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

‘But what about you, Kate? Who looks after you? What about your feelings in all this?’

‘What feelings? My feelings for Santino, do you mean?’ Kate did her best to look incredulous. ‘I have no feelings for Santino, and he’s made it quite clear he feels the same way about me.’

‘Be careful, Kate. You’re taking an awful lot for granted.’ Caddy’s eyes clouded with concern. ‘And that’s a big mistake where Santino Rossi is concerned …’

His suspicions regarding the morals of the film industry had just received another ringing endorsement. It seemed he couldn’t leave the studios for five minutes without some new and potentially damaging scandal occurring. This time drugs and intimidation. Next time.? He couldn’t afford a next time. What he needed was a firm hand on the tiller during his absence … a hand not dissimilar to Kate Mulhoon’s.

Santino’s hard mouth curved in a rare smile as he thought about it. Kate’s soft, pale hands had surprised him once before with their strength and ingenuity. If she came to work for him it would be interesting to see how long the new ‘ice princess’ version of Kate Mulhoon held out.

Meanwhile he had other things on his mind. He had to wait for the police to arrive and take his director into custody. A private interview with Cordelia had revealed that the trouble on the lot went deeper than the drugs his old friend Carlo had told him about, and the humiliation of one of his cast was something he would not tolerate under any circumstances.

As soon as Cordelia had told him what had happened he had called in the police right away. His leading lady had been subjected to a raft of cruel tricks, including silent phone calls, wreaths instead of the flowers she had ordered, manure dumped outside her trailer, and, in one final play of a pervert’s repertoire, a particularly sickening brand of sexual humiliation. All of it, he guessed, designed to break Cordelia’s spirit in order for the director’s heroine-hag girlfriend to take her place. It had been an ordeal for Cordelia to go over it again with him, and it made him sick to think about it now.

An invitation to the director’s trailer for a ‘coaching session’ had led Cordelia to find her ‘coach’ on the telephone while his girlfriend was busy on her knees beneath the desk … He’d stopped Cordelia there. He hadn’t needed to hear more to know she’d been through enough.

Santino’s thoughts switched back to Kate. With the arrival of the police imminent and everything back under control he risked her changing her mind about dinner now that Cordelia had been reassured. Kate might even decide to leave Rome before it suited him. Her dedication to her work was his only safeguard. She wouldn’t be satisfied he had fired the director for incompetence and drug taking, she would want to know that proper charges were being filed on Cordelia’s behalf. He wouldn’t be surprised if she insisted on staying on until the new director arrived. But of course, there were no guarantees.

Easing back in his chair, Santino smiled. Yes, there were. Kate wouldn’t leave Rome until she was sure Cordelia was happy and working well under the new regime. He hardly knew her, but after seeing Kate Mulhoon at work he could be sure of one thing—she wasn’t a quitter.

When the two girls reached the Hotel Russie they went straight up to Caddy’s suite, which she had insisted Kate share with her. As they walked in the room Caddy was still imploring Kate to cancel her meeting with Santino.

‘I won’t do that,’ Kate said firmly. ‘I won’t put you at a disadvantage by allowing Santino to think your advisors are weak.’

‘Even at your own expense, Kate?’

‘I’ll be fine. Listen to me, Caddy.’ Taking her cousin by the arms, Kate drew Caddy in front of her. ‘This is your big chance and I’ll never forgive myself if it doesn’t work out for you because of something I’ve done—’

Caddy shook her head and pulled away. ‘Don’t do this, Kate. You’re pretending everything’s all right, but I know you’re hurting inside. Look at the tension on your face.’ She turned Kate round to face the mirror.

‘That’s my strategic planning face.’ Kate laughed, but her attempt at humour sounded hollow.

‘Do you look this strained every time you have a client meeting?’ Caddy shrugged her shoulders to show her disbelief. ‘You must really inspire confidence.’

This time Kate didn’t pretend to smile. ‘I’m not strained. I’m just not sure how this meeting with Santino is going to play out yet.’

‘You and me both,’ Caddy murmured anxiously.

CHAPTER FOUR

HOWEVER many times Kate told herself that it was only dinner; only a business meeting, she couldn’t rid herself of the hummingbird wings in her stomach. There were too many feelings competing for attention inside her: she didn’t want to let Caddy down; she didn’t want to let the agency down; she didn’t want to let herself down, or give anything away. In the end she felt quite sick agonising over the question of whether she could be forceful enough on Caddy’s behalf without antagonising Santino, and whether she could get away with sitting an arm’s reach away from him across a dinner table without blurting out the fact that they had a daughter together. The end result of all this was that she grew tense and pale and uncommunicative in spite of Caddy’s best attempts to draw her out.

‘Honestly, Caddy, what I’m wearing is fine,’ Kate protested when Caddy held up the latest in a succession of possible outfits for her to wear. Clothes were absolutely the last thing on Kate’s mind.

Sharing Caddy’s luxurious suite at the Hotel Russie was a mixed blessing, and right now Kate would have preferred to be alone rather than have Caddy see her hand shaking as she tried unsuccessfully to apply some colourless lip salve.

‘What about this?’ Caddy held out another fabulous designer outfit.

