CHAPTER FOUR

RIO gave his Director of Communications a volley of instructions over the phone and then updated his lawyers.

Listening to Pietro’s dire predictions, he felt his stomach clench.

Whiter than white….

He should have anticipated this.

He should have known they’d do something to try and stop this deal going through. He’d been arrogant, allowing himself to relax and think that the whole thing was in the bag.

Sweat cooled his brow and he realised that his hand was shaking. Making a conscious effort to control his breathing, he hauled his emotions back and buried them deep. Emotions had no place in negotiation, he knew that. And this was the most complex, delicate negotiation he’d ever conducted.

‘Whatever it takes, ’ he promised his lawyer. ‘You wanted wholesome—I’m giving you wholesome. ’

When the delivery arrived at the Penthouse, he dismissed the staff member and took the boxes through to the bedroom himself. He then handed them to the girl without breaking off his conversation and without risking another look at her luxuriant red hair.

Why the hell had he kissed her?

He was well aware that his own libido had catapulted him into this situation. If he’d taken one look at her and left the room, the photographer wouldn’t have been able to get his shot.

As it was…

With a low growl, Rio focused his mind on the present.

Having hammered out the plan with his team in Rome, he was about to call his team in New York when he heard the bedroom door open.

The girl stood there, her eyes blazing with anger, her hair flowing like liquid fire down her back. ‘Excuse me! In case you’ve forgotten, this affects me, too. Do you intend to discuss any of this with me or are you just going to do your own thing? ’

‘I don’t problem solve by committee. ’ Congratulating himself on his brief to the stylist, Rio scanned the discreet, elegant dress with satisfaction. It was perfect. She managed to look wholesome and sexy at the same time. This could just work. ‘I’m busy sorting out our problem right now. ’

‘No, Mr Zaccarelli, you’re sorting out your problem—I’m incidental. You haven’t once asked what I want to do about this mess which, by the way, is ultimately the fault of you and your stupid, slimy hotel manager, who can’t keep his hands to himself. ’ She stalked across to him and shoved the redundant housekeeper uniform into his hands while Rio dissected that sentence into its relative parts.

‘What do you mean, he “can’t keep his hands to himself”? Are you saying he touched you? ’ Astonished by the sudden explosion of anger that was released by that unexpected revelation, Rio was suddenly glad he’d fired Carlos on the spot. His voice cold, he probed for the details. ‘Did you report him for sexual harassment? ’

‘No. I broke his finger. ’

‘You broke his finger? ’

‘My grandfather taught unarmed combat during the war. He taught me self-defence. ’

Distracted by that unexpected confession, Rio looked at her in a new light. ‘I’ll remember that. ’

‘You should. But, to repeat, you’re not solving our problem, Mr Zaccarelli, you’re solving your problem. ’

‘Call me Rio. I think we moved on to the first name stage about an hour ago. And, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have a problem. ’ His observation appeared to act as fuel to her already happily burning temper.

‘If creepy Carlos hadn’t used me, then he would have used someone else and frankly I wish he had because then I wouldn’t be in this mess. ’ She paced the room, trying to work off her stress.

Watching all that fabulous hair ripple down her back, Rio fought the urge to flatten her against the nearest hard surface and conduct in-depth research into the impact of extremely long legs on the enhancement of sexual pleasure.

He had no idea what her true role had been in what he now recognised as a final desperate attempt to stop this deal going through. Maybe she was innocent. Maybe she wasn’t. Either way, she was the means by which he was going to extract himself from the catastrophic mess he now found himself in.

The upside of his plan was that he didn’t need to struggle to keep his hands off her. In fact, the more hands the better.

He was slightly puzzled by her lack of confidence. Accustomed to women so narcissistic that they used every reflective surface to admire themselves, it came as a shock to discover one who didn’t seem to spend her time in endless self-admiration. When she’d confessed that men found her too tall it had been on the tip of his tongue to point out that height was irrelevant when you were horizontal, but he’d managed not to voice that thought aloud. Rio wondered whether it would count as a charitable act to demonstrate just how well those endless legs of hers would wrap around his waist.

‘You look perfect in that dress. ’

‘I look like a politician or something. ’ Keeping her back to him, she paced towards the window and Rio frowned.

‘Don’t go near the windows. ’ His clipped command earned him a challenging glance.

‘Why? We’re too high up for anyone to see. ’

‘In today’s world of long lenses? ’ Watching her lose more colour from her face, he let the observation hang in the air. ‘The next photograph they take of us will be when I’m ready and not before. ’

‘I don’t want any more photographs taken! ’ But she moved away from the window, fiddling nervously with the fabric of her dress as she paced in the other direction. ‘Look—this whole engagement thing is ridiculous. Can’t you just stop that photo being printed? ’

‘No. ’ Rio recoiled from the sheen of tears he saw in her eyes. ‘But I can stop it looking like a sleazy one-night stand. We’re going to make people believe we’re in a relationship—serious about each other. ’ Looking at her now, those high heels elongating her spectacular legs, he was even starting to believe it could work. No red-blooded male would question his interest.

