The CEO, the Puppy and Me

by Jennifer Faye

  “It’ll make life easier with the dog. And I have a housekeeper who stops in every other day. I’m sure she won’t mind helping out with him.” He wasn’t so sure of that, but he would definitely make it worth her time to puppy-sit.

  He could feel Gia giving him a sideways glance. “You’re sure about this?”

  “It seems rather logical. And I do feel responsible for the puppy winding up hurt.”

  There was a moment of silence as though she were truly debating her options. He was once again surprised by her. Most women would have thrown themselves at such an arrangement, but Gia seemed really hesitant to take him up on the offer.

  “Okay. We’ll try it for tonight. By tomorrow, hopefully I can find someplace that takes a dog.”

  It wasn’t much but it was something. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll just drop you off at the apartment before I head back to the office—”

  “You’re leaving?”

  Her outburst caught him off guard. This whole time she was acting as though his presence was a bother, but now that he had opened his home to her and needed to get back to work, she wanted him to stay? What was up with that?

  He maneuvered his car through the light midmorning traffic. “I have work to do.”

  “But what about the puppy?”

  “I was thinking you could watch him.” He slowed and made a right turn. They weren’t far from his place.

  “And what makes you think my time is any less valuable than yours?”

  She had him there. He couldn’t even throw out that he was on the verge of making a valuable contribution to mankind because he frankly didn’t know if his plan was going to work out. Perhaps it was time to get to know his new roommate a little better. He didn’t like it, but he could work from home that day—or rather what was left of his day.

  “Okay,” he said as he wheeled the car into his reserved spot, “I’ll stay home too.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “It sounded like you were worried about being home alone with the dog, so I’ll work from home today. But this evening I have to go out.”

  Her fine brows rose in question, but as though she’d caught herself, she glanced down at the pup. “And if I want to go out?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not going to stop you.” Did she want him to? With most of the women in his past, they would have wanted him to make a fuss. But with Gia, he had the feeling she wasn’t the clingy type. She had other priorities on her mind. “You can come and go as you please. I’m just sticking around today to help you out.”

  “You mean to help the dog.”

  “Yeah, that too.”

  She didn’t look too pleased with him. He wasn’t sure what he was saying wrong, but obviously it was something. The truth was, he wasn’t well-versed in making casual conversation with women. Sure, he had his share of dates, but they were usually out in public. And when they were alone, conversation hadn’t been foremost on his mind.

  So maybe he was a bit rusty with what to say and do. Which was yet another reason he should go to the office. But he’d said he’d stay home today, and that was what he intended to do. Everything he needed to access for his dinner meeting could be done remotely.

  Gia’s blue gaze met his. “Would you mind getting the door while I hold on to the puppy? I don’t want him jumping out of my arms.”

  “Sure.” He hurried around the front of the car and opened her door for her. “Why don’t I show you inside, and then I’ll come back for the supplies?”

  She nodded. “It has been a long day.”

  “Did you just arrive in Lapri today?”

  “Yes. It’s my first visit to the island. After checking in at the hotel, your uncle’s villa was my next stop.”

  “Then you can get the puppy situated and rest while I take care of a few things.”

  What was wrong with him? He didn’t normally play the congenial host—in fact, he didn’t play any sort of host. He didn’t like people invading his personal space. The only reason he had a housekeeper was because his dislike of cleaning surpassed his dislike of sharing his space.

  It had actually worked out for him because Mrs. Rossi was excellent at her job. She cooked for him a couple of times a week, leaving the food in the fridge. And she was always gone before he returned from the office. Of course, that was because he would get lost in his work and forget the time until it was very late.

  But having Gia and the puppy here was really going to take some adjusting for him. Still, it would give him a chance to disprove her belief that his uncle might be her father. Because Ric did not believe it. Not a chance.

  Or was it that he didn’t want to believe it? As she passed him and entered the apartment, he inhaled the gentlest floral scent. It teased him, drawing him in for a closer, much deeper whiff. He resisted the urge. Barely.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THIS WAS HIS HOME?

  Gia stepped past the double doors into a streamlined modern apartment. It was like something straight out of the glossy pages of an architectural magazine. Everything was in its place. There were no decorations, absolutely nothing on the glass coffee table. White and red couch cushions didn’t have a wrinkle or indentation as they sat along the back of the black leather sofa. Trailing the edges of the very high ceiling was exposed ductwork. On one wall hung the biggest flat screen she’d ever seen.

  The floors were a gray slate. And the puppy’s nails clicked as he danced in a circle, not sure where he should go. He wasn’t the only one that felt totally out of his element.

  She’d thought her parents’ villa was fancy, but compared to this place with its industrial decor and lack of decorations, her parents’ home—erm, now her and her siblings’ home—was downright warm and cozy.

