Unfortunately, along with her determination not to be browbeaten into making a pact with the devil, there lurked the uncomfortable awareness that, devil or not, he roused something in her she didn’t want but couldn’t resist. He had kissed her and her whole world had felt as though it had been tilted on its side. It was the same something that had been there eight years ago; the same something that had made her behave in a way she had known she shouldn’t. Sexual attraction: he had put his finger on it. Sexual attraction and more...
‘I had a call from Mr Moretti.’
‘Ah...’ She drifted over to the sofa and sat down.
‘He’s a lot more compassionate than I originally gave him credit for. You know, when this whole business started, well, I just thought of him as a human bulldozer, not caring what or who got in his way.’
Chase smirked. ‘What did he say?’
‘That he’s spoken to you and you’ve both come up with a plan to secure the future of the shelter; you’re both trying to iron out the creases. Chase, my dear, I can’t tell you how overjoyed I would be if this worked out. I’ve been dreading telling the girls that they’ll have to go, plus the waiting list is so long of people who need us. Not to mention the seaside idea. Never could quite see myself retiring by the coast and having coffee mornings with all the other retirees.’
‘I’m sure there’s more to life by the coast than coffee mornings.’ Her mind was in a whirl. She was also incensed. So much for the forty-eight hours after which her decision would be final! How could she have been foolish enough to believe that Alessandro wouldn’t exert influence over a decision he wanted? ‘Lots of people go down there to...er...sail...’ she said vaguely.
‘Can’t think of anything worse. Drive me mad!’
‘Did he mention what this idea of...ours happens to be?’ Chase prodded gently.
‘Not a word!’ Beth hooted. ‘Said it was something he wanted kept up his sleeve. Probably to do with tax!’
‘Sorry?’
‘Well, don’t these awfully rich people enjoy tax breaks by giving money to charity? We are a registered charity...’
Chase sighed and decided to lay off the details of any such scheme. Despite a sharp brain and her degree in engineering, Beth’s interest in all things financial was sketchy at best.
‘Sometimes,’ she said, noncommittal.
‘At any rate, it all sounds very promising. I know what you’re going to say, my dear! Don’t count your chickens... But I get a good feeling from that young man. Did the minute I met him. Showed a real interest in everything we do here at the shelter.’
Alternatively, Chase thought, the man was a skilled actor with a golden tongue. Take your pick.
She spent another twenty minutes on the line as Beth waxed lyrical about Alessandro, and as soon as her friend was off the phone she hunted down the business card he had given her and telephoned him on his mobile.
‘Well, that was a low trick!’ was the first thing she said the minute she heard his voice on the other end.
At a little after nine, Alessandro had just finished wrapping up a two-hour conference call and was about to leave the office, which was deserted aside from him. In the act of reaching for his jacket, he flung it down on the leather sofa instead and relaxed to take her call. ‘So Beth called you,’ he drawled without an ounce of shame. ‘I thought she might. She certainly was over the moon when I spoke to her. Charming woman.’
‘You’re a low-down, sneaky rat!’
Alessandro grinned. Whatever Chase’s downsides, she was by far and away the most outspoken, feisty woman he had ever met in his entire life. It would probably be a tiresome trait in the long run, but just for the moment it was certainly invigorating.
‘Now, now, now...is that any way to speak to your friend’s knight in shining armour?’
Chase detected the wicked grin in his voice and gritted her teeth in frustration. ‘What did you tell her?’
‘Long conversation. I’ll fill you in when we next meet.’
‘How could you?’
‘How could I what? Make that delightful woman one very happy lady?’
‘Try and twist my arm into accepting your...your... No, I take that back; I understand perfectly how you did that!’
‘It’s comforting to know that you can read me like a book. That way, there will be no mixed messages between us. Now, why don’t you carry on working and I’ll call you in the morning?’
‘I haven’t been able to do a scrap of work today!’
‘Too busy thinking about me?’
Chase made an inarticulate sound of pure frustration and racked her brains for a clever riposte.