Jennifer Hayward - Rumours - The Secret Billionaires

‘Does he not have a right to know?’ Behind those sunglasses she was sure Toni’s eyes were piercing her accusingly. She could feel it with every fibre of her body.

‘The only man who has a right to make any contribution to the decisions I make regarding my son is the man who puts a ring on my finger.’ Sadie couldn’t help the spark of anger which must show in her words and on her face. When she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d hoped that man would be Antonio, the man she’d fallen in love with so easily, but she’d quickly learnt to accept that would never happen.

* * *

Antonio had a moment of panic before his usual control kicked back in. Marriage was something he’d tried once and never wanted again. It might have been based on lies, but it had only reaffirmed his long-held opinion that marriage wasn’t for him. Despite this, he knew he had a duty to the continuation of his family name—if there was no heir, that meant the end of the Di Marcello family. A duty he had shrugged off since his six-month marriage had spectacularly exploded in the most unpredictable way. That had been a marriage based on duty and now Sadie Parker had enlightened him to another duty and, whatever he thought of marriage, he was going to have to accept and honour that duty. His son had to come first, not because he was the Di Marcello heir, the next generation, but because he was his son and he didn’t want his son to have an empty childhood like his own. Could he put all he believed aside and love his son?

For his son he would do anything.

‘Strong words,’ he teased and sat back, forcing his limbs to relax in a way he was far from feeling. He couldn’t afford to blow his cover, not now. He was still Toni and would have to remain on alert. There was the rest of the day to get through before he could reveal himself and even then it would be too soon.

No, that particular revelation would have to keep for a little while longer. He had the small matter of his parents to deal with first. A visit he was not looking forward to. They would have to accept Leo. It was his turn to manipulate and use emotional blackmail.

He could sense Sadie’s suspicion, feel her doubt, and he knew this would have to be handled very carefully. He needed to give her space and time to let her guard down, because right now her defensive barrier was almost impenetrable, a mechanism he knew all about.

‘It’s what I feel, Mr Adessi.’

‘Toni, please.’

Sadie frowned at him, then sat back and smiled. ‘Okay, Toni, tell me a bit about you. What is it you are rushing back to in Rome?’

‘Who said I was rushing?’

She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head, pulling her hair from her face and allowing him to see those expressive green eyes. ‘You are leaving work today after only two weeks.’

There was lightness to her voice and he sensed her relaxing. Could it be that she was letting him closer? Or was she toying with him again?

‘It’s not what really interests me.’ There was a game of cat and mouse being played out across the table and it wasn’t yet clear who was which—or who was in charge. He suspected she was not as relaxed as she would have him believe.

‘What does?’ she asked, looking down as her meal was placed in front of her.

‘I’m more of a builder than a mechanic,’ he said, bending the truth to fit his double persona. If he told her he was in the construction industry, that his company built ground-breaking designs around the world, it would surely give him away—or confirm her suspicions.

She looked at him for a moment and he thought he’d gone too far, then she shrugged slightly and began her meal. ‘This is delicious. Thank you for bringing me here.’

He looked around at the simple restaurant and then back at her. Once he’d resumed the identity of Antonio Di Marcello he’d be taking her to much more glamorous places than this. His life was played out on a world stage and flying from one continent to another in his private jet was commonplace. For now, though, he accepted her change of subject.

‘I would have done this before if you hadn’t been so against the idea of being friends.’ He watched as she looked at him, saw the confusion enter her eyes and the uncertainty on her lovely face.

‘Is it possible for a man and a woman to be friends?’

He became distracted by memories of a passion-filled weekend and studied the way Sadie’s soft hair fell around her shoulders and the creamy pale skin of her throat, the plumpness of her lips. It certainly didn’t seem possible to be just friends with this woman. Despite her deceit in keeping his son from him for the last three years, he still wanted her. His body could still feel the heat of hers, the swell of her breasts against his chest as they’d tumbled naked in blazing passion over the large bed in the hotel room.

He bit down on the spike of lust and looked directly at her, speaking far more truth than she’d ever know. ‘A man and a woman can be whatever they want.’

* * *

Sadie began to feel uncomfortable. The suspicion deepened that this man was digging for information on her and Leo, that he had ulterior motives for being here. Why had she spoken so frankly and openly to him? If he was here working for Antonio, hadn’t she just given him all the ammunition needed to attack?

‘That depends very much on the man and woman, don’t you think?’ She took a sip of water and then sat back, the desire to eat any more gone, as had the pleasure of a little time out with a man. She still wasn’t ready to move on from Antonio’s betrayal; she wasn’t ready to trust another man, even though she wanted to.

Toni’s brows rose in surprise and she knew she sounded angry, knew that she was pushing away a chance to try to rebuild her life, to have fun again now that Leo was growing up. But what was the point when this man was about to leave for Rome and she was on the brink of returning to England? Quite apart from the fact that she still longed for the man she’d lost her heart to almost four years ago. She just had to face facts. She wasn’t over Antonio Di Marcello yet.

‘I’m enjoying this,’ she said carefully. ‘But you are returning to Rome and in a few weeks I will be back in England, which makes anything more than this difficult.’

‘Sì, sì,’ he said quickly, and instantly her mind rushed back to the weekend she’d shared with Antonio. She remembered lying in bed, her limbs heavy and languid after a night of dizzy passion and what she’d thought had been instant attraction, maybe even love. She’d given him her virginity, become a real woman in the very practised arms of Antonio Di Marcello.

Later, he’d been talking business on the phone, dealing with a problem, he’d told her afterwards, but he’d said exactly the same thing, using the same tone and speed to move the conversation on. Was Toni using it because he’d heard it so many times from Antonio?

A heavy kind of tension settled over them and she looked at him, wishing he’d remove the sunglasses and cap. Was it just her suspicion making his apparent need to hide behind them more menacing? But what if she was right? What if he was here to find out about Leo for Antonio? It was her worst nightmare and she’d lived in dread of it, but if Antonio thought he could send someone to charm her and lure her into a trap so that he could sweep in and take Leo from her, he’d seriously underestimated her.

‘We could spend a little time together first, no?’ His voice held a persuasive charm she knew only too well was lethal.

‘I’m busy all weekend,’ she responded quickly. There was no way she was going to put this man before Leo. He might have an uncanny resemblance to Antonio, but that made it all the more important not to get drawn in by him. She’d been alone since Antonio had turned his back on her and now all she wanted was to look out for Leo’s interests. She’d been young and gullible the weekend she’d fallen for Antonio’s charm and she wasn’t about to do the same with the first man who’d shown her more than a passing interest.