Ready? he asked.
Uh. She couldnt actually get a word out. Getting air back in her lungs was a bit of a problem, too.
Uh? He gave her a mocking smile. Does that mean yes or no, Princess?
It means we have a problem, she mumbled.
What?
The way youre dressed.
He raised an eyebrow. Too scruffy for you, Princess?
No. Too damn sexy. And she didnt dare answer himjust in case she ended up admitting that she wanted to lock her office door, tear his clothes off, and do him. On her desk. That very second.
How had she ever thought that she could cope with Dante Romano being just her mentor?
Instead, she chickened out. Why do we have to dress like tourists?
Because people in business suits dont go for ice cream at four p.m. Theyre too busy working.
Oh.
He took pity on her. We can hardly visit one of your competitors and make notes while were sitting there, Princess.
Why not? They wont know the notes are about them.
Trust me, its easier this way. Its called mystery shopping. They do it all the time in the retail tradeto check out the competition as well as making sure that their own staff are doing the right thing. We go as ordinary customers, we get treated like ordinary customersand then youll know what their service standards are like.
Isnt that spying?
No. Youre looking at what they offer, what they do better than you, and what they do worse than you, so you can tweak your own business and offer your customers more.
Uh-huh. And that was another problem.
It mustve shown on her face, because he sighed. You havent analysed your own business, have you?
Not yet. Ive only been back in Italy for a few weeks. But I can do it. She folded her arms. Im not an airhead.
No, Princess.
She heard the sarcasm in his tone, and glowered at him. Youre judging me when you hardly know me.
Look, we dont have time to argoh, forget it. Well do this the quick way. He yanked her into his arms and kissed her. Hard. Hot. Demanding. To the point where she ended up kissing him back and pressing herself against him, with her arms wrapped round his neck.
When he broke the kiss, her pulse rate had practically doubled and her thoughts were completely scrambled. Hadnt they agreed earlier that they were going to forget last night? Hed justjust She dragged in a breath. Her body was definitely happy about this, but her head wasnt. What the hell was that for? she demanded.
Right now, were tourists. Youre my girlfriend. He shrugged. I thought Id help you get into the part.
Get into the part? How the hell did he expect her to concentrate after hed just kissed her like that and turned her brain to mush?
It got worse when they were halfway down the street, because he took her hand. Exactly as if she really were his girlfriend and they were just out for a stroll, exploring the sights of Naples.
Her skin tingled where he touched her. Was it the same for him? Or was he mentally totting up balance sheets and working on business plans? Not that she was going to askeven if shed been able to get the words outbecause she didnt want him knowing just how much he distracted her. Especially as she had a nasty feeling that she didnt distract him at all.
Pay attention, Princess, he said, as if hed guessed anyway, and held the door of an ice cream parlour open for her.
And then things got even worse. She knew she was supposed to be making mental notes about the gelateria. What was good about it, what wasnt so good, where it was different from her own shops. But for the life of her she couldnt concentrate when he insisted on feeding her a spoonful of the ice cream sundae hed orderedbecause she could imagine him feeding her ice cream like this somewhere else.
Naked.
In her bed.
Youre supposed to return the favour, Princess, he murmured, and her skin heated.
Did he mean favour as in what hed done for her last night? Or as in the ice cream?
Taking the cowardly option, she fed him a spoonful of ice cream.
Gorgeous, he purred, giving her the sexiest smile shed ever seen. Hinting that she was gorgeous, not just the ice cream.
If he kept this up, she was going to need oxygen therapy.
And she was pretty sure he was doing this on purpose. To tease her. Or maybe to prove that she was an airhead who couldnt concentratejust as shed been last night.
She gritted her teeth, and forced herself to focus on the shop. On the menu. The décor. The service.
The waitress brought the bill over to them; her smile was all for Dante, and Carenza was truly shocked to feel a flicker of jealousy.
For pitys sake. She had no call on Dante Romano at all. He was her business mentor. For all she knew, he could be involved with someone.
Though she didnt think he was. Otherwise last night wouldnt have happened. One thing shed already worked out about Dante Romano was that he had a strict code of honour. Hed never cheat.
My bill. She scooped it up.
He shook his head. You might do this kind of thing in England, but this is Italy. Im paying.
And Im half English, she reminded him. This is the twenty-first century. Im paying.
She won by the simple expedient of taking the bill and going up to the counter before he could grab the bill back from her.
Youre difficult, he said, when she returned.
And he wasnt? She shrugged. Youre the one who calls me Princess.
Lets go for a stroll. He held the door open for her, and they walked in silence to railings overlooking the sea.
He leaned against the railings, his legs slightly apart. Come here.
Why?
He rolled his eyes. Because youre still supposed to be in role.
She took a step nearer.
He coughed. And my girlfriends really going to stand as far away from me as she possibly can. Not.
She took another step closer, and he reached out to pull her nearer still, so she was standing between his legs and his hand was resting lightly on her hip.
So what did you think of the shop?
Standing this close to him, she was finding it hard to concentrate. How the hell could he talk about business and keep it all straight in his head while he was holding her like this?
Its called multi-tasking, Princess. A very useful business asset.
She groaned. Did I just say that out loud?
Yup.
I lied.
He glanced down at her top. Try telling your nipples that. Theyre standing to attention.
I think I hate you.
He laughed. Then concentrate. Tell me what you thought about the shop.
The ice cream was good. The service was fine. The prices are about the same as mine. Oh, and the décor was terrible.
What do they do that you dont?
I have no idea, she admitted. More flavours?
They offer sandwiches. Hot drinks. So they can keep tourists happy in the winter months.
And then he staggered her by rattling off a detailed analysis of the shop. What it was doing wrong, what it was doing right, where it was beating her, where Toniellis scored higher.
