Dante pushed to his feet, because the restlessness and annoyance that deluged him wouldn’t allow him to remain sitting.
‘Why would I want to try and take her away from you? Don’t you think—to use an English expression—that would be rather like shooting myself in the foot? I can see that she adores you, and you her. From what I’ve seen you’ve done an admirable job of raising her by yourself. But I’m sticking by my original conviction that she needs her father in her life too. She needs two parents…which is why I said we should marry.’
‘Why would you want to tie yourself to a woman you knew for just one night?’ Anna’s voice was slightly husky as she asked this, and a tiny perplexed crease puckered her brow.
‘Because that one night resulted in a child…a child I didn’t even know about until yesterday!’ He drove his hands into his trouser pockets as he moved away from the desk, briefly presenting her with his back.
Was the impression he’d left her with so poor that she hadn’t considered even for a moment trying to contact him? It didn’t make Dante feel very good or wanted. It just made him mad. Briefly thinking of his father and his ex, he wondered what rare quality he had that made it so easy for people to walk away from him. And to make them think he wouldn’t be concerned about his own flesh and blood.
‘Dante?’
Garnering his composure, he turned back to face the striking redhead on the other side of the desk.
‘What is it?’
‘I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t quite know how to put it, but I did initially try to contact you when I found out I was pregnant. I did find out your name, and I even looked you up on the internet.’
‘And?’ Dante interjected impatiently, his heart thudding.
‘Your reputation was quite—quite intimidating. To be perfectly honest, it worried me. I didn’t even know if you’d remember me, let alone believe me when I told you I was pregnant. Anyway…’ Glancing away, Anna heaved a sigh. ‘I decided perhaps it was best after all if I didn’t contact you. But some months after Tia was born the conviction that you had a right to know about her took hold of me again. For days I followed every lead I could to try and track you down, but it was as though you’d disappeared. Of course now I realise that it was because you’d changed your name. I went back to believing that maybe it had never been on the cards that we should meet again. In any case, for all I knew you could have married and had children with someone else. And besides…that night we were together you did tell me it was a one-time-only thing and that I had to accept that…remember?’
Dante remembered. He sombrely reflected on how he’d regretted that over the years. There had been many lonely nights when he would have been thrilled to have Anna in his arms again. But, to be brutal, at the time all he could have offered her was sex. Not even companionship had been an option. Not after his mother’s death. He’d been in too dark a place to take anyone there with him. But it still hit him hard that because of his ruthless reputation Anna had been frightened of trying to make contact. And later, when she’d wanted to try and find him again, he had changed his name back to Dante Romano. He could no longer blame her for anything. Everything that had happened was his fault.
‘We cannot turn back the clock. That is beyond even my power, ruthless reputation or no.’ His lips twisted ruefully. ‘What has happened in the past has happened, and all we can do now is face what’s in front of us today. Besides…our personal issues probably shouldn’t be discussed in work time. We’ll talk tonight, as previously agreed. Right now I have an interview to conduct.’
He sat down again, automatically switching his brain to work mode. He’d turned that ability into a fine art over the years whenever emotions had threatened to swamp him. The woman sitting opposite him was silent.
‘Anna? ‘
For a moment she seemed troubled. But then the corners of her pretty mouth curved into a smile.
‘You mean you’re not going to call me Miss Bailey any more? ‘ she teased.
The look on her face was somewhere between angel and imp, and Dante all but groaned—because it was as though someone had shot a flame-tipped arrow straight into his loins. A charged memory of her whispering softly into his ear and moving over his body, erotically sliding her mouth over his as her long hair, carrying its scent of oranges and patchouli, drifted against him surfaced powerfully.
‘When we’re working together, and in the company of our colleagues, I may from time to time call you Miss Bailey. When we’re alone.’ his voice lowered meaningfully ‘.I’ll call you Anna.’
‘Right.’ Beneath her flawlessly satin skin, a soft pink bloomed like a summer rose.
Gratified that he still had the power to discomfit her, Dante couldn’t help the smile that escaped him.
‘We’ll carry on then…yes? ‘
‘Yes, all right.’ She straightened her back, but her expression seemed transfixed and he had to prompt her again.
‘Anna? ‘
She patted down her hair.
‘Sorry. To answer your question—my first responsibility is to the manager…to help support him in fulfilling the hotel’s promise of delivering an impeccable service to the customer.’
‘And how do you and Mr Cathcart get on? Do you communicate well? Are there any problems there, for instance?’
‘There aren’t any problems. Jason—Mr Cathcart and I have always got on. He’s kind and fair… just like his parents.’
‘So you like him?’
‘Yes, I like him. We work very well together.’
‘Good…that’s good to hear.’
Twirling his pen absently between his fingers, now it was Dante’s turn to fall into a trance. Studying the arresting face before him, the face that had haunted his sleep many nights in the past, he had a hungry need to just look and appreciate. To his mind, Anna Bailey’s features were perfect. The finely shaped brows above those dancing long-lashed brown eyes, the slim and elegant nose and the pensive pretty mouth—there was a serenity about her that was more than a little appealing to a man who had lived his life mostly in the fast lane.
Did Jason Cathcart enjoy that aspect of her company too? He had certainly been voluble in his praise of Anna’s talents and abilities during his interview with Dante earlier. A fierce little knot of jealousy throbbed painfully under his ribs. Did the man wish they were more than colleagues? he wondered. A disturbing image of him getting cosy with Anna and Tia almost stole his breath.
‘And is Mr Cathcart good at leading and inspiring his staff, would you say?’ he asked, gravel-voiced.
‘Definitely.’ A flicker of apprehension crossed Anna’s face. ‘You interviewed him earlier. Surely you formed an impression of him? ‘
‘I did,’ Dante answered abruptly. ‘And that, of course, will remain confidential. Now, what other responsibilities does your role entail?’
Even though he would have preferred to quiz Anna further about her impression of her colleague, he knew it shouldn’t be in the arena of a professional conversation concerning her job. Corralling the urge to ask her outright if she had more personal feelings towards Jason, he listened intently as she described other aspects of her role as assistant manager, determinedly making himself focus on the interview at hand and not get sidetracked by emotion.