Falling For Her Italian Billionaire. Annie Claydon

the paper. He wore a crisp white shirt with a tie, and dark trousers, and his demeanour suggested that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Clara brushed away the thought that his mouth was probably capable of turning solid rock into molten lava.

      ‘Morning.’ He gave her a smile, and Clara sat down at the table. ‘Would you like some coffee?’

      Clara shook her head. ‘You’ve been out to get yours?’

      ‘I can’t drink instant.’ He nodded to the jar of coffee that had been bought to replenish his empty cupboards yesterday.

      ‘So you decided to take a stroll and get some. Along with a morning paper.’

      ‘I brought coffee back for the night guards as well. I was going to get some for you, but I didn’t want to wake you.’

      His charm was working overtime. Liquid brown eyes that seemed to collude with her and invited her to collude with him.

      ‘You can’t do this, Gabriel.’

      ‘I just have.’ He shot her a penetrating look. ‘You’re not my keeper, Clara.’

      The words rolled off his tongue so easily, as if he’d come to the conclusion that no one was his keeper a long time ago. They’d be sure to hurt anyone who cared about him...

      Clara placed her palms on the table in front of her, leaning forward. ‘I am your keeper, because that’s what I’m paid to be. And if you think that bringing everyone coffee is going to make any difference, when you’ve just gone out of your way to demonstrate that my team can’t do their jobs properly, then you’re wrong.’

      She was taking a risk. But Gabriel wasn’t going to terminate the contract and order her out of the house. Even if he didn’t care to acknowledge the risks he was facing, he obviously cared about his mother and wouldn’t do anything to worry her.

      ‘It wasn’t the night guards’ fault. I take full responsibility...’ A flicker of genuine remorse showed in his face.

      ‘That’s not how it works, Gabriel. If some harm had come to you, they would have been held responsible. I won’t have them treated like that.’

      ‘All right. I hear you, and I apologise. But I won’t make this house into a fortress that I’m afraid to leave. It’s like...being buried alive.’

      Gabriel seemed suddenly hollow-eyed at the prospect. He had been buried alive. The details in his file were scanty, but basic facts had been noted. The accident that had killed his brother had trapped him underground for three days.

      ‘I hear you, too.’ She could feel his pain, hanging in the air between them and pounding in her chest. ‘If you’ll work with me, I’ll respect your wishes. Always and without question.’

      Suddenly he capitulated. ‘All right. I’d like to go in to the charity’s offices this morning, there are a few things I need to discuss with Alistair. If you can facilitate that, I’d be grateful.’

      Clara nodded, puffing out a breath. ‘Thank you. We’ll be ready to go when you are.’

      ‘Half an hour? I’ll make you some coffee. Instant, I’m afraid...’

      He’d made a concession and now wasn’t the time to tell him that coffee was the last thing on her mind. ‘Thank you. I’ll go and tell the guards and be back in a moment.’

      * * *

      Clara had seen Gabriel approach each one of the night guards before they went off duty, and had heard his apology. He’d thanked them for their night’s work and shaken their hands. It wasn’t necessary, they were all used to being treated like part of the furniture, but it was a nice thing for him to do and everyone appreciated it.

      She’d also seen the words that Molly had mouthed to Ian when she handed over to him. He’s so hot... Ian had delivered a smiling reproof. That wasn’t something that anyone needed to notice, and Clara should take the advice on board too.

      The charity’s offices were just ten minutes’ drive away. Quietly exclusive, the three-storey building looked out on a leafy square, bounded by iron railings. Gabriel waited until Ian opened the door of the SUV for him and followed him up the front steps. Once inside, he seemed to regain his momentum, giving the guard in Reception a brisk wave and striding through into an open-plan studio.

      ‘These are our main offices, and we have a development team upstairs, along with a meeting room. Our clinic is next door, and it also takes up the top floor of this building.’

      Clara knew that already. She’d seen the schematics for the two buildings. But Gabriel seemed to be intent on co-operation and she wasn’t going to discourage him.

      ‘Thanks. That’s useful to know.’

      He gestured towards a couple of glass-walled offices at the far end of the main space, one of which was occupied by a man who had sprung to his feet when they entered.

      ‘That’s my office and Alistair’s is next door...’ He broke off, greeting the man with a smile. ‘Alistair. This is Clara Holt. She’s closer to me than my shadow at the moment.’

      That was the aim. When she could keep up with him.

      ‘Nice to meet you, Clara.’ Alistair gave her a relaxed grin, and Gabriel hurried away, towards his own office. ‘We need to talk, Gabriel...’ he called after him.

      ‘Yes, we do. Be with you in a minute.’ Gabriel was sorting through the papers on his desk, obviously trying to find something.

      ‘Don’t let him run rings around you.’ Gabriel’s habit of doing the exact opposite of whatever he was meant to be doing clearly came as no surprise to Alistair. ‘Thanks for sending your colleague in to see us yesterday, by the way. It was a really useful session, and it’s good to know we’re bug-free.’

      ‘Thank you for being so...co-operative.’

      Alistair chuckled. ‘My pleasure entirely. You’ll find that Gabriel can be co-operative if he puts his mind to it.’

      Clara would wait and see about that. And meanwhile she’d watch and learn. It seemed that the two directors were a fusion of opposites, and if Alistair could get him to co-operate then there was hope for her.

      He turned as Gabriel shot back out of his office, making towards them. ‘Clara, feel free to use my desk, we won’t be long. Ready, Alistair?’

      ‘I have been for the last ten minutes.’ Alistair began to follow Gabriel towards his own office and then turned to Clara. ‘We actually might be a while. Refreshments are over there.’

      The guards outside would be making sure that no one who wasn’t supposed to be here would be finding their way past the reception area and Clara could watch and learn. She found a seat that gave an unobstructed view of both Gabriel and Alistair through the glass wall that divided the two offices. Alistair sat back in one of the easy chairs to one side of his desk, obviously listening. Gabriel was more animated. The conversation seemed to be getting heated and Gabriel rose and paced a little, then threw himself back into his seat.

      It was clearly a case of an irresistible force meeting an unmovable object. Just as Clara was wondering whether there would inevitably be an explosion of some sort, and whether it might be wise to take cover, Gabriel smiled and Alistair nodded. Peace was restored, only to be shattered again when they started in on a new topic of discussion.

      Sitting and watching. Waiting for nothing to happen and yet prepared for anything. Clara had become used to it, but Gabriel made it a lot less tedious. Something about the way he moved invited her to watch, and it was difficult to tear her gaze away from him and scan the office, as people filtered in to start their day’s work. Names would have been checked at Reception and her presence seemed to excite a studied lack of interest. Alistair had clearly already dealt with any questions about the situation.

      After two hours, it seemed that Gabriel and Alistair had run out of things to wrangle about and it looked