Delucca's Marriage Contract

WHEN KEELIN GOT off the train in Rome she was hot and sweaty. And angry. She buried all of her vulnerabilities under the fire in her belly. No way would Gianni ever know how much he’d hurt her.

She hailed a taxi and gave them directions for Gianni’s offices and apartment building. When they arrived she made her way to the private lift. The doorman, Lorenzo, recognised her and said, ‘Signora Delucca, shall I inform your husband you’re on your way up?’

Keelin pushed down the flutter of nerves. ‘Is he in his office?’

The man nodded. ‘I believe so.’

Keelin forced a smile. ‘Then yes, that would be great.’

The lift doors opened and she went in, relishing the air conditioning. As the elevator ascended silently though, her palms got sweaty with nerves.

The lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal Gianni with his hands on his hips and a hard expression on his face. ‘What are you doing here?’

Keelin was so taken aback for a moment that she could only open her mouth. He was angry. Blisteringly angry. Why? She was the one who should be angry. If anything it made things easier to see the depth of his displeasure that she’d climbed out of the box he’d put her in.

‘I thought I told you never to leave me like that again.’

Gianni sneered. ‘Spare me a repeat of the sob story, Keelin. I don’t have time for this.’

Keelin’s gasp of outrage was almost swallowed up by the doors starting to close again and she pushed the button to keep them open.

‘What did you just say?’

Gianni was icy. ‘You heard me. I have no desire to talk to you right now. Go back to Umbria, or go to hell, I don’t really care. But don’t for a second assume that I’m not going to deal with you.’

Gianni stepped back and turned to walk away. The lift doors started closing again and Keelin stepped out, uncomfortably aware of her jeans and sleeveless loose top, a light jumper tied around her waist.

She followed him in shock at his words. ‘What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’m not the one who took off in a helicopter at the crack of dawn to avoid saying goodbye.’

Gianni whirled around and Keelin noticed for the first time that he hadn’t shaved and his clothes were creased.

‘Damn you, O’Connor. If you want to do this now, fine.’

He took her arm in a punishing grip and ignored her gasp of surprise, all but frog-marching her into his office and slamming the door shut.

Keelin was reeling. Damn you, O’Connor? Did he really hate that she’d followed him here that much?

He let her go and strode to his desk, turning around before it and crossing his arms. ‘Well,’ he asked eventually, ‘how much did you know?’

Keelin felt increasingly like Alice in Wonderland. ‘Know what?’

Gianni laughed but it was curt and harsh. When he stopped he said, ‘I wondered what you’d go for—either denial or petulance.’

She shook her head. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

Gianni turned around to his desk and picked up a newspaper. He threw it across the room where it landed at Keelin’s feet, face up. As she bent down to pick it up, a headline registered slowly onto her sluggish brain: O’Connor Foods Goes into Receivership.

Keelin scanned the piece and certain words jumped out: On the cards for months... Last-ditch efforts to save itself by merging with other companies... Will its newest star association, Delucca Emporium, survive this fall? Unlikely.

Comprehension sank in. She recalled her father turning so pale on the wedding day when Gianni had been late. No wonder. She looked up and Gianni was more remote than she’d ever seen him. Eyes like black holes that looked like they wanted to incinerate her on the spot.

Faintly she said, ?

?That’s why you left so suddenly.’

He clapped slowly. ‘Brava. Your keen understanding of the nuances of this news is truly astonishing.’

Keelin was too shocked for his sarcasm to really penetrate.