‘What do you mean? If it isn’t public, what are we doing here?’
‘It’s my beach. Private. There’s a path that leads up to the house from here.’
‘Seriously?’ She lifted her head and stared at him through the semi-darkness. ‘We’re that close? So we could leave the car and just walk?’
‘If you want to. But it’s not easy to follow in the dark and it’s steep. Car would be faster.’
‘Then let’s take the car.’ Suddenly she wanted to be home with him and she sprang to her feet and tugged her clothes out from under him. ‘I have no idea what happened to the wig.’
‘Doesn’t matter. It served its purpose.’ The serious nature of their conversation forgotten, he took her hand and they sprinted back to the car.
Taylor sat, covered in sand and happiness, wishing her life could always be like this.
‘I enjoyed being Teresa. It was fun.’ And she rarely did anything for fun. Fun wasn’t part of her plan.
‘Having fun suits you. You were built to have fun.’ He shot out a hand to steady her as the car lurched up the road. ‘Only next time let’s have fun in the Ferrari. I don’t mind buying you a wig but I draw the line at driving this car again.’
‘Where is the Ferrari?’
‘Hopefully back in the garage with no damage to the paintwork.’
‘I’m covered in sand. What if Geovana sees us?’
‘She’ll thoroughly approve, but I’d rather avoid that conversation if possible.’
Like naughty children, they sneaked into the house, trailing sand on polished wood.
‘We are going to be in trouble tomorrow.’ She gasped as Luca nudged her into the shower, removed her clothes for the second time in one evening and turned on the jets.
‘Then it’s a good thing I’ve never been frightened of trouble.’
Taylor opened her mouth to ask what would happen when everyone found out their relationship was fake, but then closed it again.
Tonight, she didn’t want to think that this was fake. And this part wasn’t, was it? The engagement—sure, that was fake. But everything else?
No, not this part, with his hands in her hair and his mouth hot and demanding on hers. This was definitely real, and she closed her eyes and let the water wash over her. Felt his hands move lower, gasped at the skilled slide of his fingers over the most sensitive parts of her and after that she stopped thinking at all and just let herself feel.
*
They fell into a routine—work during the day and each other at night. Neither of them used the word relationship, nor any other word that might have implied their arrangement had in any way veered from the original plan.
Taylor found working with Ella, the new director, fulfilling and fun.
Of Rafaele she’d heard nothing and even her phone was silent.
She started to relax for the first time in years. It occurred to her that maybe Luca had frightened him off.
And although she and Luca kept up their public appearances, he was remarkably good at protecting her privacy and giving her space.
It was several weeks after Rafaele’s departure when she woke one morning to find herself alone in the bed.
Luca was standing on the balcony of the bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of hastily pulled-on jeans, nursing a cup of strong coffee as he stared into the distance.
Taylor slid out of bed and walked over to him. ‘You have the board meeting today. Is that why you’re awake?’
‘I’m enjoying a few moments of smug satisfaction that my interior make-over has had such an impact on profits. Profits of Corretti Home are up by thirty per cent and I have a team working on a strategy for Corretti Bambino. Would it make you laugh to discover I was studying population forecasts yesterday?’
She laughed and slid her arms round his waist, enjoying the peace and the privacy. ‘Have you always lived in Sicily? Did you grow up in this house?’
‘No.’
His lack of response frustrated her and she drew away slightly. ‘You never tell me anything about yourself.’
‘There’s nothing to say.’
‘Of course there isn’t. You had no life before you met me.’ She kept her voice cool and his hand shot out and he hauled her back so that she was eye to eye with him.
‘Don’t do that. Don’t pretend you don’t care and that I haven’t just hurt your feelings.’ His voice was rough and sexy, his jaw dark with stubble. ‘Don’t tuck the real you back inside the fake you. It’s too much effort to dig her out again, but if I have to I will, because there’s only one version of Taylor that interests me.’
