Chapter 6
"Alana! What a pleasure." He said with the same enthusiasm. My stomach clenched as I saw her hurrying towards him and throwing her arms around his neck and then kiss him. I felt sick at the sight. Why should it bother me to see a man I just got to know kissing another woman? It shouldn't, but it was happening, and I was consumed with jealousy.
"When have you returned?" He asked her.
"Yesterday. I thought about paying you a visit today, but I didn't have time. I never thought I would meet you here."
"Well, yeah, I just had dinner."
"Oh, I'm staying here at the hotel for now. At least until the works are finished." She explained.
"If you have any trouble finding a place to stay, all you have to do is to tell me." He said with a smile.
"Oh Darling, I know that and I appreciate your help but for now I'm fine here. What about coming up in my room? I have so many things to tell you." She said, touching his face. Her long fingers moved sensually on his neck. He didn't move back. He was enjoying how woman hung to him, pressing her amazing body against his. I had had enough. I wanted to go away. I couldn't stand that sight any longer. I tried to get up and even if with difficulty, I managed. Just then, Gianluca remembered I was there.
"I can't. Another time maybe. I have to take her home." He said, looking at me.
"Her?" She turned around and looked at me. From the icy stare she gave me, I could say that she already hated me.
"She's Justine Evans, my new interior designer."
"Oh! An interior designer. I thought..- "She laughed. "Never mind what I thought. How do you do?" She said as she extended her hand.
I felt much better before you arrived; I wanted to tell her, however; I didn't. Instead, I forced a smile on my face and shook her hand.
"We were just leaving," Gianluca informed her. "It's been nice seeing you."
"Same here, darling. I'll call you tomorrow. Perhaps we meet in the evening."
"Sure. Goodnight, Alana." She smiled at him and then waved goodbye at me and left. Gianluca gazed at me. "Were you going somewhere?" He questioned when she was out of sight.
"To the car. I feel better now and can walk on my own," I said, feeling irrationally irritated. I couldn't wait to return home, away from this man, away from the things he made me feel and cuddle in the safety of my bed.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You're still struggling to keep steady and I won't take chances of you getting injured. Not with your reputation, anyway. You would easily trip in anything when you're sober, imagine what you could do now." He taunted as he pulled me towards him and held me against him like he was doing before. I opened my mouth to protest, but as I met his gaze, I closed my mouth again. "I thought you would have complained. How come you're so quiet suddenly?"
"I'm just tired," I replied quietly. "Wouldn't your girlfriend be jealous of seeing you holding me the way you're doing?" I asked. For a moment, he seemed surprised by that remark, but then he smirked.
"I'm only helping a girl in difficulty." He replied and then started to walk again. So she was really his girlfriend. He hadn't denied it. Why this news was hurting so much? It was all the damned wine's fault if I was feeling so emotional and upset. It must be the effect of the alcohol that clouded my mind and my good sense. When we arrived at the parking, he let go of me and I felt bereft. A cold chill ran down my spine, and I longed for the warmth of his body again. He opened the door for me and helped me to climb inside. A moment later, he was behind the wheel. He looked at me curiously before he fired the engine and drove. Was it visible? The sadness I felt inside. Could he see it? I wondered, and if he could, what did he think? Probably that I was mad. No one in his senses would have these feelings after only a few hours of knowing a person. But I wasn't normal, at least not in his presence. I tried to think if this had happened to me before. I tried to think about the guys I had liked in the past, but I couldn't remember ever feeling like this. In one day he had made me angry to an extent that sometimes I hated him. He had deliberately been mean, making fun of me and my clumsiness and hurt me with his insolence. He's been possessive, ordering me around as if I were a puppet in his hands. But there were moments during which he had warmed my heart with his smile, with his gentleness and with every little gesture he did, from wiping my tears when I cried to caring for a superficial cut. And what could I say about the moments I spent hugged to his body? I had never been so close to a man before, not to a real man, at least. Gianluca had nothing to do with guys that I used to go out with during high school. He was all male in every aspect, ruggedly built, tall, and robust. He was strong. I hadn't seen his body as his suit hid well all his assets but I had felt his body against mine and I could perfectly imagine what he must look like without that suit on. The muscles of his arm had tensed when he wrapped it around my waist and held me tight. And his strong legs felt as hard as steel when they brushed against mine. I couldn't deny that I was dying to find out if the reality was as striking as the picture I had created in my mind.
