Instead she blushed, dropped her gaze, and shuffled uncertainly on the spot. Gianni knew exactly how to reward such touching allure. He took a few lazy steps forward and cupped her chin with his hand.
Meg raised her head. Their eyes connected in a look that was totally out of place in such a high-class setting. But Gianni Bellini thought nothing of convention. He levelled a look at Meg that dared her to move. She could not. Instead she relished the touch of his fingers as they slid along the line of her jaw. His touch was strong, yet cool. If it had been any other man she would have pulled away. This was different. She smiled, and so did he.
‘I’ve never seen a lovelier woman,’ he purred. ‘Or one so beautifully dressed.’
Meg opened her mouth to say something, but those words turned her mind to jelly. Brushing her free hand over the silken folds of her new clothes, she tried another smile. Luckily, those muscles were still working despite the effect Gianni was having on the rest of her body. She could only hope her expression spoke for her.
She smiled at the idea.
‘That’s better! You don’t need anything more than a smile to make you the loveliest woman in the universe, Megan.’
Her heart sank as his touch left her, but he could not keep his hands off her for long. He took her arm, his fingers running slowly over her sleeve until they reached her hand. Then he inclined his head towards the summer dining room. ‘And now, Miss Imsey, shall we…?’
‘I’d be delighted, Signor Bellini.’ Meg smiled, and meant it.
Her mind was in a whirl as Gianni led her towards the banquet. The nearness of him acted on her like a drug. How was she supposed to make polite conversation over dinner when she felt like this? She was so nervous she could barely glance at him, but tried to look on the bright side. Her shyness was because he was so gorgeous. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. And it feels as though he’s pretty impressed with me tonight, too, she thought, and blushed. What would he think if he knew that, despite her determined stand against his liquid eyes and irresistible hands, his gaze and touch still filled her mind? She was already fantasising about kissing him again. As she did so she coloured guiltily, and he noticed.
‘Don’t hang back! What’s the matter? I hope none of my male guests tried to distract you while you were showing them around your tropical empire?’
Her heartbeat increased. There was only one person in the world who could distract her, and that was him.
‘Don’t tell me that old dog Alterra has been up to his tricks again?’ Gianni said with sudden vigour.
‘No! Everyone has treated me very well. I was a bit worried that Italy would be full of bottom-pinching Don Giovannis, but luckily that turned out to be nothing but a—’
She stopped with a squeal, her eyes wide with surprise. Gianni’s hand had slithered over her rump and delivered an intimate squeeze. In between smiling and nodding at his guests as they passed on their way in to dinner, he leaned in close and whispered in Meg’s ear.
‘It would be such a shame if every single man here tonight let the side down, mio dolce!’ he murmured. With a mischievous wink he detached himself from her, ready to take his place at the main table.
Meg couldn’t help herself.
‘Don’t leave me, Gianni!’ The cry escaped before she could stifle it. ‘I’m not cut out for this!’
‘Of course you are!’ His hand darted out to her again, but this time he gave her nothing more than a friendly pat of reassurance. ‘Come and sit down. Remember how impressed I was by you at the Chelsea Flower Show? Think about your spectacular triumph there. Concentrate on your achievements, not your doubts. If all else fails, count your qualifications,’ he finished with dry humour. Suddenly he leaned forward until his breath was whispering right into her ear. ‘You’ve got more to be proud of than all these celebrità put together!’ he murmured. Then he squeezed her elbow, and was gone.
