Master of Bella Terra

by Christina Hollis

  ‘I see you like the view,’ she said with satisfaction.

  There was a pause before he answered. It gave her strange pleasure to see that he carried on drinking in the scenery before he replied. ‘Is it so obvious?’

  ‘You make a beeline for the windows each time we enter a room.’

  He frowned, seeming uncomfortable that she had noticed his simple enjoyment of their beautiful surroundings.

  ‘I’m simply checking to see where the nearest neighbours are. I value my privacy.’

  Kira nodded, covering a smile. ‘I understand. This valley is perfect for that. You won’t be disturbed. Let’s hope you don’t disturb me!’

  He gave her a sharp look, then paced on towards the next room. As he walked, he compared what he was seeing with the beautifully produced brochure. Kira decided to get a copy of the booklet for herself. It would be a permanent reminder of this day, and the house. She was seeing it for the first and last time, and that made her happy to wander along in Stefano’s wake. He needed no commentary, and took his time. While he judged and estimated distances and sizes, Kira simply enjoyed herself. The old house was beautiful. Its corridors and great rooms had a quiet grace, despite all the grime and dust. Sir Ivan couldn’t have visited the upper storeys of his house in years. There were worm-eaten long-case clocks on plinths, dusty carriage clocks on equally dusty coffee tables and delicate little china clocks on every mantelpiece. There wasn’t so much as a tick or a tock between them. All were silent. All were sad. Only the sound of a golden oriole warbling from the lime trees outside and swifts screaming overhead broke the thick summer silence.

  ‘Ah, perfetto,’ Stefano breathed, with a look of total satisfaction. Kira was entranced. As he strolled on into the final room on the top floor, she stopped. There was no point in going any further. The small, square box room was no competition for her last uninterrupted viewing of Stefano Albani. She watched as he finished inspecting the house that might become his own. He moved with the self-assured grace of a man who would be at home anywhere. His gestures were expansive as he waved the brochure in her direction, drawing her attention to some fact or another. He only became still when he returned to his favourite position, at the window. Kira felt somehow relieved to see him at rest, if only for a short while. He gave the impression of continuous movement, no matter how slight. She found that unsettling. When he was still like this, lost in thought, she could almost imagine he was at peace. Almost…but not quite. There was always a trace of tension lingering around those eyes. When he forgot to try and charm her, they held the thousand-mile stare of a troubled man.

  She found herself drawn inexorably towards him. Silently, she moved across the bare floorboards, past anonymous, dust-sheeted furniture. The need to reach out and touch him again before he was lost to her forever was irresistible.

  And then he moved. The moment was broken. He turned to her in surprise, but then a slow smile warmed his features, and she realised she had raised a hand as though to touch him.

  ‘Go ahead. Be my guest. As we’re going to be neighbours, it’s a good idea for us to get to know each other better, wouldn’t you say?’

  Kira pulled her hand back as though she had been burned. ‘I—I was going to brush a cobweb from your shoulder. You know how dusty these old houses can be…’ She faltered, convincing neither of them.

  Stefano was intrigued. Kira was full of contradictions. Half of her seemed to be yearning towards him, but something kept pulling her back. With another woman, he might have taken advantage of the situation straight away, but he wasn’t about to push his luck with Miss Kira Banks—not for a while, at least. She interested him.

  In the short time they had been together, he recognised the pain in her. It was too close to home. He wondered how deep the similarities ran between him and this privileged young Englishwoman. Once, when he was young, he had come face to face with tragedy. He could have let it crush him to powder. He dodged that, but paid a heavy price. From that moment, he had spent his whole life on the run. He was afraid of nothing but his conscience. This woman didn’t need to draw pictures when she spoke to him. She had escaped from somewhere and ended up here. That was enough information for him—for the moment. He knew what it felt like to be goaded by guilt.

  The fact we’ve both decided on this hidden valley is somehow comforting, he thought, and then cursed sharply. What did he need with comfort? All he wanted was somewhere he could withdraw from his hectic business life and enjoy some quality time. The Bella Terra estate offered everything he wanted. And it had the added advantage that at least one of the neighbours shared his love of solitude.

