value indeed! She knew for a fact Emilio had no living relatives, or at least none he wanted to associate with. He had told her very little about his background, but she sensed it hadn’t been much like hers. She had often wondered if that was another reason he had wanted to marry her. Her blue-blooded pedigree had appealed to him. How ironic that it turned out she and her twin were the products of an illicit affair their father had had with a housekeeper while he and his wife were living in London.
Once Keith Patterson had gone Gisele looked at the business card lying on the counter. She drummed her fingers on the glass surface, her teeth almost going to powder as she considered her options. She could tear up the card into tiny little pieces as she had a couple of days ago, or she could call the mobile number on it and arrange a showdown. If she tore up the card he would surely come in to see her and she would be caught off guard just as she had been before.
She decided it would be better to see him on her terms this time around. She picked up the phone and started dialling.
‘Emilio Andreoni.’
‘You bastard!’ Gisele spat before she could stop herself.
She heard the sound of a leather chair squeaking as he shifted position. She imagined him with his feet up on the desk, his ankles crossed casually, his head laid back against the headrest and a self-satisfied smile on his mouth.
‘Nice to hear from you, Gisele,’ he said smoothly. ‘Have you changed your mind yet about meeting with me one last time before I leave?’
Gisele almost broke the phone with the pressure of her fingers as she gripped it in her hand. ‘I can’t believe how ruthless you’re prepared to be in getting your own way,’ she hissed at him. ‘Do you really think by charging me an exorbitant rent it will make me hate you less?’
‘You’re assuming I’m going to charge you rent,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’ll lease the premises to you without charging a cent.’
Gisele’s heart clanged against her rib cage. ‘Wh-what did you say?’
‘I’m offering you a business proposition,’ he said. ‘Meet with me and we’ll discuss it.’
She felt a shiver of apprehension trickle down her spine like a single drop of icy water. ‘I’d rather turn tricks on the nearest street corner than have anything to do with you,’ she threw back.
‘Before you reject an offer you really should discuss the terms and conditions more thoroughly,’ he said. ‘You might be surprised at some of the benefits.’
‘I can just imagine some of the benefits,’ Gisele said, her voice liberally laced with scorn. ‘A rent-free premises in exchange for my body and my self-respect. No thanks.’
‘You really should consider my proposal, Gisele,’ he said. ‘It wouldn’t do to put at risk everything you’ve worked so hard for, now, would it?’
‘I’ve lost everything before and survived,’ she said, throwing a verbal punch.
She heard it land with a sharp intake of his breath. ‘Don’t make me play dirty, Gisele,’ he gritted. ‘I can and I will if I have to.’
Gisele felt that icy shiver again. She knew just how ruthless he could be. She knew he had ways and means to make things very difficult for her, even more difficult than when he had thrown her out of his life so callously just days before the wedding she had planned with such excitement and anticipation. She still remembered the horror of that moment. She couldn’t even look at a wedding gown now without feeling that gut-wrenching sense of despair. But she was not going to roll over for him. ‘I don’t want or need your help,’ she said. ‘I don’t care if I have to beg on the streets. I will not accept anything from you.’
‘I recently designed a holiday retreat for one of Europe’s largest retail giants,’ Emilio said. ‘With a click of a computer mouse I could make your business expand exponentially. Your shop will not just be a local enterprise. It will instantly become a global brand.’
Gisele thought of the expansion she had planned over the next few years. How she had imagined building her business to spread to other suburban outlets and to the larger department stores and, more importantly, increasing her online presence. The only things that had been holding her back were secure finance and the right contacts.
She fought with her resolve. She wanted to say no. She wanted to slam the phone down in his ear. But turning her back on him would mean turning her back on the sort of success most people could only dream about. But then, doing any sort of business deal with Emilio would mean contact with him.
Contact she didn’t want, wouldn’t allow herself to want.
Her stomach slipped like a cat’s claws on a highly polished surface.
Maybe even intimate contact …
‘Think about it, Gisele,’ he said. ‘You have a lot to gain by allowing me back in your life, even if it’s only temporarily.’
‘What do you mean, temporarily?’ she asked warily.
‘I would like you to spend the next month with me in Italy,’ Emilio said. ‘It will give us a chance to see if we can still make things work between us. I will, of course, pay you an allowance for the time we spend together.’
‘I’m not spending the next minute with you,’ Gisele said with a fresh upsurge of resolve. ‘I’m hanging up right now so don’t bother call—’
‘It will also be the perfect opportunity for me to introduce you to the right contacts,’ he said. ‘How does a million dollars for the month sound?’
Gisele’s mouth opened and closed. She couldn’t seem to get her voice to work. Her heart was pumping so hard and so fast she felt as if it were going to explode out from between her breasts and land on the floor in front of her.
A million dollars.
Could she do it? Could she survive a month living with Emilio? She had shared his bed with love in the past. How could she do it this time with hatred?
Would he want her to share his bed?
A shiver ran over her skin. Of course he would want her to. Hadn’t she seen his desire for her burning in his dark eyes when he came into the shop? Couldn’t she hear the spine-tingling rumble of it in his voice now? ‘I … I need some time to think about this,’ she said.
‘What’s to think about?’ he asked. ‘You win either way, Gisele. If after a month we both feel there’s no point in carrying on any further, you will be free to go. No strings. You can take the money and leave.’
She chewed at her bottom lip for a moment. ‘And you’re happy to have me back in your life, hating you the way I do?’ she asked.
‘I understand your feelings,’ he said. ‘But I feel we both need to be sure we’re not making the biggest mistake of our lives by not exploring the possibility of a future together.’
Gisele frowned. ‘Why are you doing this?’ she asked. ‘Why not leave things as they are?’
‘Because as soon as I saw you the other day I knew we had unfinished business,’ he said.