Meg’s mouth fell open. Could that possibly be true? Her mind reeled through everything Gianni had ever said to her. Her body had burned for him from that first meeting at Chelsea. Now she was fired up for quite another reason. She had a job to do, and it was one full of purpose. By helping Gianni push forward with his plans for the Castelfino Estate, she would be securing her own future here at the villa. She might even earn some special thanks from him…
His flattery worked. Meg walked through the banqueting hall with her head held high, full of his encouragement. As she scanned the crowds of Europe’s most influential people only one man could hold her gaze. Gianni was in his element. Tall and suave, he stood behind his chair at the centre of the fifteen-metre long dining table, chatting with everyone. Meg hungered for another taste of his skill at putting people at their ease. She could not wait to take the empty place opposite him, but the crowd in front of her moved with agonising slowness. They were more interested in the life-sized Bellini family portraits ranged around the walls. Meg had to content herself with watching Gianni from a distance as he entertained his audience like the professional he was. She didn’t have long to savour his skill. He must have felt her watching him because suddenly he stopped, and shot a smile straight at her.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen—please give a special vote of thanks to the Villa Castelfino’s head gardener—Miss Megan Imsey. On top of her usual duties, she is responsible for all the wonderful floral art you see around you tonight!’ With that, he began to clap. His audience joined in. They all turned patronising smiles on Meg as she stood in the spotlight, shimmering with nerves.
She could have died from embarrassment, but cringing wasn’t an option tonight. Gianni likes my work so much he’s telling everyone. Perhaps I’m as good as he says I am, after all! She told herself. Nailing on a broad smile, she stood up as tall as she could and flung back her shoulders. The gaggle of guests blocking her way parted like magic. That gave her the confidence to stride straight towards the table. A footman pulled out her chair as she arrived. As she sat down he took the starched napkin from her side plate. Shaking out its folds, he settled it on her lap. Gianni watched the whole performance with undisguised pleasure.
‘I said you would be the star of my show, Megan,’ he murmured.
A portly, florid-faced couple waddled up to take their seats at the table, interrupting before Meg could respond with anything more than a nervous laugh.
‘Can’t you leave the girls alone for a single minute, Gianni?’ the man wheezed cheerfully.
‘When are you going to settle down under a mountain of debt and responsibility, like us?’ the woman added as she took the seat next to Gianni. This must be the Signora Ricci whom Meg had imagined to be a teenaged supermodel. Instead, she was an elderly woman wearing inches of make-up and weighing close to twenty stone. Meg heaved a huge sigh of relief. Despite Signora Ricci’s supercilious expression, Meg gave her a particularly warm smile. Gianni cleared his throat. Always glad of an excuse to look at him, Meg glanced across the table. He fixed her with an amused smile, but the look in his eyes was penetrating. ‘Never, if I have any say in the matter!’
His expression almost took Meg’s breath away. There could be no doubt about it—he meant what he said. This was a stark reminder. Giving her a conspiratorial wink, he greeted the newcomers with his special brand of charm. Meg tried not to look. But she couldn’t help listening in to the conversation, and was soon overwhelmed with a mixture of shock and admiration. Gianni could make all his words sound as convincing as his flirtation. She had to admire him for it. If only she could charm people so easily! She might have bounced Imsey’s Plant Centre out of trouble in minutes, rather than months. That would have left her free to concentrate on her own career. She could have taken that job with the royal family…but then, if she had done that, maybe she would never have met Gianni…
‘Aren’t you going to introduce your latest “friend” to us properly, Gianni?’ Signora Ricci boomed suddenly. She refused to be deflected from inspecting Meg, and looked at her as though she were something usually fo
und in a spa drain. ‘Though how we’re expected to remember the names of all your women I really don’t know. You’ll have found yourself another before the evening’s over, I’ll bet!’
Meg didn’t know what to do. She wished she could think of a stinging reply, but this company was far too important to upset. She blushed and shrank in her seat, but Gianni came straight to her rescue. He drew himself up to his full impressive height. Everyone around them gasped. At well over six feet tall, he towered over his audience. Right now he was using every inch of his powerful build to drive his message home.
‘That’s what you think, Signora Ricci,’ he murmured, his seductive dark eyes hard as jet. ‘Now I am in charge here, the Castelfino estate is my priority. Everything else takes second place. And I mean everything. When I misbehave these days, I do it in private.’
