Kate was in the kitchen making coffee on Sunday morning when there was a knock on the door of the villa.
How she’d made it downstairs in the first place she had no idea. Her entire body felt like jelly. Muscles she never knew she had ached. By rights, she ought to be exhausted. She’d only had a couple of hours’ sleep. But instead she felt fabulous, on top of the world, exhilarated. Every sense was heightened. Colours were bright. Smells were intense.
Last night had been incredible. And not just from a physical point of view. When she and Theo had been able to take no more, they’d talked. Well, she had at least. His questions about her life—her upbringing, her job, that second-base bet—had been endless, his interest had been genuine, and she’d basked in the attention. She hadn’t managed to get much out of him, apart from a few details about his journey to global domination, but that was okay. She had all day.
Because he was taking her to Florence. More specifically, to the Garden of Archimedes, which apparently was a museum of mathematics. He’d informed her of the plan an hour ago, when she’d suggested spending the entire day in bed, and when she’d heard it and realised that he’d remembered that numbers were her thing, her silly soft heart had melted. The plane was on standby, the finest restaurant in Florence was booked for a late leisurely lunch and she couldn’t wait.
Whoever was outside knocked on the door again and Kate jumped. Abandoning the coffee pot and the lovely hot memories of last night, she walked to the door on legs that still felt a bit shaky and opened it.
On the doorstep, to her surprise, stood Daniel Bridgeman.
‘Buongiorno,’ she said, with the wide grin that she just couldn’t seem to contain.
‘Good morning,’ he replied with an answering smile. ‘May I come in?’
‘Theo’s in the shower.’
‘No problem,’ he said. ‘It was you I wanted to speak to anyway.’
Oh? Why?
Kate felt her smile falter for a second and nerves fluttered in her stomach, but she held the door open for him and let him in because what else could she do?
‘Would you like some coffee?’ she asked, feeling a bit awkward about offering her host his own coffee as she watched him glance around the space as if for some reason checking it out.
Having apparently finished his perusal, he turned to her and shook his head. ‘No, thank you.’
‘The party last night was wonderful.’
‘I’m delighted you enjoyed it.’
‘We did.’
‘I noticed. Watching you and Theo on the dance floor was revelatory.’
There was a twinkle in his eye and Kate found herself suddenly blushing. ‘Yes, well, the music was good.’
‘My wife has eclectic tastes.’ He looked at her for a moment, his gaze suddenly shrewd, and Kate found that for some reason she was suddenly fighting the urge to squirm. ‘Do you know why I invited you and Theo here this weekend, Kate?’
‘To discuss the deal?’
‘Partly,’ he agreed with a nod. ‘I wanted to meet you. And see the two of you together.’
‘Oh?’
He shook his head and smiled. ‘I may be old, but I am far from stupid.’
Her pulse skipped a beat in alarm. ‘No, no,’ she said, thinking that now would be a really good time for Theo to put in an appearance. ‘Quite right.’
‘How much do you know about the history of this deal?’
‘Some,’ she hedged cautiously.
‘I had some doubts about Theo.’
‘He said.’
Daniel’s grey bushy eyebrows lifted. ‘Did he?’