But she wanted to take charge of herself, didn’t she? Perhaps she could surprise Alessandro? Because, judging by that gleam of amusement in his eyes, he thought she’d be annoyed by his offer.
On one level she was, but on another she was quite grateful. Truthfully, she had no idea what to wear, and for once in her life she wanted to look good.
‘Actually, yes, please. I think a makeover might be just the thing to lift my confidence.’ A spark of defiance lit within her. She wanted to look better than good. ‘Maybe I can look like people would expect your wife to—should I get short skirts? Low-cut tops? Totter about in heels?’
‘Are you judging other women by their clothing choices?’ he queried blandly.
She took the hit—she deserved it. Hadn’t she just done to nameless, faceless other women what Brian had done to her? She deserved better from herself. And she needed to allow herself to deserve better too.
‘Point taken.’ She licked her lips awkwardly. ‘So...thank you. I appreciate the offer and I’d like the help.’
Something kindled in his eyes, but he seemed to smother his smile. ‘I’ll arrange it.’
Being Alessandro, he made the call immediately, speaking rapidly in Italian.
‘She’s on her way,’ he informed her after a few minutes. ‘Don’t worry about the budget. You’ll need casual, and perhaps a couple of outfits suitable for evening functions. I’m going to work for a few hours—I’ll be here when you get back.’
Katie stared at him, struck again by his ability to make things happen. ‘Do you work all the time?’
He shot her an amused look. ‘You know the answer to that.’
‘Work hard, play hard?’ She shook her head. ‘Such a cliché, Alessandro.’
‘Are you sure you want to keep baiting me, Katie?’
She was saved from that lethal whisper by a knock on the door.
Alessandro swiftly crossed the room. Katie was struck with sudden nerves as a slim brunette walked in. Dressed in black, with beautiful make-up and her hair in a sleek chignon, she strode confidently straight up to Katie with an appraising gaze.
‘I am Julia,’ the woman declared, as if Katie ought to be impressed. ‘This will be good, si?’ She studied Katie again and nodded, as if pleased. ‘You have great structure.’
Nonplussed, Katie couldn’t think what to reply.
Alessandro murmured something in Italian to Julia, which left Katie feeling gauche and clueless and as if she was being dismissed. But it was Alessandro who stood to leave.
He paused beside her on his way and whispered in her ear. ‘Don’t dress to please me, her, your foster parents or anyone else. Dress to please yourself.’ He brushed his lips against her cheekbone, the light touch leaving a burn on her skin. ‘I dare you.’
Katie’s pulse skidded. She had carte blanche with a credit card, complete self-expression and she had no idea what to do.
But it turned out that with Julia—stylist to Italian stars—personal shopping didn’t mean traipsing around a bunch of shops and getting exhausted. Personal shopping with Julia meant Katie being ensconced in the hotel beauty salon to spend an hour perusing various lookbooks online and discussing the styles that appealed to her.
Julia made notes and sent messages on her phone. Then she led Katie to a team of beauticians to be buffed and polished to gleaming perfection. She enjoyed both salt and sugar scrubs and rubs, a manicure, pedicure, a haircut, a facial and a make-up lesson. Meanwhile Julia sourced a huge variety of garments.
‘We’ll create the perfect capsule wardrobe for your honeymoon,’ Julia announced with her thick Italian accent. ‘A combination of casual, dressy, totally sexy. He says to please yourself, and that is good, but you can also make him speechless, si?’
He’d told Julia that Katie had to please herself? Shaking her head, Katie tried on literally dozens of dresses, skirts, trousers, blouses, tees... And slowly she got into it. It was impossible not to discover the joy of soft, fine fabrics—silk, cashmere, linen. She wasn’t used to wearing clothing that was so beautifully tailored.
‘This flatters your subtle femininity.’ Julia nodded in approval as Katie emerged from the dressing room in a floral dress with a deep neckline.
