‘How could I possibly forget?’ he said, sitting back in his seat and forcing himself to get a grip on his reaction to her and relax.
‘I was hoping that might be the case.’
‘Why?’
‘I’d like to take you up on the offer of dinner.’
The jolt of pleasure that rocked through him at that took him by surprise. ‘I see,’ he said, deciding to attribute it to satisfaction that she hadn’t been able to resist him after all.
‘If the invitation still stands, that is.’
He ought to tell her it didn’t. He’d intended to wipe today from his head—every single second of it—and pursuing Carla with her connection to the brother he wanted nothing to do with would not be conducive to a return to his former shackle-free, nihilistic life.
But he didn’t like rejection. He didn’t like failure. He wasn’t used to either. And the fact remained, he did still want her. Badly. Plus there was the intriguing volte face. Why had she changed her mind when only at lunchtime she’d been so adamant in her refusal? Had she finally decided to accept the chemistry they shared and act on it? The potential for a night of scorching, mind-blowing sex wasn’t something he was going to ignore. Reclaiming the upper hand and taking back control of their interaction wouldn’t hurt either.
‘It still stands,’ he said, anticipation at the thought of seeing her again and everything that might entail now thrumming through him and setting his nerve endings on fire.
‘Excellent.’
‘Why the change of heart?’
‘I’ll tell you when I see you.’
‘I can hardly wait.’
‘Where should I meet you?’
‘La Piccola Osteria.’
‘Hmm. I don’t think I know it,’ she said, and he could hear the frown in her tone. ‘What’s the address?’
‘Calle dell’Olio. Venice.’
There was a stunned silence, and then a breathy, ‘Venice?’
‘I’m on my way home.’
‘Already?’
‘One of the many advantages of having a private plane,’ he said, shifting in his seat to ease the ache and tension in his groin that her soft gasps had generated. ‘So if you want to have dinner with me, tesoro, you’ll need to come to Venice. Tonight. After which my invitation expires. It’s your call.’
* * *
On the other end of the line, Carla stood in the cool hall of Finn and Georgie’s home, every cell of her body abuzz. The effect of Rico’s deep, masculine tones in her ear had been unexpectedly electrifying, sending shivers rippling up and down her spine while heating her blood, but that was nothing compared to the shock that was reeling through her now.
So much for the blithe assumption of an easy acceptance of his earlier invitation, she thought, her heart hammering wildly while her head spun. This was an entirely different prospect.
Dinner in Venice?
Tonight?
It was impossible. She’d never make it. She was knackered. The last thing she needed was another dash to another airport for another flight. The whole idea of haring halfway across a continent with next to no planning to meet a man she barely knew smacked of recklessness, something she abhorred and had taken great care to avoid after what had happened to her when she was young. She’d have to be mad to even consider it, as Georgie would no doubt tell her if she knew what Rico had just proposed.
On the other hand, when would there be another opportunity to at least try and fix the mistakes she’d made? If she didn’t accept his challenge, how would she be able to change his mind or keep the lines of communication open?
She couldn’t wimp out now. She had to give it a shot. The situation could hardly get worse and she could catch up on sleep any time. In fact, she might even request the next week off. And yes, she loathed the idea of giving in to any man’s demands, but ultimately whether or not she went to Venice would be her decision. Rico wasn’t forcing her to do anything. No one was. She was in total control of her choices, which was crucially important to her, and that was where she’d stay. And even if she weren’t, for her best friend she’d make that sacrifice.
The fluttering in her stomach and the racing of her pulse had nothing to do with nerves. Or excitement. Or anticipation. Everything going on inside her was purely down to the crushing weight of responsibility she felt. Finn was worried that Rico could vanish into the ether for good and, because it was her fault he’d left in the first place, it was up to her to prevent that whatever it took.