The Man Who Risked It All

‘The perfect father figure.’

‘Stop calling him that. He’s not old enough to be my father!’

‘Uncle then,’ Franco amended. ‘Whatever—it was sick.’

Her cheeks gone pale now, Lexi thrust her chin up. ‘The way you treated me was sick, Franco.’

He surprised her by backing right off from that accusation. Getting up from the table, he strode across the room towards the drinks cabinet, and Lexi could feel him inwardly cursing the fact that he was limping again. ‘If I tell you I am deeply ashamed that I allowed that bet to stand, will you just let it go now?’

Well, could she let it go?

He’d turned around and was watching her with the intent expression of a man who genuinely meant what he’d just said. It some ways Lexi knew that this was a big moment in the strange up-and-down relationship they’d been having since she’d come back into his life—though it wasn’t the biggest, most crucial moment.

‘Seeing you accept that bet broke my heart,’ she told him bleakly.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said heavily, then sighed because he knew that sounded inadequate after what she’d just confessed. ‘Claudia was a jealous cat, and she aimed to hurt you deeply when she sent that video clip to your phone.’

She’d known that. Even back then she’d understood Claudia’s motives, though understanding them had not softened the pain she’d suffered.

‘She too was deeply ashamed of the part she’d played in hurting you,’ Franco went on soberly. ‘Especially so when you lost your mother not long afterwards and—’

‘The rest of my world came tumbling down,’ Lexi completed for him. Then she heaved in a breath, let it out again, and stood up. ‘I forgive you both for the bet, OK?’ she announced stiffly. ‘I will even forgive you for turning so cold on me the week before the bet came to light, and for hating being married to me. After all—’ she released a jerky laugh ‘—I hated you just as much by then. But what I refuse to forgive,’ she added, a flush of anger rising to her cheeks, ‘is you enjoying yourself with Claudia in our bed in our apartment while I was in hospital miscarrying our baby. And now I think I will go alone to bed.’

‘Just hold on a minute.’ As if she’d just shot a stray bullet at him, Franco tensed. ‘That last part did not happen!’

‘Telephones with cameras are the bastards of intrusion,’ Lexi mocked as she crossed the room at speed to the door. ‘And trust me, Franco,’ she couldn’t resist launching at him once she’d got there, ‘whatever people like to say to the contrary, cameras don’t tell lies!’

‘Lexi—come back here!’ he raked out as she flung herself out of the room at full pelt, because she’d caught the warning spark of blistering fury lighting up the gold in his eyes.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the crash, then a string of angry curses. ‘I hope that was you falling on your lying face!’ she stopped to yell down at him. ‘And so much for getting to know each other, Francesco! Great trip down memory lane—thanks!’

She didn’t even see Zeta standing in the hall, staring after her in appalled dismay as she raced up the rest of the stairs. Franco saw the housekeeper, though, when she appeared in the open doorway to a string of vicious curses as he got up from the floor, rubbing his thigh. One of the dining chairs lay on its side because he’d tripped over it, and the bottle of wine he’d been holding in his hand was lying next to it, dripping its red contents onto the polished oak floor.

‘Don’t say a damn word,’ he growled at the housekeeper when she opened her mouth to speak.

‘But—did she do this to you?’

‘My wife can do anything she wants to me,’ he responded harshly, gripping his shoulder because he’d wrenched it trying to break his fall. ‘She can put a loaded gun to my head and pull the trigger if she feels like it. It is her right, her prerogative … damn!’ he cursed when he tried to put his weight on his injured leg and almost collapsed again.

Zeta came hurrying forward, but he waved her back. ‘I’m OK,’ he muttered less forcefully. ‘Just get out of here, Zeta. This is private between me and Lexi, and we don’t need witnesses while we make fools of ourselves.’

Lexi didn’t feel foolish; she felt like a bubbling mass of boiling fury.

What was she doing here?’

It was all out now. The door in her head was standing wide open and everything was spilling out right in front of her: the hurt, the betrayal, all as fresh and raw as if it was only just happening. She wanted to curl up in a corner and cry her eyes out, but she also wanted to run back down there and spit out some more accusations at the man she hated so much right now it physically hurt!

Wife … what a miserable joke, she thought painfully, looking around the suite that was so similar to the suite she’d used to have—if she didn’t count the several corridors in between. Different colour coordination, different view from the window, but right now it felt just like the same luxury prison cell that had doubled as her only place of sanctuary from the cold comfort offered to her!

Grimly she stripped her clothes off, dragged her nightie on over her head, crawled beneath the cool linen sheets and then curled up in a tight ball. She was trembling—all over. Shivering and shaking with a huge lump of tears growing in her throat like an inflating balloon. To think she’d almost gone to bed with him. To think she’d convinced herself she was ready to let the past go.

Her bedroom door flew open. She knew it was Franco. ‘If you’ve come to ask politely after my health, then don’t bother!’ she launched at him from the depths of the sheet she’d pulled over her head.

His disconcerted stillness sizzled across the darkened room.

‘And you forgot to knock!’

‘What the hell are you talking about now?’ he fired back.