One Passionate Night's Miracle: One-Night Baby / The Surgeon's Miracle Baby / Outback Baby Miracle

‘I’ve brought you here for a reason,’ Santino explained, giving nothing away as he steered her towards the revolving doors.

Kate’s heart fluttered with anxiety. However many times she tried to reassure herself that this was only a business meeting, she couldn’t help wondering what Santino really had in mind … and why he had brought her to such a magnificent place so far away from the film studio.

He wanted to test her to the full. He was going to ask the questions any boss should ask of his employee—marital status, for one.

As they approached the entrance the doors swung open and the bellboy and hotel manager appeared at once as if some internal grapevine had alerted them.

‘Signor Rossi.’ The manager inclined his head with respect. ‘We are delighted to welcome you and your guest. What can I do for you?’

‘I realise La Pergola is closed for lunch, but—’

‘Closed? Not for you, Signor Rossi.’

‘I was hoping you would say that, Fritz. Ms Mulhoon is over here from England.’

‘I will alert the chef.’

He held up a restraining hand. ‘There’s no need for that. A light snack is all we require. We have some business to talk over.’

The manager bowed. ‘I understand.’

He curbed his smile. He doubted it, though to ‘understand’ and be discreet was any successful hotelier’s rule of thumb. ‘I would like to show Ms Mulhoon the view.’

‘Of course, Signor Rossi. Ah, the view …’ It was Kate’s turn to receive a bow. ‘In the words of your own Charles Dickens, “Here was Rome indeed at last; and such a Rome as no one can imagine in its full and awful grandeur …’”

‘Like the Colosseum …’ Kate smiled and then grimaced when she thought no one was looking. Santino thought he saw a prescient shiver run across her shoulders, which only added fuel to his suspicions. What did she have to be apprehensive about here at such a lovely hotel, if not his questions?

‘I’m eager to see the view,’ she said, quickly recovering as she turned to smile at the hotel manager. Santino suspected she was relieved to have someone else walking with them.

Having led them across the lobby and along a discreetly lit corridor the hotel manager threw open some heavy double doors with a flourish. ‘Please …’ he invited, standing aside to allow Kate to pass.

‘Quite something, isn’t it?’ Santino murmured. He was already anticipating Kate’s reaction.

She stood quite still for a moment and then turned to look at him. ‘It’s breathtaking …’ She was smiling in amazement.

He guessed the view so surpassed her expectations she had forgotten the tensions that existed between them for a moment.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it before.’ She turned back to look.

The whole of Rome was spread out in front of them, with St Peter’s dome prominently in view. ‘I can’t take it in …’

She was breathless and the way she clutched her chest drew his gaze. ‘I’m glad you approve.’

‘Won’t you sit down?’ Fritz invited, smiling as he led the way to some tables by the window. ‘I’ll have the chef prepare some small snack … Carpaccio of scampi on a lime gelée with papaya, caviar and tequila ice crush, perhaps? Or some tagliolini with broccoli and clams…?’

Kate had to resist the temptation to ask if it was possible to have a cheese sandwich.

‘Three Michelin stars,’ Santino whispered discreetly, just in time. But as his warm breath swept her neck every tiny hair on the back of her neck stood to attention. ‘Could we have something light?’ She was glad of the distraction and smiled up at Fritz. ‘It all sounds delicious, but—’

‘I understand.’ The hotel manager beamed. ‘May I suggest pigeon breast on warm oranges with mulled wine sauce followed by a selection of cheeses from the trolley?’

‘Just the selection of cheeses from the trolley would be fine for me,’ Kate assured him.

‘And for me too,’ Santino said. ‘We don’t want to put the chef to any trouble. I’m sure he must be fully occupied preparing for tonight’s guests …’

Was this sudden show of consideration for her benefit? Kate wondered.

Even though he had failed to tempt them the manager scarcely missed a beat. ‘Would you care to see the wine list, Signor Rossi?’

‘Thank you, no. We’ll have a glass of champagne and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water.’

‘Certainly.’

Franz bowed his way out of their company with a smile as warm and as genuine as if they had ordered up the most expensive items on the menu. But as he disappeared Kate grew increasingly tense when Santino seemed in no hurry to start the conversation. He was waiting for her to say something … to give something away, perhaps?

‘Nice man,’ Santino commented at last, settling back in his chair. ‘Don’t you think so, Kate?’

Kate knew that was only his opening gambit. Santino hadn’t brought her here to admire the scenery. ‘Very nice,’ she agreed, having decided to confine herself to simple answers. She wished she were a million miles away. She wished she could lose the urge to stare at Santino …

‘In the summer you can eat out on the terrace overlooking the whole of Rome. It’s quite magnificent.’

‘Really?’ Kate murmured distractedly. ‘I’m sorry I won’t be here to see it …‘All the thoughts whirling through her head were making her careless.

CHAPTER EIGHT

OF COURSE it wasn’t just cheese and biscuits from a supermarket shelf; the waiters brought them fresh crunchy bread, succulent green olives, and a selection of fine cheeses that would have put Paxton & Whitfield, the great London cheese shop, to shame.

Kate had to keep reminding herself to remain guarded when Santino began to share some behind-the-scenes facts with her, allowing her a brief glimpse of the man beneath the driven entrepreneur. In spite of all her self-imposed warnings she was starting to relax, even starting to like him, but that didn’t mean she judged it the right time to tell him about Francesca. She needed a lot more reassurance before she could bring herself to do that.

‘So, tell me about your life in England …’

She should have known, Kate realised. Santino hadn’t risen to the top of the tree without good reason. This was how he nailed a deal … he softened up the opposition before going in for the kill. But she was ready for him. ‘As you know, I work at the agency that handles Caddy—’

‘Worked, past tense, if I had my way. Go on.’

‘I use a small apartment in town on the odd occasions when I’m forced to work late.’

‘And when you’re not working late?’

She really had his attention now, Kate thought as Santino leaned towards her. ‘I live with Aunt Meredith and Caddy in the country—when Caddy’s there, of course.’ She thought he looked pleased by her answer, and maybe a little more than that. Her heart raced furiously as he stared at her.

‘You live with Cordelia and her mother?’ Santino’s dark eyes were probing her deepest thoughts, warning Kate to take care with her answer.

‘Yes, I do.’

‘So what’s your marital status?’

‘What’s yours?’ she flung back at him, totally thrown.