‘It’s a really s-stupid plan. ’

Rio, who had been congratulating himself on a truly genius idea, was insulted. ‘It’s an incredible plan. ’ His tone cooled. ‘You’re lucky I’m not currently involved with anyone. ’

‘Lucky? ’

Rio dismissed thoughts of the Russian ballerina. ‘It’s unusual for me not to be in a relationship. ’

‘Well, I suppose that’s one of the advantages of being filthy rich. Where there’s money, there will always be women. ’

Taken aback by that diminution of his qualities, Rio breathed deeply. ‘Women are generally interested in more than my wallet. ’

‘How do you know? They’re not going to tell you, are they? And I don’t suppose gold-diggers come with a warning hanging round their neck. ’

‘I can spot a gold-digger in the dark from a thousand paces. ’ He ignored the discordant image in his head that reminded him that on at least one occasion that statement had proven not to be true.

‘Good for you. ’ Her slightly acidic tone matched her growing agitation. She explored the room, picking things up and putting them down again. First the vase on the table, then a notepad, then a remote control. She squinted down at it and pressed a button mindlessly and a gas fire flared to life behind a glass panel in the wall.

Swearing under his breath, Rio crossed the room and turned her to face him. ‘I know you’re anxious that they’re going to print your photograph but, trust me, it will be fine providing people think we’re together. This is the best way of dealing with it. ’

‘That’s just your opinion. ’

Rio, who had never before had his opinion dismissed, ground his teeth. ‘If you have an alternative suggestion, then I’m listening. ’

‘No, you’re not. You’re pretending to listen while secretly thinking that you’ll let me say my piece and then just do what you were planning to do all along, but it isn’t going to work. I won’t pretend to be engaged to you. ’

Assuming that her reluctance was rooted in her insecurity, Rio sought to reassure her. ‘By the time we’ve done something about your wardrobe, your nails and your hair, it will be easy to convince people that we are involved with each other. ’

‘Is that supposed to make me feel better? ’ She put the remote control down slowly and carefully, as if it were a potential murder weapon. ‘You’ll look fine, Evie, once I’ve turned you into something decent. Is that what you’re saying? ’ Her tightly worded question triggered all the alarms in Rio’s internal warning system.

‘If this is going to be one of those, Does my bottom look big in this? conversations, then don’t go there, ’ he warned, his tone thickened with frustration. The clock was ticking and her resistance was an obstacle he hadn’t anticipated. Not for one moment had it entered his head that she’d be anything other than compliant. ‘If you hadn’t been lying naked on my bed, I would not have been tempted to kiss you, ’ Rio exploded with the tension that had been building since the photographer had chosen to elbow his way into his life. ‘If you had worn clothes or at least slept under the covers—’

‘If you had shown some self-control—’

Rio breathed deeply because that was a charge from which it was almost impossible to defend himself and that particular aspect of this whole seedy situation disturbed him far more than he was prepared to admit. He was always extremely careful with his liaisons and he never indulged in one-night stands. And yet where had his self-control been a few hours ago when he’d seen her lying on his bed? Not for the first time, he wondered what would have happened had the photographer paused before taking his photograph. How much more revealing and incriminating would a later picture have been?

‘There is no point in dwelling on what is done, ’ he said tautly, ‘and the truth is that a photograph of you naked in that bed was all that was needed. The rest would have been easily created from association and artistic use of Photoshop. ’

‘You mean they would have manufactured a photograph of the two of us together? ’

‘Photography software is increasingly sophisticated and you were in my bedroom. Stop throwing out obstacles when the solution I’m proposing is in both our interests. Your reputation stays intact. You mentioned that you have nowhere to live—I’m offering you somewhere to live. You get to stay here, in the most highly prized hotel suite in London. Anything you want, you can have. Most women in your position would be extremely excited at the prospect of an all expenses paid holiday complete with shopping. ’

‘Women are not a homogeneous breed, Mr Zaccarelli—we’re individuals with individual tastes and needs. And why do you care so much about whether it looks like a one-night stand or something more? What is this deal you keep talking about? ’

The question caught him off guard. For a brief moment he felt his control start to unravel. ‘You don’t need to know. Rest assured that I have a whole team of lawyers working night and day to make sure that it doesn’t fall apart at the eleventh hour. ’

‘And if it does? ’

A chill ran down his spine. ‘It won’t. ’

‘Providing I do as you say. I don’t understand why this story could ruin it for you. Is this deal of yours with some old-fashioned guy who thinks you should have a blameless reputation or something? ’

‘Something like that. ’ Rio realised that his palms were sweating and he turned away from her, locking down his emotions with ruthless efficiency.

