lifted her chin. She would not be flattered by his smooth charm. “Not really. I’m just doing my job.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is that what you call it?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “I’m here because you asked me to be, plus you offered to pay me. It’s work.”
He looked amused. “And what if I asked you to come to Italy with me? Would you do it?”
Faith swallowed. Italy? She couldn’t pretend that the thought didn’t excite her. She’d never been out of the country before, and she couldn’t imagine a more wonderful place to go. Pasta, pizza, cappuccino. Mmm. It made her mouth water just to think it.
She’d always believed she would be shuffled to another of the company’s officers once Renzo returned to Europe. She still believed it. He couldn’t really be serious. He had another factory in Italy, and another office that was no doubt staffed with an efficient Italian PA.
“That depends,” she said, her throat constricting around the words.
“I need you, Faith. You keep my life together, and I don’t want to live without you.”
Faith could only blink. And then she had to suppress a laugh—because how many women would die to hear Renzo say those words to them? Of course he meant them a very different way, but it was still amusing.
“I wish I had a tape recorder,” she said, and then bit her lip when she realized she’d spoken aloud.
He looked perplexed. “Why is this?”
Faith shrugged, laughing. What was the use in denying it? “Because I could probably sell it many times over. I can think of a handful of women who would pay to hear those words from your lips. And I’m sure there are more trailing in your wake. I could retire early.”
Renzo laughed. “Ah, si, it could be very profitable for you. And yet I hope you will consider my offer to accompany me to Italy.”
“You haven’t made the offer yet,” she said, feeling bold and breathless at the same time.
His smile was turned up full force. “Have I not? Dear Faith, please accompany me to Italy. I will give you a twenty percent raise and cover all your expenses while we are abroad.”
Twenty percent. Faith swallowed. “Well, as wonderful as that is, I think you’ve forgotten something.” Because she had to be honest, no matter how much she might like to leap on the offer.
“And what is that?”
“I don’t speak Italian. I don’t speak anything but English, in fact.”
His smile did not dim. “And yet the international language is English. How do you suppose people in Italy converse with people in Germany? No, this is not an issue. Besides, you will learn Italian while you live there.”
“I—”
“Renzo, darling, there you are,” a cultured female voice called out, interrupting them. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”
Renzo stiffened as he turned toward the owner of the voice. The woman sauntering toward them was a stunning salon-blonde, dressed in a tight-fitting black sheath that showed a mile of tanned leg. Her hair hung long and straight down her back, and her makeup was absolutely perfect. She wore a fat diamond-drop necklace and matching earrings, and her shoes were gold.
“Lissa,” Renzo said. “How nice to see you again.”
Lissa’s gaze fell to Faith and slid over her with no small measure of contempt. The look very clearly said back away.
Oh puh-leeze. As if Faith were any competition. Still, she tilted her chin up and stood her ground.
Lissa turned her smile on Renzo. “Do I not get a kiss, darling? I had thought you Italians were all about the kiss when greeting friends.”
“Of course.” Renzo kissed her on both cheeks in the Italian manner and then turned and put an arm around Faith. Lissa’s eyes narrowed to slits while Faith’s entire body lit up like a firecracker as Renzo pulled her into the curve of his powerful frame.
This was not what she’d agreed to tonight, and yet in a way it had been. She was his date.
“Lissa, this is Faith.”
Faith held her hand out, surprised it didn’t shake when inside she was trembling so badly. Why, when she didn’t even like him all that much?
Lissa took it after a moment’s hesitation. “Very lovely to meet you,” Faith said.
“Yes, lovely.” Lissa’s tone said it was anything but. “Renzo, I had hoped to speak with you. Alone,” she added, her smile never wavering.
Renzo’s fingers skimmed over Faith’s bare arm, his touch setting off a chain of reactions inside her that ended with a sharp current of need settling between her thighs. She’d never felt anything quite like it. And she was furious it was happening now, here, with this man.
Her boss made Casanova look like an amateur, for pity’s sake. She knew it, and yet she responded anyway.
“You may say whatever you wish to say in front of Faith,” Renzo countered. “She is completely trustworthy.”
Lissa pushed her hair over one shoulder with an indolent gesture. Her eyes sparked. “It can wait,” she said tightly. And then she smiled. Faith had the impression of razor-sharp fangs lining the other woman’s mouth. “Perhaps a bit later, then.”
“Perhaps,” Renzo said.
Someone called to her, and Lissa turned and waved. “If you will excuse me, I must mingle.”
“Of course,” Renzo replied. “Do not let us keep you.”
Lissa insisted on kissing Renzo on both cheeks again and held her hand out to Faith, pressing it limply before gliding away in a cloud of malevolence that was quite possibly stronger than her perfume.
“Let me guess,” Faith said coolly, moving out of his grasp when the other woman had joined a group of people a few feet away. “She is the reason you needed a date tonight.”
“Si,” Renzo said.
Faith turned to look up at him, exasperated, and just a little hurt. “Honestly, I don’t know why you just don’t do what you always do and be done with it.”
His brows drew together. “What I always do?”
“Oh please, don’t act as if you don’t know. I’ve worked for you for six months, and I’ve yet to see a woman last more than a month with you. You wine them, dine them, give them presents and dump them.”
It was bold of her, but she’d had just enough wine to loosen her tongue. To be on the safe side, she deposited the half-finished glass on the terrace wall. If she drank the whole thing, heaven knows what she might say to him.
Renzo grinned. Not at all the effect she’d been going for. “You
