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He frowned, his eyes, usually so clear, clouded and confused, she almost didn’t like to see it.
‘Hong Kong,’ he said, as if trying to find a tether to hold onto in the conversation that was clearly difficult.
‘Hong Kong was a roaring success. We finalised the deal with Kai Choi, went for dinner with him and his team to celebrate, and then I returned to my hotel room and you returned to yours. I’m not exactly sure why we would need to share that with HR.’
‘So, nothing happened?’
‘Nothing happened.’ It couldn’t have. Because she couldn’t have been that person. Shame and guilt—and the traces of a desire so heavy it still ran in her veins—made her just a little dizzy.
Alessandro nearly reached out a hand to Amelia as she swayed a little. But she flickered an angry gaze at where his hand twitched and he stopped himself just in time.
Because, of course, grabbing her right now, putting his hands on her was anexcellentidea.
Alessandro was really beginning to dislike his inner voice, though he could hardly argue with being called a fool. He opened his mouth to object to Amelia’s statement. Because there was something inherently wrong about her denying that night had happened. Denying that what they’d shared had happened. Because it had.
Unlike Gianni, Alessandro stayed out of the limelight. His photograph was never in the newspapers, his name only appearing in print if linked to his cousin. He was not instantly recognisable to the person on the street, and were they ever asked if they knew of him, their answer would be ‘Alessandro who?’ His privacy was a closely guarded thing, so Alessandro could perhaps forgive Amelia for thinking that he did this kind of thing all the time. Not with staff—no, she had at least, thankfully, acknowledged that it was unusual for both of them.
But beyond that, the last time he had shared a bed with someone had been... He tried to think back. Years? Certainly more than two. He was incredibly discerning in his choice of partners, in what attracted him, which was why he had been so shocked to find that Amelia, the perfect employee, who on the surface could have defined English ‘plainness’, had grabbed his attention and yanked on it, leading him into a night that had proved as unforgettable as it was indescribable.
So he was about to reply, to refute her statement, to tell her that he knew it wasn’t just him affected by that night, that he wanted more, to tell her all of the most asinine things that it had never once occurred to him to say to another human being before now, when the doors to the lift opened and Amelia practically ran out into the foyer.
‘Amelia,’ he called after her as she hurried towards the exit, no longer caring who saw or heard him.
‘See you tomorrow, Mr Rossi,’ she called over her shoulder without looking back.
He stood, in the centre of the atrium, watching her leave through the main entrance to The Ruby and thought,yes. Hewouldsee her tomorrow. And this time, he’d not let her run away, because he hadn’t missed the way that her breath had caught, that her pulse had flickered, and her skin had crested pink with desire. It wasn’t just him in this madness. It couldn’t be.
He was brought back to earth by a ringtone reserved exclusively for his cousin and could only imagine what Gianni would say when he confessed his sin of sleeping with a junior member of staff. Their lawyers would have a field day.
‘Gianni, how—?’
‘Andro, listen, I don’t have much time.’
‘Okay, but what’s the—?’
‘Amelia Seymore,’ Gianni interrupted. ‘She’s Thomas Seymore’s daughter.’
‘What?’ Alessandro demanded. ‘I can’t hear you properly.’ Hecouldn’thave heard Gianni properly. It was just the crackle on the line.
‘Listen to me, Amelia Seymore is a traitor. She’s been...spy this whole time. She’s...with her sister to destroy us.’
‘Amelia Seymore?’ Alessandro repeated like an idiot, the line was so bad, but he knew if he wanted to he could read between the crackle.
‘Yes! Seymore. The...project is compromised.’
‘Which project?’ he demanded, but he realised Gianni hadn’t heard his question.
‘And listen, she claims to have found some kind of proof of corruption against us.’
‘Corruption? What corruption?’ The line was getting even worse. Frustration and incredulity were vying to escape the tight fist he had on his emotions.
‘I don’t know, but...the messages I read, Amelia...found evidence of corruption... I’m in the Caribbean with her sister. I’ll...and stop her communicating with anyone and causing any more damage. Can you deal with Amelia? This needs to be nipped in the bud and damage limitation undertaken immediately.’
‘Consider it done,’ Alessandro growled darkly.
‘I maybe out of reach for a while, but I’ll try and get a message to you when I know what’s going on.’
‘Likewise. Speak soon, cousin.’
