‘I am not news, and Helen is dead. Why would they bother to resurrect old history?’ She asked the question but already knew the answer. She saw it in the glint of triumph in his night-black eyes.
‘I have connections with the media. I can make sure they do.’ He shrugged, as though destroying a man’s reputation was nothing to him.
For a moment Beth was speechless and simply stared at him. ‘You would actually ruin Clive Hampton, a man respected by all who know him, simply because you think I am a criminal low-life after your brother and his money?’
‘I don’t have to think. I know you are an ex-con, and I know you used your considerable charms to get young Bewick under your spell. Now you are doing the same with Tony. He is infatuated by you. As for the money...I can’t be certain. But I do know Helen left you a house and a nice chunk of money. Maybe your talent for ensnaring men extends to females too.’ He shrugged his shoulders ‘Not my business. But Tony is. I stopped you once and I will again.’
He was so wrong that Beth couldn’t help but smile. ‘You make me sound like the Wicked Witch of the West,’ she quipped.
Dante’s lips quirked at the corners, but he said nothing. She was too close to what he had been thinking earlier.
Beth wasn’t surprised at his lack of response; the man had no sense of humour—although she thought she’d caught the hint of a smile just now. Anyway, what did it matter? Beth had very few options left open to her—if any.
She could tell him the truth about how she had been set up by Timothy Bewick and his partner in crime, James Hudson, and how the pair of them had lied at her trial. But what was the point? She had protested her innocence y
ears ago and the jury had found her guilty. Cannavaro had made up his mind about her and nothing she said was going to change it now.
‘Okay, you win,’ Beth conceded. She needed to get away fast, because she was far too aware of him and was watching his lips for a hint of that smile she thought she’d seen... ‘Originally I was just going on holiday to Devon, but now I will definitely stay there.’
Beth had often dreamed of living at the coast one day, and after discussing it with Clive it had been an easy decision to make. In the past two weeks plans for the garage conversion had been prepared and submitted to the council, and a contractor had been hired for the refurbishment of the house, but she saw no reason to enlighten Cannavaro. It would feed his monumental ego to let him think she had given in to his demands and he had won.
‘I will have to come back for a few days to empty the apartment and retrieve the key Tony keeps for me. Then you and Tony will never see me again. Satisfied?’ she demanded caustically.
‘No...I would not say that,’ Dante drawled softly.
‘But you’ve got what you wanted,’ Beth said, confused. Then she saw the way he was looking at her, his eyes roaming over her body with lazy masculine appraisal before moving to her face. His hand on her arm tightened and for a moment she couldn’t move, couldn’t break away from the eyes holding hers, blatantly showing his sexual desire. Suddenly she was afraid—not of him, but of herself, as the same heated desire held her in thrall and she could no longer ignore the way her body reacted to him.
‘Not quite everything... You are an experienced, sophisticated woman and Clive Hampton risked his reputation for the privilege of having you in his bed.’
‘That is disgusting. Clive—’ Beth cut in, the heat between them instantly turning to anger.
‘Don’t bother denying it. You still see him and spend the occasional weekend at his home in Richmond. Who knows how many other men enjoy the pleasure of your body?’
Beth stared at him in furious disbelief. ‘That is the most despicable, vile lie I have ever heard. I have never slept with Clive. He is a truly honorable man...and you really are a first-class bastard, aren’t you?’
Even Dante could see Beth’s outrage was genuine and that she was telling the truth—but then he had never really thought Clive was her lover. He had used Clive as a ploy to get his own way, and he felt slightly ashamed, because as well as the anger he also saw the hurt in her emerald eyes.
‘Maybe I have been a bit harsh to you, but I am not interested in your other lovers—only Tony.’
Surprised he had actually admitted to being harsh, Beth looked up at him. ‘Tony isn’t my lover. He is a friend. I do have some,’ she said dryly.
‘I don’t doubt it.’ He lifted a finger to stroke her cheek and Beth sucked in a breath, her pulse going haywire. ‘You are a lovely woman and even if I believed you and your story that you will stay in Devon, you’ve said yourself I can’t follow you around for the rest of your life. What is to stop you calling Tony? He is my kid brother and, much as I love him, he is far too young to marry but impulsive enough to do just that. I can’t take that chance. Which is why I want him to have complete freedom from you.’
At his mention of freedom Beth fought down the urge to scream. What about my freedom? The freedom he had taken away so ruthlessly once. She had no doubt that given the chance he would do so again.
As though sensing her frustration he let go of her and stepped back, running a distracted hand through his hair. ‘It gives me no pleasure to fight with you, Beth. I know you have succeeded in turning your life around, but you are who you are. Try to see it from my point of view. If you had a young brother who wanted to marry a girl who was a convicted drug dealer, would you be happy about it?’ he asked.
Put like that, Beth could see he had a point. ‘No, I don’t suppose so,’ she said. Except in her case she was innocent of any crime.
‘You must understand I simply want to protect Tony.’ He flopped down on the sofa and glanced up at her. ‘And that means getting you out of his life,’ he said, a wry smile twisting his lips. ‘I flew in from America this morning and have been travelling for hours. Maybe if you made me a coffee it would help me think clearly and hopefully between us we can find a mutual agreeable solution to our problem.’
For a man who did not want to appear harsh, he had an odd way of showing it, Beth thought, but did not say it. ‘Fine, I’ll make you a coffee. I could use one myself anyway.’
Relieved to escape from his overwhelming presence, she walked out of the room and into the kitchen, taking a few deep breaths to calm her still-racing pulse. Automatically she filled the coffee machine, her head in a whirl. What other kind of solution had he in mind? she wondered. Banishing her to Outer Mongolia, maybe?
She ought to pick up Binkie, walk straight out of the door and go on her way without ever speaking to Cannavaro again. If she only had herself to consider she would. But the thought of Clive stopped her. It was unthinkable that his reputation could be ruined because of her....
Finally Beth decided that all she could do was tell the truth, calmly and succinctly. Maybe Cannavaro would finally listen to her and accept that he had no need to worry about his brother. She would explain again about her friendship with Tony and the non-existent affair, and that she really was moving out anyway. In fact he could check with Steel and White that she had already handed in her notice. Surely that would convince him to believe her, and leave her alone?