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Authors: Christina Hollis
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against her skin sent a tingle coursing through her body. She smiled, recalling the wonderful experience of being held andkissed until her worries spun away. The man was a rat, but why had she expected anything else?
She would cope. She had survived a worse disasterâand at least her brush with Stefano had happened in private. Her life was her own, and from now on that was how it would stay. She smiled sadly. Her single, unforgettable contact with him was a total one-off. It was destined never to happen again. I should have known that from the start, she told herself briskly.
She tried to smile again, but it was impossible.
Â
Kiraâs disappointment over the contract squashed all her fantasies flat. No one did anything for nothing. Mentally she shrugged her shoulders, but Stefano refused to be forgotten. He had set such an exciting fire into her soul. Long ago, life had taught her to expect nothing when it came to men. She knew in her bones Stefano could be no different, but it had been a lovely fantasy. Those sweet memories of him refused to leave her. Whether drifting through her dreams or sending shock waves through her day when she thought she glimpsed his familiar figure in the street, Stefano would not let her go.
She was putting the finishing touches to a very chic project on the outskirts of Florence when her mobile rang.
âMiss Kira Banks?â
Kira couldnât recognise either the womanâs voice, or the number that flashed up on her phoneâs screen. The only people who used this number were clients. Instantly on her guard, she hesitated.
âWho wants to know?â
âI work for Signor Albani. We understand you are on the point of completing a project for Prince Alfonse.Signor Albani wants you to leave it and travel straight to his office. A car will pick you up in approximatelyââ
âWait a minute!â Kira interrupted angrily. âWhen I rang your office to check about this, you didnât even have any knowledge of a contract in my name!â
âWhen was this?â
âThe day before yesterday.â
âThen perhaps you were a little impatient, Miss Banks.â The voice was cool.
Kira was in no mood to be treated like an idiot.
âIf Signor Albani is clever enough to have found out where Iâm working, then he ought to know better than to interrupt me when Iâm busy. I donât have time to waste on idle chit-chat with an unreliable man.â
She heard a little gasp at the other end of the line. The voice became a shocked whisper.
âMiss Banks, what are you saying? No one refuses Signor Albani!â
âWell, Iâm very sorry, but no one disappoints the person Iâm currently working for, either. Especially not me,â Kira said firmly. âAnd if you arenât willing to tell him that, maybe you could put me through to Signor Albani, direct?â
The woman wasnât happy, but put her on hold to see if the boss was taking calls. It gave Kira plenty of time to decide she had gone too far. She was being too emotional about this. Much as she hated to back down in any situation, where work was concerned she was a realist. She needed contracts. This one had the delightfully infuriating Stefano Albani at the other end, and that might make it more of a liability than a blessing. Autocratic behaviour was part of every billionaireâs job description, but this particular man had got right underher skin. She wanted to be known for the quality of her work, not for making a fool of herself over a man.
Suddenly a voice purred in her ear.
âKira, itâs Stefano.â The sound was so deliciously accented, those few words were enough to wipe all the arguments from her mind.
âHello,â she said, unable to think of anything else.
âYou wanted to speak to me, Kira?â
âYes.â Everything sensible and businesslike seemed to have been swept out of her head. She gave herself a mental
She would cope. She had survived a worse disasterâand at least her brush with Stefano had happened in private. Her life was her own, and from now on that was how it would stay. She smiled sadly. Her single, unforgettable contact with him was a total one-off. It was destined never to happen again. I should have known that from the start, she told herself briskly.
She tried to smile again, but it was impossible.
Â
Kiraâs disappointment over the contract squashed all her fantasies flat. No one did anything for nothing. Mentally she shrugged her shoulders, but Stefano refused to be forgotten. He had set such an exciting fire into her soul. Long ago, life had taught her to expect nothing when it came to men. She knew in her bones Stefano could be no different, but it had been a lovely fantasy. Those sweet memories of him refused to leave her. Whether drifting through her dreams or sending shock waves through her day when she thought she glimpsed his familiar figure in the street, Stefano would not let her go.
She was putting the finishing touches to a very chic project on the outskirts of Florence when her mobile rang.
âMiss Kira Banks?â
Kira couldnât recognise either the womanâs voice, or the number that flashed up on her phoneâs screen. The only people who used this number were clients. Instantly on her guard, she hesitated.
âWho wants to know?â
âI work for Signor Albani. We understand you are on the point of completing a project for Prince Alfonse.Signor Albani wants you to leave it and travel straight to his office. A car will pick you up in approximatelyââ
âWait a minute!â Kira interrupted angrily. âWhen I rang your office to check about this, you didnât even have any knowledge of a contract in my name!â
âWhen was this?â
âThe day before yesterday.â
âThen perhaps you were a little impatient, Miss Banks.â The voice was cool.
Kira was in no mood to be treated like an idiot.
âIf Signor Albani is clever enough to have found out where Iâm working, then he ought to know better than to interrupt me when Iâm busy. I donât have time to waste on idle chit-chat with an unreliable man.â
She heard a little gasp at the other end of the line. The voice became a shocked whisper.
âMiss Banks, what are you saying? No one refuses Signor Albani!â
âWell, Iâm very sorry, but no one disappoints the person Iâm currently working for, either. Especially not me,â Kira said firmly. âAnd if you arenât willing to tell him that, maybe you could put me through to Signor Albani, direct?â
The woman wasnât happy, but put her on hold to see if the boss was taking calls. It gave Kira plenty of time to decide she had gone too far. She was being too emotional about this. Much as she hated to back down in any situation, where work was concerned she was a realist. She needed contracts. This one had the delightfully infuriating Stefano Albani at the other end, and that might make it more of a liability than a blessing. Autocratic behaviour was part of every billionaireâs job description, but this particular man had got right underher skin. She wanted to be known for the quality of her work, not for making a fool of herself over a man.
Suddenly a voice purred in her ear.
âKira, itâs Stefano.â The sound was so deliciously accented, those few words were enough to wipe all the arguments from her mind.
âHello,â she said, unable to think of anything else.
âYou wanted to speak to me, Kira?â
âYes.â Everything sensible and businesslike seemed to have been swept out of her head. She gave herself a mental
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