Mistress to the Mediterranean Male (Mills & Boon By Request)

by Carole Mortimer

  He tried to pay for her purchases at the till but she wouldn’t hear of it.

  ‘I didn’t realise you could be quite so bossy,’ he said as they stepped back outside onto the pavement.

  ‘I didn’t mean to be. It was kind of you to offer to pay but I don’t know why you did—’

  ‘Because I wanted to.’ He reached to carry her bags for her and grinned teasingly. ‘Truth is, I quite fancied the car myself. I’d have given my right arm for that when I was a boy.’

  She laughed. ‘Well, you can come around and play any time.’ She knew she shouldn’t be flirting with him like this … but the spark of mischief in her felt good.

  ‘Now, there’s a promise and a half!’ He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she felt a thrill of emotion deep inside.

  As they strolled back towards the car he casually reached to take her hand in his.

  It was a nonchalant, relaxed gesture but to Charlie the possessive touch was deliciously intoxicating and it made her heart warm with pleasure. It was a long time since she had felt like this around someone.

  As they paused by the kerb a motorbike suddenly pulled up in front of them and two men jumped off with cameras in their hands.

  ‘Marco …’ They called to him, and said something in Italian.

  Charlie looked over in astonishment as they started to take rapid pictures of them crossing the road. ‘What on earth are they playing at?’

  ‘It’s the paparazzi.’ Marco squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said easily. ‘We are nearly back at the car now. I suggest we head out of the city and get away from them.’

  She nodded wordlessly.

  ‘Sorry, I should have warned you about the photographers,’ Marco said casually as they left the heat and noise of Florence behind and drove out in the direction of Sienna. ‘That kind of thing is happening quite a lot recently.’

  ‘Yes … I suppose it is.’ Charlie frowned. Marco was so down-to-earth that she had forgotten that she was with a celebrity.

  He looked over at her. ‘You’re not bothered by it, are you?’

  ‘No. I just hope they snapped my good side,’ she added flippantly.

  Marco laughed. ‘Well, as you don’t have a bad side, I think you’re safe.’

  The country roads they took were through the majesty of winding hills with olive groves, old cottages and castles. Cypress trees stood guard against the fierce blue skyline.

  They stopped the car to allow a shepherd to herd his goats out across the road and Marco glanced in the rear-view mirror. ‘You can relax now, we seem to have lost them.’

  ‘I was relaxed,’ she murmured. ‘It would take more than a few photographers to ruin such a lovely day.’

  ‘You’re right.’ Marco glanced over at her, a gleam of approbation in his dark eyes. ‘You know, asking you to come to Italy with me was a great idea,’ he said softly.

  She looked over at him and tried not to be carried away by the depth of sincerity in his gaze. ‘Well, we managed to get through all that work this morning quite quickly.’

  ‘I was thinking about more than just the work we got through.’

  For a moment their eyes held. And suddenly the atmosphere seemed to change from teasing warmth to something else … something much more serious.

  She felt her heart thudding so hard against her chest it felt as if it were going to explode. This was the point when she should move back, she told herself. But when he leaned across towards her she didn’t do any such thing, instead she allowed him to take her into his arms and kiss her with a passion that was overwhelming.

  This was how she wanted life to be, Charlie thought hazily. Nights of love in Marco’s arms and snatched moments like this. Maybe she should stop fighting it and just enjoy an affair with him.

  The idea sizzled through her, causing immediate consternation. What on earth was she thinking about? An affair was all very well … but it wouldn’t last for more than a few weeks. She had seen for herself how quickly Marco lost interest in women. And even if the affair lasted months instead of weeks she wouldn’t be able to cope with Marco’s cool take on emotions. It would tear her apart. Plus it would put a strain on her job. Allowing herself to believe otherwise was just inviting heartache.

  She pulled away from him abruptly. ‘Listen, Marco … last night was great but—’

  ‘But I had better curtail my animal passions … hmm?’ He drawled the words softly.

