Italian Marriage: In Name Only. Kathryn Ross

again and waved her towards the chair opposite but still she didn’t move. She hadn’t understood a word he’d been saying on the phone but she’d noticed the way he had looked at her and her whole body was still tingling in consternation. He’d made her feel as if she was some kind of object being weighed up ready for auction and found wanting.

      How dare he look at her like that! Who the hell did he think he was?

      ‘So what exactly is going on here?’ Her voice wasn’t quite steady and she hated herself for that. She wanted to be in control, and she certainly didn’t want him to know just how nervous he made her feel. ‘I take it you’re the man behind this takeover deal for my restaurant?’ She tipped her head up proudly. ‘And that you’ve been hiding behind another company’s name?’

      ‘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