The last thing Kate wanted was for Caddy to think that the meeting with Santino was going to be an ordeal for her and so she pretended to inspect the designer jeans and delicate silk top Caddy was holding out to her. The bright jewel colours were beautiful, but not for her … they would draw attention. ‘Perhaps too casual,’ Kate suggested gently, feeling bad when she saw Caddy’s expression falter. ‘I don’t know where Santino intends our meeting to take place—’

‘It’s sure to be somewhere fantastic, and there’s a whole wardrobe of clothes here for you to choose from,’ Caddy said generously. ‘Just take your pick.’

Reaching out, Kate squeezed Caddy’s arm. ‘You’re the best friend anyone could have. And it may surprise you to know that I hadn’t even realised we were the same size in clothes.’

Caddy gave a faint smile as she picked up all the outfits Kate had discarded with barely a glance. Nothing about Kate could ever surprise her.

But it was true, Kate reflected. She had never really thought about her figure before. As long as the clothes in her wardrobe fitted she saw no reason to change them, or indeed her casual attitude to what was and what wasn’t ‘in’. Standing in front of the mirror, she smoothed down the front of her skirt and turned to check the hang of her jacket.

‘You can’t go out to dinner in the same outfit you wore for travelling,’ Caddy pointed out in a last ditch attempt to get Kate to change her mind.

‘Why ever not? I had a shower and changed my underwear and blouse.’

‘And now it’s too late,’ Caddy complained, grimacing as the doorbell rang. ‘Honestly, Kate, you’re impossible.’

Kate’s heart thundered so hard she could hardly speak. ‘But you love me?’ The question made Caddy laugh, but the truth was Kate needed her cousin’s reassurance.

‘You know I do.’ Caddy gave Kate a quick hug and then crossed to the door. Reaching it, she rested her hand on the doorknob as if waiting for Kate’s say-so before she let Santino in. ‘You can still change your mind, you know …’

‘And you know I won’t do that. Well? What are you waiting for? Let him in.’ Having assumed a bright tone to reassure Caddy, Kate kept the smile fixed to her face—she only hoped she could keep it in place long enough to last the evening.

If there was such a thing as the rhythm of life it picked up pace when Santino entered the room. Kate felt her bright smile falter. It was hard to hold onto her confidence when Santino didn’t just walk into a room, he took it over. He drew the eye; how could he not? From her place in the shadows Kate took in the impeccably tailored black trousers and expensive shoes, the chocolate-coloured suede jacket and crisp shirt in bone-coloured cotton. Even in casual clothes Santino conveyed an unmistakable air of authority and she could feel his energy lapping over her. His cologne danced in the air … warm, masculine, spicy.

She watched as Santino Rossi greeted his beautiful star. Santino held Caddy’s arms lightly, drawing her just close enough to kiss her continental-style on both cheeks, while keeping a wide separation between their two bodies. He was all male, but he didn’t take advantage of the fact. In spite of her reservations about him Kate found that reassuring. Caddy was so lovely that most men were either awestruck, or took the opportunity to slobber over her. Santino did neither. He was confident and restrained, and yet at the same time managed to transmit a warmth Kate could tell put Caddy instantly at ease. That warmth died when he looked Kate’s way.

‘You know Kate Mulhoon, of course,’ Caddy said, trying to defuse the sudden tension. ‘Or, my manager, as I should say now.’ Caddy started to look uncomfortable. ‘For the time being, at least …’

Caddy was floundering, but before Kate could step in to help her Santino made light of the awkward moment.

‘Of course,’ he confirmed, switching on the charm again, ‘Kate and I know each other.’

But he wasn’t talking about earlier at the studio, Kate realised, feeling her whole body tremble in response.

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Santino added, appraising Kate from head to toe as Caddy stepped back. ‘I must be early. I’ll come back when you’re ready …’

‘I am ready,’ Kate told him stiffly.

The look Santino gave her suggested he expected his women to make more effort when he took them out. But she wasn’t Santino’s woman, she was Caddy’s business manager, Kate’s steely look assured him.

‘We’d better go,’ he said, clearly none too pleased. ‘Our table’s booked. You will excuse us, Cordelia?’

‘Of course …’ Caddy glanced anxiously at Kate.

Kate gave Caddy a discreet warning glance as she walked past her. She didn’t want her cousin leaping to her defence; she wanted to handle this her own way. But Caddy was now gazing at Santino with a dreamy look on her face. Kate had to admit he did look stunning and Caddy had always been a sucker for the prince in a fairy tale. Except this wasn’t a fairy tale and there could never be a happy ending where she and Santino were concerned.

It hadn’t escaped his notice that she was the same dress size as her cousin Cordelia, and therefore had the whole of his leading lady’s extensive wardrobe at her disposal. Dio, she could have drawn on the talents of Cordelia’s hairdresser and make-up artist had she wanted to. Most women would have seized the opportunity with both hands. Most women would have thrown themselves into this ‘business meeting’ with relish. But Kate? No.

He took it as an insult. But if that was the way she wanted to play it, so be it.

He seethed all the way to the restaurant, sitting as far away from her as he could. They were being taken in a chauffeur-driven limousine to one of the best restaurants in Rome, and he was escorting a woman who looked as if she had picked out her outfit at the local charity store. It made him doubly determined to crack the façade Kate had adopted since the last time they’d met. The play-acting had gone too far. Who did she think she was kidding?