  How did someone live like this? She wasn’t exactly a slob, but even her place wasn’t this clean and perfectly arranged. Perhaps this wasn’t his place. Maybe he was just borrowing it? Maybe it was part of a hotel suite plan. Yes, that sounded like a viable option.

  “Make yourself at home,” her host said.

  “Uh, thank you.” She wasn’t sure how to be at home when she felt as though the apartment was staged for a photo op. “Do you spend much time here?”

  She shouldn’t have asked. It was none of her business. But curiosity was eating at her. She wasn’t sure how to make herself at home if he really was some sort of neat freak.

  Please say it isn’t so.

  “I spend a lot of time at the office. But I make it here at some point in the evening.”

  “Really?” She bit back her bottom lip, hoping to hold in any other unwise comments.

  “Yes, really.” His dark brows drew together as he studied her. “May I get you a drink?”

  She shook her head, not trusting her mouth as it kept betraying her at every turn. There was something about being close to Mr. Tall, Tanned and Toned that disengaged her mind from her mouth. Then remembering the manners her mother instilled in her, she said, “Thank you.”

  “If you change your mind, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. My housekeeper keeps it well stocked.”

  “Thanks. But I meant thank you for everything.” She knelt next to the dog, who was now sitting beside her. “The puppy and I appreciate you opening up your home to us.”

  He glanced away and started looking at the teetering stack of unread mail on the console table behind his black leather couch. “It’s no big deal.”

  She had the feeling it was a very big deal. She’d be willing to guess he didn’t invite many people into his home. The place definitely didn’t look lived in. She’d hazard a guess that this apartment was his housekeeper’s favorite place to work as there would never be much that needed to be done.

  “I’ll just let you get settled. Your room is down the hall to the right.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t move.

  “Is
something wrong?”

  “I was just hoping you’d tell me more about your uncle—”

  Ric shook his head. “He’s not your father.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  He opened his mouth as though to argue but then wordlessly pressed his lips back together. The frustration glinted in his eyes. But even he couldn’t definitively reject the possibility that his uncle was her father.

  Ric sighed. “You aren’t going to give up on this, are you?”

  “No.” There was a firmness in her voice. She wanted him to take her seriously. He had no idea how hard this was for her.

  Not so long ago, she’d had a family. A mother, father and two siblings. And now it’d all been shattered. She needed to find the truth about herself—about the past. It was the only way she could move forward.

  “Why is this so important to you?”

  “Really? You don’t think it’s important to know who your father is?”

  “Yes.” He drew in a deep breath. “I meant, why now? Why not seek him out years ago? I mean, the timing would make anyone wonder.”

  “The timing?”

  “Yes. You know my uncle passed away and you’re looking to challenge his will.”

  She ground her back teeth together as heated words clogged the back of her throat.

  Never speak in the heat of the moment.

  Her mother’s sage advice filled her mind.

  How dare he think she was some gold digger here to steal his money? She liked him much better when he was just a really hunky guy on the big screen with no shirt—ripped abs on display and his mouth closed.

  “You might be used to dealing with gold diggers, but I am not one.” That was it. She was done with him. She gently picked up the puppy.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “Looks that way. This was a mistake. I’ll take care of the dog. Don’t worry.”

  Without waiting for him to say a word, she turned and headed for the door. He was a stranger—a famous stranger but still a stranger. And now she was certain she didn’t want to know him. And she certainly didn’t want to share her painful secret with him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly. When she didn’t stop—when she grasped the door handle—he said louder, “Hey! Did you hear me? I’m sorry.”

  She paused with one arm around the dog and her other hand on the handle. Apologies were easy. Why should she believe him? It was best they end their brief encounter now.

  “I’m not used to having people in my home—in my space,” he said. “And I spend most of my time at the office working so my social skills may be a bit rusty. Can we start over?”

  He was trying, she’d give him that. But even so, she wasn’t willing to open up about how her family had been blown apart by a devastating secret.

  But she also sensed how hard that apology was for him. And it deserved a response because those manners her mother taught her at a young age, well, they were still a part of her—even if she didn’t know who she truly was.

  Gia turned back to him. “Apology accepted.”

  A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips. He went from being incredibly handsome to incredibly sexy in zero point six seconds. Gia’s heart stumbled.

  And then she realized she was smiling back at him. How was that possible? One moment, she was furious with him. And then the next, she’s smiling at him like some lovesick teenager.

  She pressed her lips into a firm line. “I should be going.”

  “Don’t. I mean, stay. I shouldn’t have been so blunt.” He at least had the decency to look contrite. She supposed that was something.

  “You were being honest.” Now that she’d cooled down a little, she could see his perspective. It wasn’t like he knew her at all. She was a perfect stranger. A rich man like himself was probably used to people trying to take advantage of him. But she wasn’t one of those people.

  Just then the puppy whimpered.

  “I better take him out.” And with that she made a hasty exit.