‘So you’ll do all this to win one deal? Money, money, money. Is that all that matters to you? ’ Increasingly agitated, she rubbed her hands down her arms. ‘Well, I’m sorry if my decision loses you a few million, but I’m not prepared to do it. ’

Back in control, Rio turned to look at her, sure that he must have misheard. ‘Excuse me? ’

‘I won’t do it. I’m just going to look more of a fool. ’ She covered her face with her hands and gave a moan of embarrassment. ‘Every time I think about that photo being printed I just want to hide. Grandpa is never going to be able to hold his head up at senior poker ever again. ’

Banking down his own frustration, Rio crossed the room. Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face. ‘You are not going to hide. You are going to hold your head up high and look as though you are in love with me. ’ Appreciating the irony of his own words, he gave a faint smile and she instantly picked up on it.

‘Don’t tell me—usually you’re telling women not to fall in love with you. ’

‘I’m not into serious relationships. They don’t work for me. I’m not that kind of guy. ’ Once, just once, and look where it had got him.

‘And I assume the public know that. ’

‘If you’re worried that I won’t be able to play my part, then don’t be. I can be very convincing, ’ Rio assured her. ‘The fact that I’m not usually serious about a woman will make this whole story all the more plausible. ’

‘And all the more embarrassing. ’

Rio’s jaw clenched and he spoke through his teeth, his patience severely tested. ‘Are you saying it’s embarrassing to be associated with me? ’

‘I’m saying it’s going to be embarrassing when it ends. For all your so-called brilliant brain, you haven’t thought this through. It’s going to end—and then how will it look? ’

‘What does it matter? ’ Irritated to the point of explosion, Rio spread his hands in a gesture of exasperation. ‘Relationships end all the time—it is a part of life. And that is surely a better option for you than having the world think you had a one night stand. ’

‘So basically I have two choices here—either I get to look like a big, fat slut or I get to be the only woman to be dumped twice in the space of months. Forgive me if I’m not jumping up and down with excitement at either option. ’

‘Relationships end. I still don’t see the problem. ’

Her eyes sparked. ‘That’s because you’re only thinking about yourself as usual. Not me. Have you ever been dumped, Mr Zaccarelli? ’

‘Rio. ’

‘Rio—’ Using his name brought a flush to her cheeks. ‘Has anyone ever told you they don’t want to be with you any more? ’

‘No, of—’ He caught himself and shrugged. ‘No. ’

‘You were going to say of course not, weren’t you? ’ She gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘You are so monumentally arrogant and sure of yourself, but that explains why you can’t understand my problem. You don’t know what it’s like to be rejected. ’

‘Given that this isn’t a real relationship, ’ Rio said tightly, ‘it wouldn’t be a real rejection. ’

‘But if you’re going to be as convincing as you say you are, then everyone is going to think it is! Six weeks ago my fiancé, a man I’d known since I was a child, called off our wedding—’ She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were suddenly cold. ‘Forgive me if I’m not rushing forward to embrace another public battering of my ego. It was bad enough the first time, having everyone feeling sorry for me. I couldn’t even walk down the street without ten people saying they understood how hideously humiliated I must feel—this would be a thousand times worse. Only this time it wouldn’t be just the village; it would be the whole world. ’

‘How would that be worse? ’ Genuinely baffled, struggling to understand, Rio stared at her. ‘Why would you care what a bunch of strangers think? ’

‘I just would! I don’t want loads of people I don’t know discussing the fact that you dumped me. “Well, it’s hardly surprising, is it? ”’ she parroted. ‘“I mean, what would a guy like him see in a girl like her? ”’

‘You’d rather they thought you’d had a sleazy one-night stand with me? ’

She gulped. ‘No. I’d rather they weren’t talking about me at all. But I especially don’t want them speculating on why I always get dumped. ’

Aware that the clock was ticking and that they needed to get on with this if it was going to have any chance of working, Rio rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and applied his mind to a solution. ‘I’ll put out an announcement telling everyone you’re a wonderful woman and that I have huge respect for you. ’

She cringed. ‘That would make people feel even more sorry for me. ’

‘I’ll say that we will always be friends. ’

‘Which is basically like saying our relationship fizzled because you don’t find me attractive. ’

Trying to conceal his mounting exasperation, Rio inhaled deeply and offered up the only other solution that presented itself. ‘If it’s the dumping part that really worries you, then you can dump me. ’

She stared at him. ‘Sorry? ’

‘I’ll allow you to dump me, ’ he said tightly. ‘Problem solved. ’

‘That wouldn’t work. ’

‘Now what? Why wouldn’t it work? ’

‘Because you’re rich and handsome. No one would believe it. Why would anyone in my position dump a man like you? ’

‘That’s easy. I’m a total bastard, ’ Rio said immediately, relieved to be able to deal with that obstacle so simply. ‘No one who knows me will have any trouble believing you kicked me out. ’ His confession drew a tiny smile from her.

