Italian Boss, Proud Miss Prim

Thankfully, Rigo provided the exit she had been looking for, when he thanked her for giving Antonia such a good day.

‘It was my pleasure. Your sister is wonderful—and in fairness, it was Antonia who went out of her way to give me a good time.’

‘Well, my little sister sees it another way. Come on, we get off here,’ he said, standing up.

‘But we’re not back at the hotel.’ She looked in vain for a landmark she recognised.

‘Pizza?’ Rigo reminded her.

But they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Katie frowned.

‘I asked the bus driver to drop us here. Come on.’ Rigo indicated that she must go ahead of him.

She disembarked onto a dimly lit street. Could this be right? Her skin prickled with apprehension.

‘I don’t have a clue where I am,’ Rigo murmured.

But when she glanced at him in alarm, he smiled.

‘You’re teasing me—’

‘Would I?’

She refused to hold that gaze, and stared instead at the bus as it drove away.

‘I haven’t always lived in the best part of Rome.’

She couldn’t resist the hook and followed him.

‘When I left my home in Tuscany and came to Rome I found myself in the Monti—all narrow lanes and steep inclines. It’s where craftsmen ply their trade and there was always plenty of casual work for a strong boy from the country.’

By now she was consumed with curiosity. To learn about this other side of Rigo was irresistible.

‘Is this our destination?’ she said when he stopped walking on the high point of a bridge spanning the River Tiber. As she stared into Rigo’s dazzlingly handsome face, waiting for his reply, she got another feeling—he enjoyed showing off his city to someone who wouldn’t mock him for how poor he’d been. He still liked these offbeat trails to places that held no appeal for the fashionistas.

He was resting his hands on the stone balustrade, staring out across the river. Her heart picked up pace as he turned to look at her. Suddenly it didn’t matter where they were going, and as crazy as it might seem they had reached at least one erotic destination, which was enough for her.

He broke the spell. ‘Come on.’ Straightening up, he reached for her hand and this time she didn’t resist him. She even managed to persuade herself that it made perfect sense for Rigo to take her hand if they had to cross a busy main road. What did she know about Roman traffic? What did anyone know? Even the Romans didn’t know. No one on earth could predict the unpredictable.

She shrank against him, glad of his protection as cars and scooters buzzed around them like angry bees. This contact with Rigo was the most foreplay she’d ever had. On that short journey to safety on the other side tiny darts of pleasure raced up her arm and spread…everywhere.

Rigo led her way up some stone steps that curved steeply around the outside of an ancient lookout tower. A pair of these towers marked either end of the bridge. ‘This is the best place in Rome to watch the fireworks,’ he explained, ‘and it’s free.’

She saw the boy he must have been—a boy who hadn’t wasted time wailing about his fate, but who had squeezed the last drop of enjoyment out of his new life. And the way her heart swelled in admiration was a very worrying development indeed.

At the top of the tower she had to stop to catch her breath and, resting her arms on the warm stone, she leaned over the battlements.

‘Since when can you fly?’ Rigo demanded, pulling her back.

Having someone look out for her felt so good and as he stared down even breathing was difficult. He was close enough now for her to feel his body heat warming her.

She turned away. She wasn’t sure how to deal with her feelings or this situation. She was going home tomorrow. They were complete opposites. This was one casual night in Rigo’s life, but her life could be changed for good—

‘Open your eyes, Katie, or you’ll miss the fireworks.’

There was so much sensation dancing through her veins she barely registered the first fantastic plumes of sparkling colour. And then Rigo reached over her shoulder to point out some more, and as he did so he brushed her cheek. It made her turn and now their faces were only millimetres apart. She looked away, but not quickly enough. A darkly amused stare was her reward. He must know how strongly she was attracted to him. Did he also know how frustrated she was? Or what agony it was for her to be this close to him? Or that he made her body ache with need and longing?

He pulled back when the fireworks were over, allowing her to breathe freely again. She gulped in air enough to say, ‘Thank you for bringing me here.’

