Except her body was on fire. Not even his question doused it.
‘Why has your career been shot?’
‘I really don’t want to think about it,’ Emily said. Adam and Dianne seemed light-years away and were a place she did not want to visit, but Anton was insistent, as was his thumb in the palm of her hand.
‘Why would I want to share information with someone who doesn’t have the capability to properly report it?’ He watched her struggle to come up with a suitable answer and suppressed the smile from his lips. ‘Don’t worry, like you, my memory is not good.’
‘Liar.’ She smiled.
‘Said the liar.’
She was looking down at his hand, beautiful, long fingers that curled around hers, and whatever he was doing with his thumb was making it rather hard to think. Their foreheads were almost touching to enable them to keep their voices low, and so intimate was the contact that when she spoke, the words just came out in a jumble. ‘Three months ago everything was fine. I was going out with Adam. My editor.’
He made a tutting noise.
‘I know it was stupid to get involved with someone from work, but...’
‘But you did,’ Anton said.
‘Foolish me. Anyway, we were fine but then Dianne joined.’ Emily pursed her lips for a moment, clearly trying to think how best to describe the woman, and Anton watched a mouth he wanted to kiss tighten. He loved reading faces and hers was fascinating. He watched the little flickers of spite light her china-blue eyes, watched her mouth open and hesitate, and still, even as she went to speak, she chose her words. ‘She’s very savvy, very beautiful and completely determined to make her mark on the world.’
‘She wants your job.’
He watched her cheeks flood with colour as she gave a brief nod.
‘And she’s doing whatever it takes to get it.’
‘Including Adam,’ Anton checked, hearing her sharp exhale.
‘I really don’t want to discuss it.’
‘Well, I insist that you do. Finally we look as if we’re having a real conversation....’ His voice faded. It was a long time since Anton had sat holding hands in a restaurant and engaged in anything other than seduction. It was a long time since the goal for the night had not simply been bed.
He would have removed his hand, the contact—his thought process was suddenly unbearable—but Emily started talking then. ‘I’ve been working on a huge case. It’s messy, espionage, possibly murder. I’d heard the police are going to be dredging a lake.’ She looked at him and he didn’t even blink. ‘I was supposed to be heading up to Wales this weekend to be there when the news breaks but instead I was sent here.’
‘Poor Emily,’ he said. His thumb resumed stroking her palm and making her toes curl in her sandals. ‘Stuck in Sicily, being wined and dined and about to cover one of the most interesting weddings in Sicilian history.’
‘I know.’ She gave a small smile. ‘I don’t think Adam realised just how huge this wedding was when he gave it to me.’
‘Too busy with his hand up Dianne’s skirt,’ Anton said, and he made the horrible better, actually made her laugh.
Emily could scarcely believe she was here, seated just a table away from the most scandalous family, and on the night before the wedding, too. ‘I’m good at what I do,’ Emily said determinedly. ‘Though according to Adam I’m not tough enough.’
‘He is wrong,’ Anton said, moving his face closer. ‘Nervous is good. A little naive, a little sweet,’ he said, his mouth terribly near hers. ‘If you had a secret, if you had something it might be better not to disclose, who would you feel inclined to be indiscreet with? The tough bitch or...?’
How could a thumb stroking her palm feel indecent?
How did he make her so wanton, so weak?
‘That’s a terribly difficult question to answer,’ Emily attempted.
‘Why?’
‘Well...’ She could hardly breathe. ‘From the female perspective—’ she could feel his breath on her lips now ‘—I’d far rather prefer to be indiscreet—’ it was coming out all wrong, but his smile made it right ‘—with the tough bastard.’
‘Really?’
‘I don’t know!’ Emily said. He was making her dizzy. ‘Could you stop with your thumb?’
‘You could always remove your hand.’
It was he who removed his. ‘Go out onto the balcony and take in the view for a moment and then return. See what you can find out.’
His eyes were everywhere, Emily realised, because one of the Correttis was standing, and for it to not look as if she were following them, she needed to go now. For the second time today he caught her wrist as she went to walk off and she turned and looked down at him, tried to imagine that, yes, they were lovers, that this was her usual world.
‘Don’t be long.’
And were they lovers, were this real, of course she would lower her head and kiss him.
It was just a light kiss on his lips; it was nothing, she told herself, yet her cheeks were scorching as she pulled back from him. Emily pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth in an effort not to retaste him as she walked towards the French windows.
Anton turned his head as any man might and watched her walk off, surprised just how much he was enjoying her company, how much more about her he wanted to know. Then he saw Luca Corretti’s eyes follow Emily out of the room, and Anton felt an uncharacteristic surge of protectiveness for her. The thought of a Corretti near her stirred unwelcome feelings.
Unwelcome because feelings had been left behind years ago for Anton. Emotion had no place in his world. Yet he glanced out to the balcony, saw her clutching the stone wall and looking out to the Mediterranean, and as she breathed in the night air, he wanted to join her, wanted to walk out there now and turn her around to kiss her. Wanted to take her not back to a hotel room to satisfy his needs but back to his home to satisfy theirs. Theirs because even with thick glass between them, he could sense her arousal and there was no denying his.
For the first time in the longest time, Anton was enjoying company, when usually company was something Anton did not keep.
EMILY WAS almost glad to be away from Anton, just grateful for the moment to gather her thoughts. It was as if the soft contact of their mouths had bruised her, for she could still feel him on her lips, and now she gave in and ran her tongue over them. She looked out to the sultry Palermo night. The moon was glittering on the ocean and the boats were bobbing in the gentle breeze. It all looked so tranquil and calm, unlike the busy restaurant behind her.
Unlike herself.
No man
