An Invitation to Sin(28)

‘No! You've done more than enough. I'll sort it out.'

Luca caught her arm. ‘Tell me why you're scared of him.' His tone was  low and urgent. ‘Why do you care what that guy thinks of you?'

Her mouth was dry. ‘Because he has … power.'

‘Power? You mean over your performance?'

No, she didn't mean that.

‘I just don't want more bad headlines.' That much was the truth. ‘I just want to act.'

Luca stared at her for a long moment and then lifted his hand and  brushed her cheek gently, his expression inscrutable. ‘Mi dispiace. I'm  sorry if I made things difficult for you. That wasn't my intention. Go  and finish filming that scene. There's something I need to do.'

Determined to make up for his momentary loss of control, which had  clearly made things awkward for her, Luca spent the afternoon on the  phone. By the time he drove back to the docklands to collect Taylor he  was feeling particularly pleased with his plan so it spoiled the moment  slightly to see her waiting for him, white-faced and tense.

‘Your cousin fired Rafaele.'

Luca wondered why she thought that came under the heading of ‘bad news.'  ‘Good. For once he and I are in agreement on something.'

‘Rafaele is going to be furious.'

‘And we care about that because … ?' When she didn't answer, he sighed. ‘Get in the car.'

‘I'm starting to think this project is doomed.' She slid into the car  next to him and closed her eyes but her phone rang immediately.

Luca tensed. ‘Is that him?'

‘No.' She relaxed. ‘It's just Zach. I'll call him back later.'

‘Zach? Who the hell is Zach?'

‘Just a friend.'

‘I thought you didn't have friends. I thought there was no one you trusted.'

‘I trust Zach more than I trust most people, but that isn't saying much.' She dropped the phone back into her bag. ‘What a day.'

Luca forced himself not to ask all the questions he was burning to ask about Zach. ‘Does Santo have a replacement yet?'

‘Well, that's the odd thing … ' She pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘He's  given the job to his PA, Ella. I've talked to her loads of times. She's  crazy about everything to do with movie making which is why she's  working for Santo but I never knew she wanted to direct. He's giving her  the chance.'

‘I'm sure she'll be brilliant. I'll even let her kiss you-in fact, I'll  hang around in case she does.' Noticing movement out of the corner of  his eye, he leaned forward and kissed her himself. ‘Press approaching  downwind. Look pleased to see me.'

Her lips were soft and sweet under his and he took his time, kissing her  slowly and deliberately until she pulled back with a frown. ‘OK, enough  already.'

Luca, who was unsettled to discover he'd had nowhere near enough of her,  reached into the back of the car and put a baseball cap on her head.

‘Ugh-you'll ruin my hair!' She lifted her hand to remove it but he stopped her.

‘Wear it,' he ordered softly. ‘Put on your sunglasses. And for once in your life, don't argue with me.'

She was still staring at him when one journalist, braver than the  others, approached the car. ‘Taylor, do you have a statement on the fact  that Rafaele has been replaced as director?'

‘No, she doesn't.' Luca settled his own sunglasses over his eyes,  started the engine and rammed the car into gear but the journalist  persisted.                       
       
           



       

‘Any plans for tonight? Where will the two of you be spending the evening?'

‘In bed.' With a dangerous smile, Luca pulled away and Taylor groaned.

‘Thanks so much. Now the headline will be Taylor Carmichael, Sex Addict.  Couldn't you have said something else? You could have told them we're  going out to dinner. Why would you let them think we're going home to  bed?'

‘Because that's what I want them to think. I don't want them to follow us.'

‘They always follow us. And you don't care.'

‘Tonight, I care.'

‘Why?'

‘Because tonight, Cinderella Carmichael,' he drawled, ‘I'm making your dreams come true.'

‘My dream is to get on with my life without being bothered and you've just-'

‘I've just made that happen.' Glancing in the rearview mirror, he took a  sharp right and ducked into the private underground car park reserved  for the executive team of the hotel.

