The person who stood next to Salvatore, a tall brunette, was staring. Her half-sister. Francesca. Beautiful and—with the way she too then turned her back—every inch her father’s daughter.
Bella finally found the power to move. She walked almost blindly from the room. She didn’t want to talk business and she definitely didn’t want to banter or flirt or be Bella.
‘Ms Sanchez.’
Bella blinked and paused. Matteo had materialised beside her looking bland, but he spoke with gentle courtesy.
‘I thought I would introduce you to Tomas Mancini. He owns the island’s most popular Michelin-starred restaurant here on San Felipe. He owns several others too, in mainland Europe.’
His lengthy explanation gave her a chance to breathe and as he slowly walked her to the other end of the vast reception room she had time to pull herself together properly.
Tomas was about seventy, accompanied by his elegant wife, also around seventy years old, and they were both charming, both talkative and standing with them was somehow soothing. She stood with her back to the rest of the room, relieved of feeling the pressure of vindictive, prying eyes.
‘Tomas started out as a firefighter, you know. He was based at the station you have refurbished as your club,’ Tomas’ wife, Maria, informed her. ‘That’s when I met him. He rescued me, you know.’
‘Did he?’ Bella was diverted. ‘From a fire?’
‘A fire alarm. There was no danger but I was mortified.’ Maria nodded in all seriousness. ‘But I like to think of young people having fun there now.’ She paused for a second then added quietly, ‘I had fun there once.’
There was nothing in her tone, but Bella looked sharply into the older woman’s eyes. There was the veriest hint of a wink. Bella finally smiled.
‘Maria, Carlo has just arrived.’ Tomas turned to Bella. ‘He was our first chef who moved to an outer island to open a satellite restaurant for us last year. Would you like to join us?’
‘Thank you, I will shortly,’ she said, wanting to give them a chance to have some time alone with their friend. ‘I’ll freshen up first and then find you.’
‘If you’ll accompany me, I’ll show you the way.’ Matteo stepped alongside her again.
Bella glanced at him in surprise; she’d thought he’d been called away.
‘Thank you,’ she said, quietly appreciative of the way he walked between her and the group that Salvatore and Francesca stood in. Salvatore’s voice still carried; she couldn’t hear the words but just the tone oozed arrogance.
‘It is in here.’ Matteo paused by a discreet door out in the long corridor.
Bella stepped inside, drawing in a deep breath, but as she closed the door behind her someone loomed right in front of her. Just as she was about to scream she realised who it was.
‘You gave me such a fright.’ She clapped her hand on her chest, almost needing to thump it to get her heart started again.
Antonio stood a breath away, his customary reserved expression incinerated by the raw need in his eyes. But he said nothing.
Now her hurt heart raced—sending anticipation and hunger sparking around every one of her cells.
‘What are you doing in here?’ She licked her dried lips and watched that need in his eyes burn all the more intensely.
‘I need to see you again. Alone. Tonight.’
Relief hit her like a tornado, blowing the roof off her tension. She released her breath in a shaky sigh. But just as relief hit, so did the impossibility of what he was saying. ‘We can’t—’
‘Not now, no,’ he agreed. But that didn’t stop him taking the step nearer so he could pull her against him.
His hand smoothed down her back, as if he were trying to soothe her, but she felt the rigidity of his body and realised how tightly he was coiled. She rested her head against his shoulder, stifling her groan of sheer relief.
‘I’m sorry I used Matteo again,’ he muttered against her hair. ‘But there are too many people—’
‘It’s okay,’ she interrupted. ‘I understand.’
She understood he was lonely and that for whatever reason he wanted her to help him find physical release. That was okay; she wanted him for the same.