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‘I am Lancier. I own the company.’ He sounded completely at ease.
‘That’s as may be, but it’s a fact that you conveniently forgot to mention when you were in my restaurant today!’
‘I was in your restaurant to have lunch, not discuss business.’ He sat back in his chair and regarded her steadily. ‘As you know, my accountant, Tom Roberts, has been running the Australian side of my business. I’ve just flown in to look over things.’
‘And you’ve decided you no longer want to buy the lease on my restaurant?’ Her voice was softer now—all the anger and recriminations buried behind a far heavier weight of worry.
‘I’ve had second thoughts about the situation…yes.’ Antonio was distracted slightly as the child in her arms turned to regard him with steady dark eyes.
‘Do you mind telling me why?’ She whispered the question numbly as she transferred her son to her other hip.
For a moment the shapeless jacket was twisted to one side, revealing a glimpse of what appeared to be a very shapely body.
Antonio felt a dart of surprise and his eyes drifted over her more slowly, deliberately assessing her again—but the jacket was back in place now and it was hard to tell what her body was like under its baggy shape.
Realizing what he was doing, he stopped suddenly. This was about business, he reminded himself angrily, nothing else.
‘I was getting around to my reasons.’ He nodded towards the chair. ‘Sit down, Victoria.’
Their eyes clashed and he realized she had noticed his momentary interest and that she was blushing. He cursed himself.
‘Sit down, Victoria,’ he said again, and this time his tone was even more briskly businesslike.
Victoria did as she was told, her legs shaking. Had she just imagined that second bold assessment of her body? Her eyes met with his and the flame of heat inside her intensified.
How mortifying! She knew damn well that Antonio Cavelli was not remotely interested in her—that he was so arrogantly sure of himself that he probably looked at every woman in the same way. Yet here she was, blushing like a school girl! She needed to get a grip!
‘Have you read my business plan?’ she asked suddenly, angling her chin upwards again and meeting his gaze.
She was still blushing. Antonio found it quite amusing. He was used to sophisticated women of the world and her reaction to him intrigued him.
His gaze drifted over her face. And he found himself wondering abstractedly what she would look like without the glasses that were still perched on her nose—they completely dominated her face and did nothing for her.
‘Business plan?’ For a second he couldn’t remember what she was talking about. Then he remembered the folder her receptionist had handed to him earlier today. ‘Oh, that—no. I thought I made it clear this morning. Your idea isn’t something I would consider.’
‘But—’
‘Victoria, I have a plan that could bail you out with the restaurant but I’m on limited time here. I have an important meeting in twenty minutes so if we could press on.’ He leaned forward impatiently and she shrank back into her chair.
There was an aura of power about him that unnerved her completely, or was it that raw sensuality that seemed to blaze from his dark eyes? He was everything a man should be and more. The clothes he wore were expensive and sophisticated, his features chiselled in a ruggedly handsome way, the square jaw accentuating his masculinity. He made her achingly aware of her own femininity and inadequacies.
‘Tell me, are you married?’ he asked abruptly.
‘Married?’ The question took her completely aback. She shook her head in confusion. ‘No, why are you asking me that?’
‘And you live alone? There’s no man in your life?’ he pressed on.
‘That’s…really none of your business!’ she stammered. ‘What’s all this about?’
‘I’ll take that as a no, shall I?’ He brushed aside her question and then held up a hand as she started to interrupt him. ‘You’re right, it’s none of my business.’ He conceded the point easily. ‘The thing is, I have a proposition for you.’
She could feel her heart thudding unevenly against her chest. ‘What kind of a proposition?’
He caught the nervous look in her wide eyes and his lips twitched with amusement. ‘A strictly business proposition, I assure you.’
The dry note in his voice made her skin start to heat with embarrassed colour again. But she managed to hold his gaze defiantly. OK, he was making it clear that he wasn’t interested in her sexually—but she wasn’t interested in him either. All she cared about was her business. ‘Good, so perhaps you’d better make yourself clearer. Do you want to buy the lease on my restaurant or not?’
