Read Online The Italian's Blushing Gardener by Christina Hollis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina Hollis
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temptation.
Completing his letter, Stefano switched off the recorder and tossed it aside.
‘We meet again, Miss Banks.’
‘Indeed we do.’ Kira purposely kept her voice light and professional, but couldn’t resist a question that had been tormenting her since he left her side. ‘Did you buy the Bella Terra estate, signore ?’
‘Yes, but I’ve been too busy to visit since then. I suppose you’ve been wondering where I’ve been?’
‘No, not at all,’ Kira said coolly, determined not to betray any trace of the embarrassingly large amount of time she had spent wondering what he was getting up to while he was out of her sight.
She saw from a subtle change in his expression that the stony nature of her reply had given him pause. His reaction gave her a little lift, and added some real amusement to her smile.
‘In fact, Signor Albani, when your assistant rang it took me a little while to remember who you were.’ She batted the words easily across the desk at him.
He parried with a wicked smile. ‘I knew you were one in a million, Kira. Now it seems you are unique.’
He took his feet off the desk and sat up straight in his chair, his suddenly businesslike attitude making him even more imposing. Kira fought to keep her expression impassive.
Don’t overdo the flip answers! she thought. I might not want him to think he means anything to me, buthe is a man who managed to borrow me from Prince Alfonse!
‘I want you to work for me, Kira. Name your price,’ he drawled, glancing down as he threaded a pair of solid-gold cufflinks into his cuffs.
‘I’d rather find out what I’m letting myself in for first.’ Kira was proud of the careful neutrality of her tone. It was a shame the rest of her being was entirely focused on the man she had been fantasising about for the past few days. ‘I want to make sure I’m the right person for the job. I’d rather you offered the position to someone else if I thought I couldn’t give you exactly what you wanted.’
‘I agree completely,’ Stefano said. ‘However, I wouldn’t have asked you here today were I not already certain. You, Kira Banks, are capable of giving me exactly what I want.’ His face remained expressionless but the ambiguity of his words made her cheeks flush red and her breathing catch.
In a quick, carefully judged gesture he spun the file across the desk at her. ‘So why don’t you read that, and tell me what you think?’
Kira did not move, but regarded him coolly.
‘What? Now?’
Stefano raised an eyebrow. ‘Unless you have some objection?’
Kira had spent too many restless hours since their first meeting. After her roller-coaster ride of hope, disappointment and surprise, she did not find his words at all funny.
‘No. This is so important to me, and it deserves to be studied carefully. I take my work very seriously,’ she said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.
Stefano nodded appreciatively. ‘That’s exactly the sort of attitude I expect from the people I employ. It’s why I want you on board. I had my staff check out some of the other projects you’ve completed. I needed to make sure I was offering you work for all the right reasons, not simply the wrong one.’
His smile became enigmatic and Kira had to look away. She transferred her gaze back to the cover of the file in front of her. If he paid such careful attention to detail, she wondered what else his people might have found out about her.
‘Could you give me an overview?’ she said eventually. ‘Isn’t it simply a contract to work on the gardens at Bella Terra?’
‘That, and my Florentine town house as well…’
It had been at the back of Kira’s mind, but she’d hardly dared hope he would remember his casual offer.
‘Words are cheap. Nobody knows that better than I do, Stefano. Men often say things they don’t mean,’ she said quietly.
He stared at her. ‘Not when it comes to business. Honesty is the only policy there,’ he said firmly.
Completing his letter, Stefano switched off the recorder and tossed it aside.
‘We meet again, Miss Banks.’
‘Indeed we do.’ Kira purposely kept her voice light and professional, but couldn’t resist a question that had been tormenting her since he left her side. ‘Did you buy the Bella Terra estate, signore ?’
‘Yes, but I’ve been too busy to visit since then. I suppose you’ve been wondering where I’ve been?’
‘No, not at all,’ Kira said coolly, determined not to betray any trace of the embarrassingly large amount of time she had spent wondering what he was getting up to while he was out of her sight.
She saw from a subtle change in his expression that the stony nature of her reply had given him pause. His reaction gave her a little lift, and added some real amusement to her smile.
‘In fact, Signor Albani, when your assistant rang it took me a little while to remember who you were.’ She batted the words easily across the desk at him.
He parried with a wicked smile. ‘I knew you were one in a million, Kira. Now it seems you are unique.’
He took his feet off the desk and sat up straight in his chair, his suddenly businesslike attitude making him even more imposing. Kira fought to keep her expression impassive.
Don’t overdo the flip answers! she thought. I might not want him to think he means anything to me, buthe is a man who managed to borrow me from Prince Alfonse!
‘I want you to work for me, Kira. Name your price,’ he drawled, glancing down as he threaded a pair of solid-gold cufflinks into his cuffs.
‘I’d rather find out what I’m letting myself in for first.’ Kira was proud of the careful neutrality of her tone. It was a shame the rest of her being was entirely focused on the man she had been fantasising about for the past few days. ‘I want to make sure I’m the right person for the job. I’d rather you offered the position to someone else if I thought I couldn’t give you exactly what you wanted.’
‘I agree completely,’ Stefano said. ‘However, I wouldn’t have asked you here today were I not already certain. You, Kira Banks, are capable of giving me exactly what I want.’ His face remained expressionless but the ambiguity of his words made her cheeks flush red and her breathing catch.
In a quick, carefully judged gesture he spun the file across the desk at her. ‘So why don’t you read that, and tell me what you think?’
Kira did not move, but regarded him coolly.
‘What? Now?’
Stefano raised an eyebrow. ‘Unless you have some objection?’
Kira had spent too many restless hours since their first meeting. After her roller-coaster ride of hope, disappointment and surprise, she did not find his words at all funny.
‘No. This is so important to me, and it deserves to be studied carefully. I take my work very seriously,’ she said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.
Stefano nodded appreciatively. ‘That’s exactly the sort of attitude I expect from the people I employ. It’s why I want you on board. I had my staff check out some of the other projects you’ve completed. I needed to make sure I was offering you work for all the right reasons, not simply the wrong one.’
His smile became enigmatic and Kira had to look away. She transferred her gaze back to the cover of the file in front of her. If he paid such careful attention to detail, she wondered what else his people might have found out about her.
‘Could you give me an overview?’ she said eventually. ‘Isn’t it simply a contract to work on the gardens at Bella Terra?’
‘That, and my Florentine town house as well…’
It had been at the back of Kira’s mind, but she’d hardly dared hope he would remember his casual offer.
‘Words are cheap. Nobody knows that better than I do, Stefano. Men often say things they don’t mean,’ she said quietly.
He stared at her. ‘Not when it comes to business. Honesty is the only policy there,’ he said firmly.
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