Ida barely noticed the beautiful furnishings as they reached Cesare’s suite and he shut the door behind them. But she did take in the size of the sitting room—it was big enough to fit her flat six times over—and the faint scent of lilies and luxury. For a weak moment she contemplated dropping onto one of the cream lounges and shutting eyes scratchy with exhaustion. It had been a long time since she’d started her dawn cleaning shift.
Instead, she strolled into the room then twisted around to face her companion, ignoring the burn where the borrowed shoes rubbed her heels.
‘Okay. We’re alone. Why did you come looking for me?’
‘I thought that was obvious.’
How could she have forgotten the intensity of that brooding stare? Cesare’s eyes bored into hers as if seeking out misdemeanours or weaknesses.
But she’d done him no wrong. She didn’t owe him anything and refused to be cowed by that flinty gaze. She shoved her hands deep in her raincoat pockets and raised her eyebrows.
‘It’s been a long day, Cesare. I’m not in the mood for guessing games. Just tell me. What do you want?’
He crossed the space between them in a couple of deceptively easy strides. Deceptive because his expression told her it was the prowl of a predator.
‘To sort out our divorce, of course.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WE’RESTILLMARRIED?’
Her hand went to her throat and Cesare was torn between the idea she was shocked and knowing she had to be faking.
‘Of course we’re married. You haven’t signed divorce papers, have you?’
She shook her head, her glossy lips opening then closing. Those exaggerated eyelashes fluttered, and he almost thought he saw the movement echoed in the pulse point at her throat, so convincing was her show of surprise.
She was a fine actress. Though in retrospect she’d slightly overdone the role of shy innocent when they’d met.
What role was she playing now? Not the ingenue, given what he’d seen tonight.
Abruptly she sank onto the sofa behind her. It wasn’t a graceful movement and made him think she really had been taken by surprise. As when she’d heard someone was searching for her.
Once again, he experienced a sharp pang that felt like concern.
It annoyed him. His concern was for his extended family, his employees and investors. It shouldn’t be for this woman who’d been foisted on him, an insult to add to the injury Calogero had done his family.
Cesare turned on his heel and crossed to the bar. He took his time pouring two glasses of Sambuca before returning to where she sat, head bent, arms wrapped around her middle.
‘Here.’ He pushed the glass into her hand. ‘This will warm you.’
Despite his impatience she worried him. This was the second time he’d seen her turn parchment pale, making her heavy make-up appear even more false against the delicate curves of her cheeks and lips.
Cesare took the seat opposite, eyes narrowing as she lifted her face.
‘I assumed you’d divorced me four years ago.’
‘When you left me high and dry for all the world to gossip about? The bridegroom with no bride.’
That still stung. One more debt to lay at her door. He was a proud man. Having acquaintances and even people he didn’t know sniggering up their sleeves at him had been hard to endure.
‘You didn’t want a bride! You made that clear.’
‘There’s a difference between not wanting you and having you disappear off the face of the earth. Don’t you have any regrets over the scandal you caused? The speculation and rumours? You dropped me into a hell of a mess.’
As if he hadn’t been busy enough saving the family company and all those jobs, independent of Calogero. He’d had the fallout of a missing bride with the world agog for stories of Cesare Brunetti and his new wife. His plan had been to maintain the fiction of a happy marriage though in fact it would be in name only. Then he’d divorce her as soon as he could erase Calogero’s influence from his life.
Ida sipped her drink then grimaced and shuddered as if she’d never drunk alcohol.