like us?’ the woman added as she took the seat next to Gianni. This must be the Signora Ricci whom Meg had imagined to be a teenaged supermodel. Instead, she was an elderly woman wearing inches of make-up and weighing close to twenty stone. Meg heaved a huge sigh of relief. Despite Signora Ricci’s supercilious expression, Meg gave her a particularly warm smile. Gianni cleared his throat. Always glad of an excuse to look at him, Meg glanced across the table. He fixed her with an amused smile, but the look in his eyes was penetrating. ‘Never, if I have any say in the matter!’
His expression almost took Meg’s breath away. There could be no doubt about it—he meant what he said. This was a stark reminder. Giving her a conspiratorial wink, he greeted the newcomers with his special brand of charm. Meg tried not to look. But she couldn’t help listening in to the conversation, and was soon overwhelmed with a mixture of shock and admiration. Gianni could make all his words sound as convincing as his flirtation. She had to admire him for it. If only she could charm people so easily! She might have bounced Imsey’s Plant Centre out of trouble in minutes, rather than months. That would have left her free to concentrate on her own career. She could have taken that job with the royal family…but then, if she had done that, maybe she would never have met Gianni…
‘Aren’t you going to introduce your latest “friend” to us properly, Gianni?’ Signora Ricci boomed suddenly. She refused to be deflected from inspecting Meg, and looked at her as though she were something usually found in a spa drain. ‘Though how we’re expected to remember the names of all your women I really don’t know. You’ll have found yourself another before the evening’s over, I’ll bet!’
Meg didn’t know what to do. She wished she could think of a stinging reply, but this company was far too important to upset. She blushed and shrank in her seat, but Gianni came straight to her rescue. He drew himself up to his full impressive height. Everyone around them gasped. At well over six feet tall, he towered over his audience. Right now he was using every inch of his powerful build to drive his message home.
‘That’s what you think, Signora Ricci,’ he murmured, his seductive dark eyes hard as jet. ‘Now I am in charge here, the Castelfino estate is my priority. Everything else takes second place. And I mean everything. When I misbehave these days, I do it in private.’
This didn’t satisfy his tormentors. They guffawed loudly. ‘No, you’ll never change, Gianni! It’s a pity your father never saw through you, and recognised the truth. Someone should have told him. All your fast living will wreck this beautiful land, and you couldn’t even be bothered to give him a grandson to carry on the family name while he was alive!’ Signora Ricci cackled.
Until this point Gianni had merely looked annoyed. Now Meg saw a change come over him. At the mention of his father he drew in a long, exasperated breath and raised his granite chin in defiance. A nerve pulsed in his neck. Danger flashed in the glitter of his eyes. This guest had definitely found a chink in his armour of suave sophistication. He looked down his aristocratic nose at her as he delivered a damning retort.
‘That’s all in hand,’ He said coldly. ‘As soon as my plans for the Castelfino Estate are up and running, I shall marry. And I would be grateful if you would show my head gardener a little more respect, signora.’
His manners were perfect, and his smile as polite as ever. Despite that, Meg saw that his body was rigid, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the back of his chair. A cocktail of alarm and dread rushed through her veins. Signora Ricci had no such fears. She laughed out loud.
‘You’re going to get married, Gianni? You?’
’Naturalmente. Tradition means everything to my family. I must have a child, whatever the cost.’
In a flash Meg saw that the price to him would be astronomical. His words were darts of barely concealed anger, puncturing Signora Ricci like a balloon. Meg wilted at his tone, even though his rage was not directed at her. The moment he noticed her reaction, he took his seat and called for wine to be poured. It was enough of a distraction to allow him to shoot a few words across the table to her without anyone else noticing.
‘It’s OK, Megan. Cheer up—this evening is supposed to be a chance for people to enjoy themselves, don’t forget!’
When Gianni saw her smile, his temper improved in a flash. This might not be the nightclubs of Rome or New York, but it was a party, for all that. He was in his element. There was gourmet food, vintage wine and he had the most intriguing girl in the world seated opposite him. And every time he spoke to her, Meg’s lovely face lit up with a promise that was reflected all through her body. Candlelight rippled over the caramel waves of her hair, making it glitter with gold. She moved like a gentle breeze, tempting him with thoughts of possible pleasures to come. His eyes were drawn back to her time and again.
She’s some girl, he thought appreciatively, and tonight she’s acting the part of gracious lady to perfection. He smiled again as she was thrown into a momentary panic. Her napkin had slithered over the slippery surface of her dress, and fallen to the floor. Lifting the damask square from his own lap, he flourished it across the table towards her in a crackle of starched linen.
‘Don’t worry, Megan. You can take mine.’ He glittered at her. She responded with a flurry of blushes and thanks. He liked that. He never had to try when it came to impressing women, but his mind had seized on an intriguing idea. He felt the urge to turn this banquet into the equivalent of their first date. At times like this, it never hurt to go the extra mile.
That’s progress! he thought, taking note of the way Meg thanked him. Dancing shadows thrown by the candlelight accentuated the tempting depths of her cleavage. Although the room was warm, her nipples were already obvious through the silk of her dress. Gianni’s temperature rose. A new idea was forming in his restless mind. She was ambitious. He wanted her body. There might be a way to satisfy them both. His polite, public smile took on considerable inner warmth. This staid business banquet had given him a very good idea. Turning from playboy to patrician was shaping up to be the best sacrifice he had made in his life.
MORE wine was poured. Meg looked doubtfully at the mildewed peeling label on the bottle before her. She questioned Gianni across the table with her eyes.
‘It’s the villa’s tignanello reserve, kept for extra special occasions,’ Gianni explained, skimming his spoon across the bowl of soup in front of him. ‘Don’t let your consommé get cold, Megan. It’s too delicious to miss.’ He shot a look across the table at her. His meaning was as clear as the crystal carafe of water standing between them. It said: And so are you…
Gianni was a dedicated playboy, and while he might not yet be interested in marriage it did seem that for now he had his sights set on an affair with her, making it clear he was hers for the taking! He blew into my life like a tornado and wiped every other thought clean out of my mind. It’s the perfect excuse. Why shouldn’t I go mad, just this once? Heaven knows I deserve it. Up until now, I’ve sacrificed everything for the sake of my career. Surely it’s time to find out exactly what I’ve been missing!
She lifted her eyes and looked at Gianni across the table.
No woman can possibly be safe from him. So no one in the universe could blame me for falling under his spell…
She wavered. Then Gianni suddenly switched his attention to the pretty little waitress who had come to take his empty soup plate. The same irresistible smile was turned on her. In that instant