‘Fine! If you want honesty I’ll give you honesty. Yes, it hurts my feelings when you strip me naked and have sex with me all night, every night, and then won’t answer a single question about yourself.’
They were eye to eye, nose to nose, flat up against each other and she could feel the warmth of his chest against her skin.
And then he released her and raked his fingers through his hair. ‘Get dressed.’ His voice was unsteady and she felt a sudden lurch of horror.
Was this it?
Was this the end of their ‘engagement’? Had he decided that now his project was safely reaching a satisfactory conclusion he no longer needed her?
‘Why do you want me to get dressed?’
‘I’m taking you to meet someone.’
*
Luca parked the car outside the house and questioned the impulse that had driven him to bring a woman to a place he’d never brought a woman to before.
As if realising something significant was happening, Taylor gave him a puzzled look. ‘Where are we?’
‘This is my grandmother’s house.’
‘You visit your grandmother?’
Luca strolled round the car and opened the door for her. ‘What’s wrong with that?’
‘Nothing but—’ she bit her lip ‘—I’m just surprised, that’s all. You don’t strike me as the sort of guy who visits his grandmother. I thought your family wasn’t close.’
‘We’re not. But my grandmother makes my life hell if I don’t drop in and see her once in a while. She’s heard news of our engagement. She wants to meet you. I’d appreciate it if you’d play the role of loving fiancée. She doesn’t need to know our relationship consists of numerous fake performances and endless nights of hot sex.’
Endless nights?
The realisation hit him in the gut and he frowned slightly but Taylor didn’t comment on that.
‘You care about her.’
Luca shrugged. ‘I don’t want to upset her. She lost my grandfather a few months ago. I try and visit whenever I’m not travelling. She’ll be on the terrace at this time, eating breakfast.’
With Taylor’s hand locked in his, he strode round the house to the vine-covered terrace and found his grandmother sipping coffee.
Every time he came here, the memories came with him but he’d already stayed away too long and he greeted her in Italian and stooped to kiss her wrinkled cheek. ‘I brought Taylor to meet you, Nonna.’
‘And about time too. Come and sit down.’ His grandmother spoke in accented English and gestured to the chair next to her. ‘I want to see the woman who finally stole the heart of my favourite grandson.’
‘We’re all her favourite grandson.’ Knowing how wary Taylor was with people she didn’t know Luca wondered if the barriers would come up, but she sank into the chair and faced the old lady with a smile.
‘My Italian is terrible. I apologise. And I know how to say that...’ She faltered slightly. ‘Mi dispiace.’
‘No doubt you and Luca are finding other ways to communicate.’ The old lady’s eyes gleamed and Taylor laughed.
‘His English is fluent.’
‘Yes. He always was the cleverest of my grandsons. He just hid it well. So his reputation with women doesn’t seem to frighten you.’
‘I have a reputation of my own.’
‘So I understand. You’re the girl who fire
d her own mother.’ His grandmother peered at her and Luca cursed under his breath, knowing how fiercely Taylor guarded her privacy.
‘Nonna—’
‘Yes, I did.’ Taylor’s voice was steady. ‘She used me as a way of making money. She didn’t care about what I wanted or what I needed. She wasn’t good for me.’
Braced to defend Taylor from a lecture on the importance of family, Luca watched in surprise as his grandmother took Taylor’s hands in hers. ‘Family should be about giving unselfish support and that is particularly true of the bond between a mother and child. I’m glad you had the strength to remove her from your life. You obviously showed remarkably good judgement for someone that young. So tell me what you love about my Luca.’
‘Nonna—’ Cursing under his breath, Luca tried to interrupt but Taylor answered without hesitation.
‘Lots of things. I love his sense of humour, his strength and the fact that he’s proud of who he is. I envy that. I...’ She hesitated. ‘I want to be more like that. I’m trying to be more like that. It isn’t easy.’
‘You’re an actress. Fortunately my grandson is used to drama. He was raised on it.’ His grandmother gave him a meaningful look and Luca switched to Italian.
