Return of the Italian Tycoon

“I already checked my voice mail and sorted everything that needs attention.” She wanted to get back to their conversation, but he kept glancing at her phone. Knowing he wasn’t going to let up on this subject until he found out why she was so hesitant to answer, she grabbed her phone and checked the ID. Just as she’d suspected, the call was from the States but it wasn’t the office—it was Pam, the woman handling the fund-raiser while Kayla was in Italy.

“It’s nothing urgent.” Kayla would deal with it later.

“Are you sure?”

“I am.” This wasn’t Pam’s first call of the day nor would it likely be her last.

Why was Angelo looking at her that way? It was as though he could see that she was holding something back. And the last thing Kayla needed was for him not to trust her. Because this royal wedding was the opportunity of a lifetime. She planned to grasp it with both hands and hold on tight. Having Angelo make her an official part of this pitch would be the validation she needed to show her parents that she’d made the right decision with her life. At last, they’d be proud of her and her choices.

“Okay.” He waved away the phone and grabbed for her notebook again. “You need to add more detail to these notes.”

“I will, but I was thinking we need to visit each of the establishments in the village again. I could write up very specific notes about their specialties—things that will be hard to find elsewhere—items that the village is especially proud of.”

His eyes lit up. “And I know exactly where we’ll start.”

“You do?” She smiled, knowing he liked her ideas. “Where?”

“Mancini’s. You did bring something pretty, formal— Oh, you know what I mean.”

“A little black dress?”

“Yes, that will do nicely. We have reservations at seven. Consider it a research expedition during which I want to hear more of your thoughts.”

Her mounting excitement skidded to a halt upon his assurance that this evening would be all about business. She didn’t know why she should let it bother her. This is what she wanted—for things to return to a business relationship. Wasn’t it?

* * *

Time flew by far too fast.

A week had passed since their dinner at Mancini’s. Angelo had been quite impressed with the service and most especially the food. What Raffaele was doing spending his time here in the countryside was beyond Angelo. The man was a magician in the kitchen. He could head up any restaurant that he set his sights on from Rome to New York. Although, it was lucky for Angelo, because Mancini’s award-winning menu was going to be the centerpiece of the pitch.

Angelo stood in the middle of the hotel suite. He really liked what he saw. His gaze zeroed in on Kayla. They’d had a couple of tables brought in. The room had been rearranged so that the area loosely resembled an office more than a relaxing, posh hotel room. And it seemed to be helping them to stay on track.

Feeling the pressure to get this right, Angelo had relented and had Kayla pass along some of their other accounts to his top ad executive. Their attention needed to be centered on the wedding, especially since he’d already lost time spinning his wheels. One of the accounts they had retained was Victoria Van Holsen’s account. The woman simply wouldn’t deal with anyone but himself or Kayla. Victoria, who was quite particular about who she dealt with, had surprisingly taken to Kayla’s sunny disposition. It seemed no one was immune to Kayla’s charms—him included.

There was so much more to Kayla than he’d given her credit for when he’d hired her as his temporary assistant. Sure, her résumé had been excellent and her supervisors had nothing but glowing reports about her. Still, he was so busy rushing from meeting to meeting, cutting a new deal and approving the latest cutting-edge promotion that he never had time to notice the girl behind the black-rimmed glasses and the nondescript business suits.

While in Italy, he’d witnessed firsthand her passion for her work. She invigorated him to work harder and dig deeper for fresh ideas to top her own, which was nearly impossible as she came up with ideas for the wedding that never would have crossed his mind. To say she was a hard worker was an understatement. She was amazing and it wasn’t just her work ethic that fascinated him.

Her smile lit up his world like the golden rays of the morning sun. And when he would lean over her shoulder, he’d get a whiff of her sweet, intoxicating scent. It conjured up the image of a field of wildflowers in his mind and always tempted him to lean in closer for a deeper whiff.

Then there were times like now, when she was concentrating so hard that her green eyes grew darker. She lifted her hand and twirled a long red curl around her finger. He noticed that she did this when she was unsure of something. He wondered what was troubling her now.

He moved closer. “Need some help?”

She glanced up with a wide-eyed stare as though she’d been totally lost in her thoughts. “Um...what?”

This wasn’t the first time she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard him. “I said, would you like some help?”

“Sure. I was contemplating the piazza. I’m thinking it should play a prominent part in the wedding processional.”

Her words sparked his own imagination. They made a great couple...um, team. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this invigorated. “How about having a horse-drawn carriage circle the fountain, giving the villagers a chance to cheer on the future queen?”

“I don’t know. The bride will be a bundle of nerves. I don’t know if she’ll want to spend the time waving at people—”

“Sure she will.”

Kayla sent him a doubtful look. “What would you know about weddings?”