‘To be perfectly honest, I’ve never wanted to buy your restaurant. What I wanted was for you to vacate the premises. I have redevelopment plans for that area.’
The blunt reply wasn’t at all what she had expected. ‘You mean you want to knock the place down…?’
‘Pretty much…yes, but I’m prepared to be very generous to you, Victoria,’ he cut across her smartly, one eye on his watch. He couldn’t waste much more time on this. ‘What I’m proposing now is that I relocate your business to a position of your choice within the city. I will bear all costs including staff’s wages for the transitional period, fittings and fixtures for your new premises, plus advertising costs, and I will handsomely compensate you for the inconvenience. Shall we say double the amount of money we offered you in the first instance?’
Her eyes widened. ‘So what’s the catch?’ her voice was huskily unsure. ‘Why are you suddenly prepared to pay so much?’
‘Because I want something from you in return.’
Nathan was wriggling on her knee. He was bored and wanted to get down, but she held him where he was safely wrapped in her arms. ‘You mean apart from my allowing you to bulldoze my lovely restaurant?’
‘I think I’ve covered that with a more than generous offer,’ Antonio replied easily. ‘You’ll be financially made for life if I back you in your new venture. No, what I want from you is a little piece of your time.’
Her eyes narrowed on him suspiciously.
‘I’m in need of a wife.’
The statement was made so nonchalantly that at first Victoria wondered if she had heard him correctly. ‘Sorry, did you say…a wife?’
He smiled. ‘Don’t look so worried, this is a marriage for business purposes only. I don’t want you in my bed—and there will be nothing improper about the arrangement.’
Victoria shook her head and tried to gather her senses up from the fragmented emotions whirling inside of her. She knew full well that Antonio Cavelli was the type of man who could have any woman he pleased, and that she wouldn’t be on his list of most desirable females. ‘So…run this by me again. Why exactly do you need a wife? And why are you asking me to do this?’
‘I’m asking you because you’re convenient. I’m in need of a ready-made family for a short-term period without any strings or complications. You will do nicely.’ He reached for the calendar on his desk. ‘It’s a case of being in the right place at the right time,’ he added with a smile as he flicked through the pages.
‘Lucky me, then.’ Her voice was low and tight as she fought to suppress the anger rising inside of her. ‘But perhaps you’d care to explain in a little more detail exactly what these business reasons are.’
‘You don’t need to worry about details, Victoria.’ He reached for a pen on the desk. ‘It’s complicated and to do with a transfer of shares within my company. Nothing for you to concern yourself with.’
The patronizing tone made her head snap up and her eyes blaze into his. ‘Too complicated for someone like me…is that what you are trying to say?’
‘No, that’s not what I’m trying to say.’ He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. ‘You’re obviously an intelligent woman so let me rephrase that for you—it’s none of your business.’
There was a steely strength behind the words that let her know in no uncertain terms that he was the one calling the shots—and that he was only doing her a favour humouring her questions to a point.
She swallowed nervously but forced herself to continue. ‘I have a child to think about, Mr Cavelli—a child whose welfare comes first above everything else in my life. And I think as you are asking me to marry you I have a right to know exactly what is going on?’
He frowned. ‘I thought I made myself clear—this isn’t a real proposal. I am not interested in you or your child on a personal level—this is just business.’
‘Yes, you’ve made that point.’ Victoria’s cheeks started to turn a bright rosy red. ‘But I still need more information—’
‘The only information you need is that the arrangement is perfectly above board and that I will treat you and your son with the greatest care and respect for the time you are under my roof and legally my obligation.’
‘Under your roof…’ Victoria started to shake her head. The thought of spending time in the same house as this man made her senses fly into panic. ‘No…I don’t think so. It’s one thing putting my name on a piece of paper for you and quite another moving in with you.’
Antonio looked vaguely amused. There were women queuing around the block who were desperate to move in with him…women who would marry him in an instant with just the snap of his fingers. And yet this…plain woman was looking at him as if he were an ogre from the blue lagoon. Amazing!