"I wish I could read your mind."
I'm glad you can't, I thought.
"You're a total dilemma for me. I never know where I'm standing with you."
I glanced at him. "I would say the same about you," I said quietly.
"Am I that difficult to understand?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You look surprised. No one ever told you that?"
"Nope."
"I gather that the people who work for you are too frightened to tell you. You intimidate everyone. You think you can rule with a rod of iron whoever you meet." I bit my lip. What the hell was I saying? From where did I get all this courage? This wasn't me, it was the wine.
He burst out laughing. He had a very pleasant laugh, husky edged. "Not you, it seems." I relaxed as I saw the genuine smile on his face. My comment did not annoy him. "To be honest, I'm glad to hear that. Justine, I'm a CEO. You can't be nice to people if you want them to do what you want. No one will listen if you'll be friendly. I've been told from a very young age to demand, to be strict and sometimes even cruel if necessary. I have to make sure they'll understand who's the boss."
"And you do that pretty well." I retorted.
"Why are you being so mean to me, Justine?"
"Am I?"
"What bothered you? Your mood changed drastically from the moment I left you to go for the car- Or No, let's correct this. It changed from the moment Alana arrived."
I felt my stomach contracting. So he had noticed. What could I say, that I hated the competition? That despite being a hateful man, I never desired a man as I desired him. That I couldn't understand what the hell was wrong with my body and with my heart.
"You're quiet again. Have I guessed?"
"No." I finally said. "I shouldn't have drunk so much wine. It has a strange effect on me. I'm sorry, don't take any notice of what I'm saying."
"Where do you live?" He asked then dropping the subject.
"What?"
"Surely you're not thinking about driving yourself home, aren't you? You're in no state to do that."
I was going to complain, but he didn't give me the chance. "Tell me where you live and I take you home."
"No, I mean, how am I going to come to work tomorrow?" I couldn't tell him where I live. I couldn't give him more information about me. What if he realizes who I was?
"That won't be a problem. I'll send someone for you at eight."
"I thought we started at 7.30."
His mouth stretched into a smile. "Not tomorrow, my dear. We're both dead tired. So where am I going to head to? You live in the centre?" He asked again.
I sighed and surrendered. "No, near Sebastian square. In St Martin's street."
"OK. Not very far from where I live then." He increased the speed and in less than ten minutes we were in St Martin's Street."Where do I have to stop?" He asked.
"Over there is fine," I said, pointing towards a block of flats. I didn't want him to see my house. "Thanks for tonight. I enjoyed it." I said when he parked.
"Wait!" Saying that, he put his hand on my shoulder and I shivered. I held my breath as I looked at him in silence. "Ahm...I.. I just want to give you this." He said as he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out an envelope. I should have given it to you during dinner, but I forgot."
"What's that?" I asked.
"Your payment for posing as a model for me today."
I opened the envelope and took out a check and I had to flutter my eyes a couple of times to make sure I was seeing well.
"But... but this is too much." I stuttered. "I can't accept it. Do models get paid this much?" I asked incredulously.
"They do, but I have to be honest with you. I added a little bonus."
I gazed up into his eyes and I wished that this moment would never end. God, how much I liked the way he was looking at me.
"Gianluca..." I left the words hanging as the sudden warmth of his hand covering mine left me without breath. He moved forward, and my stomach flipped. He was close enough that I could feel his breath on my face.
"You deserve that and more. I will never forget what you did for me today. I may be a tyrant, like you said, but I know how to be grateful."
