‘Don’t you trust me to be your guide? I am a Roman …’
‘As if there could be any doubt,’ she told him as the bus chugged closer to the floodlit Colosseum.
It was the closest she’d come to flirting with him. That thought soothed his wounded pride and filled him with another sort of emotion altogether. Which was somewhat short-lived, because now her face was deadpan again.
It was a long time since he’d had to think about his city’s history, but for Kate he’d make the effort. He settled down and pointed towards one of the yawning gaps in the ancient walls. ‘Can you see the arena down there?’
She shuddered involuntarily. He didn’t blame her. Parts of the ancient building were practically intact. All that was missing was the roar of the bloodthirsty crowd.
She shivered again.
‘Are you cold?’
‘No, I’m fine,’ she lied. There was a chilly breeze and so he shrugged off his jacket.
‘No, thank you, I’m warm enough,’ she lied again, seeing what he was about to do.
‘You’re only wearing a lightweight suit,’ he pointed out, draping the jacket round her shoulders.
‘And what about you?’
He wasn’t aware of anything other than the need to take care of her and that was dangerous. ‘I can’t have you catching cold after a night out with the boss.’ He kept it impersonal. Time to give them both a reminder that this bus trip was only a rather unusual sidebar to a business meeting.
‘Are you worried I’ll be late in tomorrow?’ Both her voice and her grey eyes surprised him by turning warm with amusement and his lips tugged with pleasure at the thought that she was going to be working for him—for a few days at least. He couldn’t remember feeling this way about work, or about a woman, ever.
As they passed another ancient ruin she reached for her headphones. ‘You’re supposed to be my tour guide,’ she reminded him as she started to untangle them.
‘And so I am …’ He gently prised them from her fingers. And had to fight the urge to hold onto her hands a little longer.
‘We’re passing the Temple of Vesta,’ he informed her to break the sudden tension. He put the headphones on the seat between them, easing away to put some space between them. Did she ever think about that night? And how was he supposed to remember his history with that sort of erotic distraction playing on his mind?
He kept it short. Rome was so closely packed with antiquities they’d be on to the next one if he didn’t keep it brief. ‘The temple was a cruel place. Girls as young as six were chosen from some of the best families in Rome and taken to live at the temple. Their young lives were stolen from them—’
Kate’s heart contracted as Santino started to explain the ancient traditions and her mouth had turned completely dry by the time she managed to force out, ‘Really?’
Thankfully Santino didn’t appear to notice her sudden change of attitude.
‘The Vestal Virgins were selected for their beauty …’ He paused as she turned to look at him.
‘Go on, don’t stop,’ Kate prompted.
There was a time when she had said those words to him under very different circumstances and it was hard for him to concentrate on the history lesson when her fragrant breath was sweeping his mouth. He had to stop himself staring at her lips. ‘The Vestals’ task was to keep the fire burning inside the temple.’ As her fire had burned inside him for five long years. ‘Each of them spent ten years in training, ten years as Vestals and ten years training novices before they were allowed to leave the temple. Then they could get married—’
‘And live happily every after?’
‘Irony, Kate?’
As if she had just realised there was a very small space between them she pulled back, and he turned away. In his head the bitter side of life had overtaken the sweet, exposing it for what it was—a panacea, a lure, a chimera, a deception. ‘The life of a Vestal wasn’t without risk.’ His voice hardened. It was as if he had to spoil it for her. ‘If one of them broke her vow of chastity she was buried alive in Campo Scellerato, the Field of Villains, and her lover was flogged to death in the Forum.’
‘That’s horrible.’
‘That’s Roman history. You can’t hold me directly responsible.’
‘I think I know that, Santino.’
Her cheeks were flushed, but she held his gaze. The fact that she stood up to him was a novelty and gave him a charge.
‘I can’t believe people could be so cruel.’
‘Oh, they can, believe me.’ He held her gaze long enough to get a reaction and was curious when it slid away as if she was hiding something from him. They sat in silence for quite a while after that and then she surprised him by touching his arm.
‘You look sad,’ she said. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Sad?’ Disappointed yet again by a woman, perhaps. He shrugged it off. ‘Momentary lapse.’ But when he stared into her eyes this time he noticed how her glance wandered to his lips. They were so close together their lips were almost touching. Instead of pulling away she remained quite still. She expected him to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. But he would choose the time, not Kate.
His rebuff made her tense and withdrawn, and she didn’t sit still again after that.
‘How far is it to the Hotel Russie now?’ she said as the bus turned a corner.
She was already restless as it slowed in preparation to take on board another group of tourists and he could tell she was itching to get off. ‘We can walk there in about ten minutes from here, if that’s what you want to do?’
‘Yes, please. I do …’
She was already up and waiting for him to get out of her way so she could make good her escape. He stood and let her go past him in the narrow aisle and then she hurried down the steps. The moment they stepped onto the pavement she was looking up and down the street as if trying to orientate herself.
‘Which way is it?’ she murmured, half to herself.
‘I’ll take you.’ But she didn’t even hear him. She was off like a hare from the trap and when he caught up with her he had to point out she was going the wrong way. She turned without comment and he had to swing into a brisk walk to keep up with her.
But there was only so much dogged independence he could take. He let her get ahead, and when she finally realised he wasn’t there any more and stopped to look for him he held up his hands, palms flat. ‘I don’t know what’s got into you, Kate. I only hope it doesn’t get in the way of your work.’
‘I haven’t let anyone down yet,’ she assured him, keeping her eyes fixed on her goal—which was the Russie.
‘Don’t make this a first,’ he warned. ‘When I hire the best I expect top class results.’
‘You’ll get them.’ She walked faster. ‘I’ve no intention of letting you down.’
‘Good,’ he said, striding casually along by her side. ‘Just checking.’
It would have suited Kate at that moment to bury her head beneath the pillows at the hotel and forget the evening with Santino had ever happened. It was agony wanting Santino to like her when that made her so weak. Like her? She was kidding herself; she wanted him to want her.
So much for their dinner date being nothing more than a business meeting! If she could be honest