Carol Marinelli - Innoncent Secretary, Accidentally Pregnant

‘That,’ he said, first peering around the door and making sure it was safe to come out, ‘was not my fault.’ He put up his hands in bemusement and said it again. ‘Really, that time it wasn’t my fault.’ Still Emma said nothing, just watched with pursed lips as he helped himself to her hot chocolate, as he always did if she didn’t pour it into her mug before he saw it. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t!’

‘It never is.’ Sarcasm dripped from Emma’s lips, which might seem rude to some, and might be no way to talk to your boss-but it was because she did speak to him like that, because she did keep him at arm’s length and because she was very good at her job, that, despite his stunning initial offer, in the six weeks she had worked there, Luca hadn’t even attempted to flirt.

Well, the odd time perhaps!

But it was quickly, expertly, rebuffed.

‘Did you get my messages?’ Emma checked, because he never read them. ‘A Dr Calista called-he wants you to ring him.’

‘Fine.’

‘And your sister too-she wants to know if you’ve looked at the ties.’

‘Ties?’

‘She sent you an email of some photos of ties-for the groomsmen to wear at the wedding-and she wants to know if you’re staying. She’s rung a few times today.’

‘Remind her of my hourly rate,’ Luca drawled, ‘and if she keeps ringing, bill her.’

He didn’t mean it, Emma knew that, but he could be so scathing at times.

‘I do mean it,’ Luca said as if in response to her private thoughts.

‘You really want me to bill your sister for ringing you?’ She knew he didn’t mean it, knew he’d hit the roof if she actually did it, and just refused to play his games.

‘I want you,’ Luca said, very firmly, very clearly, ‘to practise some of the assertion this job demands-I am not to be bothered with these details, is that clear?’

‘Very.’

‘Good.’ Luca said. ‘You choose the ties, you sort things out and you have my full authority to tell her it was me.’

‘Fine.’

He was turning now, heading back to his office, tossing the empty chocolate cup in the bin. Then he turned around.

‘Are you doing anything tonight?’

‘Actually, yes,’ Emma said through gritted teeth, ‘I’ve got plans.’

‘Well, cancel them.’ Luca shrugged. ‘Ruby was supposed to be coming with me to some awful dinner dance at Hemming’s. It’s plus one, so I’m expected to bring someone.’

‘I really do have plans!’ Emma repeated, because she was beginning to get tired of this-she worked hard, more than hard, but this would be the fourth night in a row that she hadn’t got to visit her father and it simply wasn’t fair-surely she was allowed to have a semblance of a life? ‘I need to visit my father,’ she reluctantly explained, loath to let Luca in on her personal life. ‘I told him I’d be over tonight.’

‘So, tell him that you are working.’

‘I’ve been putting him off all week.’ She just couldn’t do it to him again. ‘I’d really like to finish on time tonight.’ When Luca just frowned, she pushed a touch further. ‘Look, I don’t usually say no, but surely there’s someone else you can ask?’

Which was a stupid thing to say. There were plenty of women Luca could ask, and there was one reason and one reason only that he was asking her! ‘I was hoping for an early night,’ Luca sighed. ‘At least with you it would be just dinner!’ Which was a rather strange compliment, but it bought a reluctant smile to her face. ‘I’ll ask Evelyn-where is she, by the way?’

‘No, don’t…’ Emma flustered, for Evelyn had sneaked off to the doctor’s to pick up her vials and needles for her final round of IVF, which she was starting in the morning. The last thing the poor woman needed was a night on the town with Luca. ‘I’ll just go. It’s fine.’

‘You’re sure?’ Luca frowned, just a touch guilty now that he had got his own way, as he knew full well where Evelyn was. ‘Tell you what-we can visit your father on the way.’

‘We can’t,’ Emma fretted. ‘I’ll be in evening dress!’

‘So?’ Luca grinned. ‘Go on, get ready and we’ll leave in an hour.’

It was testament to the nature of her job that she could get ready for a formal function within the hour. There was a bathroom on their floor and Emma stuffed her curls under a cap and quickly showered. She even had a wardrobe in her office-her day bag was already packed and ready for her jaunt to Scotland in the morning and Emma rummaged in it for her styling wand and spare make-up bag then set to work on her face, squirting drops in her eyes in the hope they’d sparkle and then working on her lips and cheeks.

With some difficulty she pulled stockings onto damp legs and then slipped on her fast-becoming-familiar little black dress and clipped on a string of black pearls, before coaxing tired feet into stilettos.

And then she tackled her hair. Spritzing her wayward, corkscrew curls around the wand and trying to coax them into shape.

It was a routine she was starting to perfect.

‘You need some more evening wear,’ was Luca’s only comment when he saw that she was in her black dress again.

‘Just as soon as I get a day off!’ Emma retorted. ‘Aren’t you ready?’

He didn’t answer but, then, Luca rarely answered pointless questions. Instead, he strode out to the lifts with Emma following behind, holding a small suitcase to take to her father and stuffing her evening bag with keys and lipstick and hair serum and sticking plasters as the lift plummeted down.

‘I forgot to put on perfume.’

He sniffed the air. ‘You smell fine.’

Men!

He glanced at the small case she was carrying, but didn’t comment and neither did Emma, not bothering with small talk. She just sat in the back of the car with Luca as they moved at a snail’s pace through the heavy peak-hour traffic, a knot of tension in her stomach, sure that at any moment he’d tell her it was too late to stop by her father’s nursing home. Glancing at her watch, she realised they weren’t going to be able to make it and it was actually a relief-she didn’t want to explain her life to Luca.

‘The old dog’s home first!” Luca drawled, not knowing the nerve he was pricking as he let them into his apartment. The television was blaring as usual and Emma paced as Luca chopped up some chicken breast and added a spoonful of rice to Pepper’s bowl.

‘He’s on a diet,’ Luca explained.

She didn’t quite get where Pepper fitted into the scheme of things. She’d been to Luca’s apartment on several occasions and still couldn’t work out what Luca was doing with a dog. Neither man nor beast seemed to particularly like each other and the last thing a person with Luca’s schedule needed was a dog-and a lapdog at that.

But it wasn’t her place to question. It was her job to just book the vet in for home visits, or make sure that the dog sitter knew when Luca was suddenly called away.

‘Look in the bathroom,’ Luca called from the bedroom. ‘There is probably some perfume there that has been left behind-help yourself.’

It was like the beauty section in a chemist’s shop- perfumes, lipsticks, body lotions, all left behind by their previous owners-but it wasn’t them that caught her attention. In the mirror she could see Luca’s reflection-dressed in black hipster underwear, he was selecting an evening shirt, and though she was getting used to Luca, she wasn’t used to seeing quite so much of him.

He was stunning.

He was so pompous and arrogant that for the most part Emma was able to switch off from the fact he was, quite simply, the most beautiful man she had ever seen-only now she was seeing him.