‘Even though we’ll be married?’
‘We haven’t even dated. I know you as a neighbour, a casual acquaintance. I will be happy to share a bed with you when we’re in a proper relationship as a couple, but not before that,’ Jo extended.
The minute Gianni had registered that she was agreeing to marry him he had planned to ask her to stay that very night with him. An annoyance that came from the strangest sense of hurt rejection rippled through his lean, powerful frame and he suppressed the reaction, knowing that he only wanted Jo to be with him whenshefelt right about the idea. Anything less was inconceivable to him. ‘So, I will also be on trial as a husband?’
‘That’s not how I see it. I view it as a reasonable request.’
‘I can understand your feelings,’ Gianni responded.
Jo succumbed to a crispy softpain au chocolatand tore off a piece of flaky pastry. She felt naïve for not having foreseen that that condition of hers would be challenging for him to accept.
Gianni raked long brown fingers through his luxuriant black hair and paced to the edge of the terrace, tension in the lines of his powerful physique, his broad shoulders squared, his long legs braced apart. Just as suddenly he swung back to her. ‘And you think that this would get our marriage off to a good start?’ he queried in a calm tone, making it clear that it was a genuine question, not a scornful one.
Jo nodded, relief flowing through her in a heady wave that made her feel slightly dizzy. ‘I do.’
‘Then so it will be. I accept your terms,’ Gianni conceded levelly. ‘I don’t do relationships with women,cara. You have to tell me what you want and need and, as you have just seen, I’m not always fast on the uptake.’
‘But youdidhave a relationship while you were at university,’ Jo reminded him.
Gianni froze in front of her, eyes narrowing, spectacular cheekbones taut, his stubborn mouth compressing. ‘I only told youthatbecause I was trying to express sympathy for your loss. It was unwise of me and I would like you to forget that confidence. It is not a topic I care to revisit.’
Jo turned pale at that chilling little speech. It definitely wasn’t the optimum moment to tell him that Ralph Scott had not been her fiancé or the love of her life, since evidently Gianni regretted telling her even as little as he had about his past relationship. She felt snubbed and hurt and embarrassed all at the same time.
‘Maybe I should go home...’ she began awkwardly, just as a warning growl sounded from the depths of the shrubbery closest to Gianni. It was a welcome interruption and she was instantly upright to stalk over there and say angrily. ‘McTavish...go home,rightnow!’
‘I was expecting him,’ Gianni confessed. ‘He follows you everywhere.’
He returned to the table and lifted a steel dome on the trolley to reveal a massive meaty bone. He picked it up with a wince of distaste and as the terrier erupted from the shrubbery he dropped it on the grass. McTavish screeched to a halt and sniffed the bone with the enthusiasm of a dog whose every Christmas had come at once. He lost all interest in Gianni and concentrated on trying to drag the giant bone away.
‘My goodness...’ Jo whispered.
‘He’d much rather chew on that than my leg,’ Gianni said drily. ‘Sit down,cara. I have something to give you.’
Her smooth brow pleating, Jo dropped back down into her seat.
Gianni extended his hand, palm upright. An extraordinarily elaborate jewelled ring lay in the centre of it. ‘Your engagement ring. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something more contemporary. It’s from my mother’s collection of medieval jewellery and the sapphires and diamonds are of the highest quality. It once belonged to an Italianduchessa, but if you want more information on its background, you’ll have to look up my mother’s catalogues for yourself.’
An engagement ring? No, she hadn’t been expecting that, but she supposed that it tied in with his desire for them to look and behave like a normal couple. She stared down at the rich blue sapphires and the glittering diamonds in wonder. ‘It’s absolutely gorgeous,’ she muttered weakly, still in shock at the gesture.
More relaxed now, Gianni strode round the table and lifted it from her again to slide it onto her finger. ‘It’ll need resizing, I’m sure...Dio mio, you have tiny fingers.’ As the ring settled into place as though it had been made for her, Gianni smiled down at her. ‘Now, isn’t that a good omen? While you eat your breakfast you can tell me about your other conditions.’
Jo was reluctant to speak up after the reaction her first condition had drawn from him. ‘Er...well, maybe this is not the right time.’
‘It is theonlytime,’ Gianni sliced in smoothly.
Jo swallowed hard. ‘Well...er, fidelity.’
Gianni tossed her a withering glance. ‘Don’t even say it. I’m not going to cheat on you. My father had other women throughout his marriage. I will not be following in his footsteps. What else?’
‘You have to make an effort not to work all the time.’
‘Monday through Friday, I will make no promises, but weekends and holidays I will be entirely yours,’ Gianni asserted with characteristic certainty.
Jo chanced a sip of tea and a sliver of her pastry but she was strung too high on nerves to swallow easily. Her mind had fallen on that ‘entirely yours’ phrase like a vulture and refused to move beyond that level.
Gianni sank down on the seat beside hers and reached for a piece of pastry and held it up to her mouth with amusement. ‘You have to eat, Jojo...you barely ate last night and this morning you’re starving yourself again. You need your strength,’ he told her softly. ‘How else can you hope to hold me at bay on our honeymoon? I’ve got skills at seduction like you wouldn’t believe.’
Jo almost choked on that piece of pastry as a laugh escaped her, unexpected happiness bubbling up through her. ‘Promises, promises.’