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“You don’t like it,” Annika breathed, as if she had, just that very moment, watched him kick a puppy. Her puppy, when he knew full well she did not have one. Then as he gazed at her in his continued appalled astonishment, she stuck out her lower lip like a child. And if he wasn’t mistaken, set it to trembling. “You hate it, and that must mean you hate me. And what does that say about our love, Ranieri?”
Her voice grew shriller with every word. And Ranieri could see her intentions all over her face. The quivering lip. That look in her eyes, like she was fully prepared to go for broke.
He honestly had no idea what he would do if she broke down and sobbed.
Which he could tell she had every intention of doing.
Ranieri stood then, briskly enough that it made his oh-so-charming fiancée blink and take a step back, which was the first reasonable thing she’d done since arriving here today.
“Amore, you are overset,” he murmured in a low voice, and then, moving quickly, he scooped up the ridiculous pink plant in one arm while adroitly maneuvering his other arm around Annika’s shoulders.
Then he made what he hoped was a soothing sort of noise as he walked her—marched her—out of the conference room.
And this was not the time to notice what it felt like to have her that close to him. He didn’t touch her, as a rule. Especially not since he’d been bludgeoned by the hourglass figure she’d apparently been hiding all this time behind shapeless clothing. But it was impossible not to notice a few too many things about her as he swiftly escorted her from the room. That delicate scent that he tried to tell himself was hair product of some kind, but he knew better. It was a lotion she put on her skin when she was alone, perhaps, or maybe it was just her—a faint hint of something sweeter and better than the finest vanilla.
Out in the hall, Ranieri kept moving, striding with her toward his office, where he could deal with her without so many eyes on them. He kept his arm clamped around her shoulders, because he was passing too many curious underlings—all of whom pretended not to be studying them with avid interest.
He caught a glimpse of the spectacle they made as he marched them past one of the glossy interior walls, and gritted his teeth at the absurdity of it all. He felt like a dancing bear at the circus, which he assumed was her intent. But he was fairly certain she caught that same glimpse of their ungainly procession, because her delicate shoulders began to shake.
And when he ushered her into his office and then released her, he could see that she was laughing after all. Ranieri told himself that was marginally better than if she was crying.
This time, he wasn’t surprised when his temper swept through him, but he still had no intention of giving in to it. He left her by the door, because he needed to stop touching her, and stalked across the long, stark room that was built to be a clean, cool antidote to the busy city outside his windows. Then he set the infernal plant down on his desk with a thud.
And he took his time turning back to face her, because he could hear the little noises she was making, as if trying to stifle her laughter with her hands.
When he finally turned, that was exactly what she was doing. And for moment, he stopped and stared. Because she was so outrageous, he told himself.
But he knew it was something else. The teal dress and her hair swept back, though a dark tendril had worked its way free. In contrast to her usual messy-hair moments, this actually looked...inviting. Or maybe it was the fact that she was laughing, that she had bent over a little with one arm wrapped around her waist, which only seemed to call more attention to that astonishing figure of hers.
He really needed to get a hold of himself. It was not part of his plan to be attracted to Annika. He intended to marry her, not pant about after her.
The thought of panting after anyone was egregious enough that it sobered him. Quickly. He was Ranieri Furlan. He did notpant.
“Do you have any idea what that display will likely cost me?” he asked her, his voice wintry enough that she ought to have checked for snow.
She straightened, still laughing, and did not appear overly moved by his question. Or concerned about a sudden interior snowfall. Instead, she wiped at her eyes, still laughing softly. “Good thing, then, that you have more money than God.”
“I cannot imagine what could possibly have possessed you,” he began again, even more furious.
This time, when her green eyes met his from across the length of his office, they were shrewd. “Are you embarrassed? Angry, outraged, any or all of the above? Whatever will you do, Ranieri?” Her lips curved. “Or should I call you, Ranieri Berry?”
“If I ever hear that sickening phrase uttered aloud again, I will not be responsible for my actions, Annika. I hope you are hearing me.”
“I’ll be certain to say it in front of the paparazzi, then.” And she only smiled deeper when he tensed. “Is it too much for you yet? Are you ready to say uncle?”
Ranieri was familiar with that odd North American saying, though he would never have used it himself. Particularly not when his own uncles had embodied the very worst of the Furlan pride and all that entailed. It had gotten one of them killed. The other was currently a shell of a man, shuffling about in the tatters of his former glory somewhere outside Firenze.
But the meaning wasn’t lost on him.
“Do you think embarrassing yourself in my office will lead me to surrender?” He didn’t quite laugh. Not quite. “Oh, Annika. You don’t know me very well, do you?”
Her green eyes gleamed. But all she did was nod toward the pink monstrosity now cluttering up his glass desk.
“Enjoy the embodiment of our love,” she said softly. “And don’t let me keep you from the rest of your very important meeting.Amore.”
And he had no choice but to stay where he was as she turned around and sauntered out of his office. Actuallysauntered, with entirely too much confidence for a woman who had once limped into the reading of her father’s will.
He had no choice because he knew that if he went after her he would put his hands on her. And once that happened, he was not certain what would come next. And this was his place of business. It was as close to a cathedral as he got.
