Italian Boss, Proud Miss Prim

And to prove it he moved down the bed.

As she cried out with pleasure he took her again, and this time when they were one her heart sang.

They had a leisurely breakfast in bed, planning the future. They had already discussed the possibility of Katie seeing a plastic surgeon, should she want to, but for some reason the one thing that had obsessed her since the fire seemed unimportant to her now. Rigo had made it so. He had taken her internal compass and pointed it towards the future—a future they would enjoy together. ‘But we will have to leave the room sometime,’ she pointed out when Rigo’s eyes darkened in a way she recognised.

‘But not yet,’ he insisted, drawing her down beside him.

‘No, not yet,’ she agreed.

And when he finally released her, she admitted, ‘I fell in love with you the first hair-raising moment we met.’

‘I was a brute.’

‘You were challenging.’

‘And you were very patient with me.’

‘And just look at my reward…’

‘Ah, there is that.’

Modest to the last, Katie thought, recognising the wicked smile.

‘And, Katie—’

‘Yes?’ she whispered as Rigo drew her beneath him.

‘Have you never considered singing again?’

‘Now?’

‘Later, perhaps,’ he suggested, easing into her. ‘But just think how the public would love your sexy, breathy voice. If I can fall in love with that voice over the phone—’

‘But that’s you…’

‘Are you daring to suggest there’s something wrong with my judgement?’

He was making it very hard to think at all. ‘If I did that I would have to question your love for me,’ she managed on a shaky breath.

‘And you won’t, so have some confidence, Katie. There is more than one popular style of music. You can still sing in tune, can’t you?’

She was supposed to answer while he was making every part of her sing? ‘Well, yes, but I can’t sing as I used to—’ She gasped as he moved up a gear.

‘Your new public wouldn’t want you to—’

‘My? Oh…’ She conceded defeat. No thought possible.

‘Have you forgotten that one of my passions is making dreams come true? And I have a keen nose for business.’

She could only groan her agreement.

‘You’re going to record a track—an album—’ he picked up pace ‘—and who knows? I might even make some money out of you.’

‘Rigo, you’re impossible,’ she shrieked, recognising his game now. Rigo distracted himself while he concentrated on her pleasure.

‘I try my very best,’ he admitted, still moving as she quietened.

She had no doubt that he would.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

SUMMER came and went in a flurry of love and activity. It was almost Christmas before Katie knew it. The renovations to the palazzo were well under way, and she was fully involved in Carlo’s Kids’ Club. She had started this sunny December day in the kitchen at the Palazzo Farnese, where she was helping to prepare a special lunch for Antonia, who was travelling to see them on one of her regular visits from Rome. Katie was closer than ever to Antonia, having persuaded Rigo that, if she wanted to, his sister must play a full part in his scheme. She had pointed out that Antonia wasn’t too young to face up to life and that, if Rigo insisted on shielding his little sister and sent her shopping all the time, Antonia would never grow up. Antonia had embraced this idea with the enthusiasm only Antonia could, and even Rigo had admitted then his sister had been brushed aside for far too long, both by his father and her mother, and then by him. Antonia had seized the opportunity to prove herself and had more than repaid Katie’s faith in her, and now they were not just friends but soon to be sisters—

‘Hey, tesoro.’

Katie’s heart bounced with happiness as Rigo walked into the room. She would never lose the sense of excitement she felt each time she saw him.

Walking up to her, he swung her round to face the staff and, leaning his disreputable stubble-shaded chin on the top of the shiny tumble of hair she always wore down now, he announced, ‘I have a surprise for you, tesoro—’

‘Another surprise?’ Katie exclaimed.

There had been nothing but surprises from Rigo since the day she moved in—not just to the palazzo, or the penthouse, but into Rigo’s life. The wardrobe of clothes she had initially refused had miraculously appeared in her dressing room. And when she had asked him where they came from, he said, ‘They must have been brought by fairies.’ And when she finally stopped laughing, he admitted that he had given most of her measurements to the designers, and that her short audience with them when she first arrived had been a ruse.

‘How did you do that?’ she demanded.

‘I have a good eye,’ he admitted.

‘Two good eyes,’ she remembered telling him with a scolding look. Goodness knew where Rigo gained that sort of experience—and, frankly, she didn’t want to know. ‘You mentioned a surprise?’ she reminded him now.

‘Just a little something,’ he said, delving into the pocket of his jeans. ‘It’s something for the wedding. See what you think. I got the colour scheme right, didn’t I? White and ivory with a garnish of red roses…?’

Their wedding…She could hardly believe it. Two more days and they would be married at the cathedral in Farnese. ‘You know you did,’ she rebuked him playfully, wondering what could be in the beautifully wrapped box, with its iridescent ivory wrapping paper and rose-red ribbon.

‘Well, open it,’ Rigo prompted.

It must be a lacy garter, Katie thought, ripping the paper in her excitement. As the ribbon fluttered to the ground, Rigo caught it and handed it to her. ‘Open the box,’ he said.

She did so and gasped.

Everyone gasped. Rigo affected a frown. ‘Is blue-white straying too far from your original scheme?’

A huge blue-white diamond solitaire winked at her from its velvet nest.

Katie collected herself. ‘Blue-white,’ she said, lips pressing down as she pretended to think about it. ‘I think it will tone quite nicely.’ She turned to him, a smile blooming on her face.

‘Is it big enough?’ Rigo demanded.

Did Rigo ever do small? ‘It’s absolutely perfect,’ she breathed, ‘but you really didn’t have to—’

‘But I wanted to.’

‘Then that’s different.’

‘Let me put it on your finger.’

He stared deep into her eyes as he did so, and all the staff gave them a round of applause.