The Temporary Mrs. Marchetti

She remembered his grandmother’s villa. That lakeside villa was not some modest little run-down holiday shack. That villa was a luxury resort complete with lush gardens and trickling fountains and marble statues and a swimming pool big enough to set an Olympic record. If she walked away from a gift like that she would be certifiable.

Besides, the old lady had liked her and Alice had liked her. A lot. She didn’t want any paranormal consequences if she didn’t accept the bequest with good grace. It was the sensible, respectful thing to do.

The only trouble was Cristiano was part of the deal.

The man who could make her come on the spot by looking at her with those sinfully sexy eyes.

Alice shifted in her seat, painfully aware of the swollen excitement of her body. For a moment there she’d thought he was going to kiss her. His body had been so close to hers she’d felt his warmth, smelt his lemon and lime and hint of leather scent that wreaked such havoc on her senses. She had seen the way his eyes had dipped to her mouth, lingering there as if recalling the way her lips had responded to his in the past. The even more shocking thing was she’d wanted him to. So much her whole body had ached to feel that firm mouth come crashing down on hers. To take the choice away from her.

What was wrong with her?

But wasn’t that what he wanted? To show how weak she was when it came to him? He knew her as a maestro knew a difficult instrument. He knew what chords to strike, what strings to pluck, what melodies to play.

Alice was annoyed for thinking she could outsmart him. When had calling his bluff ever worked? He wasn’t the type of man to be manipulated. He enjoyed power too much to allow anyone else to control him.

The truth was she had been a little shocked when he’d let her go seven years ago. Shocked and hurt. She’d thought he’d wanted her too much to let her go without a fight. She’d thought he desired her so much he would have moved heaven and earth and planets and whole galaxies to get her back. She’d thought he would contact her within a day or two when he calmed down and apologise for pressuring her with that public proposal.

But he hadn’t contacted her.

Not a single word. No phone call. No text or voicemail message. No flowers. No cards. Days, a week, two weeks went past and still she heard nothing from him. But then she saw a press photo of him in a nightclub in Milan with a bevy of beautiful women draped all over him. And a day later another photo with just the one woman—his new mistress. A gorgeous international model. It had driven a stake through her chest to see him getting on with his life as if she had never been the ‘only woman in the world’ for him. What nonsense. He hadn’t loved her at all. He had wanted to own her. To control her.

As if that was ever going to happen.

He might be able to stir her hormones into a fizzing frenzy, but no way was Alice going to let him take over her life. She would marry him to get what she wanted.

You want him.

It was an inconvenient truth but she would deal with it. She had willpower, didn’t she? A month-long engagement was the first hurdle. It wasn’t a long period of time. Anyway, she would be at work most of the time. September was still a busy time. And he had his little thing on the side. Grrr. Alice wasn’t going to show she was jealous about his nubile little Natalia. If he wanted to play around then why should she care? If she was going to be Cristiano’s fiancée and then wife, then she would be the worst fiancée and wife in the world.

Alice smiled a you-ain’t-seen-nothing-yet smile and picked up her wine glass and drained it in a couple of noisy swallows. She put it down on the starched white tablecloth with a distinctive thud. ‘Nice drop. So, when do I get a big rock on my finger? Or have you got your old one stashed away in your pocket?’

His dark eyes pulsed like the shimmer off a heatwave. ‘I do, actually.’ He reached inside his jacket and took out the ring he’d bought her seven years ago.

Alice took it from the centre of his outstretched palm and slipped it on. ‘Slipped’ being the operative word. It was loose and the heavy diamond slipped around her finger so it was facing downwards. Those few pounds she’d carried at twenty-one had thankfully been whittled off with diet and exercise. The ring hadn’t suited her hand back then and it didn’t now. Which was perfectly fine because she didn’t want it to suit. It wasn’t going to be there long enough for her to worry about it being clumsily big.

‘Lovely. I’ll be the envy of all my friends.’ She looked up to see a furrowed frown between his eyes and gave him a guileless blink. ‘Is something wrong?’

His frown relaxed but his mouth lost none of its tightness. ‘There are some domestic things to discuss. Like where we’ll live for the next four weeks before the wedding.’

Alice straightened her posture. ‘I’m not living with you. I have my own house and—’

‘It will seem odd for us not to cohabit. You can move in with me at my hotel or I can move in with you. Your choice.’

Her choice? What a joke. Alice raised her chin to a combative height. ‘What if I say no?’

His unwavering gaze made something in her belly turn over. ‘How about a compromise? A few nights at your place, a few nights at mine.’

Alice snorted. ‘Compromise? You mean you actually know what that word means?’

He ignored her taunt. ‘After we’re married we’ll have to live under the one roof, and since my base is in—’

‘I’m not moving to Italy so you can squash that thought right now. I have work commitments. I’m solidly booked till Christmas.’ Not solidly, but heavily. Not that she was going to tell him that. Why should she give up her career when he wasn’t giving up his?

A muscle moved in his jaw. In. Out. In. Out. ‘I want you with me. Six months, that’s all the will requires. I won’t accept any other arrangement.’

Alice gave a mock pout and leaned forward as if she were talking to a spoilt child. ‘Oh, poor baby, did you want to have it all your own way?’ She sat back with a resounding thump and folded her arms. ‘Sorry. No can do.’

Cristiano’s eyes hardened. ‘Must you always be so damn obstinate?’