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“Only the beautiful ones,” he teased. When she didn’t share the joke, he turned serious. “No one will know that you’re staying at my house.”
“You don’t think they’ll figure it out?”
“Only if we tell them,” he replied. “I’ve never had much taste for airing personal business in public.”
Finally, she smiled. “Nico Amatucci, the model of discretion.”
“Something like that.”
“Just in case, now that I am working here, I think it’s important that you treat me the same as any other employee. Especially considering today’s headlines. No sense feeding the gossip.”
“You’re right.” A voice in his head, though, told him gossip was only part of her reason. There was something more to her distance. And not the need to spend time alone, as she’d claimed the other day. It was as if she feared the attraction simmering between them. He supposed he couldn’t blame her; the desire was stronger than anything he’d experienced before, as well.
“A regular employee,” he said, echoing her words. Now was not the time to push for more. “I’ll leave the hugs to your female friends. Speaking of, have you spoken to Dani?”
Louisa shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” Of course. The way she looked away said everything. She was embarrassed. In spite of his lecture yesterday, she still worried her friends thought less of her.
If I had friends. Her comment from earlier came rushing back, and his insides tensed with anger on her behalf.
“You should call her,” he said. “She’s worried.”
“I will. After I’ve settled in.”
“Good.” If she didn’t, he would tell Dani and the others to come visit. She needed to know she had friends on her side, that the people of Monte Calanetti cared what happened to her.
As much as he did.
They spent the rest of the morning touring the winery. Nico explained the entire winemaking process from when the lifts brought freshly picked fruit to the loading dock to the fermentation stage, when the wine aged in oak barrels, just as it had for hundreds of years.
Occasionally, they passed an employee who would murmur a quick hello and rush away. While Louisa pretended not to mind the chilly reception, the words if I had friends repeated in his head. All he could picture was her barricaded in her house, surrounded by garbage she was too afraid to take outside while the world stared at her in judgment. He refused to let that happen again, not while she was under his protection.
By the time they finished and she was settled in the rear office with a stack of orders that needed fulfilling, his anger was at the boiling point. He marched back into the processing room and straight toward Mario and Vitale. “You will be friendly and polite to Louisa,” he growled. “Is that clear?”
Both men nodded rapidly. He never raised his voice unless trying to yell over the machinery. “Good. You let the rest of the company know, as well. If I hear of anyone showing her disrespect, they will answer to me personally.”
The people of Monte Calanetti would warm up to Louisa, even if he had to make them.
CHAPTER FIVE
“I DON’T BELIEVE IT. You really are working here.”
Louisa froze in her chair at the sight of Marianna, Nico’s sister, standing in the doorway wearing a decidedly vexed expression. “When Dani told me, I thought she was joking,” she said.
Dani worked fast. Louisa had only called her best friend a few hours ago. Clearly the youngest Amatucci had rushed right over the second she got the news.
“It’s only a temporary arrangement,” she said. She managed to keep the defensiveness out of her voice, Barely. “I’m helping with order fulfillment.”
The brunette waved away the answer as she stepped into the room. Being in her third trimester, her pregnant belly entered a full step before her. “He better not be making you work for a free dinner the way he used to make me. I don’t care how wonderful a chef Rafe is, he’s not as good as euros in your pocket.”
She wanted Louisa to get paid? That was her concern? Louisa didn’t know what to say. “You mean you don’t mind my being here?”
“Why should I?” She eased herself into a nearby chair with a sigh. “Oh,” she said seeing Louisa’s expression. “You mean because the press said you two were dating.”
“Among other things.”
Again, the woman waved her off. “Who believes anything the newspapers say? Are those wine orders?” She motioned to a spreadsheet of names and addresses on the desk.
“Yesterday’s telephone orders.” Louisa grabbed the change of topic with more gratitude than she thought possible. “I haven’t printed out the internet orders yet.”
