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‘You don’t think my father could have found me if he wanted?’
‘Of course he could have. He was a very powerful man.’
‘So why do you think he didn’t?’
Marco hesitated, trying to assess Sierra’s tone, her mood. ‘Sierra,’ he said finally, ‘I am under no illusions about your father. He was a proud and sometimes ruthless man, but he was honourable. Good.’ Sierra pressed her lips together and said nothing. ‘You hurt him very much by leaving. Even if he’d never admit it.’
‘Of course.’ She shook her head. ‘Why did you ask me to come to New York?’ she said. ‘Really?’
Unease spiked in his gut. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean you’re not telling me the truth. Not the whole truth,’ she amended when he opened his mouth to object. ‘Just like always. This isn’t some act of chivalry, is it, Marco? It isn’t some benevolent impulse you’ve had out of the goodness of your heart.’ She shook her head slowly. ‘I almost bought it. I almost bought the whole act, because I was almost so stupid. Again.’
‘Again?’
‘I trusted you seven years ago—’
‘I wasn’t the one who betrayed a trust,’ Marco snapped.
Sierra leaned forward, her eyes glittering icy-blue now, two slits of arctic rage. ‘And you say you’re not angry any more? Why are you here? Why am I here?’ She folded her arms, levelling him with her glare. ‘What do you really want from me?’
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHE COULDN’T BELIEVE how gullible she’d been—again. Wanting to believe the best of Marco Ferranti. Wanting, instinctively, to trust him. Hadn’t she learned anything? No matter how kind he could seem, he’d been her father’s apprentice for ten years. He’d wanted to marry her to further his business interests. And yet some part of her still wanted him to be kind.
‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘Have I actually managed to render you speechless?’
‘You’re jumping to conclusions,’ Marco said, an edge entering his voice. The charm was gone, dropped like the flimsy, false mask it was. She knew how it went. Fear spiked through her and she tamped it down. She would be no man’s punching bag, emotional or physical, again.
‘Then why don’t you try being honest?’
‘I was being honest. I do think you should have some part in Rocci Enterprises. In fact, if you’d given me a chance, I would have told you I’m prepared to give you most of your inheritance back.’ He eyed her coolly, as if waiting for her to trip over herself with gratitude.
‘That’s very big of you,’ she answered, sarcasm spiking her voice. ‘You’re prepared to give me most. That’s so very, very noble.’
Marco’s lip curled. ‘You want more?’
‘I don’t want anything but the truth. Stop trying to manipulate me. Just tell me what you want.’
A muscle ticked in his jaw as their gazes clashed. Even with the anger simmering between them, Sierra felt an unwelcome kick of desire. A sudden sharp memory of the way he’d plundered her mouth, her body...and how good it had felt.
She saw an answering spark of awareness in Marco’s eyes and knew he was remembering, too.
Good grief, what was wrong with her? How could she still want a man whom she couldn’t trust, didn’t like? Why did she have to have this intense physical reaction to him?
‘I’m still waiting,’ she snapped.
‘Having you open the New York hotel is of some benefit to me, too,’ Marco finally bit out. ‘Fine, I’ll admit it. The public would like to see a Rocci cut the damn ribbon.’
She sat back against the sofa, strangely deflated by his admission. ‘So you were trying to make it seem like you were being nice. Thoughtful. When really you just wanted me to come for your sake.’
‘For the company’s sake. You might have no great interest in Rocci Enterprises, but do you want to see it fail? Seventy years of history, Sierra, and most of my life.’
‘I don’t care about Rocci Enterprises,’ she said flatly. ‘I don’t care if it fails.’
‘You don’t care about your family’s livelihood?’
‘The only family left is me, and I make my own living,’ she retorted. ‘Stop trying to guilt me into this.’
‘What about the livelihood of all the employees? Five hundred people are going to be employed by Rocci New York. If the hotel fails—’
‘The hotel is not going to fail if I’m not there,’ Sierra declared. ‘My father has opened several hotels in the last seven years. I haven’t been at any of them. I’m not needed, Marco.’
