Temptation roared through him and all his good intentions to take it slowly with her melted like snow in April. He could have her now. In this minute. He could take what he greedily wanted.
She drew a breath. “How is it playing with fire if we really, really like each other?”
She was killing him. Sitting so warm and sweet beside him, tempting him with what he wanted before she was ready.
Still, though it pained him, he knew the right thing to do.
“So we will do this right. When you are ready, when you trust me, we will take the next step.”
Her gaze held his. “When I trust you?”
“Sì. When I feel you trust me enough to understand why we can be lovers, you will come to my bed.”
Her face scrunched as she seemed to think all that through. “Wait...this is just about becoming lovers?”
“Yes.”
“But you just said you wouldn’t worry that much about someone you wanted to sleep with.” She caught his gaze. “You said you agonized.”
“Because we will not be a one-night stand. We will be lovers. Besides, I told you. I don’t do relationships.”
“You also said that you’d never have a romance with an employee.” She met his gaze. “But you changed that rule.”
“I made accommodations. I made everything work.”
“Not for me! I don’t just want a fling! I want something that’s going to last.”
His eyebrows rose. “Something that will last?” He frowned. “Forever?”
“Forever!”
“I tried forever. It did not work for me.”
“You tried?”
“Sì.”
“And?”
“And it ended badly.” He couldn’t bring himself to explain that he’d been shattered, that he’d almost given up his dream for a woman who had left him, that he’d been a ball of pain and confusion until he pulled himself together and realized his dreams depended on him not trusting another woman with his heart or so much of his life.
“Cara, marriage is for other people. It’s full of all kinds of things incompatible with the man I have to be to be a success.”
“You never want to get married?”
“No!” He tossed his hands. “What I have been saying all along? Do you not listen?”
She stood up. The pain on her face cut through him like a knife. Though he suddenly wondered why. He’d always known she wanted security. He’d always known he couldn’t give it to her. He couldn’t believe he’d actually tried to get her to accept less than what she needed.
He rose, too. “Okay, let’s forget this conversation happened. It’s been a long day. I’m tired. I also clearly misinterpreted things. Come to Mancini’s tomorrow as general manager.”
She took two steps back. “You’re going to keep me, even though I won’t sleep with you?”
“Yes.” But the sadness that filled him confused him. He’d had other women tell him no and he’d walked away unconcerned. Her no felt like the last page of a favorite book, the end of something he didn’t want to see end. And yet he knew she couldn’t live with his terms and he couldn’t live with hers.
AGREEING THAT HE was right about at least one thing—she was too tired, too spent, to continue this discussion—Dani walked to the elevator. He followed her, hit the button that would close the door and turned away.
She sucked in a breath and tried to still her hammering heart. But it was no use. They really couldn’t find a middle ground. It was sweet that he’d tried, but it was just another painful reminder that she had fallen in love with the wrong man.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She’d be okay—
No, she wouldn’t. She’d fallen in love with him. Unless he really stayed out of Mancini’s, she’d always be in love with him. Then she’d spend her life wishing he could fall for her, too. Or maybe one day she’d succumb. She’d want him so much she’d forget everything else, and she’d start the affair he wanted. With the strength of her feelings, that would seal the deal for her. She’d love him forever. Then she’d never have a home. Never have a family. Always be alone.
She thought of the plane ticket tucked away somewhere in her bedroom in Louisa’s house. Now that she knew he wanted nothing but an affair, which was unacceptable, she could go home.
But she didn’t want to go home. She wanted to run Mancini’s. He’d handed her the opportunity with her general managership—
And he was leaving. Maybe not permanently, but for the next several years he wouldn’t be around every day. Most of the time, he’d be in other cities, opening new restaurants.
Wouldn’t she be a fool to leave now? Especially since she had a few days before she had to use that ticket. Maybe the wise thing to do would be to use this time to figure out if she could handle working with him as the boss she only saw a few times a month?
The next day when she walked in the door and felt the usual surge of rightness, she knew the job was worth fighting for. In her wildest dreams she’d never envisioned herself successful. Competent, making a living, getting a decent apartment? Yes. But never as one of the people at the top. Hiring employees. Creating atmosphere. Would she really let some feelings, one man, steal this from her?
No! No! She’d been searching for something her entire life. She believed she’d found it at Mancini’s. It would take more than unrequited love to scare her away from that.
When Emory sat down with her in between lunch and dinner and showed her the human resources software, more of the things she’d learned in her university classes tumbled back.
“So I’ll be doing all the admin?”
Emory nodded. “With Rafe gone, setting up Mancini’s Rome, I’ll be doing all the cooking. I won’t have time to help.”
“That’s fine.” She studied the software on the screen, simple stuff, really. Basically, it would do the accounting for her. And the rest? It was all common sense. Ordering. Managing the dining room. Hiring staff.
He squeezed her hand. “You and me...we make a good team.”
Her smile grew and her heart lightened. She loved Emory.
Even tempered with the staff and well acquainted with Rafe’s recipes, he was the perfect chef. As long as Rafe wasn’t around, she would be living her dream.
She returned his hand squeeze. “Yeah. We do.”
