Bound by the Italian's Contract(25)

                * * *

                Luc shook off the last of his tension like water and gave the sedan more gas, trying like hell to put the woman beside him from his mind. She was far too intriguing. Far too attractive, and that was a signal that he’d been away from his business for too long. But soon they’d be at the lodge and he could delve into much-needed work while Caprice did the same.

                Apart. Maybe then he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. To see if her skin was as smooth as it looked, to explore how much of her well-toned body was tanned.

                Seven years ago, her allure hadn’t been that strong. He’d been able to resist her simply because she’d seemed more innocent. More playful. More inquisitive.

                Now she was a woman in control. A very desirable woman. Far too tempting to him.

                The last few hours he’d longed for sanctuary. If Caprice hadn’t been with him, he would have whizzed past the exclusive lodge and hit the trail that wound higher to his private rifugio nestled on a mountain ledge.

                But he would not take her to his hideaway. Besides, the luxury car would never make the journey and he wasn’t about to stop to trade out vehicles. The designers were waiting for them to arrive for the meeting and that was what they would do.

                As usual, he had no time for anything but business. But wasn’t that what he wanted?

                “The village isn’t what I expected,” she said, breaking the silence.

                “And that would be?”

                “Trendy. Busy,” she said, nose wrinkling.

                “A hotspot for tourists or more specifically, the haute rich,” he said, taking a wild guess at her thoughts and sensing her discomfort.

                “Yes. But it’s just the opposite.”

                “It was planned that way to set it apart from the party havens,” he said, quickly leaving the cluster of aged buildings behind. “Decades ago, my family chose to maintain the Old World charm of the village while keeping all the services up to date. They purchased the majority of the chalets, renovated them and hired full staffs. They immediately appealed to those who wanted exclusivity and were able to afford the cost of it. The village hasn’t changed much in decades. The chalets are rarely unoccupied for more than two weeks out of the year.”

                “A getaway for the wealthy,” she said, capturing a yawn with her palm. “Do you also own or hold interest in the local businesses as well?”

                “Several are la Duchi holdings. They were bought up when the previous owners wished to sell,” he said, hoping that put an end to her inquiry. “You are free to visit them after I give you a tour of the new facility and we have met with the designers.”

                “I’m anxious to see it and get started.”

                So was he, only for different reasons than hers, he suspected. “Good. We’ll be there in a few moments.”

                She blinked. “You mean the meeting is now?”

                “I told you we would meet the designers when we arrived here.”

                “Well, yes, I remember,” she said and bit her lower lip.

                “Is that a problem?”

                “No,” she said and sat up straighter. “But I haven’t seen the place where you plan to house the therapy unit. After that I’ll need a little time to gather my thoughts before I can discuss detailed designs. Even then, some things may need to be changed.”