Knowing absolutely nothing about Claudia other than what Felix had chosen to tell her—and today’s events had shown that contained huge omissions—Lily couldn’t be sure of anything. Least of all whether, if it came down to a choice, Claudia’s loyalties would ultimately lie with her brother or with Felix, the man she’d claimed to have fallen in love with.
Dmitri easily read the dismay and uncertainty on her expressive face. Emotions he deeply regretted causing. But until Claudia was returned to him—hopefully unmarried—he could not afford to allow those feelings to shake his resolve. ‘Cheer up, Lily,’ he said gently. ‘I mean you no personal harm, and I am sure that you will find the Palazzo Scarletti a far more comfortable accommodation than your brother’s apartment.’
Her eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘A gilded cage is still a cage!’
Dmitri sighed his frustration with her continued stubbornness. ‘Why do you persist in fighting me like this?’
She shrugged slender shoulders. ‘Probably because I resent your unbelievable arrogance.’
He winced at her continued honesty. Nor did he have any defence against the accusation; he was arrogant.
He had been only twenty-one years of age when he’d inherited the title of Count Scarletti, with all the responsibilities that accompanied it—the Scarletti business empire, the numerous properties and the servants necessary for the upkeep of them—as well as guardianship of his much younger sister.
Obviously his father had tried to prepare Dmitri for that eventuality, but neither of them had expected that day to come as soon as it had—and a twenty-one-year-old as head of the Scarletti family and its business empire had been an obvious target for business rivals, as well as for criticism from the older members of his own family. At the time, Dmitri’s only means of defence had been to adopt the arrogant hauteur with which his father had previously dealt with such threats. It was a lesson that he had learnt well. Perhaps too well. But that arrogance of purpose was the only way he had known in which to ensure that the Scarletti business empire and its properties would remain firmly in his possession.
As a consequence he was unused to explaining himself or his actions to anyone—and he certainly never apologised for any of them. Business rivals and family alike would only see that as a sign of weakness on his part. Which left him with no choice now but to allow Lily to go on resenting him.
He straightened. ‘Perhaps you would care to see your suite of rooms?’
Lily wanted to tell him exactly what he could do with his suite of rooms! Except it would ultimately make no difference what she said to this man: Dmitri Scarletti had decided she was to remain here at the palazzo as his ‘guest’, and she already knew him well enough to know that was exactly what was going to happen.
Nevertheless she raised her chin in challenge. ‘I could just open one of the windows in my bedroom once I’m alone and scream bloody murder.’
‘You could,’ he drawled. ‘Except all the windows in the palazzo are locked at this time of year, in order to conserve the central heating, and the glass is of a special thickness designed to eliminate the sounds from inside as well as out.’
Which explained some of that eerie feeling of being completely removed from the rush and bustle that was Rome. ‘And I suppose the door inset into those huge wooden doors at the front of the palazzo is the only way in or out of here, and you need to put in a security number to open it?’ Lily scorned. Her scorn turned to uncertainty as Dmitri made no reply but just continued to look at her with those pale green eyes. ‘It is … ?’
He shrugged. ‘The palazzo was built in the sixteenth century. At the time those fortifications were designed to keep invaders out, but I am sure they will work equally as well in reverse,’ he added unapologetically.
Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!
Lily shook head. ‘What about the servants here? Aren’t you going to find it a little difficult explaining my presence to them once I make it perfectly obvious that I’m not staying here by choice?’
He quirked one dark brow. ‘I am sure I have already mentioned to you that Claudia and I were expected to leave for our home near Venice today.’
‘Yes. So?’
He gave another shrug of those impossibly wide shoulders. ‘It is our custom to leave Rome at this time of year, which frees the staff at Palazzo Scarletti to depart and spend Christmas with their own families. Which they have already done …’
Which would further account for the silence she had experienced earlier when she’d first stepped inside the palazzo! ‘What about Marco?’
‘Marco has also left to be with his family, now that you have been safely delivered to the palazzo.’
‘Are you saying we’re completely alone here?’
He eyed her quizzically. ‘You have a problem with that?’
Yes, of course she had a problem with it! Being an unwilling guest here was bad enough, but now it transpired that she was completely alone here with the dark and dangerous Dmitri!
Those earlier butterflies in her stomach began to do a tap dance. ‘It’s not exactly an acceptable arrangement, is it?’ she quavered.
‘In what way is it not acceptable?’
Apart from her own feelings in the matter?
Had he been quite this close to her a minute ago? Lily wondered nervously as she suddenly found herself gazing up into eyes that were now only inches above her own, allowing her to see the darker green shards of colour that fanned out from the black of the iris, and the incredibly long length of his dark lashes. Being this close to him, she also couldn’t help noticing the sexy five o’clock shadow that darkened the squared strength of his jaw, and smell the light freshness of the cologne that he wore. He possessed an earthy maleness that even now was curling insidiously into Lily’s bloodstream, warming her, and at the same time making her totally aware of just how devastatingly attractive he was.
Lily was unable to look away from his compelling gaze as she moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘Some people might … misinterpret the two of us being here alone together,’ she murmured.
‘Like who?’ Dmitri slowly raised one of his hands to lightly cup one of her cheeks.
‘Stop being deliberately obtuse, Count Scarletti,’ she snapped, unable to move while at the same time unnerved by his touch.
‘I have already invited you to call me Dmitri,’ he said. ‘It would please me if you did so.’
‘Strange as it might seem, I’m not particularly interested in pleasing you,’ she said sarcastically. ‘I’m sure there must be some woman in your life who might take exception to you being alone here with me.’
‘Some woman?’
Lily’s mouth tightened at the mockery in his tone. ‘You’re perfectly well aware of what I mean!’
‘Yes, I am.’ He gave a slow smile. ‘And there are no women in my life at present, Lily.’ He lifted a silky strand of her hair before slowly allowing it to glide across his fingers. ‘But perhaps there is a man in England who would not approve of you being alone here with me?’
Lily thought briefly of Danny, and just as instantly dismissed him; despite his belated good wishes for the holidays she knew that relationship was well and truly over. ‘I’m the one who doesn’t approve of being alone with you!’ she said.
‘Is this colour natural?’ Dmitri’s gaze followed the path of his fingers as they combed lightly through the hair at her temple.
It was the very lightest of caresses, and yet it was enough to