‘You’re that bad? ’

Transfixed by that smile, Rio couldn’t look away from her mouth. ‘I’m terrible. I’m dominating, I like everything my own way—basically I’m horribly selfish, inwardly focused, I set myself a punishing schedule and frequently work an eighteen-hour day, which usually means that all I want to do when I’m with a woman is have sex. ’ And he wanted to have sex with her, right here, right now. It exasperated him to realise that, even in this most delicate of situations, he could barely keep his hands off her.

‘You manage to fit sex into your punishing working day? ’ Her voice was faint. ‘When? ’

‘Whenever I feel like it—’ He was intrigued by the colour in her cheeks. ‘So that’s settled then. I’ll do something awful—’

‘You mean you’ll behave the way you usually behave. ’

‘Something like that. ’ He acknowledged the barely veiled insult with a dismissive shrug. ‘You’ll dump me and, just to make sure it looks completely authentic, I’ll go round looking moody for a few weeks. ’

‘So you admit to being selfish, inwardly focused and a total bastard, but no woman has ever dumped you. Why? What have you got going for you? ’

Rio gave a slow, confident smile. ‘If we’re spending the foreseeable future together then you’ll have time to discover the answer to that yourself. ’

‘If you’re talking about sex, then you can forget it. Unlike you, I think sex should be part of a relationship. ’

‘So do I. ’

She backed away. ‘Yes, but the difference is that you don’t want your relationships to go anywhere, and I do. Just so that there’s no misunderstanding, I’m telling you now that I’ll be sleeping in the second bedroom. ’

Rio, who had his own ideas about where she’d be sleeping, decided to handle that issue later. ‘So you’ll do it? Good. And, when the time comes, you dump me. ’

‘I still don’t see how we can convince them that we’re together. ’

‘By being seen together, ’ he said smoothly, taking her hand and hauling her against him. ‘The first thing you need is a ring, so let’s go. I’m about to buy you the biggest diamond you’ve ever seen. ’

‘I’ve never been in a chauffeur driven car. There’s masses of room. ’ Evie stretched her legs out in front of her, aware that Rio was watching her with amusement.

‘That’s the general idea. ’

‘Why do you need so much room? You could have a party in here. ’

‘Not a party, but sometimes I do conduct business meetings in the car if I’m travelling short distances. ’

‘What happens for long distances? ’

‘I use my private jet. ’

Evie gave a choked laugh. ‘Private jet. Of course. This year’s must have accessory. No serious tycoon should be seen without one. ’

‘Not an accessory, ’ he drawled, ‘but a practical, money-saving tool. ’

‘Money-saving. ’ Evie nodded, struggling to keep her face straight as she slid her hand over the soft leather seat. ‘Of course. I find the same thing. When I’m economizing, I turn down the heating and watch my food budget but I always make sure I leave the private jet well alone. As you say, it’s such a practical, money-saving tool. ’

‘This may surprise you, but when you spend as many hours in the air as I do, that becomes a truth. ’

As the gulf in their lifestyles opened up between them, Evie’s smile faltered and she flopped back against the seat. ‘This is ridiculous, ’ she muttered. ‘It’s never going to work. Give me one reason why a guy like you would ever be involved with a woman like me? ’

‘You have incredible legs. ’ He moved so quickly that she didn’t anticipate it. Before she had time to respond, his hand was buried in her hair and his mouth descended on hers in a kiss that sent her brain spinning. ‘I love the way you taste, ’ he murmured huskily and she gasped against his lips.

‘OK, enough, you don’t have to keep kissing me—’ Seriously unsettled by the way he made her feel, Evie shoved at his chest, alarmed when he didn’t budge. She’d always considered herself pretty strong for a woman but her violent push had no effect on him. ‘It was kissing me that got us in this mess—’

‘But now we’re in this “mess”, as you call it, we might as well enjoy it. They’ll believe it, tesoro, once they see you. ’ He showed no inclination to stop what he was doing. ‘You have amazing hair, fantastic breasts—’

Evie moaned as his mouth trailed along her jaw. ‘Those are all physical things. That’s just sex. ’

‘Never underestimate the power of sex. Sex is a very important part of a relationship. ’ One hand slid down her back to her bottom and Evie wriggled away, mortified.

‘Don’t do that—’

‘Why not? ’

‘Well, for a start because someone might see you—’

His eyes gleamed into hers. ‘And that would be a problem because—? ’

Evie could hardly breathe. For a moment she’d forgotten that the whole objective of this charade was for people to see them. Confused, she wondered whether he was faking the attraction. But then she remembered the kiss that had started all this…

‘Unless people have X-ray vision, they’re not going to be able to see your hand on my bottom, ’ she croaked and he gave a wicked smile as he ran his fingers through her hair.

