The Correttis (Books 1-8). Кейт Хьюит

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СКАЧАТЬ opportunist like Rafaele. How had he got himself on the movie? He must have been stalking Santo Corretti as well as her.

      Whatever the reason, her relationship with trouble had stopped being long distance and was suddenly right up close.

      Luca glanced up from his phone. ‘Bit old for you, isn’t he?’

      She was struggling to think. ‘Is this the part where we talk about our past relationships?’

      He looked at her steadily and then slowly put his phone down. ‘I’ll assume from your defensive response he was one of the ones who let you down. Is it going to be difficult to work with him?’

      ‘I’m a professional,’ Taylor croaked. ‘I’ll work with anyone I’m expected to work with. No problem. I’m just pleased to have a new director.’

      ‘Are you sure?’ His tone was deceptively casual. ‘Because I can rough him up a little if you like. I’m your fiancé after all.’

      She gave a choked laugh. Was it pathetic of her to wish, just for a minute, that their engagement was real and for once in her life she had someone who cared enough to offer support? ‘If you rough him up we’ll be minus a director again. And I want to act. I must do this film.’ Not just because the complexity of the role would finally earn her a reputation as a serious actress, but also because she didn’t want to give Rafaele the slightest reason to use what he had against her.

      Luca stared down at her for a long moment. ‘All right. But he’d better not step out of line. I’ve met him a couple of times. The guy gives me the creeps. They want you on set at eight tomorrow morning to start filming the docklands scenes. He said he texted you but you switched your phone off.’

      She hadn’t wanted to see another text from Rafaele. In the past she’d blocked him and changed her phone but he always managed to find a way to contact her.

      ‘I like to relax when I’m off set.’ She didn’t confess that she never relaxed because lurking in the back of her mind was the knowledge that her secrets could be revealed at any time.

      Secrets that Rafaele knew.

      And now he was back in her life.

      Luca glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll drop you on set with a large fuss and dance and then pick you up later. And Randy Rafaele had better keep his hands to himself.’

      He was seriously proposing that they spend the night together? In the same room?

      Suddenly she realised that she had more immediate problems than Rafaele and that problem was six foot two of insanely sexy man.

      ‘They have a trailer for me,’ Taylor stammered. ‘I should stay there. It’s usually pretty luxurious.’

      ‘There is no way I’m spending the night in a trailer for anyone, however luxurious.’ Luca’s appalled expression was almost comical. ‘I’m strictly a five-star guy.’

      ‘I wasn’t inviting you to stay with me. I was suggesting we don’t spend the night together.’

      An incredulous dark eyebrow rose. ‘People are no doubt struggling to believe I’m engaged. If we don’t spend the night together the whole thing is blown. We’ll stay here and I’ll drive you. That’s much more romantic. What’s the film about anyway? I probably ought to know what my beloved is spending her day doing.’

      Her gaze skidded round the room. If he wouldn’t sleep on the couch then she would. There was no way she was sharing the bed with this man. No way.

      ‘The heroine’s husband was missing in Iraq, presumed killed. She goes to bed with his friend, gets pregnant and then the husband turns up alive. It’s a film about forgiveness, I suppose. It’s a very emotional role.’

      Luca shuddered. ‘Chick flick. Don’t invite me to the premiere.’

      ‘No chance of that. Do you have another room I can use? I need to read through the script if I’m filming first thing tomorrow. It’s part of my routine and I don’t want to keep you awake.’

      ‘My routine is to have hot sex the night before a big meeting and I definitely do want to keep you awake.’ His smile was slow and lazy, his gaze unapologetically sexual as he focused on her mouth.

      She felt her limbs weaken. He was gorgeous. Too gorgeous. ‘You’re winding me up.’

      ‘Maybe I’m not.’ Dark eyes grazed hers from under long, sinfully thick lashes. ‘Maybe I think you and I would be explosive together, Taylor Carmichael. Maybe I think we might as well take advantage of this situation.’

      ‘Yeah, right—and tomorrow you’d sell the story to the press.’

      ‘I’d never do that.’ His voice was suddenly cold. ‘Anything the press printed wouldn’t have come from me.’

      She thought about Portia and realised he suffered from the same problem. ‘Doesn’t it upset you? When women talk to the press about you—doesn’t that make you mad?’

      ‘No, because I haven’t the slightest interest in what the general public think of me.’

      ‘So what do you care about, Luca Corretti? There must be something.’

      ‘I care about living my life the way I want to live it. I’m not a people pleaser—’ his eyes mocked her gently ‘—except in bed. That’s the one place I’m willing to make an exception to my rule.’

      ‘Then go ahead. I’m not stopping you. If you can find a woman brainless enough to have sex with you then call her. I’d rather sleep in the spare room anyway.’

      ‘No, you wouldn’t. Admit it, Carmichael—you’re tempted.’

      ‘I’m so not tempted.’

      ‘Yes, you are. But you won’t give in to it—’ his hand cupped her face and he stroked her cheek with his thumb ‘—because you’re scared to death of being yourself with anyone any more. You are so busy holding yourself back you’ve almost forgotten how to live.’

      Her heart was pounding.

      He was supposed to be a shallow playboy so how did he manage to read her so well?

      ‘I know this will come as a shock to you, but the fact that I don’t want to rip your clothes is because I just don’t find you attractive.’ His response to that was to laugh and she pulled away from him. ‘You are so arrogant. You just can’t imagine there is a woman who doesn’t want you, can you?’

      ‘I’m sure somewhere in the universe there may be a woman who doesn’t want me—it just doesn’t happen to be you. But we’ll see how long that self-control of yours lasts when it’s really tested, dolcezza. You can sleep in the bed tonight. I’ll take the sofa.’

      And with that he walked into the bathroom leaving her fuming, confused and more desperate for a man than she could ever remember feeling in her life before.

      CHAPTER SIX

      THE SET WAS heaving with people when Luca dropped Taylor off the next morning.

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