  ‘I think it’s for the best.’ Her voice was distracted. ‘I don’t think we should let it happen again.’

  He reached out and touched her face. ‘I’m not so sure about that.’

  The words sent little quivering darts of pleasure racing right through her body.

  And as she looked into his eyes she realised exactly why she couldn’t have an affair with him. The truth was, it would never be enough because she was falling in love with him.

  The knowledge hit her out of nowhere and it sent shock waves pulsating through her entire system.

  Maybe Marco had been right all along, she thought in panic … maybe when sex came into play you couldn’t trust emotions … couldn’t trust feelings to be correct, because surely she couldn’t be this foolish?

  She knew Marco’s feelings on this subject! He wasn’t looking for emotional involvement…. In fact that was the last thing he wanted.

  And she didn’t want it either. She knew how painful love could be when it all went wrong … and it could never work with Marco. They might be sexually suited but in emotional terms they were poles apart.

  She was supposed to be Ms Practicality, she reminded herself scornfully. To Marco last night was just a fling—a bit of fun—and he believed she had the same ethos. If he even guessed what was running through her mind now he would be horrified.

  ‘Charlie, are you OK?’

  He was looking at her with questioning eyes.

  ‘Yes, of course I’m OK,’ she made herself reply cheerfully.

  A car horn blared behind them and Marco glanced abruptly away. He saw that the road was now clear and he was now holding up a line of cars behind him.

  He quickly put the engine into gear and the powerful car moved forward. ‘Anyway we’ll talk more over dinner. There is a trattoria further along this road. We’ll stop there.’

  Charlie made no reply; she was too busy listening to her heart telling her she was completely out of her depth here.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AS THEY pulled up outside a rustic trattoria the sun was starting to dip down behind the mountains, sending long shadows over the rolling plains. And with the setting sun there was a sudden coolness in the air.

  Charlie shivered a little as she stepped out of the car but she wasn’t sure if it was from the evening air … or her thoughts. She really needed to pull herself together, she thought crossly.

  It was a relief to be greeted by a lively, buzzing atmosphere inside the restaurant. At least if she was a little quieter than usual Marco might not notice.

  A waiter hurried over to greet them, talking rapidly in Italian.

  Charlie listened as Marco answered in a slower, more measured tone. She loved the sound of his voice when he spoke in English but when he spoke in his own language it was an incredible turn-on.

  She remembered how he had spoken in Italian to her as they made love last night … whispering the hot words in her ear as he took her higher and higher into spasms of pleasure.

  Desperately she tried to shut those memories away.

  The waiter led them to a secluded alcove with views out of the window towards the setting sun.

  ‘I take it you are a regular here when you’re home?’ Charlie tried to keep the light tone in her voice as she sat down opposite to him.

  ‘Yes. It’s convenient for the villa and the food is excellent.’

  ‘I love Italian food.’ She flicked open the menu and pretended to study it with every shred of her concentration. But in truth she couldn’t concentrate or even see v
ery well. The lighting was low and she really needed to put her glasses on … something she was loath to do around him.

  ‘Yes, Italian food does rate high on the list of life’s pleasures,’ Marco agreed easily. ‘Along with good company and passionate interludes; all of which have made this trip perfect.’

  She glanced over and as their eyes held Charlie tried very hard to rationalise all the feelings that suddenly flowed through her with vivid intensity.

  It would be very easy to read all the wrong signals from that intense gaze. Just as it would be easy to imagine that what had transpired between them in the bedroom was serious.

  But it wasn’t.

  He had just referred to last night as a passionate interlude. She needed to take heed of what was real and what was imagined. He’d probably brought numerous women for such interludes to his house, and here to this restaurant, she reminded herself. The thought twisted unpleasantly inside her. ‘Yes, it’s been fun while it’s lasted,’ she said coolly.

