‘You’re right. We need to talk.’ She bit her lip again and he felt anxiety tickle the base of his spine. ‘I’m sorry for my behaviour yesterday.’ In a smooth move she stood and turned to stare out over the swimming pool. ‘I’ll never forgive myself for being so stupid.’
Rafe got to his feet, stood behind her.
A hot lump closed his throat and he took a step towards her.
‘Look, I...’
She spun, those blindingly violet eyes were enormous in her face.
‘No, don’t say anything, darling Rafe.’
Darling Rafe?
‘I’ll make it up to my father, I will. This was the wake-up call I needed. When I think of how he could have...’
Her voice hitched and it kicked him where it hurt.
She took an unsteady breath, clasped her hands, knuckles white and stared at her feet.
‘I almost lost him. I promise from now on to always do exactly what daddy wants. I realise now he only wants what’s best for me. You said yourself that he loves and adores me. And you’re absolutely right.’
She took his hand and rubbed it against her cheek.
He almost died on the spot.
Those fabulous eyes burned into his and his heart sank to his toes.
‘And then with you I behaved like a... slut...’
Dropping his hand she turned her back to him and bent her head, shoulders shaking.
He went to touch her and remembered the rules.
Damn it.
He knew the phrase ‘pull yourself together’ but it was the first time he’d seen someone do it.
Her shoulders straightened and her head came up.
After taking a deep breath, she turned and looked him dead in the eye.
‘I can promise it will never happen again, Rafael. I realise that I put you in an untenable position. And this morning I feel as if the blinkers have finally been torn from my eyes.’
Her voice wobbled and she bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop it trembling.
Hope flared in his chest and he smiled, desperate to touch her.
‘You do?’
His cock burned and he gave it free rein.
She cleared her throat and smiled into his eyes.
‘Yes. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt anything like it. Almost a eureka moment.’
Delighted with her, he smiled into her happy face.
‘Tell me,’ he said softly and watched heat enter her cheeks.
God, he adored her.
‘I realise I...’
He stepped forward, his mind leaping ahead to the next hour.
He would make love to her on the towel, right here, on the sun bed.
Huge eyes found his and he let himself sink into those bright pools.
‘I realise that I’ve always loved you...’ His eyes closed as his heart almost burst. ‘Like a brother.’
What?
Rafe’s eyes flew open.
Stunned, he stared at her delighted face.
His brain refused to function as his heart thundered in his ears.
She launched herself on him with such force he took two steps back.
Arms full of an almost naked Coco, Rafe seriously thought he’d lost his mind.
How the hell had this happened?
She hugged him.
He blinked as her smile beamed into his face.
Coco stepped back, grabbed his hand and gave him a tug.
‘Come on, it’s so hot, let’s go for a swim.’
Rafe tripped behind that amazing little bottom as it wiggled it’s way towards the pool. What in the name of God was he going to do now?
Chapter Twenty Six
The head of Ferranti Hotels and Spas, with his baby girl holding tight to one hand and his son the other, had a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye.
Wearing a polo shirt, ancient jeans and his preferred biker boots Nico strolled through the plush reception area of Ludlow Hall.
Slung over one shoulder was a ‘Yummy Mummy’ baby bag.
Who’d have thought a street rat from the back streets of Rome could have it all?
He had a fantastic business and the perfect nuclear family. A beautiful wife he adored more than life, a son, a daughter and - surprise - one on the way.
Leaving Bronte sound asleep, he’d showered, pulled on his favourite comfy clothes, fed and watered his children and left the house.
One of the rules he lived by was to keep his business and his family life totally separate.
However, Nico reckoned every rule was made to be broken at least once.
By the wide-eyed look of shock his reception team gave him and by the way they beamed at the twins, he realised his staff had never seen him in dressed down family mode.
He tossed them a grin as he strolled past on the way to the Montessori pre-school he’d set up in the grounds of Ludlow Hall for the offspring of his employees. Three times a week, sometimes more, Luca and Sophia Ferranti spent time there being socialised with other children and adults. Since Bronte needed a break he’d already phoned ahead asking them to take the twins until late afternoon.