‘Subtle’ was right. Katie ruefully studied her reflection. Making the most of her meagre assets still didn’t turn her into anything like those models Alessandro was so often photographed with.
Pull yourself together. None of this pity.
She was his wife for a few weeks—she couldn’t complain. And she did look better than she’d ever looked. She was passable.
‘Try this as well.’ Julia smiled at her as if she’d found missing treasure.
Katie stared at the tiny metallic bikini Julia held out to her. ‘I’m not sure...’
‘It will highlight your eyes. He’ll be...how do you say?...putty in your hands.’
While that was a tempting thought, the truth was more the other way around.
Julia grabbed her phone. ‘I am going to lay the clothes out in a variety of looks, so you have some ideas to scroll through and select.’
‘Thank you.’ Katie decided that Julia was worth her weight in gold.
‘You’re leaving this evening, so I’ll pack the things you do not need today and the porters will bring the bags up to your room.’
Katie simply nodded, hiding the embarrassing fact that she had no idea of Alessandro’s plans while this paid stylist apparently did.
An hour later she finally returned to their suite. Alessandro had his back to her and was talking in rapid Italian, seemingly endlessly, on the phone. With his shirtsleeves rolled up, and surrounded by pieces of paper, two tablets and a laptop, he looked every inch the busy entrepreneur.
He didn’t turn as she walked in, which was fabulous—because she didn’t want to endure his appraisal and sardonic compliments on her haircut and new clothes. That would just be awkward.
So she chose not to wait or to interrupt him. She’d check out the pool instead. She was uncomfortably hot all of a sudden.
In the luxurious changing room, she slipped into the bikini and scooped up the shawl Julia had told her to accessorise it with, and slid on the matching bronze sandals.
It wasn’t until she was sitting on the edge of the pool, paddling her feet, that she had a qualm of guilt over just how much Julia had encouraged her to buy.
She’d somehow lost her head in that deliciously scented room, with all those beautiful flowers and gleaming mirrors, and Julia had made her feel as if it was perfectly normal to buy six pairs of shoes, seven dresses and a huge assortment of skirts, trousers and tops. Not to mention the beauty case Julia had also insisted she needed—and the curling wand for her hair, the make-up, the moisturiser and the special sunscreen... And then there were the leather luggage bags to put all the clothes in...
Far too late Katie realised she’d bought far too much. She paddled her feet faster. She was going to have to apologise to Alessandro and then beg Julia to take half the stuff back. It could be returned, right?
Pondering how best to extricate herself from this latest mess, she laughed beneath her breath at her own uselessness. So much for letting herself deserve more...accept more.
‘Katie?’
She turned at the husky calling of her name, still smiling at her own madness.
‘Alessandro...’ She bit her lip, unsure how to confess. ‘You’ve finished your work?’
He towered over her, his hands on his hips as he surveyed her. She couldn’t see his expression behind the sunglasses he’d put on. But when he didn’t say anything more she had the sense he was irritated in some way.
It’s not necessarily anything to do with you...it could be work.
‘You were busy. I didn’t want to bother you.’
He glanced about the pool, his eyebrows drawing together
as he looked at the other guests.
‘I wanted to cool off,’ she added when he still didn’t answer.
‘Here.’ He picked up the beautiful wrap Julia had included and handed it to her. ‘Put this on.’
She clutched it close, shocked mortification chilling her. Was the bikini awful? Was he embarrassed by her?
He suddenly hunched down beside her and pulled off his sunglasses so he could glare into her eyes. ‘Don’t look so terrified.’ He reached out and ran his forefinger along her bare shoulder. ‘Your skin is too fair to sit so exposed in the sun. Either I rub sunscreen on you or you cover up. It’s your choice.’
He was concerned about her skin burning? Suddenly she was all but incinerating on the spot from the brilliant fire in his blue eyes.
‘I’ve already put lotion on,’ she whispered.
She didn’t want his hands on her body again. At least not in public. She wasn’t sure she’d cope.
