They had arranged to meet in one of the trendier bars in the hotel and it took her a few minutes to locate Alessandro, who was sitting at the back, shielded from view by the crowds of young people milling around.
Some of those young people were turning to look at her. Kate was conscious of that out of the corner of her eye, and it gave her a heady little thrill as she took some time to look at Alessandro...
He glanced up and there she was. For a few seconds Alessandro’s mind went completely blank. He had thrown down a challenge to her—dress like a woman and not like a robot—but he had doubted she would pick up the gauntlet. He had fully expected to see her in yet another tiresome version of ‘The Suit’, complete with discreet blouse buttoned all the way up, just in case a glimpse of her neck made her feel like a tart.
Not for a single passing second had he expected...
A vision.
He had seen her in a pair of shorts and a cropped top, but not even that had prepared him for just how beautiful she was when she stripped off the suit of armour.
She was tall anyway, but her heels escalated her to nearly six foot. Her long brown hair, streaked with shades of chestnut and deep gold, flowed down her back and over her narrow shoulders, and the dress, in some peachy colour that would have made most women look washed out, was glorious against her skin tone.
Glorious, and clinging in all the right places.
A surge of purely masculine appreciation kicked in with force. He watched as she glanced through the crowded bar, noticed as eyes were turned in her direction, realized that he wasn’t the only one in the room feeling a surge of purely masculine appreciation.
He relaxed back, half smiling as she sashayed towards him.
Who would have guessed that she could sashay? But then prissy, starchy suits weren’t conducive to sashaying, were they? Neither were sensible flat black pumps...
But a peach-coloured dress that lovingly cupped generous breasts, clung to a slender waist and fell to mid-thigh with a frilly little kick was definitely the stuff that sashays were made of...
He wondered whether it would be politically incorrect to insist in the contract for her promotion that she only wear clothes conducive to sashaying...
‘I see you went shopping...’ he said, rising to his feet as she approached him. In heels, she was almost at his eye level. Eye make-up. A charcoal colour on her lids that gave her a sultry, sexy look. And just a shimmer of lip gloss, emphasizing the fullness of her lips.
An inconvenient erection was making itself felt, pushing against his zipper.
‘You were right.’ Kate sat down hurriedly. Because, unusual and satisfying as it was to garner stares from other people, her prurient streak was just a little too insistent to ignore for very long. ‘My suits are way too formal and hot for the weather over here, so I’ve invested in one or two things...’
She discreetly tugged at the hem of the dress, which had ridden up and was exposing too much thigh for her liking.
‘Very wise,’ Alessandro murmured gravely. ‘Although you might have gone to the other extreme. If you plan on wearing sexy little numbers like this during the day...it might be a little too dressy...’
Kate’s breathing hitched and her eyes widened at the slow, lazy smile that lightened his features.
‘This is just a normal...er...dress,’ she stammered, mesmerized by the gleam in his eyes. ‘Nothing that any other woman in here isn’t wearing.’
Alessandro made a show of looking around him before resting his dark eyes on her flushed face. ‘But not many of them have the body to pull it off. You must know that.’
‘I...’
‘I admit I was a little surprised when I saw that you had taken me at my word. Aside from the time when I surprised you in your house, I honestly thought that your entire repertoire of clothes was comprised of suits in various shades of grey and navy...’
‘I don’t have much use for... I don’t usually...’
‘Paint the town red in snappy little numbers that attract attention?’
So what had she expected? That they would talk about work? When he had specifically told her that work was the last thing he wanted to think about after the day they had had with George and his sad, disturbing revelations?
‘I’ve never been one for going to clubs.’ She couldn’t conceal a shudder. ‘So, no, this is the one and only dress I have along these lines. Well, aside from the other one I bought today. Now I have two.’
‘Two? I don’t know why, but that strikes me as a little sad...’ He grinned, and she blushed and looked away.
‘You’re winding me up again, aren’t you?’