Long farewells tended to make Luca anxious, so he handed over his children, the bag, and didn’t linger.
Strolling back to the main reception area, with a single knock on the door, Nico entered Jacob Del Garda’s office.
His General Manager was dressed in a lightweight suit of charcoal grey wool; the white shirt was immaculate as was the designer silk tie.
Nico recognized a new Savile Row tailor.
Jacob’s cup of coffee paused on its way to his lips.
Serious dark eyes scanned Nico from top to toe before he grinned.
Nico wished Jacob would smile more often because it changed his face from hard to approachable. And decided he’d give the Spaniard more time to settle in. But Jacob’s stiff demeanour, the clipped tones, made the staff at Ludlow Hall twitchy. And as far as Nico was concerned having twitchy staff was no way to do business.
However, the man had good suggestions and some of those ideas Nico’d already implemented on the waiting staff.
‘How is Bronte today?’ Jacob asked as he stood.
Nico settled into a comfortable chair in front of the desk, nodded yes to a coffee.
The Spaniard poured him a cup, handed it over and making himself comfortable leaned back in his chair.
‘We are having a surprise addition to the family at the end of February,’ Nico told him and could not hide the joy in his voice.
Jacob’s genuine smile broke through and Nico couldn’t help but return his grin. ‘Congratulations. Rebecca and Lucas will be happy for you. I thought Bronte couldn’t have more children.’
‘So did we. It is a miracle.’
Now Jacob laughed. ‘She is a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart. You are a lucky man, my friend.’
‘
Si
. I know it. Can you handle things here? Our nanny is returning next week. I need to spend time with my wife.’
Jacob nodded.
‘Of course. You run a tight ship and I find Julie exceptional.’ He paused, frowned into his cup. ‘About Elena...’
Nico shook his head. ‘I did not act soon enough.’
‘No. It is my responsibility. She is the daughter of an old friend of my father. It is always a mistake to mix business with social obligations. I should not have brought her here.’ Jacob glowered. ‘Women!’
‘You have not met the right one.’ Then Nico wished he’d kept his mouth shut remembering that Jacob’s fiancé had called off their wedding. Lucas Del Garda had told him his brother was having a hard time coming to terms with his situation. ‘
Mi dispiace
,’ he apologised.
The Spaniard held up his hands in a
worry not
gesture.
‘She met someone else,’ he said in a deep voice, the tone cool.
But Nico picked up the bitterness, the flash of pain in his dark eyes.
Still a sore spot.
Poor bastard.
There was silence as they sipped their coffees.
‘How are you settling in?’ Nico wanted to know.
And wondered if the man ever truly relaxed.
‘Very well. I love the building. The mix of historical elements and quiet opulence, along with outstanding service, no wonder repeat bookings are impressive.’
Nico nodded.
‘
Si
. The secret is exceptional service. Everything must appear flawless. We make sure our guests are happy every step of the way. Asking the right questions in the beginning is key to understanding our client’s needs and desires. It works.’
‘The customer is king.’
‘No,’ Nico corrected. ‘Foreseeing customer needs is essential. We need to anticipate, surprise. If we deliver they will return again and again.’
The thought of Coco’s predicament made him frown now. ‘No sign of trouble for Coco? No last minute guests?’
Jacob shook his head. ‘Nothing has tweaked our radar. No sudden change of bookings. No last minute room requests.’
Excellent.
Nico stood, stretched.
‘I need to get home, make sure my wife is resting.’
Again Jacob’s grin flashed. ‘I had a meeting with Janine Faulkner about next month’s wedding schedule. She is a woman with her finger on the pulse of Sweet Sensations.’
‘Janine has picked up a major part of the administration slack.’
‘She is beautiful. What happened to her is desperately sad.’
‘You interested?’ Nico gave him a grin.
Jacob shook his head. ‘Not in that way. We are friends.’
‘Bronte worries about her. I need to persuade her to let Janine take on more.’
