off the mark with it.” A man like Angelo, who could have a gorgeous model or movie star on each arm, would never be interested in someone as plain and boring as herself.
He let the subject go and turned back to her notes while she sat there realizing just how “off the mark” her imagination had wandered. No way was she going down that romantic path again, even if it was paved with rose petals. All it’d do was lead her into making a commitment—having a family—everything she’d left behind in Paradise. She wanted to be different—she wanted to be professionally successful. She needed to show everyone back in her hometown that she’d made her dreams come true.
And then Angelo’s gaze lifted to meet hers. She should glance away but the intensity of his gaze held her captive. Her heart raced. He didn’t say anything, which was just as well, because she doubted she could have strung two words together. Had he figured out what she’d scribbled on the page? Please, not that. But then again, he didn’t look upset. Instead, he looked like—like what? The breath hitched in her throat. Was he interested in her?
He glanced away and shook his head. “Sorry about that. Something you wrote down gave me an idea for the campaign, but then it slipped away.”
Silly girl. What made her think he’d ever look at her that way? And why would she want him to? It’d be the beginning of the end of her rising career—her dream.
Get a grip, Kayla.
“No problem.” She held out her hand, willing it not to shake. “If you let me have the pad back, I’ll work on getting my thoughts more organized. Maybe we can discuss them as soon as we get situated in Italy.” She wasn’t quite sure where their accommodations would be since Angelo had personally handled the travel arrangements, but she was certain they would be nice.
“Sounds good. Just because we’re out of town doesn’t mean we should fall behind on our work. I don’t plan to be here long—just long enough to take care of some personal business. If we’re lucky, perhaps I can wrap it up in a day or two.”
What had happened to a week—maybe two? Disappointment assailed her. But it would be for the best. After all, it’d get her home sooner to make sure the ICL fund-raiser was moving along without too many snags. But she still couldn’t shake the disappointment.
* * *
He’d missed this.
Angelo maneuvered the low-slung sports car over the windy roads of the Tuscany hillside toward his home in Monte Calanetti. He was grateful to be behind the wheel. It helped to center his thoughts. On the plane, he’d noticed his assistant in the most unexpected way. With her peaches-and-cream complexion, he’d been tempted to reach out and caress her smooth skin. But it was her green, almost-jade eyes that sparkled and hinted at so much more depth to the woman than he already knew—or would expect to know. The last thing he needed to do was get distracted by his assistant.
Actually, now that he’d noticed her—really noticed her—it was getting harder and harder to keep his mind on business around her. Perhaps bringing her on this trip wasn’t his best decision, after all, but it was a necessity. He needed her help. He assured himself that, in the end, it would all work out as long as he stayed focused on the business at hand.
Thankfully, Kayla was just temporary help until his assistant returned from maternity leave. Then life would get back to normal. As far as he was concerned, that wouldn’t be soon enough.
“This is wonderful.”
The sound of Kayla’s excited voice drew him out of his thoughts. He took his eyes off the roadway for just a moment to investigate what she found so fascinating, but he only saw vegetation. “Sorry. I missed it.”
“No, you didn’t. It’s this. The long grass and the trees lining the roadway. It’s beautiful.”
What? The woman had never been outside of the city? He supposed that was possible. He honestly didn’t know much about her other than her excellent work ethic. That, in and of itself, would normally be enough for him, but since they were traveling together, what would it hurt to know a little more?
“Is this your first time outside New York City?”
“I’m not a native New Yorker.”
They had something else in common. Still, after all of those years living in New York, it was home to him now. He thrived on the constant energy that flowed through the city. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “Where does your family live?”
He could feel her curious gaze on him, but he didn’t turn to her. “They live in a small town in Pennsylvania.”
“So you really didn’t move all that far from home.”
“That’s not what my parents think.”
He glanced at her and saw she’d pressed her lips together in a firm line. Something told him that she hadn’t meant to share that bit of information. But why? What else was she holding back?
“Your parents aren’t crazy about the big-city life?”
There was a moment of hesitation as though she were trying to figure out how to answer him. “It’s not New York so much as the fact that I’m not in Paradise anymore. They had my whole life planned out for me, but I rejected it.”
“You must have had one of those chopper mothers I’ve heard about.”
Kayla laughed. The sound was melodious and endearing. In that moment, he realized that he’d never heard her laugh before. He really liked it and hoped she’d do it more often, but for the life of him, he had no idea what he’d said to cause such a reaction.
“Do you mean a helicopter mom?”
He shrugged. “I guess. I knew it was something like that.”
“My mom wasn’t too bad. I know friends that had mothers who were much more controlling. But my mom is pretty good.”
Wait. Something wasn’t adding up. He pulled to a stop at an intersection. If he went straight ahead, it’d lead them up the hill to the village. But if he veered to the right, it’d take them to Nico’s boutique vineyard—their childhood home.
Checking the rearview mirror and finding no traffic behind them, he paused and turned to her. “So if your mother is so great, why did you flee to the big city?”
Kayla shifted in her seat as though she were uncomfortable—or was it that he was digging too deep into personal territory? He knew what that was like—wanting to keep a firm lid on the past. But he couldn’t help himself. There was just something about Kayla that intrigued him—and it went much deeper than her beauty. He was genuinely interested in her as a person.
Her voice was soft when she spoke, and he strained to hear. “I didn’t live up to my parents’ expectations.”
That was so hard to believe. He was a very particular employer, and Kayla lived up to and in some areas exceeded his expectations. “Do they know what a wonderful job you’ve done at Amatucci & Associates?”
Her gaze widened. “You really think so?”
Angelo didn’t realize he’d kept his approval of her work under wraps. Then