‘I don’t want to talk about that.’
‘I know. You never do.’ Her voice soft, his grandmother reached out to him and he frowned as he stared down at her wrinkled hands locked tightly around his.
‘Nonna—’
‘You’ll be perfect together. I sense it.’ She patted his hands and then released them. ‘And now you’ll stay and eat breakfast with me.’
They stayed for an hour, an hour during which Taylor talked about growing up in America, about her mother’s ambition and her father’s reappearance once she’d started earning big money.
‘I want you to come and see me often.’ The old lady patted Taylor’s hand. ‘Luca calls me Nonna, but if you prefer you can call me Teresa.’
‘Teresa?’ Startled, Taylor glanced up at him and Luca gave a dismissive shrug.
‘It’s a good name.’
She didn’t speak until they were safely inside the car. ‘I thought Teresa was some random name you picked and it turns out it’s your grandmother’s name and she’s this wonderful, amazing person.’ The choke in her voice surprised him. He was so used to her hiding her real feelings that this new Taylor unsettled him.
‘She liked you a lot.’
‘She’ll hate me when she finds out this is fake.’
‘It’s me she’ll be angry with.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She adores you. I didn’t even know you had a grandmother. What did she mean that you were raised on drama?’
‘We’re Sicilian. Drama is in the genes. Why be calm when you can explode?’ But he could see his smooth response hadn’t fooled her and the tension of the morning reappeared.
‘You never talk about your childhood. You’ve never told me anything.’
‘I’ve never been one to coo over old baby photographs.’ Luca felt sweat prickle at the back of his neck and started the engine. ‘Let’s go.’
‘What was your mother like?’
He kept his eyes on the road. ‘She was very beautiful. Still is.’
‘I wasn’t asking you what she looks like—I know she’s beautiful, I’ve seen pictures. I was asking what she was like as a mother.’ There was a wistfulness to her voice. ‘What is she like as a person?’
Desperately insecure, volatile, a danger to herself. ‘Why do you want to know?’
‘I’m just interested. I guess I’m wondering why you’re so freaked out about relationships. Is she the reason?’
He doesn’t love me, Luca. What do I have to do to make him love me?
The sweat turned to a chill. ‘Does there have to be a reason? Maybe I was just born with good instincts for staying out of trouble.’
‘You’ve spent your whole life in trouble.’
‘I would argue I’ve spent my life having fun and pleasing myself.’
There was a tense silence and when she turned to him the warmth was gone from her eyes. ‘You never let your guard down, do you? You insist that I don’t hide anything from you but when it comes to your own secrets you’re as impenetrable as Fort Knox. I thought what we had here was more than just superficial, but clearly that was my mistake.’ Her voice was tart. ‘No worries. Forget I ever asked. I’m not used to trusting people anyway so I have no idea why I’d start with someone like you.’
‘Taylor—’
‘No, really, you’ve made it clear you don’t want to talk and that’s fine with me.’ It was obvious from her tone that it wasn’t fine. She was all business. ‘I gather Santo and Ella have agreed to let you use the set for the photo shoot this morning. I’m not a model but if you tell me what you want I’ll do it.’ No self-doubt. No insecurity. She didn’t hunt for compliments or press him for reassurance that she’d be able to do the job.
It occurred to him that not once in all the time they’d spent together had she asked for reassurance about her appearance. In fact, she hadn’t asked anything of him except to be her fake fiancé.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. ‘I just want you to be yourself. Taylor Carmichael.’
‘Which version?’ She was back to being her usual guarded self and although he knew he should have been relieved, he missed the laughing version of the night before.