‘Any red-blooded male glancing into this car will have a pretty accurate idea of the location of my missing hand. ’

‘You’re not funny. ’ She’d barely thought about sex before she’d met him. Now she was finding it hard to think about anything else. Was he going to keep kissing her? Did he think she was made of stone? Embarrassed by the burning heat between her thighs, Evie pulled away from him and this time he released her, smiling slightly as he watched her shift to the furthest corner of her seat.

His whole attitude should have been enough to make her dislike him, but instead she found herself alarmingly turned on by the electric combination of smooth sophistication and command. It was humiliating, she thought, squirming in her seat, to find a man as basic as Rio so attractive. But evidently she wasn’t the only one. After all, he’d never been dumped…

They were driving through the upmarket streets of Knightsbridge. The windows of Harrods, the world famous store, were decorated for Christmas and everywhere she looked there were rich-looking women wearing fur and dark glasses, stepping out of expensive-looking cars.

By the time Rio’s driver pulled up outside an exclusive jewellers, Evie had lost all desire to be seen in public. Even in the smart outfit and sexy shoes, she didn’t fit.

Two guards stood either side of the heavy glass door and, even from the protective cocoon of Rio’s car, she could see that the few pieces on display in the window would have satisfied royalty.

Thoroughly intimidated, she thought about the tiny diamond that Jeff had given her when he’d proposed. At the time she’d thought it was small because they were saving for a deposit so that they could buy their own cottage. Now she realised it had been small because he’d been spending most of their shared savings on his other girlfriend.

She’d been a total idiot. But it was partly her fault, wasn’t it? She and Jeff had grown up together. Everyone had assumed that one day they’d get married. Evie had told herself that the fact she felt no spark was because she wasn’t a particularly passionate person. She’d assumed Jeff was the same. And then she’d discovered what he’d been doing with Cindy, the librarian from the next village…

She stole a sideways glance at Rio, her gaze resting on his mouth, remembering the sizzling, steamy kiss. Sparks had been shooting all over the place.

And now she was expected to pretend they were in a relationship.

‘You expect me to go in there? Why can’t they come to us? In the movies you just pick up the phone and loads of jewellers come running to the hotel with a selection of rings. ’

‘In the movies, they’re not trying to attract the interest of the paparazzi. ’ Rio leaned across her to undo her seat belt. ‘If I’d ordered them to bring the rings to the hotel, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as loud a statement. ’

Flattening herself to the seat, Evie stared at him, determined not to be impressed. ‘I still don’t understand how this is going to work. If the whole point of this is to get the paparazzi to take a photograph of us, shouldn’t someone have called them and told them we’re here? ’

‘No need. Wherever I go, you can find photographers. ’ Rio’s tone was bored. ‘It’s part of my life, which means it’s now part of your life. Get used to it. ’ As the driver opened the door Rio gestured for her to leave the car but Evie didn’t budge.

‘You mean there might be someone out there with a camera? Am I supposed to smile and wave? ’

‘You’re not the Queen, ’ Rio said dryly. ‘Just act normally. ’

‘But none of this is normal for me! I wouldn’t find myself in front of rows of paparazzi, ’ Evie said irritably. ‘I don’t know what I’d do. Look over my shoulder, probably, to see who they were photographing because it certainly wouldn’t be me. Unless they were taking snaps for a Miss Unbelievably Big Bottom contest. ’

‘If you mention your bottom again, I will be forced to strip you naked and examine it in detail, ’ Rio promised silkily and Evie exited the car faster than rum from a bottle.

Just as he’d predicted, a flashlight immediately exploded in her face and she would have stopped if he hadn’t propelled her forwards through the doors that had been opened for him as soon as he’d stepped out of the car.

‘I thought you wanted to be seen, ’ Evie hissed under her breath and he curved his hand around her waist and guided her into the exclusive store.

‘I never talk to the press, ’ he purred. ‘I never give interviews. I have no intention of altering that pattern. We want this to look as authentic as possible, remember? ’

Exasperated, Evie stared up at him. ‘How are they supposed to know we’re engaged if you don’t tell them? ’ Her face cleared. ‘Oh—I get it. I’m supposed to strategically flash the ring on the way out. ’

‘We’ll leave by the back entrance so that no one will see us. In the event that there is a photographer covering the rear of the building, you hide the ring. You put your left hand in your pocket so that no one can get the shot. ’

‘So we’re buying a ring to convince them we’re engaged, but we’re not going to let them see it? ’

‘That’s right. ’

‘Have you banged your head or something? You’re not making sense. ’

‘I’m making perfect sense. ’

‘Not to me. If we go out of the back of the building it’s going to look as though we don’t want them to see us. ’

‘Exactly right. ’ He smiled at the manager who was hovering discreetly. ‘Franco—’

‘Signor Zaccarelli—’ the man oozed deference ‘—it’s good to see you again. ’

‘Again? How many women have you brought here? ’ Evie muttered under her breath, but the only indication that Rio had heard her was his vice-like grip on her hand. ‘Squeeze any tighter and you’ll break my fingers and then you won’t get a ring over my knuckle. ’

Rio released his grip and urged her forward. ‘We need a diamond, Franco. ’ He glanced down at Evie, a smile on his lips. ‘A very special diamond for a very special woman. ’

Evie was about to tell him that his smooth talk wasn’t the slightest bit convincing when he lowered his mouth and kissed her.

