‘I’m not a stalker.’ At the thought of his bedroom her skin crisped.
‘I’m relieved to hear it.’ He angled his head and studied her.
Awareness rippled down Gracie’s spine. She wasn’t sure she trusted that new look in his eyes and she certainly didn’t trust her own suddenly frantic pulse.
‘You’d better go and get changed,’ she said brightly, hoping he’d take the hint and cover up quickly. ‘You obviously had somewhere to be and I need to get back to the village.’ She wriggled forward to the edge of the table, preparing to put weight on her wretched knee.
‘What’s your name?’
His question was a perfectly innocuous, normal one, yet her heart thundered. She’d given so many variations as an answer to this in her childhood. For over a decade she’d not been able to tell anyone her real name. Lying, lying, lying.
It’s for your safety, sweetheart. So we can stay together.
Hiding had meant constantly moving. She breathed in and shook off the whisper of the past. Now she’d chosen her own name—a family name too—so answering this question now shouldn’t be stressful. Yet for a reason she couldn’t quite identify, she didn’t want to tell him.
For the first time, he actually smiled. It transformed him from moody fallen angel to silver screen hero in a heartbeat. There was no way she could answer him now. She couldn’t actually speak.
‘What does it matter?’ he queried her reluctance with even more of a smile. ‘You’re never going to see me again.’
‘Right. Right, of course... The thing is...’ She bit her lip and decided to brave up. ‘You’re going to have to see me. I’m doing Alex’s job for a few days.’
That smile vanished. ‘Watering the roses?’ he asked, for cold confirmation.
‘Yes.’
‘Use an automatic hydration system,’ he snapped.
‘They’re like his babies,’ she retorted scornfully. ‘Would you use an automated feeding system for your babies?’
‘Not an issue I ever plan to face.’ He straightened to full height and put his hands on his hips, drawing her attention back to his sculpted, bare physique. ‘Why are you doing his job?’
Gracie studied the floor tiles. ‘He’s unwell. He has the flu.’
‘It’s the height of summer—’
‘He’s older—’
‘Should he still be working?’
‘Of course he should.’ She lifted her chin and glared at Rafael. The guy had no idea how lucky he was to have Alex working on his property.
‘His judgement is impaired,’ Rafael said coolly. ‘He should never have given you the security code to get inside the gate.’
‘He didn’t want your precious flowers to frizzle in this heat. He was doing what he thought best.’
‘All employees of this estate were under instruction to maintain security of the premises no matter what. Not to give the codes to just anyone.’
Gracie ignored the hit at being dismissed as ‘just anyone’. ‘He loves the roses. He’s spent his life looking after those roses.’
‘I don’t care about the roses—’
‘Clearly.’ The man was an unfeeling jerk.
‘I care about my privacy. And my security.’
‘You don’t want the common folk encroaching on your space? Or any rabid female stalkers lying in your bed?’ She immediately wished she hadn’t mentioned that as it put a disconcerting picture in her head.
‘That’s right.’ He smiled. ‘I don’t wish to be bothered.’
‘Well,’ she said formally, ‘if you’ll just let me leave, then you won’t be bothered any more. I’ll be sure to check the roses when you’re not here.’
‘Too late,’ he said softly, stepping forward so he was back in front of her. ‘I’m already bothered.’
His tone put her on edge.
‘Where are you from?’ he asked. ‘Why are you here?’
‘I’ve already told you.’
‘You’ve talked a lot but told me almost nothing.’
Ignoring the way he was standing too close, Gracie slid down from the kitchen table and gingerly tested her knee. To her relief, it wasn’t too bad. ‘Look, I’m fine. I’ll get going now.’
‘No.’ He didn’t walk any closer, but somehow seemed to block her escape route.
‘Why not?’ To avoid ogling his bare chest, she had no choice but to look up into his damnably handsome face.
A speculative light had entered his eyes. It was fascinating the way it warmed their colour.
‘I’m late for the party,’ he said. ‘I’m going to need a good reason for why I’m so late.’
‘Tell them the truth.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s the easiest way.’
‘You advise honesty?’ His gaze narrowed on her.
‘Always.’ She made herself maintain eye contact despite the way just looking at him made her pulse skip like a schoolgirl’s.
‘You’re always honest?’
Could he sound any more sardonic?
She folded her arms across her chest. ‘Absolutely.’
He actually laughed. ‘No one is ever absolutely honest.’
‘Well, I am.’ She’d vowed never to lie again. She’d had to do so far too much in the past.
‘People lie all the time. For good reasons and for bad.’ The corners of his mouth quirked up into that unbearably gorgeous smile. ‘But seeing you’re so good at being honest, you can come with me and tell them the truth.’
GRACIE BLINKED AT HIM, not sure she’d heard him correctly. ‘I’m not coming with you.’
‘It’s at the Palazzo Chiara,’ he added, as if she’d not spoken. ‘Have you seen the palazzo? It makes this place look minuscule.’
She’d seen Palazzo Chiara from a tourist launch on the lake when she’d first arrived. The humongous estate had been converted into an exclusive luxury hotel. The playpen of real silver screen heroes and beyond wealthy sheiks and oligarchs who paid literally thousands of dollars to stay for just one night. Villa Rosetta was the palazzo’s ‘little sister’, though frankly Gracie thought the villa held more charm. Apparently she wasn’t the only one—it was even harder to book a week here than a suite at the palazzo.
‘I believe it has an amazing view of the fireworks and the lanterns,’ he added softly.
She narrowed her eyes. He had listened in to her conversation with Alex. He’d been watching her for a while.
‘I can see the fireworks from the village,’ she said stiffly.
He might be the most handsome man she’d ever seen, but he had the inevitable flaw that came with such good looks and money—he was used to getting everything his own way. But