"But I don't want extra money. I.. You gave an opportunity that no one else would have given me, accepting me as an interior designer. And well, the model thing. I was in the right place at the right time."
"You could have said no and don't tell me you accepted because of Mrs Priestley. Justine, why haven't you refused?"
I shrugged, I hadn't refused because I wanted to please him. I wished to help him, and I wished to take away the worried expression he had on his face when Kailey left.
"I..."
A shrill sound saved me from a situation I wasn't sure I would have handled. I found it very difficult to lie with him. I grabbed my mobile and saw it was Aunt May.
"I have to go now." I said as I opened the door and moved out."Thank you."
"See you tomorrow, Justine. Make sure you'll be ready by eight. I'll send you someone. Don't make him wait. At 8.30, you must be in my office."
I nodded and closed the door and stood there with my mobile in hand until he drove off. Then I ran towards my house, but as I was going to open the door, someone else did for me. As the door opened, I met her angry gaze.
"Where the hell you've been? I've been worried all day about you. I've called you a million times."
"I'm sorry." I retorted. "I had a lot of work to do today and the mobile was in my handbag."
Aunt May remained silent, looking searchingly at me, scrutinising my face, especially which at the moment felt warm, too warm. I was sure it was red, too.
"You haven't told me where have you been yet. I saw you coming out of a car. Where is yours?"
"I had a business dinner, and I drank a few glasses of wine. I'm not drunk, but my boss thought it was better if I didn't drive."
"Your boss!" Her eyes narrowed until they looked like two black slits. "Tremonti?" She said harshly.
"Aunt May please-"
"All this time you've been with him?"
"He's my boss. It's inevitable that I'd be with him."
"You went to dinner with him and he brought you here. Are you out of your mind? How could you give him your address?"
"Do you think he won't get it from my CV? Listen, you're worrying about nothing. We're not even sure if Gianluca was involved."
"Hah Gianluca, we're on first-name terms already, I see."
I bit my lip.
"Listen, Aunt May, you were the one to insist that I'll accept the job with Tremonti. I did as you requested."
"Yes, but it seems you have forgotten the purpose."
"I haven't, but I have to be careful how to do things. I can't raise suspicion and I have to earn his trust. Aunt May, can you let me handle this please on my own?"
Aunt May nodded and walked away. I followed her to the living room.
"Do you want a cup of tea?" She asked, trying to mask her anger.
"No, thank you. Can we just sit down a moment I want to tell you something?"
"Sounds serious. What is it?"
I sat down on the sofa as my feet were aching. I took off my shoes and relaxed. Aunt May sat in the armchair.
"Tomorrow you might see me on television." I started. Suddenly, I had all her attention.
"Why?"
"I've modelled today for a commercial, advertising a cosmetic product." I threw. I already knew her reaction would not be a nice one. Aunt May was a woman of other times and hated these things.
"You did what? I thought your job was for an interior designer."
"Yes it is, but the model that was supposed to do it left and they were in trouble."
"And you offered your help. How thoughtful." She hissed.
"Auntie, if I did, it was to impress him, and I managed very well. Mr Tremonti was very grateful, and this is the payment I've got." I said, pulling out the check he had given me. Aunt May's mouth fell open when she looked at the amount.
"No, no, this is not good." She said, standing up. "What will he ask you next? To be his mistress?"
"Oh, come on Aunt May. What are you saying?"
"My child, you're so naïve sometimes. Do you think he gave you all this money for nothing?"
"I don't call modeling nothing. It's been difficult and tiring."
"No, this is not a payment for your work. This is a way to blind you, to use you. The men of that family are all bastards and unscrupulous. Have you forgotten what they did to our family?"
"No, and I never will, but you're wrong about Mr. Tremonti."
"He's no different. Justine, I'm really worried. You seem to like him." She said, gazing at me with suspicion.
"What? Oh no, not in the sense you're thinking, anyway. Aunt May, I give you my word that whoever made us suffer will pay dearly and we will take our revenge."