‘Gabriella is not my mistress,’ he stated flatly.
‘Oh, really?’ Gianferro raised dark, disbelieving brows. ‘Is this not the same flame-haired woman whom you took to the beach house? The consort of the drunks who spent the night in Solajoya jail?’
Nico stared at him. ‘You knew about that?’
‘But of course I knew. The Chief of Police rang to inform me of what was happening.’
‘He gossips like an old woman,’ said Nico darkly.
Gianferro laughed. ‘He simply does his job. I know everything that happens on Mardivino, and it is my duty to do so—particularly when it concerns my brothers. And a mistress staying here at the palace would wreck your reputation—in the same way that one of those crazy sports you indulge in will soon wreck your life.’
Nico sighed. It was as pointless as whistling in the wind to attempt to defend his lifestyle. He had tried often enough over the years.
Just as it would be pointless to try to explain that nothing had happened between him and Gabriella at the beach. Given Nico’s past catalogue of lovers, Gianferro simply would not believe him. And even if the truth were known—would that not offend his innate masculine pride and reputation?
‘Are you forbidding it, Gianferro?’ Nico questioned, in a voice that was only half joking.
‘No.’ Gianferro gave an answering glimmer of a smile which briefly softened his hard mouth. ‘I am simply appealing to your sense of what is proper and what is not, Nico.’
‘You know she is here on a legitimate assignment?’ Nicolo said casually. ‘She works in the travel industry.’
‘How very convenient for you both.’ There was a pause. ‘And what precisely is she proposing to do here on the island?’
There was a brief pause, and Nico saw the dark light of challenge in his brother’s eyes. He kept his counsel. ‘I’ll keep you posted,’ he said lightly.
Gianferro gave a low laugh. ‘Give her an office here at the palace, then, but put her up in L’Etoile. That should be luxurious enough to impress her.’
‘You think that is what I am trying to do?’
The brothers’ eyes met.
‘I do not know what it is that you are trying to do, but I know you well enough to guess,’ said Gianferro softly. ‘I understand that she is beautiful, and that speaks for itself—but never forget that for a man in your position she can never be anything more than a sensual diversion, Nico.’
Nicolo’s lips curved in a cynical smile. ‘I need no warnings from you, Gianferro,’ he retorted softly. ‘And to me she has never been anything but a sensual diversion.’
Ella’s journey to Mardivino might have been on a scheduled flight for a national airline, but there all similarity to other air travel ended.
She had taken the earliest possible flight, and was fussed over and waited on like a heavily pregnant woman about to give birth. She doubted whether the other first-class passengers were being treated with quite so much regard. Was that because Nico—Prince Nicolo—had arranged for her to come?
She got a sudden disturbing glimpse of what it must be like to be him—with everyone always on their best behaviour and pandering to your every need. Was he ever able to have ‘normal’ interaction with people? she wondered. Probably not. And that couldn’t be good for you.
Her lips tightened. It definitely wasn’t. It could make you into a control freak—as he had just demonstrated. He had got her here by sheer and arrogant force of will. Had his whole life been spent doing exactly that?
His deception still hurt, but her inner sense of un-ease came from more than that. She had fallen into his arms and made love to him in a way that had been new and exciting and precious. But he had trampled on all those feelings with his duplicity. And if he had done it to her once, then he could do it again. A man in Nico’s position would not care about a woman’s feelings—why should he? Willing sexual partners were probably lining up halfway round the block for him.
She must keep her head and dampen down any dangerous see-sawing emotions every time they threatened to appear. Try to keep things in perspective. It had been great sex, that was all. She must not learn to care for him because nothing would come of it—nothing could come of it.
And you are a strong woman, she reminded herself. You know you are. Of course you can resist him.
Landing at Solajoya Airport was a dream—with no Customs or queues to get through. She was first off the flight and met on the tarmac by Nico himself, and despite everything she had vowed her heart began to race as he made his way towards her.
‘Hello, Gabriella,’ he said softly.
‘I…I wasn’t expecting you to come and meet me in person,’ she stumbled, because the impact of seeing him here unexpectedly had blown away most of her good intentions. Where was the strong woman now?
He gave a half smile. ‘You thought I would send a servant, perhaps?’
‘Something like that.’