How had he got all that from just one little visita visit where hed seemed to be paying more attention to her than anything else, flirting with her and feeding her ice cream from his spoon and getting her to do the same to him?
A skateboarder pushed past them, causing her to move closer to Dante. And then she discovered that her mentor wasnt quite as unaffected by her proximity as he claimed. He was definitely hard for her.
Wanting to get her own backjust a little bitand knowing that she was seriously crossing a line here, she licked her lower lip. Slowly. She let her gaze drop to his mouth, then back up to his eyes. Well, to his sunglasses. But she was pretty sure he wasnt missing a trick behind those dark lenses.
Youre playing with fire, Princess, he warned her.
She knew that. Her body remembered just how hot he was. About last night
We agreed to forget it.
But I wasnt fair to you. Shed taken her pleasure from him, and given him nothing in return. And that felt wrong.
Uh-huh.
Lost for words, Dante?
He gave her a slow, wicked smile. Leaned forward. Touched his mouth to hers.
And it was like lighting touchpaper.
She became dimly aware of catcalls and whistles from a group of passing teenagers, and pulled back from him. His mouth was swollen and reddened, and shed just bet that hers was in the same state.
And she couldnt say a single thing.
Now whos lost for words? he asked.
She blew out a breath. This is supposed to be business. But. She swallowed hard. You and methis is getting in the way.
You said you were going to wear something frumpy. So we could both concentrate.
She spread her hands. This is as frumpy as I get.
He raised an eyebrow. Do-me heels and tight jeans?
He was blaming her for this? Youre the one wearing the do-me jacket and touchable denim.
Maybe you need to find yourself another mentor.
There isnt anyone else I can ask. If Nonno thinks Im struggling, hell take over again and thats not fair. Hes seventy-three. He deserves a chance to relax with Nonna and have some fun.
What about your old boss in London?
She shook her head. Shes ill. It wouldnt be fair to ask her. And Im not asking Emilio Mancuso.
Whats wrong with him?
I She grimaced. Nothing I can put my finger on.
But your instincts tell you no.
She nodded. So theres only you I can ask.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel, hmm?
No. You were my first choice. You know what youre doing. I could learn a lot from you.
But?
She sighed. But it doesnt help when you turn up looking like sex on legs. When you feed me ice cream from your spoon and give me smouldering looks.
He raised an eyebrow. Are you saying you want to do me, Princess?
God, yes. She shivered. I dont normally behave like this.
No?
So he did know about London. She felt her face redden. You provoked me.
Not that much. You couldve called a halt at any time.
Yes. Which was exactly what shed planned to do. But the touch of his skin against hers had pushed everything out of her head. Besides, it hadnt been completely one-sided. Hed started it. And if he was that uninterested, why was he touching her now? Your hands are still on my bottom, she informed him. And there are She gave a delicate cough. Other signs, shall we say.
So there are. He sighed. OK. I admit it. I have the hots for you. And, judging by last night, its mutual.
We dont even like each other. You think Im a spoiled princess.
You are. And, since were telling it like it is, you think Im ?
A workaholic. Someone who wouldnt know how to begin to have fun.
A dull boy, hmm? He shrugged. Bottom line, Princess, this isnt going to work. Youre looking for someone to give you a good time. And I dont have space in my life for someone whos going to stamp her foot every time Im late for dinner, or when I dont want to go to a party because I have more important things to do with my time than listen to tedious people spouting their opinion about something they know nothing about, or talking drivel about trivial things.
I dont stamp my feet, she said, glowering at him.
Metaphorically, youre doing it right now.
So why did you agree to be my mentor? She still didnt quite understand that.
Because I owe Gino.
You owe Nonno? Why?
He gave me a break when I was younger, taught me a few things about business. So helping you out of trouble is kind of payback.
She felt deflated. So he wasnt doing this because he liked her.
Youre right. I dont like you, he agreedas if shed said it out loud. Or maybe it was written all over her face. I dont like what you stand for. The way you were quite happy to take your allowance and swan off round the world, then almost never came back to see your grandparents.
And how would you know anything about that?
Because I saw the wistfulness in Ginos face whenever he talked about you.
Her grandfather had talked to Dante about her?
He missed you.
Guilt flooded through her. She hadnt been fair, but her grandparents had never complained. She didnt have to give him any explanation for her behaviour; but on the other hand she didnt want him to think she was completely selfish and spoiled. I was eighteen, Dante. I knew there was a big wide world out there. I wanted to see it. I wanted to know what else there was outside Naples. So, yes, I travelled. I went to Rome, to Milan, to Paris. To Sydney and New York and LA.
Style capitals. He didnt look impressed.
Yes, Ill give you that. The fashion drew me, at first. But then I went to London. To meet my mothers family. To find out about that side of me. Wouldnt you have been curious, in my shoes? Wouldnt you have wanted to meet the side of the family youd never met?
That rather depended on what the family was like, Dante thought. He didnt want anything to do with his fathers family. Hed seen more than enough destruction in the first fourteen years of his life and he didnt need to see any more. Maybe, he said cagily.
And I didnt desert my grandparents. I rang home three times a week. I sent pictures and emails.
Which isnt the same as being here. He paused. What made you come back?
Primarily, Nonno and Nonnas golden wedding anniversary. She sighed. And then I realised they were getting old. My English grandparents had other children and grandchildren to look after them, but Nonno and Nonna only had me. So I thought it was time to come home.
And take over the family business.
She nodded. Because Im the last of the Toniellis. I have to step up to the plate.
It wasnt what she wanted to do. He could see that. Yet she wasnt ignoring her dutyand he approved of that.
What about your job in the art gallery?
Amy retiredshe was ill, and the gallery was too much of a burden. She sold it.