An Invitation to Sin(7)

Those words turned Taylor's limbs to water. ‘What? No!' Composure  deserted her. She wanted to act. More than anything else she wanted to  act. It was all she wanted to do.

‘You can't do that. You can't get rid of me because of what the media  say. You can't give them that much power and control. I need to speak to  Luca. Give me a chance to sort this out.'

But he'd already moved on. People were shouting things at him and his  eyes were on the phone in his hand as he read a text. ‘You can't sort  this out. Wherever you go, trouble follows. It's always about you and  never about the film. You're finished.'

Furious at the injustice of it, Taylor straightened her shoulders. ‘That's Santo Corretti's decision, not yours.'

‘Fine. He can tell you himself.' Standing back, the director gestured  towards the low, expensive sports car that had just parked behind her.

Taylor closed her eyes. This was a nightmare. She had to do something  but nothing she said was going to rub out that picture of Luca with his  hand on her thigh.

She forced herself to stand still as Santo strode towards her, his face black as the sky before a storm.

Judging from the little she'd read about the aborted wedding, he'd had a worse weekend than she had.

‘It isn't how it seems,' she said, trying and failing to keep the  desperation out of her voice. Part of her hated herself for having to  try and excuse herself but she was willing to do anything to keep the  part. ‘She's one of his exes and she obviously followed him and spied on  him.'

‘And what were you and Luca doing together in the first place?'

‘I was-' She broke off, suddenly furious with Luca. If he'd just paid  the woman they wouldn't be in this mess. Her mind raced ahead. She'd  make him pay in another way. ‘We were meeting each other. You told me I  couldn't have a relationship, so we were trying to be discreet.'

‘Luca is never discreet. He does exactly what he wants to do with whomever he wishes to do it. He doesn't care.'

‘But I do, and he respected that. He understands what the press are like and he wanted to protect me.'

Santo shot her a look of undiluted incredulity. ‘Your date at the wedding was some guy called Zach. I heard you on the phone.'

‘And you heard me tell you that Zach isn't my boyfriend,' she said  truthfully. ‘He's just a friend.' And by that she meant that he was  allowed one layer closer to the real her than most people.

The truth was she trusted no one.

‘So you were using him to cover the fact that you're with Luca? You're  trying to convince me that you and my cousin are an item?'

‘That's exactly what I'm telling you.'

‘My cousin isn't capable of a relationship.'

‘I think he was as surprised by how quickly our relationship developed  as I was. After what you said to me, I made him promise to keep it a  secret. I couldn't change the way we felt about each other, but I  thought I could stop you finding out. There is nothing sleazy about that  kiss.' Making a last-ditch attempt to halt the free fall of her career,  she shot a look at the director. ‘It was two people sharing a special  moment and that woman exploited that. We love each other. Now can we  move on?'                       
       
           



       

‘Love?' The director started to laugh. ‘You expect us to believe that  nonsense? Today it's Luca Corretti-who will it be tomorrow?' Perhaps if  he hadn't sounded so contemptuous, she wouldn't have said it but she was  so upset at his implication that she was unlovable, the words fell out  of her mouth.

‘It won't be anyone tomorrow,' Taylor heard herself say, ‘because I'm in  love with Luca and he's in love with me. We're getting married.' People  used her all the time. Why shouldn't she use someone else for a change?  And since this was all Luca's fault, he was the lucky candidate. ‘We  didn't want to say anything on Saturday and draw attention away from the  bride and bridegroom.' She couldn't for the life of her remember their  names. ‘We were trying to be unselfish which is why we sneaked a quiet  few minutes together.' For a few seconds she had the satisfaction of  seeing the pair of them silenced. She held her breath, knowing that they  were never going to believe her. Never.

Santo was the first to break the silence. ‘If my cousin were engaged, I would have heard.'

‘It's a secret.' So much of a secret that even Luca didn't know about  it. Her insides clenched as she realised the enormity of what she'd  done. ‘No one knew but us. And because we're keeping it a secret,  obviously we had to be discreet.' She snapped her mouth shut before she  could trip over her own tangle of lies. ‘And now I'd be grateful if  neither of you would mention it again. As far as the media is concerned,  I'm single. That's what you wanted, isn't it?'

The director let out a stream of profanities and raised the palms of his  hands. ‘I can't work with this. If you want me on this project, I  demand another actress.'

Santo stood in silence, a frown on his brow.

Taylor felt sick. So that was it. It was all over. She was just about to  slide back into her car and hide her humiliation behind tinted glass  when Santo spoke.

‘Taylor stays on this project.'

The director's eyes narrowed. ‘If she stays, I go.'

‘Then go.' With a total absence of sympathy, Santo nodded his head at  Taylor. ‘We'll talk to the press and then get on with the job we're here  to do.'

‘You just fired the director.' Stunned by his unexpected support, Taylor  could hardly speak. ‘And yesterday you told me to be discreet and not  say anything to the press.'

‘That was when I thought you were likely to stir up a scandal. Taylor  Carmichael engaged to Luca Corretti isn't scandal, it's news. It will  stop the media focusing on your past and it will shift attention away  from my family's wedding fiasco. Don't look so shocked-' he placed the  flat of his hand on her bag and guided her towards the press pack  ‘-you've finally done something right. Relax, you still have a job.'

There were only two thoughts in her head. The first was that when Santo  found out the truth, he'd fire her anyway, and the second was that Luca  Corretti was going to kill her.





CHAPTER THREE


‘I'VE BEEN CALLED before the board, no doubt to answer for my sins. This  promises to be a gripping meeting, Jeannie, the general tone of which  will be that I'm a very bad boy who can't possibly be trusted with the  company even though my brother has just very inconveniently gone AWOL  and another of my disgruntled cousins is trying to take over our  flagship hotel.' Hiding his bitterness beneath layers of boredom, Luca  leaned back and put his feet on his desk, earning himself a reproving  look from his long-suffering PA.

‘You could try not to be so shocking all the time.'

‘Where would be the fun in that?'

‘I'm just saying it might help if you were more … ' She hesitated and he lifted an eyebrow to prompt her.

‘More?'

‘More conventional.'

‘Conventional?' Just saying the word made Luca shudder. ‘In the fashion  business that word is death. And talking of death, whose idea was it to  put lilies in my office? Get rid of them. They remind me of funerals.'

She put a strong cup of coffee in front of him and glanced at the  extravagant display of fresh flowers that dominated the centre of the  table he used for internal meetings. ‘I'll have them changed. Gianni is  having a meltdown. He wants to know if you've approved the location for  the fashion shoot? The agency is driving him mad. He wanted me to remind  you the theme is nautical, using unexpected twists on classic  elements.'
                       
       
           



       
Luca rolled his eyes. ‘Roughly translated from designer-speak to normal language, that means the sea, yes?'

‘The agency wants to use your yacht but Gianni wants something more edgy.'

‘I don't want them on my yacht. It's my bolt hole from press madness.'

‘Talking of press madness, they've been calling all morning about your  latest-' she cleared her throat ‘-indiscretion. Is there anything you  want me to say to them?'

‘Yes. You can tell them to mind their own business.' Irritated, Luca  swung his legs off the desk. ‘Don't look so shocked about it. You've  worked for me for ten years. I know nothing shocks you.'

‘I just get upset when I read bad things about you.' Jeannie's voice was fierce and Luca frowned slightly.

‘Don't let it bother you. I don't.'

‘That's why I let it bother me. One of us has to care, and it doesn't  seem to be you. I could strangle that Portia woman with my bare hands.  How dare she tell those terrible lies.'