However, it made her even more perfect for his requirements, he thought as he transferred his attention to the calendar again. He would never ask one of the women waiting in the wings to do this. It would be too fraught with emotional complications, and that was something he was determined to avoid at all costs.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll probably only want you for about…let’s see…’ Antonio paused to calculate how long it would take to transfer his father’s shares into his name. The old man would probably kick up a hell of a fuss but as everything was in writing…‘Say about a month—give or take a few weeks,’ he finished resolutely. ‘As soon as my business transaction is completed we can have the marriage dissolved and go our separate ways—no need to see each other ever again.’
The cool words whirled around like a cyclone inside of her. ‘You don’t have much respect for the institution of marriage, do you, Mr Cavelli?’
‘As I said before, this is business.’ Antonio looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. ‘But if the deal isn’t for you, then I’ll get someone else.’
Victoria nodded in relief. She really wasn’t comfortable with any of this. ‘I think that might be best.’
Antonio frowned and leaned back in his chair. He really hadn’t anticipated that! Most people would have snatched his hand off for this kind of money! ‘Best for whom—certainly not your son?’ His eyes drifted to the child on her knee. The little boy was playing with a button on her jacket, a look of absorbed concentration on his young face. Antonio couldn’t help noticing that the material of the jacket was rather worn, whilst the child’s clothes seemed new by comparison. ‘You do realize that this will make all the difference to his life, don’t you? It will mean private education and a nice home. And what’s your alternative? I’ve looked at your accounts, Victoria, and even by the most optimistic of calculations you only have two to three weeks left before your business folds and the bailiffs turn up at your door.’
She’d been in the process of gathering the child up and getting to her feet but she sank back down again now. ‘You mean the deal is off completely?’
‘What did you expect?’ He spread his hands.
‘I thought…I thought you might go back to your original offer for the place?’
Antonio made no reply, just shook his head and there was a steely expression on the handsome features now.
‘But you need me out of those premises, Mr Cavelli, you said so yourself.’
‘I can wait.’ His eyes held with hers calmly.
Desperately she tried to swallow down the panic that was rising inside of her again. ‘Well, I’m not going anywhere without a fight.’ From somewhere she found the strength to hold her ground.
Antonio couldn’t help admiring her spirit. But he really didn’t have the time or the inclination to be philanthropic and allow her to walk away. He wanted this deal wrapped up before his father got wind of his mistake and started to backtrack. Besides, this deal would benefit her in the long run.
‘Hard to fight without money, and believe me, Victoria, you don’t want to lock horns with me because you will be crushed.’
The hard cold words hit her like a punch.
In that moment she hated him—hated his arrogance and his confidence and his power. And more than anything hated the fact that he was right. She could bluster all she wanted but there was no way she could win a fight against this multimillionaire tycoon.
He noted the vulnerable look flickering over her young face and knew with the experience born from many a successful business deal that it was now time to reel her in. ‘Anyway, your loss. I’ll get my secretary to show you out.’
‘No!’ She stopped him before he could reach for the phone and he smiled at her, a light of triumph in the darkness of his eyes now.
‘I thought you’d see sense.’ He lifted his pen and put a red X on the calendar. ‘I have two hours free next Monday afternoon. We’ll sign the paperwork at two…get married at two-thirty.’
Victoria said nothing. The marriage wasn’t going to happen, she reassured herself fiercely. She was just agreeing with him to buy herself time. By next week she’d have found a way out of this. There had to be a way out—there just had to be.
CHAPTER THREE
‘THAT gorgeous guy is here again in the restaurant.’
Emma put her head around the door of Victoria’s apartment, a look of excitement on her young face. ‘And he says he wants to see you.’
Victoria didn’t need to ask her receptionist which guy she meant—she knew full well there was only one man who could cause such a flurry of excitement and she felt an immediate thrust of nervous anticipation.
It had been two days since she had seen Antonio. Two days and two sleepless nights since she had sat in his office and played for time by agreeing to his demand to become his wife.
