She smiled at a secret memory and he felt strangely excluded. ‘The twins were so naughty, although I think Dario has settled down now.’
Exactly the topic he wanted. ‘The owner of ICE?’
‘Yes.’ She looked at him, surprise in her face briefly. ‘But then being in the same market, you know all about him, I’m sure.’
‘Not all.’ He laughed softly, anything to keep the anger from boiling over. ‘We are not competitors for business. Our products could complement each other’s.’
‘You should talk to him.’
‘Oh, I intend to, but now may not be a good time. Isn’t he about to launch his latest product? Maybe we shouldn’t be talking about it. There is, after all, client confidentiality.’
She smiled at him, her guard dropped by happy memories being in her home had evoked. ‘It seems you know anyway. It’s what I’ve been working on for the past two weeks, and with just two more weeks to go, it’s going to be a busy time. Just as well this interview should get you what you want. Then I can concentrate on that instead of playing the role of your fiancée.’
The barb hit home but he took it knowing he was finally getting to what he really needed to know.
‘He took over the company and made it into a bigger success, I believe. Highly commendable.’ Except for his ethics in pushing the company’s past dealings under the table without any compassion for those who’d lost and suffered due to being all but robbed by ICE. His parents weren’t the only ones. Finally he would get past Dario and confront those responsible.
‘I should arrange a meeting for you with him.’
This was too easy. She was telling him all he needed to know in order to finally achieve his goals, even offering to arrange a meeting with Dario. ‘I’d appreciate that.’
She stood up and looked down at him, and again he marvelled how the layers of her defences seemed to be coming away, almost before his eyes. How long would it be before he saw the real Bianca again?
He watched as she walked away to her room. He’d wanted to call her back, to pull her into his arms and tell her she didn’t have to be alone tonight when they finally returned to New York, that he would keep her safe, but he stopped himself just in time. She’d never be safe from him.
* * *
Just one more charade to get through and that would be the hardest one. She had to convince her grandfather that what she and Liev were doing was real, that they did love one another. Under no circumstances did she want him worrying about her when he was so ill.
‘This will mean a lot to my grandfather,’ she said quickly, her mask of indifference returning, even if only briefly. With her hand still in Liev’s, she made her way to the large lounge the family always entertained guests in.
‘I don’t want my grandfather tired. He is not well. All I want is to make his last days as happy and worry free as possible.’
She felt Liev glance at her as they walked but she didn’t dare look at him. If she did and saw sympathy in his eyes, she might dissolve into a heap of tears right here.
‘I will do my best not to upset him, although meeting your granddaughter’s fiancé can’t be easy.’
Bianca tried to remain calm and composed. She didn’t want her grandfather to see even a tiny hint that things weren’t right. He never said much, but he always noticed everything. She could see him sitting in his favourite chair, watching them. Did they create a picture of happiness? From the look on his face, she thought they might be achieving that at least.
Liev greeted her grandfather with a firm handshake, regardless of the fact that he wasn’t able to stand up and greet him properly. They sat together and she was aware of her grandfather’s scrutiny as they made polite conversation about the weather and the house.
‘You must make Bianca very happy.’ She blushed as he launched into the protective parent mode, straight to the point as always.
‘I hope so.’ Liev’s hand tightened around hers as he answered.
‘She has never brought a man home before. I’m not even aware that she has dated before.’
‘Grandfather,’ Bianca scolded him. Liev didn’t need to know such details, especially now, after he’d rejected her because of that innocence.
‘I’m just doing my job, Bianca.’ His words were as firm as an elderly man’s could be, but there was humour in his eyes. Whatever the test was, Liev had passed it.
She stood up, knowing they were tiring him. ‘We’ll leave you to rest now.’
He had nodded at her, obviously more exhausted than he was letting her know. Liev took her hand and they walked towards the double doors of the lounge.
‘Bianca.’
She turned as he called her name, her heart filling with love for the man who had raised her and protected her as best he could—and still was, if the past half an hour was anything to go by.
‘Any news on the bracelet?’
Inwardly she deflated. That was the worst thing he could have asked. Why hadn’t he done that when she’d gone to see him? Beside her she felt Liev stiffen and his fingers tightened on her hand.
‘Not yet, but I’m hopeful that it won’t be long.’
* * *
Liev felt Bianca become rigid at his side, felt her hand loosen its grip in his as if she wanted to escape, but he held hers tighter, keeping her right where he wanted her, right where he could find out exactly what was going on.
I’m hopeful that it won’t be long. Those had been her exact words.
He forced down the bile which rose in his throat. He’d wrung himself out with guilt at taking her virginity, felt lower than he’d ever felt in his life for using her so appallingly when she’d talked of her growing affection, telling him that their pasts meant nothing. Then she’d told him of her prom night, adding to that guilt. All that must have been part of her game plan.
She’d been desperate to get her hands on the bracelet, to give it to her grandfather. She’d bartered something as precious as her virginity. Would she now throw herself at him again, as their time together drew to a close, just to ensure she got the piece?
Disgust rushed over him, hotly followed by annoyance. He’d believed her declarations of growing affection, believed that maybe, if it wasn’t for his need to wipe out ICE, they could be lovers. She knew more about him now than many of his friends did. But obviously, he didn’t know enough about her.
‘We should change for dinner.’ Her voice was light, but he heard the guilt lacing through it.
He wanted to tell her dinner wasn’t a good idea and that he would be going straight back to his apartment in New York. But that first reaction gave way to a gut instinct which urged caution. If she could use him so shamelessly, he shouldn’t have any remorse or guilt about finding out about Dario’s new product—or using that information. He knew it was a phone, one that would revolutionise the market, but he had to know much more. Leaking half the story and expecting the share prices to fall enough for him to make a takeover was business suicide.
Despite what he thought of Bianca right now and the way she’d sold herself to him, he had to keep that connection going between them and, above all, put aside anything he’d begun to feel for her and remember his promise as he’d stood at his parents’ graveside over twenty years ago.
‘Maybe we can sort out our differences over dinner?’ He lowered his voice, keeping it smooth, effectively offering an olive branch to her.
She