Holly’s excitement.’
‘You had
no
right to use my daughter to try and get your own way. Emotional blackmail is unforgivable.’
He shrugged. ‘In business, I’ll use any means at my disposal to win a deal, and the same goes for my private life. I want you to look after Cordelia, and if I have to use a little coercion to get what I want, so be it.’
Beneath his charming façade there was a ruthless side to Rocco. He would make a dangerous adversary, Emmarealised. But at the same time his loyalty and love for his grandmother were undeniable.
‘If you are worried about your job here in Northumberland, it’s fine. I’ve squared it for you,’ he told her.
‘What do you mean, you’ve
squared
it?’
‘I spoke to the head of the trust you work for and arranged for you to have three months’ unpaid leave. Mr Donaldson was most obliging—especially after I made a donation to the local cottage hospital.’
Far from being grateful that he had resolved a significant reason for her decision not to go to Portofino, Emma was furious at his interference. ‘You treat people like puppets, don’t you?’ she snapped. ‘You think your money gives you the right to arrange my life to suit you. If you want the truth, I don’t
want
Holly to stay at your villa. A playboy’s love nest is
not
a suitable environment for a child.’
While Rocco was absorbing this startling statement, she demanded, ‘Will Juliette Pascal be there? Or another of your
lady friends
, as Cordelia euphemistically describes them? Maybe you plan to entertain more than one? From what I’ve heard, you frequently juggle multiple mistresses.’
‘What an eye-watering vision you present,’ Rocco drawled. He studied her flushed face speculatively. ‘Juliette won’t be visiting the Villa Lucia because I ended our affair yesterday. It wasn’t really even an affair. We both lead busy lives and met up occasionally whenever we happened to be in the same city. It was an arrangement that suited both of us.’
After Rosalinda he had made sure any woman he dated understood unequivocally that there was no chance he would ever want more than a casual affair. He noted Emma’s scathing expression and his jaw hardened.
‘Despite what you may have read in the tabloid newspapers, I only ever have mistresses in multiples of one.
After kissing you on Saturday night, it was only right that I should end my relationship with Juliette. But I certainly wouldn’t have done so with a phone call.’
Emma was struck dumb by his revelation. She felt a grudging respect that he had had the decency to end his affair in person. But had he slept with the beautiful model yesterday—enjoyed a final sex session for old times’ sake? she wondered, feeling acid burn in the pit of her stomach.
‘Why did you end your affair because of one kiss?’ She strove to sound uninterested, not knowing that Rocco could see the uncertainty in her eyes. ‘You said yourself there was no need to get worked up about it.’ Unconsciously she worried the tender flesh of her lower lip with her teeth. ‘It meant nothing to either of us.’
‘Let’s see, shall we?’
The sudden deepening of his voice should have triggered alarm bells, but he moved so quickly that she had no time to react. One arm snaked around her waist and pulled her hard up against him, while his other hand cupped her jaw as he covered her mouth with his.
This time his kiss was no gentle seduction. This time it was urgent and demanding, born of a sense of frustration—not only at Emma’s stubbornness, but from the fact that ever since he had kissed her two nights ago all he had been able to think about was how soon he could repeat the experience. The feel of her soft curves pressed up against him heated his blood. Desire thundered through his veins, and he slid his hand from her jaw to tangle in her hair, tugging her head back so that he could plunder her soft, moist mouth.
Desperately, Emma fought the temptation to
‘You had
no
right to use my daughter to try and get your own way. Emotional blackmail is unforgivable.’
He shrugged. ‘In business, I’ll use any means at my disposal to win a deal, and the same goes for my private life. I want you to look after Cordelia, and if I have to use a little coercion to get what I want, so be it.’
Beneath his charming façade there was a ruthless side to Rocco. He would make a dangerous adversary, Emmarealised. But at the same time his loyalty and love for his grandmother were undeniable.
‘If you are worried about your job here in Northumberland, it’s fine. I’ve squared it for you,’ he told her.
‘What do you mean, you’ve
squared
it?’
‘I spoke to the head of the trust you work for and arranged for you to have three months’ unpaid leave. Mr Donaldson was most obliging—especially after I made a donation to the local cottage hospital.’
Far from being grateful that he had resolved a significant reason for her decision not to go to Portofino, Emma was furious at his interference. ‘You treat people like puppets, don’t you?’ she snapped. ‘You think your money gives you the right to arrange my life to suit you. If you want the truth, I don’t
want
Holly to stay at your villa. A playboy’s love nest is
not
a suitable environment for a child.’
While Rocco was absorbing this startling statement, she demanded, ‘Will Juliette Pascal be there? Or another of your
lady friends
, as Cordelia euphemistically describes them? Maybe you plan to entertain more than one? From what I’ve heard, you frequently juggle multiple mistresses.’
‘What an eye-watering vision you present,’ Rocco drawled. He studied her flushed face speculatively. ‘Juliette won’t be visiting the Villa Lucia because I ended our affair yesterday. It wasn’t really even an affair. We both lead busy lives and met up occasionally whenever we happened to be in the same city. It was an arrangement that suited both of us.’
After Rosalinda he had made sure any woman he dated understood unequivocally that there was no chance he would ever want more than a casual affair. He noted Emma’s scathing expression and his jaw hardened.
‘Despite what you may have read in the tabloid newspapers, I only ever have mistresses in multiples of one.
After kissing you on Saturday night, it was only right that I should end my relationship with Juliette. But I certainly wouldn’t have done so with a phone call.’
Emma was struck dumb by his revelation. She felt a grudging respect that he had had the decency to end his affair in person. But had he slept with the beautiful model yesterday—enjoyed a final sex session for old times’ sake? she wondered, feeling acid burn in the pit of her stomach.
‘Why did you end your affair because of one kiss?’ She strove to sound uninterested, not knowing that Rocco could see the uncertainty in her eyes. ‘You said yourself there was no need to get worked up about it.’ Unconsciously she worried the tender flesh of her lower lip with her teeth. ‘It meant nothing to either of us.’
‘Let’s see, shall we?’
The sudden deepening of his voice should have triggered alarm bells, but he moved so quickly that she had no time to react. One arm snaked around her waist and pulled her hard up against him, while his other hand cupped her jaw as he covered her mouth with his.
This time his kiss was no gentle seduction. This time it was urgent and demanding, born of a sense of frustration—not only at Emma’s stubbornness, but from the fact that ever since he had kissed her two nights ago all he had been able to think about was how soon he could repeat the experience. The feel of her soft curves pressed up against him heated his blood. Desire thundered through his veins, and he slid his hand from her jaw to tangle in her hair, tugging her head back so that he could plunder her soft, moist mouth.
Desperately, Emma fought the temptation to
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