Since then she’d been going over and over her accounts, looking for a means of escape. She was still sorting through the paperwork now, desperately searching for some solution. But so far she had found nothing and she was starting to feel more and more hemmed in by the stark option that had been presented to her. She either married Antonio Cavelli or she lost everything that she had ever worked for.
Icy cold panic swept through her at the thought. She wasn’t giving up without a fight, she told herself fiercely. Her glance moved from her receptionist back to the paperwork on her desk.
But what could she do?
‘He’s not here on his own,’ the receptionist continued. ‘He’s got two other men with him and a woman. They are going to have coffee in the lounge area.’
Maybe Antonio had changed his mind, she thought suddenly. Maybe he was here to see to other business. The idea made her feel much better.
‘Let me have a look.’ Victoria stood and went through to the hallway that linked her apartment with the restaurant. There was a small window in the doorway behind the reception desk and if she stood on tiptoe she could see Antonio Cavelli standing nonchalantly chatting with some other people.
When she’d lain awake in the darkness of the night there had been a part of her that had wondered if she had imagined how attractive he was, how powerful he was. She’d even wondered if maybe she’d mistaken his ultimatum—got the wrong end of the stick. This couldn’t be happening for real, could it?
But now, looking at him, she realized she hadn’t imagined anything. He was every inch the forceful, dynamic businessman in his expensive suit, his dark hair gleaming under the subdued lighting. The type of man who always got what he wanted. And, more worrying, even from this distance he seemed to exude a magnetising attractiveness that made her senses go into hyperdrive.
Frankly he scared her to death. She dragged her gaze away from him to scan the people who accompanied him—one she recognised as the accountant, Tom Roberts; the second was a man in his late thirties who was also wearing a smart suit and wasn’t bad looking but nowhere in the league of Antonio Cavelli. The third was a woman in her early twenties. She was very attractive—probably just Antonio’s type—long straight blonde hair and a figure to die for encased in a tight black pencil skirt and short cropped jacket.
Victoria looked away from her and back towards Antonio and as she did he glanced towards the doorway and their eyes met through the glass. The shock was intense and she stepped away from the window as if she’d been shot.
Maybe he hadn’t really seen her, she told herself calmly. And even if he had—so what!
‘You OK, Victoria?’ Emma asked from behind her.
‘Yes, of course.’ She tried to smile. But she wasn’t OK; she was anything but OK. Her heart was racing; she felt completely panic-stricken.
‘Shall I tell him you’ll be out in a minute?’
The question made Victoria glance down at her attire. She hadn’t planned to work in the restaurant this morning so she was just wearing an old pair of black trousers and a plain white T-shirt. She couldn’t go out there looking like this! But then she didn’t possess anything much better to change into. She hadn’t bought herself any new clothes for more than a year—hadn’t taken any wages out of the business, hadn’t done anything for herself. Any spare cash went towards getting Nathan all that he needed and keeping this restaurant up and running. And by the time she had paid her staff and Nathan’s nursery fees there was nothing left.
‘Tell him…tell him I’m busy doing office work and could we…reschedule…’ As she spoke she saw Emma’s eyebrows starting to rise.
‘Do I have to tell him that?’ Emma asked warily. ‘Somehow I don’t think he’s the kind of man you ask to reschedule!’
She was absolutely right, of course. Victoria bit down on her lip and moved back through to her apartment. She wanted to lock the doors and pull down all the blinds on her windows—that or run as far away from here as her shaking legs would carry her. There were times when it was brilliantly convenient having her living accommodation in with her work, but today was definitely not one of those days. ‘Tell him…’ The words froze on her lips. Antonio Cavelli was standing behind Emma in the doorway.
‘If you have something to tell me, Victoria, you can say it to my face.’
But Victoria didn’t say anything; she couldn’t, because she couldn’t find her voice.
Emma whirled around. ‘Oh, sorry, I was just on my way back to see you now.’
‘That’s OK.’ He smiled at the receptionist. ‘You can leave us now.’
Without even a glance in Victoria’s direction Emma hurried to do as he asked and closed the door behind her.
