Return of the Italian Tycoon

by Jennifer Faye

  Kayla laced her fingers together. “At this moment, we have not obtained a release for the use of the chapel.” The bride’s face creased with frown lines. That was definitely not a good sign. “Knowing the chapel is of particular interest to you, we will make it a priority to secure its use for the wedding.”

  The young woman’s eyes lit up, but she didn’t say anything as she glanced over at the crown prince. He didn’t speak to Kayla, either, but rather conversed softly with his advisors, who had a list of questions.

  Kayla handled the inquiries with calm and grace. Angelo couldn’t have done any better. She certainly was full of surprises, and he couldn’t be happier having her by his side.

  * * *

  It wasn’t until much later that Angelo walked with her toward their rooms. This was their first chance to talk privately since the presentation. As they strolled along the elegant hallways, Kayla waited anxiously to hear Angelo’s thoughts on how she’d handled her part of the meeting. She hoped he wasn’t too upset about her ignoring his dictate about the chapel.

  Angelo stopped and turned to face her. “Stop looking so worried. You did an excellent job today.”

  “I did?”

  He nodded. “I owe you an apology for not listening to you and a thank-you for being so prepared.”

  “Really? Even though I didn’t do what you said?”

  He gazed deep into her eyes. “I think you have excellent instincts and the courage to follow them. You’ve got what it takes to have a very bright future.”

  In her excitement, she threw her arms around him. He had no idea how much she needed this one perfect moment.

  Coming back to earth, she grudgingly let go of him and stepped back. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

  “You earned it. And you did well by knowing all of the answers to their questions. And you took notes of things that particularly interested them. I couldn’t have done any better.”

  “You really mean that? You’re not just saying these things to make me feel better.”

  He chuckled. “Did anyone ever tell you that you don’t take compliments well?”

  She shrugged. “I guess I’m still wound up.”

  “We make a great team.”

  It was the first time he’d ever referred to them in that manner and she liked it. She really liked it. More than that, she liked him a lot—more than was wise. But that didn’t stop her heart from pounding in her chest when he gazed deeply into her eyes.

  He was going to kiss her—again. She should turn away. She should pretend she didn’t know that he was interested in her. But her body had a will of its own, holding her in place. She knew that nothing good would come of it, but she wanted him to kiss her more than she wanted anything in that moment.

  Angelo turned and continued down the hallway. The air that had been caught in her lungs rushed out. What had happened? It took her a second to gather her wits about her, and then she rushed to catch up to him.

  They continued on in silence until they stopped outside her bedroom door. He turned to her again. “Thank you for everything. If I had done this alone, I wouldn’t have stood a chance of winning their favor. You were my ace in the hole.”

  His gaze caught and held hers.

  “I...I was?”

  He nodded and stepped closer. “How could anyone turn you down?”

  Her heart pitter-pattered harder and faster. She didn’t want this moment to end—not yet. It was her very own fairy tale. “Do you want to come inside?”

  He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. Then the back of his fingers grazed down her cheek. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. We’re expected at dinner with the royal couple. It wouldn’t look right if we were late.”

  The hammering of her heart drowned out her common sense. Because when he was looking at her that way and touching her so sweetly, all she could think about was kissing him—

  She lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He didn’t move at first and she wondered if there was some way that she had misread the situation. But then his arms wrapped around her and pulled her hard against him. She’d been here before, but it never failed to excite her. He was thoughtful, sweet and kind. Nothing like her boss at the office. This was a different side of him, and she found him utterly irresistible.

  Angelo braced his hands on her hips, moving an arm’s length away. “We need to stop now or we are never going to make it to that dinner.”

  “Who needs dinner?” There was only one thing she was hungry for at that moment and she was staring at him.

  “Don’t tempt me.” He smiled at her. “I don’t think that would help our pitch.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and proceeded down the hallway to his room.

  In that moment, Kayla felt lighter than she had in days. Suddenly anything seemed possible. Maybe she’d given up on the fund-raiser too soon. She pressed a hand to her lips. Perhaps everything would work out in the end, after all.

  She sure hoped so.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

  Kayla’s gaze narrowed in on Angelo as they stood beneath the crystal chandelier in the marble foyer. He’d been acting mysterious ever since they’d given their pitch to the royal couple the day before. Was it the kiss? It couldn’t be. He hadn’t been distant at the royal dinner. In fact, he’d been quite attentive—even if the evening hadn’t ended with any more kisses.

  “Trust me.” His dark eyes twinkled with mischief. “You will understand soon enough.”

  “It’d be easier if you’d just tell me where we’re going. If this has something to do with the pitch, you should tell me. I would have brought my laptop. Or at least I could have grabbed my tablet.”

  “You don’t need it.” He took her hand and guided her out the door, down the palace steps and into an awaiting limo. “Trust me.”

  “But how do I know if I’m dressed appropriately. The only formal clothes I have with me I wore yesterday for the pitch and then the dinner with the royal couple. I thought that we’d be leaving today.”

