CAROL MARINELLI - One Passionate Night's Miracle - One-Night Baby / The Surgeon's Miracle Baby / Outback Baby Miracle

To reassure himself he took his mind back to the night when she had raked him with her fingernails and begged him not to stop, never to stop. It was hard for a man to forget a thing like that, impossible for him to forget a woman like Kate, unthinkable that he would let her get away a second time. ‘I’d like to make you an offer …’

When she looked at him keenly he knew the moment had come to close the deal. ‘I’d like you to stay on here in Rome and work for me.’

‘Work for you?’ She was clearly incredulous.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ He was growing impatient. No one had ever refused the offer of a job in his organisation.

‘I can’t, that’s all—’

‘You can’t?’ he cut across her. ‘Or you won’t?’

‘I’m sorry, Santino, I really can’t … Couldn’t you get someone else?’

‘I want you.’ His jaw firmed.

‘You …’

Even as the light of hope sparked in her eyes her voice faded in recognition of her mistake. She knew Santino Rossi would never want her the way she wanted him. He felt a rush of triumph as he interpreted the signs. Kate was a good actress, but not that good. She might act prim, but there were fires burning very close to the surface of this new Kate Mulhoon’s decorous manner.

‘I’m only offering you a job, Kate …’

She flinched at the put-down, but quickly recovered.

‘I already have a job … two jobs, in fact. I represent Caddy at the agency, and for the time being at least I’m her manager. Obviously there’s a conflict of interest and I won’t—’

‘Remain her manager? Stay at the agency? Well, now you won’t have to because I’m offering you a job.’

‘Look, all of this is so sudden …’

And the last thing she wanted was to antagonise him with a flat refusal, he guessed. He let her squirm for a while.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ she said at last, clearly thrown.

‘You don’t have to say anything right away. Think about it. You’ve got until tomorrow morning to decide.’ He liked deadlines. When he put one in place something had to happen. Inactivity killed him.

‘Why me, Santino?’ She looked at him curiously.

Because the window of opportunity was open and he had never been one to walk on by. ‘Because after this debacle on the set I know I need to hire someone who understands the business, someone who works well with my team, which you’ve already proved you can do, someone who can liaise between me and my people on the ground. It would be a vast improvement on your present position back in London. You’d have your own department. You’d report directly to me—’

‘This is all going way too fast—’

‘Really?’ He angled his head to stare at her. ‘I’ve never had the impression that you’re slow …’

No response.

‘My organisation needs someone like you.’ He threw her a smile. ‘Just think about it …’

‘You don’t hold back, do you?’ she whispered, fixed on his gaze.

‘Salary wouldn’t be a problem—’

‘No … Sorry … I can’t stay on in Rome.’

Her voice was flat as if reality had kicked in, extinguishing the fantasy he had spun for her. He was disappointed, of course. But defeat wasn’t in his lexicon and he wasn’t about to back off now.

‘I have to be back in the UK by this weekend at the latest,’ she went on, voicing some inner thought and unwittingly handing him a compromise.

‘Okay …’ He eased his shoulders in a shrug as if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other what she did, but his mind was scrutinising the facts—she was an intelligent woman, and he had just given her the opportunity of a lifetime. There had to be something else. Someone else? Was this feeling jealousy? If so, it had to be a first. He kept his face impassive as he delved a little deeper. ‘Of course, if you have personal reasons—’

‘I don’t. At least …’

‘Go on.’ He could hardly hold back the bite in his voice.

She clammed up. She retreated into herself leaving only the prickles on show. He eased off too. Like all good negotiators, he knew when to take his foot off the gas. ‘Well, if you could just stay until the weekend, by which time the new director should have settled in, I’d appreciate it. And of course I’d pay you well for your time …’

Nothing.

He tried again. ‘I’m sure Cordelia would appreciate the reassurance of having you around during the changeover of directors …’

Bullseye.

‘You won’t have to pay me,’ she assured him tightly. ‘I’ll happily stay on until the weekend if it reassures Cordelia. My cousin’s a wonderful actress. You don’t know how lucky you are…’

And neither did cousin Cordelia, Santino thought, dropping his gaze to hide his rush of triumph.

BY THE time Santino had signed the bill Kate was already regretting her decision to stay on in Rome. Giving Caddy the boost she needed to regain her confidence was one thing, but she could have remained at Caddy’s side without agreeing to work for Santino, and reporting directly to him was madness. What had she been thinking?

‘Ready?’

As Santino stood up and prepared to hold her chair Kate was forced to accept that she could never think clearly when Santino was involved. And it certainly didn’t help now when a lock of inky-black hair caught on his lashes as he looked at her. But she had to remain detached. It was either that, or break her silence and face a lifetime of regret.

‘Kate?’

‘Sorry …’ Kate grabbed her jacket, evading Santino’s attempts to help her to put it on. Buttoning it up securely, she didn’t forget the buttons at the neck of her shirt were open and fastened those too.

As Santino watched Kate fastening up her suit and her blouse, sealing the package up tight, he felt suspicion grind inside him. There had to be someone else back home. This act was too contrived. A woman didn’t turn from seductress to celibate in the space of five years with all her allure intact. Kate had all the hallmarks of a tease. It warned him to be wary and question rather than trust. But for some reason he wanted Kate; he wanted her to be different from other women.

But he only had to examine the facts to know he couldn’t afford to let her in. Five years ago he had taken what she’d freely offered, no meaningless pledges on either side. There had been no time for anything other than feeling and hunger. She had responded wholeheartedly, but afterwards he had felt emptier than before. He had known then he was yearning for something he could never have.

‘Arrivederci , Santino!’

‘Arrivederci , Federico!’ The distraction of the ebullient restaurateur’s farewell came as a relief. This was no time to be dwelling on the past.

‘Goodbye, Federico …’

Kate turned and waved. She seemed harmless enough. Or was that an act too? Was she like every other woman—out for what she could get? Was she painting herself in a rosy light so everyone would love her and let their guard down? She had begun by opening up and telling him about her life with Cordelia and Meredith, and then for no reason she had clammed up again. Why? It couldn’t be second thoughts about the job, or fear of the responsibility she had agreed to take on—she could eat the job. Which left the phone call. Who was waiting for Kate back home aside from Aunt Meredith? He needed more time with her to find out what was going on. He would much rather stick salt in the wound now and prove her treachery than continue to pursue her wearing a blindfold.

‘I thought we’d walk back to the Russie, cool off after the heat in the restaurant,’ he suggested. ‘Do you mind?’ He held the door for her, closing his eyes as she passed to better appreciate her light crushed-petal scent.