The Italian Marriage. Kathryn Ross

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ will be accompanying me back to Italy,’ Marcus replied calmly.

      ‘Not while there is a single ounce of strength left in my body.’

      Marcus walked slowly around the desk until he was standing very close to her, then reached out and touched her face. Considering the fact that they were both intensely angry it was a strangely tender caress and it made her shiver deep inside. ‘I can think of better ways for that beautiful body of yours to expend energy,’ he murmured.

      Her eyes locked with his and she felt her breathing quickening, her pulses racing in disarray. She tried to tell herself to move back from him, but it was as if he held her under some kind of spell and she was unable to break free. Her body was a whisper breath from his and she felt the electric magnetism of him invade her very soul.

      ‘I don’t want to fight with you, Gemma. We both have Liam’s best interests at heart,’ he continued softly. ‘And I am willing to compromise.’

      Somehow she managed to take a step back from him. ‘You’ll allow me to come to Italy for my holidays, you mean?’ she murmured shakily. ‘No thank you, Marcus. I’ll pass on that.’

      ‘And I wouldn’t blame you for passing on that. I don’t want to be a part-time parent in the holidays, myself.’

      ‘Then don’t leave England.’ Her voice held a husky tremor that made it sound more of a plea than an ultimatum.

      ‘I have to.’

      ‘She must be some woman if you are choosing her over your son.’

      ‘I’m not choosing anyone over my son,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m hoping I can have it all.’

      ‘Nobody can have it all, Marcus,’ she said quietly. ‘Not even you.’

      ‘When I’ve made up my mind to something, I usually get what I want.’

      The quiet confidence of that last remark made Gemma’s heart thud heavily and unevenly in her chest.

      ‘Look, I haven’t got time for this,’ she murmured. She glanced beyond him towards the office and noticed that Henry Perkins was looking directly at them. ‘I can’t afford to slack today. In case it’s escaped your notice, things are pretty hectic in here. The managing director is in and there’s an important board meeting.’

      ‘Yes, I know.’ Marcus glanced at his watch. ‘I’m going to have to go.’

      ‘Well, don’t let me detain you,’ she muttered sardonically.

      His dark eyes seemed to sear through her. ‘So I’ll pick you up tomorrow night, seven-thirty.’

      Gemma made no reply. Arguing with Marcus was getting her nowhere. Maybe the best way to deal with this was to allow him to think he’d won and then just phone his secretary tomorrow and cancel.

      ‘Good.’ Marcus seemed to take her silence as acquiescence. ‘I’ll see you later.’

      Gemma felt like collapsing in a heap as he turned to leave the room. She felt as wrung out as if she had just been through the spin cycle of her washing machine. But she wasn’t going to let him win, she told herself firmly. She would hold her nerve and refuse to meet him tomorrow and hopefully he would realize that if he left the country he would be leaving his son as well.

      ‘By the way.’ He turned suddenly and looked at her. ‘Now that I’ve taken over, you can be assured that your application for the position of editor will be treated with fairness and impartiality.’

      ‘Taken over?’ She repeated his words in confusion. ‘What do you mean, taken over?’

      But she was alone in the room now and he had closed the door quietly and firmly behind him, leaving her with a slowly dawning sense of horror.

      Marcus nearly walked straight into Richard Barry, who was still hovering outside Gemma’s office door, this time minus the coffee, Marcus noticed.

      He was younger than Marcus had imagined. In fact, he looked even younger than Gemma…probably about twenty-four or twenty-five. He had an unruly shock of thick blond hair and a worried expression in his grey eyes.

      So this was the man who had started trying to play dad to Liam, started to hang around Gemma. Marcus instantly disliked him. He wasn’t Gemma’s type at all…was he? Despite the dark suit he looked like he’d just escaped from some trendy boy band.

      ‘You’re Liam’s dad, Marcus Rossini, right?’ he said, extending his hand. ‘I’m Richard Barry—’

      ‘Features editor, yes. I know who you are.’ Marcus shook his hand.

      ‘I’ve heard about you, too,’ Richard said with a grin. ‘Liam mentions you quite a bit.’

      He had a weak handshake, Marcus noted.

      ‘He’s a great little chap, isn’t he, I’m very fond of him,’ Richard continued brightly when Marcus made no reply.

      ‘Yes, he’s quite a character.’ Marcus felt like gritting his teeth. ‘You can go on into Gemma’s office now if you want. We’ve finished our discussion…for now.’

      ‘Thanks.’ The younger man smiled and moved away from him. ‘See you around, then.’

      ‘Oh, you can count on it,’ Marcus replied with soft emphasis.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4RJGRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgADAEAAAMAAAABAfQAAAEBAAMAAAABArwAAAECAAMAAAADAAAA ngEGAAMAAAABAAIAAAESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEVAAMAAAABAAMAAAEaAAUAAAABAAAApAEbAAUAAAAB AAAArAEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAgAAAAtAEyAAIAAAAUAAAA1IdpAAQAAAABAAAA6AAAASAA CAAIAAgADqYAAAAnEAAOpgAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNiAoTWFjaW50b3NoKQAyMDE1 OjA4OjEyIDE3OjE4OjUzAAAEkAAABwAAAAQwMjIxoAEAAwAAAAEAAQAAoAIABAAAAAEAAAXcoAMA BAAAAAEAAAg0AAAAAAAAAAYBAwADAAAAAQAGAAABGgAFAAAAAQAAAW4BGwAFAAAAAQAAAXYBKAAD AAAAAQACAAACAQAEAAAAAQAAAX4CAgAEAAAAAQAAEMAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAEAAABIAAAAAf/Y/+0A DEFkb2JlX0NNAAH/7gAOQWRvYmUAZIAAAAAB/9sAhAAMCAgICQgMCQkMEQsKCxEVDwwMDxUYExMV ExMYEQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMAQ0LCw0ODRAODhAUDg4OFBQO Dg4OFBEMDAwMDBERDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAz/wAARCACgAHID ASIAAhEBAxEB/90ABAAI/8QBPwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAwABAgQFBgcICQoLAQABBQEBAQEB AQAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAUGBwgJCgsQAAEEAQMCBAIFBwYIBQMMMwEAAhEDBCESMQVBUWETInGBMgYU СКАЧАТЬ