It was right that Paloma should have her grandmother’s engagement ring. He had kept it in his jacket pocket, intending to give it to her before her grandfather’s funeral. But when Franco had seemed poised to take control of Morante Group, Daniele had needed to act fast, to convince the board of trustees that he would marry Paloma and prepare her for when she succeeded Marcello as the head of the company.
The car slowed as it approached the entrance to the grounds of the palazzo. Daniele was puzzled when he saw that the ornate iron gates were open and there was no security guard in the gatehouse. A sweeping driveway lined with slender cypress trees led to the palatial building that had been the home of the noble Morante family since the sixteenth century.
Paloma climbed out of the car and preceded Daniele up the flight of stone steps to the front door. ‘It feels as though the place has been abandoned,’ she said with a catch in her voice. ‘I suppose it’s my imagination because I know that Nonno won’t stride out of his study to greet me.’
The door was opened by the butler. ‘There is only me and my wife, Giulia, here to take care of the house,’ Aldo explained when Paloma and Daniele stepped into the opulent entrance hall. ‘Yesterday, all the other household staff received letters informing them that they no longer had their jobs. I have just seen a news report on the television that Signor Morante is dead. Please accept my condolences,signorina.’
‘It must be a mistake,’ Paloma said. ‘My grandfather would not have wanted his staff who had worked for him for years to be sacked. Who sent the dismissal letters?’
‘They had been signed by Signor Morante. Everyone was upset because your grandfather had not given any indication that he was displeased with the staff.’
‘But Nonno died a week ago.’ Paloma looked at Daniele. ‘He couldn’t have sacked the staff. So who did?’
‘What about the security team?’ Daniele asked the butler. ‘Were they dismissed too?’
Aldo nodded. ‘With the announcement of Signor Morante’s death, I am concerned that thieves might try to break into the house while there are no security personnel patrolling the grounds.’
‘It’s a bit odd, isn’t it?’ Paloma muttered as she followed Daniele into the salon.
The dismissal of the security staff was more than odd. The hairs on the back of Daniele’s neck prickled. ‘It’s not safe for you to stay at the palazzo. I’m guessing you keep clothes here for when you visit.’ She nodded, and he said briskly, ‘Go and change your clothes and pack a bag.’ He pulled out his phone. ‘I need to make alternative arrangements.’
‘This is my home now and I won’t be scared away from it,’ Paloma said in a determined voice. ‘Besides, the charity ball will be held here, and I need to help with the preparations. My grandfather always took a personal interest in the fundraising event.’ She bit her lip. ‘If you really think that someone on the board of trustees wants me...out of the way, we ought to call the police.’
‘And tell them what? For all we know, your grandfather might have decided to sack the staff and signed the dismissal letters before he died. They would have taken a few days to arrive in the post.’ Daniele could not hide his frustration. ‘No actual threat has been made against you while you have been in Italy and the police will not have the authority to investigate your kidnapping in Mali. You are my responsibility.’
Daniele could tell from the way Paloma’s eyes had darkened to indigo that an argument was brewing. ‘I will rehire the palazzo’s staff and the security team in time for the charity ball, but until then, I’m taking you to my farmhouse near Lucca. Be ready to leave in half an hour.’
‘Are you always so overbearing?’ Paloma gave him a mutinous look. ‘I appreciate your help, but I don’t want you to think of me as your responsibility.’
It was vital that he did, Daniele brooded. Otherwise his thoughts might turn to how desperately he wanted to kiss Paloma’s lips, which were currently set in a sulky pout. When he’d grazed his mouth over hers at the board meeting, it had taken all his willpower to resist deepening the kiss. But even the brief taste of her sweet breath had had an instant effect on his body, and he’d quickly stepped away from her before she had become aware of his rampant arousal.
Things were likely to get worse once they were married, he acknowledged grimly. In public they would have to put on a convincing act that their marriage was real to keep Morante Group’s shareholders happy. Daniele’s gaze was drawn to Paloma’s pert derrière when she turned and walked away from him. He cursed beneath his breath.Deal with one problem at a time, he told himself. Right now he needed to take her to where he could keep her safe while he tried to discover what the hell was going on.
‘What is happening?’ Paloma asked some forty minutes later when she emerged from the car and stared at the crash helmet Daniele held out to her. He had driven them from the palazzo to a garage in a nearby village.
‘We’ll swap vehicles and travel to the farmhouse on the bike in case anyone is looking out for the car. Here’s a leather jacket for you to wear. It should fit.’
‘I suppose another of your ex-army friends left the motorbike and gear here for us,’ she said drily. ‘It’s a good thing I’m wearing my jeans.’
The sight of Paloma’s sexy figure in skintight denim was not a good thing for Daniele’s blood pressure. Earlier in the day, she had looked sophisticated and untouchable in a designer outfit. Now her long hair was loose and spilled down her back like a curtain of silk. The leather jacket she’d slipped on gave her an edgy, rock-chick look that made Daniele’s hands itch to touch every gorgeous inch of her.
‘Climb onto the back of the bike and put your arms around my waist,’ he growled, before he jammed his helmet onto his head and started the motorbike’s powerful engine.
The sun was setting, and the Tuscan scenery was breathtaking, with the undulating hills dappled in gold and the pointed spires of the cypress trees casting long shadows. Daniele felt his tension ease and he relished the sense of freedom he felt on the motorbike as he opened up the throttle. He should spend more time out of the office, he brooded.
For the past decade, he had been driven by his determination to make his fortune, and deep down, he’d hoped that his mother would admire his achievements. He had told Paloma it was pride that made him want to impress his mother, but he acknowledged that he was still haunted by her rejection. If his mother hadn’t loved him, would any woman truly love him? He’d told himself he did not want love in his life, but there was an emptiness inside him that money and success could not fill.
His self-made wealth had not gained him Claudia Farnesi’s acceptance. But marriage to Paloma would make him a member of one of the most prestigious families in Italy and give him status in the highest echelons of society. Surely, his mother would be impressed by the son she had abandoned when Daniele had been a boy?
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WELCOMETOMYHOME,’ Daniele said after he’d parked the bike in front of the farmhouse and dismounted.
‘This is beautiful.’ Paloma removed her crash helmet and swung her leg over the saddle. ‘No one would guess the house was here, nestled between the hills. There’s not another building for miles.’ She turned her stunning blue eyes towards him. ‘I had you down as a city type, and I’ve seen photos of you emerging from nightclubs and casinos in the early hours with your latest mistress wrapped around you,’ she said with some asperity.
Daniele grinned. ‘There is no need to be jealous,cara. When we are married, I will be exclusively yours.’
‘I’m notjealous.’ Two patches of scarlet flared on Paloma’s cheeks. ‘I couldn’t care less what you get up to in your private life.’