Maggie Cox: Claiming His Secret Love-Child: The Marciano Love-Child / The Italian Billionaire's Secret Love-Child / The Rich Man's Love-Child

‘I know you’re worried about some of the clauses in the contract,’ Roxanne said. ‘But we’ve handled complicated contracts before and sailed through without a hitch. This is an offer too good to pass up. Besides, you know how tight this industry is. If word gets out you turned aside a deal as big as this for personal reasons, how will we hold our heads up professionally?’

Scarlett sank her teeth into her lower lip. ‘I know, but…’

‘Don’t blow this, Scarlett,’ Roxanne said. ‘If you haven’t signed on the dotted line when you get back to the studio later today, I want you to buy me out of the business.’

Scarlett felt her chest begin to thud with alarm. ‘You know I can’t afford to do that, Roxanne. It will ruin me. I have no savings, and getting a personal loan would be impossible right now.’

‘You’ve lied to me for close to four years, Scarlett,’ Roxanne said bitterly. ‘You told me Matthew’s father had died in a car accident in Italy. Do you realise how that makes me feel? Totally betrayed. I thought I was your best friend.’

Scarlett met her friend’s wounded gaze. ‘I know I should have told you, but I was so upset and confused when I came home. It seemed easier to tell everyone Matthew’s father had been killed in an accident. I couldn’t bear the questions from Mum and Sophie. They would have driven me mad. I wanted to tell you so many times, especially after all you’ve done for me, but I had to consider Matthew too. How is he going to feel in the future to hear his father wanted nothing to do with him?’

‘I realise all that, but what’s so hard about taking on several-hundred thousand dollars or more of business?’ Roxanne returned. ‘Get in the real world, Scarlett. So what if he doesn’t believe Matthew’s his kid? That’s his loss. This is a business transaction. Put your private issues aside and get on with the job.’

‘It’s not that simple…’

Roxanne gave her a penetrating look. ‘You’re not still in love with the guy, are you?’

‘No, of course not,’ Scarlett said with an affronted huff. ‘It’s just that he’s…he’s…’

‘Very attractive,’ Roxanne offered helpfully. ‘And super-rich.’

Scarlett glared at her. ‘You know I’m not that sort of person, Roxanne.’

Roxanne blew out a breath. ‘No, you’re not, more’s the pity. You’re way too kind to people. You let them walk all over you.’

‘If you’re obliquely referring to the Underwood account, then don’t,’ Scarlett said with a little scowl. ‘I felt sorry for Louise Underwood—her husband was a total brute. I couldn’t leave her with all those bills to pay when he ran off with his mistress.’

‘We’re running a business not a charity, Scarlett,’ Roxanne said. ‘And, speaking of business, you’d better scoot or you’ll never get there in time.’

‘I’ll get a cab rather than try and park,’ Scarlett said as she grabbed her bag and sunglasses. ‘God, I wish there was some way out of this.’

‘There is,’ Roxanne said. ‘You sign the contract, you do the work, you say goodbye. Easy.’

Scarlett opened the studio door and grimaced. ‘You think.’

When Scarlett arrived at the old Arlington in the city there were various workmen on site, as the building was in the first stages of being gutted. Scaffolding was wrapped around the outside, and the front doors were pinned back to keep them open, but even so the fine dust in the air made her nose start to twitch.

She walked across the threadbare carpet-runner to the reception desk, but she had to step aside as a worn sofa was carried past her to the service lifts. She carried on once the men had moved past, but the reception area was deserted, as the hotel had closed down several weeks ago.

She turned and looked up at the winding staircase and locked gazes with Alessandro, who was standing on the next floor looking down at her. She felt her stomach fold over itself and her heart start to race as he came down the stairs, the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the cavernous foyer.

‘Hello, Scarlett.’

Scarlett felt the skin on her bare arms lift in goosebumps as he came to stand in front of her. His slightly wavy hair was glossy black with moisture, as if he had not long showered. She could smell the exotic spices of his aftershave, and the clean, male scent of his body, and her brain flooded with images of how he had looked wet and glistening in the shower.

‘I was not sure you would come,’ he said.

She blinked at him, her mind still back in the shower, her heart beating so quickly she could hear a roaring in her ears. ‘Um…I need the money…’ she said, but instantly regretted it when she saw the way his eyes hardened slightly. ‘I mean, business has been slow over summer, and I don’t want to get in too far over my head…or anything…’ She bit her lip, hating that she sounded so unprofessional. She was usually so brisk and efficient with potential clients, but Alessandro was not just a client.

He was her little son’s father.

Alessandro looked down at her for a lengthy moment. He had spent the last two days thinking about her, wondering what it would be like to have her in his bed again.

This reaction hadn’t really surprised him; after all, he had felt the same way the first time he had met her. He could feel it now, the pulse of sexual attraction crackling in the air that separated them. Seeing her again had brought back a rush of memories of how responsive she had been in his arms. He had never experienced anything like it before or since. He felt his groin tightening even now, thinking about the pleasure her body had given him so uninhibitedly. Her slim, golden sun-kissed limbs had snaked around his, her body rocking and shuddering with the spasms of release, until he had exploded with mind-blowing pleasure time and time again.

He was glad now he hadn’t told her he had fallen in love with her four years ago—certainly not after the way she had tried to deceive him. That would have been the ultimate in humiliation, to have had her know how deeply he had cared for her while she had been cleverly masterminding her plot to hoodwink him.

‘So you have decided to work for me after all, Scarlett?’ he said into the too-long silence.

Scarlett moistened her mouth with her tongue, her stomach feeling as if a large nest of bush ants had been disturbed inside it. ‘Yes… Yes, I have…’

‘Because you need the money.’

She swallowed twice before she could find her voice again. ‘It’s as you said—a big contract. It’s also a very time-consuming one. I have some other clients that I—’

‘Your business partner Roxanne Hartley can see to those while you work for me.’

‘This is too big a job to do single-handedly,’ she said. ‘Roxanne will have to be in on it, as well as one or two other freelance designers.’

‘I will leave you to make the necessary arrangements,’ he said. ‘I am sure you are more than capable of assembling a design team to manage this project.’

‘It’s not just that.’ She took a breath to calm herself and continued. ‘I’m concerned about how things are…between us.’

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ‘What do you mean?’

She hoisted her handbag over her shoulder as she ran the palms of her hands down the sides of her skirt. ‘We’re not exactly friends, Alessandro.’

‘We do not need to be friends in order to get down to business, Scarlett.’

‘As long as this remains strictly a business arrangement,’ she said with a pointed glance.

His expression contained a hint of mockery. ‘Are you saying that for my benefit or your own?’

Her eyes flared. ‘What do you mean by that?’

The brown flecks in his eyes darkened to the colour of espresso coffee. ‘You can still feel it, can’t you, Scarlett?’ he said in a low, sexy drawl. ‘You can feel that throbbing tension that fills the air as soon as we are in the same room together. I felt it the other day, and I know you did too.’