A Secret Worth Keeping?. Robyn Donald
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not wanting to acknowledge it any more than he did, she turned to face the window.
Silence filled the room so loudly he could hear the gentle ticking of the marble clock on the desk two feet away.
‘Dexter saw us on the beach this morning.’
Her voice was soft, but he heard the disappointment edging her words.
Tino rolled his stiff neck on his shoulders and swore under his breath. That man was dogging his every step and he was getting beyond irritated with him.
‘Are you telling me or the seagulls?’ he asked pleasantly.
Miller swivelled her head around, a frown marring her alabaster forehead. ‘I’m not in the mood for your ill-timed humour, Valentino.’
‘What about my well-timed humour?’
She shook her head but a smile snuck across her face. ‘How is it you can make me smile even when this is deadly serious?’
‘Deadly?’
She sighed. ‘Maybe I’m exaggerating slightly.’
Tino sat forward and regarded her silently for a moment. ‘Relax. At least he no longer thinks we’re faking it.’
Her smile disappeared. ‘He’s right about the fact that I should behave in a more professional manner with you.’
Tino snorted. ‘Let me guess. He told you no touching?’
‘He told me to keep my private life private—and he’s right.’
‘Of course he did,’ Tino drawled, half admiring the man’s nous. He wanted Miller for himself, and he was trying to drive a wedge between them to get her.
Not that he could blame him. He’d realised this morning on the beach that Miller was one of those women who had no idea of her true appeal to men and, given similar circumstance, he might have done the same as Caruthers. Then again, he had yet to want a woman enough to actually fight for her.
‘What does that mean?’ Miller frowned.
‘It means he wants you for himself.’
‘No, he doesn’t.’
She turned her face away, but he’d already seen her eyes cloud over.
‘I can’t work out if you’re actually naive when it comes to men, or hiding your head in the sand.’
Her eyes flashed a warning. ‘I do not hide my head in the sand.’
‘Hit a nerve, have I?’
‘If you’re trying to be annoying you’re succeeding beyond your wildest dreams,’ she retorted pithily.
‘If you’re trying to avoid facing your colleague’s attraction to you then so are you.’
She sighed heavily and turned away. ‘I’m not naive. I just...’ She stopped, looked uncertain. ‘Can we talk about something else? Or, better still, not talk at all?’
Tino could sense the deep emotions rolling around inside her. He knew she would hate him to know the turmoil she was obviously experiencing. He didn’t think he’d met a more self-contained woman, and it wasn’t his experience that women kept such a tight lid on their emotions.
His Italian mother was a classic case in point—as were most of the females he’d dated, who had wanted more from him than he had ever been prepared to give. The fact that Miller so steadfastly didn’t want anything from him made him feel ridiculously annoyed.
‘This weekend really isn’t going as you planned, is it, Miller?’
She had tucked her legs up under her chin as she gazed out of the window and now she glanced back at him as if surprised he was still in the room. Another blow to his over-inflated ego, he thought bemusedly.
‘You think?’
Her eyes snagged on his and for a moment he was caught by how vulnerable she looked.
‘You clearly dislike TJ’s business methods so why do you want to work on his account so badly?’
‘Partners are not made of people who say no to clients, no matter how distasteful they are.’
It took him a minute to decipher her meaning. ‘Ah. You’ve got a promotion riding on this.’
‘Something wrong with that?’ Her voice was sharp and he realised she’d taken his words as an insult. He wondered what was behind her strong reaction.
‘Only if you think so.’
‘I deserve this. I’ve sweated blood for this company. I...’ She released a long breath. ‘It’s not something you would understand.’
‘Try me.’
He thought she would reject his offer, but she heaved a resigned sigh.
‘It’s not rocket science, Valentino. I grew up poor with a father who thought the grass was always greener on the other side and a mother who was uneducated. My mother had to work two jobs to put me through a private school so that I would have opportunities she never had. My making partner would mean everything to her.’
‘What does it mean to you?’
He saw her throat move as she swallowed. ‘The same.’
‘So you dreamt of being a corporate dynamo when you were a little girl?’
He’d meant to sound light, friendly, but Miller didn’t take it that way.
‘We can’t all have exciting careers like yours.’
Her sheer defensiveness made him realise she was hiding something from him. ‘Interesting response.’
‘I expect it was easy for you,’ Miller prevaricated. ‘Your father raced.’
‘You think because my father was a racing champion my career choice was easy?’
‘I don’t know. Was it?’
‘My father died on the track when I was fifteen. My mother still buys me medical textbooks for Christmas in the hope I’ll change careers.’
She laughed, as he’d wanted her to do, but the pain of his father’s death startled him with its intensity. It was as if the crash had just happened—as if a sticking plaster had just been peeled off a festering wound.
Ruthlessly shutting down his emotions he fell back on his raconteur style. ‘Astronaut.’
‘What?’
‘Your childhood dream.’
‘No.’ She shook her head at his cajoling tone.
‘Lap dancer?’
‘Very funny.’
Some of the tension left her shoulders, but Tino still felt claustrophobic.
Jumping to his feet, he fetched a baseball cap from his travel bag. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Where?’
‘I don’t know. A drive.’ It was something that always calmed him.
She looked dubious. ‘You go. I have work to do.’
‘And all work and no play makes Miller a dull girl. Come on. It will refresh you.’
Miller sighed. ‘You’re like a steamroller when you want something. You know that?’
‘SORRY, I only have one baseball cap,’ Valentino said, holding the car door open for her.
‘That’s okay. My fame hasn’t reached small seaside towns yet.’
He