The Correttis (Books 1-8). Кейт Хьюит
looked away quickly, horrified to realise she’d hoped for a different answer. ‘You were…very convincing. Unfortunately you’ve also upset another director.’
And she knew just what that could cost her.
Rafaele was the wrong man to upset.
And suddenly fury mingled with despair. She’d been walking on eggshells trying not to upset him and now Luca had made things worse. ‘Did you have to go to those lengths? You humiliated him. You made him look like a fool.’
‘He did that with no help from me.’ Luca was unrepentant. ‘Why was he kissing you anyway?’
‘Because he was demonstrating a scene.’ She rubbed her fingers over her aching forehead, feeling crushed by the situation. ‘If he walks out too, Santo will freak.’
‘I hope he does walk. I don’t like the way he looks at you.’
Slowly she dropped her hand to her side. ‘You mean the fake part of you that is “engaged” to me doesn’t like the way he looks at me? I think you just might have blown my film career by acting out a part we created in order to protect my film career.’ She looked away from him because looking at him made her think of the night before and they were both in enough trouble. ‘And what about you? You agreed to this to make yourself respectable. Does your board approve of a man fighting over his woman?’
‘Of course. They’re Sicilian.’ But he was frowning, as if something she’d said had given him pause for thought. ‘I don’t want to have blown your career. I’ll talk to Santo.’
‘No! You’ve done more than enough. I’ll sort it out.’
Luca caught her arm. ‘Tell me why you’re scared of him.’ His tone was low and urgent. ‘Why do you care what that guy thinks of you?’
Her mouth was dry. ‘Because he has…power.’
‘Power? You mean over your performance?’
No, she didn’t mean that.
‘I just don’t want more bad headlines.’ That much was the truth. ‘I just want to act.’
Luca stared at her for a long moment and then lifted his hand and brushed her cheek gently, his expression inscrutable. ‘Mi dispiace. I’m sorry if I made things difficult for you. That wasn’t my intention. Go and finish filming that scene. There’s something I need to do.’
Determined to make up for his momentary loss of control, which had clearly made things awkward for her, Luca spent the afternoon on the phone. By the time he drove back to the docklands to collect Taylor he was feeling particularly pleased with his plan so it spoiled the moment slightly to see her waiting for him, white-faced and tense.
‘Your cousin fired Rafaele.’
Luca wondered why she thought that came under the heading of ‘bad news.’ ‘Good. For once he and I are in agreement on something.’
‘Rafaele is going to be furious.’
‘And we care about that because…?’ When she didn’t answer, he sighed. ‘Get in the car.’
‘I’m starting to think this project is doomed.’ She slid into the car next to him and closed her eyes but her phone rang immediately.
Luca tensed. ‘Is that him?’
‘No.’ She relaxed. ‘It’s just Zach. I’ll call him back later.’
‘Zach? Who the hell is Zach?’
‘Just a friend.’
‘I thought you didn’t have friends. I thought there was no one you trusted.’
‘I trust Zach more than I trust most people, but that isn’t saying much.’ She dropped the phone back into her bag. ‘What a day.’
Luca forced himself not to ask all the questions he was burning to ask about Zach. ‘Does Santo have a replacement yet?’
‘Well, that’s the odd thing…’ She pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘He’s given the job to his PA, Ella. I’ve talked to her loads of times. She’s crazy about everything to do with movie making which is why she’s working for Santo but I never knew she wanted to direct. He’s giving her the chance.’
‘I’m sure she’ll be brilliant. I’ll even let her kiss you—in fact, I’ll hang around in case she does.’ Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, he leaned forward and kissed her himself. ‘Press approaching downwind. Look pleased to see me.’
Her lips were soft and sweet under his and he took his time, kissing her slowly and deliberately until she pulled back with a frown. ‘OK, enough already.’
Luca, who was unsettled to discover he’d had nowhere near enough of her, reached into the back of the car and put a baseball cap on her head.
‘Ugh—you’ll ruin my hair!’ She lifted her hand to remove it but he stopped her.
‘Wear it,’ he ordered softly. ‘Put on your sunglasses. And for once in your life, don’t argue with me.’
She was still staring at him when one journalist, braver than the others, approached the car. ‘Taylor, do you have a statement on the fact that Rafaele has been replaced as director?’
‘No, she doesn’t.’ Luca settled his own sunglasses over his eyes, started the engine and rammed the car into gear but the journalist persisted.
‘Any plans for tonight? Where will the two of you be spending the evening?’
‘In bed.’ With a dangerous smile, Luca pulled away and Taylor groaned.
‘Thanks so much. Now the headline will be Taylor Carmichael, Sex Addict. Couldn’t you have said something else? You could have told them we’re going out to dinner. Why would you let them think we’re going home to bed?’
‘Because that’s what I want them to think. I don’t want them to follow us.’
‘They always follow us. And you don’t care.’
‘Tonight, I care.’
‘Why?’
‘Because tonight, Cinderella Carmichael,’ he drawled, ‘I’m making your dreams come true.’
‘My dream is to get on with my life without being bothered and you’ve just—’
‘I’ve just made that happen.’ Glancing in the rearview mirror, he took a sharp right and ducked into the private underground car park reserved for the executive team of the hotel.
He parked the Ferrari next to a battered, ancient car.
‘What on earth…?’
‘Move.’
And she did. But being Taylor She didn’t do it without demanding answers.
‘Where are we and what are you—?’ She broke off and stared at the couple that had just climbed out of the battered, ancient car parked next to them.
‘Give her your jacket, your sunglasses and the baseball cap.’
‘But—’
‘Accidenti, do you ever do anything without arguing? You are enough to drive a man to an early grave.’
‘I’d haunt you.’ Visibly confused, she pulled off the hat, the glasses and her jacket and handed it to the woman, who immediately put them on.
Luca narrowed his eyes. ‘Not bad. From the back she could be you.’
‘I know. It’s seriously freaky. How did you do it?’
‘I found a Taylor Carmichael double. She earns her living being you so she owes you a few favours.’ He took off his own jacket and sunglasses and handed them to the man. ‘Remember