The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain. Margaret Mayo
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and spirited without the least interest in him, which made a refreshing change. He was so used to women hanging on to his every word, fighting to make themselves noticed, trying to trick their way into his bed, that Penny was like a breath of fresh air.
No doubt she thought him an uncaring father, but the truth was he felt simply helpless. He didn’t know the first thing about bringing up children. He’d had no contact with kids since he had been one himself. They were a mystery to him.
‘Good,’ he said, ‘a woman who doesn’t take hours to get ready. I’m impressed.’
‘I haven’t changed, I hope I’m all right. We’re not going anywhere too posh, are we?’
She seemed faintly worried and Santo smiled reassuringly. ‘You’re not to worry about anything; you look incredible.’ Had he really said that? He’d have to watch himself. This wasn’t a date. She intrigued him and he was looking forward to finding out more about her but that was all. Even then she didn’t have to tell him anything about herself if she didn’t want to.
Except that he wanted to know!
He’d summoned his chauffeur while Penny was getting ready and he led her out to the waiting Bentley, smiling to himself as her eyes widened, well aware that his wealth impressed her.
She slipped into one side, he into the other, and they sank into the luxurious cream leather. The light floral scent of her perfume was evocative, teasing his nostrils like nothing else. And he knew that forever afterwards this particular perfume would always remind him of her.
Penny was on edge, her hands clasped firmly in her lap, her knees and feet together, her back straight. She hadn’t expected the limousine and the chauffeur or she definitely would have changed. This was very alien, and she prayed that he wasn’t going to take her somewhere equally classy.
‘Relax,’ he growled softly in her ear, ‘I won’t bite, I promise.’
Penny edged away, unable to stop herself, missing his frown but aware that he didn’t approve. It was that infinitesimal stiffening of his body that gave him away. He wasn’t used to a woman moving away from him, rather the opposite. Part of Penny, a large part, didn’t want to move away. Heaven help her, but she wanted to find out what it would feel like to be held against his hard, hot body, bound to him by arms of steel, but she knew where such pleasures could lead. She was entirely out of his league; he would use her and then discard her, the way Max had done. And she had no wish to go through that again.
Men didn’t have the same sort of feelings that women had. Their emotions weren’t involved when they embarked on affairs. They could walk away at the end without getting hurt. Not so for the female sex.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, and was horrified to hear the husky throb in her voice.
‘To one of my favourite bistros.’
A bistro. That wouldn’t be so bad. Her breathing got easier. ‘Why aren’t you driving?’
He gave one of his twisted smiles where his mouth went up on one side and his eyes crinkled at the corners, making him look almost boyish. ‘Because of parking. You know what London’s like.’
‘We could have taken the tube.’ And then she laughed at his shocked expression. ‘I presume you never take the tube anywhere?’
‘Not these days,’ he admitted.
Not since he’d made his fortune, thought Penny. She could have made some comment about his carbon footprint but she didn’t. ‘Actually it’s nice to be driven like this,’ she declared instead, giving a little bounce on her seat.
‘I noticed your car was pretty ancient,’ he said, still with that half-smile.
Penny shrugged. ‘Nannies’salaries don’t lead to new cars. Though,’ she added daringly, ‘if I stay with you long enough I might be able to afford one.’
‘I’ll buy you one,’ he said at once.
Penny’s mouth fell open and she stared at him. He’d said it as though it meant nothing. Which it probably didn’t. Not to him. But hell would freeze over before she’d let him do that.
‘You look surprised.’
‘As indeed I am,’ she replied. ‘Why would you want to do a thing like that? My car’s perfectly reliable. I don’t need another one just yet.’
‘So you’re rejecting my offer?’
He actually looked offended, thought Penny. ‘I am, most definitely.’
‘Some of the nannies I’ve employed have not owned a car,’ he informed her, ‘so there’s one in the garage bought solely for the purpose of ferrying my daughter around. You’re welcome to use it.’
‘No thanks,’ said Penny promptly, ‘but you can buy my petrol, I’ll let you do that.’
Dark brows slid up. ‘A woman with morals. A refreshing change. I like it.’
Penny wished her heart wouldn’t thump so loudly; she was afraid he might hear it. ‘There are a few of us left,’ she tossed smartly, flashing him a sideways glance.
If only he wasn’t sitting so close! There was space between them, yes, several inches in fact, but not enough. She could feel the warmth of him even with the air-conditioning, and her senses were attuned in a way that alarmed her.
She was tempted to edge towards the door but didn’t want to give herself away. All she had to do was remember that this was a business lunch. They were going to discuss exactly what he expected of her where his daughter was concerned. Just that. Nothing else. Not themselves, nothing personal.
So why was she worried?
‘You’re still not relaxed, Penny.’
She jerked her head round. He was watching her. Those incredible dark eyes were smiling and she knew that he had sensed her unease. More than that, he’d seen how rigid her body was, how her hands were still locked. She could hardly believe herself. She was behaving in a totally alien manner. Usually she was brimming with confidence, nothing ever fazed her.
Except this man.
Damn! What did he have that was different—apart from great wealth, of course? But that shouldn’t have made her feel like a dithering wreck. What he did have, in spades, was sex appeal. And it was this that was troubling her.
She had never encountered anyone like Santo De Luca before. Plenty of men were good-looking, were good company, were great guys, were fun, and some even thought they were God’s gift to women. But Santo was like none of these, he was in a different class entirely.
At school she’d been in the drama group and, although she’d done no acting since, Penny knew that she would have to act now as she’d never done before. So she smiled, and she shrugged, and she said, ‘It’s unnerving having lunch with your employer after only one day. I feel like I’m under the spotlight, as though I’m going to be interrogated. Am I?’
‘We’ll talk about whatever you want to talk about,’ he answered easily, his incredible eyes locking into hers.
To Penny’s relief the car slowed to a halt. But her relief was short-lived when they entered the bistro. An informal restaurant was her idea of a bistro. Tables on the pavement, tables inside with checked tablecloths, candles in bottles with melted wax down their sides, everything nice and casual.
This was nothing like it.
To begin with it looked expensive, terribly expensive. The room was large, airy and formal. Tablecloths were white damask, the tables spaced well apart; there were fresh flowers on them and the silverware gleamed. You wouldn’t get a bowl of fries here, that was for sure. Foie gras and caviare looked more in keeping. But she held her head high and pretended that she was used to walking into such stylish places.
If only! One meal here would probably cost a whole week’s wages.
Santo