  Hurriedly she looked away from him and tried to focus on the noisy bustle and repartee of the waiters, and the roaring open wood-fired ovens where the chef was baking bread.

  Marco wondered why Charlie was suddenly so tense and withdrawn. For a while this afternoon he had really thought he had won her around again, as she had been so relaxed and open.

  He watched as she opened her handbag and put her reading-glasses on. She looked very cute in them and he liked the way her nose wrinkled a little as she concentrated. He was suddenly filled with an almost irresistible urge to reach out and touch her, to smooth the little frown lines away. He forced himself to pull back, sensing that if he didn’t handle this right she could withdraw completely.

  She glanced over and caught him watching her.

  ‘You look good in your glasses,’ he said smoothly.

  ‘I’ve been told that they make me look too serious.’ She glanced back towards the menu. She didn’t want him to start lying to her. One of the things she liked about Marco was his honesty.

  ‘Really? Who told you that?’

  She shrugged. It was her ex-husband but she didn’t want to tell him that. ‘I can’t remember. Does it matter?’

  ‘No, except I wouldn’t take any fashion tips from whoever it was. Because you look lovely … incredibly sexy, in fact.’

  His voice held a husky honesty that tore at her defences.

  ‘You are just a charmer, Marco,’ she managed to say primly and switched the subject. ‘Now, although I can now see the menu, I can’t understand it …’

  He smiled and leaned a little closer. She could smell the scent of his cologne, intoxicating and warmly provocative. It made her remember what is was like to be held in his arms.

  Somehow she managed to make herself concentrate on the blithe conversation and laugh with Marco as he helped her to translate some of the dishes.

  They placed their orders and Marco reached to pour her a glass of wine. Outside darkness stole over the countryside and the flicker of candlelight lit the room.

  ‘So are you all prepared for your TV interview tomorrow?’ Charlie asked, taking the lead in the conversation. She was determined not to let things slip towards anything personal.

  ‘Just about …’ He paused for a second and then to Charlie’s relief followed her lead. And suddenly they were back on safe ground again, talking about work.

  ‘Of course, when you join me in America for the interviews there it will be pretty hectic. Not much time for sightseeing, I’m afraid.’

  The line was thrown casually into the conversation but it caused an immense wave of consternation inside her. ‘You want me to go to America with you?’

  ‘Well, I’ll need you to join me for a few days in New York. Nothing more than that.’

  ‘Oh!’ Her heart was thumping wildly again and the feeling that she was out of her depth resurfaced with violent intensity.

  ‘I did tell you that I would need you to accompany me on a few business trips.’ He looked over at her with a frown.

  ‘Yes … but I assumed you might need me at the conference in Edinburgh for a day … that kind of thing.’

  ‘No, I’ll be relying on you to run the office while I’m in Edinburgh. I’m expecting some important files around that time and you’ll need to categorise them.’ He looked at her very seriously now. ‘But after that I want you to fly to New York and join me for three, maybe four days. I take it that won’t be a problem?’

  The light in his eyes and the no-nonsense tone suddenly reminded her in no uncertain terms that this was her boss. They might have enjoyed a fling last night but he certainly didn’t expect it to get in the way of work. He wouldn’t be impressed about her crossing the line and letting him down.

  ‘Of course not,’ she said quickly. This was business, she reminded herself as she fought down the feelings of apprehension. She had already agreed to a few trips and there was no way she could lose this job.

  ‘Good.’ He smiled at her and the fleeting steel-like mood was gone, replaced with a warm gleam of approval. ‘Because our working arrangements are going very well, I think.’

  ‘Yes …’ She frowned. If only she could get past these personal feelings they would be perfect.

  They talked for a while longer about work. She relaxed back. Everything would be fine, she told herself staunchly.

  Marco was right about the food—the antipasto was mouth-wateringly good.

  ‘Why is it that pasta doesn’t taste as good as this at home?’ she asked as the waiter cleared away their empty plates to put their main course down.

