Read Online The Passionate Italian 11 DECEMBER EPUB by Diana Fraser - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Diana Fraser
Tags: Contemporary Romance
Ads: Link
all his brother who had no morality whatsoever.
Could she have been pregnant with Alberto’s child and lost it? Is that why she’d left him? Too ashamed to return, rejected by Alberto when he’d learned of the child, and likely to be spurned by the jealous Giovanni?
After he’d spent the evening with Rose’s friend, trying to glean as much information as possible, Giovanni had walked home in the hot summer night, oblivious to everything except the fact that Rose could have been in pain, needing him and he hadn’t been there for her.
The thought hadn’t left him over the following week. Making love, drinking heavily, work—nothing could expunge it. All he could think of was Rose: vulnerable beneath that unemotional façade, hidden from herself as much as from the world, alone.
It had taken only days to find her and even less time to organize the finer details. All he needed now was for her to tell him the truth but for that he needed to earn her trust. He needed to show her that he could control his jealous, passionate nature for her sake. Words wouldn’t do it this time.
He rubbed his eyes. He was tired; he was impatient but there was too much at stake to rush her. To earn her trust she needed time and space. He could afford to give her a little of both.
CHAPTER FIVE
After Giovanni had briefed Rose’s team, there was an exchange of baffled looks at Rose’s sudden reappearance. The status of Giovanni’s and Rose’s relationship remained unexplained and Rose certainly wasn’t going to enlighten them—not when she didn’t have a clue herself.
She spent the afternoon with her team in meetings discussing the new security systems she’d devised and how they’d be implemented. They’d be working closely together but she’d do the one-off investigation, have overall control and only she would know the identity of anyone found implicated in illegal transactions. Giovanni had insisted.
The rest of the day past in a whirl of meetings, culminating with a presentation to Giovanni of their plans. Giovanni listened to Rose’s presentation with an uncharacteristic, inscrutable expression. He didn’t say a word as she described the details of the overall aim and functionality of the project down to the creative strategies. Luckily, her professionalism was faultless, despite Giovanni’s unnerving attitude, and he appeared satisfied. With a flick of his hand they were all dismissed, including her.
She pulled together her papers and smiled at her team, trying hard to keep the hurt at bay.
It wasn’t until early evening that she closed down the laptop and called it a day. She stretched, yawning. Jet lag was catching up with her.
The office was deserted and she headed for the elevator.
As she exited the building, a car pulled up alongside. Simon, Giovanni’s assistant jumped out.
“Signora?” He held the door open.
“No thanks, Simon. I need some air.” She smiled and continued to walk on.
But he merely slammed the car door shut and fell into step with her as the car crawled beside them.
“Signore Visconti would like a few words.”
She stopped walking abruptly. “Would he now?”
Simon smiled and nodded diplomatically. He never elaborated, always said the minimum. Rose knew from old that there would be no information forthcoming from Simon about his boss. He was both devoted and discrete.
She bent down and peered inside the shaded interior before turning back to Simon. “I take it Signore Giovanni is too busy to ask me himself.”
“Signore Visconti is working.”
Simon opened the door and Rose got into the car next to Giovanni who was talking on his phone.
He barely acknowledged her as they drove off, stopping and starting through the rush-hour traffic.
She looked out the window and listened to the stream of Italian and the deep timbre of his voice. Her stomach clenched with desire.
He flicked the phone shut suddenly—without any niceties, abrupt and final.
“You really should
Could she have been pregnant with Alberto’s child and lost it? Is that why she’d left him? Too ashamed to return, rejected by Alberto when he’d learned of the child, and likely to be spurned by the jealous Giovanni?
After he’d spent the evening with Rose’s friend, trying to glean as much information as possible, Giovanni had walked home in the hot summer night, oblivious to everything except the fact that Rose could have been in pain, needing him and he hadn’t been there for her.
The thought hadn’t left him over the following week. Making love, drinking heavily, work—nothing could expunge it. All he could think of was Rose: vulnerable beneath that unemotional façade, hidden from herself as much as from the world, alone.
It had taken only days to find her and even less time to organize the finer details. All he needed now was for her to tell him the truth but for that he needed to earn her trust. He needed to show her that he could control his jealous, passionate nature for her sake. Words wouldn’t do it this time.
He rubbed his eyes. He was tired; he was impatient but there was too much at stake to rush her. To earn her trust she needed time and space. He could afford to give her a little of both.
CHAPTER FIVE
After Giovanni had briefed Rose’s team, there was an exchange of baffled looks at Rose’s sudden reappearance. The status of Giovanni’s and Rose’s relationship remained unexplained and Rose certainly wasn’t going to enlighten them—not when she didn’t have a clue herself.
She spent the afternoon with her team in meetings discussing the new security systems she’d devised and how they’d be implemented. They’d be working closely together but she’d do the one-off investigation, have overall control and only she would know the identity of anyone found implicated in illegal transactions. Giovanni had insisted.
The rest of the day past in a whirl of meetings, culminating with a presentation to Giovanni of their plans. Giovanni listened to Rose’s presentation with an uncharacteristic, inscrutable expression. He didn’t say a word as she described the details of the overall aim and functionality of the project down to the creative strategies. Luckily, her professionalism was faultless, despite Giovanni’s unnerving attitude, and he appeared satisfied. With a flick of his hand they were all dismissed, including her.
She pulled together her papers and smiled at her team, trying hard to keep the hurt at bay.
It wasn’t until early evening that she closed down the laptop and called it a day. She stretched, yawning. Jet lag was catching up with her.
The office was deserted and she headed for the elevator.
As she exited the building, a car pulled up alongside. Simon, Giovanni’s assistant jumped out.
“Signora?” He held the door open.
“No thanks, Simon. I need some air.” She smiled and continued to walk on.
But he merely slammed the car door shut and fell into step with her as the car crawled beside them.
“Signore Visconti would like a few words.”
She stopped walking abruptly. “Would he now?”
Simon smiled and nodded diplomatically. He never elaborated, always said the minimum. Rose knew from old that there would be no information forthcoming from Simon about his boss. He was both devoted and discrete.
She bent down and peered inside the shaded interior before turning back to Simon. “I take it Signore Giovanni is too busy to ask me himself.”
“Signore Visconti is working.”
Simon opened the door and Rose got into the car next to Giovanni who was talking on his phone.
He barely acknowledged her as they drove off, stopping and starting through the rush-hour traffic.
She looked out the window and listened to the stream of Italian and the deep timbre of his voice. Her stomach clenched with desire.
He flicked the phone shut suddenly—without any niceties, abrupt and final.
“You really should
Similar Books