‘More stating a fact,’ Alessandro told her drily. ‘Maybe we should play truant tomorrow and go shopping again...’
‘Haven’t you made arrangements for us to visit the company that you’re interested in buying? I heard you on the phone when we were driving back from the hospital...’
‘Arrangements are made to be broken. The company isn’t going anywhere, and besides...’ he shrugged carelessly ‘...they’re keen to sell and they won’t find a better buyer than me.’
‘Well, thanks for the offer, but I’m all shopped out. It’s not something I do unless I have to, and—’
‘You really need to start living your own life, Kate, instead of the one prescribed by your mother’s lifestyle.’
He poured her a glass of wine from the bottle that was chilling in a cooler on the table. ‘Your mother liked shopping for clothes you deemed inappropriate, so your instant reaction was to dislike shopping and to dress in clothes your mother probably wouldn’t be seen dead in.’
Kate gulped down some wine and glared at him. ‘I’m getting paid to work while we’re over here,’ she pointed out.
He smiled at her. ‘And I’m telling you that you’re off the hook tomorrow. If you don’t tell, then I won’t.’
‘You like shopping? With a woman?’
‘In answer to question number one—can’t stand it. I have someone who knows the sort of clothes I wear. I leave it to her to stock my wardrobe.’
‘Who? Who does that?’
‘Let’s just say that a long time ago I went out with a woman who got a little more involved than she should have...’
‘You mean she wanted more than just a one-night stand?’
Kate couldn’t believe she had actually said that to Alessandro, but this whole expedition was beginning to take on a slightly surreal air—and, frankly, if he wanted to command her to relax, then he would just have to take the consequences. The thrill of being daring and reckless, of releasing some of her tightly wound strings, soared through her veins, making her giddy.
‘I don’t do one-night stands,’ Alessandro informed her.
Kate laughed aloud.
‘Where’s the joke in that? I’m missing it.’
‘I thought...I thought you were a guy who didn’t do long-term relationships?’
‘The opposite of long-term isn’t one-night stand. There’s a very happy middle ground—trust me. Now, drink up and let’s go out. I’ve asked the concierge for a couple of recommendations and he’s booked a restaurant for us within walking distance.’ He eyed her shoes. ‘Are you going to be mobile in those?’
Kate stuck out her foot and inspected it, turning it round in a circle. The shoes were wonderful. The first pair of high, strappy sandals she had ever owned.
‘Yes, you have a lovely foot,’ Alessandro told her. ‘Nice toes. Very good ankle. Would you like to twirl the other one for my inspection?’
‘I wasn’t fishing for compliments.’
‘Of course you were. Woman’s prerogative.’
‘They’re a little tricky to walk in...’
‘We’ll take it slowly—and if you feel yourself toppling over, don’t worry. I’ll catch you.’
Kate’s head filled with that thought. It was as if someone had switched on a lightbulb, illuminating dark corners and lots of murky thoughts she had been shying away from.
Alessandro Preda might represent everything she disdained, but he was sexy and he was charming—was it any wonder that she was attracted to him? Against all odds? For so many reasons it was all wrong. She worked for him. He was a player. He was way too good-looking, too rich and too self-assured for his own good. And, yes, she was inexperienced.
All those things combined into a heady mix—which was why, as they left the bar, she could feel a powerful thread of excitement racing through her veins, so that she was hyper-aware of him next to her, practically brushing her arm with his.
The restaurant was much further from the hotel than she had thought, and she could feel the steady burn of developing blisters as they navigated the crowds, but there was no way she was going to mention that to him. Besides, what could he do?
She sighed with relief as they entered the blessed cool of a fish restaurant and discreetly kicked off the sandals underneath the table as they sat down.
The backs of her feet stung and her toes were throbbing. Thank God he had begun to talk to her about the electronics company he wanted to take over, because she could plaster an interested look on her face and focus on that instead of trying to subdue the pain.
‘And so,’ Alessandro concluded, ‘the entire company was sucked into a black hole, to disappear into the ether...’