  “I’ve delayed our departure.”

  He had? She didn’t recall him mentioning anything to her. Then again, she’d been so caught up in her thoughts lately that she might have missed it.

  “Don’t worry. I ran it past your boss.” He winked at her. “He’s fine with it.”

  “He is, huh?” She wondered what Angelo was up to and why he was in such a good mood. “But why aren’t we flying back to Italy? I thought you’d be anxious to wrap things up there before we return to New York.”

  “It can wait.”

  She had absolutely no idea where they were headed. The curiosity was eating at her. But the driver knew. She turned to the front to ask him.

  “Don’t even think of it,” Angelo warned as though he knew exactly what she intended. “He’s been sworn to secrecy.”

  Her mouth gaped open. Angelo really did know what she was thinking. Thankfully he didn’t know everything that crossed her mind or else he’d know that she’d gone against his express wishes and worked on the fund-raiser during work hours.

  And worst of all, her efforts were for naught. She’d reached out to everyone she could think of, but she had yet to come up with another big-name band on such short notice. But ever the optimist, she wasn’t canceling the event until the very last minute. There just had to be a way to help the kids.

  “Hey, no frowning is allowed.”

  She hadn’t realized that her thoughts had transferred to her face. “Sorry. I was just thinking of all the work I should be doing instead of riding around with you.”

  “You’ll have plenty of time for work later. In fact, when we return to New York I imagine that you’ll have more work than you’ll ever want.”

  She sent him a quiz
zical look. Was he trying to tell her something?

  “Quit trying to guess. You aren’t going to figure out our destination.”

  The car zipped along the scenic roadway. Angelo was totally relaxed, enjoying the terrific view of the tranquil sea. But she couldn’t relax. Not yet. Not like this. Not with the fate of the fund-raiser hanging over her head.

  Kayla desperately wanted to ask Angelo for help, but she just couldn’t bring herself to trust him, knowing his adamant stance on such matters. But if she didn’t ask Angelo for help, what did that say about their relationship? Did it mean what they’d shared meant nothing?

  The thought left a sour taste in her mouth. The Angelo she’d got to know so well here in Italy put his family above his own needs even at the risk of one of his most important accounts. But that was his family? And she was what?

  She had absolutely no answer.

  Realizing that he was still holding her hand, her heart thumped. She was certainly more than his assistant—but how much more?

  He turned to her. Their gazes caught and held. Her heart started to go tap-tap-tap. Oh, yes, she was definitely falling for her boss.

  But what would happen when this trip was over? What would their relationship be like when they returned to the reality of their Madison Avenue office? Or worse yet, what if he found out that she’d been working on the fund-raiser instead of devoting all of her attention to her work?

  “Relax. Everything will be okay.” Angelo raised her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.

  Her stomach shivered with excitement. Throwing caution to the wind, she uttered, “When you do that, relaxing is the last thing on my mind.”

  “In that case...” He pulled her close and with her hand held securely in his, he rested his arm on his leg. His voice lowered. “You can get as worked up as you like now.”

  His heated gaze said a hundred things at once. And all of them made her pulse race and her insides melt. He wanted her. Angelo Amatucci, the king of Madison Avenue, was staring at her with desire evident in his eyes.

  If she were wise, she would pull away and pretend that none of this had happened. But her heart was pounding and her willpower was fading away. She’d been resisting this for so long that she was tired of fighting it—tired of denying the mounting attraction between them.

  Maybe this thing between them wouldn’t survive the harsh glare of the office, but that was days away. They were to remain in Italy until the royal couple had all of the inquiries answered and their decision made. In the meantime, what was so wrong with indulging in a most delightful fantasy?

  Once again, Angelo seemingly read her mind—realizing that she’d come to a decision. He turned to her and leaned forward. His lips were warm as they pressed to hers. Her eyes drifted closed as her fingers moved to his face, running over his freshly shaved jaw. His spicy aftershave tormented and teased. It should be illegal for anyone to smell so good. A moan bubbled up in the back of her throat.

  The car stopped, jostling them back to the here and now. Angelo was the first to pull away. Disappointment coursed through her. Her eyes fluttered open and met his heated gaze.

  “Don’t look so disappointed. There will be time for more of this later.” He smiled and her discontentment faded away. “Remember, I have a surprise for you.”

  “Did I forget to tell you that I love surprises?”

  He laughed. “I was hoping you would.”

  She glanced out her window, finding nothing but lush greenery, flowers and trees. She struggled to see around Angelo, but with his arm draped loosely around her, she couldn’t see much.

  “I can’t see.” She wiggled but his strong arm kept her next to him—not a bad place to be, but she was curious about their location. “Where are we?”

  “My, aren’t you impatient? You’ll soon see.”

  She couldn’t wait. Though she still had problems to resolve, for just this moment she let them shift to the back of her mind. She might never have this kind of experience again, and she didn’t want to miss a moment of it. And it had nothing to do with the surprise that Angelo had planned for her.