‘She does not like to delegate?’
Nico shook his head. ‘My wife will have no choice in the matter,’ he growled in a way that made Jacob’s smile grow wider.
‘Good luck with that.’
*
Wearing a floaty sun dress in white cotton with thin shoulder straps, the early morning blue sky promised another scorcher, Bronte stood in the middle of her vast family, garden room, kitchen and spun in slow a circle.
Where had she put the laptop and spreadsheets?
She was certain they’d been on the table last night.
The note stuck by a magnet to the front of her stainless steel fridge told her Nico had taken the twins to Montessori until 4.00pm? What was he thinking? They only did mornings. Her babies weren’t ready to do a full day.
And the house was too quiet.
With an annoyed huff she checked the laundry room for the elusive laptop.
‘For God’s sake where the hell did I put it?’
‘Where did you put what?’ a deep voice spoke from behind her.
The screech that almost burst his eardrum and the way Bronte spun around with wide eyes, made Nico wince.
After a man who hadn’t taken rejection well and been high on drugs had attacked her in this very room, he knew better than to approach his wife from behind.
He caught her in his arms, plastered her slim body against his.
‘I am sorry,
cara mia
. I did not mean to scare you.’
The way her heart fluttered, like a trapped bird’s against his, made him nuzzle his mouth into fragrant silky hair.
She pulled back, big green eyes staring up into his face.
Those eyes danced as they took in his clothes.
Her hand stroked his jaw.
‘Razor broken?’
The way her fingertips slid across his unshaven chin made his cock jolt.
All she had to do was touch him and he went up in flames.
Every time.
‘You like me rough and ready,’ he told her in a low throaty voice, his accent rolling his ‘r’s.
His hands journeyed down her slim back to her tight bottom and pressed her against his aching desire for her.
Her brows rose and those fingers smoothed a path into his hair, mussing it up.
‘What’s this? Decided to work from home today?’
Now he pulled the scrunchy from her hair, let it slide in a slippery waterfall down her back.
Big eyes stared into his, the deep-seated, unconditional love she had for him crystal clear.
‘We are going to have a duvet day.’
Her lips twitched.
Wicked delight entered her eyes.
‘Are we?’
‘We are.’
Now her eyes narrowed into his.
‘Have you done something with my laptop, my spreadsheets?’
His forehead rested gently on hers and all the while his eyes never left hers.
‘
Si,
Janine leapt on the spreadsheets as if they were a box of Belgian chocolates.’
His mouth went on a slow exploration of the scented flesh of her neck.
Her little gasp made his lips smile against the pulse fluttering under her ear.
‘The girl seriously needs to get a life.’
Now his hands pulled up the hem of her dress, smoothed across her tight silk clad bottom.
‘You need to delegate,’ he murmured into her hair.
Her groan when his fingers slid down her panties did spectacular things to his cock, but it wasn’t the sound he was looking for.
‘I’m definitely going to delegate spreadsheets,’ she gasped a shocked breath as his fingers plunged, found her hot and wet and ready.
The way she rode his hand, the way she threw her head back told him she was nearly there.
But when the trembling started he drew back.
The little mewl of frustrated arousal had her watch him through slitted eyes.
His mouth took hers so softly Bronte gave herself to him as she fell into his kiss.
The way his teeth tugged gently on her bottom lip, the way his hands skimmed over too sensitive breasts made her moan long and loud into his mouth.
He owned her mouth and the way he kissed her nearly had her spin right over the edge.
Then the kiss changed, became hard, hungry, demanding as his tongue slid with hers in a dance of pure seduction.
How could he seduce her after almost three years, two children and a miracle third on the way?
Greedy for the feel of his smooth skin, his strong muscles, she slid her hands under his shirt. And found flesh, warm, and solid.
Her breath hitched on a sharp inhalation when he picked her up, sat her on the edge of the kitchen counter.
Before she could utter a single word, his mouth found hers. Strong hands slid her dress up over her hips to her waist and those same hands found her hot, wet, centre.