  ‘I really enjoyed that,’ Kira said as they reached the front doors again after the grand tour.

  ‘You sound surprised?’ He raised his eyebrows.

  ‘I am! I only agreed to stand in for that estate agent because I was sure you wouldn’t turn up this afternoon. I tend to try and avoid people, when I can.’

  ‘You couldn’t avoid me,’ Stefano reminded her, stepping out of the house and striding off across the terrace. He was intent on seeing the grounds. That made Kira nervous. The bulky clouds rising up over the far ridge of hills were backlit by a blood-red sun. Despite that warning, he kept heading away from his helicopter, and towards the storm. Kira didn’t share his confidence.

  ‘Shouldn’t you be going, Stefano?’ she called, needing to draw his attention to the threatening sky.

  He turned. ‘Anyone would think you were trying to get rid of me! I like this place, Kira. I want to see the rest of it.’

  ‘But it’s going to rain!’

  He was unimpressed. ‘Get wet, get dry again. That’s my motto. I’m going to be living in this beautiful villa, so I should start thinking like a country person. Maybe I can learn to look on the trees as nature’s umbrella.’

  Kira wasn’t sure if he was joking. She hated uncertainty, and followed him to find out. A growl of thunder prowled into the valley, which was something else she didn’t like. She stopped dead.

  ‘You’re going to walk around the grounds in this weather? You might get struck by lightning! Are you mad?’

  He paused. ‘I’ve been called many things in my time, but never that!’ After another second’s thought, he started towards her as rapidly as the storm. As he reached her side, he narrowed his eyes. ‘Are you scared? Is that it?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Kira said, raising her chin defiantly and determined to shadow him whatever the weather might throw at them. ‘Nothing scares me.’

  He didn’t look convinced, but swung away across the terrace again.

  ‘Come on, then. I’ve seen enough of your landscape work from the upper floors to know that I want you to work for me,’ he announced, leaving her to run and catch him up. ‘After hearing about what you did for Sir Ivan, I’ve decided my town house in Florence needs a new designer. I want more greenery, and a roof garden. When you’re not busy with that, you can act as consultant to some inner-city work I’m funding. Currently, it lacks focus. Community projects have been successful elsewhere. Your input may be exactly what I need. I’ll want you to design something to appeal to everyone, and then organise working parties to—’

  ‘Wait!’ Kira tried to halt the imperious flow of instructions. ‘That all sounds good and important, but I can’t simply drop everything on your say-so!’

  He stopped, as the sun went behind a cloud.

  ‘Why not?’ He stared at her, uncomprehending.

  ‘Because…I’ll have to consult my schedule,’ Kira replied with dignity. She decided that Stefano was clearly far too used to getting everything his own way. Still, a chance to design the roof garden for a no doubt exceptionally beautiful town house in Florence…

  ‘With the loss of the Bella Terra’s owner, you’re one client down. You’ve already said as much. I can fill that gap for you,’ Stefano announced affably. ‘You’ve already told me you hate canvassing for jobs and courting publicity. I’ve seen what you can do, and I’m
offering you a valuable, long-term contract working for me. Where’s the problem?’

  The problem, Kira thought desperately, is you.

  ‘I’m not sure I want to work for you, Signor Albani,’ she said a little stiffly. ‘We’re so different. We might not get on.’

  He trapped her gaze for a long time. ‘What you mean is, you’re afraid we might get on too well. And remember—my name is Stefano…’ he added with a tempting smile.

  Kira stared at him. His self-confidence was astonishing, and yet somehow she could not bring herself to resent it. He could read her mind—how could she criticise him for that?

  ‘I appreciate your concerns, but you don’t have to worry,’ he went on. ‘I have so many properties and projects, my contractors are dealt with mainly by email and text. I wouldn’t be there in person to tempt you.’ With that, his smile came dangerously close to laughter.

