Mediterranean Mavericks: Greeks. Кейт Хьюит
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Название: Mediterranean Mavericks: Greeks
Автор: Кейт Хьюит
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon e-Book Collections
isbn: 9780008906313
isbn:
Immediately Alessandra fell to her knees beside him. Vivid red blood seeped from his nose.
‘What did you do that for?’ she said, switching to Italian, half-shouting, half-screaming, not looking at Rocco, too busy checking Christian’s vital signs. The pulse in his neck pumped strongly, the only blessing she could cling to. She looked up at her brother, who stood frozen. ‘Don’t just stand there—call for an ambulance.’
Rocco’s broad chest heaved, his face a couple of shades paler than it had been when she’d walked into his office. ‘He doesn’t need an ambulance. He’s already coming round.’
He was right. Christian’s lips were moving.
‘At least get some ice,’ she snapped, somehow holding back the tears.
Not sure if she was doing the right thing or not, she carefully lifted Christian’s head and placed it on her lap. Being as gentle as she could, she ran her fingers over his hair, not knowing or caring if she was comforting him or herself. Of all the scenarios that had played itself out in her head, this was not an outcome she had prepared for.
She should be getting used to that.
‘Are you still here?’ she snarled at her brother. ‘He needs ice.’
‘He needs castration.’ He swore loudly. ‘You’re my sister and he’s a playboy—’
‘And you’re a hypocrite!’ she interrupted. ‘The majority of the women you’ve slept with have been someone’s sister. He’s your best friend and you’re just as big a playboy as he is.’
‘Not any more, I’m not—and I’m not oblivious to those other women being someone’s sister, but you are my sister.’
‘No—I was your sister. After what you’ve just done, I will never call you my brother again. I’ll walk myself up the aisle. Now, get an ice pack and then you can get the hell out of my life.’
Through the ringing in his ears Christian heard the sound of muffled talking. Arguing.
Was that Alessandra speaking so emotively?
Through the lancing pain in his face came the realisation that, yes, it was Alessandra—that it was her warm lap supporting his head, her gentle fingers lacing through his hair, her normally calm, husky voice pitched at a much higher octave than he had ever associated it with.
Footsteps left the room, the door slamming with a close.
He winced as the sound reverberated through his pounding head.
Well, that had gone better than he’d anticipated.
BACK IN ALESSANDRA’S APARTMENT, Christian lay on the sofa, holding the ice pack in place to the bridge of his nose.
Eyes closed, he heard Alessandra pour fresh coffee out; listened as she padded over the thick rug and placed their drinks on the glass table in front of him.
Gabrielle had brought the ice pack to him, Rocco himself having disappeared from the building.
His old friend had seen straight through their deception, exactly as he’d known he would.
‘You let him hit you, didn’t you?’
He opened his eyes to find Alessandra glaring down at him. She’d changed into a short black skirt, the faded jeans she’d been wearing having been covered in his blood. Her golden legs were bare. Gorgeously bare.
He straightened and put the ice pack down beside his mug.
‘Are you going to answer me?’
‘Yes, I let him hit me.’
‘Why?’
‘Better to let him get it out of his system now than at the wedding.’
‘He’s not coming to the wedding. I’ve told him he’s not welcome.’
Even though the movement hurt, he couldn’t stop the smile forming. ‘You don’t mean that.’
‘Don’t I?’
‘No, you don’t.’ He knew how close the Mondelli siblings were.
‘I told you, I don’t like being told what to do. I’ve had it up to here with my brother thinking he can run my life.’ She slumped onto the single sofa and rubbed her eyes, smudging her make-up. ‘Did you know I always refused to do any work for the House of Mondelli?’
‘I was aware of that—Rocco always said he thought it was a shame, as your fashion shoots are some of the best in the business.’
‘He said that?’ A look of pleasure flashed over her, quickly replaced by another grimace. ‘A few months ago he asked me to do all the photography for the new launch he was working on. For the first time, I said yes. I thought our relationship had reached the stage where he regarded me as his equal, as Alessandra Mondelli, not just as his little sister. I wanted to be employed for the quality of my work, not out of nepotism. I should have known better. He still thinks he knows best and can ride roughshod over my feelings.’
She made a noise that sounded like a choking growl and slumped on the sofa, bending her head forward, her long hair falling like a sheet before her until she tossed her head back and sighed. ‘I love my brother but he has to accept I’m not a child any more. I’m an adult. I make my own decisions. He doesn’t have to like them but he has to at least respect them and if he can’t do that then he can keep away.’
‘Our news was a shock to him. He’ll come round.’
‘I don’t care if he does.’ She blinked rapidly and swallowed. ‘So much for averting a scandal; how long do you think it’ll be before the press learns he hit you?’
‘There’s no need for the press to know anything.’
She arched a perfectly plucked dark brow. ‘We were seen by at least a dozen people leaving the House of Mondelli, you with an ice pack stuck to your nose. Have you looked in the mirror?’ She didn’t give him the chance to reply. ‘You’ve already got two black eyes forming. How are you going to explain that away?’
‘I wear exceedingly dark sunglasses. No one will see my eyes.’
‘That’s not even funny.’
Seeing she was working herself into a state, he leaned forward and spoke forcefully. ‘There will be no scandal. We will cut the press off at its head.’
‘How?’
‘By announcing our marriage. We will send out a press release today.’
She pulled СКАЧАТЬ