  Luckily, there was a small park just across the street and down the road a little way. She and the puppy were there in minutes. There were a few benches. Nothing fancy, but she wasn’t the only one there with her dog. It seemed to be a popular spot.

  Now what was she going to do? Return to the apartment and a man who unnerved her with his sexy good looks? Or just head off on her own?

  * * *

  That went wrong.

  Completely wrong.

  And now he’d run her off. That hadn’t been his intent. Well, maybe it had been at first, when he thought she was a con artist. But he saw the pain in her eyes when he’d accused her. That sort of pain couldn’t be faked. It was real. And he was the one who had caused it. He felt awful.

  He started for the door. When he realized he was chasing after her, it startled him. He didn’t chase after women. If anything, it was the other way around, especially lately because of that silly movie. Seriously, it wasn’t even fifteen minutes of fame. It was more like sixty seconds. And it was never supposed to amount to anything. And yet it had gained so much media attention.

  Ric stopped himself as he reached the door. Maybe it was best that he let her go. After all, she wasn’t going to be related to his uncle. He was as certain of that as he was his name.

  And now Gia was one more complication he didn’t need—didn’t want. He knew the dangers of letting someone into his life. When they found something better, they moved on—no hesitations, no apologies. He refused to let himself be vulnerable again.

  She would find her own way—or she wouldn’t. He knew something about attempting to track down missing parents. You didn’t always get the result you wanted.

  He turned and headed for the kitchen. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like he was hungry. Still, he opened the fridge and stared inside. Nothing appealed to him.

  He wondered what Gia would do for dinner. It wasn’t like she could just stroll into a restaurant with a dog. Again, not his worry.

  He closed the fridge and then opened a drawer with a stack of takeout menus. Some of them had worn edges. His gaze scanned the first menu. Not even his most indulgent selections could tempt him today—

  Buzz. Buzz.

  The doorbell drew his attention. He slipped the menus back in the drawer. So she’d changed her mind. Interesting.

  His steps were swift. He swung the door open, about to greet her with some glib comment but the words died in the back of his throat. It wasn’t Gia and the puppy. He refused to acknowledge the disappointment that settled in his chest.

  “Hi.” A young man in a black and white suit smiled at him. “I believe you were expecting these.” The man moved aside so Ric could see the purple luggage.

  Gia’s things. They’d totally slipped his mind. He was about to turn the man away, but he had no idea where Gia had gone. It looked like the luggage was his problem.

  “Thanks. You can set them inside the door.” Ric backed up, making room for the man and the three pieces of matching luggage.

  After Ric tipped the man handsomely, the door shut and he was alone with Gia’s things. He rubbed the back of his neck. What was it about this woman? Since she’d entered his life mere hours ago, it had become increasingly complicated.

  What he needed to do was head back to the office. When he was at his computer working on his latest project, he felt in control—at peace. Adrenaline rushed through his veins when he was sorting out a new idea. And all his attention was focused on the letters and numbers on his monitor. There were no emotional land mines to avoid. There were facts and figures. Nothing more. Work was clean and for the most part straightforward. Relationships were messy and complicated.

  Even when people said they loved you, they ended up hurting you. Not that he loved Gia. He didn’t even know her. And that was the whole point—he didn�
�t want to get to know her, to let her into his world. He was better off on his own.

  And with that in mind, he reached for his phone. He flipped the leather tag on a piece of luggage and snapped a photo of her name and address. His assistant was good at locating people as well as things. He was certain Marta would be able to reunite Ms. Bartolini with her luggage.

  As though his thoughts had summoned her, his phone rang. His assistant’s name popped up on the caller ID. She was probably wondering what was keeping him.

  “Hello.”

  “Mr. Moretti, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’ve just had a phone call I thought you would want to know about immediately.”

  Marta was very good at her job and dealing with people. She was used to prioritizing interruptions and only bothering him with the most important items. He had a sinking feeling he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

  “What is it?” he asked hesitantly.

  “Your dinner meeting with Mr. Grosso has been canceled.”

  “Canceled?” That couldn’t be right. “You mean rescheduled.”

  “No, sir. His assistant called and canceled the meeting.”

  Ric’s body tensed. This wasn’t good—not good at all. He had his entire rollout planned. He was ready to start testing on Mr. Grosso’s system.

  “What did he say?” Ric’s voice came out in a heated rush. “There has to be a reason. I want to know what it is.”

  Marta was quiet for a moment.

  He drew in a deep breath, calming himself. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take this out on you. I just can’t believe after months of going back and forth, trying to arrange this meeting that it has fallen through.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I know how much you were counting on this.”

  “Did they give any hints of what went wrong?”

  “The assistant said that Mr. Grosso had looked over the proposal and decided there wasn’t enough evidence the program works.”

  Ric muttered under his breath as he raked his fingers through his hair. “Of course it works. I’ve been perfecting it for the past year.”