Read Online Her Roman Holiday by Jamie Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jamie Anderson
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so blinded by his assumptions about women that he couldn’t bring himself to look beyond them, at the person she was.
“Calia?”
With a shake of her head, Calia realised that the conversation between the three men had continued while she had been lost in her contemplations. “Sorry.” She smiled at the three of them. “I must be more tired than I thought.”
“Please, think nothing of it.” The man who spoke looked to be in his mid-fifties, slight and elegant in his well-cut slacks and shirt. Gio introduced him as Yann Sorvignac, the CEO of the company whose subsidiary was the subject of the upcoming negotiations.
“ Enchanté. ” Instead of shaking her hand, Sorvignac grasped her fingers and bowed over them with compact grace. He glanced up, and Calia had to smile at the admiring inquiry in his eyes. The man was clearly a shameless flirt. “It is a pleasure to bask in such beauty as yours, madame.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sorvignac. You’re too kind.” Calia darted a laughing glance at Gio, fully expecting him to share in the humour of Sorvignac’s extravagant manner. To her surprise, however, he watched the interchange with a coolly imperturbable expression.
“Ah, but I am not being kind at all, madame — or is it mademoiselle? I can perfectly understand why Signore Diamanti is watching me with the daggers in his eyes.”
The fellow who accompanied Sorvignac was balding and looked about ten years younger. He was introduced as Jean Marron.
They both spoke in French-accented English. As the three men conversed, Calia wondered if Gio really didn’t speak French or whether he had declined to use a language that would give his opponents such a clear advantage.
Sorvignac smiled. “I am glad that you were able to make it out to this little soirée, Signore Diamanti. Though, given the charming company you are keeping, our presence must certainly be… how do you say… de trop. ” He inclined his head at Calia.
“I believe the expression is ‘three is a crowd’,” Marron supplied.
“ C’est ça. ”
Gio smiled coolly. “Not at all.”
Calia found her attention straying from the conversation. She was too aware of Gio’s presence — and of how close she had come to shedding all restraint with him moments ago. Even now, her body felt deprived of its reward. Her nipples were painfully sensitized as they rubbed against the fabric of her bra, and the moist heat between her legs demanded restitution for its eager response to Gio’s practiced seduction.
If this was how she felt now, how was she ever going to manage to resist him once they were alone together? And, more to the point, did she really want to? Somehow, her principles seemed to play a distant second to the overwhelming chorus of her body’s demands as soon as Gio entered the scene.
And yet, when she glanced over at him, he seemed completely composed. He was all cool professionalism with the two men, apparently able to switch off his desire at a moment’s notice, Calia observed, with a blend of annoyance and admiration.
He was about to speak, when someone tapped him on the shoulder and murmured something in Italian. His expression darkened and he gave a curt nod. “You will excuse us, gentlemen?”
Once they had slipped away, Calia glanced at Gio. “What’s happened? Did you get some kind of bad news?”
“Do you remember how I said there would be trouble from Antonia this evening?”
“Ah. Right.”
“She is causing a scene.”
“What happened?”
“We are about to find out.”
Paolo had managed to maneuver Antonia out of the main reception area and into a side alcove, but as Calia and Gio approached, the raised voices were clearly audible, and had attracted the attention of a number of the other attendees. Though she couldn’t understand what was being said, Calia felt embarrassed on Paolo’s behalf as they joined the
“Calia?”
With a shake of her head, Calia realised that the conversation between the three men had continued while she had been lost in her contemplations. “Sorry.” She smiled at the three of them. “I must be more tired than I thought.”
“Please, think nothing of it.” The man who spoke looked to be in his mid-fifties, slight and elegant in his well-cut slacks and shirt. Gio introduced him as Yann Sorvignac, the CEO of the company whose subsidiary was the subject of the upcoming negotiations.
“ Enchanté. ” Instead of shaking her hand, Sorvignac grasped her fingers and bowed over them with compact grace. He glanced up, and Calia had to smile at the admiring inquiry in his eyes. The man was clearly a shameless flirt. “It is a pleasure to bask in such beauty as yours, madame.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sorvignac. You’re too kind.” Calia darted a laughing glance at Gio, fully expecting him to share in the humour of Sorvignac’s extravagant manner. To her surprise, however, he watched the interchange with a coolly imperturbable expression.
“Ah, but I am not being kind at all, madame — or is it mademoiselle? I can perfectly understand why Signore Diamanti is watching me with the daggers in his eyes.”
The fellow who accompanied Sorvignac was balding and looked about ten years younger. He was introduced as Jean Marron.
They both spoke in French-accented English. As the three men conversed, Calia wondered if Gio really didn’t speak French or whether he had declined to use a language that would give his opponents such a clear advantage.
Sorvignac smiled. “I am glad that you were able to make it out to this little soirée, Signore Diamanti. Though, given the charming company you are keeping, our presence must certainly be… how do you say… de trop. ” He inclined his head at Calia.
“I believe the expression is ‘three is a crowd’,” Marron supplied.
“ C’est ça. ”
Gio smiled coolly. “Not at all.”
Calia found her attention straying from the conversation. She was too aware of Gio’s presence — and of how close she had come to shedding all restraint with him moments ago. Even now, her body felt deprived of its reward. Her nipples were painfully sensitized as they rubbed against the fabric of her bra, and the moist heat between her legs demanded restitution for its eager response to Gio’s practiced seduction.
If this was how she felt now, how was she ever going to manage to resist him once they were alone together? And, more to the point, did she really want to? Somehow, her principles seemed to play a distant second to the overwhelming chorus of her body’s demands as soon as Gio entered the scene.
And yet, when she glanced over at him, he seemed completely composed. He was all cool professionalism with the two men, apparently able to switch off his desire at a moment’s notice, Calia observed, with a blend of annoyance and admiration.
He was about to speak, when someone tapped him on the shoulder and murmured something in Italian. His expression darkened and he gave a curt nod. “You will excuse us, gentlemen?”
Once they had slipped away, Calia glanced at Gio. “What’s happened? Did you get some kind of bad news?”
“Do you remember how I said there would be trouble from Antonia this evening?”
“Ah. Right.”
“She is causing a scene.”
“What happened?”
“We are about to find out.”
Paolo had managed to maneuver Antonia out of the main reception area and into a side alcove, but as Calia and Gio approached, the raised voices were clearly audible, and had attracted the attention of a number of the other attendees. Though she couldn’t understand what was being said, Calia felt embarrassed on Paolo’s behalf as they joined the
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