‘Goodnight, Santino, and thank you again for a lovely evening.’
He ignored the hint, and, leaning across, opened the door for her before the doorman had a chance, and then he stepped inside and insisted on escorting her to the lift.
As they waited for the elevator Santino felt as if the volcano Kate had been stepping around all night was ready to blow. She had agreed to give him a few days of her time, nothing more. It was an insult to his pride.
She had wanted him to kiss her, and was still smarting from the fact that he hadn’t. But he wouldn’t allow himself to be lured into a honey trap by a woman he suspected of deception. Whatever happened between them would be on his terms. Whatever she was hiding he would find out. Until then it pleased him to observe and bide his time.
It was on occasions like this he realised that his childhood had imbued him with certain advantages. The sudden departure of his mother and death of his father had forced him to learn how to survive on his wits. He had become unusually perceptive, which accounted for his meteoric rise in the world of business. That and the fact that he’d had nowhere to go but up.
He wasn’t about to throw everything away on a woman—even if that woman was Kate Mulhoon. He was always alert to the possibility of scandal, or a trap, and Kate was condemned by her own hand. She had been quite prepared to kiss him when there was clearly someone waiting for her back home. And if she had considered betraying that individual, why not him?
‘Santino—’
‘Yes?’ He was standing in the shadows where his thoughts were unreadable, whereas Kate was in a pool of light cast by one of the elaborate chandeliers. It gave him chance to examine her face. She was beautiful in an unaffected way. And he wanted to believe that her beauty was more than skin deep, but past experience warned him that was unlikely.
The lift bell rang and the doors slid open, which was a cue for her to hold out her hand in the formal manner for him to shake.
‘Thank you again, Santino,’ she said coolly.
At first he was affronted by her composure; her voice so detached and aloof. For a moment he thought he might have read her wrong, but when he brought her hand to his lips he felt her tremble.
CHAPTER SEVEN
KATE was glad Caddy had decided not to wait up for her. She didn’t want to relive every moment of an evening that had left her so confused. In order not to disturb her cousin she closed the door carefully, with a barely discernible click.
There were so many shadows in her past and so many secrets she could hardly bring herself to face, let alone confide them to Santino, and none of this was easy to share. How could she admit to Caddy that she had wanted Santino to kiss her and that he almost had, but for some reason had pulled back? How could she admit how disappointed she had been? Santino knew she wanted him, and his response had been to reject her; she couldn’t be more humiliated.
But at least the business side of things had gone well. She had been given all the assurances she had asked for regarding Caddy’s position. So at least there was nothing wrong with her business acumen even if her judgement when it came to her personal life remained severely flawed.
She knew she had to tell Santino that he was Francesca’s father. But the longer she left it, the harder it would be. She still wanted to know more about him before she could trust him with Francesca’s future. She could only hope that working alongside him would give her that opportunity—
‘Kate? Is that you?’
Kate’s breath caught in her throat as Caddy’s sleepy voice reached her from the bedroom.
‘Yes, it’s me … I’m sorry I woke you—’
‘Did you tell him? Did you tell Santino about Francesca?’
It was Caddy’s first thought too. Of course it was.
‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Go back to sleep now, Caddy. You’re due back on the lot in just a few hours …’
The next morning Kate was relieved when Caddy didn’t mention their brief conversation in the middle of the night. But she knew Caddy suspected something was up, and the name Santino Rossi hung in the air between them like an unspoken threat.
‘Where’s my suit?’ Kate asked when they were both getting dressed. ‘I’m sure I left it in the bedroom, and now it’s gone.’
Caddy’s gaze slid away.
‘Where is it, Caddy?’ Kate pressed, her suspicions growing. Half of her was glad they could be discussing mundane things like what to wear, while the other half of her was on the point of panic. She didn’t need things going wrong in the one part of her life she could usually rely on to provide her with an anchor. Work had been her saviour on so many occasions, allowing her to immerse herself in a world that left her with little time to dwell on the past.
‘When I saw it hanging over the chair I thought you must have left it out for cleaning,’ Caddy said, reclaiming Kate’s attention. ‘I sent them both to the laundry, just to be on the safe side—’
‘Both my suits?’ Kate exploded, knowing she was overreacting for reasons she couldn’t explore now. ‘What am I supposed to wear to work?’
‘Calm down,’ Caddy said, putting an arm around her shoulder. ‘You’re going to wear something fabulous from my wardrobe—’
‘I’m going to work, not a première,’ Kate pointed out, raking her hair with exasperation.
‘Thanks for reminding me about your hair,’ Caddy said, refusing to be dismayed. ‘You know, you should have highlights—’
‘Not a chance.’ Kate was already scraping her hair back as a prelude to tying it securely out of the way.
‘A trim, then?’
‘I’m happy with my hair the way it is. What’s Santino going to think if I turn up for my first day at work with a new haircut and wearing your paint-me-on jeans?’
‘So, do you care what Santino thinks?’
Yes, she did, and that was the trouble.
‘Perhaps you’re right about the jeans,’ Caddy admitted thoughtfully.
‘I know I am. Look, you’d better call Housekeeping and see if they can return my suits—’
Caddy’s response was to walk across the room and delve into her collection of exclusive carrier bags. With a cry of triumph she plucked out a dress made from the softest cashmere. In a wonderful soft buttery gold colour, it was a simple tube of a dress with nothing that Kate could take exception to. The sleeves were long and slightly bell-shaped and the length was respectable. The neck was high and slashed, showing some flesh, but nothing too revealing.
‘It’s absolutely gorgeous, but not for me,’ Kate said firmly. ‘And you haven’t even worn it yet,’ she added.
‘It’s no big deal if you borrow it for one day. And as you’ve got nothing else to wear.’
She was in a corner, and Caddy knew it. The hotel had proved to be so efficient in every way Kate couldn’t imagine the laundry service would let it down. Her suits wouldn’t be returned for another twenty-four hours and she had to wear something.
‘And don’t forget these,’ Caddy insisted.
‘No,’ Kate said flatly. Caddy’s enthusiasm had to be curbed somehow. She was holding out a pair of fabulous cream suede boots. Close fitting to the knee with a medium-height heel, they laced up the side and were finished with a buckle. The brand name on the box was enough to tell Kate they had cost a small fortune.
‘Why not?’ Caddy shook them provocatively.
‘They’re