reluctantly nodded, even though she had no intention of allowing her sisters or brother-in-law to cough up that kind of money no matter what.
‘All right, then I guess we’re settled. And I want to show Danni and Michelle this hair colour.’ Soph headed for her bedroom. ‘I’d better see what I’ve got to wear tonight.’
Once both her sisters were gone, Chrissy to the home she made with Nate Barrett and Sophia to a club with her girlfriends, Bella took the business card Luchino had pressed on her as she escaped him near his car earlier, and phoned the after-hours number.
‘Montichelli.’ Even the sound of his voice over the phone cut a swathe through her nervous system.
So get over it. It’s just a voice.
‘I want an itinerary of events you expect me to attend with you so I can work out what to wear for each occasion.’ She didn’t bother with a greeting, just launched into the purpose of her call. Which was to arm herself with information, and to take as much control as she could over the situation. ‘I’ll agree not to say anything to your aunt about it for now, but I want it on record that I don’t like the deceit. When will we go to our first event?’
‘Tomorrow evening.’ He named the hosts and the suburb they lived in. ‘They’re a husband and wife who own a chain of member-only golf courses around the country. I’ll call for you at seven.’
‘I’d also like to know how you intend to explain these outings to your aunt—’ Bella stopped abruptly, because Luc had handed down his order, and ended the call!
Bella thought back over that conversation as she put the finishing touches to her make-up the next night. Or rather, she thought about the things she should have asked, but hadn’t got a chance to. It was Saturday, and she wished it was Saturday a year from now and Luchino Montichelli was once again a distant memory. How long would it take to rid herself of him?
Soph stood in the open doorway of the bathroom, one hand wrapped around the door frame, a hairbrush in the other. The pink hair had washed out, Bella noted with affection. The outcome had been touch-and-go for a while there for her funky hairdresser sister.
‘It’s not too late to change your mind about this, Bella. Luchino Montichelli has no right to make you do this stuff.’
‘He’s concerned about his aunt.’ Bella didn’t say it to try to placate Soph. Rather, she had pondered it and decided Luchino really did seem to care about her boss.
‘And you’re going to check on his daughter.’ At that pronouncement, Soph relaxed a little.
Bella, on the other hand, stiffened before she managed to force a smile. ‘Yes. I’ll do what I can. And Soph, I have no interest in being close to Luchino in any way but a business one.’
Probably when Luchino arrived tonight, Bella would feel nothing at all towards him except irritation that she had to be in his presence. The earlier internal twitters would simply have been a result of memories and the shock of seeing him suddenly after so long. She had schooled herself now.
‘If you say so.’ In the past, her sisters would have simply accepted her assurance, but Soph didn’t look completely convinced. ‘Chrissy and I still don’t like that this man insists you go out with him under the guise of business. What if he tries to seduce you again?’ Her voice filled with concern. ‘We don’t want him to hurt you.’
‘I won’t let him, and you and Chrissy should worry about your own issues, not mine. I shouldn’t have told you so much.’ But her sisters rarely had ‘issues’ any more, and somehow that knowledge left Bella feeling rather lost, confused when her sisters tried to watch over her, upset when she no longer had the chance to watch over them.
Anyway, you’re not lost. You have a whole new career to pursue.
One that was now the source of a great deal of concern for her.
With one final glance at herself, Bella twitched the midnight-blue gown into place and hustled Sophia out into the living room. ‘It’s just business, Soph. All I need to do is treat it as such.’
Footsteps sounded outside, followed by a sharp rap on the door.
Bella’s heart stumbled in a way she couldn’t blame on irritation or unease. But it wasn’t awareness, either, because she had talked herself out of any more of that nonsense. She moved towards the door on four-inch stiletto heels and warned her sister over her shoulder, ‘Leave this to me.’
On those words, Bella pulled the door open, and tried not to notice the devastation that was Luchino Montichelli in full evening garb. She drew a deep breath.
He looks nice. There’s nothing personal in noticing.
‘Hello, Luchino.’ Catch that calm tone? This is me, Luchino, ignoring you on every level but that of business acquaintance. ‘I’m ready to leave.’
‘Good evening, Arabella. Won’t you introduce me?’ Luc glanced beyond her shoulder and stepped into the flat’s small living room before Bella fully realised his intention.
Great, now she got to sense him as well as see him, and he smelled nice, too, like freshly showered man. Not that she cared what he smelled like. ‘Uh—’
‘Bella?’ Soph fingered the hairbrush clutched in her right hand and looked at Luc through narrowed eyes.
Soph’s intervention brought Bella out of her…momentary surprise, or whatever this was. Bella stiffened her spine, took two sensible steps away from Luchino.
‘Sophia, meet Luchino. Luchino, my sister Sophia.’ She rattled the introductions off as she sent a quelling stare in Soph’s direction, then turned back to Luc. She wasn’t about to dwell on the introductions, nor give her sister time to start an inquisition that would only waste time.
‘Let’s go.’ She wanted Luchino out of here, wanted to start this evening because once she started it, she was on the way to ending it. ‘We have some matters to discuss on the way to the dinner ball. You terminated our phone conversation without allowing me to finish my questions.’
‘So eager for my company, Arabella?’ Luc’s gaze clashed with hers. He examined her, head to toe and back again, from beneath lowered lids. When he met her gaze once more, a flicker of awareness showed in his eyes. He quickly masked the reaction but it was enough to make her breath catch with…unease and…annoyance at him.
While she drew a steadying breath, Luc spoke again. ‘You look…good.’
‘Thank you. I, um…’ She had to pull herself together! She would start by making it clear what she expected of tonight, and her whole association with him. ‘I’m certainly not eager for your company, as you suggested a moment ago. Some things just have to be endured and are best over with quickly. Like when you have to swallow a nasty-tasting medicine.’
‘That’s how you envision our evening?’ His mouth twitched, but quickly firmed.
‘It’s how I envisage all of this, until it finally ends.’ There. Let him chew on that.
She broke the hold of his gaze and yanked the apartment door open. ‘If we’re quite finished with the chit-chat, perhaps we could go.’
Luchino