‘There are people watching us,’ he whispered back, a reluctant smile tugging his mouth into that tempting curve. ‘You might want to rethink your scowl.’
There were? She pulled the wrap over her shoulders and made herself smile.
‘Good choice,’ he drawled. ‘We’re leaving in twenty minutes. I understand your bags are ready?’
‘Why are we leaving? This place is amazing.’
‘Amazing is acceptable, but I prefer paradise.’
She relaxed at the return of his arrogance. ‘Big promises.’ She arched her eyebrows at him. ‘Is paradise another plane ride away?’
‘Are you finding that relentless round-the-world travel isn’t everything?’ He chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a short hop by helicopter.’ He glanced down at the almost sheer wrap she’d covered herself with. ‘You can stay in the bikini if you want. I don’t mind.’
She wasn’t staying in the bikini.
‘Did you have fun today?’ he asked slyly as he accompanied her back to their suite.
‘Actually, I think I spent too much,’ she confessed in a breathless guilty rush. ‘Far too much. I think I got a bit excited by it all and just said yes to everything.’
He laughed. ‘Excellent. That is good practice.’
‘I’m sorry...’
‘Of course you are sorry, dolcezza,’ he murmured. ‘And here I was, thinking you were making progress.’
She frowned, unsure what he meant. ‘I’ll pay you back.’
‘I’m sure you will think of a way.’ He chuckled again, as her blush burned like a fever, and lifted a finger to feel the heat flaming her cheeks for himself. ‘Your mind, Katie... I’m beginning to think it’s filthy.’
‘No, it’s the way you say everything that makes it all seem so...naughty,’ she grumbled awkwardly. ‘You’re a tease.’
‘Yes.’ He nodded. ‘I suppose I am. But it’s just words. My payment is the pleasure I get from seeing you like this.’ He gazed into her eyes. ‘Confident and smiling,’ he explained softly. ‘Nothing more. You don’t have to please me. You have only to please yourself.’
He expected nothing more from her?
Katie fought off an absurd feeling of disappointment. He might want her, but he didn’t have the desperate desire she did. Somehow she needed to rein in her own pulse.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS THE HELICOPTER rose up from the roof of the hotel Katie’s death grip on her safety belt slackened, as did her jaw, because the view was so stunning she forgot her first-time flier nerves. Speechless, she stared at the sparkling water, studded with sleek, gleaming boats. It was a vast crystalline playground for the ultra-stylish, famous and fabulous, and it went on for as far as she could see.
For almost twenty minutes they flew high and fast, and she gazed in wonder at the emerald coast and the scattered array of small islands. Then they began descending, right above one. High cliffs rose on one side, while stone walls bracketed a small beach on the other. In the middle a breathtaking building stood amongst verdant perfectly planted gardens. Hewn from traditional stone, accented with tiles and glass, it was a modern architectural masterpiece, designed to enhance and appreciate the majestic vista.
Katie’s heart skidded at the beauty of it. And at the isolation.
She caught a glimpse of a couple of smaller structures in the distance before they landed on the helipad. Then Katie’s stomach fluttered as she ducked and ran alongside Alessandro, conscious of his firm arm across her shoulders. Only moments later the helicopter lifted up again.
‘Please don’t tell me you own this island,’ she breathed, conscious of the sudden silence.
‘What should I say instead?’ His smile chased the remnants of a frown from his face and he drew in a deep breath.
But Katie’s lungs had tightened. ‘You have staff?’ she asked, trying to sound casual.
‘A couple who usually live onsite act as caretakers.’ He scooped up the bags the co-pilot had left for them. ‘They’ve gone to the mainland for a few days.’
Leaving her utterly alone with him?
Her nerves flipped from that light flutter to a loud jangle.
Ironic speculation turned his eyes an even more brilliant blue. ‘Shall I show you around?’
Katie followed him along the path towards the house. The gardens were gorgeous—established trees offered shade and privacy, while flowers filled the air with a sweet, summery scent.
