Gianni released his breath in a hiss of annoyance and said levelly, ‘Fiona was in hysterics when she phoned me, and I had a hell of a job getting her off the phone again. I’m just asking what happened to set her off in drama-queen mode.’
Jo was in no mood to discuss Fiona Myles. ‘Well, possiblyIgot annoyed.’
‘You don’t get annoyed...not the way I do and other less controlled people do,’ Gianni rebutted with confidence.
Jo leant back against the carved pillar that adorned the foot of the stairs, unaware that that position pushed her bare breasts against the silk top she wore and showed a tantalising few inches of her smooth inner thigh. ‘In this case, I got annoyed,’ she confided.
‘Why?’ Gianni was attempting to look directly at her without being distracted by that very sensual pose that affected him in all sorts of inappropriate ways. The timing was all wrong, he thought regretfully.
‘You see,’ Jo continued, ‘Fiona quoted the exact terms of our marriage contract to me—’
His ebony brows drew together. ‘That’s impossible!’ he insisted. ‘Only you and I and the lawyers are aware of that agreement.’
‘Naturally, I assumed thatyouhad told her,’ Jo replied, but she was impressed by his air of incredulous surprise.
‘Madonna mia, I’m not on those kinds of terms with her. I would only have discussed that with someone I was intimate with—I don’t just mean sexually when I use that word, I mean someone to whom I speak without reservation,’ he clarified. ‘And you are the only person in my world who haseverknown me on such intimate terms.’
Jo laughed, startling him, startling herself. ‘I was just fixing to have the most massive row with you,’ she explained unevenly. ‘And you’ve cut the ground from under my feet.’
Gianni was still frowning. ‘Fiona could only have found out from a leak at the lawyer’s office. It’ll have to be investigated. I expect the strictest confidentiality in my private business,’ he declared with a grimace, digging out his phone.
‘Phone them tomorrow...it’s almost one in the morning!’ Jo pointed out. ‘So, can I take it from that that you have never been intimate in any way with Fiona?’
‘Of course not,’ Gianni asserted very drily. ‘Surely she didn’t give you that impression?’
Jo shrugged a slight shoulder. ‘To be honest, I didn’t know what to make of her. I think she feels more than friendly towards you and certainly not sisterly. Possessive, jealous. She had had too much to drink and it loosened her tongue. I can’t be sorry for that. I couldn’t have worked with her. She has no respect for boundaries and she likes to make sarky remarks.’ She sighed. ‘She even produced a photo album that contained pictures of you and her sister together. I mean,whywould she do something like that to me?’
‘That’s weird. Did you look at the album?’
‘No, I did not. I know it’s all in the past but I didn’t want to see you with another woman...’ Not looking all loving and caring, as she was sure he did in such photos with his lost love. It would only have underlined whatshedidn’t have with Gianni.
‘I would have felt the same about seeing photos of you with another man,’ Gianni told her, looking thoughtful.
‘“Speak low if you speak love,”’ Duffy quoted, perching on a plant pedestal.
‘It’s bedtime, Duffy,’ Jo told him, extending her shoulder for him to clamber on board. She put him in his giant cage and covered it. ‘Night, night.’
‘“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,”’ the parrot recited.
‘Spot on, Duffy,’ Gianni remarked. ‘Do we have to give him back? I like him.’
‘We’ll see,’ Jo said as they returned to the hall. ‘Abigail left supper for you. I’ll put on the kettle.’
‘I’m not hungry...well, not for food,’ Gianni admitted rather abruptly. ‘You look ravishing,cara.’
‘I thought we were about to argue about Fiona.’
‘No. I’m embarrassed that I trusted her and she behaved so badly. She lied about what you had said to her. Fortunately, I know you well enough to know that she was lying,’ Gianni murmured, his mouth twisting. ‘She’s a drama queen and she likes to be the centre of attention and, of course, there was no chance of her taking pole position with you here.’
‘I’m not a drama queen. I don’t even like being the centre of attention,’ Jo began defensively.
‘No, but you are the indisputable queen of LadymeadandBelvedere,’ Gianni informed her with a charismatic smile. ‘Queen of my heart as well, if there is such an expression...’
Jo lowered her lashes, wondering what he meant by that. ‘Not something I ever expected you to say.’
‘Not something that I ever thought I would say,’ Gianni confided, bending slightly to lift her up into his arms. ‘If I have to put you down before we get up both flights, at least give me points for trying,’ he urged.
Airborne without warning, Jo gazed up at him in astonishment. They reached the first landing. Gianni grinned and carried her up the second flight with a perceptible look of achievement. ‘Let’s forget about Fiona and the lawyers’ office leak and all the other stuff that clutters up our days,’ he suggested. ‘I rushed home instead of staying in London tonight because I wanted to be with you.’