Mediterranean Boss, Convenient Mistress

Marco shook his head. ‘I take it you are a bit of a romantic.’

‘No!’ She didn’t know why she hotly denied the charge, because she was a hopeless romantic. Maybe it had something to do with the sudden derisive tone of his voice.

Marco watched the colour deepen in her creamy skin, saw the way her green eyes sparkled with annoyance, and smiled. ‘I think you are,’ he said softly. ‘In fact, I think that maybe deep down you would like to find the kind of relationship that your parents enjoyed…complete with love at first sight.’

‘You mean I’m looking for something you say doesn’t exist,’ Charlie muttered angrily. ‘Any minute now you are going to ask me to lie down on your couch. I don’t need to be psychoanalysed, thank you, Marco. I had a disastrous date last night but it hasn’t left me scarred. I am quite well-adjusted, thank you.’

Marco laughed.

For some reason that irritated her even further.

Marco watched as she brushed a self-conscious hand over the smoothness of her hair and noticed how she swiftly changed the subject. ‘You’re going to be late for your interview,’ she said crossly.

He smiled to himself. Charlie intrigued him and had done so since the first moment she had walked into his office. There was something about the way she carried herself with a cool dignity that was quite beguiling. Never once during the months she had worked for him had he known her to completely lower the barriers that surrounded her. However, as the weeks had gone by an easy compatibility had sprung up between them and her wary reserve had fallen a little. He noticed in particular that when he asked about her son she came alive with a warmth that was completely captivating.

On the other hand she certainly wasn’t at ease talking about her date last night…watching her blush was a whole new revelation, as was the vulnerable glint in her green eyes when he had accused her of being a bit of a romantic. She had thought he’d just wanted to psychoanalyse her, but he didn’t need to get her on the couch to know that some man had hurt her badly…probably her ex-husband. But that wasn’t any of his business and he certainly didn’t want to pry into her personal life.

One of the things he liked about Charlie was the fact that she was so self-contained. Her practical attitude in the office was a real bonus. It suited him to have someone calm and reliable around, someone who didn’t get emotional. His last PA had been a nightmare. She’d been through a series of relationship break-ups, and when he’d offered a word of sympathy she had developed a weird kind of fixation on him that had made work impossible. After that experience he had decided to hire a temp for a while. Charlie was a real blessing. She was always on an even keel, steady and dependable. Charlie never came into the office hung-over or late after a wild night on the tiles. In fact—bizarrely, considering the fact Charlie was in her late twenties and an attractive woman—she didn’t appear to have a love life. Maybe he had even started to take that fact for granted…Why else had he been so taken aback when she’d told him about her date last night?

She stood up now to go and get a file from one of the cabinets and he found his eyes following her. He’d probably just been concerned about her. Sometimes, despite her self-possessed manner, he sensed an underlying vulnerability about her…. something he was sure she took great trouble to hide.

Yes, that was it…he’d just been concerned for her safety last night. His attention was distracted as she reached up to a high shelf to get a new folder. For a moment he was treated to a clear view of her shapely body. As his eyes drifted down over her curves he wondered, not for the first time, why she always wore clothes that hid her physique so completely. She had a nice hourglass figure which was very desirable, but you could hardly see it in the shapeless black business suit.

Annoyed with himself, he looked away and glanced at his watch. He had more important things to think about. ‘Looks like Sarah isn’t going to make it. I’ll have to leave without her.’

‘When she arrives, shall I tell her to follow you to the studio?’ Charlie asked as she sat back down at her computer.

Marco watched as she put her spectacles on and concentrated on the screen as if she had dismissed him entirely from her mind.

‘No.’ Marco shook his head. ‘Because you’ll have to come with me instead.’

She looked up at him in surprise. ‘But I’ve got research notes to catalogue—’

‘You’ll have to leave them until later,’ Marco said firmly. ‘Come on, be quick. I need you to drive because I have notes to read. And, bearing in mind the lateness of the hour…you might have to drop me at the door and park the car for me.’

Charlie took off her spectacles and with reluctance found herself switching off her computer. Then, snatching up her bag, she followed him down the stairs. It was strange but since that conversation about her love life she felt a bit on edge around him somehow. It was as if the professional barriers that she had managed to keep in place around him had suddenly been shifted to one side.

CHAPTER TWO

CHARLIE had to practically run to keep up with Marco as they crossed the courtyard at the side of his house. She scrabbled in her bag for her keys as she stopped next to her car.

‘What are you doing?’

She looked up and saw Marco was standing next to his own car.

‘You said you wanted me to drive.’

‘I do. But I meant in my car.’

Charlie looked over at the brand-new gleaming red sports car and quickly decided she definitely didn’t want to drive such perfection through the traffic! ‘Do you mind if we take mine?’

Marco glanced sceptically at her old car. ‘Do you think it will get us there?’

‘Well, it gets me to work every morning!’ she said indignantly.

‘Fine.’ He shrugged and moved towards her vehicle.

Marco was so tall that his legs were crushed up against the dashboard when he got in. He released the seat and moved it backwards as she turned the key in the ignition. As usual the car didn’t want to start immediately.

‘It’s OK—it always does this,’ she reassured him hurriedly in case he started to get out.

The engine flared into life at the next turn of the key and at the same time music filled the car and Marco was treated to a rendition of Love and Marriage as crooned by Frank Sinatra.

Hurriedly Charlie rushed to switch it off and in her haste turned the volume up. ‘Sorry!’ she shouted over the sentimental words about how love and marriage went so well together and then switched the CD off. But the music kept on and it was a moment before she realised that it was the radio that was playing.

‘That was Frank Sinatra’s opinion of love and marriage,’ The DJ said cheerfully, ‘but in a short time we will be talking to the eminent Dr Marco Delmari about his new book and why he thinks putting love at the top of your list when you get married could spell disaster.’

‘Sorry, I thought it was my CD that was playing,’ Charlie said uncomfortably as she turned the volume down. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Marco had found the cover for the CD of love songs and was reading through the track list.

‘And you tried to tell me you weren’t a romantic.’ He looked over at her with wry humour.

‘I’ve also got classical music in the glove compartment and a selection of rock albums.’

Marco smiled. ‘Interesting. I wouldn’t have had you down as a rock chick. Do you have the leathers and the bike too?’

‘But of course,’ she lied with a bat of her dark lashes. ‘I didn’t realise you were analysing me.’

‘Of course I am.’ He laughed. ‘It’s what I do.’ He slanted her a teasing look. ‘And by the way, there is nothing wrong with being a bit of a romantic,’ he added softly.

‘That’s not what it says in your book.’

‘No, what I said in my book was that people get carried away by the idea of romance. That they imagine themselves in love too easily, when in fact they are just in lust, which is absolutely fine for a short-term affair, but for a longer-term commitment you need more stability.’

‘“Love should not be the only reason for marriage.”’ Charlie quoted one of the lines from his book.

‘Ah…So you have read it, then.’

‘Of course I’ve read it.’ She looked over and found that he was still watching her with a light of amusement in his dark eyes. ‘I bought a copy before I started to work for you.’

‘As a precursor to internet dating?’

‘No, as research towards working for you…and actually, just for the record, last night was my first sojourn into the world of internet dating.’

‘Will you continue with it?’

‘If you’d asked me that question when I got home last night I’d probably have said no…. but…’ she paused for thought ‘…I suppose a date like last night’s can happen even when you meet someone under more conventional circumstances.’

‘So you’ll go out again on another date?’