  Kira had to look away. His body wasn’t the only thing tempting her. She tried not to think of the begging letter, waiting for her on the table at home. There were so many calls on her slender finances. She needed money. The fabric of her house was so old there was always something that required repair. The security of a long-term contract appealed to her cautious nature. Her problem was, whenever she earned more than she actually needed she always felt bound to send any extra money back to England.

  Her natural generosity might feel right, but she knew in her heart it was wrong. She would soon live to regret it, as she had done every single time in the past. What she earned ought to be hers to keep. She tried to harden her heart. It was difficult, and that was why she was such an easy target. Emotional blackmail was an ugly thing. Kira knew a steady contract to work for a billionaire like Stefano Albani would be a perfect new start. With that security behind her, maybe she could manage to make a stand. It would give her some badly needed confidence, and she could make sure that anything she did for Stefano would be strictly on her own terms. Yes, of that she was certain.

  Well…almost certain…

  ‘Your projects sound pretty interesting,’ she told him carefully. ‘When I get back home I’ll check my diary, and see if I can fit you in somewhere.’

  He gave her a calculating look. Then he dug a hand into his pocket and drew something out. ‘Of course, I appreciate you can’t give me an answer straight away. Here—take my card. I’ll have my office draw up all the documents, and you can give them a call when you’ve come to a decision.’

  His wallet was immaculate dark brown leather. The blue silk lining was no match for the intensity of his eyes as he pulled out a business card and handed it to her. Trying not to stare at it like a souvenir, Kira slid it into the pocket of her jeans.

  ‘Thank you. I’ll give it some serious thought.’

  Lightning crackled. Kira braced herself, but the explosion of thunder still made her jump.

  ‘It’s getting closer.’ She looked up at the sky, and then across at the horizon. It was as dark as an overripe plum. ‘Are you sure you want to risk a tour of the estate in this weather, Stefano?’

  ‘It will be fine.’ He smiled. ‘Trust me.’

  That was the last thing Kira ever did. People always used that phrase as casually as they said ‘to be honest.’

  From that moment, she knew in her heart things would go wrong. She tensed, retreating into the role of observer as Stefano roamed around the formal gardens. Not content with admiring her work from the upper storeys of the house, he wanted information from ground level, too. He asked intelligent questions and paid her compliments about her work, but Kira could only let herself believe a fraction of his kind words. She moved uneasily under the shadow of his praise and flinched as the thunder grew closer. Finally, when they were at the furthest point of the tour, the rain began. Warm drops the size of pound coins darkened the dust, first in ones and twos, then in a downpour of tropical proportions.

  ‘We’ll head for there!’ Stefano shouted over the torrents of rain. He was pointing at her cottage. ‘It’s the only blot on my landscape. We might as well make use of it before my men clear it away.’

  ‘What?’ Kira shrieked, but her horror was drowned by thunder roaring right overhead. They dashed for the house, but as they got closer Stefano faltered at the sight of garden flowers spilling through the woven hazel fencing.

  ‘So someone lives here?’ he shouted over the downpour.

  ‘Yes—me!’ Kira raced past him and flung open the door of her little retreat.

  Breathless and soaked, they tumbled into the house.

  ‘I didn’t realise this estate came with a tenant,’ Stefano said as Kira kicked off her sandals and padded, dripping and barefoot, into the kitchen.

  ‘It doesn’t. I own La Ritirata outright,’ Kira told him proudly as she returned, carrying a couple of hand towels.

  ‘I wasn’t aware of that. How much do you want for it?’ Stefano looked at her quizzically.

  ‘Oh, it’s not for sale!’ Kira laughed, running lightly up the wide stone stairs to fetch some larger towels from the airing cupboard. Stefano followed her for a few steps. Leaning back against the cream-painted stone wall, he looked up at her as she stood on the landing.

  ‘Of course it is. Everything is for sale at the right price. You could find yourself a nice little hideaway in this valley, well away from La Bella Terra. Then we could each pretend we were totally alone in the landscape.’

  ‘That’s the point. There are no other houses—not for miles. That’s partly why I love it here so much.’

