‘Don’t look at me like that,’ she whispered.
‘Like what?’
‘You know.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not fair.’
His smile appeared. ‘You look at me like that.’
Her resistance wavered. ‘Antonio, please,’ she asked, determined not to let him dictate her world in this way. She needed to keep this on her own terms. She wasn’t a plaything—for all that manufactured media representation. She had concrete goals and she had to meet them. He couldn’t derail her long-term plans. ‘Don’t make me change my mind.’
But she was tempted. And he knew it.
‘Bella,’ he whispered. ‘It’s just for a little while. Little more than a day. Don’t you think you deserve that? Don’t I? Matteo will ensure the club is closed and secure. There’s only another hour to go anyway. It will be taken care of.’
He was so high-handed and arrogant and confident. And kind.
‘What do you want more?’ he asked. ‘To put me in my place or take just a moment for yourself?’
In truth her reluctance wasn’t about making him pay, it was about giving herself the time to draw strength to cope with him. He was so overpowering, she couldn’t let him tear down every last defence and get a foothold in her heart. She couldn’t be that weak over him. But she couldn’t say ‘no’ any more than she could stop breathing.
He smiled. He knew he’d won.
He took her hand. She curled her fingers around his and walked with him. He already had his phone in his other hand and was sending a message, presumably to Matteo.
‘We need to go up to the roof.’ He led her to the emergency exit door.
‘Why?’
It became clear in only a moment.
‘You landed a helicopter on the roof of my building?’
‘And picked the lock on the door.’ He chuckled. ‘It was fun. But you need to install a better security alarm’
‘It was crazy.’ She walked up the stairs with him. ‘Is it safe to fly at night?’
‘I have the best pilot on duty, don’t worry,’ Antonio answered. ‘And the sun is going to rise soon enough.’
He was right: the sky was lightening.
Suddenly shy, Bella didn’t even look at the man in position behind the controls.
‘Are we going to Secrete Reale?’ It was the smallest island of the San Felipe archipelago, the Princes’ private haven. It was the place his brother had taken countless women, if those rumours were to be believed.
‘We can’t. Eduardo’s family is there,’ Antonio answered briefly.
She watched as they flew low and fast over the water. It was only a twenty-minute trip and as the sun rose she saw the gleaming white jewel waiting on the water.
Her blood ran cold.
It wasn’t a boat. It was a gargantuan palace. From the air she could see the large pool and spa on deck, the surrounding plush furniture scattered with bright white cushions and, on one side, the helipad that they were now descending towards. It was the ultimate example of ostentatious wealth and luxury.
Cold horror slid down her spine as she realised that history was repeating itself in the most tasteless of ways.
She was his mistress and being ‘treated’ to a little more than a few stolen hours. Just as her mother had been so many times.
Her nerves jangled but she could say nothing under the noise of the engine. Antonio opened the door as soon as they’d landed and jumped out, turning to help her.
‘I can’t stay here. I can’t be seen on here.’ She wrung her hands, anxiously watching as the helicopter lifted off again within seconds of their disembarking.
‘If you prefer, you do not have to leave the cabin at all.’ He grinned wolfishly.
That humour tore the last of her control.
‘You have no idea,’ she turned to rage at him. ‘How spoilt can you be?’ She glared. Wounded and angry with herself for being so weak and willing. ‘I don’t want to be here with you.’
He visibly recoiled at the venom in her tone. ‘I apologise.’ His expression shuttered. ‘We will return to town immediately.’
She met his gaze. The stiffness in his stance didn’t hide the tiredness in his eyes. He was trying to do something nice. He’d just gone about it in princely fashion, arrogant as hell. And he didn’t know or he would never have chosen this as their destination.