Somewhere in the distance, through the swirling clouds of desire that descended on her brain, she heard one of the sales assistants sigh with envy.

To her, it appeared completely staged but apparently Franco was convinced because he smiled, almost convulsing with delight as he led them through to a private room. ‘A very special diamond. Of course. You’ve come to the right place. ’

Evie sat there shell-shocked from the invasive pressure of his mouth, wishing they’d had a conversation about how they were going to play this. Had he said anything about kissing? And what was she supposed to do about the ring? Was she supposed to pick the least expensive one? Or maybe that didn’t matter. Presumably a man who considered a private jet to be an ‘economy’ wouldn’t care about the price of a diamond. Or maybe he was planning to ask for a refund when this was over.

She threw Rio an agonized look but he simply smiled. The fact that he was so relaxed simply added to her growing tension.

More aware than ever of the differences between them, Evie shifted uncomfortably and was about to say something when a slender girl entered the room carrying a box.

A hush fell over the room and Evie glanced around her, wondering what was going on. Why was everyone silent?

‘It’s the Apoletta diamond, ’ Franco told them in reverent tones, taking the box from the girl and opening it himself. ‘A thing of beauty and perfection, like your love. ’

Evie was about to suggest that if the ring was supposed to be a manifestation of their relationship then a small lump of coal might be more appropriate, but one look at Rio’s face stopped her. He was looking at her with such intensity that for a moment she stopped breathing and, during that one intimate glance, she made the unsettling discovery that she was as vulnerable to his particular brand of sexual magnetism as all the other women in the room. Even armed with his frank admission of his long list of deficiencies, she couldn’t control the explosion of excitement that held her in its grip.

Rio ignored a question from Franco, his attention entirely on her. Then he slid his hand behind her neck and slowly but deliberately kissed her mouth, his lips lingering against hers for long enough to send her heart racing frantically out of control.

‘Ti amo, ’ he said huskily and Evie, dazed by the look as much as the kiss, wondered what it would feel like if a man looked at you like that and meant it.

Without taking his eyes from hers, Rio removed the ring from its velvet nest and slid it onto her finger with cool, confident hands and an unmistakable sense of purpose.

Evie stared down at the incredible diamond, thinking about the sunny morning a few months earlier when Jeff had done the same thing. The ring Jeff had given her had been too big for her finger, whereas this one—‘It’s exactly the right size. ’

‘Like Cinderella, ’ one of the girls sighed and Evie frowned, wondering what was meant by that remark. Did she look as though she’d been cleaning the cellar in rags?

‘She means that it’s a perfect fit, ’ Rio said dryly, apparently developing a sudden ability to read her mind. ‘And she’s right. It’s a perfect fit. We won’t have to have it adjusted. ’

Finding the fact that it fitted slightly spooky, Evie wondered whether it was a fluke or whether Rio was as skilled at guessing the size of her finger as he was her underwear and dress size.

Good guesswork or a man experienced with women?

Another girl entered the room. ‘I just thought you should know that it’s a media circus out the front. ’ She sounded apologetic. ‘I have no idea how they discovered you were here. Someone must have tipped them off. ’

Rio’s jaw tightened and for a moment Evie genuinely believed he was annoyed.

‘Do you have another entrance? ’

‘Yes, sir. ’

He made a swift phone call and rose to his feet, drawing Evie close to him. ‘My driver will meet us out the back. That way, no one should see us. ’

Evie hurried alongside him, conscious of the strength of his fingers locked with hers as they were led towards the back of the store. ‘Rio—’ she hissed his name ‘—don’t we have to pay or something? I don’t want to set the alarms off and have to spend Christmas in custody, if it’s all the same to you. ’

He didn’t slacken his stride. ‘It’s been dealt with. ’

‘How? Where? ’

But he simply propelled her to the back of the store. Moments later, Rio’s driver was speeding through the back streets of London’s most exclusive area.

