that? He’d never desired a woman with every single fiber of his being. Until now.
Kayla stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Angelo, I think we’ve grown close enough on this trip that you can talk to me and know that it won’t go any further. Tell me what’s eating you up inside.”
He knew what she was after—the secrets of his past. But was he ready for that? Did he have the courage to peel back those old wounds? Was he ready to deal with her reaction? Could he stand having her think less of him?
The answer was a resounding no.
Angelo inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. He wasn’t prepared to open that door. It wasn’t as if they were involved romantically. They didn’t have a future, just the here and the now.
But there was something else...
He needed her—well...er...her help. He couldn’t do this wedding pitch alone. The admission twisted his gut in a knot. He was not a man accustomed to reaching out to others.
He made a point of being the man handing out assignments, making suggestions and overseeing operations. He was never at a loss for how to accomplish things—especially an advertising pitch. This was supposed to be his area of expertise—his specialty.
What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he come up with a solid pitch? And what was Kayla going to think of him when he made this request? Would she think less of him?
Wanting to get it over with, he uttered, “I need your assistance.”
“What?” Her brow creased. “Of course I’ll help you. That’s what I’m here for.” She took a seat on the couch. “What do you need?”
His gaze met hers briefly, and then he glanced away. “I...I’m having issues with this pitch. Weddings and romance aren’t my thing.” That much was the truth. He avoided weddings like the plague—he always had a prior business engagement. “I thought maybe you’d have some experience with them.”
“Well, um...I have a bit of experience.” Her cheeks took on a pasty shade of white.
“You don’t look so good. I’ll get you something to drink.”
“You don’t have to wait on me. I can get it.”
She started to get up when he pressed a hand to her shoulder. “I’ve got this.”
He retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge and poured it in a glass for her. This was his fault. He’d had her gallivanting all around Monte Calanetti in the sun. She must have worn herself out.
He moved to her side and handed over the water. “Can I get you anything else?”
She shook her head. “Thanks. This is fine.”
He sat down beside her as she sipped at the water. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard in the village. I should have brought you back here sooner—”
“No, that’s not it. The visit was perfect. I wouldn’t have changed anything about it.” She sent him a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I don’t believe you. There’s something bothering you.” He stopped and thought about it. “And it started when I mentioned the wedding pitch. Do you feel that I’m expecting too much of you?”
“That’s not it.” She placed a hand on his knee. The warmth of her touch could be felt through his jeans. “I’m just a bit tired.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is? It doesn’t have anything to do with your broken engagement?”
Her eyes widened. “That’s been over for a long time. I’ve moved on.”
Moved on? Surely she wasn’t thinking those kisses—that they’d somehow lead to something. He swallowed hard and decided it was best to change topics. “Have you made many friends since you moved to New York?”
“I haven’t had much time. But I made a few at the after-school program.” She pressed her lips together and turned away.
He was missing something, but he had no idea what that might be. “What do you do at this after-school program?”
She shrugged. “It’s no big deal. So what can I do to help you with the wedding pitch?”
“Wait. I’d like to hear more about this program. What do you do? And how do you have time?” It seemed as if she was always in the office working long hours without a complaint.
“I do what is necessary. It all depends on the day and how many volunteers show up. Sometimes I help with homework and do a bit of tutoring. Other times I play kickball or a board game.”
“You do all of that on top of the overtime you put in at the office?”
“It’s not that big of a deal.” She toyed with the hem of her top. “I don’t have anything waiting for me at home, so why not put my spare time to good use?”
“You shouldn’t dismiss what you do. There are very few people in this world who are willing to go out of their way for others. It’s impressive.”
Her eyes widened. “You really think so?”
“I do. Why do you seem so surprised?”
“It’s just that at the office you’ve banned employees from taking on charitable accounts.”
“It has to be that way.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “There are only so many hours in the workday. I write out enough checks each year to various organizations to make up for it.”
Kayla nodded, but she certainly didn’t seem impressed. Uneasiness churned in his gut. Maybe she would be more understanding if she knew the amount of those checks.
“I’m sure those organizations appreciate the donations.”
Guilt settled over him. What was up with that? It wasn’t as if he didn’t do anything. He just couldn’t afford the time to take on more accounts—especially for free. He was still working on growing Amatucci & Associates into the biggest and the best advertising firm. Speaking of which, he needed to get moving on this pitch. Time was running out before his trip to Halencia.
“I need to ask you something.”
She reached for the glass of water. “Ask away. Then I need to go check my email. I’m waiting on some responses about the Van Holsen account.”
He shook his head, thinking this was a bad idea. “Never mind. You have enough to deal with.”
She arched a thin brow at him. “You can’t back out now. You have me curious.”
He just couldn’t admit to her that he had absolutely no direction for the pitch. Three wasted days of jotting down ideas and then realizing that they were clichéd or just plain stupid—certainly nothing that he would present to the royal family.
“If it doesn’t bother you—you know, because of your broken engagement—I wanted to ask you some wedding questions.”