Hold on a moment, Victoria thought distractedly. This was her restaurant, her premises. Since when had her staff started taking orders from Antonio Cavelli! How was it he suddenly seemed to be taking over her life?
‘Is there a problem, Victoria?’ Antonio asked her calmly.
With supreme difficulty she pulled herself together. ‘The only problem is…you.’ She didn’t know where she got the strength to say that but she did, and she also managed to meet his cool dark eyes with defiance. ‘These are my private quarters. You have no right to barge in here like this!’
‘You should have come out into the restaurant quicker, then.’ He smiled. There was something quite endearing about the way she tried to face up to him—scared rigid, yet determined to fight. ‘Relax, Victoria. I’ve only called because we have business to sort out before the wedding next week.’
‘So…you still want to go through with that?’ Her voice suddenly sounded like a raw croak.
‘Of course, it’s all set.’ His eyes moved abstractedly over her appearance as he spoke. She wasn’t wearing any make-up and as usual her large glasses covered her face. Her hair was scraped back from her face in a way that did her no favours and just emphasized her pallor. As for her figure—that was hidden beneath clothes that were completely shapeless. The T-shirt looked a size too big for her, and the trousers were loose too. However, from what he could discern she did appear to have some pleasing curves hidden away under all that material, so he hadn’t been completely mistaken in his observations the other day. But why on earth did she dress like that?
The blatant assessment of her clothes and her body made scalding heat flood through her. How dare he zone in on her like that! Hurriedly Victoria snatched up a cardigan from the chair beside her and put it on, wrapping the volume of grey woolly fabric around her like a shield.
‘What on earth are you doing?’ he asked with some amusement.
‘I’m…making myself more comfortable.’ She glared at him, hoping he didn’t know how those bold masculine eyes of his had just turned her to jelly.
One dark eyebrow lifted sardonically.
Yes, he probably did know—just as she knew that his assessment of her was doubtless purely critical. She tried to look confident and unfazed but she was blushing uncontrollably now.
‘You do realize it’s about thirty degrees in here, don’t you?’ His glance swept away from her and around the apartment.
How on earth did she live in here? he wondered. It seemed to consist of just two rooms, which were neat and clean but incredibly basic. ‘Haven’t you got any air conditioning?’
The fact that he was now turning his critical attention to her home made her temperature rise even further.
‘Actually I have! But I haven’t switched it on today because I’m cold!’ In truth she hadn’t turned on the air-conditioning unit because she couldn’t afford to run it and she was trying to save money whilst Nathan was out at kindergarten. But pride made her lie.
‘Then you must be coming down with something,’ He located the control switch for the unit and strolled across to flick it on. And immediately cool air flowed into the room.
How dared he do that! she thought angrily. Who the hell did he think he was? ‘You’re right, I probably am coming down with something,’ she grated angrily. ‘I think it’s called a terminal case of cold feet, at the thought of having to marry you next week!’
He looked over at her and amusement flickered in the darkness of his eyes. He liked her fiery sense of humour.
‘Don’t worry about the ceremony—it will only take ten minutes.’
The nonchalant tone annoyed her even more. ‘I’m not worried about the ceremony! It’s the subsequent consequences of it that are concerning me!’
Wasn’t he in the least bit bothered about the enormity of what he was asking her to do?
‘I assure you the only consequences will be a healthier bank account and a better way of life for you and your son.’
Obviously not in the slightest bit concerned. ‘Money isn’t everything, you know,’ she muttered impulsively.
No one had ever said that to him before. One dark eyebrow rose and he smiled. ‘You’re right, of course. But it helps,’ he said. He glanced around the apartment again and reluctantly she found herself seeing it through his eyes, noticing how small and utilitarian it was.
‘And you need the help,’ he continued coolly. ‘You couldn’t live here for much longer anyway. For one thing you have a growing boy. He will need space to run and play.’
‘Nathan is only two years of age. I’ve plenty of time to think about that. In the meantime I’m bringing him up with love—and that’s all that really counts.’ She tipped her head up proudly, refusing to allow him to talk down to her.
‘Admirable, I’m sure. But love won’t pay the bills, will it?’