Christmas Seduction: The Twelve Nights of Christmas / His Christmas Acquisition / Caroselli's Christmas Baby

‘No.’ Rio recoiled from the sheen of tears he saw in her eyes. ‘But I can stop it looking like a sleazy one-night stand. We’re going to make people believe we’re in a relationship—serious about each other.’ Looking at her now, those high heels elongating her spectacular legs, he was even starting to believe it could work. No red-blooded male would question his interest.

‘It’s a really s-stupid plan.’

Rio, who had been congratulating himself on a truly genius idea, was insulted. ‘It’s an incredible plan.’ His tone cooled. ‘You’re lucky I’m not currently involved with anyone.’

‘Lucky?’

Rio dismissed thoughts of the Russian ballerina. ‘It’s unusual for me not to be in a relationship.’

‘Well, I suppose that’s one of the advantages of being filthy rich. Where there’s money, there will always be women.’

Taken aback by that diminution of his qualities, Rio breathed deeply. ‘Women are generally interested in more than my wallet.’

‘How do you know? They’re not going to tell you, are they? And I don’t suppose gold-diggers come with a warning hanging round their neck.’

‘I can spot a gold-digger in the dark from a thousand paces.’ He ignored the discordant image in his head that reminded him that on at least one occasion that statement had proven not to be true.

‘Good for you.’ Her slightly acidic tone matched her growing agitation. She explored the room, picking things up and putting them down again. First the vase on the table, then a notepad, then a remote control. She squinted down at it and pressed a button mindlessly and a gas fire flared to life behind a glass panel in the wall.

Swearing under his breath, Rio crossed the room and turned her to face him. ‘I know you’re anxious that they’re going to print your photograph but, trust me, it will be fine providing people think we’re together. This is the best way of dealing with it.’

‘That’s just your opinion.’

Rio, who had never before had his opinion dismissed, ground his teeth. ‘If you have an alternative suggestion, then I’m listening.’

‘No, you’re not. You’re pretending to listen while secretly thinking that you’ll let me say my piece and then just do what you were planning to do all along, but it isn’t going to work. I won’t pretend to be engaged to you.’

Assuming that her reluctance was rooted in her insecurity, Rio sought to reassure her. ‘By the time we’ve done something about your wardrobe, your nails and your hair, it will be easy to convince people that we are involved with each other.’

‘Is that supposed to make me feel better?’ She put the remote control down slowly and carefully, as if it were a potential murder weapon. ‘You’ll look fine, Evie, once I’ve turned you into something decent. Is that what you’re saying?’ Her tightly worded question triggered all the alarms in Rio’s internal warning system.

‘If this is going to be one of those, Does my bottom look big in this? conversations, then don’t go there,’ he warned, his tone thickened with frustration. The clock was ticking and her resistance was an obstacle he hadn’t anticipated. Not for one moment had it entered his head that she’d be anything other than compliant. ‘If you hadn’t been lying naked on my bed, I would not have been tempted to kiss you,’ Rio exploded with the tension that had been building since the photographer had chosen to elbow his way into his life. ‘If you had worn clothes or at least slept under the covers—’

‘If you had shown some self-control—’

Rio breathed deeply because that was a charge from which it was almost impossible to defend himself and that particular aspect of this whole seedy situation disturbed him far more than he was prepared to admit. He was always extremely careful with his liaisons and he never indulged in one-night stands. And yet where had his self-control been a few hours ago when he’d seen her lying on his bed? Not for the first time, he wondered what would have happened had the photographer paused before taking his photograph. How much more revealing and incriminating would a later picture have been?

‘There is no point in dwelling on what is done,’ he said tautly, ‘and the truth is that a photograph of you naked in that bed was all that was needed. The rest would have been easily created from association and artistic use of Photoshop.’

‘You mean they would have manufactured a photograph of the two of us together?’

‘Photography software is increasingly sophisticated and you were in my bedroom. Stop throwing out obstacles when the solution I’m proposing is in both our interests. Your reputation stays intact. You mentioned that you have nowhere to live—I’m offering you somewhere to live. You get to stay here, in the most highly prized hotel suite in London. Anything you want, you can have. Most women in your position would be extremely excited at the prospect of an all expenses paid holiday complete with shopping.’

