Return of the Italian Tycoon

Who’d have thought that the wish she’d made at the fountain would actually come true?

Angelo had kissed her—again.

Her eyelids drifted closed as her thoughts spiraled back to their amazing day beneath the Tuscany sun. The day couldn’t have gone any better. She’d always treasure it. And then there had been that mind-blowing, toe-curling kiss—

“And what has you staring off into space with a smile on your face?”

Kayla glanced up to find Angelo gazing at her. “Um...nothing. I...I mean I was thinking about the wedding.”

“How about the Van Holsen account? We don’t want to forget about it.”

“Of course not. I’ve sent out the new concepts to the art department.”

“Good.” He took a seat next to her. “You know if you’re having problems you can talk to me?”

Was he referring to personal problems? Or business ones? Since they’d arrived in Italy the lines had blurred so much that she wasn’t sure. But she decided that it was best for her career to take his comment as a purely professional one.

“I understand.” She smoothed her hands down over her white capris. “And so far the accounts are all moving along. I should have some drafts back from the art department this afternoon to run by you.”

“Sounds good. Can I see what you’ve come up with so far for the royal wedding?”

She pushed her notebook over to him. “Go ahead.”

The seconds slowly passed as his gaze moved down over the first page. “But this is all about Monte Calanetti.” He shoved aside the pages. “There’s nothing here about the wedding itself. Nothing sentimental or romantic.”

Oh, boy.

This was not the start she’d imagined. She swallowed a lump in her throat. To be honest, she wasn’t ready to present her ideas to him. They were only partial thoughts—snippets of this and that.

She’d have to think fast on her feet if she wanted him to keep her on this account, because she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. She leveled her shoulders and tilted her chin up, meeting his frown. “I think the main focus should be all about the location.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “The royal couple have already been taken by the village’s charm.” Kayla lowered her voice and added, “I was taken by it, too. It’d be the perfect backdrop for a wedding. And that’s the part I think we should exploit.”

Angelo’s eyes widened and he was quiet for a moment as though considering her words. “What issues do you have with basing the pitch on the wedding itself? You know with all of the pomp and circumstance. We could even throw in a horse-drawn carriage for good measure.”

Kayla smiled, loving the idea of six white horses leading a shiny white carriage with gold trim. And then her imagination took a wild turn and there was Angelo next to her in the carriage. Her insides quivered at the thought. Then, realizing that she was getting off point, she gave herself a mental jerk.

“We don’t know anythin

g about what the bride wants for the actual ceremony. But we need to show them that no matter whether it is a big, splashy affair, which seems most reasonable considering it’s a royal wedding, or whether they want something smaller and more intimate, that Monte Calanetti can be quite accommodating.”

Angelo leaned back and crossed his arms as he quietly stared at her. He was taking her suggestions seriously. She inwardly cheered. Not about to lose her momentum, she continued. “No matter what the size of the ceremony, we need to show them that we are willing to work with the bride. We need to show them that the whole community will come together to make it a day that neither of them will ever forget.”

“So you think our approach should be two-pronged, showing the village both as intimate and accommodating.”

Kayla nodded. “The tour you gave me was a great start. But if we are going to sell the royals on the virtues of this village, I think we need to dig deeper.”

Angelo nodded. “Sounds reasonable. What do you have in mind?”

Before she could continue, her phone vibrated on the table. She’d turned off the ringer, not wanting to bother anyone else who was around the pool.

“Do you need to get that?” Angelo’s gaze moved from her to the phone.

“Um...no.”

Angelo cocked a brow. “It could be the office.”