Gracie narrowed her gaze. He was shameless at using his smile to his advantage. And his bare chest.
‘Think of it as another experience for your travels,’ he added.
She didn’t bother correcting his assumption that she wasn’t local. ‘So I should feel grateful for the opportunity?’
‘Most people would,’ he said, apparently without a hint of irony.
‘Unfortunately for you, I’m not most people,’ she said haughtily. ‘And I don’t want any other “experience” with you either. My mother warned me about getting into cars with strangers.’
Literally every day of her childhood her mother had warned her. She’d been so afraid they’d be caught. That Gracie would be kidnapped and taken from her.
‘But I’m no longer a stranger. You know who I am. I’ve even taken care of your bruised knee for you.’
‘What I know gives me all the more reason to say no.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘Does my reputation precede me? What’s the worst I could do?’ His smile was so wicked. ‘I don’t think it would be that dreadful.’
The shift in him was like night from day. Suddenly he was charming and, darn it all, even more riveting. ‘Why on earth do you want me going along with you?’
‘Because it’s going to be boring. Having you there might make it less so.’
So she was to be light relief for him? ‘You want me to be your court jester? Or your pet Chihuahua?’ She rolled her eyes. ‘That’s not going to be a thing.’
‘Did you just refer to yourself as a dog?’
Her jaw dropped—then she snapped it shut. ‘I have a job to finish here.’
‘I think we both know your job here is done.’
‘For today,’ she said pointedly, lifting her chin. ‘I promised Alex. He’s old and he doesn’t deserve to worry.’
‘If he’s that old, doesn’t he deserve the freedom of his retirement?’
‘He loves these roses. Don’t you have something you love more than anything?’
There was a moment when a shadow crossed his face. ‘I’m not welded to one place, one thing and certainly not one person.’
She only just refrained from rolling her eyes again. ‘Well, lots of people are and what’s more they actually like to be. Alex has handed over the rest of the grounds to your new garden maintenance company who come from stupidly far away, but the rose garden was his design, his planting, all his work. It’s his treasure. He planted them for his late wife.’
‘On someone else’s property,’ Rafael growled.
How could he be so uncaring?
He watched her through narrowed eyes. Then spoke again. ‘If you don’t come with me, you can go and tell your Alex that he’s no longer needed to work here.’
Gracie gasped. ‘Are you holding his job over me to make me go to your stupid party?’
He smiled, tightly.
‘Wow. You must really be afraid of going by yourself if you’re resorting to threats.’
Now he actually laughed. ‘I’m not afraid to fight for what I want.’
‘And you’re not afraid to fight dirty.’ She gritted her teeth in the face of his partial nudity. ‘So you think the end justifies the means?’
‘Not always. But often.’
‘And you “often” bully your way into getting what you want?’
‘Usually I buy what I want,’ he replied carelessly. ‘But I didn’t want to offend you by offering you money.’
She flashed a filthy look at him. Of all the pompous things to say. ‘Why not just ask nicely?’
He sighed deeply. ‘Would you please go to the party with me? I’m new in town and I don’t want to walk in alone.’
She didn’t believe he was insecure for a second.
‘You want me to go with you, dressed in my wet skirt and bruised knee?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m going into Bellezzo to watch the festival on the waterfront.’
‘I can take care of your outfit,’ he said softly.
‘Excuse me?’
His grin was positively wicked and he leaned forward and scooped her into his arms again.
‘This is assault,’ she choked as she was pressed against all his hot naked skin. And muscles.
‘What? This is gentlemanly behaviour. I’ve rescued a damsel in distress,’ he countered as he marched through to a large living room. ‘The least you can do in return is gift me a few hours of your precious time. Now...’ He deposited her in a plush armchair and pointed to the corner. ‘What do you think of these?’
Gracie gaped at the two racks of women’s clothing. ‘You have a ready supply of evening wear for occasions such as this?’ She stared from the racks to him and back again. And then back at him because he was insanely fascinating. ‘You enjoy dressing women?’
Something kindled in his eyes and she instantly knew his unspoken answer. He liked undressing them.
He walked towards the racks. ‘They’re using the villa for a fashion shoot tomorrow. These are the dresses they’ll be modelling.’
A fashion shoot? Models? She turned to the hangers in horror. ‘I won’t fit into any of them.’
‘I’m confident we can find something suitable.’
She glared at his tone—catching his gaze raking down her body.
‘They’ll be worth a lot of money,’ she argued stiffly. ‘I wouldn’t want to damage one.’ Except there were some gorgeous-looking fabrics on those hangers.
‘If you want Alex to keep his job and keep his roses alive, then you’ll get into one of these dresses and come along for the ride. It’s only a party. I’m hardly proposing marriage.’
‘If it’s only a party, why can’t you face it alone?’ She straightened. ‘Is someone you’re afraid of seeing going to be there?’ She warmed to the idea, intrigued by his playboy reputation. ‘An ex?’
‘Not tonight I don’t think.’ He adopted a faux thoughtful pose. ‘Perhaps I need armour.’
‘From all your stalkers?’ She shook her head. ‘You’d swat them away like flies.’ No way was this man vulnerable.
He sighed again. ‘I already told you the reason. I’m easily bored. I’d like a distraction.’
‘You’re easily bored? I pity you,’ she mocked. ‘People with good imaginations never get bored.’
‘Oh, I have an imagination. Though right now it’s probably best if I don’t use it.’
She sent him a cool look.
‘So what’s your name?’ He leaned back, smiling at her hesitation. ‘I could call the police, you know. You are trespassing.’
Grimly she bit the bullet. ‘My name is Grace James.’
‘Grace.’ He held out his hand. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
She couldn’t be churlish enough to refuse his hand when he’d been carrying her about the place for the last twenty minutes, but she wasn’t prepared for the electricity that shot through her the second her