Venetian Masquerade by Suzanne Stokes Read Free Book Online Page B

Selling it seems rather final. Mama, why don’t you come to Venice too? There’s lots of room.”
    “No, Amy, my life is here. I never learned much Italian, and I love England. But never fear, I shall come and visit—and if you sell the flat, you will always have a bolt hole with me if you need one.”
    The next day, Amy drove to her office in London. She parked close by and walked warily towards the building, looking out for signs that Alessandro might be there. No red Jaguar was anywhere to be seen, so she went in and took the lift to the third floor. Sandra came rushing to her for a hug, and her other colleagues crowded round, wanting to hear her news. They swept her off to their old watering hole nearby for lunch, and afterwards, Jake waved her to come into his office. To her surprise, he also gave her a hug and wished her well, telling her the company would always take her back if things didn’t work out for her. She was touched.
    “Sandra told me your secret, Amy. To say I was astonished would be an understatement, but no one will get to hear about James from me. By the way, you know he married Sophia Bellucci?”
    “Yes. Please can we not talk about him?” She stiffened, wishing he would change the subject.
    “Very well, but I wondered if you knew that he—”
    “Please, Jake, I know. I know everything I need to know about Alessandro di Benedetto.”
    “Fine. Sorry. Well, here are your papers and a reference in case you ever have to work again…which I doubt. Good luck, Amy. We’ll miss you,” he said gruffly.
    With a quivering smile, she left his office and went into her own to clear her desk. Ten minutes later, the door opened, and she didn’t instantly look up because she was shuffling through a pile of papers. Then a long shadow fell over her and a waft of a familiar scent drifted past her nose. With a violent start, she gazed up into Alessandro’s blazingly angry eyes.
    Her whole body went into a spasm, as though she had been electrocuted, and with a horrified gasp, she clutched the edge of her desk and stared, mesmerized by him.
    “Please come with me…unless, that is, you want me to cause you great embarrassment by carrying you off over my shoulder.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Alessandro,” she managed to say at last. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Get out of my office.”
    “It plainly isn’t your office anymore.”
    “Nevertheless, I won’t be bullied by you. Who do you think you are?”
    “Déjà vu, ” he replied. “You asked me that once before, and I told you then that our souls recognized each other. Nothing has changed. Now come…”
    He held out a hand, but ignoring it, she rose and brushed past him, watched by the fascinated staff in the main office as she preceded him into the lift.
    Once inside, she knew she had made a mistake, because suddenly, she was trapped in a very confined space with Alessandro. She folded her arms protectively over her breasts and, giving him a withering look, leaned back against the wall. He mirrored her action, leaning against the opposite wall, and glared at her in silence until the lift doors opened at the ground floor.
    “Where are we going?” she demanded as they emerged into the sunshine.
    He took her arm and led her to his car. The red Jaguar, now mended, sat outside, and he opened the passenger door and almost pushed her into the car. Wordlessly, he pulled out into the traffic, causing a blaring of horns from irate taxi drivers, and headed for Kensington.
    “How did you know I was at the office?” she demanded.
    “I had a call.”
    “Can’t I trust anyone?” she groaned.
    “You could have trusted me!” he shouted at her.
    “Oh, really?” she tossed at him scornfully. “Where are you taking me? Is this another of your over-the-top grand gestures? Are you going to surprise me with a fabulous apartment?”
    “How well you know me, my darling. Yes, as a matter of fact, except it’s not just an apartment. It’s the new