As he strode away, leaving her open-mouthed behind him, knowing perfectly well that only the threat of him calling her brother was stopping her from shouting at him and calling him all the names under the sun, he thought a day of rest would do him good too.
One day in Francesca Pellegrini’s company and he was ready to punch walls.
A PORTER SHOWED Francesca to her room, where her luggage was already waiting for her.
She’d assumed she’d be staying in one of the cheap rooms—if a hotel of this magnificence had anything that could be regarded as cheap—but found herself in a ground-floor suite so large, airy and luxurious she could only ogle in wonder.
She’d thought James had been joking about them staying in a seven-star hotel and while she was thrilled to be here in this sun-drenched paradise, she was worried enough to temporarily forget all the ways she’d been imagining inflicting pain on Felipe Lorenzi, the horrible, arrogant, patronising man.
She knew what a blunder she’d made but he acted as if she were the only person to have ever made one.
In one respect he was right. She did need to slow down and get her head straight.
Pulling her phone out of her bag, she called Daniele. This time he answered. He took the good news about the agreement for the site with muted enthusiasm. The only real animation from him came when she asked—nicely—if he would sack Felipe and get another security firm to take over her protection. He laughed. ‘I told you that you wouldn’t be able to wrap him around your little finger. He stays.’ And then he disconnected the call before she could confess about the bribe.
She rubbed her eyes. Maybe it was best to leave it a couple of days before telling him. She didn’t think she could handle any more rebukes that day. But Felipe was bound to tell him...
She could scream. What a mess she’d made of things.
Had she really? She’d gone to Caballeros to get the Governor’s agreement and had achieved it. The hospital would be built. And she understood the foundation had paid bribes in the past. She just needed to speak to Alberto and discuss how it could be done without endangering the foundation. Or her career.
Knowing her emotions were too charged to think clearly enough to make any further calls, she selected a bottle of white wine from the fully stocked bar, poured herself a large glass and took it into the bathroom so she could have a long soak in the enormous jetted bath.
It was too late to change hotels now. She might as well enjoy it for tonight and see about getting them moved to a cheaper hotel in the morning.
But instead of relaxing like she so wanted, her mind refused to switch off. Everywhere she looked, from the gold taps to the marble flooring, increased her worry. This hotel was too much.
With a sigh, she got out and dried herself, dressed quickly and put a call through to reception.
‘Can you tell me what room Felipe Lorenzi’s staying in, please?’ she asked. ‘We’re under the same booking but I can’t remember his number.’ She crossed her fingers as she gave the little fib.
When the number was relayed she gave a little start. ‘Room fourteen?’ she confirmed.
That was right next to hers.
Her heart hammering for no reason at all, Francesca decided to just go for it and slipped out of her room to knock on the one next door.
He answered on the second knock, opening the door a crack. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘Can I come in for a minute?’ she asked, matching his frosty tone. All she could see of him was the shadow of his face.
He paused before answering. ‘I’m about to take a shower.’
‘I want to change hotels.’
‘Why?’
‘A hotel like this is expensive.’
‘The cost of the hotel does not concern you.’
‘It does. People work hard to raise funds for Pieta’s foundation and give generously to it.’
‘Do they give generously to pay bribes?’
‘That’s a necessity,’ she protested. ‘I know I went about it in the wrong way but you know as well as I that we wouldn’t get permission to build the hospital without it. It isn’t right to waste the funds on something as frivolous as a luxury hotel. Somewhere like where James and Seb are staying would be far more appropriate.’
The little of his face she could see darkened and when he replied it was in clipped tones. ‘The foundation isn’t paying.’
That alarmed her. ‘Then who is? I can’t afford it on my salary and I can’t—’
‘You’re not paying either,’ he cut in impatiently.
‘Who is footing it?’ It came to her in an instant. ‘Daniele! He loves flashing his money and—’
‘Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?’ Felipe cut in again, not making any attempt to hide his irritation. ‘Only I’m standing here without any clothes on and would like to take my shower, so if you don’t mind...’
Francesca was unable to halt the mental image of him naked shooting like a spring lamb into her mind.
Oh, dear heavens...
He was naked.
‘Was there anything else?’ he repeated curtly.
He was naked.
‘No.’
‘Then I’ll see you on Monday.’
Francesca stood before his closed door for a long time, her hand at her throat, her pulse beating like a hummingbird’s wings beneath her fingers.
* * *
Felipe shaved his neck and trimmed his beard for the first time in three weeks.
It was guilt, he knew, that made his concentration waver enough for him to nick himself with the razor.
Guilt had been rising in him since he’d dismissed Francesca from the door of his suite.
He’d never had such problems with a client before and he’d had many clients and jobs that had been a hundred times harder to manage than Francesca and this particular job. His last job in the forces had been a thousand times harder.
No, this was him. Like it or not, he damned well was attracted to her and somehow he had to find a way to manage it without letting it affect their working relationship. It already was affecting it. Affecting him.
He expected his clients to obey him and his men without question. It was in the terms of any contract. Clients signed