Evie flopped back against the seat, twisting the ring on her finger. She tilted her hand, admiring it from every angle, watching as it sparkled and glinted. ‘I still don’t understand why you went to all that trouble to buy a ring if you’re not going to let anyone see it. You didn’t even let them see you leave the shop. ’

‘They know I’ve left. The fact that I’m being secretive will make them more interested. ’

‘I hope you don’t have an over-inflated idea of your own importance. Otherwise, this whole idea is going to fall flat on its face. ’

Rio’s response to that was to hold out his phone. ‘Call your grandfather. ’

‘What, now? ’ Evie had been putting off that moment and her stomach plummeted as she anticipated what her severe, principled grandfather would say about her current situation. ‘What am I supposed to say? Hi, Grandpa, you may be seeing a picture of me naked in today’s papers so I just wanted to tell you that I’m not starting a career as a glamour model—’

‘It won’t be in today’s papers. It’s too late for that. There’s a strong chance it will make tomorrow’s editions, but it may already be up on the Internet. Call. ’

‘My grandfather doesn’t surf the Internet. He’s eighty-six, ’ Evie squeaked but her observation merely earned her a lift of an eyebrow.

‘What does his age have to do with anything? ’

‘You wouldn’t be asking me that if you’d been to the Cedar Court Retirement Home. They celebrated when they got a decent TV picture. They probably think high speed broadband is another type of dressing for varicose veins. ’

He didn’t withdraw the phone. ‘Call. ’

‘I can’t. ’ Evie’s voice was a whisper and she shrank back against the seat as she tried to delay the inevitable. ‘This is the guy who took me on my first day at school. He taught me to ride a bike. He doesn’t believe in holding hands or kissing in public. I’m all he has in the world and he thinks I’m a really decent, old-fashioned girl… In fact, I am a decent, old fashioned girl, or I was until I met you. ’

‘All the more reason to call him before he hears it from someone else. ’

Running out of excuses, Evie took the phone reluctantly. Her hand shook as she keyed in the number. As she waited for him to answer, she pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and tried not to think about how disappointed her grandfather was going to be.

After all he’d done for her, after all his love and affection, he didn’t deserve this…

‘Grandpa? It’s Evie…how are you doing? ’ Her voice sounded false to her and she wondered how long it would take her grandfather to pick up on the fact that something was wrong. ‘Are you staying warm there in all this snow? ’ Maybe that was a good link, she thought desperately as she listened to his cheerful response—I was a bit too warm, Grandpa, so I thought I’d take my clothes off…

‘No, nothing’s wrong; I just thought I’d ring you for a chat. ’ Aware that Rio was watching her, Evie carried on making small talk about the weather and listening to her grandfather’s observations about his friends. When he mentioned that he’d been boasting about her again to Mrs Fitzwilliam, two huge tears slipped from Evie’s eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand.

With a sigh, Rio removed the phone from her. ‘Mr Anderson? Rio Zaccarelli here—no, we haven’t met, but I know your granddaughter—yes, I’m the same Zaccarelli that owns the hotel and spa chain—’ he leaned back in his seat, not looking remotely discomfited by the prospect of dealing with what could only be described as a hideously awkward situation ‘—yes, it’s still doing well, despite the economic climate—absolutely—’ he smiled ‘—that’s how I met Evie—’

Worried that Rio might actually say something that would make things even worse, Evie gulped down her tears and tried to grab the phone but he held it out of reach, laughing at something her grandfather had just said.

‘I’ve already learned that to my cost—yes, she is—’

Evie frowned. ‘I am what? What are you saying? ’

Rio ignored her. ‘I know about that. Yes, she told me. But his loss is my gain. ’

Were they talking about her broken engagement? Evie covered her eyes with her hands, all too able to imagine what her grandfather was saying.

‘Yes, a total loser—’ Rio’s voice became several shades cooler ‘—she’s better off without him… No, not too badly—that’s what we rang to tell you. We’re engaged. I know it seems sudden but you can blame me for that—when I see something I want, I have to have it and I’ve never felt like this about a woman before. ’

Evie peeped through her fingers and waited for Rio to pass the phone across so that she could receive a giant telling off from her strict grandfather. Instead, she heard laughter as Rio controlled the conversation.

‘We wanted to warn you that there might be some revealing photographs in the press. My fault entirely—they follow me around, I’m afraid—’ Rio’s voice was smooth and he gave a slight smile in response to something her grandfather said. ‘I agree—I’ve always said the same thing—that’s right. No—no, she’s fine—just a bit embarrassed because she’s pretty shy about that sort of stuff… Yes, I know she’s modest—’ he shot her an ironic glance ‘—well, I have my lawyers onto it but if anyone mentions it to you, you can tell them the photographer was trespassing in a private room—yes, I’ll hand you over—good to talk to you—look forward to meeting you in person—’ Having moulded her rock-hard war veteran grandfather into the consistency of porridge, Rio handed her the phone, a smug expression on his face. ‘He’s delighted. He wants to congratulate you in person. ’

Evie tentatively lifted the phone to her ear. ‘Grandpa—? ’ She was unable to get a word in edgeways as her grandfather told her how delighted he was that she’d finally met a real man and proceeded to spend the next five minutes extolling Rio’s virtues, all of which appeared to centre around his ability to buck the market and grow his business, no matter what the economic challenges. The issue of the naked photograph appeared to have been absorbed along with all the other news.