This didn’t satisfy his tormentors. They guffawed loudly. ‘No, you’ll never change, Gianni! It’s a pity your father never saw through you, and recognised the truth. Someone should have told him. All your fast living will wreck this beautiful land, and you couldn’t even be bothered to give him a grandson to carry on the family name while he was alive!’ Signora Ricci cackled.
Until this point Gianni had merely looked annoyed. Now Meg saw a change come over him. At the mention of his father he drew in a long, exasperated breath and raised his granite chin in defiance. A nerve pulsed in his neck. Danger flashed in the glitter of his eyes. This guest had definitely found a chink in his armour of suave sophistication. He looked down his aristocratic nose at her as he delivered a damning retort.
‘That’s all in hand,’ He said coldly. ‘As soon as my plans for the Castelfino Estate are up and running, I shall marry. And I would be grateful if you would show my head gardener a little more respect, signora.’
His manners were perfect, and his smile as polite as ever. Despite that, Meg saw that his body was rigid, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the back of his chair. A cocktail of alarm and dread rushed through her veins. Signora Ricci had no such fears. She laughed out loud.
‘You’re going to get married, Gianni? You?’
’Naturalmente. Tradition means everything to my family. I must have a child, whatever the cost.’
In a flash Meg saw that the price to him would be astronomical. His words were darts of barely concealed anger, puncturing Signora Ricci like a balloon. Meg wilted at his tone, even though his rage was not directed at her. The moment he noticed her reaction, he took his seat and called for wine to be poured. It was enough of a distraction to allow him to shoot a few words across the table to her without anyone else noticing.
‘It’s OK, Megan. Cheer up—this evening is supposed to be a chance for people to enjoy themselves, don’t forget!’
When Gianni saw her smile, his temper improved in a flash. This might not be the nightclubs of Rome or New York, but it was a party, for all that. He was in his element. There was gourmet food, vintage wine and he had the most intriguing girl in the world seated opposite him. And every time he spoke to her, Meg’s lovely face lit up with a promise that was reflected all through her body. Candlelight rippled over the caramel waves of her hair, making it glitter with gold. She moved like a gentle breeze, tempting him with thoughts of possible pleasures to come. His eyes were drawn back to her time and again.
She’s some girl, he thought appreciatively, and tonight she’s acting the part of gracious lady to perfection. He smiled again as she was thrown into a momentary panic. Her napkin had slithered over the slippery surface of her dress, and fallen to the floor. Lifting the damask square from his own lap, he flourished it across the table towards her in a crackle of starched linen.
‘Don’t worry, Megan. You can take mine.’ He glittered at her. She responded with a flurry of blushes and thanks. He liked that. He never had to try when it came to impressing women, but his mind had seized on an intriguing idea. He felt the urge to turn this banquet into the equivalent of their first date. At times like this, it never hurt to go the extra mile.
That’s progress! he thought, taking note of the way Meg thanked him. Dancing shadows thrown by the candlelight accentuated the tempting depths of her cleavage. Although the room was warm, her nipples were already obvious through the silk of her dress. Gianni’s temperature rose. A new idea was forming in his restless mind. She was ambitious. He wanted her body. There might be a way to satisfy them both. His polite, public smile took on considerable inner warmth. This staid business banquet had given him a very good idea. Turning from playboy to patrician was shaping up to be the best sacrifice he had made in his life.
Chapter Six
MORE wine was poured. Meg looked doubtfully at the mildewed peeling label on the bottle before her. She questioned Gianni across the table with her eyes.
‘It’s the villa’s tignanello reserve, kept for extra special occasions,’ Gianni explained, skimming his spoon across the bowl of soup in front of him. ‘Don’t let your consommé get cold, Megan. It’s too delicious to miss.’ He shot a look across the table at her. His meaning was as clear as the crystal carafe of water standing between them. It said: And so are you…
Gianni was a dedicated playboy, and while he might not yet be interested in marriage it did seem that for now he had his sights set on an affair with her, making it clear he was hers for the taking! He blew into my life like a tornado and wiped every other thought clean out of my mind. It’s the perfect excuse. Why shouldn’t I go mad, just this once? Heaven knows I deserve it. Up until now, I’ve sacrificed everything for the sake of my career. Surely it’s time to find out exactly what I’ve been missing!