He parked the Ferrari next to a battered, ancient car.

‘What on earth … ?'

‘Move.'

And she did. But being Taylor She didn't do it without demanding answers.

‘Where are we and what are you-?' She broke off and stared at the couple  that had just climbed out of the battered, ancient car parked next to  them.

‘Give her your jacket, your sunglasses and the baseball cap.'

‘But-'

‘Accidenti, do you ever do anything without arguing? You are enough to drive a man to an early grave.'

‘I'd haunt you.' Visibly confused, she pulled off the hat, the glasses  and her jacket and handed it to the woman, who immediately put them on.

Luca narrowed his eyes. ‘Not bad. From the back she could be you.'

‘I know. It's seriously freaky. How did you do it?'

‘I found a Taylor Carmichael double. She earns her living being you so  she owes you a few favours.' He took off his own jacket and sunglasses  and handed them to the man. ‘Remember what I said. Straight home. Follow  my security guards. You don't stop. Don't look at anyone. And drive too  fast-that's what I'd do. You're sure you can handle the car?'

The man nodded and Luca sighed and reluctantly handed over the keys to  his precious Ferrari. ‘This had better be worth it. Is everything in the  back?'

‘Just as you instructed.'

‘Then go.'

The couple drove off in the Ferrari and Luca yanked open the door of the  battered car. ‘Maledezione, is this piece of junk even roadworthy? I've  owned toothbrushes with more impressive engineering.' He hauled a bag  out of the back of the car and thrust it at her. ‘Put this on. And do it  quickly before someone drives into this garage.'

Taylor opened the bag gingerly. ‘A wig?'

Busy pulling on his own wig, Luca ignored her. ‘I hope you appreciate  the lengths I'm going to for you. Do I look hot as a blond?'

She glanced at him and gave a choked laugh. ‘You look … unbelievably weird. the hair doesn't match the suit.'

‘The suit! I have to get rid of the suit.' Reluctantly, Luca stripped  off the exquisite Italian suit he'd changed into following his  altercation with Rafaele. ‘I can't believe I'm doing this for you.'

‘Why are you doing this for me?'

‘Because you said it's what you want more than anything and I wanted to  make that happen for you. I wanted you to have fun.' His eyes met hers  and he saw the shock there and he knew she was seeing the same thing in  his eyes because the only fun he was usually interested in having with a  woman involved getting naked. ‘Cristo, you ask too many questions.  Can't you just enjoy an evening out without dissecting it?'

‘Thank you.' She whispered the words and there was a sheen of something  that looked scarily like tears in her eyes as she stepped towards him  and pressed her lips to his. ‘No one has ever done anything like this  for me before. You've made me feel really special.'

Luca jerked back, rocked by emotions he hadn't expected and had no idea how to deal with.

Maybe this had been a bad idea.

He had no problem with making a woman feel special as long as it was  only for a short time, but he didn't want to make one feel so special  she decided to stick around. ‘Really special' sounded suspiciously like a  warning alarm that in normal circumstances would have had him running.  But he couldn't run because he was the one who'd arranged this.

‘I'm not surprised no one has done it before. The wig itches and the car  is unlikely to make it out of the car park.' Unsettled by his own  feelings, which he had no intention of analysing, he took refuge in  humour. ‘Get dressed.'                       
       
           



       

Checking that there was no one in the small car park, she shimmied out  of her trousers and Luca set his teeth. He wondered if he were the only  one thinking about sex all the time. He couldn't look at her without  wanting to strip her naked.

‘I said get dressed, not undressed.'

‘One comes before the other.'

He dragged his gaze from her long, slim legs. ‘You're doing it on purpose.'

‘Doing what on purpose?'

‘Driving me crazy.'

‘Am I driving you crazy?' She lifted her arms and removed her top in a  graceful movement, exposing her lean fit body. She was sexy and she knew  it.