‘It’s big for just you,’ she murmured, trying to distract herself from her too-intense thoughts.
‘I sometimes lease it out when I’m not here,’ he answered lightly. ‘It’s an investment as much as anything.’
Yes, people would pay huge amounts to spend time in such a private, perfect escape. It was architecturally impressive and luxurious, offering a rare level of comfort with space enough for a party.
A shard of cold reality pierced the sweet air. She’d bet he’d had some hedonistic, decadent parties here. She could just imagine millions of beautiful women in their bikinis, draped around the pool.
Alessandro didn’t take her to the towering main entrance, but led her to a vast, plant-lined terrace, with a beautiful blue swimming pool that ran down the side of the building. He walked half the length of the terrace, then opened the fourth set of double doors and stood back to let her enter.
‘This is your bedroom.’
She felt a quicksilver urge to flee, but instead she stepped through. The room was airy, light and luxurious, with soft-looking furnishings and a huge bed. Transfixed, she licked her dry lips, trying to stop the immediate surge of rampantly inappropriate thoughts in her head.
‘It’s beautiful, thank you.’
Too awkward to move, she watched him set her bags at the end of the bed. ‘I’m down the hall,’ he said. ‘Near if you need me.’
She shot him a quick look and glanced back to her bags, half wishing she could snatch them up and escape. Yet at the same time the last thing she wanted to do was run from him.
‘You didn’t want to be alone last night,’ Alessandro reminded her softly when she failed to reply.
That had been different. She’d been overtired and overwrought and, frankly, freaked out. She wasn’t freaked out now. She was something else altogether.
Slowly, irresistibly, she looked at him. Her gaze was instantly ensnared by his. Her breath stalled. So did time. Unable to look away, unable to move, she was intensely aware of the irregular skip of her heart as heat rose. In these last days she’d somehow been restrung inside—all her senses were working more acutely, making her even more aware of him—of his size, his strength, his scent...his sensuality.
And his sinfully delicious humour.
She’d never met anyone who made her smile the way he did. And all she wanted was to stay near to him. He was a source of fascination and fun and she didn’t want to be alone at all any more. She’d had the smalle
st of tastes on the plane, and now she was starving—craving more of that contact.
But she couldn’t speak...couldn’t ask. Katie had never asked for anything like that in her life. Not intimacy. Nothing personal. And while he’d said he wanted her, he’d wanted lots of women. It didn’t make her special in any way.
‘Come on. I’ll show you the rest.’ He abruptly turned and stalked out of the room.
She followed, trying to breathe out and release the tension that tightened every muscle.
The magnificent kitchen provided the perfect distraction. She actually laughed aloud when she realised there were many fantastic appliances to stare at instead of gazing at him.
‘Oh, Alessandro, this is gorgeous.’
‘You’re turned on by my oven?’ He leaned back against the marble bench and laughed briefly, only to pause and shoot her a deliberately smouldering glance. ‘Good, I’m hungry. Are you hungry?’
He’s just teasing.
His mouth twitched as she didn’t—couldn’t—reply.
He eventually relented and broke the silence. ‘There are vegetables prepared, and fresh fish in the fridge. I’ll get on the grill.’
She glanced out of the window and saw a well-planted kitchen garden conveniently near. ‘I could find some herbs or something...?’
‘Perfect. Run away and hide, dolcezza. I’ll be waiting here.’
She shot him a look, but left the room. She wasn’t going to run and hide—she was going to do what she was good at.
Outside and alone, she sucked in a gulp of fresh summer sea air to clear her head. His effect on her was increasing with every moment and it was mortifying.
Pull it together.
Just because they were married, it didn’t mean anything. All that flirtation was just talk—nothing to be taken seriously.
She plucked at plants almost at random, then determinedly walked back into the kitchen, armed with fresh herbs and a wide smile.
‘Let me do that.’ She moved next to where he stood preparing the fish at the counter.
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