She lifted her eyes and looked at Gianni across the table.
No woman can possibly be safe from him. So no one in the universe could blame me for falling under his spell…
She wavered. Then Gianni suddenly switched his attention to the pretty little waitress who had come to take his empty soup plate. The same irresistible smile was turned on her. In that instant Meg almost came to her senses. A voice in her head told her that this tiger would never settle down. She had heard it from his own lips, only a moment ago. Where did that leave her misty dreams of true love? But screams of reason, no matter how shrill, never had a chance. Meg’s whole body, mind and spirit had been taken over by thoughts of Gianni. Common sense dissolved. Everything about him overwhelmed her, from the delicious fragrance of his aftershave to the lilt of his voice. She wanted him, even if he slipped away through her fingers like a sunbeam. Whatever heartbreak the future might hold, she would be sure of at least one brief moment of happiness.
In that instant, Gianni’s expression changed. His eyes narrowed. A triumphant smile teased his lips. He became as watchful as a panther. Instead of being caressed by his gaze, Meg now felt invisible hands bending her to his will. The more certainty there was in Gianni’s expression, the more unstable she felt. I’m way out of my depth! she realised desperately. I can’t allow myself to fall into the hands of a man who’ll drop me in an instant! What will he think of me?
Even as she cringed at the thought, that wicked voice of temptation called to her again. This could be the most spectacular night of my life. If I never take a risk, I’ll never know. As long as we’re both discreet, where’s the problem? it said, loud and clear. The sudden rush of bravado raised her head and lowered her lashes. When she gazed across the table at Gianni now, it was with new eyes.
Delicious courses of the finest organic produce the Castelfino estate could produce came and went. Meg barely noticed. The conversation washed over her like a gentle tide. Finally, when the last pudding dish had been spirited away, more champagne arrived. Gianni pushed back his chair and stood up to give his speech. He spoke to the whole room, like the seasoned professional he was, but Meg felt every word of thanks and praise directed straight at her. He was laid-back, and delighted them all. She followed his every movement, every gesture. His gaze ranged right across the assembly but he never once made eye contact with her, however much she lu
sted after his attention. He announced many toasts, but barely touched his own foaming glass of Taittinger. In her nervousness, Meg emptied her glass twice. As Gianni sat down a waiter moved in to fill her glass again. The host was equally swift. Reaching across the table, he removed the crystal flute from her fingers.
‘That’s quite enough for tonight, don’t you think? You’ll need to keep your wits about you on the dance floor.’
His words wiped the smile straight from her face. ‘I’d forgotten that. I was looking forward to escaping to my greenhouses,’ she muttered, watching the glittering assembly with a hunted expression.
’Whose greenhouse?’ Gianni’s supercilious expression was only slightly softened when he raised his eyebrows. ‘Don’t worry. A couple more hours of dancing to my tune, then you’ll get your reward. You promised me a deluxe tour of the new empire you’ve created for me out in the grounds, remember? I’m the only person who hasn’t inspected Castelfino’s new exotic plant ranges, ladies and gentlemen,’ he explained to all the guests seated within earshot. ‘This evening has been such a success I’ll need some time to wind down afterwards. Would you mind if I took full advantage of your tropical paradise later on, Megan?’
His voice was as seductive as his expression. The promise in it was dark, dangerous and totally irresistible. She could only nod in reply. He smiled, his eyes flashing something that might have been triumph. Meg was on fire, but that look warned her she would have to be patient. This was Gianni’s evening. His cool confidence would keep him in control—until the moment they were alone together…
The Count of Castelfino Page 8