‘Women are not a homogeneous breed, Mr Zaccarelli—we’re individuals with individual tastes and needs. And why do you care so much about whether it looks like a one-night stand or something more? What is this deal you keep talking about?’

The question caught him off guard. For a brief moment he felt his control start to unravel. ‘You don’t need to know. Rest assured that I have a whole team of lawyers working night and day to make sure that it doesn’t fall apart at the eleventh hour.’

‘And if it does?’

A chill ran down his spine. ‘It won’t.’

‘Providing I do as you say. I don’t understand why this story could ruin it for you. Is this deal of yours with some old-fashioned guy who thinks you should have a blameless reputation or something?’

‘Something like that.’ Rio realised that his palms were sweating and he turned away from her, locking down his emotions with ruthless efficiency.

‘So you’ll do all this to win one deal? Money, money, money. Is that all that matters to you?’ Increasingly agitated, she rubbed her hands down her arms. ‘Well, I’m sorry if my decision loses you a few million, but I’m not prepared to do it.’

Back in control, Rio turned to look at her, sure that he must have misheard. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I won’t do it. I’m just going to look more of a fool.’ She covered her face with her hands and gave a moan of embarrassment. ‘Every time I think about that photo being printed I just want to hide. Grandpa is never going to be able to hold his head up at senior poker ever again.’

Banking down his own frustration, Rio crossed the room. Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face. ‘You are not going to hide. You are going to hold your head up high and look as though you are in love with me.’ Appreciating the irony of his own words, he gave a faint smile and she instantly picked up on it.

‘Don’t tell me—usually you’re telling women not to fall in love with you.’

‘I’m not into serious relationships. They don’t work for me. I’m not that kind of guy.’ Once, just once, and look where it had got him.

‘And I assume the public know that.’

‘If you’re worried that I won’t be able to play my part, then don’t be. I can be very convincing,’ Rio assured her. ‘The fact that I’m not usually serious about a woman will make this whole story all the more plausible.’

‘And all the more embarrassing.’

Rio’s jaw clenched and he spoke through his teeth, his patience severely tested. ‘Are you saying it’s embarrassing to be associated with me?’

‘I’m saying it’s going to be embarrassing when it ends. For all your so-called brilliant brain, you haven’t thought this through. It’s going to end—and then how will it look?’

‘What does it matter?’ Irritated to the point of explosion, Rio spread his hands in a gesture of exasperation. ‘Relationships end all the time—it is a part of life. And that is surely a better option for you than having the world think you had a one night stand.’

‘So basically I have two choices here—either I get to look like a big, fat slut or I get to be the only woman to be dumped twice in the space of months. Forgive me if I’m not jumping up and down with excitement at either option.’

‘Relationships end. I still don’t see the problem.’

Her eyes sparked. ‘That’s because you’re only thinking about yourself as usual. Not me. Have you ever been dumped, Mr Zaccarelli?’

‘Rio.’

‘Rio—’ Using his name brought a flush to her cheeks. ‘Has anyone ever told you they don’t want to be with you any more?’

‘No, of—’ He caught himself and shrugged. ‘No.’

‘You were going to say of course not, weren’t you?’ She gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘You are so monumentally arrogant and sure of yourself, but that explains why you can’t understand my problem. You don’t know what it’s like to be rejected.’

‘Given that this isn’t a real relationship,’ Rio said tightly, ‘it wouldn’t be a real rejection.’

‘But if you’re going to be as convincing as you say you are, then everyone is going to think it is! Six weeks ago my fiancé, a man I’d known since I was a child, called off our wedding—’ She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were suddenly cold. ‘Forgive me if I’m not rushing forward to embrace another public battering of my ego. It was bad enough the first time, having everyone feeling sorry for me. I couldn’t even walk down the street without ten people saying they understood how hideously humiliated I must feel—this would be a thousand times worse. Only this time it wouldn’t be just the village; it would be the whole world.’

‘How would that be worse?’ Genuinely baffled, struggling to understand, Rio stared at her. ‘Why would you care what a bunch of strangers think?’