  ‘Probably because it’s made fresh here.’ Marco shrugged. ‘But, of course, you can find good pasta in England … if you know where to go.’

  ‘And where is that?’ She glanced over at him with interest.

  ‘Around to my place for dinner, naturally,’ he said with a smile.

  She wished she didn’t feel that instant flare of warmth at that suggestion. ‘That’s what I like about you—you’re so modest,’ she murmured, but she couldn’t help but smile over at him.

  ‘So shall we call that a provisional date some time?’ Marco reached and took a sip of his drink.

  ‘Maybe …’ She tried to match his casual tone. He was just teasing, she told herself. ‘If we can find a space in the diary.’

  He smiled. ‘And that’s what I like about you …’

  ‘What’s that?’ She glanced over at him warily.

  ‘The fact that you always have your feet on the ground and are so totally practical, of course.’

  Although it was just a light-hearted remark, there was a serious edge to it. Charlie knew that …

  ‘Of course.’ She avoided his gaze and pretended to concentrate on her meal.

  And his belief that she was so practical in all areas of her life was why a relationship between them wouldn’t work out.

  ‘The fact that you are still very sexy without the glasses is also quite a draw,’ he added with a spark of devilment.

  She looked over at him and wished she were the person he imagined … an ultra-modern career girl who didn’t allow herself to be ruled by emotions. She wished she really could just view sex as a recreational enjoyment instead of something serious. She wished she could go back to bed with him tonight and not worry about where it was leading.

  ‘Have you ever been in love, Marco?’ She asked the question impulsively.

  He regarded her quizzically for a moment. ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘I don’t know … I guess I’m just curious.’ She shrugged and felt suddenly self-conscious. She probably shouldn’t have asked him that!

  ‘I lived with someone once,’ he answered slowly. ‘We met at university and shared an apartment for two years.’

  Charlie looked at him in surprise. ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. We considered marriage and then we realised that we weren’t suited, that we both wanted different things out of life.’

  ‘You didn’t want to make the commi
tment to her?’ Charlie guessed.

  ‘It was a mutual decision.’

  Somehow Charlie didn’t believe that.

  ‘Some people just aren’t cut out for marriage,’ he said with a shrug. ‘And it’s all too easy to get swept along by passion and emotion and forget that. Fortunately we didn’t and because of that we have managed to remain good friends.’

  ‘That takes some doing!’

  ‘Not really.’ Marco frowned. ‘We are very much on an academic wavelength. So usually when we meet up it is to discuss our work.’

  Charlie was surprised to find a flicker of jealousy curl inside her and she hastily pushed the feeling away. She wasn’t the jealous type and she wasn’t going to start now. ‘It’s surprising the relationship didn’t work out … when you had so much in common,’ she said lightly.

  ‘Well, it didn’t.’ He looked over at her steadily.

  Charlie told herself to leave the subject alone. It was none of her business, but somehow she just couldn’t. ‘So why do you think that was?’

  For a moment he didn’t answer her.

  ‘I guess you broke her heart,’ she added flippantly.

  Marco laughed at that, but the sound held none of his usual warmth. ‘Well, then, you would be wrong. The relationship broke down when I was away on business. Maria went out with friends one evening and met up with an old flame. She had a one-night fling with him.’

  Charlie was totally taken aback, not just by the fact that any woman would want to cheat on someone as gorgeous as Marco but also by a glimpse of some stark emotion in his eyes—an emotion she had never seen there before.

  ‘So how did you find out about it?’ she asked curiously.

  Marco shrugged. ‘She felt guilty and told me.’

  ‘So it really was just a one-night fling?’

  ‘Yes.’ Marco held her gaze impassively. ‘But if the relationship had been right she wouldn’t have felt tempted to stray. Obviously there were flaws that needed to be addressed, and when we looked into it we realised that the flaws were too deep to continue with the relationship.’