Reunited with Her Italian Ex by Lucy Gordon

‘There, yet not there, keeping me wondering.’
    â€˜I didn’t do it on purpose,’ she said. ‘You thought I was being a deliberate tease, but I wasn’t. I was wondering too.’
    And that had been her attraction for him, he realised. Where other girls were often willing, sometimes too willing, Natasha had always been just out of reach. It had driven him crazy but it had kept him in pursuit of her. Until finally she had vanished, leaving him devastated.
    How much had she really felt for him? To this day he didn’t know, and he doubted he ever would.
    But one thing was certain. She was no longer the tense, nervy creature of a few days ago. The woman who had forced a kiss on him as revenge for his kissing her had simply vanished. Now she was relaxed, in command, humorous, alluring.
    â€˜I hear that you’ve been working hard,’ he said. ‘You’ve been contacting the other hotel owners to get information, and showing them what you planned to write so that they could approve it. They’re very impressed. My stock has risen considerably since I performed the brilliant act of securing your services.’ He gave a theatrical flourish. ‘Only a genius like myself could have discovered you.’
    â€˜But you didn’t discover me. It was Giorgio.’
    â€˜Hush. We don’t say that.’ He grinned. ‘And neither does Giorgio if he knows what’s good for him.’
    â€˜I see. The boss gives his orders and we all jump to obey.’
    â€˜Some do. I doubt I’ll ever see the day when you jump to obey.’
    â€˜But you pay my wages,’ she reminded him. ‘Surely I have no choice but to obey you?’
    â€˜All right, all right. You’ve had your joke.’
    â€˜It’s not a joke. You’re my employer. I know it’s Giorgio who directs me, but you’re the authority. If you told him to fire me, he’d have to do so.’
    â€˜There’s no danger of that.’
    â€˜Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say to you.’
    â€˜What is it?’ he asked with a sense of foreboding, for her tone implied a serious matter. ‘Go on, tell me. How bad is it?’
    â€˜It’s not bad at all. I want to say thank you.’
    â€˜Thank you? For what?’ he asked, sounding nervous.
    â€˜For changing my contract so that I’m making more money. I couldn’t believe it when Giorgio showed me the new one and said you’d told him to increase it.’
    â€˜But you’ve already thanked me,’ he said. ‘You did so a few minutes afterwards. I told you then that it was essential to secure your professional services.’
    â€˜Yes, you told me that, but you knew how bad my financial problems were. You could have secured me without raising the money. I think there may have been a little kindness involved too.’
    He gave a slight smile. ‘Kindness? Me? I’m a businessman. I don’t do kindness.’
    â€˜I think you do. I can remember things in Venice—that little girl who lost her dog, and you found it for her.’
    â€˜I was only trying to impress you.’
    â€˜And you succeeded. You don’t like people to know about your kind and caring streak but it’s there.’
    â€˜That’s practically an insult.’
    â€˜Then you’ll have to put up with me insulting you,’ she said.
    â€˜I think I can just about manage that.’
    â€˜The thing is—that quarrel we had the other day, when we’d finished having the pictures taken... It just flared up but I wish it hadn’t.’
    â€˜So do I. I said things I didn’t mean.’
    â€˜You said I was afraid to face the truth, that everything could have been different if I’d listened to you. I think you meant that and I don’t blame you.’
    â€˜But do you believe what I told you—about Tania, how I’d already broken with