking up her arm.

  ‘I’ll have the contract drawn up and delivered to you within the hour. Is five hundred thousand pounds sufficient for your input on the project?’

  Half a million pounds!

  ‘I... That’s very generous.’

  ‘Excellent, then we will leave for Narabia tonight.’

  We...? Tonight...? What...?

  ‘I...’

  He held up his hand, and the feeble protest got stuck in her throat.

  ‘No buts. We made a deal.’ He took a phone out of his trouser pocket, and walked past her. The two bodyguards and Walmsley, who must have been lurking outside the door, all snapped to attention as he opened it.

  So Zane Khan didn’t just have that disturbing effect on her.

  ‘Dr Smith will be leaving on my private jet tonight,’ he announced.

  Walmsley’s mouth dropped open comically, but Cat didn’t feel much like laughing.

  Zane glanced over his shoulder. ‘A car will arrive in four hours to take you to the airport,’ he said.

  ‘But that’s not enough time,’ she managed, past the constriction in her throat. What exactly had she just agreed to? Because she was starting to feel like a mouse again. A very timid, overwhelmed mouse, in the presence of a large, extremely predatory lion.

  ‘Anything you need will be provided for you,’ he said, cutting off any more protests by lifting the phone back to his ear and striding away down the corridor, with the two bodyguards flanking him.

  Cat watched his tall figure disappear round the corner, her breath locked in her lungs and her stomach free-falling off the cliff without the rest of her.

  Problem was, she hadn’t had the chance to jump off this particular cliff—because she’d just been pushed.

  Copyright © 2018 by Heidi Rice

  ISBN-13: 9781488044120

  The Secret Kept from the Italian

  First North American publication 2018

  Copyright © 2018 by Kate Hewitt

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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