  ‘You could build yourself another paradise anywhere, Kira!’ he went on. ‘I’ve seen the proof, remember. Go on—name a figure. Anything you want, and it’s yours.’

  ‘All right, then—a million pounds!’ Kira called down with a giggle.

  ‘Done. I’ll have my staff draw up the paperwork as soon as I get back to the office.’

  Kira waited for him to laugh, but he didn’t. He was in deadly earnest.

  ‘You’re joking!’ she gasped. ‘This place isn’t worth a fraction of that sort of money!’

  ‘My peace of mind is beyond price,’ he announced.

  Taken aback by the determination in his voice, Kira shook her head.

  ‘Well, you may not have been joking, but I was. My house means the world to me,’ she told him firmly. ‘No amount of money would tempt me to give it up. La Ritirata gives me what I’ve always wanted—independence and contentment. I’ve worked hard for my little home, and I feel safe here.’

  A tremendous blast of thunder rattled the windows. Stefano smiled.

  ‘I notice you aren’t so nervous, now we are within your own four walls,’ he observed. ‘You’ve obviously made a real commitment to this place.’

  ‘I have.’ She nodded, glad he appeared to have accepted she wouldn’t be moving.

  ‘In that case, I can’t wait to benefit from the Bella Terra effect. I own a lot of investment properties around the globe, but I can’t honestly call any of them home. If I see a place with potential, I buy it,’ he told her, looking around her neat and compact little home appreciatively. ‘Yet none of my houses have ever developed the comfortable, lived-in feeling of this place.’

  ‘I spend as much time as I can here. Maybe that’s the secret of my success.’

  ‘It really works,’ he said as she started back down the stairs towards him, holding out a huge fluffy towel. ‘Living alone in a place like this, you must be as brave and resourceful as you are talented and beautiful.’

  He reached out to her. As he took the towel from her hands, their fingers brushed against each other. His touch was light as an angel’s kiss, but it sent lightning coursing straight through Kira’s body. She gasped. A thunderbolt crashed directly overhead, but neither noticed.

  Stefano was looking deep into her eyes, and nothing else mattered.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE universe held its breath. Kira gazed at the gorgeous man standing just out of her reach. Her body ached to touch him. She could think of a millio
n and one reasons why she should take that single step down into his arms. Only one thing stopped her. There was already a monumental mistake in her past. Kira was no longer the innocent girl she had once been, long ago and far away. She had forged a new life since then and almost learned to trust her instincts again, but she had never been faced by a choice like this before. Every fibre screamed at her to fall into Stefano’s arms. At the same time, every cruel word and accusation she had suffered in the past kept her nailed to the spot.

  Stefano came up a step to join her. Taking the towel from her hands, he draped it over her head. Very gently, he began massaging her hair dry. His light, sure touches made Kira wonder how many other women he had treated in this way. It was impossible to know. That was the danger. She knew what powerful men were like. They acted with confidence, and never left any room for refusal. She had the horrible fear that once she was in his arms he would give her no time to think. It would be bed, and then treachery. It might take a day, a week or a month before he deceived her, but the result would be the same. He would carry on as though nothing had happened. She would be totally crushed. It had happened to her once before, and Kira was not about to let herself become a victim again.

  She put up her hands, shrinking back and trying to intercept his movements. His fingers closed over hers and gently pushed the towel back over her head. The clip securing her tumble of auburn hair fell away. It clattered down the staircase. Kira barely noticed. She was completely absorbed by the look in Stefano’s eyes as he drew the towel away from her hair. The appreciation she saw was all for her. She began to tremble, but now it was with anticipation, not fear. She had never known such a wild yearning before.

  She swallowed hard. There was nothing in her mouth but the taste of temptation. His eyes levelled a steady, questioning gaze, willing Kira to read what she wanted in them. It was mesmerising, but she could not escape the feeling of being confined in her own home. To take a step forward would lead straight into his arms. Kira refused to repeat her mistakes, and the irresistible Stefano Albani showed all the signs of being a disaster waiting to happen—to her.