‘The real version. You’re edgy, modern, strong. Sure of who you are. It shows in the way you carry yourself, in the way you deal with people and in the way you face the world. You’re a self-sufficient high-achiever who has learned to depend on no one but yourself because everyone you’ve ever met has used you so you’re not going to let that happen again.’ He kept his eyes on the road as he described how he saw her. ‘You were let down by your mother, by your father and by a man you trusted and every secret you ever had was blown over the pages of newspapers. It’s left you vulnerable, but it’s also given you strength because there’s no way you’re ever going to let anything like that happen to you again. You’re so afraid of being hurt again you shut the world out and hide behind the tough-girl act. That’s what I want to see when you’re wearing the clothes.’
She was staring at him, her face pale. ‘I—I’ve told you so much. Too much.’ Her voice was a whisper. ‘Why did I do that?’
‘I don’t know.’ He was asking himself a similar question. ‘Because you trusted me.’
‘I don’t trust anyone.’ Her lips were bloodless and it took no effort to read her mind.
‘You’re worried I’ll sell your story to the media?’ He was surprised by how much that hurt. ‘Come on, Taylor—’
‘You’ve remembered every detail. Every single detail I’ve ever told you.’
‘Because I’m a good listener.’
‘Why? So that you don’t forget the juicy parts?’
‘You know me better than that.’
‘I don’t know you at all. You haven’t let me know you.’ She was stammering in her panic. ‘I have no idea what you’re capable of when you’re upset or annoyed and I’ve trusted you with information I would never have given to anyone else.’ She pressed shaking fingers to her face and breathed deeply while Luca swore under his breath and tried to grab hold of a situation that was fast spinning out of control.
But they’d arrived at the docklands and already the usual crowd of journalists pressed around the car.
Luca yanked on the handbrake. ‘We need to talk.’
‘I’ve talked.’ There was no missing her emphasis on the word. ‘The problem is you haven’t and I’m not interested in a one-sided relationship.’ Before he could respond Taylor was out of the car, tall, long-limbed and beautiful as she walked gracefully to where the modelling shoot was to take place.
He wanted to remind her their relationship was fake. That confidences had no part in what they were doing here. But the whole thing was a confused mess in his head and there was no opportuni
ty to sort it out because the photo shoot was already under way.
And she was as professional during the shoot as she was with her acting. She listened to what was required and worked her heart out and by lunchtime Luca knew that what he had was perfect. Even the exacting, hypercritical Gianni was happy.
He had no idea how Taylor felt because the mask was back up and he knew it was his fault. Not only had he stripped away her protective shell and frightened her, he’d shut her down when she’d asked him a personal question.
I don’t know you at all. You haven’t let me know you.
Her words stayed with him as he walked into the boardroom an hour later. Prepared for something close to adulation from them for the way his ideas were already increasing occupancy and profits, Luca opened the door and was greeted by stony silence. A few of the older members of the board avoided looking at him.
Deciding that this was a day that definitely wasn’t going his way, Luca strolled to the head of the table and braced himself for trouble. ‘Well, this isn’t quite the fun afternoon I was anticipating.’ He kept his tone light but he was surveying the room, trying to identify the reason for the frosty atmosphere. ‘Something wrong?’
There was an awkward silence.
The chairman cleared his throat. ‘You don’t know?’
‘Know what?’
‘About your fiancée.’ The older man’s mouth was set in a thin, disapproving line. ‘It seems her past was even wilder than the rumours suggested. An Italian magazine claims to be in possession of certain naked photographs.’
Everything fell into place. He had no need to ask who had taken the photographs. Had no need to ask for any detail because he could guess at the detail all too easily.
Luca kept his face impassive. ‘Photographs?’
‘So you don’t know.’ The chairman exchanged a relieved glance with the rest of the board. ‘Naturally this won’t reflect well on you or the company. I expect you’ll want to distance yourself from her actions and break off the engagement. It’s damaging for the Corretti name and even more damaging for you personally.’
*
Scandals Of The Powerful: Uncovering the Correttis / A Legacy of Secrets (Sicily's Corretti Dynasty) / An Invitation to Sin (Sicily's Corretti Dynasty) (Mills & Boon M&B) Page 35
