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‘You took me some places too.’Life-changing places, said the voice in his head, which he determinedly ignored. ‘Don’t over-think this. We are enjoying quite spectacular sex for six months. I don’t see a bad side, do you?’ he said, the comments meant for himself as much as her. His eyes swivelled sideways for a split second before he added, almost against his will, ‘I slept with you because I couldn’tnotsleep with you. I hate these social things too—just be yourself at lunch.’
‘Have you known Saul long?’
It was hard to make ordinary conversation with Ezio wordscouldn’t notplaying on a loop in her head.
‘In a way. Years ago, I applied for a job with him. Let’s just say that my background did not do me any favours. He started with nothing, and he’s justly proud of the fact—and also fond of reminding people of the fact. He sent me packing.’
‘So taking his company is your way of payback?’
‘Is that what you think?’ He shrugged and then thought, why shouldn’t she think that? ‘There is notakinginvolved.’ He was paying a good price, or he would be, if Saul could move past his ancient feud with George Baros. Did either of them remember what had started it? Probably, and they had spent the years since polishing their enmity. ‘I do not allow emotion to get in the way of good business. Revenge is the flipside of sentimentality; I don’t allow either to cloud my judgement...unlike Saul, but I understand his suspicions.’
‘But you said he was paranoid.’
‘He is, but as they say, just because you are paranoid does not mean there is no conspiracy. A man who trusts too easily is a fool.’
‘Do you ever trust anyone? Sorry, I didn’t mean...’
‘No offence taken. I don’t even trust my own instinct sometimes.’
The plan had seemed so safe—shehad seemed so safe—and now the goal posts had been shifted. Outside the office, his PA was something very different, and without warning. In his bed, she was all his dreams and fantasies made real.
If he hurt her, he’d hate himself...but would it stop him hurting her? Ezio knew himself well enough to doubt it. Tilda aroused his dormant protective instincts, but the irony was, the only thing she needed protecting from was him.
‘Why were you looking for a job?’ she asked, puzzled.
‘My father does not do second chances. He kicked me out, so between them Saul and my father are responsible for my success. They wouldn’t give me a job, so I made my own. I started my own company and in four years was in a position to buy out the family firm.’
He down-played the achievement but Tilda, who knew all about his meteoric rise, knew better. ‘Your father sounds...’
‘Oh, he is worse, much worse!’ Ezio’s laughter held no humour. ‘He made my mother’s life a misery, and as they say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.’
He could tell from her expression that she had heard the warning. He owed her that much; he didn’t want her thinking that he was something he wasn’t.
He felt a sudden wild urge of longing for his life as it had been—ordered, calm and he not responsible for anyone but himself... He felt protective of her now; he felt... He wouldn’t even let himself think the word buried deep in his heart. He would always revert to type; he knew this.
‘You’re dying to ask what I did that was so bad to make my father sack me, aren’t you?’
‘No!’ she lied.
‘I fell in love.’ The cynicism in his voice was bitter enough to sour sugar. ‘It turned out the love of my life was only interested in pillow talk. She passed on the secrets I spilled to a rival company. I was a ridiculous young fool.’
‘She was the one you...?’
‘Yes, I proposed to.’You started this,Ezio, so there’s no point moaning that she has run with it.He was going to have to rein in this impulse to open up to her.
One sentence, but it explained so much. Her emotions high, she felt her eyes fill with tears. ‘Oh, God, that’s...’
‘A learning experience that has stood me in good stead.’
Tilda didn’t know which one she hated most—the father who’d discarded his son, or the woman who had used him. Both had made him the man he was today... Because of his trust issues, he had built a ten-feet wall around his emotions.
‘I feel sorry for Saul.’ Maybe because he could be Saul in thirty years’ time. ‘None of his children have any interest in the legacy...which of course plays in my favour; if they did, there is no way he’d be selling. This is his way of making sure that what he created carries on and he can still be a part of it.’
His bleak outlook brought a frown to her brow. ‘But your children might not feel that way...’
‘A father—me...?’ His rich laughter had a hard edge. ‘Can youreallysee that, Tilda?’
She could, and the image in her head of Ezio playing with a dark-haired baby broke her heart. She nursed the secret hurt to herself and said with quiet sincerity, ‘You’ve been good for Sam, you’ve helped him a lot. I think you’d make a good father.’