  It had everything to do with the man who could make her heart swoon with those dark, mysterious eyes.

  * * *

  Mud. Seriously.

  Angelo frowned as he sat submerged in a mud bath. He felt utterly ridiculous. This was his first trip to a spa, and though he’d set up the appointment for Kayla, he’d thought he might find out what he was missing. After all, Halencia was known for its world-renowned spa. It ought to be renowned for the exorbitant prices and, worse yet, the cajoling he had to do to get an appointment at the last moment. He’d finally relented and name-dropped—the prince’s name certainly opened up their schedule quickly. But it had been worth it when Kayla’s face lit up.

  He glanced sideways at her as she leaned back against the tub’s ledge with her eyes closed. Her long red wavy hair was twisted up in a white towel, safe from this muck. She definitely wasn’t the prim-and-proper girl that he’d originally thought her to be when he’d hired her as his temporary assistant. No, Kayla definitely had a bit of a naughty, devil-may-care attitude. And that just intrigued him all the more.

  “I’m sorry.” Angelo didn’t know what else to say. “I guess I should have done more research before making the reservations, but we were so pushed for time with the royal pitch that it just slipped my mind.”

  Kayla lifted her head. “It’s really no problem. I’m enjoying myself.”

  “But how was I to know that they would set us up for a couple’s spa day?”

  Her eyes lit up. Her smile stretched into a grin and her eyes sparkled with utter amusement.

  “Hey, you aren’t inwardly laughing at me, are you?”

  “Who? Me? No way.” She clutched her bottom lip between her teeth as her shoulders shook.

  He wasn’t used to being the source of entertainment, but she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself. He supposed that made it worth it. Although, when he’d found out what was involved in the deluxe package, he did think that she was going to balk and walk away. But he’d been worried for no reason.

  Kayla wasn’t shy. In fact, she could be quite bold. The memory of her in hot pink lacy underwear before she’d stepped into the mud had totally fogged up his mind. Although, when he’d had to strip down to his navy boxers, he’d been none too happy. How could he have overlooked the need to bring swimsuits? Talk about taking down each other’s defenses and getting down to the basics.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  He turned to Kayla, finding her studying him. “Nothing important. So, are you enjoying your trip?”

  “Definitely. But...”

  “But what?”

  “I get the feeling that you aren’t enjoying it. Why is that? Is it because of your sister’s situation?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose that has something to do with it.”

  “What else is bothering you? I’d think after being gone for so long that you’d be happy to be back in Italy.”

  “And you would be wrong. Returning to Monte Calanetti and interacting with my siblings and villagers is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

  She arched an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly.

  Why had he opened his mouth? He didn’t want to get into this subject. It would lead to nothing but painful memories. And he couldn’t even fathom what Kayla would think of him after he told her the truth about his past—about how he ended up in New York.

  She reached out her hand and gripped his arm. “You know that you can talk to me. Openness and honesty are important to a relationship—even a friendship or whatever this is between us. Besides, I’m a really good listener.”

  Even though they were submerged in this mineral mud stuff, her touch s
till sent a jolt up his arm and awakened his whole body. After telling himself repeatedly that she was off-limits, he wanted her more with each passing day. He turned and his gaze met hers.

  She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid his eyes on and it wasn’t just skin-deep. Her beauty came from the inside out. She was kind, thoughtful and caring. She was everything he would ever want in a woman—if he were interested in getting involved in a serious relationship.

  But he wasn’t. He jerked his gaze back to the large window that gave an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea, but it wasn’t the landscape that filled his mind—it was Kayla. She consumed far too many of his thoughts.

  “Angelo, talk to me.” Her voice was soft and encouraging.

  For the first time in his life, he actually wanted to open up. And though his instinct was to keep it all bottled up inside, he wondered if that was the right thing to do. Maybe if Kayla, with her near-perfect home life, were to see him clearly she wouldn’t look at him with desire in her eyes.

  But could he do it? Could he reveal the most horrific episode in his life? More than that, could he relive the pain and shame?

  He gazed into Kayla’s eyes, finding compassion and understanding there. He swallowed hard and realized that perhaps he had more strength than he gave himself credit for. Though taking down his ingrained defenses to expose the most vulnerable part of himself would be extremely hard, he firmly believed it would be for the best. If it would put an end to this thing between him and Kayla, how could he hold back?

  He cleared his throat. “Remember when I told you that I left Italy to go to school in the States?”

  She nodded. “It’s the bravest thing I’ve ever heard. I couldn’t have done it—”

  “But the thing is... I didn’t do it because I wanted to.”

  Her brows drew together. “What are you saying?”

  “My father and I didn’t get along and that’s putting it mildly.” Angelo’s body tensed as his mind rolled back in time. “My parents have always had a rocky relationship. On and off. Divorcing and remarrying.” He shook his head, chasing away the unwelcome memories. “It was awful to listen to them.”