‘Yes. Sometimes I have clients who need to meet away from the public eye. If two businesses are planning a merger and want to keep it under the radar they want privacy and security. I provide that—Rourke Security has a number of discreet, secure, safe locations. We can use one of those and spend the weekend there.
‘Um...’
‘It’s a little village in Puglia. It’s beautiful and a tourist attraction so we can blend in as simple tourists. It’s a low-key way to practise being a couple. I’ve got a flight sorted out for tomorrow evening and I’ve spoken to Elena, the housekeeper there. She’ll have it all ready and—’
‘Whoa.’ Was he for real? ‘Hang on a sec. You’ve done all that? I haven’t even agreed—you haven’t even asked my opinion.’
‘That’s what I’m doing now.’
‘No. Actually it isn’t. You’ve arranged everything. Sounds like it’s a done deal.’ It all felt like shades of her whole life, other people in control, deciding her actions and her future. Pleasing her father, her mother, Nick... Ever since she was a child she’d done what she was supposed to, done the right thing, worked so very hard to be the perfect daughter. She’d worn the clothes her mother bought her, taken dance exams, played the violin. To please her father she’d studied hard, made the right friends, walked the path her parents sent her down. Jumped when she was told to jump. Because she had always known she was the glue that bound the Casseveti family.
Now this man had done the same, made decisions for her and suddenly Ava was furious.
Liam sighed. ‘There would be no point wasting time in a consultation if I couldn’t deliver.’
‘Well, how do you know I could deliver? You don’t know me—I could be afraid of flying. I could be allergic to Italy. I may not want to spend the whole weekend with you in a strange place. Or anywhere, for that matter. I may have had some ideas.’
A pause and then Liam held up his hand. ‘You’re right. I sprang it on you as a fait accompli.’ Now he shook his head. ‘Discussion was never my strong point.’ The words were muttered under his breath and she was sure she wasn’t meant to hear them. ‘I apologise.’
Ava blinked; she could practically feel the moral high ground drop from under her feet.
Then he smiled, a small quick smile, and she could feel her ire start to lose its heat. ‘So let’s start again,’ he said. ‘Are you scared of flying?’
Ava looked at him. ‘No. I was speaking hypothetically.’ Plus as a model she had done photo shoots all over the world—Liam had been well within his rights to assume air travel wasn’t an issue.
His gaze met hers. ‘Any allergies?’
Now Ava sighed and saw his lips quiver ever so slightly in clear amusement and her eyes narrowed.
‘Perhaps an allergy to pizza. Pasta, spaghetti or lasagne.’ He put on an Italian accent and now Ava couldn’t help it—her own lips turned up in a reluctant grin.
‘Ha ha! OK. You got me. No allergies.’
‘Then on to your next point. Here you are completely correct—I should never have assumed you would feel safe coming to Italy to spend a weekend with a stranger. If it makes you feel better I have a housekeeper there who can stay in the house—Elena is a lovely woman.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate all of that. But it wasn’t my physical safety I was thinking about. It just feels a bit intense to spend a whole weekend together. A bit daunting.’
‘Agreed,’ he said.
The word gave her a sudden hard kick of reality. If this was hard for her it would be doubly so for Liam. The last woman he would have gone on a mini break with was his wife. This whole charade must be incredibly hard for him on so many levels, which prompted the question: ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
‘I’m sure. I won’t let AJ Mason get away with this. He will not take my company and my reputation away from me. I won’t let that happen. Or at least not without a fight.’
Ava had to respect that determination, had to concede as well that the idea had merits.
They would be tucked away out of the public eye and it would give them much-needed time to get comfortable around each other and practise their roles.
‘Then, Italy, here we come.’
CHAPTER FIVE
THE FOLLOWING DAY as they approached the airfield Ava tried to quell the butterflies that flitted around her tummy in a maelstrom of panic. She sneaked a sideways glance at Liam. His gaze was focused on the road and there was no indication of any nerves in his demeanour. For a moment her gaze touched on the firm line of his jaw, the sweep of his nose and the surprising length of his dark eyelashes. For one stupid moment she wondered what it would be like if this were real, and a little shiver ran through her body.
All in all it was a relief to arrive at the airfield. ‘So this is your plane?’ she asked as they approached the craft.
‘It belongs to Rourke Securities. A client has asked for an item to be delivered privately in Europe. My pilot will drop us off en route.’
Soon after, the plane started its ascent and Ava looked around the compact but comfortable area, complete with a small table and soft leather reclining chairs.