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Sam was still asleep in the next room, sprawled on her belly in her new crib, flanked by both her teddy bears.
Tally smiled, bent down and pressed a light kiss to her daughter’s hair. Then she showered, put on a clean blouse but the same black suit and took a critical look at herself in the mirror.
She needed to buy clothes. If you looked successful, people assumed that you were. It wasn’t the best way to judge anyone but that was how it went, especially in this town.
Her pay would be based partly on salary and expenses, partly on the cost of the completed project. So far, no one had mentioned when she’d get a check. She hated to ask, especially because it was Dante she’d have to go to, but she’d have to work up to it, and soon.
Tally gave her image another glance, then took a deep breath. Maybe she’d be lucky and Dante would already have left for the day.
No such luck.
He was in the sun-filled breakfast room, seated at a round glass table with a cup of black coffee in his hand and the business section of the New York Times in front of him.
He looked up as Tally entered, and half rose from his chair. She motioned him to stay seated and went to the sideboard to pour herself coffee. It was easier to do that than to think about the fact that this was the very first time they’d had breakfast together.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep wel
l?”
She nodded. “Fine, thank you.” A lie, of course. She’d tossed half the night, thinking of him in a room just down the stairs. “Thank you, too, for having that baby intercom installed between my room and Sam’s.”
“No problem. Actually, I had monitors installed throughout the place. I thought it would make you feel more comfortable, knowing you could hear Samantha no matter where you were.”
“That was very thoughtful,” she said politely, and sipped at her coffee.
“Sit down and join me.”
There was no way to turn down the request, especially since he’d risen to his feet and was pulling out the chair opposite his. She thanked him, slipped into the chair and tried to concentrate on the coffee. It wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Dante was a major distraction.
He was—there was no other word for it—he was beautiful. Not in a feminine way but beautiful all the same, wearing what she knew was a custom-made dark-blue suit, a pale-blue shirt from the city’s most distinguished shirtmaker, and a maroon silk tie. His dark hair was curling and damp from the shower.
Another first.
They’d never breakfasted together, and she’d never seen him fresh from the shower. They’d had long bouts of incredible sex but afterward, he’d always dressed and gone home to shower. He preferred his own things, he’d told her. His soap, his razor, his toiletries, and she’d understood that what he’d really meant was that sex was one thing but showering was another, that he would only take intimacy just so far.…
“Tally?”
She blinked. Dante had pushed a vellum envelope and a leather-bound notebook toward her.
“Sorry.” She gave a polite little laugh. “I was—I was just trying to plan my day.”
“I’ve already planned some of it for you. I hope you don’t mind, but I want you to get up to speed as quickly as possible.”
“Oh. Oh, no. I want that, too.”
“There’s a check in the envelope. Call it a signing bonus. If it isn’t enough—”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re going to work hard to earn your money. You’ll find your appointments for today listed in the notebook. For right now—” Dante glanced at his watch, pushed back his chair and rose to his feet “—I have to get going. Carlo will take you to the office.”
“Your driver? Won’t you need him?”
“I’m flying to Philadelphia. I’ll take a cab to the airport.”
Philadelphia. How long would he be gone? Would he be back by evening? It was better if he weren’t. Then she wouldn’t have to imagine returning here, seeing him, saying something banal as she went to the guest suite and he went out because he would go out, wouldn’t he? There had to be a woman in his life. He was too virile a man to be without one.
