AllFreeNovel
Share Us
By some miracle, my face doesn’t meet the asphalt. Strong arms wrap around my waist and I’m pulled back against a solid body. For several long seconds, I just stand there, reveling in some stranger’s embrace. I breathe in his masculine scent. What is that? It reminds me of a sea breeze.
As I register how tight a hold this man has on me, I come to my senses. What would my grandfather say if he knew I was lingering in a man’s arms like this? He’d probably punish me for it. Shrugging off my rescuer’s grasp, I turn to face him.
“Thank you so much.” My mouth flaps open in surprise when I see who it is that saved me from falling. “SignoreGreco?”
“Emilia.” His eyebrows draw down and his lips purse tightly. If I thought he had any reason to be, I’d say he was angry with me. “What are you doing out at this time of night?”
My eyes widen at the sternness in his voice. Where has that come from?
“I… uh… what? It’s only ten-thirty.”
“Ten-forty.” He corrects me as if ten minutes makes all the difference. “But that’s not the point. You should not be wandering the streets alone.”
Affronted by the way he’s chiding me as if I’m a small child, I pull my shoulders back and lift my chin higher.
“I am not wandering the streets,signore. I just finished work and I’m on my way home.”
He tilts his head to the left as he studies my face.
“You were working this morning. I called you about the damned air con before breakfast.”
Why do I get the impression he thinks I’m lying about where I’ve been all day? Though it’s none of his business, I give a small shrug. “I started at eight.”
He arches an eyebrow, apparently waiting for some further explanation. I have no idea why he thinks he’s entitled to one.
“I worked all day,” I tell him. “My uncle needed me to cover for someone. I barely had a chance to catch my breath.”
“Unacceptable.” He shakes his head and mutters what I assume is a curse under his breath. “Your uncle should not be making you work such long hours or allowing you to walk home alone. Anything could happen to you.”
Now it’s my turn to furrow my brow. Why does it matter to him how many hours I work or how I get home? I don’t understand his attitude. This morning,SignoreGreco was polite and friendly, if not exactly warm. Now he’s stern and, frankly, sort of terrifying. It’s not just his demeanor that’s changed. Earlier, he looked like a typical tourist, here to soak up the sun. Tonight, he’s wearing a suit that probably cost double what my uncle pays me in a month. Now looking at that impeccable tailoring, I’d say it’s more like quadruple. His shoes are also expensive, fashioned from the finest Italian leather. It makes me wonder why he wasstaying in one of our cheapest rooms when our presidential suite is currently unoccupied. The man standing before me right now looks like he’s used to the best.
I guess it’s none of my business where he stays, just like it has nothing to do with him that I’m out here alone. As much as I want to tell him that, I know my uncle wouldn’t be happy about me being rude to a guest. Even if it’s outside of work hours, I need to remain civil, so I plaster my best customer service smile on my face.
“Thank you for your concern,SignoreGreco. I’ll get off home now.”
As I turn to walk away, he puts a hand on my arm. His grip isn’t firm, but it’s enough to hold me in place. I glance up to see his expression has softened fractionally. Some of the tension has gone from around his beautiful blue eyes.
“I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, Emilia. I saw you trip and was afraid you’d be hurt. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course.” I look down at where his hand rests on my arm. “It’s nothing.”
I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let me go. My pulse races and the first flutterings of arousal tease my intimate flesh. I shouldn’t get a thrill from being manhandled, but I do.
“Come, let me buy you a drink to make amends.”
It’s a tempting offer, but I really should turn it down. My grandfather will be waiting up for me. Besides,SignoreGreco is a guest at my uncle’s hotel. It doesn’t seem right to go for a drink with him, no matter how much I might want to.
“Thank you, but that’s unnecessary.”
His fingers tighten around my arm, and he glares down at me. Then, seeming to realize he’s overstepping, he loosens his grip and smiles softly.
“You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?”
“Disappoint you?”
“Yes, I want to spend some time with the most beautiful girl in Italy.”
Heat rises to my cheeks and only my ingrained good manners prevent me from laughing out loud.The most beautiful girl in Italy, I am not. Sure, I’m pretty when I make an effort, but right now I’m not looking my best. Dressed in a straight black skirt that falls below my knees and a loose-fitting white cotton blouse, I’m hiding the curves that might make my body alluring. With my hair scraped back into a low ponytail, I look incredibly plain. There isn’t a scrap of makeup on my face either. My grandfather won’t allow me to wear it. He says only loose women paint their faces and Ernesto Conti’s only granddaughter is no whore.