‘It isn’t finished yet.’ Spanning her waist with his hands, Rigo turned her to face the river.

There was no way to express her feelings towards what she could see, or what she could sense. Fireworks were falling from the sky, replacing the streamers of moonlight on the river with a dancing veil of fire. And there was fire in her heart.

Leaving the bridge, they walked deeper into the old part of the city. ‘Ancient palaces!’ Katie exclaimed with pleasure, staring about.

‘Once this was a very grand area indeed,’ Rigo confirmed, ‘and now I have another surprise for you.’ As he spoke he opened a street door and a blaze of light and heat burst out.

And good cooking smells, Katie registered, inhaling appreciatively as Rigo held the door open for her. He had brought her to a small, packed pizzeria where the noise of people enjoying themselves was all-enveloping.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said, dipping his head to speak to her when he saw her hesitation, ‘you’ll be safe with me.’

He had also guessed correctly that she rarely went out, Katie thought wryly. She was glad of Rigo’s encouragement.

There was a tiny dance floor on which a number of couples were entwined and a small group of musicians tucked away in a corner. Surrounding this, tables with bright red gingham cloths were lit by dripping candles rammed into old wine bottles.

‘Do you like it?’ Rigo shouted to her above the noise.

‘I love it.’ And she loved the feel of his arm around her shoulders.

The party atmosphere was infectious, but she was shy. Without Rigo she would never have ventured into a place like this. But when she took a proper look around and realised that all the other customers were as down-to-earth as she was, she relaxed. This certainly wasn’t the type of nightlife she had imagined Rigo would indulge in. And she liked him all the better for it.

‘Will you stop trying to tuck your hair behind your ears?’ he said as they waited for a seat.

‘I’m just not used to it hanging loose—’

‘Then you should be. You have lovely hair. Leave it alone,’ he insisted. ‘You look fine. Ah—’ he stepped forward as a portly man dressed in chefs trousers bustled over to them ‘—I’d like you to meet my friend Gino.’

Katie gathered Gino was the patron.

‘Rigo! Brigante!’ he exclaimed, clapping the much taller man on the back. ‘Why is it I can’t get rid of you?’

Katie suspected that both men knew the answer to that, judging from the warmth in their eyes as they stared at each other.

‘And who is this?’ Gino demanded, turning his shrewd, raisin-black stare Katie’s way.

‘This is Signorina Bannister…an associate of mine.’

‘An associate?’ Gino gave Katie an appreciative once-over before shaking hands with her. ‘You must think a lot of your associate to bring Signorina Bannister to meet me?’ He looked at Rigo questioningly, but Rigo’s shrug admitted nothing.

‘Signorina Bannister is in need of real Italian pizza before she leaves Rome. Where else would I take her, Gino?’

‘Where else indeed?’ Gino agreed. ‘And for such a beautiful signorina I have reserved the best table in the house.’

‘But you’re full,’ Katie observed worriedly. She didn’t want to cause anyone any trouble. ‘And how could you know we were coming?’

‘I don

’t need to know,’ Gino informed her, touching his finger to his nose. ‘I keep my own special table ready at all times for my speciale guests…’

Before she could stop him Gino had whisked away her shawl. ‘Oh, no!’ Katie exclaimed, reaching for it, feeling suddenly naked again.

‘You won’t need a shawl here,’ Gino assured her. ‘It’s always too hot in my restaurant—’

‘But I…’

Feeling exposed and self-conscious beneath Rigo’s amused gaze, Katie could only stand and watch helplessly as the burly restaurateur disappeared into the cloakroom with her prized piece of camouflage equipment.

‘Don’t worry,’ Rigo soothed. ‘Gino will keep your shawl safe.’

Rigo saw her comfortably settled and then took the seat opposite, while Katie sat demurely, taking stock of her fellow diners. Every other woman around them had stripped down to bare arms and shoulders.

But they all had flawless skin—

‘Do you mind if I roll back my sleeves?’ Rigo said, misinterpreting her look.