Finally, her grandfather drew breath. ‘Answer me one question—are you in love with him, Evie? That’s all I want to know. ’

Oh, dear God, how was she supposed to answer that? ‘I—’

‘It doesn’t matter that a man is rich—what matters is whether there’s strength and responsibility in his character. Rio Zaccarelli has all those qualities, but none of it matters if you don’t love him. ’

Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire. In order to stop her grandfather thinking she’d had a one-night stand, she’d gone along with Rio’s idea but suddenly she was being sucked deeper and deeper into the charade.

Knowing her grandfather would worry, she gave the only answer she could. ‘I love him, Grandpa. ’ She scowled as Rio raised his eyebrows, amusement shimmering in his black eyes. Doubtless he was so used to hearing besotted women say those words that he barely registered them.

Her grandfather sounded ecstatic. ‘So it looks as though I might be bouncing that great-grandchild on my knee next Christmas after all. ’

Great-grandchild?

Evie’s mouth dropped in dismay. Somehow she’d gone from naked in bed, to engaged and then straight to pregnant!

How was she ever going to unravel this mess?

Hoping Rio hadn’t overheard that particular part of the conversation, she lowered her head, allowing her hair to fall forward in a curtain, shielding her face. ‘Well—let’s just see how things go, Grandpa—no hurry—’

‘Of course there’s a hurry! I’m not getting any younger—’

‘Don’t say that. You know I hate it. ’ The thought of losing him horrified her and, when Evie finally ended the call, her hands were still shaking. Listening to her grandfather’s animated voice had made her feel hideously guilty.

Oblivious to her mounting distress, Rio took the phone from her, smiling with satisfaction. ‘That went well. ’

She rounded on him, her eyes glistening with tears. ‘That did not go well, Rio! I just lied to my eighty-six-year-old grandfather. How do you think that makes me feel? ’

‘A great deal better than having to tell your eighty-six-year-old grandfather why you had a one-night stand with a man you’d never met before, ’ he said coldly. ‘Calm down. If there happen to be any paparazzi around, I’d rather they didn’t print the fact that we were having a row within ten minutes of putting the rock on your finger. Your grandfather was delighted to hear that we’re together—a little surprised, perhaps, but basically pleased. I’m considered an incredible catch. You don’t have anything to worry about. ’

He reminded her of an armoured tank, forging forwards regardless of what was in his path. Her feelings were no more than blades of grass, easily squashed and ignored under the weight of his own driving sense of purpose.

When Rio Zaccarelli wanted something, he got it. And apparently he was willing to go to any lengths to secure this particular ‘deal’.

‘Why didn’t I think this through? I’ve just raised his hopes and that’s an awful thing to do. ’ Frantic, Evie reached for the phone again. ‘I have to tell him the truth, now, before this whole thing escalates and he tells everyone I’m marrying a billionaire. ’

‘Leave it. ’

‘Rio, he thinks I’m going to get pregnant any moment! He wants to bounce his great-grandchild on his knee! I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. ’

But Rio had slipped the phone back into the inside pocket of his jacket. ‘You agreed to the plan. ’

‘Because you railroaded me. I didn’t have time to think it through, but I can see now this is going to be really complicated and—’

‘It’s done. Too late. ’ With an infuriating lack of emotion, he scanned the screen of his BlackBerry. ‘The switchboard at my corporate headquarters is jammed with journalists seeking confirmation that I’ve just become engaged. The story is out there. ’

Her stomach lurched. ‘And your people have confirmed it? ’

‘They’ve said “no comment”, which is as good as demanding that the press print an announcement. It’s too late to change your mind now. Stop panicking. Your grandfather sounded fine about the whole thing. Tell me about Jeff. ’

Evie tried to ignore the throbbing pain behind her eyes. ‘I don’t want to talk about Jeff. ’

‘I’m not surprised. ’ Rio sprawled in his seat, texting with astonishing speed and dexterity. ‘He sounds like a total loser. ’

Evie stared at him in helpless disbelief. She wanted to explain how worried she was about hurting her grandfather’s feelings, but she knew she was wasting her time. Rio Zaccarelli didn’t care about feelings, did he? All he cared about was making sure his business proceeded unhindered.

‘I really don’t think I can go through with this. ’

Rio watched her, a deadly gleam in his eyes. ‘We made a deal. ’

‘Yes. ’ Evie croaked the word, knowing that she was trapped. If this was the only way to prevent that photograph being published, then she had no choice.

Deals, deals, deals…

She’d made a deal with the devil. And now she was going to pay.

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